The Cape Verdes sit roughly 570 kilometres off the Senegalese coast, and the northeast trades blow here with a consistency that reminds you why sailors have been using these islands as a departure point for Atlantic crossings since the age of exploration. From November through April the wind settles in from the north-northeast at a reliable 15–25 knots, occasionally gusting harder around the more exposed northern islands like Santo Antão.
The swell runs long and manageable on most passages between islands, though the channels between Fogo and Brava can produce a short, steep chop that catches crews off guard.
Most charter activity centres on Mindelo, São Vicente — a proper working port town with genuine Creole character, cold Strela beer, and live morna music drifting out of small bars most evenings. Provisioning here is decent by remote-Atlantic standards: fresh fish daily at the market, reasonable fruit and vegetables, and a chandlery that stocks the basics. Palmeira on Sal handles the kitesurfing crowd and offers straightforward check-in.
From Mindelo, most sailors thread south through São Nicolau and the Sotavento group, day-sailing between islands and anchoring off quiet black-sand beaches where the only other boats are local fishing skiffs.
Bareboat charters are available through Mindelo-based operators, though the fleet is smaller and older than what you'd find in the Med; a skippered boat is worth considering if this is your first Atlantic passage preparation.
Night passages between islands are fine for experienced crews — the lights are reliable and traffic is light — but the windward work back northward earns its reputation for being hard on both boat and crew.
Best for: offshore-ready sailors from November to February; first-timers on charter should book a skipper and expect basic provisioning, not a fully stocked supermarket.