In July, a month before the 500th anniversary of Fernão Magalhães' round-the-world trip, Rute Gonçalves, her husband João Monarca and their three children set sail from Cascais to fulfill a dream and undertake the voyage of their lives – sailing around the world on board their yacht Domum – which Energiser has been documenting.
Five months later, the Galp employee has provided us with an account of the day-to-day routine on the first part of the expedition, sailing down the Portuguese coast to the Algarve, along the Spanish and Mediterranean coast and on to Gibraltar, the African coast and the Canary Islands and, finally, into the crystal-clear waters of Cape Verde, where the intrepid sailors laid anchor.
The stop in Mindelo enabled the family to visit Cape Verde's SOS Children's Village, a project backed by the Galp Foundation and entrusted with the mission of protecting children who have lost or run the risk of losing their family, by helping them to build a better future. The “5 to Port” team gave the children clothes, books and toys and were “greeted with hugs and smiles”.
Moored in the different ports they stop at or sailing the high seas, both smooth and rough, on to their next destination, the family have been enjoying themselves but have had also had to overcome a number of challenges. “The trip so far has enabled us to discover ourselves both as individuals and as a family, and we've also learned so much (from the mistakes we've made, the people we´ve met and talked to, and nature). We need to plan, but we also need to know how to deal with the unexpected”, says Rute.
However, due to the fact more days are being spent sailing and life at sea is demanding (a shift every three hours at night, for example), a sixth crew member, Fernando Mendes, has joined the 5 to Port.
While preparing for the great crossing of the challenging Atlantic Ocean from Cape Verde to the Caribbean, the family has sent everyone a special message for the festive season.
