After a bumpy boisterous sail to Rio , our sail from Rio was quite the opposite . We sailed at first light with a light northwester almost on the nose which as the forecast had predicted gradually swung to the southeast and we motor sailed the rest of the day pinching all the way on a flat sea in beautiful sunny conditions .
A bit more breeze would have made life perfect to counter the 2kn current that was now on the nose . I knew we had serious current against us from reading our instruments but it became visual when we sailed past a weather buoy that had it streaming off its float .
On route to Ilha do Cabo Frio we passed all sorts of weird and wonderful vessels including a fellow South African cruising family onboard their yacht also heading North this season . It is also whale season and we spotted humpbacks cruising inshore of us . Cabo Frio ( Cold Cape ) gets its name because of the low water temperatures in the surrounding seas which is due to the upwelling of deep water currents that are forced to the surface bringing with them an abundance of nutrients which results in the area being well known for good fishing . These currents originate in the Antarctic , a long way from Cabo Frio .
By late afternoon we were approaching one of the most unique entrances from offshore that l have ever seen . It goes by the name of Boqueirao and fortunately the weather was kind to us as l can imagine that with a big swell and an onshore wind entering this pass could be dicey to say the least . We entered the inner bay and dropped anchor off a beautiful white beach called Praia do Farol which is tucked in behind Ilha do Cabo Frio . We had the place completely to ourselves and after having spent sometime moored in the fishbowl type surroundings of pulsating Rio , we realized how much we really enjoy the wild surrounded by nature . We sat and watched the Magnificent Frigatebirds ( its actual name ) and the Black Vultures circle high above us while a turtle and a juvenile humpback whale swam alongside us in the anchorage . Magic stuff .
During the night a little swell rolled through the anchorage and with the current pinning us beam onto it we had a real rock and roll session . The following morning using Pete Hill's co-ordinates we negotiated the sandbanks and headed off to Arraial do Cabo eventually anchoring off Praia do Forno slap in front of five beach restaurants/pubs all pumping music with the likes of Tracy Chapman , Simply Red , Led Zeppelin and some acoustic Brazilian music all competing for the tourists who were wandering along the beach . I suppose on land you would only hear the music being played at the bar you were sitting at but from our boat position you could hear all five . Fortunately the closest ( loudest ) bar to us played some really cool music from Jack Johnson to Santana to Sting and we were sad when he closed shop for the day .
We spent a couple of days exploring Arraial do Cabo including visiting their Sea Life Museum and with the next front coming through we readied the boat to sail , heading north to Buzios .
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 .
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