The exit of the Bolon is again full of tension, because we left an hour after low tide to the upwardly flowing stream used to. The wind still pushes us from behind and we easily get used to the flow driving. Turn on dolphins and diving with us a piece. Every time an experience where you can hardly get enough.
Towards evening we anchor at Point St. George. We have heard that there are still rare, shy manatees can be seen here (a kind of sea cow). We inquire in the village. There they are really here. One of them is a vantage point on the beach at low tide can sometimes observe. Unfortunately, the next morning at low tide the water is very rough due to the wind and many small ships sail there all close by. The manatee are very shy animals and be safe in these conditions does not show. So we make our way slowly to the onward journey and on the way back again to try to observe the animals.
Again dolphins accompany us! Juhui!

Incredibly, we are transported back here for years. What we see corresponds to Far more than in our dreams that we have for a long time of the Casamance.

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By 10 clock in the morning we go to anchor and motors through the exit from the Saloum River, which is well emphasized. We have light northerly winds and sailing leisurely against the Casamnce. In the night we encounter only a few fishing boats, we are astonished. In the morning, Hans Peter catches a small tuna, so our dinner is also saved. Slowly the fresh produce go from us.
By 10 clock in the morning we are in front of the entrance of the Casamance. We are glad to know that the new driveway is stressed because you have to find the passage between the sandbanks, where the waves break. The sight of those breaking waves is impressive. When I think of what it was before, without having precise GPS waypoints and ill-fitting driveway, I am once again grateful for the new achievements.
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When we visit the village Dionour, many sandy paths are strewn with cockle shells, as most of our gravel roads. In addition to the houses it usually has a big mountain shell. This suggests that there are many shells here.
We ask Mame Mor Senghor of the anchoring yachts is here with lots of tips. On entering here into the river we kept according to data from the Cruising Guide by Steve Jones. This is just already 13 years old and the shoals in the rivers change again and again. We are fully accrued on a sand bank, fortunately came back quickly away and sought deeper water. Mame Mor watching us and came away with the dinghy to steer into the river approached us. He is really very helpful. He also takes over the supervision of anchored yachts, purchase orders, water procurement, are further tips on fishing and really do much.
For information and pilotage can e-mail him senghormamemor@gmail.com reach or by phone +221 77 241 50 25th
Anyway, white Mame Mor course where the mussels are found, and we make our search for shells. The collecting fever grabs us and we can not stop almost.
At low tide, digging by hand about 3 cm deep in the sand in shallow water and can thus collect the shells.
The gathering was still the smallest working. In the evening, Hanspeter boil them so that they open in the steam and Doris Walter and Lilian pick the mussels from the shells. To top it, there are subtle clam spaghetti.
The next day, the process goes on, on our ship is a small mussel factory emerged. We sterilize the shells in jars so they are more durable.

Tomorrow we will continue in a 24-hour trip in the Casamance.

After two day trips with stopover in Saly we reach on time at high tide the entrance to the Saloum River. This is something trickig, but knowing where and hey presto you're already inside.
Now we anchor at Djifere and wait for the other Swiss boat Papillon II Walter had to wait one more day in Dakar to his stomach flu.
Meanwhile, we explore the fishing village Djifere.
Together with Papillon's going up river where we nm after 10 turn into a small tributary. Finally pure nature! Left and right of the river is fringed with mangroves, as the music we hear different bird calls. Finally we can take a long bath once again. We take a small Dingitour at low tide and collect oysters from the mangrove roots. Hanspeter naturally conjures up a delicious meal. The effort was huge, but it was worth it.
After two wonderful, quiet, lonely nights we sail back down the river the next day to anchor in a Bolong (side arm) of the Ile de Guior front of a hotel. We want to visit the village Dionouar. After a half-hour walk through the sandy savannah landscape with beautiful tropical trees, we reach the pretty village. Unlike Djifere here it is clean and the people are much nicer and happier. Perhaps it is because this is to reach an island and only accessible by boat. Djifere other hand, can be visited by car from land and thus is much more exposed to tourism. Here in Dionouar there is not a single car. The transport is still the donkey carts. It is set back by years.
There is a lot on the market not to buy. Over the holidays, the Muslims celebrated the Tabaskifest where each family slaughters a sheep, the locals have probably used up all the food. We come up with 12 eggs, 3 large and 3 small papayas, Hot Chili back to our ship. Tomorrow brings us a local freshly caught prawns and makes us a trip to a shell bank where we can gather cockles. We are excited and looking forward.
In about two days, our journey will continue with a night trip in the Casamance. On these heavenly river in southern Senegal, we look forward
long time.
At 3.12. come visit us our son Adrian. We can not wait!

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A week ago, we have our Whisper ausgewassert them thoroughly clean, the water pass to put up and repainting, the antifouling. We were a bit skeptical, as we approach always flattening beach. The "Chariot" (car) is in the water ready and Arona, the manager is on diving to test whether the car at the right depth is waiting for us. The Whisper is fastened with ropes to the car and squeaky us pulls the old winch out of the water at the beach.
Whou all goes well. We inspect our underwater and are amazed that at the bottom of the over two-year-old anti-fouling of the Adriatic still works. In the upper area where the light get there it has strong mussel growth and the propeller is covered with inch-thick shells. Since the anchorage plague is extremely heavily contaminated by sewage, garbage and industrial waste here in Dakar Hann, we could not dive to clean the propeller since the Western Sahara. This mussel growth, our machine made only about 3.5 knots instead of 6 kn ride!
Omar immediately start cleaning the underwater area. In the coming days we will pass the water by 10 cm higher, which requires the removal of a primer and painting the water new red passport. The antifouling is applied and the vessel cleaned inside and outside and then it goes back into the water.

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Well there is still work to be done, then it goes finally to the Casamance.

Has ... held us here in Dakar 5 weeks! Once we are no longer in Senegal, we will publish a more detailed report.
For now, we are in the final preparations to sail to the Casamance (Senegal River in the south) to finally experience there, peaceful, joyful day. The Casamance with its inhabitants the Diola, still remained to be a paradise indeed.