Cabo Verde Sailing

Discover Cape Verde by Yacht

A holiday with SailCapeVerde on the open waters between the Cape Verdean islands is the most adventurous way of discovering this exotic and mysterious archipelago. We aim to provide a luxurious and relaxing experience for travellers of all ages. Throughout your voyage with us you will discover the hidden charms of some of the remotest parts of the archipelago as well as the more famous sights and sounds that make Cape Verde such an incredible and inspiring place to be.

SailCapeVerde is part of ‘Life Anew Lda.’ Life Anew was founded by Peter and Sarah who first visited Cape Verde in 2006 and quickly fell in love with the islands, the culture and the year-round sunshine. They bought Perseverance in 2010 and had it sailed from the UK to Sao Vicente where there is a beautiful and well-run marina in Mindelo.

“I love the colonial style of the houses in Mindelo which have so much elegance and character, the people are friendly and there is always something going on. Cape Verde still has a feeling of the ‘undiscovered’ about it… something that is rare in increasingly overcrowded and overdeveloped Europe.” – Peter McCann.

Life Anew aims to provide luxurious and exciting holiday experiences in Cape Verde for tourists who want to discover the best of the islands.

Embark on an island holiday that is exhilarating and inspiring, a voyage of discovery and adventure under blue skies and a fresh breeze.

Join us in Cape Verde on Perseverance, our 54ft luxury yacht for an unforgettable sailing holiday with your personal Yachtmaster skipper.

Your sailing trip will take you around any of the ten islands of Cape Verde – from the tropical island of Santo Antao or the cultural island of Sao Vicente, to the white sandy beaches of Sal and Boa Vista or the 3 km high volcano of Fogo.

Why Cape Verde?

Cape Verde is an archipelago of ten islands, situated in the Atlantic Ocean, 500km off the coast of West Africa and south of the Canary Islands.

Cape Verde is quickly growing in popularity among Europeans looking for a tropical holiday, near Europe, with year-round sunshine and no hurricane season. Cape Verde was chosen as one of the Lonely Planet Travel Guide ‘Top 10 Countries for 2011’ and hailed as the one of the top winter-sun holiday destinations.

The Yacht
Perseverance is a well equipped and luxurious 54 ft Sun Odyssey DS based in marina Mindelo, Sao Vicente. She provides guests with comfortable, spacious cabins, a comfortable saloon area and a fully-equipped galley. On overnight trips Perseverance can hold 6-8 guests comfortably in four double cabins.

FACILITIES

• Latest navigation equipment
• Watermaker
• Generator
• Air conditioning
• Showers: 5  (+ 1 on deck)
• Television
• Music installation with MP3 input
• Computer with broadband internet within 15 Miles inshore
• Microwave
• Stove with oven
• Freezer and fridge
• E-mail via SSB (emergency only)
• satellite phone (emergency only)
• SPOT satellite beacon with public Google maps positions
• Electric anchor winch
• Bow thruster

DETAILS YACHT

Perseverance of London, Type: Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 54 DS

• L.O.A.: 16,68m
• L.W.L.: 16,38m
• Beam:  4,87m
• Draft:   2,20m
• Sail Area: 139 m2
• Engine: Yanmar 110 Hp
• Water Capacity: 900 lt
• Fuel Capacity: 400 lt
• Cabins: 5
• Toilets:5
• Showers: 5  (+ 1 on deck)

Cape Verde is an archipelago of ten islands situated in the Atlantic Ocean, 500km off the coast of Senegal, West Africa.

Cape Verde is quickly growing in popularity among Europeans looking for something different, near Europe, and some ‘winter-sun’ – the islands have year-round sunshine and no hurricane season. Not only this but Cape Verde is free of many pests that inhabit Europe – mosquitoes and jelly fish are not found on the islands.

