2014 CRUISING SEASON IN A NUTSHELL .

WONDERFUL SEND OFF FROM SOUTH AFRICA . OUR FRIENDS WERE ON BOATS , ON JETTIES AND AT THE HARBOUR ENTRANCE BIDDING US BON VOYAGE .

KOLMANSKOP IN LUDERITZ NAMIBIA . AN EERIE PLACE .

WINDWARD POWERING TO ST HELENA ISLAND . FANTASTIC SAILING .

WHEN THE WIND STARTED FADING , UP WENT THE GENNAKER .

URS : BABE , HOW MUCH LONGER BEFORE WE GET TO BRAZIL ? ME : NOT MUCH LONGER SWEETIE , ABOUT TEN DAYS .

                             

ROBBIE ON NIGHTWATCH . HOPEFULLY THAT'S THE MOON COMING UP . 

JAMESTOWN . ST HELENA ISLAND VIEWED FROM THE TOP OF JACOB'S LADDER .

ILHA DA TRINIDADE . THAT'S THE TIP YOU ARE SEEING , THE BIT BELOW THE SURFACE WILL BLOW YOUR MIND . 

CABO FRIO , BRAZIL WHERE WE MADE LANDFALL AFTER A GREAT CROSSING .

IATE CLUB RIO DE JANEIRO . SPOT JESUS ON THE MOUNTAIN .

ILHA GRANDE . BEAUTIFUL ISLAND .

THIS RESTAURANT'S SPECIALITY . FISH LASAGNA WITHOUT THE PASTA , SUPERB DISH .

LOPES MENDES . ONE OF THE FINEST BEACHES WE HAVE EVER SEEN AND WE HAD IT ALL TO OURSELVES . 

OUR MERMAID DAUGHTER .

WE HAD A JOL WITH OUR FAMILY FROM CANADA .

LOVELY , LOVELY PEOPLE AND GREAT SAILORS . THEY COMPLETED A DOUBLE TRANSATLANTIC CROSSING WHILE ON TWO MONTHS LEAVE . A MEAN FEAT ON THEIR TRUSTY 32FT KILIMANJARO .

AFTER 5000NM SHE IS TAKING A BREAK BEFORE WE RETURN NEXT YEAR TO START OUR NORTHBOUND PASSAGE UP THE BRAZILIAN COAST . EISH , I CAN'T WAIT .

CRUISING SEASON 2014 .

Our first season as cruisers has been flawless . After a successful Transatlantic crossing with some magic stops on route to Brazil it has been one helluva adventure .

From the day we sailed out of our homeport in South Africa to now , there has never been a dull moment .

Our boat has been superb and after 5000nm under her keel she doesn't even have a scratch to show for it . Touch wood , l say that with my hand firmly planted on her teak deck .

We have really enjoyed Brazil and have spent the last six months sailing in arguably their finest cruising grounds . That's the opinion of the local yachties that we have met and with 365 islands and 2000 beaches l firmly believe that Baia da Ilha Grande is a place that should not be missed . Apart from the natural beauty that Brazil has to offer , its people are one of their biggest assets . I am astounded everyday at how warm and friendly they are and how they go out of their way to assist you when you need something . We have met some wonderful people and are about to leave for Sao Paulo on route home for a week to stay with the two nicest people we have met in Brazil .

For me personally , 2014 has been an incredibly fulfilling year in that after 40 years l am finally living the dream . The whole idea of owning a sailboat and sailing across an ocean started when l was in my late teens . At the time l was a young apprentice earning R40 per month and l had no idea as to how l was going to put this plan together but l never doubted for one second that my dream would not materialize one day . Filling the tank of my bike in those days was financially challenging . But l am a graduate of the School of 4P's , plan purposefully , prepare , proceed positively and pursue persistently and it worked and the reality has far exceeded my expectations .

The wonderful thing during our crossing was that l nailed a few other long thought about aspirations . Since my army days in the old South West Africa l had heard about Kolmanskop just outside of Luderitz and l finally got to see the place . The only slight disappointment while in Luderitz was that l was hoping to see the wild horses of the Namib Desert but unfortunately on the day we hired a car to drive out into the desert , it blew a hooley of a southerly wind and we were advised not to risk driving in the resultant sand storm . 

