Cape Agulhas: turn left for Antarctica, turn right for home. No brainer, for a change!
Fleck
Fri 7 Dec 2012 12:23
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Date 7th Dec, 2012, 14.00 local time, 12.00
GMT
Position 34:52S 20:27.35E 25 miles
east of Cape Agulhas
Which is THE Cape: the most southerly part of
South Africa, and soon we turn north for home! I would like to report that we
are battling storms like the tea clippers of old, but we have hit one of those
holes in the weather, and although it means running the engine, and running down
our fuel, it is an opportunity to head where we want to go in relative safety
and comfort, so another nobrainer! Looks as though we may round the Cape with a
light southerly wind to push us along, but we are keeping the engine on for a
bit longer: hedging our bets!
Last night there was heavy traffic once more, but
our watch keeping seems to be settling down a bit, and today we both seem quite
rested, no doubt the calm seas help enormously.
We are tresspassing on an active gunnery range as I
write, and over the radio other shipping has been warned off in no uncertain
terms. Our radio picked up the warnings about this, but neither Geoff nor I were
able to get the coordinates down quickly enough, so we don't know exactly how to
take avoiding action ourselves. Just hope that they are not going to test heat
seeking missiles: what un untimely and original end to our saling adventure that
would be!
Weather looks promising still for a couple of days,
so anxiously (as ever, these days!) keeping my fingers crossed.
Finally still have no confirmed place to park the
boat in Cape Town, if we ever get there, and all the Ports from now on have
the 'Full for Christmas' signs up. We were promised a place six weeks ago,
so we just hope that they will keep their side of the bargain.
Last night the boat reeked of fish, all due to a
pod of dolphins that stayed with us for several hours. These creatures stink, it
is only the ocean winds that make them attractive! Very nice to watch them at
night however, and there is quite a lot of phosphoresence in the sea just now,
which adds to the spectacle as they break the surface, and carry diamonds on
their flanks down under the bows of the boat.
Best wishes as ever to all
Richard and Geoff
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