The Indian Ocean, Cape Aghulas, The Atlantic Ocean, The Cape of Good Hope: just another day at the office.
Fleck
Sat 8 Dec 2012 10:40
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Saturday, 8th December, 2012
Position 34:14.5S 18:18E
One of those lump in the throat 24 hours, after all
the anxieties of our one month passage from Reunion. As I write there is a
cloudless sky, wonderful views of the hills on the Western Cape, and our 'new'
ocean is teeming with life: whales off Cape Aghulas yesterday afternoon, and
this morning seals and dolphins have visited, and lots of seabirds too, but we
are not experts: there are flocks of white ones, and flocks of black ones (geoff
says they are gannets). The wind is also perfect: 15 to 20 kts from the SE, so
that means our lovely twin headsail rig, max. boatspeed for minimum stress on
the rig and sails. Downside was that I had to rig all this at 04.00 this
morning, when the wind got back up to sailing speed. But it went well, how did I
manage before these so clever LED headlamps that we all have these days? If
Darwin is right we shall all be born with little cyclops style torches in our
heads in a couple of million years time!
By 09.00 we were rounding the Cape of Good Hope
itself: an impressive lump of rock, and little sign of habitation, except for
it's lighthouse.
Despite this activity, and the ceasless traffic, we
are both quite well rested this morning, and Geoff is trying to photo the
wildlife from the cockpit. I worry when he does this, as he routinely
needs three hands to steady himself, and now another to operate the
shutter. If we have sharks down there as well, they will be salivating with
anticipation.
Geoff is also salivating with anticipation: we hope
to be in Port tonight, and if there is a bar, and if it is open, I have
promised the poor boy his first gin for four weeks.
Our toast will be to our families and our
friends.
Richard and Geoff
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