Pictures
from the KYC ‘Opening Cruise’…
If
you thought that the lack of blog updates recently was because I had settled
indefinitely in Knysna with a job, a beautiful girlfriend and a view from my
front door that would make anyone green with envy, you were right!
Now,
without consciously knowing of a coordinated effort, the British tax office and
the South African Home Affairs office have conspired to force a decision
regarding my immediate future. You see, whilst both can be attributed to my ignorance
of business matters, poor administration and preconceptions, it is nonetheless
a double-edged sword that will undoubtedly serve to force a decision that will,
one way or another, re-write the next chapter of the W2N adventure.
Last
week I travelled to George to collect my Visitor’s Permit extension and,
while there, asked about extending it further. It seems that on November 5th,
I will have been in South
Africa (officially, they don’t know
about the six weeks in Saldanha without a visa!) for six months and, well, six
months is as much as any visitor is permitted before being politely asked to
leave. Doesn’t seem unreasonable really does it? Consider too that I have
only just celebrated being at sea for one year so looking at the project in the
context of a circumnavigation challenge, it seems incredible that I have been
dragging my heels so much around this iconic headland. Jo and I looked at all
the options but in my heart, preferably with her but perhaps not, I felt that
the voyage must continue and that this was an opportunity to resume the
adventure before the east coast becomes seasonally un-navigable. I began making
arrangements to leave… for a day or two.
I
then took delivery of my UK
mail, forwarded to me by my tenant in the Bramshott flat. Amongst it, more than
a few statements from HMRC showing a balance outstanding that, were it not for
the legal implications, would make absconding seem like a perfectly practical
option. Besides, life as a tax fugitive has a certain romance, don’t you
think? Hmm, maybe not. I drafted a few beseeching emails only to discover that
faced with economic adversity, no commission had been paid by the company now
handling my residual business affairs. Nor had any payments been received from
the man who bought my car and the sale of ‘Bright Flyer’; my old
28’ Trapper 500, had been complicated by thieves (no, not the broker
although that’s not a bad analogy), helping themselves to items included
in the sale. Needless to say, with no cruising budget, a dark shadow now hangs
despondently over the plan to resume the adventure. But, every cloud…
The
business is buoyant. That’s good. Things are looking up. There is money
owed and money promised imminently. ‘Bright Flyer’ now has a new
proud owner and were it not for my unparalleled affection for
‘Canasta’ I would be mourning a sad loss both financial and
emotional. My tax affairs, it seems, are not nearly as crippling as first
thought and well, metaphorically and literally, the sun is shining once again.
But…
Over
the past few weeks, I’ve been looking at ways of capitalising on my
unique situation. Specifically, cruises on the lagoon here in Knysna are
operated by an impenetrable monopoly but I have a beautiful yacht with an
interesting story regarding her arrival in Knysna. I have been helping a friend
launch a new restaurant in town and have made a lot of contacts, sought
objective opinions from numerous people and, well, without wanting to sound too
soppy, Knysna is knyce but Jo is knycer and if I’m honest, I don’t
want to sail away without her. Looking towards the summer then, if I can
somehow secure a working visa or a business visa, I am more and more convinced
that I should be relieving rich tourists and honeymoon couples of their cash at
least until the east coast becomes safe to navigate. I return to my mooring
every night under a magnificent sunset and wake up, like this morning, in total
tranquillity under a kaleidoscopic sunrise and never do I tire of it. My life,
or at least a sort of vicarious sample of it, is marketable but add to that,
sailing trips through ‘The Heads’ into the Indian Ocean, Knysna
oysters and Western Cape bubbles on deck… K’ching!
So
that’s it for now. My plans rely entirely on a successful visa
application and that relies on manipulating a corrupt ‘affirmative
action’ policy. For now then, chronologically, that is my situation, my
thoughts and wishes. Jo is absolutely lovely. She has been fully supportive of
my decisions despite them changing almost daily. I didn’t set out from
the UK looking for romance or for love even but having found it, having found
Jo and discovered what it is to cherish someone, I can say with absolute
sincerity “Col’ and Pan, congratulations on naming the day for your
wedding… We’ll see you in China!”
Bee x
Rob
Clark
W2N
Global Ltd.
+44
(0)7967 661157
www.w2n.co.uk
