News

Saturday October 30, 2004 pm
The Walvis Bay to Rio "express" narrowly missed me this morning. The 400 foot freighter passed me just 200 meters on the bow. I did not see anybody on the bridge and it was probably steering on autopilot and the Decca pulses of their designed software. The jackass !!
The wind has finally won. My hopes to make 1200 miles in a 7 day start has vanished.
Only made 1165 miles. Speed is down to 5.5 knots.
My best run was in the Pacific between Marquisas and Samoa where we had a 1250 mile run in 7 days.
Very cloudy and cool today. The cloudy weather can make a huge impression on somebody's mood. Down! While the sun can brighten your day.
Finished another 400 page book today, another Colin Forbes novel. 7 books in 7 days....that is a new record !
Position at 1600
21 18 S
01 17 E
Cog 335
Sog 5.5
Wind 8
Still running

Still 510 miles to St Helena

Saturday October 30, 2004 am
Position at 0530 UTC

21 56 S
2 09 E
Cog 340
Sog 5.5 kt
Wind 10 kt
Still running

Last night the radar woke me up, it spotted a vessel 9 miles on our starboard quarter, however I could not see anything. It passed us during the night. This morning another shake by the bedshaker and another vessel passing us. I could just see it at first light, also 9 miles from us. It was a freighter.
Wind veers in afternoon and backs at night, so we are sailing a bit of a zig- ag pattern. I tried to go on a broad reach but too much yawing when cross swells lift us up, made me abandon this tactic.
Will stick to running goosewinged.
570 miles to go to St Helena.

Friday October 29, 2004 pm
Position at 1700 hrs UTC
22 31 S
3 27 E
Cog 325
Sog 7.5 kt
Wind 22 kts
Still running, goosewinged.

Another very quiet day for me, reading my 6th 400 page plus book so far.
Eat, read, sail and sleep.
I must admit I am getting very lonely again.
Still have not sighted any ships.
Surfing down swells at 9 knots occasionally, hull vibrating tremendously when
surpassing hull speed.
Willie still steering remarkably well.
1050 miles from CapeTown
650 miles to St Helena

Friday October 29, 2004 am
Position at 0600 hrs UTC
23 12 S
4 35 E
Cog 325
Sog 7.5 kt
Wind 22 kt
Wind from the SE

Still running, full main, headsail poled out(wing on wing?)
Sailed all night under an almost full moon, wind has backed during the night, bearing was 360 until this morning. Wind veered and we are back on course. Still a little on the east side of the rhumb line. Seas much calmer now.
Nights still very chilly. Have not seen a single ship since Sunday.
Slurped up another one of Ken Follets books.

Thursday October 28, 2004 pm
The wind went down to 11 knots this morning and our speed dwindled down to 5 knots. I shook out the reefs on the main and hauled it all the way up. Still our speed dwindled to 4.3 knots this morning. I concidered hauling out the spinnaker but IT was still swaying too much in the uneven seas.
I decided to enjoy the smoothe sailing for a while to rest and finish one of Ken Follets books. The wind has since picked up.
Position at 1630
25 11 S
5 54 E
Cog 345
Sog 7 knots
Wind 15 knots
820 miles to St Helena
Still running

Thursday October 28, 2004 am
Position at 0530 UTC
24 56 S
6 48 E
Cog 335
Sog 6.5 kt
Wind 15 kt
Wind from SE
Still running, goosewinging

Still have not encountered any ships, which is good news.
A quiet night for me, finished reading Bill Bryson's and a Forsyth book.
Seas down a bit, not much rolling, just occasionally when a cross swell passes
underneath us.
Almost to the halfway mark to St Helena, just 36 more miles.
812 miles from CapeTown, 886 miles to St Helena.

Wednesday October 27, 2004 pm
Position at 1600 hrs UTC
25 57 S
8 06 E
Cog 330
Sog 7kt
Wind 20 kt
Wind from SE

Wind veered a little and we are back running again. Headsail poled out as usual, main still double reefed.
720 miles from CapeTown (700 miles in 4 days!)
980 miles to St Helena.
Reading a Forsyth novel.
The sun came out today and it felt good on my face again. It also lifted my spirits as the past 3 days the cloudy and cool weather has made me very grumpy!
With the wind down so is the rocking and rolling. I am much more comfortable, but I suspect the wind will pick up at nightfall again.

Wednesday October 27, 2004 am
Position at 0545 UTC
26 41 S
9 09 E
Cog 320
Sog 7 kt
Wind 28 kt
Wind from the S
On a broad reach, double reefed main and furled up headsail, port tack.

Sailed all night on a run, bearing 360 degrees.
It was my worst night ever. The constant yawing and rolling let me feel as though I was a rag doll inside a washing machine. This morning, still lacking sleep, my body is aching all over. The wind backed last night, but this morning it has veered and I took a jibe. The seas are the worst I have experienced so far sailing on a run, due to the cross swells and uneven motion and high winds, but I have it all at my back and I want to make the most of it.
Still very cloudy out here, not so chilly anymore as we are getting closer to the lower latitudes.
No ships too as we are way offshore, 200 miles from land.

