Tin Tin's Sailing Calendar

Friday 29 December 2017

Friday 22 December 2017

UK Maintenance programme

Donation of dental kit for Tin Tin

Since getting home on the 8th of December there has been a whirl of social life catching up with friends and family in Reading, London and Trotton, and spending a few days with my parents in Oundle.

As well as looking after Tin Tin there was a concentrated round of Skipper Maintenance when I got home. So my Christmas thanks go to Dr Alex MacCallum and the team at Riverbank Medical Centre for health checks, blood tests, vaccination updates and prescriptions, to the Nuffield for biopsy and removal of a nasty growth on my arm, to SpecSavers for checking my eyes at short notice and to Lavant Dental Centre where Murray also gave me some useful bits for our medical kit.

Thursday 14 December 2017

Exploring the Cape


Our land activities manager, Richard, had a great programme for us.  He hired a car and we headed off to Simonstown for brunch.  The seaside feel with the smell of sea weed and salt in the morning sun accompanied by the evocative call of the seagulls (Cape Black Backed) was quite unlike anything we had experienced for a long time.  The lovely old colonial architecture of the town, with slender pillars supporting upper floor balconies, deserved more time than we gave it. I hope to go back for a longer look with Anne in January.

From there we drove on to the Cape Point Nature Reserve and, once through the toll gates, drove across an extraordinary landscape of low fynbos vegetation, peppered with grey boulders enlivened with streaks of orange and green grey lichen. Rounded clumps of intense white flowers mirrored the boulders across the flat terrain.  

Ahead the Cape rose up and we were soon parked and joining a steady stream of tourists climbing the long path to the lighthouse.  A funicular runs up the hill, but we enjoyed the chance to stretch our legs.  There were spectacular views down to the Cape of Good Hope, with richly emerald blue water surging in towards a white sand beach on which a flock of cormorants stretched out their wings in the sunshine.  The swell broke heavily against the Cape rocks, and out at sea tiny white specks turned out to be fishing boats far, far below.  

I found a wall and settled down for a quick sketch of the Cape.    But I hadn't left enough time to add paint because I had spent ages gazing down the vertiginous cliffs at the nesting cormorants with their orange patch below the beak, and various other birds too.

View from Groot Constantia vineyard


Relaxed in the V and A marina, Capetown

Table Mountain and the Lion's Head

We were soon off again towards Franshoek, which turned out to be a long drive along twenty miles of sandy beach on the margin of Cape Flats, and then we turned up into the mountains, stopping periodically at viewpoints to admire the great depth of the landscape.

We were getting hungry by the time we stopped at La Petite Ferme, the first winery on our way down into Franshoek.  They had a lovely restaurant overlooking the valley and the mountains, and our spirits rose at the thought of lunch. But they said they were too busy to feed us, and some started to leave, until Richard wisely suggested that we taste their wines anyway.  At R$220 (R$18/£) per head we were introduced to 6 wines produced there.  Richard, as the undoubted wine connoisseur, rated the Sauvignon Blanc as acceptable, but had reservations about the Bordeaux blend (which unusually included Pinotage), and was not impressed by the Cabernet Sauvignon with hints of aromatics from the eucalyptus surrounding the vineyard.  As our lively Sommelier took us through the wines, he kept referring to delicious food which it should accompany, until I protested that they hadn't allowed us to eat!  Thankfully he took the point, and arranged for us to be delivered a delicious cheese board each, as we sat out in the sunny gardens overlooking the mountains and rich green of the valley full of vines.

Time was running out, but we managed to try another vineyard, La Couronne, where they also managed to produce wonderful pizzas.  The combination of bobotie and banana was inspired. Bobotie is a traditional Afrikaner dish, with Indonesian origins, made by softening old bread in milk, frying onions, cumin and other spices with mince meat and combining them in a big pot to stew.

The sun set dramatically with a flare of that rich evening colour over the traditional Cape Dutch architecture and the glowing vines, with the backdrop of the mountains rearing up like a wall behind.

It was a long drive home but Maria, as the designated non-drinker, did a great job of getting her happy passengers back to Tin Tin.

The next morning we rose early(ish) and set off to climb Table Mountain via the Plettenklip Ravine.  It's the steepest ascent, and gave spectacular views across Table Bay as we climbed.  Someone had put in a huge amount of effort to place flat rock steps up the path.  We passed other climbers descending who said that the cable car was not running so we would have to climb down later.   As my legs were feeling quite tired this was alarming news.    Up and up we climbed, with the ravine getting narrower and narrower between wonderful towering cliffs closing in to frame the view. 

I was delighted to see a sun bird very close to me feeding on a species of Erica, with half-inch long red flowers arranged in a ring around the stem. So relaxed was the sunbird that I was able to get my phone out of the rucksack, and hold it within a few inches of the feeding bird.  William later identified it for us as an orange breasted sunbird - a new one for him, which is a rare thing! 

