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.