To Baly Bay
Beez Neez now Chy Whella
Big Bear and Pepe Millard
Wed 30 Oct 2019 23:57
|
16:02.852 S 45:18.352
E
To Baly
Bay
 We left Katsepe on the outgoing tide
at eight with a plan to slowly do the seventy mile journey arriving in daylight
on the morrow. A local began to set his net behind us
as the anchor came up.
 A couple of boats stayed behind as
they need to take on more fuel. Still love to see the local ladies with their
distinctive sail and outrigger.
 Leaving the
bay.
 Around the corner we could see the lighthouse more clearly.
 Lovely ore
coloured shore.
 The sea an unusual
red with fishermen by the score five miles ahead.
 We had to turn right a bit quick as a
local passed – sound asleep. Water below us between nine and thirteen metres.
The sea began to look a more normal colour. By one
o’clock we had received an email from Des (the weather guru) saying we had a
green light to head toward Bazaruto in Mozambique. We took the decision to carry
on toward Baly Bay as Baby Beez (although on deck) was still inflated
as we expected to use her for the few days we thought we would have before the
next weather window. Also, The Leak Saga continues to haunt us after Bear sealed
every nut, bolt and screw he could see on deck - it drips happily. He know
thinks it is the sealant on the toe rail Jimmy used before her spray job has
degraded. Duck tape it is then until we get to South Africa and reseal. Oh for
sand plans eh.........
 This may look
like an island but it is part of the mainland,
depths to a metre or so.
 On we went
under sail and once we were in radio contact with Slow Flight Kimi
insisted on waiting until we anchored (I did ask her to go to bed but “No” was
the flat answer – incredible kindness). Maria on Serafina messaged
often as soon as we had the internet. Darkness fell and at ten o’clock Kimi put
her deck lights and shone her green laser light into the sky, now that’s a
first..... We carried on ‘chatting’ through Messenger. Comical when she had to
nip off and handed her phone to Trevor who kept up the banter until she returned
to her station. Baly Bay is massive and Des had given us two
anchoring positions for night and morning to avoid the local swell, we
headed toward the small fleet.
 Kimi messaged us two waypoints which provided a straight line entry into the
bay and at 23;30 we passed the first of them. Had we have known just how huge
the bay was we would have gone in alone so our two star people could have put
their heads down. As the bay shallowed we realised it was senseless to go
another mile or so toward the anchored gang when we would retrace our steps in
five hours time. Soon as we got 5.4 metres below Bear dropped the anchor as
midnight came at us. Baby Beez deflated and strapped down, oil ready to
top up the Beez engine and duck tape out to try and seal toe rail. Bed
at one, alarm set at four. A tiny night, night then...........
ALL IN ALL A VERY SHORT
STOP
A GOOD TEAM
EFFORT |