News

Text Received September 11, 2004
08:02am At 1200Hrs the trades are back! Cog 315.Sog 6.5Kts. Close hauled starboard tack, full main and #3 hadsail. The Old Lady is steering herself!

08:23am ETA Durban, South Africa, Monday 13 September 0800Hrs UTC. That is if the Southwester does not interfere!

08:49am IT must have smelled land, as she is now running like a bloodhound after the scent!

11:05pm Sept 12 0400 HRS UTC Pos 30 18S 33 37E. Cog 300. Sog 4.4 KT. Does not look good as wind is veering.

Text Received Friday September 10, 2004
01:09am AT THIS RATE ETA CAPE TOWN MID OCT. HEADING NOW 330 DEG, WHICH MAKES DURBAN CLOSEST PORT. DO NOT KNOW WHAT WIND TO EXPECT, MAKING BEST OF WHAT I HAVE.

01:26am FIND OUT IF THERE IS A DEALER IN DURBAN FOR MY AUTOHELM. TICKETS CHEAPER IF U BUY IN SA.

02:05am ANOTHER STORM APPROACHING,BEV GO SLEEP NOW, WILL CHECK MAIL AGAIN AT 9 YOUR TIME. LOVE U

06:21am Scattered stormy weather. With IT steering herself close hauled, I am solely in the hands of the wind. If it veers, we go south. If it backs, we go north. Present heading is 307 degrees at 1130 Hrs UTC

08:44am 1400 Hrs UTC. Close hauled, Port tack. Cog 218, Sog 6kts. Looks like Durban will be my port of entry.

09:00am I can be in Durban in 2 days. 2 -3 days to repair Willie and with the first good weather window, will hop to next port.

09:31am Just hit a calm. Drifting. Will have to wait and see what is going to happen.

10:12am Wind is up! Bev, you have 3 days to get to Durban!

11:04am Buy me a new video camera please. Mine is dead as a dodo. Love you!

10:35pm September 10. Position at 0400Hrs UTC: 30 42S 36 04E Cog 45 Sog 2.5kts. Wind 3kts. Drifting

Please lift Charl in prayer Text received 9/9/04
12:02am Do not book your ticket. I am stuck. Wind is on the nose. Still heaving to.

01:48am 0700 Hrs UTC. I am still heaving to. Waves are 40ft. Drifting 30 deg. Cabin a hell all is wet, wet. Sleeping with full foul gear.

02:00am Bev. Book your ticket for East London. I have to hop from port to port to Cape Town. The weather is bad with another storm on the way, even worse. Pa is sending me warnings. 5 - 10 days from East London.

02:22am Bev, go and sleep now, I am going to do the same. TTL. Love you

04:46am CLEAR BUT WIND 30 KT,SEAS VERY ROUGH,STILL HEAVING TO,DRIFTING 30 DEG AT 2KT.

04:51am AT 1000 HRS UTC, STILL HEAVING TO, WIND 30KT. CAPE AGULHAS BEAR 285,950 MILES, PORT ELIZABETH BEAR 287,650 MILES, EAST LONDON BEAR 292,590 MILES. CAN SAIL 330 OR 21O DEG.

05:25am RIGHT NOW, I CANNOT HEAD ANYWHERE TO SA. EITHER BACK TO MAURITIUS OR OZ. WIND IS FROM SW. MAY BE STUCK HERE FOR DAYS?

11:30pm SEPT 10 0500 HRS UTC POS 31 29S 37 42E COG 330 SOG 5KT WIND 10KT SAILING CLOSE HAULED PORT TACK. STARTED SAILING YESTERDAY AT 12OO HRS UTC

Text Received Wednesday September 8, 2004
12:16am ETA? Hard to say now. Wind on the nose. Sailing 30 degrees off course. Wind direction ahead of me?? Albatross with me now!! Beautiful bird.

03:30am Have dried camera for 2 days in engine room. No go. Very frustrating! Really want to capture everything.

