"Apostle Andrew": October news

October news from "Apostle Andrew"

October 30, 2004
The Cape Verde Archipelago.

We continue our sailing in the Cape Verde Archipelago. After evaluating the distance, which is left to Praia, the wind and our speed, I came to the conclusion that we will arrive to the capital of Cape Verde in the middle of the night. It was not reasonable and that’s why we decided to stay for a few hours near the Island Mayu and at dawn to come to the planned port.

We chose the bay at the northwest coast of the island and at 15.00 dropped anchor. Kireev, Zhukov and Semeynov landed the first at the coast. I found a mask and flippers and dived with the purpose to examine the lower part of the yacht. There was not any biofouling at the bottom. A special paint "International" works very good.

At last Dima Stadnichenko and I started our walk over the Island. At the beach we met two local boys, who demonstrated some seashells and an empty bottle. They asked water but we did not have any water with us.

Somewhere at the desert beach

October 29, 2004
Cape Verde.

Three years later on October 28 at 13:45 the yacht "Apostol Andrey" again dropped anchor in the St. Maria Bay, situated at the south end of the Sal Island, the most northern island of all islands of the Cape Verde. At the coast of the Bay there is a town with the same name.

We launched our "Korsar" and started our reconnaissance trip. As usual we were interested in the bank, mail post and telegraph. Everything was closed as it was lunchtime. But it appeared that the bank here is not so necessary for us: the local sellers agreed to take Euro for masks and other souvenirs, as well as dollars and escudos. This currency has equal circulation in souvenir shops, bars and super markets. You can also receive change, where you can find Euro or crushed dollar.

This small town has now good times and the reason of this are tourists from Europe. The number of souvenir shops has enormously increased. There a lot of restaurants, cafes, bars and a large market, where you can buy various artefacts, made from wood, sand pictures, local musical instruments.

We got tired after walking in such a heat (it was +37° C) and visited one of the bars at the coast of the ocean to drink bear before we leave. Our painter Semenov made some sketches. But street vendors disturbed him constantly, may be because they looked at him as their rival, or may be they wanted to invite him to work together with them.
At nightfall the yacht "Apostol Andrey" has weighed anchor and left the St. Maria raid.

Yours sincerely
Nikolay Litau

October 28, 2004
The lunar eclipse.

The usual phrase of Semenov: "Skipper – your watch!", today was replaced by a joyful cry of Semenov, who rushed into the open hatch. It was around three o'clock in the night, one hour was left to my watch and a premature wake up did not make me happy. "I will kill him" – thought I, if this cry was caused by the next flying fish or a locust, which has also started to visit us. It was unusually dark at the deck – during these days, when there is a full moon, it is so light that you can read (without exaggeration).

When I came to the deck I understood the reason of this complete darkness and the excitement of our boatswain – the lunar eclipse! Only a narrow crescent has remained from the full moon. In an hour it was also covered by shadow, but the night star still was dimly sparkling. A lot of stars appeared on the sky.

We woke up the other members of our team and took our binoculars. I explained to the crew the mechanism of this phenomena. I, myself, for the first time in my life observed a total lunar eclipse, though I was fond of astronomy in my youth. The disc of the moon was closed for another half an hour and then started to get free, and in the morning our spouse was again shining in all her glory.
"It is a sign!" – we thought. And exactly at noon we saw a land. This was the Sal Island – the most northern island of the Cape Verde Is.

October 27, 2004
Trade-winds.

We came into a zone of the north-east trade-winds. These areas are most favourable for sailing vessels – the wind is steady by its strength and direction and there are no storms here. Crossings are guaranteed. It is a bit hot: +29°, the water temperature: +25°, but in the shadow of the sail it is not so noticeable. The level of humidity is very high. During the night the deck and the superstructure are covered by abundant dew, which in the morning is streaming down sails.

There are schools of flying fish. Yesterday the first fish fell on the deck. During the night the harvest amounted to 30 fishes, among them more than ten fishes were of large size. Alexander Kireev, a chief mate, is drying small samples for his collection (or may be – for bear). Large fish are fried by Dmitry Stadnichenko, who took a difficult and honorary commitment of a cook.

Stadnichenko is a steel maker, Ph. Metallurgy. I do not know how he makes steel, but his borsch is excellent as well as the other meals, which he cooks. A scientific degree is one of the conditions, which are necessary to work at the caboose. In the two previous circumnavigations our cooks were Ph. Chemistry and Ph. Medicine.

October 25, 2004
The Tropic of Cancer ort a brief course of astronomy.

