What and experience

As we sail/motor into Tortola this morning 36 days have gone passed and
I still have that excited feeling in my belly that some thing different
brings you and which I have experienced every day since we left Cape
Town.
This has been pure magic, whether I can fit back into life as I know it,
or not,is going to be interesting. I have read a number of books which
have only helped to further rattle my mind two of which are A New Earth
by Eckhart Tolle and The Art of Redemption by Stuart Wilde, both worth a
read.
For me, who thought I was in touch with the weather and what made it
work, this has been a learning experience second to none, especially as
we have had two full moons, some fairly heavy weather, some fantastic
weather, numerous displays by the universe in the form of dolphin, sea
birds with attitude (Pete), fish with attitude ( Gareths barracouta
that was not happy about the way we pulled him on board) and the Tuna
eating frenzy on my birthday. The down to earth people who you meet at
each stop all with huge smiles, we even had Cool Runnings come along
side to see if we needed anything.
And then you realize this is a job, Pauls JOB one that is requires an
individual that is prepared to take on in your face responsibility,NOW.
Here you live in the moment and this is undoubtedly the best place to
learn about it.
This man is as cool as they come, but alert to every slight change in
weather or engine tone,not over serious but takes complete charge always.
I knew I was privilaged to be on this trip and now that it is nearly over
I am can only reiterate my thanks to everybody concerned.
When I originally thanked who I thought was everybody I left out the main
bods. Nicky and Louis at Tui Marine thank you for everything.
Mom,I think your boy will be OK, he has had his leg pulled very badly and
has almost lost the "I am not a morning person look". He now eats
fish,mussels a bit of avo, although with long teeth, struggles with his
greens, fortuneatly there was not a lot on the menu.He still talks in
short hand but has had to repeat a lot so you can now understand
him.(Incidently my hearing is very good).Charles Atlas he is not but there
is a realization that exercise is good and it is all abuot personal
discipline.
Thanks Paul and Gareth for a magic trip.

Mal

Like sand through an hour glass...

Like sand through an hour glass, so are the days of our lives.

So, here we are, 35nm from our final port of call and motoring along at
a steady 5knots with a beautiful full moon and flashes of lightning in
the air.

Although a relatively quick passage, 36 days at seas can normally make
your average joe go insane. It seems as if it was just yesterday that we
stamped out and cleared off from Cape Town and set our gps to our first
waypoint(790nm away). What made the time fly was the fact that there was
never a dull or an awkward moment with the crew and we all got along
very well. From previous experience aboard a boat with conflict between
crew i know how a passage that takes a week, feels like 3 months and a
passage on a boat with a dynamic and happy crew feels like 2 days.

Syncronicity our baby. Has taken us safely half way around the world.
She has been a delight to sail, from doing 3knots to 19.8knots, she just
trucked along.

So that is that.

Enjoy your day today and the rest of your weekend.
Gareth

A young old man,an old young man and a seawulf

And so the time has come to look a bit backward,a bit forward,and just
to look.By pure coincidence I met Malcolm on a flight from Cape Town to
Durban.He occupied the seat next to me at the emergency exit.He was on
his way to Durban to assist another friend of mine,Robbie Dove from
Ocean Sailing Academy in delivering a yacht back to Cape Town.Malcolm
also happened to be paging through a sailing manual which prompted me to
ask him if he sails.He told me little about himself and about the
sailing he's done.I asked him whether he would like to really go
sailing,long distance delivering a yacht to Tortola.He seemed keen and
we exchanged business cards.He was 62 turning 48.

Gareth came highly recommended through Karin at Offshore Sailing Academy
in Durban.I told her I want only the very best and she had no hesitation
in connecting me and Gareth.I received his resume,and although only twenty
years old,he had more sailing experience than most people that sail twice
his age.He was as the Chinese would say the "old man" regardless of
age.The Chinese junkboats were sometimes captained by such able young
men.I don't know why we call these amazing craft junkboats.

And so it came to be that the three of us landed up together.I don't
question the Higher hand that placed the three of us on the same boat or
how it was done,but I know why.In a way we would all shape each other's
future.Malcolm learned a lot about sailing from Gareth,and gareth in turn
learned a lot about standing your man from Malcolm.The one "set" in his
ways and the other making his way,it was interesting to observe these two
and the co-operation between them.They often "teamed" up against
me,forging their bond even stronger and gaining mutual respect.As
Captain,I run a democratic operation,but as the person ultimately
responsible for all of us,I also have ultimate authority.I was often
questioned and rightly so.They would soon learn about the method behind my
madness or sometimes the madness behind my method,whichever you prefer.The
end result was excellent crew dynamics between all of us and maximum
efficiency.Not for a moment did any of us at any time wished for this trip
to be over.

As the fourth or perhaps I should rather say the first member of this
party was Synchronicity,the Leopard 46 we were entrusted to.We would sail
her fast yet gentle,opting for perfect sail trim and balance instead of
just throwing sheer canvass to the wind.We paid attention to her every
need as conditions would dictate,not just sitting and waiting for things
to happen.What a pleasure it was to wash her at St.Maarten earlier on
today.From head to toe,rich foamy boat soap and fresh water was used to
remove any dust or salt residue and she came out shining and strutting her
stuff as only she can,the new Queen Cat of the Caribbean.

We also wish to thank everyone that made this journey possible.Our
families,the incredible team at Tui Marine,the people we met along the way
and most of all we thank you for keeping us in your prayers,your
thoughts,your heart.I will use my ultimate authority to have Malcolm and
Gareth also add their impressions for your enjoyment.It is nearly
midnight,the full moon is overhead and it is time for me to go and howl
some spine chilling,earpiercing cries to the
moon.Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhoooooooooooooooooooooo
aaaaaaahhhhhhhhooooooooooooooooooooo !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

St.Lucia,Martinique,Dominica,Guadaloupe,Montserrat and onwards

After a short visit to St.Lucia we left just before sunset and our next
waypoint placed just of Montserrat.On our way the first island to
starboard was Martinique,a French controlled island.It appeared and
disappeared as the light squalls come over not carrying much wind with
them.After Martinique Dominica appeared of the misty rain type of day
we,ve had out here,not rainy,just visibility not all that good.As we
came past Guadaloupe we had a fresh breeze of about 23 kts as a squall
came through.We ran with it for a little while and as it eased of and
the wind shifted we slowly worked our way back to our chosen course.

