Cape Verde

Stopped there over Christmas in the mid eighties, anchored off Mindelo. I can still hear the discarded bottles and jars being washed backwards and forwards on the shore by the waves. There was a veritable sea of the things to wade through when landing in the dinghy.

Having said that, although poverty was everywhere to be seen, people were friendly and I have always been keen to return but so far haven't had the opportunity.
 
We stopped in Mindelo last year on ARC+.

We loved it and strongly recommend.

Pros: the floating bar, the local music scene, a couple of interesting restaurants. Excellent service by the chandlery and marine engineers who were able to do a really neat spreader repair and see us en route to the Caribbean in short time. Potable and inexpensive water.

Like in Gran Canaria,they bend over backwards for ARC+ which brings a significant uplift to the local economy, berthing fees, repairs, and the floating bar takings.

Cons: it's rolly in the marina, you need lots of mooring compensators/springs and long lines. Provisions pretty limited. Not a massive amount to do on the island.
 
I see from the ARC tracker that several ARC + with problems are now repaired and under way again. That leaves room for a few from the main rally that have already arrived or diverting.

And for our oppo Dan who we waved off on Monday and should arrive tomorrow or Tuesday. I've given them directions to the Irish Bar. :)
 
Stopped off in Mindelo in 2014. Didn't find it particularly roll in the Marina, perhaps I was lucky but then the bay is pretty sheltered.
Not sure why the comments about provisioning, but I suppose it depends on what you want or expect. There is a pretty good outdoor market to buy all your fruit and veg plus some good little eateries there serving up the local fare. Was there over Christmas and what a fantastic atmosphere and experience. Hoping to get back there some day.
 
I also found provisioning excellent, in Mindelo at least. We bought fruit and veg in the market and found it better and kept longer than Canarian bought items. I think it's the fact it's not been refrigerated which helps. Sure we bought tinned goods and wine in the Canaries, but fresh is as good or better in Mindelo in our experience, as is the rum!

In reply to the OP, it was mostly F6-8 between islands, but that's quite ok really - you are calling in on an ocean voyage after all. We stayed for 'Carnival' which is shrove Tuesday but actually lasts all week. Highly recommended!
 
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My experience during a month stay there 10 years ago is similar to above. Mindelo - worth visiting. The rest - forget it ! One example: SWMBO and I were stoned by local school children in St Nicholas when we refused to give them money (we'd already given some of them biros), while the adults (parents?) just looked on. That just about sums the place up. Probably the only cruising destination in the world I would NEVER return to.

Two years after we'd visited, while waiting in my dentist's, I came across a travel magazine with a gorgeous photo of our yacht anchored alone in an idyllic looking bay, advertising the islands. If the camera had been turned 180 degrees, it would instead have shown the most squalid of shanty towns.
 
AndrewB said:
My experience during a month stay there 10 years ago is similar to above. Mindelo - worth visiting. The rest - forget it ! One example: SWMBO and I were stoned by local school children in St Nicholas when we refused to give them money (we'd already given some of them biros), while the adults (parents?) just looked on. That just about sums the place up. Probably the only cruising destination in the world I would NEVER return to.

Two years after we'd visited, while waiting in my dentist's, I came across a travel magazine with a gorgeous photo of our yacht anchored alone in an idyllic looking bay, advertising the islands. If the camera had been turned 180 degrees, it would instead have shown the most squalid of shanty towns.
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No, Haiti was definitely worse. That's a place I will never go back to
 
geem said:
No, Haiti was definitely worse. That's a place I will never go back to
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I've sailed along the coast of Haiti a couple of times, but never stopped. Ile a Vache is supposed to be OK, but 10 years ago Noonsite was advising against stopping anywhere else. What was your experience?
 
AndrewB said:
I've sailed along the coast of Haiti a couple of times, but never stopped. Ile a Vache is supposed to be OK, but 10 years ago Noonsite was advising against stopping anywhere else. What was your experience?
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Iile a Vache. Nice spot. Horrible people. A country of aggressive beggers made life there extremely unpleasant. By contrast the people on Cuba were lovely
 
WoodyP said:
I remember when Stingo was cruising the world he referred to them as Crap Verde's.
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Nearly spot on: Crap Merde was what I named the place. But it does sound like Mindelo has changed for the better
 
AndrewB said:
Two years after we'd visited, while waiting in my dentist's, I came across a travel magazine with a gorgeous photo of our yacht anchored alone in an idyllic looking bay, advertising the islands. If the camera had been turned 180 degrees, it would instead have shown the most squalid of shanty towns.
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After I mentioned it, someone actually tracked down this photo for me!

Cabo_Verde.jpg
 
Resolution said:
Clever of the Irish to have sporting bars pretty much everywhere that matters.
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I think it may have been the Canaries that myself and girlfriend went into a bar, absolutely shattered by something like 36 hours travelling without sleep due to delayed/cancelled flights or whatever, but in dire need of a drink and slumping into an armchair for a while. We struggled to make ourselves understood in our poor Spanish, but got our drinks order sorted eventually.

It was only when we'd sat and recovered a bit, and stirred by them turning on the TV with a football match with commentary in English, we looked up and around us and realised we were in an Irish bar!

We'd been trying to order our drinks in Spanish from an Irishman who probably spoke no more Spanish than we did. :rolleyes:
 
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