Mark and Richard were going strong, but my legs were definitely giving out! But I was determined to get to the top even if I had to come down all those steps on my bottom.   Maria was also struggling and, far more sensibly, turned round to descend when another climber asserted that was at least another hour to the top and that the cable car was not running.  That was a pity, because if we had managed to help her onwards it turned out, as evidenced by Chinese tourists in stiletto heels, that the cable car had started running again.  But by then it was too late and Maria had the hardest task of all which was an hour and a half descending the steps to the car.

Sculpture at Kirstenbosch
Richard flew home that afternoon, and he kindly deposited us at Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens on his way to the airport.  Here we said goodbye after a wonderful adventure together, and then went off to explore the wonderful gardens.  We were so lucky to join a free garden tour and to meet out guide, Jill.  She took us for three hours through all the different areas of the garden, so full of knowledge and enthusiasm, leaping from boulder to boulder across the streams, and giving us an extraordinary and invigorating afternoon.

I'm very lucky to be coming back here on holiday with Anne, Alice, Felix and Matt in January before I sail onwards.


Cape Town


As we rounded the Cape of Good Hope the air temperature dropped dramatically and the sea started to smoke, turning from deep green to a beige colour through the thin layer of steam.  Drifts of vapour lay in the troughs of the swell, and fog began to rise around us, until we were completely engulfed.  I blew the fog horn and ran the radar as we motored along, wrapped up warm against the icy air; wooly hat, jersey and full sailing suit.  I really needed gloves as well!   The Benguela Current brings cold Antarctic water northwards and meets the warm Agulhas Current running south, making a remarkable junction between the two bodies of water. and leading to a great richness of sea life thriving on the plankton fed by the upwelling nutrients.
Sunrise on Cape Point
 Eventually the fog bank cleared, and we closed the coast to look for the wreck of the Clipper race boat which had inexplicably made a sudden turn to port off Oliphantbospunt, running aground on the reef there.   All were saved successfully, and we didn't see any sign the wreck, presumably poured into bits by the surf.  We did however see humpback whales feeding very, very close to our bows and later a lot of dolphins.

The great flat top of Table Mountain eventually came into  view, with a table cloth of cloud draped over the top.  I sketched it as we went past. I will try to add these pictures to the blog later.
Passing Llandudno and the Twelve Apostles draped with a tablecloth of cloud
 Finally the great city of Cape Town appeared with a bustling of boats on the water, with a fleet of smart Cape 34 racing yachts tacking round a course, and speedboats buzzing around.

I called Port Control, and then Bridge Control, getting permission to enter and then being awarded a bridge lift at 13:15.  We hung about in the outer basin surrounded by a helicopters landing at the heliport, and gazing at the rich visual environment of skyscrapers, Table Mountain, and many different boats.

The white swing bridge finally rotated to one side, and we motored in past the pink clock tower.  The next blue bascule bridge deigned to lift one half, so that we could squeeze through to find our berth.  It was hot and sunny. We heaved a sigh of relief - we had arrived!

The Clock Tower, Cape Town port
Cape of Good Hope

View from La Petite Ferme, Franshoek

Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens and Table Mountain

Groot Constantia

Mandela's exercise yard on Robben Island

View from the Mount Nelson Hotel

Bo Kaap, Cape Town

Boulders Bay







Friday 1 December 2017

Off to Cape Town

By the time Maria and Richard had arrived in Port Elizabeth and settled into their cabins, it was late afternoon. We took a taxi to The Boardwalk and strolled along the seafront, watching triathlon swimmers making their way along the coast, and a lone yachtsman having a quiet evening sail close to the shore. We met Lauri's niece, Tula, in a beachfront cafe but, as burgers didn't appeal, we followed her guidance to a sushi restaurant, which provided a wonderful array of dishes.

The following morning we breakfasted early, and once the Flight Plan had been submitted and marina fees paid we set out to sea. Sadly Maria had an accident which, thankfully, wasn't as catastrophic as it might have been. As she jumped down to the concrete pontoon, a gust blew the boat away and she landed in a foot wide gap of water, striking her chin on the concrete and hurting her wrist. Fortunately no bones were broken and, although very shocked, she felt able to continue. The ship's hot water bottle was needed, and the vast medical kit on board Tin Tin was looked at approvingly, even if no more than Savlon and a bandage were needed.

The forecast allowed us to make for Cape Town in a three day leg, but sadly precluded stops en route at Knysna and Mosselbaai, where we would have been held up by head winds and been unable to get to CT on time.

Our departure from PE was a spectacular display of wildlife. First, there were humpback whales close off Seal Point breaching and blowing quite close to us. Then hundreds of dolphins appeared leaping from the water in a mile wide rush towards us. Large numbers of crisp white gannets sitting in flocks on the water soon took to the wing and then wheeled above the shoal of sardines fleeing from the dolphins, and dived relentlessly like a rain of white arrows. It was breathtaking to watch, and we were thrilled by the great mass of dolphins all around us.