As the squalls moved over there would be a lull in the wind for a while
before it starts picking up again.At times we motored and at times we
were sailing making excellent speed.We have Montserrat currently on our
port side,well known for being an active volcano.One of the few times we
pass an island on the windward side as we don't want the black volcanic
ash from Montserrat to settle on our yacht.an hour or so and we will
change course once again towards St.Maarten where we hope to arrive at
first light tomorrow morning.We may spend a while there cleaning where
we can before we leave for Tortola between 4 and 6 pm tomorrow afternoon
in order to arrive at first light on Sunday,clear customs and
immigration before we finally tie up at Tortola.

It is not time for retrospection yet,but it has been a very fast
crossing.Another 46 that left Cape Town five days before us out of Cape
Town is just a day ahead of us and they did not stop at St.Helena.It has
been an excellent trip in many ways and the average speed we maintained
is well above average.Less than two days to go and one can't believe how
time just slipped away.It is also full moon tonight and perhaps later we
might all just howl at the moon,showing a bit of the wild side residing
in us.....aaaaahhhhooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hola St.Lucia Ciao ciao St.Lucia

Yesterday morning the first land for many a day was in sight,St.Lucia.We
rounded the island,was met by the two huge rocky pinnacles called the
pytons and an hour later pulled in at the Moorings Base in Marigot to
get a last few odds and ends,some extra LPG just in case and had a meal
at the local reatuarant.At 6 pm our time we were on our way again and
expect to arrive at St.Maarten on Saturday morning and are considering
spending a few hours there to clean the boat and time our arrival at
Tortola for early Sunday morning.

It was a first time for Malcolm to get a feel of the Caribbean and what
better place than at St.Lucia.Malcolm and I enjoyed some fish and chips
and Gareth had chicken and chips.We were hoping to get pizza but the
restaurant only starts serving pizza after 6 pm and we could not wait
till then.Things to do,places to go,deadlines to meet.

Outside the nearly full moon is cloaking the islands and water around us
in soft white.From here to Tortola we will have land in view at all
times,a sign that this journey is coming to an end.But we still have our
final 300 nm to go before reaching our final destination and will only
lay tools down once we are tied up,signed over and ready to fly back to
South Africa.

We would have made it in time for flying out on Monday morning but now
have an extra day to clean and shine before handing over.It is also our
way of saying thanks to Synchronicity for behaving like the star she
turned out to be and for getting us here safe and sound.We will keep you
posted to the end.

Silver sunrise and silver sunset

Never a dull day.This morning I was on the 6 to 10 watch and watched the
sun rising,not yellow , red or inbetween,but silver.ad the day progessed
the sun stayed silver and at sunset silver still.The only clue to what
was going on started with two butterflies on board,out of
nowhere.Then,imperceivably slowly the finest layer of dust started
settling on certain places on the yacht,Sahara desert dust!!!

I've experienced this before when sailing to Europe although the sun is
a more pinkish colour,but no heat penetrating.The faint smell of dust
also starts to get noticable.I have never experienced this dust so far
away from the Sahara but a reference book of mine confirmed it.There are
times when some of this dust can reach the Carribean and even North
America 7 days after a huge sandstorm with the right winds.Apparently
some of the minerals,fungi and bacteria brought in with the Saharan dust
could be partly responsible for damage to the coral reefs around the
Carribean.

Currently we have Barbados about 20 nm to our starboard but cannor see
much light glow due partly to the fine dust in the air and also the
growing moon overhead.On a clear dark night you will see the light glow
a hundred miles away.We are due to race past St.Lucia tomorrow at noon
and then N up the Carribean to Tortola.The end is nearly in sight and it
feels like we have just started the trip.Sure we went fast and sure we
stopped really only once,but it is over before you know it.The end is
similar the beginning in some ways for me,a mix of sadness and
happiness and many things inbetween.

We are not there yet but in relation to what we have covered we are on
the home run.The big clean up,clear in, hand over,clear out and away we
go.Looking forward to catching a glimpse of the final few matches.

Take care and chat again tomorrow.

A bag of mixed fortunes

Today started in absolute splendour.The rising sun colouring the sky
with infinite hues of colours that refuses to be descibed.And rainbows
all around us with a vertical rainbow straight ahead of us.Considering
that we haven't had any sun for days and rain and more rain,this was
more than a sight for sore eyes.

It was also a promise of some wind to
assist us on our merry way.And wind we had and wind we've got,at a price
though.Still squalls every now and then,not heavy earthshattering ones
but gentle if one can call a squall gentle with wind in rising to the
early twenties.

Wind shifting all the time and towards evening the direction and
strength settled allowing us to raise our mainsail to second reef and
genoa furled to conditions at hand.Earlier on we were motorsailing with
a full genoa as the wind was not strong enough.It is still not very
strong and coming in from the east,leaving us on a broadreach,a
difficult angle to sail on with main and genoa.

On second reef the main can go more forward spilling less wind and we are
being pushed along by the wind maintaining 6 to 7 kts.Not good not bad,but
at least the engines are having a break and we are enjoying the sweet
sound of wind in the sails and water passing under our hulls.

Earlier on we passed a Brazilian navy vessel more or less stationary and
as we got closer it started moving again.We spotted a yellow bouy in the
exact postion they were in.Made us wonder what it was for and what is
attached to it but did not stop to check it out.Tonight a passenger ship
with plenty of lights on passed on our portside about three miles
away,appearing and disappearing as the squalls coame and went.We are
closing in on Barbados which heralds the Caribbean with land always in
sight till we reach our final destination.Also time for us to start
shining up and preparing our vessel for handover.

Our position at midnight boat time was 11*05'N/57*33'W.Our ETA for Tortola
is 26/06.Wishing you a most pleasant day and may you also experience a bit
of the peace and calm to be had out here on this moonlit night.

Standing by on 16

40 days and 40 nights

I have a small idea what Noah must have felt like on the ark.It has been
raining here by us for the last four days with wind coming from
everywhere except where our weather report predicted.At "sunset" last
night there was a trace of a break in the weather from the east.We have
been motoring for what seems like forever,wind on the nose mostly and
the last 24 hrs struggling to make 6 kts.But as we have learned,things
will change and perhaps today is the day.

Our ETA still looks OK for arriving at Tortola before Monday next
week,but we did change our flight tickets to Tuesday,buying us a little
extra time.Not that we will slack,not at all.We are still at it as
though we will be flying back on Monday.Once again the weather report
looks excellent for us to make up some time,but only time will tell.

It was Malcolm's birthday yesterday and thanks for all the messages and
phone calls he received.His watch started at 3 am yesterday morning and
he was up till about 8 pm,making sure he makes the most of his 48th
going on 63rd birthday.Part of him really enjoys being out here but I
know part of him would have loved to be home yesterday.Such is life on
the ocean.