After hearing about the proposed airport on St Helena Island which will come into operation sometime in 2015 , l was hellbent on getting there before it opened as it will never be the same again . That's not the way l feel about the airport , but the Saints themselves share the same view . Its uniqueness as a destination is that right now you can only get there by boat and mainly due to a wonderful woman ( the customs lady ) who befriended us , our visit was very special and l will treasure those memories for the rest of my days .

Another great memory will be of our stop at Ilha da Trinidade . This tiny island which is basically the tip of a pinnacle which rises from 4km off the seabed is strictly a no-go zone . Visiting the island is prohibited by the Brazilian Navy who are stationed there and guess what , they welcomed us with open arms . They obviously don't get many visitors but after taking pics of us and themselves with the commander himself sitting on our boat with his arms around us , they gave us 120lts of diesel, packs of bottled water and fresh fruit and were the nicest bunch of guys you could ever meet in the middle of nowhere .

Then of course , the special moment was stepping off Windward onto Brazilian soil after a great crossing . That was cool .

But the coolest thing of all , my soulmate , my adorable little wife has shared every moment of this experience with me and we will share those memories forever . Now isn't that great .   

A NOTE FROM THE FIRST MATE .

So, I thought as the "official" first mate of Windward I should put pen to paper and say a few words.

What an experience this voyage has been, just as a matter of interest, as we sailed into Paraty (Windwards' resting place while we're at home) Al said I should look at the log, and "lo & behold", we had just clocked 5,000 nautical miles (9,260 kms) since we left S.A. I mean really... I never thought I would do 50 nautical miles in my entire lifetime let alone 5,000!!! 

But, having done this "cruising thing", I can now report that it is/has been an awesome experience, one I'm so glad I was given the opportunity to do.
I have seen amazing sights.... Brazil is a beautiful country, just when I think I've seen the most beautiful sight "to-date" we sail around the corner and the next picture takes my breath away.  I have met very many interesting people, kind-hearted, loving, Brazilian people who have gone out of their way to assist us, in any way possible, or just embrace us and make us feel at home in their beautiful country. I have met yachties from all over the world and have enjoyed sharing a bit of life with them.

I've decided that my husband is "the best skipper in the whole world", he brought us safely across the Atlantic, always calm and organised, and at times when I thought it would be a good idea to turn around and go back (many of them during that "frikkin" S.A./Namibian leg),he just patiently assured me that all was under control and that I had nothing to worry about.
He has sailed us around perfectly, for 7 months, without a days hiccup....
thank you my sweetheart, you definitely get the "SKIPPER OF THE YEAR"
award from me.

I want to say a special thank you to a couple of people whose support has meant a lot to me,

My Port Owen community, for the support, tons of goodies (jams, biscuits, biltong etc), the girls, so many of them, popping in with little gifts for me (us), all done with so much care.... the many yachts that came out to see us off on 3rd March.... you guys are awesome!!!

Robbie Wilson, who did the crossing with us, you were such good company, couldn't think of anyone easier to spend so many days at sea with, thank you my Shel for letting him take so much time away from home.

My St. Helena angel, Jules, what a gem, haven't forgotten you girl, will catch up when I get home.

My very clever, very good looking son, Kyle, who set up the blog and still maintains and manages it... there wouldn't have been a blog if not for his gentle persistence, and we would have missed out on so many memories.
To him and his wonderful wife Laura, thank you for your support and for always being willing to skype, keeping us in touch and updated, even though you both have such busy lives. 

My "baby-angel" Tam, thank you for taking time out to spend with us (oh, and you're just as good-looking as your brother)thanks for always being there, no matter what.... we had a wonderful 2 weeks with you "sem gas", any time I spend with you makes my life worth living (gg).

Lastly, but certainly not least, I (we) had the very special privilege of spending 2 whole weeks with my brother Robbie and his gorgeous wife Marcelle (my sissie).  We hadn't seen them for many years and we had SUCH FUN!!! I haven't laughed that much in years, thank you guys for your time, spending 2 weeks with you was the highlight of my year, such a wonderful gift.

So, I end off this note with a "adeus from Brazil" and the words from a song generally known as a "Louis Armstrong number", but also done divinely by Eva Cassidy (thank you Collie), it has become my theme song for this trip......