The winds were very light and eventually we motorsailed when the sails started to flog uselessly and this continued all night. It was an amazing sight as we passed miles of coordinated flashing red lights on the wind farms........ no I'm wrong, that was two days previously just before arriving in PE.... Here the coastline showed lights from towns, and the comforting regular sweep of the lighthouse beam.

By mid morning on Thursday 30th November we were travelling along the shoreline between Plettenberg Bay and Knysna, in a big southwesterly swell. It's wonderful to be close enough to study the coastline and I had a go at sketching the great cliffs with the distant mountains pale beyond, rising to 1650 metres. 

passing Plettenberg Bay en route for Knysna
 
We were joined by leaping Cape Fur Seals which followed the boat, arcing smoothly out of the water to look at us. We also saw them lying on their backs with their flippers in the air, soaking up the sun.

I ran the weather forecast again, and was pleased to find that it had changed, giving us the option of stopping in Knysna and Mosselbaai for a few days before catching the Easterly winds to Cape Town to arrive on Tuesday 5th December. However on consultation we stuck to Plan A.

Knysna Heads opened up to show a dramatic passage through to the inner lagoon. Great surf breaking high on the rocks either side, and in the passage itself was a large catamaran, which looked as though it was trying to decide whether to risk an exit. The warning lights were flashing red and orange, and from outside it was impossible to see whether the big swells were breaking over the bar.

Knysna Heads - too rough to enter

So we altered course for Cape Agulhas and, with a fresh 25 knots of wind, were delighted by a fast sail into the west. We toasted our last Indian Ocean sunset with gin and tonic. It took several attempts before the new crew had worked out that the drinks tip over if left unattended in a swell!

Cape Agulhas - the most southerly tip of Africa

Overnight, however, the wind slowly died and now at breakfast on the 1st of December we are again motoring and should turn the corner into the Atlantic this afternoon.

Tuesday 28 November 2017

East London to Port Elizabeth.



Saturday 25th November 2017
It was great to finally arrive in East London after the battering of the previous night. The sun was shining and Port Control answered promptly when called, advising where to anchor out of the way of a car carrier that would need to turn later.  As we passed it we could see it was loading thousands of new C class Mercedes, which are manufactured here.

At the head of the port, below the rail bridge, we moored to the trot moorings, which have ropes strung between buoys. One has to come alongside the floating rope without getting it tangled in the propellor or rudders, catch it and tie up to bow and stern to lie in line with the river flow. It was a very tight turn between the lines, but it worked! We found Roland, Ditty and Sam already moored in the aluminium yawl, "Horizon".  We originally met in Curaçao in January or February last year.

There was a loud yell from the Buffalo River Yacht Club advising that 
a) the rope wasn't very strong and we should add our own, and 
b) that the rugby was just starting and come over to have a beer.  

We obeyed instructions!  At the club we were welcomed by friendly members, and cold Castle beer. The smell of woodsmoke from the braai (BBQ) was enticing.  In the end we were still there at sunset, and had pizza delivered before retiring to bed.

On Sunday 26th I arranged a tour to the Hogsback driven by a charming Afrikaner, Deon Goosen.  We hadn't fancied an "Elephant Encounter" morning at the local game park, and I'd read that JRR Tolkien had been inspired (possibly) by his stay at the Hogsback (aged 2!) and that its dramatic scenery in the mountains was worth a visit.  

Mark didn't fancy 4 hours in the car and set off bravely to walk into East London across the railway bridge, and had an adventurous day exploring. Despite all dire warnings by the locals he was neither mugged nor murdered, thankfully!  He climbed the great sand dunes, rescued a giant beach ball blown up the slope in the gale, and was then invited to a braai by the black Zimbabwean owner of the ball who had been futilely chasing it.

Meanwhile Justin and I enjoyed the chance to see some of the countryside. Our drive took us out over a vast rolling landscape, where great vistas stretched out around us.  Large clusters of housing were grouped across the land, mostly comprising lines of concrete houses with tin roofs, often painted in many shades of colour.  Notably there were many plots without a house but, like the occupied plots, these all had a concrete privy with a lean to roof and a vent pipe sat on a concrete foundation.  There was rarely any sign of electricity or water being supplied, but even on the most basic shack of wood and corrugated iron one might spot a satellite TV dish.   This area was the Siskei, a Xhosa "homeland', now renamed the Eastern Cape.    We wonder what employment was possible for this great population miles from anywhere.  There were cattle and sheep herded on green prairies, but very little sign of organised agriculture, apart from a few insignificant vegetables plots by people's houses.  

We drove through King Williamstown, with avenues of purple jacaranda, and faded elegance of colonial era mansions with pillars and porticos.  Ahead the hills rose into great flat topped masses, with parapets of stone, deeply fissured.  As we rose higher we left the grassland and scrubby trees and entered woodland, rising fast to Hogsback amongst ancient trees.  The Hogsback Inn was reminiscent of an English country pub, and served up excellent home made pie and chips.   Then we set off to stroll along the winding paths and  across little streams on quaint bridges up to a lovely cascade in the Arboretum. Everywhere there were white arum lilies growing, the sound of flowing water, and great redwood trees and oaks.