The last weekend was marked by two events. At first we recorded a daily crossing, comprising 180 miles. This is so far the best result of the third circumnavigation, and it would be possible to improve it only in the South Ocean. Secondly – on Sunday at 14:40 (local time) the yacht "Apostol Andrey" crossed the North Tropic, or the Tropic of Cancer, the parallel, situated at 23°27' above the equator – the most northern parallel, above which the Sun is rising to its highest point. It happens each year on June 22 at the day of the summer solstice.

October 21, 2004
Between Madeira and the Canary Islands.

The last day passed with a strong, but not very favourable wind. But still we have passed 130 miles. Today in the morning the wind was switched off and from 8 a.m. we are using our diesel, burning the remains of Russian fuel. We crossed the 30-th parallel and celebrated this event (in accordance with tradition accepted in the tropics) with the rum "Aguardente" from Madeira.

The wind drifted us 50 miles to the east and nor the route of the yacht "Apostol Andrey" will go between the islands of the Canary Archipelago and we have to sail the same 50 miles to reach them.

Yours sincerely
Nikolay Litau

October 20, 2004
Goodbye, Madeira!

The stay of the yacht "Apostol Andrey" at Madeira was spoiled by the weather. Our stay at Madeira was spoiled by the weather. Small rain, which started in a few hours after out arrival, turned into heavy shower. Low nebulosity wrapped up the slopes, which made senseless our sightseeing trip around the Island. WE did not see clear sky too often.
This rain did not allow us to make necessary repair works on our desk and also choppy sea, which came from the ocean to the berthing place. The yacht was unmercifully rolled from one board to another, the careen reached 30 degrees.
Our stay was also very nervous. We were constantly keeping watch. We were working with our anchor the whole day of October 19. We had to weigh anchor and again to anchor five or six times. We needed to refuel and to get fresh water and that's why we entered in to the marina, where we became an obstacle for maneuvering of big vessels and the harbour inspectorate asked us to move, or our anchor started to creep and the yacht was carried out beyond the pier, where she was expected by ripple.

The last time we broke adrift about 20:00. We were drifting an hour with our diesel engine, waiting for our boatswain and chief mate. At 21:00 we put out to sea. There was not a single cloud in the sky, a half of the moon was brightly shining in the sky and only the peaks of the Island were wrapped into opaque clouds. The yacht "Apostol Andrey", followed by fair wind, made a good speed by the wind and in an hour and a half the lights of Funchal vanished behind.

Yours sincerely
Nikolay Litau

October 18, 2004
Madeira.

On October 17 in the morning the yacht "Apostol Andrey" dropped anchor in Funchal after completing a crossing, comprising 1500 miles. After the storm in the Bay of Biscay the winds were fair and light and our sailing was quiet. During the last night the wind died away and the last five miles we sailed with the help of our engine.

On the pier opposite the Anchor Bridge we saw Dmitry Stadnichenko. Alexander Kirrev and I on our glorious dinghy "Korsar" sailed to the shore to take our new crew-member and to register our arrival.

Madeira is the first point in the course of the three circumnavigations where the yacht "Apostol Andrey" has arrived for the second time. Now we have a strange feeling – trying to recognize the places, which we visited three years ago.

It is worth to mention that almost nothing has changed here since our last visit. The same officer of marine police met us at the berth, the same harbourmaster with absolutely unsmiling face gave us the keys of the places for general use. There was also the same sail master Eric, who repaired our sails during our last visit.

After finishing our primary tasks, the crew went for a walk around Funchal. But the black clouds descended and burst out into a downpour. And there was nothing left to do, but to return back to our yacht.

Yours sincerely
Nikolay Litau

October 14, 2004
The remarkable dates.

Today the yacht "Apostol Andrey" has two remarkable dates: a month has passed since the start of the third circumnavigation and today is also the third anniversary of the start of the second circumnavigation of our yacht. At that time in 2001 we reached Madeira in a month. This time we were not so lucky despite the fact that we have reduced the time of our stay in ports.

300 miles separate us from Madeira. At present we have a steady fair wind with a speed 4-5 m/sec. This gives us a hope that we will manage to reach Funchal on October 17.
Just a minute ago we have seen an airplane above us, flying to Madeira, and we know that Dmitry Stadnichenko is in this plane. Dmitry Stadnichenko is a new crew member. He will take commitments of a cook and now he will prepare for our arrival: he will book a berthing place in the marine, find a sails maker and etc.

Yours sincerely
Nikolay Litau

October 12, 2004
500 miles are left to Madeira.