"I SEE TREES OF GREEN, RED ROSES TOO
 I SEE THEM BLOOM FOR ME AND YOU
 AND I THINK TO MYSELF, WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD

 I SEE SKIES OF BLUE & CLOUDS OF WHITE
 THE BRIGHT BLESSED DAY, THE DARK SACRED NIGHT
 AND I THINK TO MYSELF, WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD

 THE COLOURS OF THE RAINBOW SO PRETTY IN THE SKY
 ARE ALSO ON THE FACES OF PEOPLE GOING BY
 I SEE FRIENDS SHAKING HANDS, SAYING HOW DO YOU DO
 THEY REALLY SAYING I LOVE YOU

 I HEAR BABIES CRY, I WATCH THEM GROW
 THEY'LL LEARN MUCH MORE THAN I'LL EVER KNOW
 AND I THINK TO MYSELF WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD
 YES, I THINK TO MYSELF...... WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD!!!!!!

GALE FORCE KATABATIC WINDS AND AN UPSIDE DOWN DUCK .

We recently had a slight altercation with Mother Nature while anchored off Iate Clube Angra dos Reis . We had experienced a similar situation before at the Hout Bay Marina in South Africa when gale force katabatic winds often referred to as black South Easter's came hurtling down the mountains and tried their level best to rip the mooring cleats off the decks of the boats that were berthed in the marina . Although in Hout Bay the winds were stronger , the difference between these two occasions was that we were securely attached to a pitching walk-on mooring whereas on this occasion we were anchored to a very suspect seabed .

A couple of months earlier while visiting the sailmaker in Bracuhy , a local yacht arrived with its entire rig lashed to its deck . The mast had broken about 500mm off the deck and l would presume the culprit for bringing the rig down was probably a suspect forestay . This all took place while the boat was attached to its mooring buoy during one of these episodes . The sailmaker had warned us that this anchorage was prone to very powerful katabatic winds due to the mountains that surround the bay and to make matters worse , he claimed that the holding referring to the bottom was very poor .

After enjoying the facilities at the club during the day and just about to do my checks before climbing into bed our windgenerator suddenly came to life for about 10 seconds . Just to explain , our windgen has two purposes in life . The first is to charge our ships batteries and the second is to give me some idea of what the wind is doing while l am down below i.e. the sound it emits is my wind strength indicator . A few minutes later it came to life again also for a few short seconds and that was sufficient warning to me that something evil was brewing . I shot out onto the foredeck and although we had a 6 : 1 ratio on our anchor rode l let out more rode to give us a 10 : 1 ratio , the main reason being is that when we arrived there was a south westerly blowing and l had powerset our anchor in the opposite direction to where the wind was now coming from . I had anchored well away from the rest of the club's fleet as they were all attached to mooring buoys and we needed swinging room . I sat back and waited to see what Mother Nature had up her sleeve .

Well she did not disappoint and a few minutes later all hell broke loose . Our tranquil evening was transformed into riding out a gale with the wind already gusting into the upper thirties . Our boat was now tacking back and forth on our extended anchor rode which is not good as when she behaves in this way the loading on our ground tackle is increased quite dramatically .

Just to diverse , an age old problem with boats at anchor in high winds is that they want to turn beam-on to the wind and they tend to sheer back and forth as the increasing tension in the anchor rode hauls the bow across to the opposite tack and repeats this process with the boat heeling first one way and then the other . Not pleasant especially when you know that the seabed is suspect and this action could lead to your anchor dragging or even worse breaking out completely . 

Knowing this l took bearings off lights ashore and was keeping a close eye on proceedings . Urs who had been asleep popped her head out and l quote " Jeez babe , but the wind is howling hey " end quote . I assured her that everything was under control and that she should go back to bed and two seconds later she disappeared .

An hour later we were getting gusts peaking at 50 knots and at one point our windgen was pumping 36amps in our battery bank . Our dinghy was still attached to our stern and although it was dark , l could see at times it was showing signs of wanting to become airborne . Sheets of spray were sweeping across the deck and then l noticed from our bearings that we were slowly but surely dragging onto what was now a lee shore .

All of a sudden our situation had changed and a number of options immediately came to mind . We could attempt to up anchor and try reset the beast or we could up anchor and head off into the dark and seek a quieter anchorage somewhere else . But both those options would involve getting Urs out from under our warm duvet in the forepeak and her role when raising anchor is to drive the boat and in those conditions in the dark trying to keep the boat head to wind would be difficult in anyone's book .