At 3 am this morning we have about 760 nm to go.Outside it is raining
but the wind have changed direction coming from the north now and the
combination of motor and genoa is yielding 7 kts.Barometer at
1014,humidity 95%,temperature 28*C and our position 10*00'N/55*51'W.

Last night we saw a little bit of the moon as the sky is showing signs
of clearing and we also saw a star.If we had a white dove on board I
could have sent him out hoping he returns with an olive leave.Then we
would know the end is in sight.Seems like it is raining all over the
world but our spirits are in good shape.Take good care and stay in
touch.

Ain't no sunshine when she's gone

Another day of rain and more rain.Not one ray of sunshine could pierce
through the heavy cloud cover.Squalls coming and going,wind up and down
and shifting around but we push on regardless,through it all.When the
wind drops to just about nothing,the genoa is furled in,when the wind
picks up we furl the genoa out,motoring all the while and fighting to
keep our required average up.Less than a 1 000 nm ahead of us and time
is running out.At 6 kts we won't make it,at 7 kts we will be OK and at 8
kts we will be making it in style.Not always knowing what lies ahead for
us it is paramount that we don't ease off,not for a minute.It could
cost us dearly.24/7.

Today was Father's Day and hope all the dads were spoiled a
little.Thanks to my wife and daughter who also made my day very special
and also stood in for me with my own dad,getting him a little
present.Thank you.It was not Malcolm's birthday today.As I hit the send
button I realized my mistake but it was to late.His birthday is
21 June.But having two birthdays and a Father's Day he's got no reason
to complain.He was ultra delighted when his daughter Storm called him to
wish him happy Father's Day.He always refers to her as Stormi and Gareth
and myself have to watch our p's and q's when referring to our Storm
jib,Storm coming over,Storm brewing,Storm warning and one of our
favorite songs by The Doors,you guessed it,Riders on the Storm.In
nautical terms a Storm on the Beaufort Scale is Force 10,48 to 55 kts of
wind.Very high waves with overhanging crests and seasurface looking
white.Force 11 is termed as a Violent Storm,56 to 63 kts of wind with
exceptionally high waves and the sea completely covered in foam.To say
there is a Force 10 warning,a Force 10 brewing,a Force 10 coming over
and a Force 10 jib,a small sail for such adverse conditions could be
technically correct but doesn't have the same ring as Storm,so yes,we
are having some Stormi weather.With due respect to Stormi.

In Biblical times a man saw a cloud the size of his hand and had faith
that it will end the drought.today we saw a patch of blue sky about the
size of a hand.We trust that we will see more of that tomorrow and who
knows,maybe even a bit of sun.The rain is a welcome relief to the
incrdible heat when the sun beats down on us all day and we are
certainly not complaining,love the sun,love the rain,the
moon,stars,rainbows,flying fish,all creatures big and small,all
conditions,from the doldrums to the squalls.Stardust,all of us.

Our position at 01:30 AM UTC is 08*21'N/052*58'W.The barometric pressure
is 1013 mb/hPa,humidity 97%,temperature 27*C.Distance from Tortola 960
nm.We wish you a splendid Monday.

Until next time

Wet wet wet

Our faith paid of handsomely.Half an hour before Gareth came on watch
the breeze upped a few notches.We raised the main to first reef and
furled the genoa out to first reef as well,turned the motor off and
since then we have been hurling along at 8 to 9 knots.What a
relief,saving diesel,building some extra time into our schedule.ofcourse
it comes at a price,squalls all around,windshifts,but generally doing
exceptioally well.Tonight just after 9 pm boat time with Malcolm on
watch the wind speed increased from 16 to 27 and we had to turn into the
wind,drop the main to second reef,furl the genoa to second reef and back
on track,all the while maintaining good speed.It was the first time on
this trip that I had to turn into the wind and shake a reef.With
assistance from Gareth and the deck light on,we made small work of the
operation.

Earlier today we let a lure out and shortly afterwards we landed a
yellow fin tuna.Malcolm did the filleting and 30 minutes later we
feasted on the freshest sushimi you will find anywhere.A drop of
wasabi,a slice of pickled ginger and soya sauce made it authentic,two
bowls of fish slices,one "cooked" with fresh lemon juice and the other
bowl as is.Gareth also had a slice or two aquiring a taste for all types
of things he's not used to on this trip.

I just returned from a substantial swell.Wind up to 27 kts from the stern
helming in order to prevent an accidental gybe,gybe preventer off in case
I want to turn into the squall should it get to wild,furling the genoa in
to storm gib size.A flock of birds chirping all around the boat with the
rain coming down in buckets,pitchdark with no stars in sight.Some of my
previous and current crewmembers will be delighted to hear I got
wet,thoroughly wet,drenched to the bone and loving every moment of it on
this winter solstice.Closer to nature I cannot imagine.The wind shifted
here,there,sped up,slowed down,the rained became a drizzle and for a while
we were completely becalmed.The wind has now started to settle in again
and giving us good miles.During the squall we were doing about 12 kts and
in the right direction.

Gareth woke me up on his earlier watch to look at a ship that appeared out
of his squall earlier on.About a mile away we could hear the motor and
smell the crude oil they use for fuel.Fortunately it was running in the
same direction.Sometimes when one goes into a big squall with little
visibilty it is wise to make a call on the VHF to all ships in the area.He
just wanted to make sure that we are OK with the big ship in such close
proximity.Another squall is coming over us and Gareth's turn to deal with
it,me advising him a little here and there about setting rudder response
and gain up,furling the genoa and sitting tight.

Well,as you can see we are having loads of fun out here.Our position
06*46'N/51*06'W,barometer down to 1009 for the first time on this
trip,humidity 95%,as in the heavens,so on the ocean,wet wet wet.Have a
super Sunday and take good care.

Opposite the Amazon

What can you do ?A little bit of current,a breeze that is slowly
building out of the north-east,motoring at 2000 rpm and we are just
holding on to 7 kts.The genoa does help somewhat but the main slows us
down and we patiently have to trust and wait for more wind.At this speed
we will arrive at Tortola on Saturday night to clear customs and
immigration and on Sunday hand the boat over.Monday morning fly back to
SA.We are conserving our diesel somewhat in case we need to up the rpm's
but we can hardly afford to go slower than 7 kts.

Tommorrow the water will probably turn brown from the outflow of the
Amazon and we are 200 nms away from the river mouth.One does not get the
brown water right opposite the river,only once you are N of the mouth as
the current curves the outflow of the mighty Amazon as well.One of my
previous crewmembers once told me that a perana can devour a whole cow
in eight minutes.I was shocked and asked how one little fish can eat a
whole cow in eight minutes.A big shark perhaps,but a little perana?She
shook her head in disbelief saying that I know what she means,a school
of peranas.Oh yes I replied,I can very well believe that.This was about
three years ago and we arranged with another yacht a rendesvouz in more
or less the same place we will be in the morning.We met,had a good lunch
on my boat and were swimming to and fro the two boats all the time.No
peranas,sharks or crocodiles attacked us.