From there we drove past places called Rivendell, Bilbos Rest, and Hobbiton, to visit a backpacker hostel called Fairyland, renowned for its great views, and also for the white enamel bath set on the cliff edge, where one can lie in hot water fed from a wood fired boiler! Needless to say I got into the bath (dry)...

Sketch of the Hogsback


Monday the 27th dawned and Mark and I took a taxi to shop for provisions, while Justin packed and cleaned.   Our taxi driver, a young red-haired Afrikaner, was into fast car racing, and had lots of stories that surprised us.  He said that road rage wasn't much of a problem (although car jacking was).  However he said that someone got angry when he wouldn't let him into the traffic, had then followed him for a long time. He phoned his boss to ask what to do, who suggested going to a police station, but instead he had driven to a remote area, where the other car had pulled in front of him to block his way.  The other enraged driver got out and turned out to be a soldier.  The taxi driver walked over to him, hit him on the jaw and knocked him unconscious, took his keys, locked the car and threw the keys in the bush before driving off, leaving him lying there.  He was surprised that he was taken to court!  

Time was running out and sadly we didn't get to the museum where the first coelacanth discovered is on display. Luckily I've seen one in the Natural History Museum in London.  The fishermen occasionally catch them in the very deep water off this coast.   The other attractions at sea are the great white sharks, and Southern Right Wales, which we will be keeping an eye open for.

We said farewell to Justin, leaving him to fly home to the UK, and then cast off at 14;00 to set sail for Port Elizabeth.   We picked up 4 knots of speed from the Agulhas current, and were soon speeding along at 10 knots through the night.  It was perishingly cold, and despite all my warm gear I felt frozen after my 03:00 to 06:00 watch and needed big bowl of hot porridge.  To cap it all Mark thinks he has just spotted penguins!

Then, as the sun warmed things up, huge flocks of Cape Gannets swarmed round us, diving incessantly into the sea like white spears. We saw that they were following large pods of dolphins which were rounding up the shoals.

We will meet Richard and Maria in Port Elizabeth today who will help us with the leg to Cape Town.  The challenge as always here  is to get the weather windows right.  I hope we will be able to get there in good time for their return flights on 6th December.




Saturday 25 November 2017

South African dawn


The African coastline to starboard was dark under wonderfully coloured thunderclouds.

The weather front, predicted to  bring 25knots of wind arrived with a bang just after we had triple reefed, bringing 3 hours of sustained 38-48knots of wind from the south south west and torrential rain. We could not hold our course and began to be driven towards the Wild Coast. The rain and wind flattened the water into a seething hissing whiteness, but as time wore on the waves began to grow and I was conscious that the 3 knot Agulhas current could eventually make them very uncomfortable, if not dangerous.  The recommended strategy is to run for the 200metre line to get out of the current, and our course had just about reached that point after 3 hours when the wind dropped suddenly.

Justin and Mark took over the next two watches and when I came back on duty at 03:00 we were motoring dead to windward in light airs.   The sun rose at 04:49 and I took this photo of the St. Mawes Sailing Club burgee and our Cornish ensign. 

Friday 24 November 2017

The Wild Coast

Friday 24th November 2017. Position. 12 miles offshore Port Edward. 31* 11.83S 030* 23.68E

Having arrived in Richard's Bay at midday on Monday 20th November, exactly a week after leaving Port Dauphin, it was great to be tied up at the International Arrivals Dock with yachts two or three deep, creating a friendly community of sailors who had washed up in the same place with similar experiences, and many tales to tell.

It took me until 16:30 on Tuesday to finally complete all the immigration, health, border police and customs formalities. Then, looking at the weather forecast, I decided to leave on Thursday to get south to East London. This meant submitting my Flight Plan which involved a lot of time on Wednesday going from office to office by taxi to get stamps from all. Unfortunately I missed the final step that no one told me was needed. So as we motored out into the channel, when I radioed Port Control to request permission to leave they said NO! I was told that I had to go to the Zululand Yacht Club in another harbour so that they could fax the final documents to Port Control. Thus we didn't actually get away until 14:00. I felt exhausted and annoyed by the process. Thankfully, Michael from 'Cesarina' saw me waiting ages for my final clearance at Zululand YC and bought me a beer to relax me. It helped a lot!

Nonetheless, once at sea, the calming rhythms return and we relax. That is .........almost! But the passage ahead is the most difficult one yet and our weather window has a nasty little bit of strong wind forecast midway. So I am watching the weather anxiously, and hoping that we are not about to experience the dreadful sea conditions that this coast is fabled for.

Now on Friday evening we are half way to East London, and the strong wind patch should happen tonight and ease off in the morning. We have reefed the mainsail and genoa, and got full foul weather gear on.

