Cape Town is counting down to Day Zero when there is no water left in the dams.... Water restrictions are now at Level 6 and everywhere there are ingenious posters exhorting everyone to cut consumption below 50 litres a day. The central business district and hotels are given priority to keep tourism and business going. The borehole companies are working flat out to drill wells for private houses and businesses, but these need to be regulated if the aquifers are not going to run dry. Seven big desalination plants are being installed but not fast enough and none are more than 50% complete.
In the midst of all this Tin Tin has a similar crisis! Our watermaker has failed and we need new membranes. I've now spent two days trying to find people who could help to get replacements. A few minutes ago I finally found someone who could get us two out of the three membranes needed. They could get here between next Tuesday and Thursday next week. So we just might get away by next Friday!
I considered sailing on without the watermaker, but we have some long voyages ahead and it may be difficult to get water to the tanks when at anchor in St. Helena! Then there's South America ahead and this repair will be harder to accomplish.
So here we sit in Cape Town, trying not to be despondent and to look on the bright side of staying longer in this lovely place with all its excellent technical and social facilities. After all I do not have any deadlines for once😁!
However, having already completed outward clearance formalities, I will now have to clear back into the country and then clear out again next week so that we are not illegal immigrants!
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