500 miles separate us from Madeira. The storm of the Bay of Biscay, blowing us about, turned in a fair wind, then – in the by the wind, and finally had exhausted itself. At present there is absolute calm around us. We are using our diesel in order at least to keep our tempo. During our last circumnavigation we passed this section at a very high speed, making 140 miles daily and it took us only seven days to sail from Brest to Madeira.

October 10, 2004
The Bay of Biscay…

The Bay of Biscay was left behind. We sailed to the middle with a good fair wind, but in the south part the yacht was reached by a heave cyclone and for more than a day we were riding out a storm

The situation was redoubled because the wind turned into a counter one. Sometimes there was a strong gale. At first we struggled with the bad weather with a tightly swift grotto. But after the breakage of its upper cringles we put a storm staysail and a swift spanker.

At present the wind is not a fair one, but it allows sailing by the wind along our course. We have passed a halfway to Madeira and 750 miles are still left.

October 5, 2004
We have left Greenwich behind!

The information passed by Nikolay Keesel, UA3AIC:
Yesterday at 7:30 p.m. the yacht "Apostol Andrey" under moderate weather conditions and at a speed of 4 knots, crossed the Greenwich meridian and became a part of the Western Hemisphere. At 9:08 p.m. Moscow time there was a communication session with radio amateurs. Alexander Kireev conducted the traffic (the skipper Nikolay Litau had a rest after the watch). A chief mate told that everything is OK on board, the crew is well and healthy and passes best regards to all antipodes of the Eastern Hemisphere.

October 3, 2004
Belgium, Brugge, Willi de Roos…

After spending the rest of Thursday and Friday completing our ship's works – removing leakage, checking rigging, recharging accumulators and etc., we dedicated Saturday to rest and excursions

On Saturday morning Eddy de Busshere took us to Brugge. After lunch we went to the other end of the country and in an hour reached the border of Belgium and France. Here in a small village lives the elder of the Arctic yachtsmen – Willy de Roos. 27 years ago in 1977 on his steel 13-meteres ketch "Williwow", partly with his workmate, partly alone, he passed the North West Passage. This was done for the first time on a sailing vessel after Amundsen. The elder of yachting, who is now 81 years old, met us at the threshold of his home and forwarded us into a sitting room, where there was not a single thing indicating a glorious past of its owner. Only one water-colour, depicting the yacht "Williwow" against a background of the Antarctic landscape. Our visit lasted two hours. We told about our previous circumnavigations, about the present project. Willy was vividly taking interest in all aspects of our conversation, started to give advice, but then interrupted himself and asked, laughing: "Whom am I giving advice?"
We returned to our yacht at night. Eddy left the following record in the Guest Book:

"The yacht "Apostol Andrey" is only the third vessel, which is sailing from Belgium to the Antarctica. In 1897 a sailing vessel "Belgica" left Ostende, laying its course to the Antarctica, in 1982 – Willy de Roos left Newport along the same route on board of his ketch "Williwow". It is a great honour and a true pleasure to get acquainted with the skipper Nikolay Litau and his crew. And I hope that they will have good reminiscences about Belgium. I wish them all luck and I hope that they will be successful in their sailing around the Antarctica Continent.

Eddy de Busshere, Secretary of the Belgian Society of Polar explorations"

The weather forecast again promises counter winds during all crossing to the Atlantic Ocean. Resigning with our fate and even not uttering bad words in this regard, we decided to start on Sunday early in the morning with a morning tide.
Yours sincerely,
Nikolay Litau

October 1, 2004
The yacht "Apostol Andrey" is a guest of Belgium.

The crossing from the Kiel Channel took exactly three days. The weather in the North Sea was not so stubborn as in the Baltic. The first day the wind was blowing straight in the rostrum of the yacht and we continued to maneuver. On the second day the wind started to blow from the north and allowed us to sail with a good speed at a half wind. And this was the only day with a favourable wind in the course of the fourteen days of our voyage

We arrived in Zeebrugge on September 30 at 01:30 p.m., leaving 385 miles behind (instead of 300 miles in accordance with the general course).

The Royal Belgium Yacht Club had already prepared a berthing place for us. A harbormaster greeted us at the berth. When I asked him about the emigration authorities and the customs he answered that we do not need to worry about this. The Belgium became the 25-th country, which the yacht "Apostol Andrey" visited during its all circumnavigations.

Soon Eddy De De Busschere, Secretary Belgian Polar Exploration Society, arrived at the harbour. We visited Belgium thanks to his invitation. We discussed the philatelic business, stamped the envelopes, received the invitation to visit the beautiful city of Brugge. Eddy also informed us that our crew was invited to visit Willy de Roos, the first yachtsman, who succeeded in the North West Passage.

Yours sincerely,
Nikolay Litau

08.12.2004