Mossel Baai to Simon's Town
NORDLYS
David and Annette Ridout
Mon 10 Dec 2007 14:40
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The end of the 2007
sailing season
Mossel Baai to Simon's
Town
34:11.5S 18:26E
Simon's Town
10th December 2007
The 500 miles between Durban and Mossel Baai were
achieved with rather a lot of emotional effort but not in reality too much
sailing effort. We started off and finished motoring but for
most of the time we had some spectacular sailing achieving our largest
daily run ever, 260nm in 24 hours. I hasten to add that Nordlys has not
sprouted hydrofoils but the Aghulhas current was running at up to five knots for
some of this time. The bit of coast from Durban to East London is the bit
to watch as the continental shelf comes almost up to the shore and with the
current running hard there is absolutely nowhere to go if the wind turns against
this stream. It is in this area that large commercial ships have been
lost. In Mossel Baai we met a 4x circumnavigator who was caught out here
on his last voyage and rolled 6 times. He has not been sailing
since.
The marina at Mossel Baai was full but we managed
to tie up to an old wreck on the outer berth and the club let us stay
there. Peter Skaarup our Danish friend whom we had not seen since Prickly
Bay Grenada came to see us and took us on a road trip that included the town of
Knysna and its famous heads. Otherwise a generally relaxing time was
enjoyed by ourselves and the three other yachts that had made it there in the
same weather window as ourselves. All good friends of ours. The
final push to Simon's Town round the most southern point of the
continent of Africa, Cape Agulhas was 220 miles but we managed to log just 192
as the current pushed us along. Setting out before the south
east wind started we motored into eight knots of south wester and had twenty
miles under our belt before the following wind filled in and a great sail
started. Thank goodness we had done this. Rounding the Cape at dawn
we found ourselves surrounded by three large cargo ships which made life
interesting, especially as one of them was doing a bare half knot more speed
than us. As we ran on the wind increased, and increased and
increased. With fifty miles to go the true wind was into the forties and
we had just a triple reefed main and a pocket area of
genoa boomed out before the screaming atmosphere. The sun shone and to our
relief neither the hills of the Hottentot range nor those above Muisenburg were
wearing white caps. This being a sure sign that a small low pressure had
formed and that we would get even more wind. By the time we rounded
the Naval Harbour wall we could hardly hear ourselves speak without shouting and
although the 4 to 5 metre swell eased the wind did not so getting the small
main down was achieved without communication. Then the fun started,
how to moor up. Well our arrival had been noted by many in the bar, in
fact the Commodore had seen us coming from his house and rung the club.
Much gesticulation from members and with my heart in my mouth I followed
instructions and pointed Nordlys up a narrow channel between pontoon and boom
and with uncertain depth we motored in. My landing was not good, a gust
catching us at the wrong moment but with many hands pushing we managed to get
away with much tyre black and a little paint but no actual scratches in to the
gel coat. 8324 logged miles since the 1st May and our departure from
Fremantle and the 2007 sailing season was over for us.
The False Bay yacht club is proving to be one of
the friendliest and most charming places we have ever visited. This
combined with a set of craftsmen who are keen to help for sensible prices
has helped in no small way to let us unwind from the quite emotionally pent up
state we were both in. 2007 has been a fascinating year and memories
of such places as the Seychelles and Madagascar will always be dear to
us. However it has been a very hard years sailing, both physically and
mentally. Certainly the hardest by a large margin that Annette and I
have ever undertaken.
Now three days after our arrival we are amazed at
the difference between here and Australia. The telephone never stops with
people saying that they will do what I want when I want! The jobs list is
getting ticked off very fast. Actually Nordlys is in amazing fettle for
such a well used lady but we want to get everything done before Christmas as we
have been lent a Toyota Landcruiser. Not like our Aussie one but a top of
the range luxury one, and the owner is keen for us to use it to go and explore
Namibia while he is at home in Europe. What an offer. Then we are
due to fly home for the last two weeks of January before returning here in early
February and the beginning of the 5400 mile sail to Trinidad.
Reading back through this and earlier
missives I see I have been rather alarmist about sailing in these
waters. All I can say is that our experience in Durban was a little
stressful and meeting so many locals who are wary of this coast does give one a
mind set. I will leave you with one fact that I read in the club's
information package. On over one hundred days a year it is blowing a
full gale in Simon's Town.
 The view of Knysena entrance taken from
the Heads. Getting in is interesting,
getting out can take days if the swell is
large. We were glad to have visited by car.
 For the first time since the seas of Southern
Australia our friends the Albatross
were back effortlessly circling us as we
pushed through the grey waters
 Typical Agulhas current sailing. Apparent
wind 19 knots (true about 28), boat speed
8 knots and SOG or Speed Over the Ground 13.2 in
this case!
 Mossel Baai. Nordlys is tied to the far outer
marina mole.
 The Light House just off Simon's Town
taken as we approached. The state
of the sea can be seen but the swells are
flattened by the camera. Spray was often breaking
right over the Light House but alas never when my
camera was ready. I was helming as well
as taking
pictures!
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