Three weeks later....
Fleck
Mon 29 Apr 2013 13:06
|
29th April 2013
Position 15:05S 06:52W
Goodness, it's been three weeks since my last blog,
but out here little has changed: flat sea, and 8kts of ESE wind wafting me
along. Tiresome overnight with the sails flapping, but they just stay filled
now, in the slop, so some peace!
Fleck left St Helena at midday yesterday, with her
new spreader and masthead light. Barry and Margaret on JJMoon were so very kind
in bringing these parts out from Namibia, and it was lovely to finally meet
them, and hear of their adventures. Many of you have been subject to emails from
me about St Helena already, suffice it to say in 'The Blog' that if you have to
wait anywhere in the World for spare parts to reach your yacht, then this is not
a bad place to choose. The Island seems stark from seawards, but it is
pleasant and green within, and there are good walks. Supplies are not bad, good
fruit but few vegetables, a big variety of tins, and for those of you with
freezers, frozen things. Expensive for the South African contingent, but overall
cheaper than UK prices. The locals are so friendly, the new moorings in the
west of the bay are excellent (but still you roll) and do take the ferry the
first time you go ashore, to judge whether you will risk your dinghy on the
landing steps, or not! When the swell is up this is a great place for photo
opportunities, if you got your camera ashore dry, that is! Robert Peters Island
Tour is well worth while, all the Napoleonic site visits are free, and four
sharing makes a cheap day out. It is fun to join the excitement when the Supply
Ship, RMS St Helena hits the bay, and interesting to see how everything gets on
and off. Downsides? Well the internet is slow and very expensive, and this is no
place for gastronomes. Plenty of cold beer, but coffee is not well understood,
even though they have their own Island supply. Finally visit soon, before the
Airport opens in ?2016: it will change everything.
I am headed for Ascension Island but from there I
am undecided. May just go straight for the Caribbean, Mainland Brazil has few
plaudits from Noonsite bloggers, though it is human nature to over
report and over react to bad news. Despite my new spreader all is not yet
perfect with the rig, so another reason to try to get hauled out
in Trinidad without to many weather encounters of the worst kind along the
way. My mood remains a little melancholic. I enjoyed losing
myself in my watercolours on St Helena, despite the constraints of a moving
studio, and wilting flowers. But no possibility of drawing out here, so it is
reading; Hilary Mantel's Place of Greater Safety. I will save 'Bring up the
Bodies' for Brazil!
|