Our sail from Ilha Grande to Rio wasn't exactly postcard stuff . Sailing using the cold fronts to get north is usually overcast , windy and rainy and that's exactly how we had it , miserable to say the least . It was uncomfortable with the wind slightly forward of the beam , a lumpy sea and some big potholes . With the wind gusting around 25kns we took a lot of water over our deck but fortunately Burmese teak loves salt water so there is always a positive aspect to everything.
Windward lives up to her name really well and we did the passage in excellent time and later that afternoon we were entering Guanabara Bay and after rounding the famous Sugarloaf we headed up to the prestigious Rio de Janeiro Yacht Club to check in. We had received an invite , our third and we grabbed it with both hands . This club has everything , very larney .
Just to set the scene from our cockpit . We have the towering Sugarloaf above us with the eccentric suburb of Urca at its base , the city wrapped around us nestled in the foothills of the surrounding mountains and hills and on top of Corcovado Mountain looking down on us with his arms outstretched is Christ the Redeemer . What a view ! The other evening we had some special effects going with the powerful lighting which illuminates the statue from the front side reflecting off the cloud behind the statue creating a perfect shadow of the iconic Cristo Redentor . Every morning my little wife looks out the portlight and greets him while she fires up the kettle .
Rio is famous for many reasons apart from its unique landmarks .
Its carnival is meant to last for five days but it is the biggest party of the year and the Brazilians can throw a party like no-one else . Pre-carnival parties stoke the wild atmosphere long before the official opening ceremony . Carnival time is when excesses are encouraged and this raucous bacchanal of music , dance and festivities takes over the city .
Our favourite parts of the city are its wonderful beaches which are the city's big attraction . l have spent my life on the beach but these beaches are the epitome of true beach culture . It is where the people of Rio , tourists included , socialize , exercise and generally relax in the sun while watching life pass by them .
Copacabana , Ipanema and Leblon is where it all happens and part of this beach culture is a very competitive sports scene . We have watched beach soccer being played with teams all kitted out barefoot of course with a ref and linesmen and played with the same intensity as any professional game .
Our favourite game to watch is what is known as Futevolei which is a combination of soccer and volley ball . Played by both sexes the skill levels are right up there . Of course all the standard beach sports are played and surfing at the various beach breaks is pretty crowded even when the surf is crap .
Rio is a funky , beautiful city with lots to offer but it is time to sail again and continue north .
We had a great time and will treasure our memories of our time spent here .
Allan & Ursula Ward: Port Owen, Cape West Coast, South Africa.
Shearwater 39:
- L.O.A. 43ft (13.22m)
- L.O.D. 39ft (12m)
- L.W.L. 34ft (10.3m)
- BEAM 13ft(3.9m)
- DRAFT 6ft(1.8m)
HOW IT ALL BEGAN .
I placed my order on Nebe Boats on the 19/10/1992 for what was initially planned to be a complete factory built yacht that l would sail home to Durban from Capetown once she was completed. Unfortunately due to the demise of Nebe Boats in the early days of her construction it did not turn out that way, so l decided to truck her home to Ramsgate on the KZN South Coast to finish building her in our garden at home.
For many years we could proudly boast that we had the most expensive piece of garden furniture in town, but at the time l had no idea of how massive this project would turn out to be. As anyone who has built a blue water cruiser will tell you, particularly if she is kitted out with all the systems and the equipment that a modern cruiser has onboard these days, it is a daunting task . Looking at the positive aspects of this project, l know the boat intimately in that l designed and installed the systems, so from a repair and maintenance perspective l have no issues carrying out the work that is necessary from time to time.
The big day arrived on the 29/8/2008 when we craned her out of the garden onto a rig to truck her through to Durban for launching . What followed was three months of preparations to ready her for the maiden voyage to our home port in Port Owen on the Cape West Coast.
