27:27.16S 015:09.03E Inspirations
Irene IV - World Adventure
Louis Goor
Sun 15 Jan 2023 10:25
Sailing north at a steady average of 8 knots up the southwest coast of
Africa, along the west coast of South Africa to Namibia, is a sort of
wildlife superhighway! We are accompanied all the while by sealions up to
their usual antics - joyfully chasing each other in a game of tag and
tackle; indolently lying on their sides, one flipper raised, then rolling
over to raise the other, basking in the sweet rays of the African sunshine;
or fighting, often playfully, sometimes not, for their inalienable rights.
We see dolphin in their pods mostly gliding past in formation, en route to
some tasty treat or home to their families for quality together time.
Turtles beguile us with their hypnotic charm as they float past, somewhat
inelegantly, grabbing a bite of air before diving down to deep worlds below.
Bird life is abundant. The ever-present Boobies dive like kamikaze bombers
stunning their unfortunate prey. Flocks of sea birds soar past dancing and
gliding on invisible jet streams, painting dizzying shapes in the bright
blue sky. Flying fish in the daytime and phosphorescence at night keep
boredom at bay. A whale sighting always takes the breath away no matter how
often it occurs. We see a pod of feeding whales, probably 4 -6, with black
bodies and white on the underside of their flukes, we suppose that they are
either Humpbacks or Minke Whales, but the question remains open until Mr.
Google returns to help us out.
Day 1 and 2 pass by easily and uneventfully, the crew getting to know each
other, as well as learning the Irene IV culture we have so carefully
sculpted over this past year at sea. The crew is young and quiet; silence is
often heard. Liz is eager to learn, so Bonga has been teaching her various
knot tying techniques. Rob gave them each a book on basic yacht sailing
skills to read, digest and hopefully then put into action. Giles just
quietly gets on with it, unphased and ever cheerful. I cook and write and,
along with Rob, jolly them all along!
We had the good fortune to encounter several wonderful and life changing
organizations while in South Africa: Sail Africa, Marine Inspirations, and
the Maiden Factor. Bonga comes to be aboard Irene IV, in large measure,
thanks to the profound effect these three organizations have had on his
past, continue to have in his present and certainly will have in his future.
Sail Africa was founded in 2008 by Durban native skipper Craig Miller. The
City of Durban sponsored him in the 2005/2006 Round-The-World Race. Upon his
return he wanted to give back and founded Sail Africa. The goal was to
introduce development youth (from townships and the inner city), who might
never otherwise have the opportunity, to the sport of sailing. The
organization has since gone from strength to strength under the guidance of
Jackie De Fin. Jackie is a lifelong educator, both at high school and
university levels, with has an easy going, non-judgmental, and very
passionate style, which affords her total trust from the development
youngsters in her charge. She hands over the planning, idea mongering and
teaching to the youth as soon as she sees an opportunity or a need. We met
her first in Durban at a dance presentation given by Sail Africa. Louis had
the idea of asking her if we could invite one of her youngsters aboard for
these two Cape Town to St. Helena and then to Salvador legs. I met her again
in Cape Town, along with her charming husband Clinton, for a lively drink,
an exhausting hike up Table Mountain and then a subsequent animated chat.
She is deservedly proud of the accomplishments of the Sail Africa
organization and delighted that Bonga has landed on his feet with us.
"Sail Africa trains around 250 youngsters annually, teaching them to sail
and giving them access to the waters of the (Durban) harbour. This
encourages the city - port interface and enables the youth to see and
experience first-hand the workings of the port. Thus, they are equipped to
make career decisions that may include working in Maritime. Furthermore, it
enables youth who may never normally have been to the harbour to have had
such an experience. "
Sail Africa recently started a Blue Thumbs program. Disturbed by the filth
in the Durban harbour and marina area, the group organizes regular clean ups
and educates their program participants about plastic pollution and climate
change. Obviously, this is a subject close to our hearts as we sail around
the world as an Oceanic Society's Blue Habits program Ambassador.
Marine Inspirations is the brainchild of yachting consultant Phil Wade, a
South African living in Spain. Similar to Sail Africa they set about,
"helping lesser privileged youngsters towards careers at sea". Both
organizations work closely together. Bonga has had the fortune to benefit
from this alliance by spending a summer in Spain honing his sailing skills
and learning about another culture. Bonga is a testament to the lifesaving
value of these two organizations. He is a young man who does not shy away
from work hard, is willing to do whatever it takes to pull himself out of
poverty, while always remaining respectful to his roots, his family, and his
indigenous culture. He is a rare human being, full of compassion and hope -
an inspiration to us all.
The Maiden Factor: "Maiden is a Global Ambassador for the Empowerment of
Girls through Education"
The renowned skipper of the 58-foot, ocean racing yacht, Maiden, Tracy
Edwards, happened to be in Cape Town when we were there. She gave a talk to
an enthralled audience at the Royal Cape Yacht Club describing her Maiden
Factor organization. Bonga and I went along. Several of Sail Africa's girls
have sailed aboard the Maiden, as she makes her second round the world tour
promoting the education of girls worldwide. Tracy is a passionate and very
funny presenter. She immediately has the audience in the palm of her hand.
I was sure it was all a ploy to extract money from us for her organization,
but not at all, this was an informational presentation, with a very small
amount of merchandize for sale afterwards, which Tracy was somewhat
embarrassed to even mention. "The Maiden story is relevant and relatable to
everyone, again not just sailors, but to every human being who strives to
reach their full potential; to succeed against the odds. Maiden is proof
that with self-belief, grit, determination, relentlessness,
anyone from anywhere can change the world." For more information, see
themaidenfactor.org