Up to this point, however, the winds have been rather light and we have motorsailed for a while to maintain speed. But now the wind is, as forecast, strengthening into the thirties and with the Agulhas current we are making nearly 10 knots under inky black clouds about 12 miles offshore. If the current creates dangerous waves the strategy is to head inshore for six miles to get inside the 200 meter depth contour where the current lessens and the waves are less dangerous.

The forecast for tomorrow is for the wind to ease and eventually die completely for a while so we will be motoring again. I aim to get to East London while it is still light. Here we will wait a day while the next storm front passes and then, if possible, make a dash for Port Elizabeth where Richard and Maria will arrive on the 28th and from where Justin will fly home.

Sunday 19 November 2017

Nearly there!

We have motored steadily under completely clear skies for 24 hours, with a wind too light to be useful, and a long high swell rolling in from the old storms in the south raising us high and then taking us down into deep valleys. Our companion yacht, Cesarina, is about 12 miles north of us and we chat occasionally with Dietmar on the VHF. Then last night the wind picked up from the north as predicted, and we are now roaring along on a broad reach at 7.5 knots expecting to arrive in Richard's Bay at noon tomorrow, on Monday 20th November 2017.

Looking at the weather forecasts for the coming week I can see that I will have to spend a couple of days in Richard's Bay before grabbing a weather window for the 90 miles to Durban. Here we will have to wait 4 days for the next weather window, which I hope will be long enough to get to East London or Port Elizabeth. After that it's going to be the same pattern I suspect, hiding in port until the southerly gale blows through, nipping out behind it to push on to whatever shelter we can find along the coast before the next depression comes through a day or so later. It's the most difficult and stressful section of our voyage, and I will be exceedingly glad to get safely to Cape Town!

Our distressing current leakage has stopped, and the terrifying flicker of red lights on the current detector, checked and logged every hour, have suddenly gone a reassuring green. I have been unable to work out what is causing this yet, but must do so, somehow, once in port. Visions of the hull fizzing and dissolving inhabit my uneasy dreams at night.

Since leaving Madagascar I have been ardently reading books about South Africa before we arrive, starting with James Michener's "The Covenant" which shows how the original Dutch settlers, devout Calvinists, interpreted the Old Testament as a direct message from God that South Africa was the promised land and that they were the chosen ones, the new Israelites. The awful conflicts with England in the Boer War and with the Zulus and others on whose lands they encroached are vividly populated by several well drawn families. What is new to me is how the intense hatred of the English by the Afrikaner has been held close and fostered and grown from generation to generation, founded on the intense belief that they are God's chosen race. That each town has monuments to battles by perhaps thirty brave locals in the Anglo-Boer war and that the great injustices were constantly referred to by the Church kept alive that resentment. Somewhere along the way interpretations of the Old Testament were used to justify the, ever more repressive, separation of races until the full horror of apartheid was instituted. It's at this point that Michener ends, before the great hopeful era of Mandela arose, and so it is to him I have turned next, reading avidly through his "Long Walk to Freedom". 

I find it very humbling to discover how little I know of these times and struggles, and rather urgently need to revisit my first attempt at a novel set in South Africa, "Black Sugar", for criticism of which I already owe much to a true South African, Robert McAdie, and to Rebecca (not enough sex!) However ten potential publishers didn't want it, so if I want to get the story to work I must obviously do several rewrites..........or did they just miss one of the great novels of our time??! Anyway next on my reading list is "Cry, The Beloved Country", and I need to revisit JM Coetzee, read long ago.

Now the real South Africa awaits us!

Friday 17 November 2017

Out the other side

It's 3pm on Friday 17th November and the sun is shining as long silver swells roll towards us from the south west. The stronger winds during the night have eased a bit to 30 knots, and in fact were never as much as the 50-60 knots I was concerned about getting hit with. We have reefed sails but are making a pleasing 6+ knots close hauled into the waves at about 60 degrees to the wind (not great, but the best we seem to be able to do!). Occasionally one breaks over the bows and thunders back across the sprayhood, drenching the helmsman, if not tucked into the shelter. The current is being kind for once and is going our way at 1.5 knots, so we are making respectable progress in a northwesterly direction.

We seem to have lost contact with the other yachts in the radio net we briefly joined, and miss hearing the ketch "Peregrine" and solo sailor Jackie in her yacht "Shanti". She reported rigging problems that were then jury rigged in Rodriguez with the help of the father and son crew in 28' "Beguine", and then she had some further repair in Mauritius, but it doesn't sound as though it is properly fixed. I suggested dropping into Madagascar to wait out contrary winds, but I worry about her trip across to South Africa as it seems impossible to miss the storms that come through every three days.

We have just picked up another yacht on our AIS, some 7 miles astern of us. I gave them a call and determined that they have a rigging problem as well, which means that they have to stay on port tack till the weather moderates. Our own rigging creaks and groans a bit, but seems to be holding firm. But the dreaded current leak is still with us and has got stronger, giving me nightmares about the hull dissolving away. So far nothing we can do has revealed the source of the problem. Time to get the meters out (especially a new ultrasensitve one sent to me by friend George) and start tracing wiring, but to be honest I still get queasy doing that in a big sea, so it has to wait till things calm down.

