The Passage to Brazil

makeshift whisker pole (after repair)

was pleasant, uneventful--even a bit monotonous.  I didn't catch a single fish, but something did take my favorite lure (without returning it) a few days before I arrived Recife. I don't think the wind exceeded 20 knots or dropped below 10. It was mostly dead downwind sailing, which does make it a bit rolly when there is swell (which there always is). Most of the passage was sailed with twin jibs (using a wooden pole as a makeshift second whisker pole for the hank-on jib on the inner forestay. The pole broke a week into the passage but was fixed with a couple of bolts and some line). The best day was 138 miles, the slowest 119. The passage took ca 13 days and 16 hours which is faster than I had expected (If I sailed 1800 miles, which I think is not too far off--the great-circle distance is 1775 nm--that is an average of 5.5 knots). Anyway, it was fast enough to get to Recife in time to have a visit with my friends Gui and Steve who were here for a wedding (they flew home on Tuesday). Gui's parents, Joao and Elba, have very kindly hosted me at their lovely apartment in the Aflitos area of Recife, since I arrived. Here are a few photos from Recife.

The great-circle distance is the shortest distance between two points on a sphere--so called because the line between the two points are part of a circle whose center coincides with the center of the sphere (ie the largest circle you can draw on the surface of a sphere). A whisker pole is used to hold out a headsail to better catch the wind when sailing downwind. Twin jibs means using two headsails with both (usually) poled out--one to port, one to starboard.

Hugo Boss Boat

The other day, I accidentally sent an email that was meant for my friend Paul, to the blog. Thus the odd blogpost a couple of days ago. To the right is the Hugo Boss boat I was referring to seen from Twister sailing into Recife harbor.  Here it is in Cape Town. This boat is a 60 footer made to compete in the Vendee Globe singlehanded round-the world, southern ocean race. The winner of the 2012-2013 race averaged more than 15 knots over ca 28 000 nautical miles.