SAILING THE AFRICAN COAST

Summarizing SAILING THE AFRICAN COAST with sv MYLADY.
Mozambique - we knew of sailboats doing the same crossing however, did not see any. Couple of fishing boats. Couple of big ships. Short cycled heavy cold fronts continuously. Real bad anchoring experience in changing for worse conditions with no good alternatives. Skipper got his finger chopped in the gypsy.
Richards Bay area - a couple of big ships going Indonesia direction.
Durban - Killer gale.
Between Durban and East Londen lots of big ship traffic both ways.
Agulhas current - formidable - running east to west. Close to coast was counter current and Bird Island took forever to get passed in the light winds. few whales. lots of comfort containers motoring past in lovely sailing weather. Plenty Cape Gannets around.
PE permission from harbour master to enter. Big entrance. Unfamiliar with clearing customs for pleasure craft. Visiting cruise ships. Bulk carriers loading magnesium oar (black dust covers everything). According local info the industrial harbour activities will be moved to the east side of Algoa Bay a good distance away, projected time 10 years. Plenty fishing boat activity close to PE. 'flight plan' an issue on leaving. Flight plan non-existing in Knysna or Port Owen.
Knysna - thick fog. tricky entrance. Keep to the leading line (very close to the westerly head.) Strong current in channel. Good holding in sandy-mud. VERY healthy water. Growth on the anchor chain, almost impossible to remove, after only two weeks on anchor. Play garden of all speed boats that do not keep to their designated area. Many regularly zig-zag full power between the yachts on anchor. Out going tide makes big breakers on both inner and outer bank at the heads.
Cape Agulhas - 5 knts E. big ship traffic (5 ships in 24 hrs) 2 heading for Mosselbay. Visibility on water clear. Coastline hazy. Good internet reception 12 miles off coast (vodacom). Fascinating beautiful sea-glow at night caused by plenty fish activity in fhosphorus water.
False Bay - fog clouds and veldfire smoke covered the mountains and shoreline. We passed in light winds.
Cape Point / Cape of good hope - 25 knots southerly. Hefty seas (for us from behind). Good going. Many shore lights and beacons. Had a near hit/mis with unlit sailboat.
Cape Town - Many big ship traffic
Atlantic ocean - plenty whales, solitary and moving, also group activity. Cold Benguela current. Thick and heavy, blinding fog. Shocking cold. Lots of seals.
St. Helena Bay - Stompneus Bay lovely to rest. Anchor stuck behind rocks. Millions of black cormarants parading the horizon just above the waves.
Port Owen - Plenty real big fishing boats alongside Laaiplek in the river. We were piloted up-river by marina manager. Quiet secure waters in Port Owen Marina. Tidal river flood banks teaming with birdlife. Relaxed atmosphere. Lively Port Owen Yacht Club organizing sailing races and activities and weekly suppers and social. A great place to rest for a while.

INDIAN OCEAN CROSSING 2015

From Cocos Keeling to north Madagascar was a hard, looooooong sail. Uncomfortable. Heavy, huge seas and swell which ran in no co-herent fashion - all the time. 30-40 kn winds were a constant. Two days - out of the twenty four days - were ideal blue water sailing. The windvane steering sometimes could not keep up with the repetitive onslaught of the seas. In due course the steering line snapped. Eelco dressed up in his safety harness and clipped himself to the pushpit then clambered over board down the stern while the liquid mountains charged onto us. He retrieved the broken line and strung the replacement line successfully. I was so uptight and worried, I forgot to take pictures. The heavy seas took its toll on the steering gear too. A couple of times there were a big 'bang!'. One of the 'bangs' was the starboard main stay snapped off a 12mm rod. We also discovered with dismay that the weight of the danbuoy has rusted off. Hooray for life on the saltwater.... Two good things about the Indian Ocean. 1) The current is a true plus. 2) The weather was mostly sunny, warm and dry. 

knock down

We are seven days west of Cocos Keeling and had four knock downs (tipped over on the side with water running over the winches) the last three days. The seas are so very big and confused. Wind is only 25-30kn SE but we're on the smallest of storm sails. Mylady and crew are apart from brined inside out, well. sea-people life ...

the STORM

Captain washed overboard...
What now?

We survived.

Share with us a mighty experience of awe and grace.

Available at Amazon