So my plan was to start the engine and motor into the wind to stem the dragging by taking the load off the anchor . It worked perfectly and the bonus was with our barn door of a rudder l was able to drive the stern from side to side by turning the wheel from port to starboard and in the process countering the sheering of the boat . We were perfectly under control and that wonderful feeling of accomplishment swept over me . It is the first time in many years of sailing that l have helmed for four hours , motoring at 1500rpm and not gone anywhere but l was now quite enjoying this new found technique .

All of a sudden a huge gust picked up our tender ( 40kgs ) , flicked it up in the air and dumped it upside down back in the water with our outboard now totally submerged . Unfortunately l was too busy taking care of the mothership to be able to attempt righting it in those conditions and anyway , whether it be one hour or five hours underwater the same work would need to be undertaken to restore its dignity .  

By daybreak the wind had moderated but was still gusting in the upper thirties but now l could cut the engine as the anchor was holding again . After wrestling with the duck l now had it floating the right way up with its drowned engine still attached to its transom . Then l saw the damage caused by these powerful gusts . Three yachts lay on their beam ends washed up on the beach and one powerboat had sunk on its mooring . A string of thatched umbrellas that looked is if they had been there for years now lay uprooted on the beach and most of the boats had suffered damage with missing awnings and those that still had their covers attached were mainly ripped . Our boat was covered in a layer of salt from the spray that was whipped up by these incredible gusts and once l could see them in the early light , they reminded me of miniature dust devils in the Karoo .

Later on in the morning once the wind had settled l rowed ashore with a very sick outboard and spent a number of hours sorting out the flooding and getting the engine to run again . Chatting to the yacht clubs staff , they confirmed that the previous night's winds were the strongest they had experienced in a longtime and they must have phoned every owner to inform them of what had transpired the previous evening a there was a flood of activity all day on the boats moored at the club .

I was really looking forward to getting an early night to catch up on some much needed sleep and lo and behold we had a repeat of the previous night's katabatic winds , albeit this time around the winds peaked at 35 knots . Still as any good skipper will tell you , there is no way that you can sleep until its over . The difference with the second night is that l had a tried and tested method to deal with a dragging anchor should the need arise and that is the positive aspect of heavy weather conditions in that whether at sea or at anchor you get the opportunity to test your methods and perfect your technique to give you that quiet confidence that whatever Mother Nature throws at you , you will deal with it and come out tops .

After two nights of no sleep , the next morning we went ashore , paid our account , thanked everyone for their wonderful hospitality and headed out for a quieter anchorage . That night we anchored in the lee of Ilha da Gipio and slept like babies . 

      

OUR BAMBINO'S VISIT TO BRAZIL .

ON OUR WAY UP THE MOUNTAIN TO VISIT JESUS IN RIO .

HERE WE ARE VISITING JESUS ALONG WITH A MILLION OTHER PEOPLE .

THAT'S US , COMMONLY REFERRED TO BY OUR KIDS AS THE " BALLIES ".

WE HAD A GREAT SAIL FROM RIO TO ILHA GRANDE .

ANOTHER TOUGH DAY AT THE OFFICE .

RETURNING FROM DAWN PATROL .

MOTHER AND CHILD REUNION .

OUR FAMILY FROM CANADA .

THESE CANADIANS DON'T PLAY . THEY BUY THEIR BEER IN 5lt CANS .

YOU MUST BE JOKING , ANOTHER BOTTLE OF WINE ?

WE FEASTED ON FRESHLY PICKED MUSSELS .

ROB DOING WATER ROCK DUTY .

HAPPINESS IS BIG SISTER AND LITTLE BOET COOKING UP A STORM .

I WOULD LOVE TO KNOW WHAT WAS SAID HERE .

WINTER IN BRAZIL . WHERE THESE GUYS COME FROM IT GETS TO MINUS 40 . EISH .

WE SAILED FOR RIO AT THE CRACK OF DAWN .

FAMILY TIME IN BRAZIL .

We have just enjoyed a magic month of reconnecting with members of our family who flew into Rio to spend time with us onboard Windward .

First to arrive was Rob and Marcelle who flew in from Canada to join us and this being their first experience of living onboard a yacht , l am sure they arrived with a little trepidation of what lay ahead of them for the following two weeks . 

