Take Off - Last leg on the Cape: sailing into Cape Town!

Last leg on the Cape: sailing into Cape Town!

Take Off

Jörgen Wennberg

Fri 1 Dec 2017 10:11

On the 30th of November a new weather window permitted us to leave Mossel Bay. We left at 6h00 in the morning in order to get into Cape Town by daylight tomorrow, together with Sandvita, Tulla Mhor and Lexington. A beautiful sailing day...

… while other enjoyed the day with a movie.

Our last route towards Cape Town.

As usual we have dolphins visiting just on time for the sundowner. You see one under the water to the left of Victor.

Then dinner time.

We have 2 big passages ahead of us during this crossing:

1. Cape Alguhas which is the most Southerly tip of the African continent (see below)

2. The Cape of Good Hope

At 22h30 we are sailing pass Cape Alguhas. This feels really “maffigt!”, to be at the most Southerly point of the whole African continent. A bit dark but you can see the lights in the horizon. Has to be celebrated!

The currents of the two oceans, the Atlantic and the Indian Ocean meet at this point where the warm-water Alguhas current (Indian Ocean) meets the cold water Benguela current (Atlantic Ocean) and turns back on itself. Now we are leaving the Indian Ocean and entering back (we had left the Atlantic once we left St Lucia and started the World ARC, january 2016) into the Atlantic Ocean.

1st of December

Not only are we going to sail pass the Cape of Good Hope and sail into Cape Town, we experienced this sailing day to be the absolute best best best since Lombok (september)! Lovely weather, nice waves, spinnaker sailing and perfect wind.

What an a m a z i n g sailing day!

At 10h30 we pass the Cape of Good Hope...

… so going for the second celebration within 12 hours!

An amazing feeling! So next will be Cape Horn?…eh….

This is what it looks like from above

Cape of Good Hope, Cape Town, South Africa

The Cape of Good Hope

A common misconception is that the Cape of Good Hope is the southern tip of Africa. This misconception was based on the misbelief that the Cape was the dividing point between the Atlantic and Indian Ocean. Contemporary geographic knowledge instead states the southernmost point of Africa is Cape Alguhas about 150 kilometres (90 NM).

The first European to reach the cape was the Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Dias in 1488, who named it the "Cape of Storms" (Cabo das Tormentas). It was later renamed by John II of Portugal as "Cape of Good Hope" (Cabo da Boa Esperança) because of the great optimism engendered by the opening of a sea route to India and the East. It is also known that the Cape was given this more optimistic name to reinforce the sailor’s motivation in continuing their route around the Cape.

As one of the great capes of the South Atlantic Ocean, the Cape of Good Hope has long been of special significance to sailors, many of whom refer to it simply as “The Cape”.

Leaving the Cape of Good Hope on our starboard side….

… we are sailing along the West coast towards Cape Town. There in the far horizon we can see the Apostles and Lion’s Head!

This is how happy the skipper is that we have made it around the Cape!

Approaching closer Lion’s Head as well as the 12 apostles are getting clearer and closer.

This afternoon was one of the most beautiful sailings we have ever had: weather, fair wind, smooth sea and especially such a beautiful landscape! Totally breathtaking!

Rounding Lion’s Head we are now heading towards Cape Town with Table Mountain coming up behind.

Victor happy to have sailed the Cape with Take Off!

We are all taken away by the amazing view we have in front us. The feeling that is so special is to have come here so far on our own, on Take Off. Knowing that this place has had such an important and strategic part of history makes this landfall even more special. There are no words how happy, relieved, e x c i t e d and so content to be coming into Cape Town.