Anyway, the worst of this blow seems now to be over, and we just have to get across a big area of no wind, and then blow south in a northerly gale. I anticipate arriving in Durban on the night of 20th November, a where we will wait out the next southerly buster for two days, and then try to get south to Port Elizabeth before the next one three days later!

Thursday 16 November 2017

in the Eye of the Storm

The wind has been howling in the rigging all morning, and we reduced sail to just the staysail, which is too small to be much use except in a hurricane, which this isn't......yet! So we rather stalled and pottered along at 3-4 knots while it rained heavily.

Then the wind eased and the sun came out, and it feels very pleasant, so we put up a bit more sail. But the regularly updated weather map shows that in the next few hours we will get very strong winds from the south, known locally as a "southerly buster", accompanied by 5-6 meter waves. So we await this with a degree of anxiety, trusting that the good ship Tin Tin will see us through OK....

With luck we will emerge the other side on Saturday in one piece, at which point the wind will die and we will have to motor, until the next gale hits us from the north, blowing us down towards Durban, or maybe to closer Richard's Bay. There we will have to wait out the next southerly buster before trying to make our way to Port Elizabeth to meet Richard and get Justin onto his plane home on the 28th. We might just make it if the weather allows!

Fortunately Mark has been busy in the galley and we have enjoyed the smell of fresh bread baking, and then a banana cake to use up all the very black bananas in our fruit hammock. However with our freezer now dead, we have been hurrying to eat up any once frozen supplies, and a sad procession of mouldy food keeps flying out of the galley window as each watch tries to prepare a meal....most frustrating!

On the positive side the loss of the freezer means that our batteries are holding out much better and I don't need to jolt Justin awake each night when I fire up the generator, cunningly hidden under his berth.

Wednesday 15 November 2017

Stormy Waters

Wednesday 15th November, two days out from Madagascar, and the gale has abated a bit and we have a clear sunny day. The wind pushed us south a lot and we are now clawing back northward , hoping to get above the big storm that is coming our way. The weather forecasts vary a bit in where and when it will hit us, but whatever we do it is going to be very very rough. Confess to having butterflies in my stomach about this one, and long to be safely in port in South Africa!

Monday 13 November 2017

When I get older, losing my hair, many years from now!

Will you still be sending me a Valentine?
Birthday greetings Bottle of wine?.......

Etc etc 

I had a lovely birthday breakfast in Port Dauphin Madagascar

Sunday 12 November 2017

Madagascar

Port Dauphin Saturday 11th November 2017.
After a long night tacking south along the coast we finally dropped anchor in the little bay of Port Dauphin, narrowly missing an unmarked rock just below the water. The yacht Cesarina had motor-sailed and was anchored before us.

The scenery is spectacular, with mountainous Pic Louis rising beyond the white sand beaches, its cliffs faced with great smoothly rounded slabs of rock. The town appears to include many half built structures along the beach. Lots of boys playing football on the sand.

Port Dauphin, Madagascar

No one seemed to pay any attention to two yachts anchored off the little harbour. Many large dugout canoes paddle out to sea to fish, but none approached us, although we managed to get someone to wave back from one. No outboard motors in sight, and no modern boats! Madagascar is rated by the World Bank as the poorest nation in the world not in conflict.

I rowed over to Cesarina and mentioned to Dietmar and Michael that I was going ashore, but they were horrified and said that under no circumstances would they do this because of the outbreak of plague! This was news to me, so I consulted Family experts in medicine and foreign affairs and found that the bubonic and pneumonic plague epidemic did not appear to be in the south. Nonetheless we stayed on board that afternoon, tired after our 550 miles from Reunion, and I spent time downloading weather reports and planning our next leg to South Africa. A big storm is on the way, and it is going to be tricky timing our exit to get across safely.

Having determined to stay at least another day, this morning I was determined to head ashore. Justin declined the risk, so Mark and I set off, and to our astonishment our German neighbours changed their minds and got a lift ashore with us.

Arriving in the crumbling harbour was impressive, with about seventy long dug out canoes drawn up in a semi circle on the beach, and a rusting barge sunk in the inner harbour. We tied up and clambered onto the dock as the centre of attention of a crowd. As we walked up to town a smart pickup truck arrived and a pleasant young man got out to introduce himself as the immigration official. However he kindly waived the formalities on Sunday so that we could wander round, but asked that we didn't get into trouble as he hadn't issued visas!

Up at the town we strolled round, and collected a few hangers on, including a young student, Alexandre, who stuck with us all day as we explored. Our route took us round the headland to look into the next bay, and we spotted a humpback whale breaching out at sea.

