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 5^th, 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