Position: 21º 28.26’ S 11º 0.888’ E The weather has moderated finally and we are smooth sailing in 10-15 knots with 2m seas. The sun is out, and we are drying/airing out and fixing a few of the worst leaks. The kids have been a bit nuts, so they are confined to quarters for the time being. Hopefully, by tomorrow, we will be back into our family cruising mode, where we are all happy and chill and cuddled up reading books together. ...
Position: 21º 31.32’ S 11º 6.882’ E Well we didn’t get the send off we had hoped for from Africa, but after a very rough start we are starting to settle into what might be a nice passage. There has been a lot of water indoors and out which is a little disappointing since one of the major ingress points was a chainplate that I had just rebedded (oops). We are hopping for flatter seas and lower winds in the coming days, so we can dry out. ...
Position: 22º 57.024’ S 14º 28.746’ E About to weigh anchor for St Helena. Spirits are high aboard Convivia. Looks like ideal weather! All is well.
Position: 22º 57.03’ S 14º 28.752’ E Arrived in Walvis Bay. All is well.
Position: 23º 43.098’ S 13º 43.08’ E The last 24hrs have been uneventful. Fairly smooth downwind sailing in 20-25 knots. The wind has lessened now and we are looking at a late night arrival in Walvis Bay tonight. All is well
Position: 26º 30.312’ S 15º 1.812’ E Convivia is outbound to Walvis Bay. A typically blustery start promises a quick passage! All is well.
Position: 26º 38.37’ S 15º 9.456’ E Safe and sound on a mooring in Luderitz. Easiest check in since Malaysia. The town is surrounded by desert and it seems constant attention must be paid to keep the desert from taking it back. All is well.
Position: 27º 32.85’ S 15º 6.222’ E I can’t get over this fog. Yesterday it cleared to somewhere nearer the coast, but it still cast a grey over the day. The wind was unusable for much of the day as well, so we motored in windless overcast, in order to make water and progress. That said, it was a pretty pleasant day. We read Story of the World and Ruby made a roasted potato dinner with bacon (yum). The tiller pilot took care of the tedious work of steering and we enjoyed the relatively flat seas. ...
Position: 31º 35.22’ S 17º 17.028’ E It has been a great day & night of sailing. The wind speed dipped to 6 knots last night, but Convivia was determined to keep sailing. She managed 4 knots throughout the lull. The new tiller pilot made all the difference. I think I have developed the opinion that a night watch without dolphins breathing close by and shooting stars, is not a real night watch. Lucky for me, last night was real. ...
Position: 31º 36.0’ S 17º 17.082’ E Our first 24 hours was fast. We averaged 8 knots in a gale with 3m seas. As big and fast as it was, we were well acclimatized to the conditions and for the first time in months, it was behind us. We were accompanied by scores of dolphins and saw our first albatross. Today the conditions have mellowed and we are grooving along on 10-15 knots in 1-2m seas. It’s pretty ideal. To make matters rosier, it’s warmed up considerably (though Vick is still bundled up). Somewhere in the afternoon yesterday it hit me how exciting this next few months will be. We are coming home! ...
Position: 33º 54.498’ S 18º 25.098’ E Arrived at V&A waterfront marina. We are so happy to be here that we keep looking at each other with enormous grins on our faces. I think Cape Town might give San Francisco a run for it’s money. As if that weren’t enough we already have dinner invites for Monday and Tuesday night, this might be a busy social stop! All is well.
Position: 34º 52.14’ S 19º 58.398’ E Dawn is breaking as we approach Cape Aguhlas (the Southernmost tip of Africa). As the nascent sun starts to burn away the crisp chill of the night, it dawns on me that our long hard southing is soon behind us. This ocean has been demanding for sure and (as promised) it has also been proportionally rewarding. The next 7000 miles will all be north. ...
Position: 34º 10.602’ S 22º 8.502’ E Safe and sound in Mossel Bay. The difference between this town and Durban is like the difference between Nantucket and Detroit. The Yacht Club manager welcomed us with open arms and a card already in her hand. We were told that it was the safest beach in South Africa (the great whites are apparently well fed on the nearby seals, so they don’t bother people) and the town is safe to walk around. ...
Position: 34º 16.2’ S 24º 29.298’ E Bbbrrrr. It’s cold down here. The air is crisp and clean and today we were blessed with blue skies and a tail wind. Looking to port, the next land we could see is Antarctica, just 3000km to the south. We are passing the time listening to the Hamilton soundtrack and napping. This stretch has been fast, and we expect to be in Mossel Bay by mid morning. ...
Position: 33º 44.1’ S 27º 4.002’ E (these didn’t post initially, including for completeness) Our first 8hrs out of East London gave us 60 nautical miles good. This coast may be brutal, but at least it’s fast. While the rest of the family was taking a day off (seasickness abounds) I was smiling like a kid on a sailboat. Vick said if there was a Kinsey scale for sailors, I would be a perfect 6. I think she might be right! ...