Being on such a tight scghedule does take it's toll on one.But this is
the nature of what we do sometimes,a little pressure to push a little
harder,a load of faith,some pre-arrangements with the base in Tortola
and our flight tickets standing firm.It is Malcolms birthday on the 20th
and Gareth mentioned something about baking a cake.The first ship in
days is passing on our starboard side moving in the same direction as
us.Perhaps we should have asked him for a tow.Anyway,we are confident
that conditions will improve and we can get somewhat ahead of schedule.

Our postition currently at UTC midnight is 04*05'N/048*00'W.Humidity is
down to 75%.In the last hour the wind has gone from 7 kts to 11 kts and
we are back in the 8 kt zone.Looks very promising and we might just take
the main up again when Gareth comes on watch in half an hour or so.

Standing by on 16

The doldrums

We are currently motoring through the doldrums with a flat ocean heaving
all around us.A slight headwind is impeding our progress somewhat but we
are staying above 7 kts.It won't last forever and soon we will be across
the Amazon river where we also normally find better currents and
wind.

Typical of where we find ourselves currently the skies are covered by
heavy clouds with downpours all around us,now and then on us.A little
bit of lightning in the distance also motivated us to drop some chain
tied around the mast in the water as a lightning conductor.A little bit
early but it makes Gareth feel a bit safer.

Special arrangements have been made for us to do handover during the
weekend should we arrive at Tortola on the 26th instead of the 25th.All
seems set for us to make our scheduled flights for Monday
morning,28/06.We leave the base at 5 am and will have therefore no time
to do the handover then.

Our nav lights on the bow stopped working last night.I do have a spare
globe and once the sun went down we opened the nav light and the light
worked again,just a bad contact.We also have three avian visitors
tonight hitching a ride to who knows where.Black feathers and webbed
feet they are always welcome,helping us to keep a close watch on
proceedings.

Sad to hear about Bafana Bafana losing 3/0 and shocking of their
supporters leaving before the match ended.I guess modern soccer has
become a bit of a farce with players acting out and referees being
conned into believing foul play occurred.As with rugby the slow motion
replay should be consulted before a decision to reward a penalty is
made.Seems that athletic talent is not enough nowadays and perhaps we
will soon have some player awarded an Oscar.It is after all the biggest
"show" in the world but is it sport?

Midnight here by us and the water and air is 30*C,humidity 90%,I
repeat,90%.Our position 02*19'N/046*20'W.Distance to go 1500nm.

Outside we also have some dolphins carving the pitch black water,their
luminescent bodies showing clearly.Perhaps they are the forebearers of
some wind coming our way.We will keep you posted.

Crossing the equator

An hour before we reaches the equator we had a most amazing soft misty
rain floating down from the sky.In the stern light one could see these
minute little droplets dancing in the slight breeze we had and so
refreshing on the skin.By this time we had all the sails in as there is
not enough wind although we are in very favourable currents speeding us
along at 9 kts on one motor.Half an hour later the wind picked up to 30
kts and we were overtaken by a squall and raining hard for 15
minutes.These things always seem to happen on Gareths watch and he was
drenced.In these hot climates such quick cooling is always a blessing.so
this is how we were received at the equator,cool air,no wind, no rain.

We crossed the eqautor at 09:15 pm last night crossing over at
00*00'S/043*59'W.We had the usual ritual of paying our due respects and
both crewmembers had to be initiated.First up was Gareth who had to
mouth a tablespoon of peanut butter and flour and then spelling
Synchronicity using the phonetic alphabet...Sierra Yankee November and
so on.While he was doing this I had to do the honor of braking an egg on
his head,douse him with flour and finish it with copious amounts of
syrup.Any mistake on his part and he could get another egg on his head
and possibly a rotten one.He was fine with the phonetics but spelling
Synchronicity was a little harder but he passed with a little
assistance.Next was Malcolm who went through the same procedure and
probably anticipated to do the phonetic alphabet starting ar Alpha Bravo
Charlie.I told him I want only 7 letters but he must start at the back
which made him slip a little swearword.Zulu Yankee and he got stuck at
X.I told him it is nearly like stingray and he clicked,X-ray,next I had
to tell him it is not brandy it is and he got Whisky.It is really hard
to do the alphabet backwards if asked to do so unexpectedly and he got
his second egg which was not rotten in case you wondered.It was all
taken and done in good spirit and we had a good laugh.We also dropped a
bottle in the ocean with messages we placed inside,all three holding the
bottle and throwing it overboard together.Then it was cleaning up time
for them.Gareth thought he may want to feel what it is like to get into
the ocean at night and dropped the diving ladder,tied a rope around
himself and were in and out in a flash.Malcolm refused point blank.This
is Malcolm Rennie from Port Shepstone I might add.In his defense,he did
take a little dip in the ocean at St.Helena and secondly you don't have
to be mad to do these type of things but it helps a lot.

Back to us surfing at 19.8 kts.Average speed when sailing is 6.6
kts.Travelling on a highway you do 120 kms/hr.Double the speed and you
are sailing at 13.2 kts and driving at 240 kms/hr which is very very
fast.Surfing at 19.8 kts would then have you driving at 360 kms/hr with
no brakes and 15 tons of weight under you,ridiculous fast if you get my
drift.Perhaps for a moment time stood still.Our progress towards
St.Lucia is better than expected.We have a little over 1600 nm to go and
must do it in ten days to catch our flights back to SA,although we are
aiming to do it in eight days.Eight days will require an average of 8.3
kts and ten days will require an average of 6.6 kts.Perhaps we will do
it in nine days at an average of 7.4 kts.We will have to wait and see
what the wind,the currents and the motors can do.We have been averaging
8.3 for the last three days so who knows.

We were holding thumbs for Bafana Bafana and please let us know what the
score was.

Standing by on 16

Hola Fortaleza Ciao ciao till we meet again

As hoped for,we reached Fortaleza on Monday afternoon,albeit late
afternoon.Filling the watertanks required some hose fitting we had to
take here place there and borrow a hosepipe from a French yachtie,all
taking up our precious time.Once the tanks were full,we rinsed off the
salt residue collected from sailing on the beam a day or two with a
splash over us now and then.

The restaurant at the hotel only opened at 7
pm and we had half an hour or so to take a dip in the pool and be at the
restaurant on time.A fairly good buffet with sumptious desert were
enjoyed before we headed back to the boat,casted off and disappeared
into the night.

