Mindelo – 16°53.00'N, 24°59.70'W

Visa requirements None if arriving by yacht. It appears that the yacht and people aboard can stay as long as they require.

​​Entry requirements These appear to vary from island to island. Entering in Mindelo, Soa Vincent we visited the Policia Maritima office close by the yacht harbour and went to the commercial harbour to immigration for passport stamps. Ships papers are held by the police until departure. A departure fee of 500 escudos is required. Transit requirements (departing one port, entering another) vary. Where required, pay dues out of port. Leaving for a foreign country requires exit stamps. Recommended cruising guides RCC PILOTAGE FOUNDATION ATLANTIC ISLANDS 4th edition 2004 - On line Supplement 2010 [http://cic.oceancruisingclub.org/articles/2309/atl_isls_sup_2010-1.pdf?1297454497] Atlantic Islands - The RCC Pilotage Foundation http://www.rccpf.org.uk/publications The islands of the Atlantic are not just convenient stepping stones for the transatlantic sailor but offer much interesting and varied cruising. Each group is different and, within groups, there are marked differences between islands. Anne Hammick knows them well and continues to keep pace with the changes that have taken place since the first edition was published in 1989. Street 's Guide to the Cape Verde Islands http://www.amazon.com/Streets-Guide-Cape-Verde-Islands/dp/1892399342/ref=as_li_tf_cw?&linkCode=waf&tag=allatseatheca-20 Printed in 2011 it is a completely up-to-date, full-color guide that includes charts and sketches not available through any other source, as well as GPS waypoints, harbor and marina information, local knowledge and much more. Don Street has a message for all sailors planning to cross the Atlantic via the trade-wind route: Forget about spending Christmas in the Caribbean, which forces you to cross the Atlantic in late November and early December when the trades are erratic and sometimes light to nonexistent. Instead, spend Christmas cruising and exploring the Cape Verde Islands and set off in late December or early January, after the trades have settled in, and be almost guaranteed a fast passage. Some of the ports of entry Mindelo, Sal, PraiaHarbours to leave your yacht for 1 month or more Mindelo in the new marinaWeather information Internet and the marina office in MindeloGeneral advice, places to go, warnings Lights and lighthouses rarely function.Entering harbours at night is not recommended. In Mindelo, for example thereare many commercial ships at anchor and a large percentage show no lights at night. MindeloTHE REPUBLIC OF CAPE VERDE is located some 400 miles off the coast of West Africa at the latitude of Dakar, Senegal.During the last few years Cape Verde in general and Mindelo in particular has become a more and more popular stopover for Atlantic crossers with destinations in the Caribbean or South America. São Vicente is the second island in the north group, counting from west to east.The bay of Porto Grande is a natural harbour well protected from all directions. The bay is located at the northwest end of the island. Its entrance is ‘watched’ by the Ilheu-dos-Passaros, the famous ‘bird rock’. The new Marina Mindelo lies in the eastern corner of the bay. This unique location in one of UNESCO’s “most beautiful bays in the world” makes it a perfect location for yachtsmen, big game fishermen, scuba divers and charter companies, as well as for Atlantic crossers in their search for the trade winds.FACILITIES Within the marina, visitors will find showers and toilets (including facilities for wheelchair users), WiFi, yacht supplies, car rental, tug services and yacht service. Bars, restaurants and grocers are plentiful within walking distance from the Marina. The marina is guarded 24 hours a day. For those who prefer to stay at anchor, dinghies can be moored (for a small fee) at a guarded pontoon next to the marina building.APPROACH The marina’s situation, in the very east end of the bay of Porto Grande, protects it well from wind and weather. To approach it, just stay south of all breakwaters and piers of the commercial port, heading east until you see the pontoons. There are two buoyed channels on each side of the marina. Yachts with less than 2?5m draught should use the southern channel (marked with green starboardhand buoys) and boats with greater draught should stay north of the pontoons (red buoys). Bigger yachts with draughts up to 4m usually stay at the outermost pontoon. When in doubt, moor at the outermost pontoon and get a berth assigned at reception or call on VHF Channel 09.FORMALITIES After entering Porto Grande, all yachts and crews will need to check with the Harbour Police and Immigration. The office is located inside the commercial port area and ship’s documents and passports will be required.BOATYARD SERVICES A full scale yacht service – boatCV – is located inside the marina building. They service rigs, electrics and electronics, refrigerators, sails and much more. A Raymarine service agent and distributor located at the marina will carry out warranty repairs, though it can take some time if special parts aren’t in stock and need to be ordered from abroad. There is a small boatyard (Lusonave) where boats up to 120 tons can be hauled out, even though it seems a little adventurous. They carry out all basic underwater repairs. There are no restrictions on DIY, but make sure your boat is watched if left unattended on shore.SAILING Most visiting yachtsmen do not have the chance to cruise the Cape Verde archipelago. However, the growing yacht charter business shows that it is worthwhile, because there are plenty of beautiful anchorages within the archipelago waiting to be discovered. Once cleared in at one of the three certified Ports of Call (Mindelo, Sal, Praia), yacht crews can explore the 15 islands and islets.TRAVEL São Vicente is eagerly awaiting authorisation to open up its international airport. Construction work was finished a long time ago and the new terminals have been open to the public for almost a year. Even so, travellers on international flights still have to go via either Praia or Sal, because all international flights start there. Promoted by the growing beach tourism, there are daily connections to major cities in Europe and weekly flights to North and South America.CONTACT For marina reservations call +238 2300032 or email to reserve@marinaMindelo.com. For technical assistance, charter requests or general information call Kai (+238 9915878) or send an email to info@boatcv.com. For further information go to www.boatCV.com. Note that on the navigation page you’ll find – next to weather and tide information – downloadable Google Earth waypoints with lots of information on Cape Verde’s anchorages and ports.PILOT The entire Cape Verde archipelago is covered in detail in Anne Hammick’s Atlantic Islands, published by Imray Laurie Norie & Wilson Ltd. ISBN 978-0852887615. A supplement containing recent updates can be downloaded free of charge from the Pilotage Foundation website
This information has been contributed by and is intended for use by competent amateur yachtsmen as general guidance solely to supplement research of their cruising plans.It has not been checked or verified by the OCC. The Information may be inaccurate or out of date and is NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION. Flying Fish Articles Members Website Kevin and Theresa Ruscoe