Tuesday October 26, 2004 pm
A special thanks to the following persons involved in manufacturing the new
stainless steel rudder for Willie:

Jack van Heerden at Design Advantage for Drawings
Waldo at Laserwise for lasercutting
Johan at Clearwater for turning the shaft
Rudolph Lawrence at Liberator engineering for the welding
And also my brother,Francois.
Baie dankie Manne !!!

Position at 1630 UTC
27 58 S
10 09 E
Cog 335
Sog 6.5 knots
Wind 26 knots
Wind from SE
Still running with double reefed main and headsail (80%) poled out.

I have since double reefed the main as the seas just became too rough.
Constant yawing and rolling is the order of the day.
With the main double reefed,it is a little better but jibed twice already
due to cross swells and very uneven waves, not what I expected from the South
Atlantic. Even got pooped by a nice breaker, the whole cockpit under water!
Read a few chapters of Bill Brysons's book "A short history of nearly
everything"
Quite fascinating!
Had soya, mince and gravy for lunch.

Tuesday October 26, 2004 am
Position at 0500 hrs UTC
28 46 S
11 16 E
Cog 330
Sog 7.5 kts
Wind 24 kts
Wind from the SE
Still running, headsail poled out, goosewinged, full main.
Very cloudy weather, still chilly.
Have since strapped petrol generator to mast, to keep fumes out of cabin.
Will use it to charge batteries daily, saving diesel for doldrums.
Everything very expensive on St Helena.
Almost 500 miles from Cape Town.
Still 1210 miles to St Helena.

Monday October 25, 2004 pm
Not much happening today. Trimmed Willie only twice today, we are back in the trades, passed 30 latitude today!!! Winds steady and strong. We are well off the west coast and its treacherous fog bank. Still no traffic! Cool!
Spent most of the day snuggled in warm blankets reading again! Still chilly out here. Checking for traffic every 30 min, have not seen anything since our close encounters with a fishing boat yesterday. I assume we are very far from the shipping routes.

Position at 1630 UTC
29 42 S
12 46 E
Cog 335
Sog 7.5
Wind 24 knots
Still running with headsail poled out, goosewinged and full main.
Almost 400 miles from CapeTown!

Monday October 25, 2004 am
Position at 0500 hrs UTC

30 37 S
13 59 E
Cog 335
Sog 7.5 knots
Wind 18 knots
Wind from SSE
Running with headsail poled out, goose winged, full main.

No traffic all day and all night so far.
I headed deep offshore and am now sailing just east of the rhumbline heading towards St Helena, still 1390 miles away. A lone albatross has been keeping me company. It is hard to adapt to the loneliness again after 3 weeks in Cape Town and friends and family visiting everyday. Have been reading a little, slept little on short intervals but I am positive about accomplishing my goal. The seas have calmed down somewhat since yesterday and we are not rolling so much anymore. Willie has been steering very very well and is keeping us on a straighter course with his new rudder now.

Sunday October 24, 2004 pm
1440 UTC
Exactly 200 miles from Cape Town !!
Not bad sailing in 28 hrs !

Position
31 50 S
15 19 E
Cog 325
Sog 7 knots

On a broad reach, port tack, full main and headsail.
No sun, very cloudy and chilly.
Had my first can of food, which I ate - I was very picky!!
It will take a while before I am able to gobble those canned foods down again.
Willie's new rudder works like a dream! Thanks brother Francois!!

A Special note
To Commodore Russel Velmore and RCYC manager Trevor Wilkens:
Thank you for your kind hospitality during my stay at the yacht Club !
To all members also thank you for your kindness and comeraderie.
To my cousin Toni, thank you for everything.

Sunday October 24, 2004 am
Position at 0500 hrs UTC
32 31 S
16 25 E
Cog 335
Sog 6.8 knots
Wind 25 knots
Wind from SE
Seas very rough,impossible to cook anything on stove.

Yesterday morning I kicked Francois and Susan out and started packing. Zac came by to say goodbye. Oom Pierre and Tannie Marie too. I took IT over to the fuel dock and filled up the main tank. Francois went over to get me some petrol for the gas generator. Soon friends and wellwishers joined in. Morne and family there too. You know how I hate goodbyes, so I said my farewells to everyone in a hurry, then took off. Three sailboats followed me out, new friend, Thomas Boecker on one of them. Wind was light and we sailed close hauled out into the bay, heading for Robben Island.
Soon Thunderchild caught up and Francois, Susan, Toni, Deon and their families and Oom Pierre and Tannie Marie too as well as many wellwishing friends. They took footage of IT and me with Table mountain in the background. I shot video footage too. They stayed with me for a while then turned back. Thomas stayed with me until I passed Robben Island and it was not long before it was just me and IT and the big blue seas again.
At sunset the magnificent Table Mountain dropped out of sight behind the horizon. The wind picked up strongly and all night we sailed on a broad reach with IT occasionally yawing down large swells. It was a long night and we encountered a fishing vessel passing on our starboard side only 200 meters from us.
Hope to catch some zzz today!

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