It became obvious that things were in disrepair. There were restaurants and little hotels that had once been splendid but which were now ruins. We came across a few little roadside stalls selling fruit, and then surprisingly a patisserie which stocked pain au raisin and icecreams! However without money we couldn't buy anything. Back in town we found a hotel that had two or three guests having coffee and nearby an ATM enabled me to draw out some local currency, the ariaray. The smallest amount was 20,000 ariaray but I was unclear how much that was worth in pounds sterling. However it turned out to be worth 4 beers at the hotel, and a euro seems to be 3,000. Here we got chatting to some South African contractors working to refurbish furnaces at the local mining operation, that produces illuminite, whatever that is? Mark kindly went back out to TinTin and brought Justin ashore for a beer, and then we returned for supper as the weather turned to mist and rain. Now, later on Sunday, it has cleared and the sea is dotted with little lights as the fleet of dug out canoes bob around fishing for squid.

Tomorrow is my sixty fourth birthday.....a number that seems so unreal that I cannot relate to it. I am so lucky to be able be adventuring like this, and to feel vigorous and moderately youthful. Thankyou to all my family and friends for making this possible!

Thursday 9 November 2017

We are not alone!

It's 7pm on 9th November and as I sit on watch with the sky darkening, replete with a hot meal of aubergine, chickpeas and tomatoes with rice prepared by Justin I look across 100 yards of quiet sea at an amazing sight. It's another yacht! The 55' Swan, Cesarina, which has closed track with us, has been in contact by radio over the last few days. A few miles away another German boat, Joshua, is in contact by radio as well, and we chat twice a day and exchange information. It seems that the PredictWind service that I use is giving a far more comprehensive look ahead than they can get, so it helps their passage planning.

One hundred and twenty miles ahead lies Madagascar, and a change in the wind is due very soon as a front passes us and the wind goes from NE to SW. We should get thunder and lightning and rain.

Most of the day I seem to have been wrestling with weather forecasts and different passage plans. The tricky problem of southerly gales on the South African coast is still there, with all four forecasts showing different scenarii, making planning very difficult. If we carry straight on it looks as though we encounter 40-60 knot winds with waves in excess of 6 metres as we arrive off Durban. The Agulhas current will turn these into breaking monsters, and so that is not advisable. However if we stay a few days in Madagascar, then the next storm will be upon us a few days later repeating the difficulty!

At present my plan is to wait a day or so in Port Dauphin before I make a decision. Meanwhile Dietmar on Cesarina informs me that one ARC boat has turned back with rigging problems and another has an injured crewman on board, is running late and is unlikely to get to Richards Bay before the storm hits. Apparently he broke ribs and shoulder mountain biking in Reunion!

Wednesday 8 November 2017

Towards South Africa

The World ARC fleet left on Saturday, leaving behind the 55' Swan yawl Cesarina which had to replace her stays which had started to snap. On Monday Justin and Mark took the car to get fresh vegetables and fruit, post letters for me, and then returned the car. I stayed on board to meet with Customs, plan the route and deal with marina fees. We cleaned, stowed food, filled the water and diesel tanks and thoroughly washed the decks to get rid of the covering of red dust. Laundry adorned the rigging flapping happily in the wind and sun.

It was a relief to set sail on Tuesday morning and to watch the great volcanic cone of Reunion slowly diminish astern. It had been wonderful to have a holiday in Mauritius and Reunion with Anne and Alice. The exploration ashore had been interesting, but mooring in the concrete dock in Reunion was rather grim, and as the days went by the anxiety of managing the difficult leg to Durban has been weighing on me. A 10-11 days voyage is too long for me to get a reliable forecast for the critical last hundred miles or so across the Agulhas current, but rounding the southern tip of Madagascar is only 4 days away, so that can be planned for with reasonable certainty.

Now after 24 hours relaxed sailing in sunny weather and light NE winds, our speed has been dropping from 6 knots to 5. When I came on watch at 06:00 this morning the sails were flogging nastily and we were down to 3-4 knots. Mark got the Parasailor out and we soon had it pulling away nicely, bringing peace to the boat without all the flapping.

We held a radio net at 10:30 with Cesarina, now 20 miles ahead, and Joshua, sailing about 6 miles astern, and discussed weather tactics. My plan is, for the first time, based firmly on the Predictwind weather routing system, which has got all four forecasts agreeing for once. It suggests a route towards eastern Madagascar, to 24S 48E and then sailing down the coast in the 2 knot current. We will pass Port Dauphin, site of the first French settlement, and reputedly graced with some excellent restaurants :-). There's a big depression coming past southern Madagascar and if needed we could find shelter there, and even get a new stamp in our passports!. Once the storm passes we will head south 100 miles with the wind from the West, and then as it backs to South and then East we can curve towards a South Africa.

However it is at that point that the trickiest decision must be made. The long range forecasts already show a second southerly storm due to come up past Durban. I must at at all costs avoid crossing the Agulhas current at that point, as gigantic waves can form which deter cargo ships as well as yachts,and we may need to heave to well beforehand and ride it out for a couple of days, or I could wait in Madagascar for a bit.. Timing is tricky as Justin has booked his return flight home from Port Elizabeth, so I can't delay that long. We are also meeting Richard there, but that's less of a pressure if we are a day or so late.