After spending a couple of days enjoying the sights of Rio they traveled by bus to meet us in Angra dos Reis where we had Windward waiting to head off to Ilha Grande . It had been so long since we had last spent time together that none of us could remember exactly when it was .

What followed were lots of special moments , plenty of laughter , too much eating and drinking while we introduced them to as many of our favourite anchorages that we could within the two weeks that we had together .

All too soon , it was time to sail for Rio . Our good friend St Bill had arranged a second invitation to the exclusive Rio de Janiero Yacht Club so the plan was to drop off Rob and Marcelle in Rio and pick up our daughter who was flying in from Capetown . We sailed from Paraty for Ilha Grande , overnighting off Pouso Beach and the following morning at daybreak we set off for Rio arriving late afternoon with a stiff south westerly as we entered Guanabara Bay and headed up the the yacht club . We spent a couple of days together in Rio including celebrating Rob's birthday at the yacht club before they headed back home via Miami . After arriving as total novices , they looked completely at home by the time they left and we all enjoyed a great time together .

Two days later our daughter arrived and it was wonderful to see her again . We have really missed our family so the three of us were excited about spending the next two weeks together .
The plan was to spend sometime in Rio together and then wait for the right winds to get us back to Baia da Ilha Grande .
After visiting the famous beaches and the iconic landmarks of Rio we had a glorious sail with a steady 20kn on the beam virtually all the way back . Our boat loves a beam reach and with full sun and warm weather it was heaven . Just the right start to welcome Tam to the islands and the following days were spent visiting anchorages , swimming and taking walks while introducing her to some of the local dishes at the restaurants on the island .
We hired a car and drove down to Trindade as a friend of hers had highly recommended we visit the spot and we were not disappointed . In fact it reminded us of the Kwazulu Natal South Coast which is where we raised our kids .

Once again it was time for Tam to return to SA , so we sailed from Paraty for Angra dos Reis where she caught the bus back to Rio and flew back to Capetown .

Our best holidays as a family have always been on a boat , but what made this one more special is that it was on our boat .   

SOME OF THE PLACES WE HAVE VISITED LATELY .

Just a quick update on the nature front .

Two boats had some interesting visitors onboard , the first being a local yacht that had been anchored in a beautiful spot that we visited a while back . On route back to their home port they discovered one of Brazil's highly venomous snakes lying in a pocket in their bimini . I can't help thinking of what the crew would have done had it gone unnoticed and suddenly dropped into the cockpit.

The second boat , a foreign cruiser that was anchored off Paraty discovered one evening a furry little animal sitting on their pushpit . They referred to it as something similar to a possum . That evening they went ashore leaving it on the boat only to discover once they had returned that it had left . It probably got bored and decided to go home .

As l have said before , nature abounds in Brazil .

THE JARARACA , A HIGHLY VENOMOUS PIT VIPER SPECIES . NOT THE SORT OF GUEST YOU WANT TO FIND IN YOUR COCKPIT WHILE UNDERWAY .

THE REMAINS OF THE NOTORIOUS DIOS RIOS PRISON ON ILHA GRANDE .  

ANGRA DOS REIS . HMMM ,I WONDER IF THESE GUYS ARE THE THREE WISE MEN .

FRADE : PARKED AT THE BOTTOM OF THE GARDEN AND READY TO GO . TO GET THE SCALE OF THE SIZE OF THIS BOAT , NOTE THE GUY SITTING ON THE TOP DECK .

EVERY BOAT OWNERS DREAM .

FRADE : MILLIONAIRES ROW . I'LL BET THESE BOATS HAVEN'T DONE A TRANSATLANTIC CROSSING .

FRADE : A SIMILAR CONCEPT TO BRACUHY .

THESE PICS DON'T DO JUSTICE TO THE SIZE OF THESE BOATS . NOTE THE NUMBER OF DECKS INCLUDING THE LOWER PORTLIGHTS ON THIS BABY .

ALL THAT'S MISSING IS THE BOAT .

THE ONLY WAY TO GET HERE IS BY BOAT .

IATE CLUBE ANGRA DOS REIS . ONE OF THE FRIENDLIEST YACHT CLUBS I HAVE EVER VISITED .

IATE CLUBE ANGRA DOS REIS . THEY WELCOME FOREIGN CRUISERS WITH OPEN ARMS .

