BEST FOR LAST

SAILING THE ATLANTIC FROM CAPE TOWN TO AZORES MARKED THE END OF AN EIGHT-YEAR CIRCUMNAVIGATION FOR DUTCH COUPLE WIETZE VAN DER LAAN AND JANNEKE KUYSTERS

“That’s it,” Wietze says, “Not an ounce more of anything is added to the boat. No food, no fuel and no water.” I pause, because I had just grabbed my bag for another quick visit to the supermarket. We have a 6,000-mile trip to go and my fear of running out of food is even bigger than normal. But when I check my little book of supplies, I concede and put the bag away.

The next morning we give each other the customary pre-departure look in the eye and ask: “Ready?”. Then we’re on our way for this monster voyage: Cape Town to the Azores. This will be our final big passage in over 50,000 miles of sailing around the world.

By the time Table Mountain sinks below the horizon, I’m rummaging in lockers for warm clothes. It feels as if the cold Benguela current swoops past the south-west of the African continent, straight from Antarctica. We sail under bright blue skies, with lots of seals, gannets and albatross around us. A dream comes true when we see a Southern right whale surface close by.

ON THE DESERT’S EDGE

During the pleasant downwind sail to Lüderitz in Namibia, we see many ships with the sign ‘limited manoeuvrability’ on our AIS screen. Initially we are quite puzzled, because they seem to be close to the shore. Wietze then realises they are diamond-ships: alluvial diamonds are spread across the seafloor and across parts of the south-west of Namibia. Dredging boats literally suck the diamonds up.