29.10.2015: Natal
Natal
Our several-day stay on the island Fernando de Noronha, which was spent waiting for the new crew members to arrive, was eventful and interesting. We hadn't had the pleasure of a real shower in quite a long time and were counting on the sanitary facilities in the harbor - negative. The only possibility to shower in fresh water was to use the showers on the beaches.
The great number of dune buggies here was also remarkable. A vehicle species which pretty well died out in Germany in the seventies is enjoying a comeback here, however with the notorious, smelly beetle-motors.
Shortly following our crew change, we hoisted the anchor in the morning, set sails and set our course for Natal on the Brazilian mainland coast. The winds were once again on the port side - after about 1000 nautical miles we have almost forgotten how to tack and sail with the winds on the starboard side.
Luckily we had read up on harbor etiquette for our clearance: it calls for a special dress code with long pants - clean ones - that goes without saying. So we fished out the best we had so as not to appear like the pirates of the Caribbean. On the morning of October 22nd we can see the lights of the city of Natal - we have reached the South-American continent without experiencing any major incidents.
Club de Natal
The narrow marine harbor entrance seperates the high sand dunes with their recreational activities on the north side from the many high-rise towers on the south side. We enjoy this final point in our Atlantic crossing with the passing under the suspension bridge in the direction of the Club of Natal - the city's marina. Ok, marina is a bit of an exaggeration. Most of the sailboats are using the visitor moorings as there are only a few jetties. So we paddle to the beach near the marina and many of us set foot for the first time on the soft sands of this continent.
We divide up in groups and proceed with the necessary "errands": One group takes a taxi to the city to get supplies (this include a small tour of the city which allowed the taxi driver to profit). Frauke and Volker take care of the red-tape matters. The hurdles in the mutual language understanding seem almost insurmountable, but the PC keyboard belonging to the harbor office is passed back and forth and with the help of a translation program, communication is made possible. It works well and the clearance procedures can be completed.
After a long search in the afternoon we find a diesel tank behind a big fishing boat and dock alongside to fill up the ship's tanks. While we are filling up, we are visited by some fishermen and the diesel merchant. They surprise us with coconuts to refresh us and give us two bottles of Brazilian rum (naturally only to be consumed on cold days!). We are all amazed at such hospitality!
The full moon takes care to light up our way
We head south the next day. Some of us are sitting on deck and reading, among other things about the exciting experiences of Gunther Plüschow who travelled from Büsum to Tierra del Fuego in the beginning of the last century in a sailing ship - on almost the same course as the "Dagmar Aaen" has taken.
In the night sky we can now see the Southern Cross and Jupiter, Mars are Venus obviously have a rendezvous. We are enthused about the clear night sky and the full moon takes care to light up our way.
But that's not all: The following morning we see a humpback whale breach in the distance and two minke whales are swimming about in the shallow coastal waters. They appear then very close next to the "Dagmar Aaen".
Dirk Schröder-Brandi