The day we arrived at Fortaleza was also our first 200 + miles a day on
this trip and we did the same for the next 24 hours after leaving
Fortaleza.We regularly surf at 14 + knots and attained a maximum speed
of 19.8 knots,outrunning the wave we were surfing on and hooking into
the next one,leaving us a wide eyed and bushy tailed.

We are now also off the shallow banks and are looking forward to hooking
into some serious current.The equator is now not to far away and if all
goes well we will cross it tonight.The initiation for both my crew and a
few other special requests will also be adhered to when we cross.

On this note I will leave you to imagine what it feels like to surf at
three the times the average speed on a catamaran.

Adios

When dolphins come to play......

There is an old mariner saying that when doplhins come to play,trouble
is on the way.It is surprising how often that holds true,trouble meaning
stronger winds and rougher seas mostly.Yestereday morning we had a quick
visit and at sunset the dolphins stayed with us for half an hour.It as a
pod of Atlantic Spotted Dolphins on both occasions.This morning we had a
pod of Clymene Dolphins paying us a visit.Both types are fast
swimmers,excellent bowriders and the energy they excude,the lustfull
playfullness always a pleasure to behold.

True to the legend,the weather turned Westerly and the wind speed slowly
started building,settling between 20 25 kts having us sailing on the
beam,what a pleasure.the seastate has roughened as well and we are
certainly not as quiet and smooth as on a run but we are fast,very
fast.At one point we thought we may only reach Fortaleza on Tuesday
morning and worked out some waypoints in case of a night entry.We would
have entered,filled the water tanks and on our way again.With the speed
we are doing now it is very likely that we will reach Fortaleza on
Monday afternoon as we hoped for to keep to our tight schedule.We now
can fill the watertanks,have supper at the Marina Park Hotel and before
heading for St.Lucia,about 1700 nm away.With the good currents and wind
we normally find up here we are bound to do a few 200 nm a day runs.The
trouble the dolphins brought us we appreciate,and although we are
sailing undercanvassed,second reef in main and genoa we are staying
above 9 kts.More and more ships alos appear and disappear a s we are
nearing the South American Coast.Yesterday we also landed a seapike or
pick handle baracuda for some,but set this toothy specimen free
again.They can sometimes be poisonous,especially around reefs but the
flesh is also not that tasty.Lucky fish.

The pressure is still on to make Tortola in time for our scheduled air
tickets on 28/06.We still have to run from St.Lucia up to Tortola,clear
customs,do the handover at Tortola.All things that take time.We have
plenty of diesel left,still have to cross the equator but with your
prayers,good wishes,good wind and good currents we stand a fighting
change of pulling this one through.From our side we do our best to do
whatever the weather requires to get optimum balance between,speed,not
placing undue pressure on our yacht,staying sensible,staying
focused.Without all of the above in place we have no chance whatsoever.

We wish you a less mad week ahead than we imagine the weekend and Friday
was.

Viva viva viva

Just a small posting to convey our condolences to the Mandela family,our
congratulations to the Bafana Bafana team and our ceaseless gratitude
for the goodwill we receive from you.We are doing exceedingly well in
all matters and may post a bit more later today,definately will give you
a complete update for Monday.Viva viva viva,blow your vuvuzela!!!

Laaaaaaduuuuuuuuumaaaa !!!!!!!!!

From many different sources we gather that the vibe from the WCS is
spectacular and that the country is going crazy blowing vuvuzelas
everywhere.What a positive energy that must be when everyone is
excited,united and we wish Bafana Bafana all the best against Mexico
today.May they play out of their skins today spurred on by wave upon
wave of vuvuzela muti.

One our side of the world we are also in go go go mood,thanks for that
positive comment.Fortaleza is only three days away and in true F1 style
we will do a pitstop only before we are back on track again.Not a second
to waste.Monday morning first light we will enter Fortaleza and be out
in a flash.The currents and the wind has been kind to us,we have loads
of diesel left and are unshaken by the distance left to go and the time
we have to do it in.We are focused,we are fast and we are fortunate to
have your best wishes as well.

For supper last night we had dorado with potato spuds on the menu but no
dorado,our suppliers never turned up.Instead we had rump steak and spuds
which went down rather well.Water temperature has reached 30*C and sea
water showers are now the order of the day,only rinsing with fresh water
from our deck shower.Refreshing,invigorating.Our postition at 04:00 SA
time was 07*32'S/027*56'W and a little over 600 nm from Fortaleza.The
barometer is at 1015,it is new moon or dark moon if you wish.Viva
Bafana,Viva Vuvuzela,Viva South Africa,Viva.

On wings and other things

Last day before WCS begins and we also a little jealous of not being
there for the opening seremony and the first rounds of games.We will be
there for the final week and won't miss the boat entirely.We will blow
our foghorn on Friday as we don't have a vuvuzela on board.

Our mission to do the last 2900 nm in 16 days will take some doing.We
are four days from Fortaleza and going faster and faster.Nine days to
St.Lucia no problem and two days to Tortola we will even have a day to
spare.It does take a lot of faith on our part,and the winds and currents
are assisting enormously.We couldn't ask for better.Not too much,not too
little but just enough.

We haven't continued our fitness challenge yet as our bodies are still a
bit tender from the first challenge and will perhaps do round two
today.Malcolm has also let out one his own lures today but no go
yet.Although we had a big strike on my lure yesterday it was a lucky
fish and we will hook into something soon.My turn to cook today and
fresh dorado with potato wedges is on the menue,if we land a dorado.

Our position @ 04:00 UTC was 08*34'S/025*35'W.Distance to go + - 2900 nm
and our ETA 25/06.We have thus gone over the halfway mark and looking
immensily forward to the second half.Fortunately catamarans are fairly
quick through the water,our two genoas up front like two huge wings
working hard,day and night,we are keeping at optimum trim,setting rudder
response and rudder gain just perfectly to suit conditions.We wish you a
relatively peaceful and quiet day,make sure you get earplugs and blow
your vuvuzela!!!

Starry starry night

I have been peeping into the night skies a bit.Not a cloud in sight,the
moon still far from rising and above and around this time of the year
some of the following constellations are visible from where
we are.Cygnus(the Swan),Delphinus(the Dolphins),Sagitta(the
Arrow),Capricornus(the Sea Goat),Aquila(the Eagle),Scutum(the
Shield),Vulpecula(the Fox),Lyra9the Lyre),Ophiuchus(the Serpent
Bearer),Hercules,Corona Borealis(the Northern Crown) and Serpens(the
Serpent) to name a few.I took a few sights with the sextant and the GPS
is pretty accurate.From the SE we are having about 13 kts apparent wind
and our speed over ground between 7.5 and 8.5 kts.Not a reason in the
world to complain as we are making excellent progress towards South
America.

