Navigating on the ocean of life.

Early morning welcoming a new day in the cockpit


Chapter 2

Living on an 11 meter long sailing boat has its natural limits. Limits which place you in a simple level of live. It’s like a cheap campground; no shower, small smelly toilet, uncomfortable bed and uncomplicated but tasty noodle cooking. I guess the only difference is that on a campground you have plenty of space on ground which will not be moving while walking on it (…maybe unless you had a few too many beers). The boat will rock you back and forth 24/7 and you are not running anywhere.

I am a happy camper and do enjoy periods with complete lack of modern comforts. Maybe because it automatically means that you get closer to and embrace Mother Nature… and yourself! 

Limited space: the salon with kitchen and my bedroom in the back

The toilet - no place for dancing:)

 For me liberation is to wake up to the sound of the water, getting my sleepy eyes out in the cockpit surrounded with glittering water and some dry bread which just stay together due to a massive layer of Nutella in my hands – see, that’s a beautiful moment right there. Add one glass of cold milk which actually has been cooled by the sun as three solar panels make the boat a self sustainable home in terms of energy, and it even makes it a green moment. 

The port side - notice the yellow board and the beach within reach

I stayed 2 month on this Ericson 36 boat and enjoyed every second – maybe just apart from when the big waves were trying to take over on the way down from Las Palmas to Santa Maria (see December blogs) but it was a great challenge which takes you closer to the boat, the crew and makes land and the goal port a true relief to reach.   

Ironically the human mind seem to need the down’s to enjoy the up’s, need the vibrant challenges to amuse the calm rests and need the cold night in order to praise warm day. Even though so the dark night can be a magical place with the universe blinking at you…

Most of the time in the boat I spend anchored in the bay of Santa Maria. It made it an exotic floating summer house with fishes swimming in the clear turquoise 25 degree warm water beneath and the shore just a short swim away. It was a unique point and I enjoyed the peace and to be alone for some time. 

The amazing color of the clear 8 meter deep sea by the shore of Santa Maria 

But eventually I longed for a local beer… First time I took the tour to shore in the evening I was just shaking my head as I slowly got myself down on the yellow board in the dark water. It was stupid and was not sure if I would turn around in the water and wet the entire close in my bag. I did however manage to keep balance, not fall into the water and paddled in to the beach with only my hands and legs in the water. Actually I could not see the beach but I could hear it, hear the waves hitting shore and further behind lights from buildings were visible.
It was a 10 minutes ride and as soon as I reached shore I walked up the beach to this semi open air restaurant called Atlantico. I will never forget the surprised look in people’s eyes seeing a wet guy coming out of the dark with red shorts and a yellow board under the arm. Now it is a fairly upscale place which was probably why I felt down starred and so wrongly placed but it was part of my one and only plan so I didn’t even bother to suggest a plan B in my mind. A waiter was kind enough to advice a parking space for the 3 meter long board and as an extended service offered a bucket of water for my sandy feed before entering the restaurant. In the toilet I made a quick change to a white shirt and long pants and BLING I was part of the surrounding again and had no starring eyes… funny enough I later on arriving in a bar named Chill Out received impressive looks by the crowd there especially when I re-changed back to swim mode and walked off with the board towards the sea…
The essence: if you ever find yourself in place where you feel uncomfortable because of any difference remember you are not necessarily wrong. It’s likely the others – check with the nearest bar! Also in a case like this it is always recommendable to bring in the Danish fairytale by Hans Christian Andersen: The Ugly Duckling :)

Another day is burning up in beautiful colors 

    

Don’t swim too far out – the next update is just around the corner.

…

Till then ENJOY LIFE!!!

Navigating on the ocean of life.

Chapter 1

I have a friend in you – and what a patient and calm one. Just breathing in and out with the pulse of the waves – what life basically is all about...

The sailing boat had been all mine since we arrived in the bay of Santa Maria with the beautiful turquoise water. After all the troubled times with torn sails and giant waves we had to go through in the 9 days and 6 hours from Canary Islands to Cape Verde the boat had somehow become something like an old friend that you have shared a lot of good and bad experiences with. Now resting here in what seemed to be paradise in this little village with a petit number of tourists and plenty of sun, clean water and amazing stretches of beaches I definitely liked the life of a sailor even though I was not sailing anywhere. 

