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Bamarandi - Sunday 15th November - Mindelo Welcomes ARC+ visitors



We arrived here on Friday 13th with very little wind helping us over the line only for it to build significantly as soon as we entered the marina. It has blown hard since but has now dropped overnight.

We have been doing various jobs on the boat including going up the mast to re-rig the gennaker line although we will not use it as the line supplied with the boat is clearly not right for the job. A sister boat is here on the ARC+, one of the earlier Victoria 67 hulls and they have had exactly the same problem. After 2 breakages when first using their gennaker they replaced the line and have seen no more problems since. We cannot source the right sort of line here so will have to continue the passage to St Lucia without being able to use the gennaker which will be a significant handicap for us. We can use our re-rigged line as a spare for the main and a backup for the bosuns chair if we need to go up the mast. Caitlin and I also went to the top of the mast to take in the view and do a selfie from the top with the boat below. Glen had been up on an earlier occasion and got some great shots too.

Last night saw everyone from the ARC+ boats gather in the open air at the marina entrance at 18.15 for the Official Welcome from ARC and other Important Local People, all of whom have made us feel very welcome.

We all wondered if The Las Palmas Event was going to be topped.

The Official Welcome Speeches were quickly followed a large drumming band who entered stage left led by 3 ladies, one in a very large exotic orange feathery headress. The wind was blowing at about 35kts across the entrance to the marina where we were all gathered so she had to stay close to a building for some shelter and just jig about in time to the drumming for fear of being blown away in the wind.

Her 2 companions had no such problem as they were wearing very very very little and were to some degree slightly above the wind due to the height of the heels they were wearing. Simply walking in them must have been a feat - they had clearly perfected skills way above this and their dance manoeuvres, jigs, bumps and grinds in time to the drumming band held the audience (and Donald’s) rapt attention admirably. The drumming band was led very efficiently by a man with a whistle wearing white gloves. He conducted the band with sharp blows of the whistle to get the bands attention and then with a variety of different hand gestures high above his head got the band to change the beat and rhythm and end each set in perfect unison. It was a very entertaining session and they played (and danced) for a long time.

After the band - canapés and drinks were served. The drink was a quite remarkable lemony flavoured local punch that tasted like it should have been diliuted 50:1 but had not been. There was no official dress code for the evening but most people were in shorts and polo tops / T shirts which made the one person there dressed only in small tight black speedos with a towel over his shoulder - who had obviously been taking a trip to the shower but had then heard the drumming band strike up and had decided to stay for the entertainment instead - definitely stand out from the crowd and draw (admiring?) looks from the locals. This was soon topped however when he was joined shortly after by a man in a short dress wearing eyeliner and makeup obviously feeling very relaxed in the convivial and comradely atmosphere.

Tonight we are going to the fish market for another ARC+ Welcome event - boats have still been arriving over the last 2 days, some crews looking weary, particularly one with just 2 crew on board. We knew we had been at sea for several days doing shifts through the night but their level of stamina and focus must have been on another level doing the same with just the 2 of them.

We are going on a half day tour of São Vicente tomorrow and then to the Cultural Centre for a “function" and prizegiving in the evening. We wonder what awaits us.

Everyone on board is fine and enjoying the time here in Mindelo.

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