Day 92-95 Arrival in Cape Town
Carlile Adventures
Mark Carlile
Thu 11 Jan 2007 21:10
The forecast is predicting 2 days of 45 knot winds. Seas have been predicted to be between 4 and 6 metres. The forecast wasn't wrong. I had deployed the sea anchor from the bow in an effort to slow my progress east. I had to just wait for calmer conditions. Welcome to the Indian Ocean.
During this time a lazy jack line broke. This line helps to hold the mainsail neatly together. The mainsail was flapping about in strong winds. It took me ages to get it under control so it wouldn't rip apart.
The South African radio community kept in regular contact tracking my position in case I needed assistance.
Unlike the conditions at the time of the knockdown the period of the waves were 12-14 seconds (rather than 4-6 seconds at the time of the knockdown). This means the seas weren't as steep and Ingrid could handle the conditions well.
The wind howled through the rigging and I spent most of the time in the cabin. There wasn't much to do.
By Sunday afternoon December 31, 2006, the conditions began to abate. I started the engine and began to go northwest. I celebrated New Year's Eve quietly. It was a unique way to welcome in the year. On the BBC World Service, the sounds of Big Ben chimed. I was reminded of standing outside Big Ben just the year before in the chill of an English winter.
On Monday, 1st January 2007 I had calm conditions. Since my entire electronic autopilot was swept overboard, I had no option but to hand steer mostly in the light conditions. With no shade and under engine power, it was very hot and noisy. I hand steered most of the day and half the night. Exhausted, I had to sleep. Initially, I tried to proceed under power. After one hour of sleep I woke to find the boat going in circles. I killed the engine and let the sails flap.
I then slept for 10 hours straight. During this time the boat moved just 6 miles.
By 10am, Tuesday 2nd January 2007 the wind arrived, and I was able to motor sail. I made a good distance according to the small hand held GPS. I slept well knowing that I would need to stay awake as I neared the coast tomorrow.
On Wednesday 3rd January, 2007 I was about 30 miles south of the coast line and 150 miles from Cape Town. Container ships were sighted frequently throughout the day. I hadn't seen any outside human influences for at least a month. During the day, I decided to fill my emergency reserve fuel into the fuel tanks. Filling diesel from jerry cans on a pitching boat is not easy. It is a task that needs two hands. While I was filling the tanks, I slipped and fell on to the side of the cockpit. I landed on my side heavily. I felt pain sharply down my side. I felt for broken ribs. They seemed fine. My breathing was ok too. I suspected torn cartilage and plenty of bruising. I found it difficult to twist to the left.
There was nothing I could do about the injury so finished filling the fuel and continued on my way.
I sighted land mid afternoon for the first time in 3 months.
By dusk, I could see the lights for Cape of Good Hope and Cape Hangklip marking the entrance to False Bay.
I was heading to False Bay yacht club at Simon's Town on the Indian ocean side of Cape Town. I was aided by a local Radio Amateur, Tom Ambrose. He advised me of the best approach and gave me waypoints to enter the Bay safely. There is a strong northwest current that has caused many a boat to get into trouble. His advice was excellent. Tom also arranged to meet me at sunrise the next morning. I entered False Bay at 2.30am Thursday morning. There was no way that I was going to enter an unfamiliar foreign port in the middle of the night with a 25 knot southeast wind, shallow choppy seas, when I didn't have great charts of this particular port and I was over tired.
I could see the lights on the land, and waited in the choppy seas for first light. At sunrise I went to the final waypoint and called Tom on VHF. He diligently answered and was ready to meet me at the harbour.
False Bay Yacht Club is protected from the prevailing winds and mountains surround most of False Bay. The last 2 miles were lumpy as I crossed beam side-on to choppy seas. I put the floats on the side of yacht to protect her sides - ready to park her.
The South African Navy have a base right next to the marina. I got a little muddled and went into the Navy base entrance rather the marina entrance. I realised that parking next to a submarine wasn't quite the right thing to do and found the marina entrance shortly after.
Tom guided me to the berth and I parked Ingrid in perfectly in the tricky winds. I docked at 6.30am local time on Thursday 4th January 2007 after almost 9200 nautical miles and almost 95 days at sea.
More about my first day in Cape Town, how I felt, how injured I am, and my first impressions of South Africa in my next blog.
That's a very good evening from Ingrid docked at False Bay Yacht Club, Simon's Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
Mark
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