And good so as well as we have a fairly tight schedule to keep due to
the World Cup Soccer and airtickets that have been booked well in
advance to secure a seat home.We are flying out of Tortola on 28
June,have just over 3000 nm to go and have to average 7 kts to make it,a
tall order but we are confident that we will make it in good time.The
run up the South American coast is always fast and inside the Lesser
Antilles fast as well.We have a lot of diesel left just in case we need
to up the pace a bit.

Yesterday Gareth tried his hand at baking bread and turns out he is a
natural.We finished the bread in one sitting.Today he conjured up some
flapjacks and for supper he presented a delicious Cottage Pie
again.Malcolm baked some rusks and after yesterdays fitness trial we aee
still recovering a bit and building our reserves for the next round.We
all did well enough and used a method of seeing for example how many
push-ups you can do in a minute.We recorded the numbers and have to
improve on our first scores.We are all in close range to each other and
I must confess that it did take some effort to stay in contention.Gareth
gave it his all and Malcolm kept up a steady pace,I nearly worked up a
sweat.Tomorrow I will post you the first two round's totals and you can
see how fit you are compared to us.

Our position at midnight UTC was 09*55'S/22*36'W.Water and air
temperature at the same time was 28*C and the barometer at 1017.COG is
291*T.

Have a fabulous day.

Paul

Monohull or multihull

Armchair sailor has posed some interesting questions comparing monos to
cats.I love both for different reasons and I prefer to be a staunch
supporter of sailing vessels compared to powered vessels but even they
have their place in the market.Regarding your plotting it is always wise
to check and double check,especially if something does not look or feel
right.On an unrelated subject Gareth uttered a saying today,measure
twice and cut once.We are following the predominant currents and winds
which have us more or less aiming for the tip of South America,anything
that shows different to that is suspect.Perhaps you were plotting at a
45* angle as on a mono which may explain the slight error.back to monos
and cats.

On a downwind run a cat is as steady as you can imagine whereas a mono
will roll from side to side.I won't easily take a cat into the roaring
40's or beyond though but if I have to I'll drag a sea anchor or
two.It will prevent any chance of pitchpoling but you may get pooped
every now and then,pooped is when a wave brakes into the back of the
boat.For a cat to capsize you will really need a combination of
excessive strong wind and big waves,too much canvas out and taking a
wave on sideways.This cat weighs over 14 tons,over 15 mtrs long and more
than 7 mtrs wide,and even in smaller cats it is nearly impossible to
capsize.In extreme conditions you will always want to place your bow
into the oncoming wave,using both motors if the seas are confused and
coming from different angles.I have read of a cat that capsized years
ago and were adrift for 114 days on the Indian Ocean,and the crew
survived.More recently a cat was capsized off the South African
coast.The skipper was,and respect to him,young and inexperienced,and had
full main and genoa out in adverse conditions.The cat capsized and
apparently the helming chair was slotted into a tube and slipped out
when the boat capsized,taking the young man down as he was attached to
the seat via his safety harness.He was never found but the father and
son were rescued.Cats don't sink,even when upside down.

An ideal windstrenght would depend on the size of your rigging.There are
limits but normally I would prefer a rather bigger rig than to small.You
can have more sail out in lighter winds and when the wind is strong you
can always shake a reef or two to get optimum balance and
performance.The boat will soon tell you if you have to much sail out.Our
motto is if you think you should reef,then reef,don't wait and see if
the wind will drop.Always respect the elements and your gut feel.Fastest
point of sail I find slightly ehead of the beam the best,between 75 and
80 degrees.You can still get good speed up to 40 degrees into the
wind.Pointing higher we will probably use a motor to slightly alter the
point of sail and maintain a fair speed.There is very little heel on a
cat.The saying of when in doubt let it out applies here as well.The more
you open the sail the less stress you place on the rigging and you would
reef both main and genoa to suit the conditions.Surfing on a following
sea and swell is an absolute delight and having more weight on the stern
will assist in big seas.Up to three meter swells I prefer a bit more
weight forward as it gives you longer runs and you hook into the swells
quicker.Similar to bodyboarding you would get more speed and purchase
when you press more forward.Regarding wind strengts and sail cofiguration
it depends on a few factors,mainly point of sail and seastate.As a rule
you will rather just have some genoa out when the wind goes higher than 30
kts,but as I have said before,your boat will soon tell you if she is not
happy.Personally I don't like sailing on the edge but a good balance
normally gives you great results.When things really get rough you can
always hove to for a while,and a cat can do that just as well as a mono if
not better.Regarding diesel consumption and mileage we easily maintain 6
kts at 1800 rpm and burn less than two ltrs per hour on our 56 HP
Yanmars.As a final thought on this matterof cats and monos,if your motor
dies on a mono that's it,on a cat you have two motors.So if you pick up
problems in the doldrums on your mono,ouch,you may have to sit there for
weeks,on a cat,not likely.Combine that with the comfort a cat affords,and
you may change your mind.The Moorings and Sunsail charter fleets are
outphasing all their monos with cats as well.But I am sure they will keep
a few monos for people who like to life at a 45* angle.As I said,I love
both,but I specialize in cats and I spend close to 10 months a year on the
ocean.I choose to do it on cats.

Our position at 03:00 UTC is 10*49'S/20*22'W.Wishing you a pleasant day
and will elaborate on our fitness challenge at a later stage.

Running free

My watch today was from 6 to 10 this morning.I watched the sun coloring the morning sky with shades of pink and peach and
purple and some colours there are no words for.With the sun the breeze also started building and by 7 I decided to raise the
secondary genoa and cut the motor.At first we were just just holding onto 6 kts but as the morning progressed the wind
strenghtened and by 9 we were running deep into the 7 kts.Luscious to hear the props spinning under the keel,I prefer to
call it purring and there are few noises more beautiful to me than when this Leopard Cat gets purring,running free.Following
seas and fair winds is all it takes.

