After waiting in Arraial do Cabo for a big front to move through we jumped onto the back of it and had a perfect sleigh ride up to Buzios . With her squeaky clean bottom Windward is really fast and we had an exhilarating sail with a big swell and some good surfs . After rounding the peninsula we dropped our pick in front of the Buzios Yacht Club and went ashore to check in .
Apparently up until the sixty's Buzios was a quiet and peaceful little fishing village , that was until it was discovered by the famous French actress Brigitte Bardot who would sneak off there to escape the paparazzi for a bit of peace and quiet . Unfortunately for her the international press spotted her in her hideout and the rest is history . There are avenues named after her and her name appears everywhere . This event put Buzios on the map and today it is a vibrant buzzy kind of place that only seems to come alive around mid-afternoon when the multitude of restaurants and upmarket shops open for trade .
I was a little disappointed when we went to see the bronze statue of the french actress only to discover that in its place was a large wooden box with a picture of the statue plastered onto the front face . A young local lady obviously noticing my disappointment explained that the statue had been removed for some cosmetic repair work and that l should stay in Buzios until it was returned to its rightful plinth . We presume that she meant that Brigitte had gone in for a facelift or boob job or something along those lines ( excuse the pun ) . The last l heard was that from years of sun worshipping she had aged quite badly . I am not surprised standing out in the sun like that all day .
Getting back to Buzios , it is a quirky touristy sort of place with a vibrant night life where it seems people only wake up mid-morning to prepare themselves for a busy evening . We tried a number of their restaurants , our favourite being an upmarket per kilo place where the selection of food was excellent and the usual problem with this type of eating house prevailed . You select your food from a massive buffet and head for the scale where your plate is weighed and you get a barcoded slip with the weight times the cost per kilo . The initial plan is to have a light and health orientated kind of meal . The reality is that your eyes are capable of eating a lot more than your stomach can handle , so it usually ends up with you staggering towards the person at the scale with this overloaded plate and this guilty look and wondering what the hell must be going through their minds . My parting words as l head off to our table is that " l am from Africa " and for some reason they must understand as l always get a nod .
We really enjoyed this town even though the prices for food , drinks , coffee e.t.c were a bit steep particullaly when your currency is the South African Rand.
After five days we were ready to leave for Vitoria , two hundred nautical miles up the coast . We will see you there .
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 .
Sunday, July 12, 2015
Thursday, July 9, 2015
CONTRASTING SAILING AND ANCHORAGES .
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 .
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 .
Monday, July 6, 2015
BOQUEIRAO , ILHA DO CABO FRIO & ARRAIAL DO CABO .
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| RIO DE JANEIRO YACHT CLUB . ACCOUNT PAID AND READY TO SAIL . |
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| ADEUS RIO . |
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| MARC , THIS PIC IS FOR YOU . |
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| ONE OF THE JOYS OF AN EARLY START . |
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| SINCE THE UNTIMELY DROWNING AT SEA OF OUR DEAR FRIEND CARLY HILL ( R.I.P. ) , WE DON OUR PFD'S THE MOMENT WE STEP INTO THE COCKPIT . |
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| ANOTHER ONE FOR YOU MARC . |
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| I HOPE THIS BUOY IS WELL LIT AT NIGHT . NOTE THE TWO KNOT CURRENT STREAMING OFF ITS FLOAT . |
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| APPROACHING BOQUEIRO FROM OFFSHORE . A NARROW ENTRANCE INTO AN INNER BAY . |
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| BOQUEIRAO VIEWED FROM OUR ANCHORAGE INSIDE THE BAY . |
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| ILHA DO CABO FRIO . PRAIA DO FAROL . THE LIGHTHOUSE IS SITUATED ON THE SEAWARD SIDE OF THIS HILL . |
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| ARRAIAL DO CABO . THIS CHURCH IS DATED 1503 . |
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| APART FROM BEING A DECENT BARBER , HE WASN'T TOO BAD ON THE GUITAR . |
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| DECISIONS , DECISIONS . WHICH OF THE FIVE BEACH RESTAURANTS SHOULD WE EAT AT TODAY . |
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| PRAIA DO FORNO . NOT A BAD WAY TO DO ANCHOR WATCH . |
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| THE FIRST MATE ON ANCHOR WATCH . |
Monday, June 29, 2015
RIO , A REALLY COOL CITY .
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 .
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 .
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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