IATE CLUBE ANGRA DOS REIS . BEAUTIFUL SETTING .

NEVER A DULL MOMENT .

We have been busy lately , well as busy as you can get when you are cruising.

Our visas came up for renewal so we sailed to Angra dos Reis which is where the authorities are situated and headed for their offices . Upon arrival at the Policia Federal a very apologetic official told us that their website was down but if our visas were expiring that day , they would make a plan . We went back the following day and all was up and running and they happily renewed our visas for a further three months . You often hear stories about grumpy and unfriendly officials , but our experience so far has been totally different and that includes Namibia and St Helena Island .Everyone of these officials has been courteous and chatty and a pleasure to deal with . The only requirement the Brazilian authorities expect is that you come properly dressed i.e long pants , collared shirt and closed shoes . We witnessed a guy getting a good finger wagging and a lecture in Spanish after he rocked up wearing a T-shirt , baggies and slops . He disappeared with his tail between his legs only to reappear a few minutes later with the required apparel . He apparently shot across the road and bought himself some decent kit .

We had to head back to Bracuhy to collect our new custom-made raincatchers but decided to visit Iate Clube Angra dos Reis on route as we had read good things about this yacht club in our cruising guide . We sailed up to the head of Ribeira Bay and anchored off the clubhouse . We had barely set the anchor when a boat arrived with two guys waving at us and speaking in Portuguese . At first l thought that we had anchored in the wrong spot , but as it turned out they were welcoming us to their club and had arrived to give us a lift ashore . We set off in our duck to check out the joint and were warmly greeted by a gentleman who referred to himself as the vice president of the club . He took us on a guided tour of the facilities which included a restaurant , pub , immaculate ablution block , TV room  and lounge all set in beautiful surroundings . He explained that they had wi fi throughout and apart from paying very reasonable prices for meals and booze , everything else was for free.
He mentioned that a South African catamaran had sailed in for a brief visit and had ended up staying for six months . I am not surprised with a welcome like that .
That evening at dinner we decided that because the caiparinas were so cheap we would knock back a couple . The next morning we realised that it had not been a great idea .

After collecting our raincatchers in Bracuhy we headed for Frade and discovered apart from the town , a very upmarket development situated on a canal system with some very posh homes and the customary gin palace moored on a private jetty at the bottom of the garden . A boaters dream to step onboard in front of your home and head off to some exotic destination with 365 islands and 2000 beaches to choose from , all within a couple of hours of motoring if that .

Changing the subject completely , we are really excited that for a month we will have family joining us . Rob and Marcelle are flying in from Canada and our daughter joins us later this month from Capetown . Urs is doing her normal thing and Windward is getting a major springclean from bow to stern .
Their visit involves sailing to Rio and back so l decided to visit the warm waters of Piraquara de Fora and spend time diving on our underbody , giving everything below our waterline a once over , giving our hull a proper scrape and changing a few anodes . The reason the water temp is around 28 degrees is this is where Brazil's two nuclear power plants discharge their cooling water and it makes for comfortable diving especially if you are going to be in the water for hours on end without a wetsuit .

What has made this spot more interesting is that we have had a lot of shark activity all around us within metres of the boat . The local yachtie who told me about this anchorage mentioned that a lot of the local sailors had claimed they had seen sharks here , but he reassured me by saying that he had sailed around Baia da Ilha Grande for thirty years and had yet to see one shark . Well , when l hopefully see him next l will tell him that they were quite right and that there are plenty unless its a small very active group .
On day one , l had just climbed out of the water and there was a big splash behind me . As l turned around a shark of about 1,8m breached a second time and then a third in quick succession . Since then it hasn't stopped although the sharks that we have been seeing have been a little smaller at around 1,2m in length . We even witnessed a ray jump clear of the water right near our boat . Last night we lay in bed listening to these loud splashes all around us until we fell asleep .
While diving with scuba gear today l was really hoping to see one to try and establish which species they are but typically , while they are breaching all around you , none come close enough to get a good look at . Over the last few days there have been shoals of fish on the surface which probably accounts for this strange behaviour . The joys of living with the ocean's inhabitants .

Come to think of it , the last three mornings l have been waking up feeling quite perky , so who knows with breaching sharks and the odd ray leaping out of the water , there could be something in the atomic waters of Piraquara de Fora after all.     

