On Passage - Fortaleza to Recife
29/02/08 22:01 Filed in: Brazil
27th February
2008
Got up very early to wash the dinghy and disconnect our electricity cable.
Derrick, Deb and Ned on the Pearson 38 next to us were also leaving bound for the Caribbean. We were to leave first allowing plenty of room for them to follow.
Said goodbye to them and to Yves and Armonie from Ermefer berthed on the other side of us.
At 07:00 the stern lines were let go and I began to haul in our very dirty anchor cable. Once we were clear of the berth and virtually above the anchor it became very hard to haul in and had obviously fouled something. In fact we had caught Ermefer's anchor cable. Yves slacked his cable and by climbing into the dinghy I was able to free our anchor.
We cleared the marina and dropped anchor in the fishing harbour to get the dinghy on board and clean the anchor cable which was in a filthy state after a month on the bottom. It looked as though the galvanising was fading in places.
At 09:00 we cleared harbour and were on our way. There was very little wind and we motor sailed around Praia do Futuro light and set course for Cabo Calcanhar passing many typical Brazilian inshore fishing vessels with very low freeboard and large curved sails.
By 15:20 the wind had increased and the engine was turned off. We proceeded under full rig. At 17:00 one reef was put in the main and the yankee furled 1/4.
During the night we passed many fishing boats and I took 20 minute naps when possible.
28th February 2008
The number of fishing boats decreased as we headed for deep water (>100m) and by dawn the wind had started to fade. Ran the engine for an hour to clear a final group of fishing boats.
During the morning boats speed was around 2.5kn with the wind ENE F3. Our Raymarine (Autohelm) anemometer had now failed permanently. Direction indication was OK but the wind speed cups appeared to have seized again. This unit was only repaired in December 2005 and deployed from May 2006 so it has only lasted 1 year and 8 months. Appalling!
Our noon run was 80.48 miles. The wind faded and then strengthened again. At 14:00 we were running under the main with 1 reef, the staysail and the yankee 1/4 furled.
Nothing was seen during the day but 2 vessels passed in the dark before midnight.
Being close to the coast I again took 20 minute naps when possible.
29th February 2008
Around midnight I came on deck to see a cruise ship bound NW about a mile off the port bow and passing clear. When I had gone below for a 20 min nap earlier this ship had not been visible.
Wind F3-4 E-NE and the more east it is the harder to maintain our desired course. I do not want to be set back into the shallower fishing grounds off Cabo Calcanhar.
At 09:00 we tacked and motor sailed for 2.5 hours to take us further offshore. At noon we resumed our desired course of 110º T and continued to motor sail in light winds. At 14:30 the engine was turned off and we proceeded under full rig
In the early evening the wind dropped and veered pushing us back toward the inshore fishing grounds. It was necessary to tack out to sea again.
Later in Passage
Got up very early to wash the dinghy and disconnect our electricity cable.
Derrick, Deb and Ned on the Pearson 38 next to us were also leaving bound for the Caribbean. We were to leave first allowing plenty of room for them to follow.
Said goodbye to them and to Yves and Armonie from Ermefer berthed on the other side of us.
At 07:00 the stern lines were let go and I began to haul in our very dirty anchor cable. Once we were clear of the berth and virtually above the anchor it became very hard to haul in and had obviously fouled something. In fact we had caught Ermefer's anchor cable. Yves slacked his cable and by climbing into the dinghy I was able to free our anchor.
We cleared the marina and dropped anchor in the fishing harbour to get the dinghy on board and clean the anchor cable which was in a filthy state after a month on the bottom. It looked as though the galvanising was fading in places.
At 09:00 we cleared harbour and were on our way. There was very little wind and we motor sailed around Praia do Futuro light and set course for Cabo Calcanhar passing many typical Brazilian inshore fishing vessels with very low freeboard and large curved sails.
By 15:20 the wind had increased and the engine was turned off. We proceeded under full rig. At 17:00 one reef was put in the main and the yankee furled 1/4.
During the night we passed many fishing boats and I took 20 minute naps when possible.
28th February 2008
The number of fishing boats decreased as we headed for deep water (>100m) and by dawn the wind had started to fade. Ran the engine for an hour to clear a final group of fishing boats.
During the morning boats speed was around 2.5kn with the wind ENE F3. Our Raymarine (Autohelm) anemometer had now failed permanently. Direction indication was OK but the wind speed cups appeared to have seized again. This unit was only repaired in December 2005 and deployed from May 2006 so it has only lasted 1 year and 8 months. Appalling!
Our noon run was 80.48 miles. The wind faded and then strengthened again. At 14:00 we were running under the main with 1 reef, the staysail and the yankee 1/4 furled.
Nothing was seen during the day but 2 vessels passed in the dark before midnight.
Being close to the coast I again took 20 minute naps when possible.
29th February 2008
Around midnight I came on deck to see a cruise ship bound NW about a mile off the port bow and passing clear. When I had gone below for a 20 min nap earlier this ship had not been visible.
Wind F3-4 E-NE and the more east it is the harder to maintain our desired course. I do not want to be set back into the shallower fishing grounds off Cabo Calcanhar.
At 09:00 we tacked and motor sailed for 2.5 hours to take us further offshore. At noon we resumed our desired course of 110º T and continued to motor sail in light winds. At 14:30 the engine was turned off and we proceeded under full rig
In the early evening the wind dropped and veered pushing us back toward the inshore fishing grounds. It was necessary to tack out to sea again.
Later in Passage