Disa - Goodbye Mindelo! We will miss you. Email 1 of 2 (Photos to follow)

Who would have thought that in our lifetime we would be visiting this tiny archipelago of ten islands off the coast of Africa! We have SO enjoyed meeting people here in Cape Verde, listening to their stories and travelling around two of the islands. Mindelo Marina will always hold a special place in our hearts. The pontoons here are all very closely connected so we have been able to visit each other's boats more freely. We have admired the very, very beautiful boats tied up near us, with the same admiration we would have parking our Toyota next to a shiny Rolls Royce. Yachties are friendly, down-to-earth people and it has been a real joy getting to know more of the rally contestants. I have a feeling that we are making friendships that will last a lifetime.

Having a nurse and a chef as crew has been a great privilege. Andy and K have contributed enormously to life on our boat. Have a look at the photo of our plum pie to give you an idea of the incredible meals that Andy has served. This voyage has been a real joint project, with Andy and K very much part of the planning, working hard, doping watches, sailing and initiating new ideas - like re-labelling all the boat signs in English!!

The day trip to Santo Antao was spectacular. I would strongly encourage future ARC+ participants to sign up for this. This island is full of drama - from verdant green valleys to bare, rugged cliffs. Visiting a distillery and tasting all the different varieties of grog was followed by a much-needed walk up the steep, cobbled road into the mountain. Farmers and villagers greeted us as we sweated and panted our way to the top. Luckily our mini-buses soon caught up with us to take us further up to the misty heights where we could look down on what looked like a fertile floodplain but was actually the caldera of the old volcano. Here farming is carried out without irrigation - the daily mists provide enough water for vegetables to grow.

I have to end off now - my captain is waiting to slip the lines and head to the start of the second leg.