33:57.2S 25:40.8E Port Elizabeth

Babe!
Paul & Trish Ducker
Mon 2 Dec 2013 12:46

So after about a week or so we finally managed to identify a 2 day weather window to hopefully get us down to Port Elizabeth before the next low, in which you just can’t really sail! The day before we got prepped up, including fuelling up (even at the low SA fuel rates a 850l tank still takes a bit of cash) ready for the off the next morning. A fairly subdued night and bed reasonably early (by our standards), although it thrashed it down, so a little apprehensive re weather the following day.

 

As it happened next morning weather was fine so off we went, although got one of the slip lines caught around pontoon slip which thanks to Trish’s quick thinking and Bryony from Proteus helping out we managed to sort without too much drama.

 

So out of Durban harbour, about 1-2 miles out in fairly swelly sea’s, I noticed the Racor (fuel filter/water separate) warning light come on – strange me thinks so down into the engine room to check it out and so it was – there was water in the fuel separator bowl. Umm, what going on here? Stop the engine and have a check around – bugger me - I forgot to put the fuel filler cap back on! Oops ------(bit more than oops yelling …. We’re taking on water, ‘me what do you mean taking on water! Where? He then owns up re not putting the cap back on the day before and after 30 hours of non-stop rain, double oops) poor old Kady thought he meant we were sinking – good start to our trip then,  for the next hour had to try to suck out what must have been 25l of sea water + gods knows how much rain water from the fuel tank, which got rid of most of it, and engine running again….well then it was a case of continually draining the remaining water from the racors (and filling them up with diesel from the spare diesel cans) initially at 15 minute intervals and then 30 the 1 hour, until generally all OK. What a fu*king mess, diesel spilling all around the nav station area, my eye’s and head getting more and more screwed and a stinking boat! What a shite way to learn a lesson, but it is a lesson learnt. Took us days to clean-up when we finally got to PE. We had radio Durban port control to let them know we were still there and why, no engine and drifting towards the shore – her response was thank you but please keep clear of the shipping lane! Em do we think she was listening.  Spent and Wolfhound came out shortly after us heard our latest adventure, they stayed and circled us until we were ready to set off and that’s why this world rally works because of the support of such wonderful friends. Thank you guys

 

So as it happened a lot of the Oysters set off that morning, most now ahead of us, for which as we got near East London towards the end of the day it was decision time – into East London or carry on and push the weather window? Hard call – if we went into EL we’d probably still need to stop over in PE on the way to Cape Town as the weather windows over the next week were only about a day long, but if we carried on there was a risk that the new system would hit us before we got to PE. Risky option it was then! As it happened wind picked up and with the Aiguilles current running down the East coast as 2-3kts in our favour we got to PE in time – only to be told to wait outside the port until a few ships had got in – so an hour later and the wind and swells now really picking up we were eventually given clearance and weaved our way in onto the end of an old fishing dock, where Yantina, Duchess and shortly after Purusia were moored – wow really needed a beer or two. Kady coped much better than expected though!

 

We’d been to PE before about 10 years ago when Lela was looking at going uni here (??) , so new what to expect – sort of seaside type of Town, and it hadn’t really changed much, although found a good restaurant and a good bar only about 15 minutes’ walk from the yachts, so become a frequent haunt whilst we spend time sorting Babe and trying to source some more Racor filters and looking for the next weather slot. Nelius re-joined us after a drama with his flights (Kady booked in name of Nelius rather than Cornelius and of course they refused to let him on, so had to buy another ticket grrr).

 

Hired a car not realising that the pick-up point was about 2 miles away, so a flippin big walk– don’t do a lot of that on a yacht! and when I got there credit card didn’t want to go through and I hadn’t got the cash to cover – blag blag, that’ll do nicely sir!

 

So all in all it weren’t too bad in PE, always made better by good company from folk from the other Oysters.

 

Next update to follow,

 

Luv,

Paul & Trish


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