15:53.00S 05:40.00W

 

Arrival in St Helena was at 0500 so only the lighthouse and Jacobs Ladder were lit for us. A crane was moving slowly along the dock as we negotiated our way around the small craft moorings to find one that was suitable for us. Having spoken to St Helena radio we knew that the yellow ones were laid out for our tonnage. After another half an hour we were safely tied up and the cold beers were out. It was a very slow and gentle passage but after the lack of wind we didn’t use much fuel and had some very pleasant light wind sailing.

 

Formalities are very simple and at about 0830 we had done the lot and started to explore. It’s an interesting place, most people looking quite Malay in appearance and the old buildings from the early settlers create a step back in time as you walk around Jamestown. There is a ferry service that picked us up from the boat as the only way of landing is on a dock that is subject to a huge surge. When we come along side a leap of faith onto swinging ropes gets you ashore!

 

We signed up for an island tour and when our driver came to pick us up we were greeted with a 1928 Chevrolet, one of four to make it to the island but now the sole survivor. It has been adapted over the years but most of it is still original and it’s lovingly called ‘The Charabang’. Our driver Colin filled us in on the history and was a great guy to have on our trip.

 

Although the island has been visited over the years by some amazing explorers, Cook, Darwin, Halley and Raleigh, to name a few, it’s most famous ‘guest’ was of course Napoleon. After his defeat at Waterloo and subsequent surrender he ended up here. Too far away from anyone to rescue him and with several thousand troops and frigates on constant patrol of the island it didn’t look like he was about to get away soon. We visited both his houses that he occupied, one is just above Jamestown and the other, his final house is a converted barn right at the top of the island, next to the golf course. I believe the course wasn’t there in his day, although he was allowed to wander fairly freely over the island when there were no ships in the harbour.

 

This house is a converted barn, something that he was very upset about. Most of it has been restored but the souvenir hunters have taken their toll, leaving none of the wallpaper and very little of the wood work. However, now the French own the property they have managed to track down a lot of the bits and pieces that were there during his ‘stay’.

 

The other thing that we had to do while we were there was to play on the most isolated golf course in the world. We all decided that we have played on better, but the course was good enough for a mildly competitive round, and a lot of weak giggling. The lawnmowers come in the shape of goats that have been pegged out for the day by their owners, with a green keeper who seems to follow anyone playing a round astride his ride-on mower. The rakes for the bunkers are not in evidence so he fills his day cutting the greens and raking the bunkers. When I say bunkers, they look like the real thing but have a very fine volcanic dust in them.