We also have to keep an eye on diesel consumption and to maintain a fine balance between keeping up a decent average and
conserve diesel requires one to be on top of conditions and optimize where and when one can.In the blazing sun I decided to
decant diesel from our 250 ltr containers into the tanks.I have a small diameter syphon pipe which works with a valve that
opens when you push down and closes when you pull up.You keep this up and down action going until gravity takes over.Our
normal diesel hose is thicker and the small syphon pipe fits into the thicker hose to get the lenght required to reach the
fuel tanks.One gets different syphon pipes and this one fits a bit loose in the hose allowing air to come in and inhibit the
flow of the diesel.Where the two pies join I first tried duct tape to seal it properly but the diesel neutralised the glue
in minutes.I then wrapped a plastic bag around the tape and tied it with elastics.Soon that was also dripping diesel and the
flow stopped.I then used masking tape but that also just lasted a short while.I had a cloth on the deck to catch the drips
of diesel and realized that none of these methods are working and proceeded to remove the lot and start again.I was still
wondering what to use to seal the two pipes when my eye caught the prestik-ah ha.It worked like a charm,the flow was 100%
and not a drop of diesel spilled.It takes a fairly long time for the diesel to transfer into the tanks but at about 9:30 the
tanks were full and I could close the drums and tanks and pack away what I used.By that time Gareth and Malcolm were
up.Fortunately I applied liberal amounts of sunblock as the sun was really fierce,reflecting of the water as well.

Malcolm had a quick shower,Gareth followed suit and by that time it was 10,time for me to fill in the log and hand over to
Gareth.I left the deckwash soap,broom and bucket neatly on a deck bench intending for them to catch the hint and went for a
shower as well.When I finished the shave and shower routine I returned to the deck and saw that the deckwash goodies were
packed away and the deck not washed and could'nt hide my smile when I asked who packed it away.The two of them were rather
meekly saying that they were debating whether I left the goodies there as a hint and Malcolm concluded that I normally would
instruct them if anything needed doing.Trying to get out of this one was interesting and they immediatly proceeded to wash
the deck.The normal Sunday work day thing,rest for six days and work on the 7th day.It was all rather hilarious as we are
all fairly disciplined on keeping the boat need and tidy.I just needed to give them a little shove in the right direction.I
retired to my cabin to rest and read a bit and when I surfaced and hour or so later I was blinded by the bright white
deck.All in a days work and all in good spirit.

The two of them are bonding well,even with the fitness program they follow.I told them a while ago that once they reach my
level of fitness I might join them.They've now had more than two weeks to get in shape and I decided to test their fitness
levels against mime in the morning,so sorry Owen and Cheryl,and sorry Miekie and family,Gareth and Malcolm is getting
drilled tomorrow.I promise I won't break them,I hope to motivate them even more.We'll do the same exercises one on one and I
will introduce a few more to their arsenal.Fun and games....ha ha ha.Respect to both of them though,Malcolm at 62 turning 48
and Gareth,who represents the young adults of today for the willingness to take me on.

For supper Malcolm conjured Tad in the Hole again and once again we enjoyed it enormously.Our position at 20:40 UTC is
11*56'S/16*56'W,wind is 14 kts ESE,our speed between 7 and 12 kts,barometer 1017,water and air 27*C,wave height about 2m and
seastate moderate.We wish you a pleasant Monday and may the week ahead be filled with blessings.

Keep on moving

Today the light winds continued but our Yanmar iron sail is keeping us
moving at a decent speed.Great news is that the weather forecast I
received from Mom Kay predicts a turn of fortune and we are bound to
have our sails filled with good winds from behind.A big element of
sailing long distances is patience and knowing that things will
change.Our two genoas up front is flogging somewhat every now and then
as we try to squeeze every bit of speed combining both motor and sail.

Conditions once again looked fair for landing a fish and although we
trawled the lure behind us for most part of the day nothing came of
it.But no lure,no fish so we keep on trying.To compensate gareth served
tuna nuggets in a fresh salad mix and it was rather refreshing and
delicious to boot.For lunch we had leftovers from last night hence a
lighter supper.

I read yesterdays posting and was aghast at the little kistakes that
krept in.I never edited the few paragraphs,just wrote and posted and
happy to learn that there is always room for improvement.Thanks Armchair
Sailor for enjoying it nevertheless.It is as much a pleasure for us to
share our experiences as it is for you reading it.I really don't mean
for it to be that good that you want to resign immediatly and fly to
Fortaleza to join us there,but do enjoy the sentiment behind the motion.

We haven't seen any ships,birds or dolphins for a while now but a flying
fish here and there scurrying out of our way and graciously flying for a
good distance before diving back in the water keeps us amused.They are
amazing little creatures and their ability to control their flight
phenomenal.What we have seen in the last few days are very vivid
rainbows,strange cloud patterns and then the lovely sight of long thin
lines of cirrus cloud heralding a low forming which means wind to us as
the air flow from high to fill the low pressure.The Atlantic high is
somewhat smaller this time of the year and we hope to out of its grip
soon.

Today we have also turned the clock another hour back as we move through
the time zones and we are now three hours behind SA time.The sun rises
three hours later here than there.Our position at 21:00 boat time was
12*58'S/014*36'W.If you google earth our position you will see that we
are pretty much in the mid Atlantic.We have now also covered 2280 nm and
3620 nm to go.The barometer is at 1018,water and air temperature at 26*C
and wave height about 1.5 mtr.We wish you a pleasant Sunday and also
wish you were here to experience the enormous body of water we call
ocean all around us.

Getting hot hot hot

We have been motoring for most part of the day and thankfully still
keeping an average of 6.6.Hardly any wind to speak of the sea is
becoming more and more like a big blue lake and the water turning into a
deep sky-blue colour,azure.The stars are out in their full
glory,twinkling their signals to all who behold.No sight of the moon yet
with only a dash of cloud here and there.

No signs of dolphins yet,but come they will,when we are ready to be
blessed by their joyous energy darting left and right in the wake of our
boat.I changed the lure earlier on,late yesterday afternoon and who
knows,today is perhaps the day we land a dorado.Not many flying fish
yet,but in time it will all come to us.

We have up to date travelled about 2140 nms leaving us with around 3760
miles to go.At 6.6 kts it is just over 23 days but we trust that we will
do even better as we move up the coast of South America and then up the
Lesser Antilles before we reach our destination.We are doing all we can
to be back in SA by 1st July and for a most special reason.It will be my
daughter Maryna's 7th birthday and the one day in the year if I have to
single one out that I would love to be with her.The times we spend
together inbetween deliveries is filled with fun,laughter,days at the
beach,school activities and a host of other wonderful moments.It is
always over far to soon and then we start counting the days before we
see each other again.

For breakfast yesterday Malcolm treated us to omelette and bacon and for
supper I served spaghetti bolognaise.It will be Gareth's turn to do supper
and who knows what the young man will pull out of his hat tonight.On our
stern a just less than than half a moon has peeped over the horizon.Our
position at midnight UTC time our position was 13*55'S/012*23'W.Water and
air temperature is 24*C and the barometer is sitting at 1017.We are moving
in a westnorthwesterly direction,our heading at 294*T.We wish you a
pleasant Saturday and hope you experience a little bit of the peace that
is to be had out here.