We had a fast passage down the South African East Coast including a storm off the notorious Wild Coast and arrived in Port Owen in dense fog. Windward had passed her first test with flying colours and since then we have enjoyed some great sailing on the West Coast.
We had a fast passage down the South African East Coast including a storm off the notorious Wild Coast and arrived in Port Owen in dense fog. Windward had passed her first test with flying colours and since then we have enjoyed some great sailing on the West Coast.
The master plan has always been to go cruising, so our plans are to leave for Brazil via Luderitz and St Helena Island at the end of February 2014. So far everything is on track although the “To Do“ list still grows each day.
The purpose of this blog is to record our adventure for ourselves, family and friends. Although it will probably end up being a brief summary of events while we are cruising, we hope you will enjoy and share some of our experiences with us.
LIVING THE DREAM .
Monday, June 29, 2015
Sunday, June 28, 2015
RIO DE JANEIRO , A BEAUTIFUL CITY .
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| THE RIO DE JANEIRO YACHT CLUB . VERY LARNEY . |
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| A COMPLETELY PROTECTED INNER BASIN FOR THE LOCAL FISHING FLEET . |
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| URCA DOWN BELOW AND NITEROI IN THE DISTANCE . |
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| IN THE EVENT OF A POWER FAILURE , WHAT HAPPENS HERE ? |
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| ON OUR WAY UP TO THE TOP OF PAO DE ACUCAR ( SUGARLOAF ). |
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| BEAUTIFUL VIEW OF THE CITY WITH COPACABANA BEACH IN THE DISTANCE . |
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| BOATS MOORED IN FRONT OF THE YACHT CLUBS , INCLUDING WINDWARD . |
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| MR & MRS WARD , HAVING A JOL IN RIO . |
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| THE FIRST MATE TRYING TO SPOT OUR BOAT IN THE BAY . |
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| ON ROUTE TO COLLECT THE LAUNDRY AND HAVE BREAKFAST IN URCA . |
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| SAND ART AT IT'S BEST ON COPACABANA BEACH . |
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| THE BEST PLACE TO HAVE A CAIPIRINHA ON COPACABANA BEACH . |
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| THE GUY ON THE LEFT WROTE THE 60's CLASSIC " THE GIRL FROM IPANEMA ". THE GUY ON THE RIGHT IS TRYING TO SING IT . |
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| POSTO 9 ( LIFEGUARD TOWER ) ON IPANEMA BEACH . THE PLACE OF CHOICE FOR THE FASHIONABLE COOL PEOPLE . |
Friday, June 26, 2015
HANGING OUT IN THE HISTORIC CITY OF PARATY .
It was a sad moment as we watched the old city slip away over our stern rail when we set sail for Palmas , Ilha Grande . Paraty had been really good to us .
This World Heritage Site has a fascinating history with churches built in the 1700's , cobbled streets which were laid from the stones that were used as rock ballast in the ships that would arrive to replace the stones with gold . They would sail back laden with their gold cargo although many would fall victim to the pirates who lay waiting amongst the islands in Baia da Ilha Grande .
These cobbled roads flood on the high tide in certain parts of the old city adding to the unique character of this amazing place with all its quaint shops and restaurants lining the streets . We loved the place and had some great times there .
The only method of transport permitted in the historic city are horse-drawn carriages otherwise it is walk and see more . By sheer chance we happened to be in Paraty for both the 2014 and the 2015 Bourbon Jazz and Blues Festival which buzzes for three days with staged venues and street acts . We heard some really good blues being played , even a one man band who played about four instruments all at the same time . Apart from the muso's there were all sorts of different acts taking place on the streets from jugglers and dancers to people playing some very different instruments and this carried on right through the nights that the festival was on .
Paraty also turned out to be the right place to leave our boat when we returned home last season for a break from the cruising life . Marina do Engenho took good care of her and apart from some heavy growth below the waterline she was in perfect nick when l returned . After an expensive but successful haulout at a local boatyard she is as good as new with all new anodes , polished topsides and a silky smooth bottom ready for another season of sailing .