The boat was anchored up about 150 meters from shore and only when I needed power for my notebook or food I went on shore.

There was three ways of transportation to land; swim, paddle on a board or take a ride in the dinghy with the fancy pink 10 horsepower engine and land it on the beach. Either way I would at some level get wet and in the end even in the dinghy bad timing on the waves could roll you and the rubber boat over going out – however it only happened once which luckily was just after I had bought a brand new water resistant bag which I could carry on my back either of the three transportation methods. It was pure luck I found it in this village with limited goods. But if it wasn’t for that magic bag my phone and notebook would have been killed by that pleasant 25 degree warm turquoise seawater.

Me and my yellow board on bay watch mode;)

Sheilah and Gunnar had after a few days of reacclimatized on the anchor space went into their 2 bedroom apartment placed on the beach with a magnificent sea view. They invested in the apartment in May 2010 after visiting the island of Sal a few months before - guess it was love at first sight.

Their apartment with what you call clear sea view!

There was just one formality we had to solve going on shore – stamps in the passport for officially being landed in Cape Verde, so one early morning we joined up with a local guy, Alex and headed 1/2 hour north to another little town called Palmeira where the main harbor of Sal and the harbor master/ police are situated. When we arrived the harbor master had been there but left again. Later we found the Police station… well it was just a house under construction where he, THE policeman was sitting in a naked room with one table and a TV running with bad signal. We knew that tourists pay €25,- when arriving in the airport so it was a nice surprise that we only had to pay the symbolic amount of €1,- each! Hey after what we went through I think it was a nice welcome.

Alex, Gunnar and Sheilah on our hunt for becoming legally ground walkers

Then we went for a beer – and not just any beer – no here like in Portugal they consume the brilliant named beer: Super Bock – for me this is pure respect. The advertisements were everywhere and it made me smile. Not only is this my name they even added in “Super” and I couldn’t agree more… maybe it was actually good in that sense that I needed to retire to the boat before I got too self-seeking about it;)

I even found a high valued boat - maybe not the fastest in the bay but full of admiration for that name: Springbock:)

 

The first thing you meet when entering Santa Maria from the sea side is the Danish flag. Wow it blew me away first time I saw it. The flag was planted in the ground like Neil Armstrong did it with the American flag on the moon more than 30 years ago.. or that’s how I at least saw it. However this was the little kingdom of Denmark showing off in Cape Verde, with almost 6000 kilometers in distance. Not many actually remember to acknowledge that Denmark used to be one a huge country in the good old Viking times and later on, where the borders were extended to the Baltic countries in the east Sweden, Norway and Iceland to the north, Germany in the south and UK to the west. Actually Denmark possessed the exotic Virgin Islands till 1917 where they were sold to US for cheap $25 million. Also Denmark were the first to discover America long before Columbus made his voyage towards India. It was named Vineland then but I guess nothing of interest were found – or we were just too humble or drunk to announce and claim the discover (guess they were not seeing the marketing values then:) OK fair enough the above borders were never at the same time but I see it as a paradox that we once were a huge country but ended up as such a tiny little piece of land – anyway it’s not a matter of size right?:)
At least Greenland and Faeroe Islands are still under the official protection and support of Denmark – the last pieces of a once upon conquer hungry country. 

Somebody had been on the "moon" before me - and at that time at had no idea that the real estate business behind was my future workplace...

Whenever I travel and see the Danish flag or just a Danish products being far away from home it lightens my national feeling and makes me feel a little closer to home.
The reason for this flag being positioned here would be found in an article in the building behind. A Dane named Claus was selling properties here – so I was not the only lonesome Dane in this island. Actually two Danes have business here – more about this later… Stay around.

Till then ENJOY LIFE!!!

oh if you ever buy a tasty bottle like this make sure to hide it from Swedes - they will not let it go before its empty!:)