Sunday 5 November 2017

Reunion

Cornish ensign and St. Mawes Sailing Club burgee  
Our sail to Reunion was rough in big seas which broke across the boat from time to time.   Once out of the shelter of the island we found it was blowing 30-40 knots and double reefed the main and genoa.  

Anne and Alice took their daylight watches steering the ship, but by supper time Alice was feeling very green, and sensibly took the night watch in her bunk.   Anne however was up at 3 a.m. to stand watch with me coming into Reunion, and by 09:15 we had entered Le Port and tied up alongside a long concrete wall in the old fishing harbour. 

We found all the World ARC boats moored in a long line ahead of us, and greeted Dietmar on "Cesarina", last seen in Niue.The old fishing harbour is not a convenient spot, as it's a long long walk round to town, but I negotiated a key from Angelique, the Harbour Master, which enabled us to take the dinghy across the port and use the newer marina which is close to facilities. 

To our amusement a workboat skippered by a Camborne man saw our flags and now plays Cornish music specially for us on his loudspeaker system every time he comes back into port.  He works on delivering men and equipment to the largest construction project in "Europe", building a massive offshore motorway along the cliffs of Reunion.

It turned out to be almost impossible to hire a car because of high demand, but luckily we found the last one in the island, and I commandeered it for two days to explore with Anne and Alice.

Predictable Papa Paul Pose on Perilously Precipitous Places









The interior of Reunion soars into clouds on great volcanic slopes, riven with astonishingly deep gorges with vertical basalt walls.  We drove an hour up the flank of the ocean to the rim of the caldera at Maido, where thousands of people had had the same idea. 

Looking over the 2200meter cliff into cloud streaming vertically up the face was dramatic, but we did get a brief glimpse through a break in the mist down into the valley far below, and across to the Piton des Neiges (3070m). 
Cloud streaming out of the caldera
The community down in the Cirque de Mafate initially developed from runaway slaves, who found this inaccessible place as a refuge.  They still have no roads to the outside world, and can only get in or out on footpaths through the gorges or up the cliffs, taking goods on pack animals, which can be a three hour climb.   Essential supplies come in by helicopter, and they now have solar power and mobile telephone links, but nonetheless it is rare to find a community so effectively isolated!  The area is famous for its mountain paths, and large numbers of hikers come here to enjoy walking and climbing these extraordinary vertical worlds, with their hidden plateaus, staying in Creole guesthouses.

We also spent time at the lovely beach in Boucan Canot, but it is very disconcerting to know that swimming and surfing are all banned because Reunion has the highest recorded levels of shark attacks in the world.  There are shark nets along some of the beaches, enabling people to swim, but all seemed to be out of commission.

Plage Boucan Canot, Reunion
Alice excited about the ban on swimming with sharks at Boucan Canot!

Sadly the time for Anne and Alice to leave came all too soon, and I found myself feeling terribly bereft.  It's an unsettling emotional  transition from living apart, to adventuring together and then suddenly being apart again.  

It was so lovely to have Anne and Alice with me in Mauritius and Reunion

However Justin and Mark now had access to the hire car and could go exploring.  Unfortunately Mark had two days feeling feverish with diarrhoea, so he was out of action.

So on Friday Justin and I set off to penetrate into the fascinating village of Hellbourg in the high plateau of the Cirque de Salazies, and then visited a sugar refinery and rum distillery on the way home.   

Here are a couple of pictures of the colourful mountain village of Hellbourg and the beautiful rugged terrain in Reunion.

Hellbourg

View up to the crater rim at Maido

Having worked for Tate and Lyle for more than a decade it may seem surprising that I had never been to a sugar factory. It was fascinating to see the vast quantities of cane being dumped by trucks, and then handled by gigantic grabbers and thrashed by terrifying whirling blades, before being milled and crushed and having the sugar squeezed and washed out of the pulp.  I found it huge, noisy, steamy and very overwhelming!

Next day Mark was feeling a bit better, so we drove to the other end of the island to another great Cirque de Cilaos, with such awe inspiring vertical walls lining the gorges, and then endless hairpin bends as the roads wound up and up before disappearing into narrow, one car-wide, tunnels through the mountain to emerge into the secret plateau the other side.

Finally on Sunday we rose at 6:30 and drove up to Maido again hoping to beat the clouds.   Unfortunately this wasn't to be, but on the way down we found a trail that gave us a hard two hours walk up and down steep tracks through the forests to the King Tamarind tree, which is 400 years old.  It was hard going and I thought my legs wouldn't make it, but in the end was glad I did.
King Tamarind rising into the mist

Tomorrow is Monday 6th November and we will set sail for South Africa.  I have been very concerned that I had been unable to book a marina berth in Durban or Cape Town, giving me a real problem if I was unable to leave the boat safely.  Luckily Joshio, the V&A Waterfront Marina manager, has now told me that he has found a place for us! So now I can relax knowing that there's a safe place to leave Tin Tin over Christmas.