08:12am Hove to, put a new clamp on the rudder. It did not last long. Hove to again. This time worked for 4 hours and jury rigged as best I could. Drove a hole in the rudder.

08:19am Drove a wooden wedge into the hole, compressing the shaft and rudder together. If this fails, I am heading for the nearest port.

09:34am Wind not from SE, from SW now! Willie not holding. Am very, very tired, going to sleep.

Please continue to lift Charl and IT up in prayer.
"Dear Lord and Angels please take care of them while Charl rests."

11:06pm Position September 9th: 32 28S and 38 46E. Another gale. Strongest so far. Wind 36 kts. Am heaving to as the seas are too rough to sail on. The wind direction is not suitable, it is pushing us SE.

Text Received Tuesday September 7, 2004
6:36am I am in something. Is it the low you were talking about? Pos: 31 31S 41 56E wind 32kts 11:35 UTC

6:50am Waypoint 35S 30E. Under triple reefed main and staysail. Broad Reach. Port Tack. SOG 5.5kts. COG 285. Seas very rough. 10m waves. Am OK

7:16am Willie's rudder came loose again. Hove to, got down behind stern and realigned rudder and retightened hose clamps. Have to keep speed down.

11:15pm Sept. 8 Position at 0400 hrs UTC: 31-46S 40-12E. Cog 300. Sog 6Knt. Wind 20Knt. Close hauled. Port Tack.

Text Received 10:09pm Mon 6th
POS SEP 7 0300 HRS UTC: 31 15S 42 50E. COG 280. SOG 6.5. WIND 20 FROM SSE. BEAM REACH. PORT TACK
It seems that Charl is heading straight into another Low pressure. He was battered by one for the best part of his night and now as day breaks for him, he faces another. Please keep him and IT in your prayers. He has another 10 days or so to Cape Town, so he is almost there. "Dear Father, please take care of Charl and IT and keep them safe. Please protect them again as they face yet another storm. Not too many days now to Cape Town, please could we have extra Angels to help?"

Text Received 1:45pm Mon 6th
POS AT1830 31,05 S,43,49 E WHAT IS ON WAY?I HAVE BEEN IN IT FOR MORE THAN TEN
HRS NOW.HOW MUCH LONGER?SATPHONE STARTING TO GIVE PROBLEMS.

Text Received 12:58pm Mon 6th
HELM LASHED TO LEEWARD,HEADSAIL SHEETED IN TIGHT,MAIN A LITTLE OUT.TOOK GREAT
FOOTAGE OF LEERAIL UNDER WATER.AM WET AND COLD!
More gray hairs and my life shortened by a few more years! Think I will blame this on his Dad!
"Dear Lord, please continue to keep Your Hand on them and let this storm pass over soon."

Text Received 12:40pm Mon 6th
AM SAILING EXTREME.CABIN SOLE IS UNDER WATER,WAVES CRASHING OVER BOW ALL
THE WAY TO COCKPIT

Text Received 12:27pm Mon 6th
1730 UTC STILL IN THE GALE WHERE IS CENTER OF THIS LOW?ON A CLOSE REACH,PORT TACK,TRIPLE REEFED MAIN AND HALF REEFED HEADSAIL

Text Received 9:13am Mon 6th
1400 HRS UTC WIND 35 KT PLUS COG 275 SOG 7 KT SEAS VERY ROUGH

Text Received 10:00 pm Sunday 5th
SEPT 6 POS AT 0300 HRS 30 33S 45 29E DRIFTING

Text Received 9:05pm Sat.
SEPT 5: POS AT 0200 HRS: 29-40S 47-35E: COG275: SOG 5KT: WIND 12KT: WIND FROM NE:BROAD REACH: STRB TACK.
To everyone at the Potjiekos Festival in Brenham Texas, tonight - you are the greatest and thank you for allowing me to have such a wonderful evening. I miss Charl so much. You are the best! God Bless. Bev

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