Ilha dos Lençois

We arrived in the early hours of 1st June after a gruelling sail into a wind that was much stronger and more northerly than forecast. The seas were not big but short and steep and we had several waves over the saloon and Merel discovered just how badly the front hatch leaks!

But Lencois is wonderful! We are now anchored off the village in the channel between here and the next island. It is very peaceful with a bit of breeze off the sea, flat water and a big tide over 5m with a correspondingly strong tidal current.

Merel set a cracking pace around the island yesterday. We walked almost the entire island in bare feet as it is mostly sand. It took us about 4 hours and we both got some dramatic shots of the dunes, forest and puffy white clouds, towering cumulus and deep blue sky. After, we ate at the smallest restaurant imaginable: one table and a few chairs on a bare concrete porch. The fish was magnificent and the array of traditional side dishes filled our bellies with rice, beans, spaghetti, a flavored ground corn, and a green papaya salad, with beer to wash it down. The tide came in and the dinghy was a long way from shore by the time we left. I just managed to reach it without having to swim.

Today I have internet! So I have uploaded some photos to the Sao Luis Gallery and the Lencois Gallery

We leave tomorrow (Wednesday 6th) for Rio Oiapoque, about 600nm northwest, on the border of Brazil and French Guyana. Maybe we will meet up with some Frenchies there! They seem to be the main nationality of yachts cruising this coast.

Much love from us and please enjoy the photos.