BOATS OF BRAZIL .

Having been obsessed with boats and anything that floats for as far back as l can remember , cruising in Brazil particularly Baia da Ilha Grande this season has been an eye opener for us in seeing what a significant role they play in everyday life on the islands . If you don't own a boat of some sort you are at a distinct disadvantage as you will be paying someone else who does own one for whatever service you require .

There is a wide range of designs and styles to suit every requirement needed to sustain life between the mainland ( or the continent as it is often referred to here ) and the various communities living on the islands . Even Ilha Grande has no vehicles so everything from goods , building materials , people , food , you name it is transported by boat and then carried on trolleys to its final destination .

With tourism being the major industry particularly on Ilha Grande , tourists are ferried from the mainland in large schooners and ferries to Abraao which is where most of them are accommodated . Once settled and wanting to see the rest of the island or nearby islands the popular way to get about is on a high powered speed boat . One came past the other day with three 300hp outboards bolted to the transom . The average boat is either kitted out with two 200hp or two 250hp engines and they fly past , flat out with their wide eyed clients hanging on for dear life . Judging by the look on some of their faces , l would swear it was their first time on a boat , net alone one that is barely touching the surface . The more sedate way to see the beautiful beaches and sites is to take a leisurely cruise on one of the traditional schooners , much nicer .

The locals generally use taxi boats to get about or the more traditional boat powered by simple diesel engines that come puttering past us day and night .
The taxis are around five metres in length with narrow beams and are normally powered by a 25 or 40hp outboard and on one occasion when we used one after deciding we had walked far enough , l was surprised how quick and dry they were . They remind me of the Toyota Hi-ace taxis back home , the quicker they can get you to your destination , the sooner they can load more passengers .

The one boat that fascinates us is the ice boat . Every morning there is a queue of boats from large schooners to small powerboats waiting to buy ice for the day's excursion . What puzzles us is that it is not a particularly big boat and yet the volume of ice that he sells to his customers is staggering . How he produces the ice and keeps it solid is an absolute mystery as the boat is permanently anchored . 

The first thing we noticed about the islands is that they were litter free and spotless . We never knew where to dispose our rubbish so we asked a local cruiser one day what they did with their waste . He explained that a waste removal boat with a very tight schedule calling at specific pick-up points collected all the waste . The collection points are generally jetties and everyone on the day leaves their bagged refuse to be collected and it works like a charm .

On another occasion we woke up in the wee hours with someone sounding like they were being tortured . Blood curdling screams rang out across the anchorage and while trying to establish whether we were witnessing a murder or something similar , a large official looking motor launch arrived decked out in flashing lights , backed up to a jetty and a bunch of guys in red overalls jumped ashore and a short while later loaded someone on a stretcher onto the aft deck and slowly motored past us on route to Angra dos Reis . We heard later that this poor soul and something rupture internally hence the excruciating pain .

Typically , the boats found in the outer islands are fishing boats including those that trawl for prawns and shrimps . Even today , you will find the traditional canoe still being carved out of a log by hand and we were very fortunate to come across a small shed where two were being built in one of the remote anchorages we visited . A local showed us a traditional  paddle with a unique shape to the blade which is also hand carved and their paddling technique allows them to paddle off one side of the boat while still maintaining a straight course . Apparently it is a wrist action that enables
the paddler to pick one side , avoiding having to swop from side to side to keep a straight line .

The Brazilians are very proud boat owners and in general their boats are well maintained in that their livelihood depends on the reliability of their craft .         

BOATS OF BRAZIL .

BRAZILIAN BOATS ARE BRIGHT AND MULTI-COLOURED .

PRAWN TRAWLER .

THE ICE BOAT WITH A CUSTOMER COMING ALONGSIDE .

HIGH SPEED TAXI , THE EQUIVALENT OF THE TOYOTA HI-ACE IN SOUTH AFRICA .

ANOTHER SATISFIED CUSTOMER HAVING JUST LOADED HIS ICE FOR THE DAY .

A WORKBOAT LOADED WITH BRICKS , STONE AND CEMENT .

BRAZILIAN NAVY .

SOMEONE'S PRIDE AND JOY . 

BOATS OF ALL SHAPES AND SIZES LYING AT ANCHOR OFF ABRAAO .

THESE SCHOONERS HAVE BEAUTIFUL LINES .