Apart from our special Brazilian friends that we met last season , we have also met some really nice people while in Paraty . One young couple who liveaboard their yacht Atlantis , Gustavo and Paloma with their cute little girl Catarina went out of their way to make our stay as comfortable as possible while we were in Paraty . When l arrived back at the marina from South Africa , Gustavo greeted me with their car keys dangling from his finger and announced quite emphatically that while we were staying in Paraty their car was " our car " and that we had full use of it whenever we needed transport .
The one thing we have learnt about this cruising life is that you meet some really nice people but no sooner have you met you are saying goodbye again when you sail off to the next destination . The special ones will hopefully remain good friends for at least the length of this lifetime .
Paraty will always remain a special memory for us .
This World Heritage Site has a fascinating history with churches built in the 1700's , cobbled streets which were laid from the stones that were used as rock ballast in the ships that would arrive to replace the stones with gold . They would sail back laden with their gold cargo although many would fall victim to the pirates who lay waiting amongst the islands in Baia da Ilha Grande .
These cobbled roads flood on the high tide in certain parts of the old city adding to the unique character of this amazing place with all its quaint shops and restaurants lining the streets . We loved the place and had some great times there .
The only method of transport permitted in the historic city are horse-drawn carriages otherwise it is walk and see more . By sheer chance we happened to be in Paraty for both the 2014 and the 2015 Bourbon Jazz and Blues Festival which buzzes for three days with staged venues and street acts . We heard some really good blues being played , even a one man band who played about four instruments all at the same time . Apart from the muso's there were all sorts of different acts taking place on the streets from jugglers and dancers to people playing some very different instruments and this carried on right through the nights that the festival was on .
Paraty also turned out to be the right place to leave our boat when we returned home last season for a break from the cruising life . Marina do Engenho took good care of her and apart from some heavy growth below the waterline she was in perfect nick when l returned . After an expensive but successful haulout at a local boatyard she is as good as new with all new anodes , polished topsides and a silky smooth bottom ready for another season of sailing .
Apart from our special Brazilian friends that we met last season , we have also met some really nice people while in Paraty . One young couple who liveaboard their yacht Atlantis , Gustavo and Paloma with their cute little girl Catarina went out of their way to make our stay as comfortable as possible while we were in Paraty . When l arrived back at the marina from South Africa , Gustavo greeted me with their car keys dangling from his finger and announced quite emphatically that while we were staying in Paraty their car was " our car " and that we had full use of it whenever we needed transport .
The one thing we have learnt about this cruising life is that you meet some really nice people but no sooner have you met you are saying goodbye again when you sail off to the next destination . The special ones will hopefully remain good friends for at least the length of this lifetime .
Paraty will always remain a special memory for us .
MAGICAL PARATY .
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| THERE IS ALWAYS A FESTIVE VIBE PARTICULARLY AT NIGHT . |
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| BOURBON JAZZ & BLUES FESTIVAL . THREE DAYS OF MUSIC AND STREET ACTS . |
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| THE TOWN SQUARE COMES ALIVE AT NIGHT . |
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| THE OLD CHURCH ON THE SQUARE . |
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| HORSE AND CARRIAGE , THE ONLY TRANSPORT PERMITTED IN THE HISTORIC CITY . |
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| COOL CAT ON HIS FAVOURITE PERCH WATCHING THE WORLD GO BY . |
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| WINDWARD GETTING THE FULL MONTY . |
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| GUESS WHO CHECKING THE SLINGS BEFORE THE LIFT . |
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| JOB COMPLETE , FULL UNDERBODY SERVICE , POLISHED TOPSIDES AND A SILKY SMOOTH BOTTOM ABOUT TO GO BACK IN THE WATER . |
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| MARINA DO ENGENHO . THE BEST PLACE TO LEAVE YOUR BOAT IN PARATY . |
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