It was great fun having visitors in Cabo Verde, and sad to see Anne, Becky and the children off last night. But now with Kyle and Niall on board we have been preparing to set off across the Atlantic and today has been busy filling up with water, stowing food, fixing the aft heads again, hoisting Mark up the mast to check rigging, filling the gas tanks.
We had a final lunch in the floating bar, handed back our passes and detached ourselves from the marina. We had to circle while another French boat filled with diesel and then we got alongside and topped up with 122 litres. Our last fill up was in Cascais in Portugal.
Setting a triple-reefed mainsail and full genoa we roared out of the harbour past the various wrecks and into the channel between São Vicente and São Antão. Big seas rolling down and wind a steady 35 knots, but nonetheless it felt comfortable and I was very happy and relieved to be setting off at last.
We soon passed the French boat, "Vedrouille", which we had seen earlier and spoke them on the radio. They are a family with a six year-old on board heading to Martinique.
The mountains either side are so dramatic and to my joy several Tropic birds flew past with their long pair of white tail feathers streaming in the gale. It's their breeding season and I'd been surprised that we'd not seen them or the Magnificent Frigate birds.
Mark produced an exceptional chicken balti with all the trimmings as night fell and we rounded the southern tip of São Antão and headed due West to the Caribbean.
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