As I write this we are all checked out and all preparations made to leave, we are just waiting for high water to clear the rather shallow entrance to this pontoon. I went alone to customs, as I’d been tipped off by Marta that her all girl crew had a much better time all over the world compared to the Blue Water rally male skippers. Kevin had attended with Tim the day before to understand the procedure and they’d been made to sit and wait for people apparently sat doing nothing and were generally given a fairly hard time. We were expecting worse because it seems we should have gone to the airport in Sal to clear immigrations, but like all the other boats in Palmeira had not known at the time. However, when I arrived all alone, the three male policemen that greeted me were all smiles and we talked in French, they explained we’d have to clear in then out that day, moved a chair over for me and dusted it off. All the paperwork was done in about 15 minutes and I was given all the stamped forms and receipt for the 500 Escudos fee (which Tim had had to ask to get). The policeman I first met sat and chatted to me whilst it was all arranged and wished me Bon Voyage when I left. Immigration was similar and I had the whole thing wrapped up in less then an hour, even though Tim & Kevin had taken 2 hours the day before. Kevin couldn’t believe it when I got back (we’d both been worried by dire warnings of hundreds of pounds in fines for the incorrect procedure at Sal) and said I suppose you are going to tell me now they made you a cup of tea! They didn’t go quite that far but we have agreed that clearance will be my job from now on.
Anyway, we’re now going for lunch then off we go! It’s not quite sunk in yet that we are about to start on our lifetime dream of crossing the Atlantic, but we’ll keep the blog up on passage as usual (barring computer/power problems) and let everyone know how it is going.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment