The Fabulous Five Set Sail

Yesterday we said goodbye to George, with much hoopla, waving and cheering, as he embarked on his first crewing job aboard Serendipity, a fellow rally boat. He is chuffed and totally ready for the challenge. 

We are a crew of 5, Rob as skipper, with Giles, Bonga, Liz and me, obeying his every command. Louis is trying his hand at armchair sailing back in Ireland until he rejoins us in Brazil in early February.

It is Friday the 13^th, so when we set sail at 05:35 this morning, with heavy damp fog, Cape Town snoring, a square rigger, pirate ship, just visible in the dim distance, and a sealion waving goodbye, we were sure we had an exciting passage ahead!

Although most of us, bar Giles, have spent very little time in Cape Town, we were ready 

to get back to sea. We are headed to Luderitz in Namibia unless the winds encourage us to turn left on a direct course to the island of St. Helena.  

Cape Town is considered one of the great cities of the world, in the illustrious company of cities like Tokyo, Rome and Paris. Indeed, from our birth in the V & A (Victoria and Albert) marina, the drama of Table Mountain unfolds each day, blending the ostentatiously wealthy and thriving city with the majesty and serenity of nature. Irene IV has rested here since 29^th November 2022, she is ready to continue our adventure together.

Rob has returned, well rested, from his sojourn at home in England. He reconnected with family and friends and enjoyed a spot of skiing in France among other necessary pleasures. Giles has called Irene IV home since he joined us in Mauritius. In Cape Town he was aboard sometimes alone, sometimes with Louis and family, and who knows who and what else happened in between! Liz returns, she spent 6 weeks with us in French Polynesia and Fiji last summer, and brings our number to a fabulous 5, which makes night watch much more agreeable for all. Bonga, aka Praise, a Swazi national, who lives in Durban, comes to us thanks to the Sail Africa organization. We met him during our short stay in Durban and we are very much looking forward to getting to know him better. I am back after a visit home to Napa and Christmas with our mother in Ireland.

A few hours into the trip and we have already seen sea lions, turtles, and dolphins! An auspicious omen as we set off into the deep blue yonder!