Voyage from South Africa to Namibia

AHOY !
Dear Friends and family around the world,
Great news! MYLADY is underway again ! 
Skipper has run out of visa time and therefore we are underway again. We left Port Owen, on the westcoast of South Africa in a veil of thick fog. The radar worked hard in the narrow dredged channel where many of the big fishingboats were moored. Wind against - fortunately just 10knots - pushing into the river high, short swell. My stomach made its first churns. Once out of the pier and onto the shallow banks, we hoisted the mainsail immediately and on a port beam we got going to Stompneus punt. Then made a tack on a long northerly run. Wind was 20-25knts NW. Tacked again to sea between the 9big ships out at anchor waiting to go and load in Saldanah Bay and repeated the long tack northerly. Night time came and the wind went to sleep. The iron sail roared into use. Fog cleared during the night. It is COLD. At the moment we are sailing wing-to-wing with a 15knot southerly in our backs.
Things to report:
*The intensity of my seasickness went from previously 100% to currently 10% !  That's magic. Maybe after all these years I'm actually turning into a proper seawife. The down side about that is that I'm not loosing the kilos that I anticipated.
*Our main source of steering - the windvane - has a problem. Therefore this whole trip to Luderitz will be done with the autopilot.
(our joblist for Luderitz before we go skipping across the Atlantic is already toooo long.)
*Saw a few white chimneys (whale spouts), albatrosses, cormarants, sleeping seals, petrels and flurescent torpedo dolphins at night and schools of dancing dolphins in the morning glow.
*Sailed right through a fleet of very impressive diamond mining boats at night.
*Saw a kind-of-petrel, which our books can not identify. Dark brown all over. dark legs. slate bill. The broad wings have one large whitish window underneath towards the outside. On top the wing has three white windows. From big to small, outside to inside.
*For the rest, far horizons, long and high seaswell, sunshine - MYLADY and crew are dancing.
What a wonderful world we're living on.
Wishing for you good health and golden memories.
ps. The wind picked up and we arrived in Luderitz on the ear - in the dark. Then portside, then starboard. We dropped anchor and waited for daylight to start our life in the next country. 

Time flies

Yes, Eelco has been down to South America with cargo and back to Houston and is currently underway over the Atlantic Ocean to West Africa. But he should be relieved on arrival. All is well with him. All is well with me who has been doing the family rounds. I have just arrived back on Mylady and from now on it is PREPARATIONS for her departure. As you can tell, the time of holidaying is past. 

I finally got around to sorting some photos into a video. Please share with us the amazing, beauty of the wild flowers of Namaqualand. On my way here, everywhere the country was covered in a carpet of green. If the rains prevail, not only might Cape Town be saved from their water crisis, but the wild flowers just might bloom prolific.

Back HOME

Hello to everybody. I presume it's time to let you know we are still alive, well and at home. And that is great as always. The mechanical department on board is in overdrive with the maintenance and new projects on Mylady. And the supporting crew is on red alert standby. The steamlight on the mast was UV-ed to dust over thirty years. Eelco replaced it for less than a fraction of a new. Of course we are chuffed and happy about it. It is winter in southern Africa. And along the coast - cold, misty and wet. Talk to you later !

HAULOUT Port Owen - South Africa

A shocking, anti-climax to 'normally'.

Sailing vessel Mylady has been quietly at rest in Port Owen Marina for the last few months. But now it was time to haulout at Port Owen Boatyard. On our way to the boatyard we ploughed half a keel deep through the mud, but eventually we got there.
          Mylady looked very good since her last haulout two and a half years ago. 
    Here at the boatyard the atmosphere is relaxed and the services effecient. 
     As always, there are more to do than 'just a scrub and paint'. Whilst we continue life on the hard and climbing high ladders, we'll keep on dreaming.

Why the "shocking, anti-climax to 'normally'"?
Because it is so relaxed.
How come?
Because the boatyard closed for a couple weeks holiday and we are all alone fiddling with dear old Mylady while we watch the thousands and thousands of cormorants flying to the fishing grounds every morning and returning every evening above the meandering river.

South Africa - KLEIN KAROO

We rented a car and travelled the Klein Karoo in South Africa. It was more than beautiful and truely a place where there is space for the mind. Please come along on our ride through the KLEIN KAROO.

South Africa - MEIRINGSPOORT

Come on a ride with us through the impressive MEIRINGSPOORT in the Klein Karoo in the Cape.

South Africa - BUTTERFLY WORLD

Just outside Paarl, in the Cape, is the Butterfly World. Which is also a sanctuary to many other creatures. Share with me the beauty and joy I experienced. Thanks.

South Africa - JONKERSHOEK

Share with us the wonderful JONKERSHOEK nature reserve. 

PORT ELIZABETH

Port Elizabeth, about halfway between Cape Town and Durban on the south coast of Africa: a friendly people.

They were right there on the jetty to take our lines and welcomed us. Our every wish was no problem. Facilities at the marina and yacht club were clean and good. The yacht club restaurant was packed every day. It was clear that foreigh yachts don't make landfall in Port Elizabeth. Customs were initially confused but we did get our stamps eventually. PE is big and the yacht club far from town. King Cab Taxis were the best. Good rates, good cars, good

service. Waiting times were correct and their drivers knowledgable and helpful. With such a King Cab Taxi we made a tour through the old and new Port Elizabeth and learned a lot. We spent lots of time and money running around to refill the cooking gas. 

And then the wind turned Southeast. Twentyfours hours later we discovered with shock and dismay a fine oily black dust covering the whole boat inside out. Where one touched or walked you left a track. The walls, ropes, inside drawers, under the spreaders and solars, up one's nostrils - absolutely everything was dusted black. Big bulk carriers were loading magnesium oar in the southeast corner of the harbour. Needless to say, we left PE that evening. 

This report was written a month later (and published even yet a month later) and even though we have been springcleaning the boat ever since and in a thorough way never done or needed before, we are still discovering black magnesium dust every day.  

The GIFT of Knysna

We are resting in Knysna on the south coast of South Africa. We had a lovely tour through the Little Karoo (writing coming later) and are now having a stall in 

the GIFT OF KNYSNA 
event in Knysna on 

the Garden Route of South Africa. We will take part till 23 December from 9h00-18h00. Meeting all the local artists is a delight. And our story intrigues many.

SAMMNET

With a firm, clear and caring voice Sam gave us weather info for our specific situation. It was re-assuring at the times we were in for some bad weather. And it was most valuable during the times we could not get proper connections to Sailmail for our own weather info.
Send an email to zs1sammnet@worldonline.co.za with your position, boat speed and course.
Our information was registered at the South African Maritime Net for in case of emergencies. During the transmission we could not call in since we are not a Ham station, but Sam would call us and then give weather.
SAMMNET on 14316 USB at 06:30 UTC
From Simonstown the South African Maritime Mobile Net operates on Ham radio frequencies twice daily, 7 days a week and 365 days a year and provides weather reports from around the South African coast and the deep-sea areas from Brazil and Argentina in the west and to Australia in the east and into the Mozambique channel, the Seychelles and Maldives area.
We are grateful for his concerned help during our voyage from Madagascar to South Africa.