Sailing in Cape Verde is your opportunity to experience sailing in interesting conditions and warm weather even during the European wintertime. However even when you are on holiday, do not neglect your health and make sure you spice up your diet on board with some food supplements such as Omega-3 fish oil of Norway to make sure you can make the most of your trip.
The Cape Verde archipelago lies 460 km off the African Coast near Senegal and consists of 10 larger and 4 smaller islands. They form a rough horseshoe shape and lie in the trajectory of the trade winds, which means that they experience north to north-easterly winds almost all year around, especially during the European winter starting from October.
How to Get There
If you are doing a transatlantic passage, the islands are about 800 nautical miles southwest of the Canaries and make for a good stop on the passage to Caribbean, breaking up the trip into two shorter segments and give you a chance to provision again, take a breath and explore these very diverse and interesting islands. There are also multiple airports on the islands and day charters are available in many places. For longer charters head to Mindelo on Sao Vincente, the only marina in the archipelago.
The Sailing Conditions
The mountains on the islands can create so called “acceleration zones” and easily increase the 15 to 20 knots of trade wind to 40 knots. This makes for interesting sailing and also means that the local weather conditions have to be observed closely. The infrastructure for sailing is still in its baby stages with only one marina in the whole archipelago, however there are several beautiful secluded anchorages on every island with opportunities to buy food and explore the islands.
The islands of Sal and Boavista are dry and arid, with some volcano craters and mountains in their inland and some tourist development on their beaches in the south. Santo Antao for example, is more humid and its highest peak is 2000 meters above sea level. There is a big variety among the different islands which makes even a shorter trip very worthwhile.
Rich in Marine Life
Despite its dry climate, the Cape Verde are home to a wide variety of animals and plants. Especially regarding its marine biodiversity, Cape Verde is considered a global hotspot with over 20 species of whale, dolphin and porpoise that can be found around them. The beaches on the island provide important nesting ground for several species of turtles and more than 60 shark and ray species can be found in its coastal waters.
How to Feed Yourself and Your Crew Right
While sailing is fun and exciting, it is also a form of exercise and the impact of time spent on sea on your body should not be underestimated. Especially on longer passage, provisioning and feeding yourself and your crew correctly can be a challenge. It is therefore important to consider all dietary requirements of the crew and make sure that you provide a balanced and nutritious diet. You might want to consider adding food supplements such as Omega-3 fish oil to your daily routine, to make sure you can stay focused under challenging conditions and are full of energy for your time on the water.
Omega-3 of Norway offers high quality Omega-3 capsules that are easy to absorb and digest, with a neutral taste and odour palette thanks to our Swiss Caps capsules. Check out our website to learn more and find out which one of our products is the right fit for you.