Speeding South
Pearl of Persia
Andrew Lock
Tue 10 Dec 2013 15:36
During Andrews absence Oliver and I managed to get through the job list and
also have time to do a little exploring. We spent a day in a game park where
we managed to see an abundance of wild animals even though the weather was
wet cold and gloomy.....
Left Durban yesterday morning, still grey and cold......cold that is for us
softies who have been in the tropics for the past year, but we're still in
shorts.
The weather looks settled however, wind from the north east and no sign of
the feared so' westerly storms which are formed in the Southern Ocean and
move up the African coast at regular intervals, creating monster waves as it
blows against the Agulhas Current. They can keep boats hiding in port for
days on end waiting for a weather window, and as the stretch of coastline
has no places of refuge, once we leave protection, we have to take whatever
is thrown at us.
Followed a large cargo ship out of the harbour, pointed south around the
breakwater, and within 6 hours began to feel the beneficial effects of the
current as it pushed us along. This morning, with both wind and current
behind us, we are watching in fascination as our instruments show our speed
climbing higher and higher until at times it's indicating 17 and 18 knots.
For the non sailors among you that's like doing 200 mph in your family
saloon....you would need to be going down a very long steep hill. In our
case it's a strong current, almost like a river in the ocean.