Sailing Lanzarote to Mindelo Cabo Verde.
13 January 2026 · 34 min · 200 views · Fuerteventura, Canary Islands
Crew holds fresh tuna at sunset off Lanzarote
What this video covers
A three-crew catamaran named Reality departs Rubicon, Lanzarote, at 0800 and makes a 60-mile coastal hop down Fuerteventura under engine at 2,000 rpm on the starboard engine, anchoring overnight near the sand dunes in 5 metres of water with a 3-metre tidal range and 52 metres of chain out.12:49 The following morning the boat departs for Mindelo, Cabo Verde — 920 miles from the southern tip of Fuerteventura — on what the skipper describes as his longest passage to date.13:41 No wind for the first two days forces engine-only progress at roughly 5–6 knots; days three through six deliver good sailing conditions with following current and swell; the final day requires the engine again.26:58 The crew runs four-hour night watches (0800–midnight, midnight–0400, 0400–0800) with eight hours off.19:46 Internet drops out early; an inReach Mini 2 sends position breadcrumbs every ten minutes and relays group messages to family.23:11 The boat speed transducer and wind instruments are fouled by marina barnacles.23:41 Arrival at Mindelo at 2230 in pitch darkness is complicated by unlit fishing boats and unlit anchored yachts.28:23 A near-miss with a submerged wreck is noted.28:16 Security concerns about swim-up theft prompt consideration of marina berthing.28:52 Customs clearance requires two stops: Immigration on the dock, then Port Police; both passports and paperwork are completed the following morning.31:23 The crew learns that inter-island sailing is permitted, but departure to the Caribbean must be checked out from the original entry island.32:24
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