Tourism in Cape Verde is on the increase, with a plethora of resorts and package tours in Sal and Boa Vista. But it’s island hopping around the archipelago, to islands such as Sao Vicente and Santa Antao, that attracts adventurous travellers who want to discover something new. Cape Verde was chosen as one of the Lonely Planet Travel Guide ‘Top 10 Countries for 2011’ and hailed as the one of the top winter-sun holiday destinations.

Why is Cape Verde a Unique Holiday Destination?

‘Contrast’ is a word that encapsulates the Cape Verdean islands. From the white tropical sand beaches of Sal and Boa Vista, to the lush valleys of Santa Antao; from the stark mountains of Sao Vicente, and the volcano of Fogo, to the flat plains of Maio – you couldn’t find a more varied group of islands anywhere else in the world.

Whether you prefer to relax by the beach, experience the thrill of activities like sailing and kite surfing, or soak in the Creole culture and Morna music of the islands, Cape Verde offers something for everyone. With year-round sunshine to rival the Canary Islands, it’s no wonder more and more flights are opening from Europe to this fascinating destination.

Culture

Each island in Cape Verde has its own cultures and traditions. Sao Vicente in particular is know as the most cultural of the islands and it was here that the internationally acclaimed singer, Cesária Evora, the ‘Barefoot Diva’ was born and lived. The haunting, melancholic music she sang is known as Morna, a sound born of love, pain, suffering and solitude. “Our music is a lot of things,” Cesária Evora said in an interview in 2000. “Some say it’s like the Blues, or jazz. Others say it’s like Brazilian or African music, but no one really knows.”

The People of Cape Verde

Cape Verde has a population of about 450,000 inhabitants. Half of these live on the main island of Santiago. The people have a mixed African and Portuguese ancestry which is often referred to as Mestiço or Crioulo. Although Porguguese is the main language, locals speak a Creole dialect. English is now taught in schools.

Over 85% of the population is Catholic, the largest Protestant denomination is the Church of the Nazarene, and the rest belong to other religions and Christian denominations.

Wildlife in Cape Verde

Four species of turtles (Loggerhead, Hawksbill, Leatherback and Green Turtles) visit the Cape Verde islands as they cross the Atlantic. From June to October Loggerhead turtles come to nest mostly on Ervatão beach, Boa Vista island. This is the world’s third most important Loggerhead nesting site after Oman and Florida. A large effort has been made to protect nesting turtles by national and international NGOs.

There is a variety of bird species on Cape Verde with many endemic to the islands including the Bannerman’s Buzzard, the Cape Verde Peregrine and the Raso Lark.

Scuba divers can see an impressive range of tropical fish, including parrot fish, angelfish, groupers, moray eels, manta rays, barracudas and sharks (including the nurse and tiger sharks), marine turtles and even whale sharks if you are lucky. Humpback whales can be spotted off the coastline from February to June.

History

Cape Verde was discovered and colonised by the Portuguese in 1456. In the 16th century it became a hub for the transatlantic slave trade; slaves were brought to the islands from all over Africa, sold, and sent to America. Many droughts ravaged the islands over the years, leading to the starvation of over 100,000 people. Throughout the 19th century, under British rule, Porto Grande in Mindelo flourished into a major coaling station, supplying steam ships with coal before their crossed the Atlantic. However the coaling industry decline and the islands’ fragile economy went into ruin.

Political Stability in Cape Verde

Until 1879, Cape Verde was part of the Portuguese Guinea (now Guinea-Bissau) and in 1951 the status of the Islands changed from colony to overseas province. After the fall of the facist regime in Portugal in 1974, Cape Verde was granted independence from the rule of Portugal on the 5th of July, 1975. Cape Verde and Guinea-Bissau seriously considered uniting the two countries, but a 1980 coup in Guinea-Bissau ended talks.

The islands have been admired for their political and economic stability, democracy and efforts against corruption (it is the 2nd least corrupt African country after Botswana). Cape Verde has close economic ties with the EU, Portugal and the US, due to historical relationships and high levels of emigration – there are more Cape Verdeans living abroad than on the islands.