Hello and welcome to Sunset Sailing!

 

We are Carla and Armando, your skipper and crew when you join us on our boat Arca for an adventure at sea.

 

Armando and I met for the first time when we were at university. At the time both of us were in stable relationships and so we went our separate ways. However, a few years later the universe intervened and brought us together once more but this time, both of us were divorced, and two children each.

 

Quite simply, I found my soul mate. We became one big happy family. I'm not going to tell you it was easy, of course not. Along the way there was a lot of learning, a lot of tears, but mostly a lot of love that lasts until today.

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My Armando.... the man who smiles with his eyes, a little (a lot) stubborn like me, with a huge heart, and most importantly a dream. The dream of owning a boat and being able to share with the world the beauty of our Ria Formosa, our natural “lagoon”.​

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That dream became my dream, and with every passing day, we gained more strength and courage to do the impossible and buy a boat.

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And so, in June 2019 we bought a one-way plane ticket to Quebec (Canada) to acquire the boat that would make our dream a reality.  To help us make the transatlantic trip back to Portugal, we hired a skipper, and with him came his wife. A very special couple.

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The skipper, Elio Somaschini, is a person of unique qualities, he is possessed of unusual intelligence, physique, a big heart, stubbornness (there’s a theme emerging), and loves cooking and eating, but mainly sailing. His wife, Maria Helena, is equally unique in her own way, extremely intelligent, beautiful, and a warrior with an easy and contagious laugh.

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We couldn't have found a better team to cross the Atlantic!

 

​The trip in total took nearly six weeks. Approximately 2700 nautical miles, with some technical stops in very pleasant places and many stories to tell!

 

​Today we remain the best of friends with Elio and Helena, having gone through this magical experience that will be forever in our hearts.

 

I started this adventure, single, and ended up married, as I had the privilege of being proposed to and getting married on Ilha das Flores during our trip.  And now we are at the beginning of our next story, sharing our dream with you in the most beautiful, serene, and outstanding place - the Ria Formosa.

 

I always believe in love and that we must try to be happy in life, otherwise what is the point?  Come share in our happiness and let us show you, your family, and friends an unforgettable experience onboard our beautiful boat., we know you will love it!

 

Carla … and of course Armando xx