Off We Go - Tuzi Gazi Marina, Richard's Bay, South Africa
Harmonie
Don and Anne Myers
Fri 2 Nov 2012 11:53
| 28:47.638S 32:04.761E The nasty southwesterly wind has moved on, and so must we. South Africa's southeast coast has very few sheltered ports, so when the weather is good, it's best to make use of it. Going south from Richard's Bay, Durban is the first sheltered port at about 100 miles away. Another 250 miles further on is East London, followed by Port Elizabeth 135 more miles beyond that. And that's about it. Between Durban and East London, the Agulhas Current runs south very close to the coast, and very fast. It's no wonder this part of South Africa is called the wild coast. In a strong southwesterly, when the wind is blowing hard against the current, giant waves can form and wreak havoc on even large ships. After experiencing just eight hours on the edge of the southerly flowing Agulhas Current in 30 knots of contrary southwest wind on our way into Richard's Bay, we have no desire to do it again. So, with a benign wind forecast for the next four to five days, we've decided we'd better go for it. This afternoon (Friday, 11/2), after the last of the southwesterly wind shifts to the east, we'll make our way out of Richard's Bay and head straight for Port Elizabeth - 485 miles down the coast. We plan to stay fairly close in, going only far enough offshore to pick up the edge of the current so it will push us to the south at a faster pace. Between the current and the forecasted northeast winds, we should zip along nicely. Assuming all goes well, we should arrive in Port Elizabeth in about three days. If for some reason the wind turns to the south sooner than planned, we'll duck into East London and wait it out. Assuming we get as far as Port Elizabeth, we'll wait for the next weather window before making our way around Cape Agulhas (and back into the Atlantic Ocean), then head for Cape Town (or False Bay, just south of Cape Town). It seems strange to be ready to go after arriving back on the boat just two weeks ago, but there is a lot less work to do to get a boat ready when it is already in the water and not high and dry on land as it usually is when we return from a visit home. That's not to say work hasn't been done. It has, but the list is quite short: Don's list: Old main and mizzen sails came down, new main and mizzen, and repaired genoa went up. Went up the mast twice - once to check the rig, reinstall the wind indicator, replace the deck light, and replace the lightbulb in the steaming light; and once to replace the steaming light after the lens shattered all over the deck during the lightbulb changing operation. Went murk diving - donned head-to-toe wetsuit and inspected Harmonie's bottom, keel, rudder and prop. Spent one and a half days in the engine room - fixing coolant and oil leaks and replacing a cam belt. That may sound easy and straight forward, but alas, nothing is easy and straight forward on a boat (hence the one and a half days). Equipment and system checks - Autopilots, bow thruster, SSB radio, VHF radio, satellite phone, e-mail capability with satellite phone, engine, generator, instruments, navigation lights, etc. Anne's list: A bit of deck waxing. (No one ever said the division of labor on a boat was fair.) Old main down, new main up. In between wind storms, our new main and mizzen and repaired genoa were delivered from North Sails. We held our breath as long as it took to put the new sails up and check that they fit. They did. Phew! As soon as we got the old main down on the deck, we realized just how decrepit it was - countless patches, several gaping holes and big swathes of delaminated cloth near the tack end (the area that takes the brunt of the abuse when the sail is furled in and out of the mast). We lovingly cut several of the most damaged pieces out of the sail to keep as a remembrance of its loyal service. The rest we donated to Hebron (our Zulu boat minder while we were away) per his request. He said old sails make excellent roofing material. We weren't sure ours would with all its flaws, but Hebron reported today that our old sails are now part of his roof, and his wife was very pleased with their performance during this week's southwesterly blow. A bit of deck waxing. As much as we've complained about the bad weather since our return, it's a pleasure to polish up the boat under cloudy skies, in 70 degrees, and without sweating profusely from your eyebrows. Our intended route. We will update the blog each day we are sailing, starting with Saturday (11/3). We'll have good company out there as Quantum Leap (an American catamaran) will be leaving around the same time, and has a similar destination. For weather updates, etc., we'll be using the local South African Peri-Peri net - which is basically two radio and sailing enthusiasts, who donate their time and energy twice a day to give wayward boaters like us weather forecast information via SSB radio. We are looking forward to a pleasant, but possibly quite chilly, ride south under a nearly full moon. Anne |