Just a breeze

We've had the good fortune of fairly good winds from behind sinve
leaving St.Helena,at times averaging up to 7.5 kts.As per our weather
prediction,the wind has eased down to a breeze and the sea flattening
out in response.Soon we will have to call on one of our iron maidens to
propel us along to keep up the average we are looking for.For now we are
just holding on 6 kts.Exceptionally peaceful out here this morning,a few
clouds in the sky,half a moon to light the way and a very gentle motion
on Synchronicity.

Out here it seems that the dreamworld and our awake world so easily slip
in and out of each other.Even my dreams reflect the calm and peace that
has settled on us.We have caught two sizable bonny's in two consecutive
days and on both occasions managed to get the hook and and set them free
again.The rather bland taste of their flesh is their saving grace and
the pleasure of returning them to the ocean a rare pleasure.It also
affords us to test our skills and tackle for when we hook into a dorado
or other type of game fish,giving us the confidence to deal with the
situation at hand.

Weve also been having a few squals the last two days,not very intense
but refreshing and always welcome to rinse the yacht from any saltwater
residue.The clouds are fairly low so no thunder and lightning and winds
above 15 kts on the run.Water temperature this morning is 24*C,air
temperature the same and the barometer 1017.We have crossed two time
zones and are now on UTC time,two hours behind SA.At 03:00 this morning
our position was 14*47'S/010*12'W.

We wish you a most pleasant Friday,a peaceful weekend and will post
again on the morrow.

Adio

Bye bye St.Helena

We arrived at St.Helena at 12:30 on Monday 31 may.Raising our Q flag we
waited till about 14:00 hours before the doctor could board and declare
us healthy.Dr.Albie Coetzee from SA who has been here for five years now
very much enjoyed talking in Afrikaans,he seldom gets this
opportunity.We were well prepared and ready to take the ferry back to
shore with him.Walking on terra firma was quite an experience for
Malcolm after ten days at sea,the island seemed to sway under him as he
gained his landlegs again.Gareth seemed fine and I hardly notice any
difference.We first cleared immigration,then port control,paying our
dues to the Queen.12 pounds per crewmember at immigration and 27 pounds
at port control.Customs was closed for the day due to training and I did
customs yesterday.We arranged for a tour of the island and set a time
for 09:30 on Tuesday.

After the paperwork was sorted we went to Ann's Place for a refreshment
and eyed Jacob's Ladder towering above us.I have done the ladder a few
times and were not planning to do it again.My daughter however had
different plans and requested that I go and look for her name we
scratched on one of the steps about a year and a half ago.I had to find
her name and place two of her dolls she sent on this crossing next to
her name and take a photo.I also had to scratch mommies name next to
hers.The names on the steps are very faded and I scratced their names
anew and took the photo.A few steps later I did find her name,faded but
still visible and took another photo.We ascended the ladder by resting
every thirty steps or so and both Malcolm and Gareth made it to the top
with me and the view from up there makes a wonderful sight.The yacht is
about matchbox size from where you stand with the whole of Jamestown at
your feet.Descending was a bit faster,I prefer to run down holding onto
the handrails and stopping every now and then to slow down and catch my
breath for a minute before "falling" further down.Our legs were like
jelly afterwards,yesterday a bit stiff and today positively paining,but
a pleasant pain in a way.

After conquering the ladder we sat down to some burgers and chips and a
beer or two.Not long before our friends learned that we have arrived and
we had a pleasant evening till about 20:00,making plans for the
following day.The Attorney-General,Ken,you will either see at the court
house or at Ann's Place and we have spend many a pleasant evening in his
company.A lawyer from London was also on the island to assist with some
cases.Joe is quite a character himself and we were really laughing at
some of his adventure on a sailing vessel where evrything possible went
wrong.He had us in stitches at times.Our old friends Paul and Sally were
also there and they are considering buying a catamaran some time.I
invited them all for an hour sail the next day and would have enjoyed
more time but with the kids at school,everyone of our friends running
their businesses we could only make it for 5 pm and having to be back at
6:30 pm.Joe and Ken could unfortunately not make it but we had
Richard,Jane and their kids Brian,Jessica and Michael,then Sally and
Paul who also run a few businesses with their two kids Thomas and Hannah
on board.There was a little breeze and we sailed with the genoa for half
an hour before returning to our anchorage.18:15 we were back on land and
18:30 back at Ann's Place where we planned to have a braai.Ken and joe
joined us and we had a fantastic time which went on till about 11
pm.Fortunately I know the ferryman well and he had no problem taking us
back to the yacht at that time.The ferry normally run from 4 am till 7
pm but I did make arrangements with Craig for a later time.Throughout
the years we have all built great friendships and some biltong from my
side to say thanks for his trouble is always welcomed.He normally takes
us for the island tour as well but he broke his ankle about 15 weeks ago
and still recovering from this ordeal.His brother Keith that permanently
moved to the island about nine months ago took us on the tour instead.

We had the privilege of visiting all the usual sights,a tour of
Napoleon's House and a first for me was a visit to Sandy Bay,the only
beach on the island.We were fortunate that the weather was great and
Keith decided to take us down to the beach.The road down is extremely
steeps and the bends impossibly sharp but we made it just fine.The way
back up also went without any problems.The tour was about four and a
half hours and costed us 15 pounds each,worth every penny.

I am leaving some details out hoping that Malcolm and Gareth will also
relate their experiences on their first visit to St.Helena.We planned to
leave early this morning but first went to visit Ann in hospital.She is
the lady that started Ann's Place more than thirty years ago and have
had countless yachties come and go through her doors,always taking care
of the sometimes nearly starving yachties,nursing them back to
health,doing their laundry and much more than I can imagine.Her memoirs
will make a great read.What Mother Theresa was to some,Ann is to all our
yachties that come this way.She fell and broke her hip about three
months ago and at 69 years old,this was really bad.Being bedridden for
so long she also contracted pneumonia and nearly passed on.She
fortunately recovered from that but is still in hospital.We insisted on
paying our respects to her and it was wonderful seeing her,lookin not to
bad.She only complained that she can't do anything for us.Her legacy
will live on.

So on this note I will end this little posting and dedicate it to Ann.We
left at 10:00 this mprning and are about 70 miles WNW of St.Helena and
will post our position etc on our next posting.

Take care

St.Helena on the horizon

Yes,we are 30 miles away from St.Helena and should be there at about
08:00 UTC.Call St.Helena Radio,raise our Q flag and wait for the docter
to board our yacht,zap us with his digital thermometer and declare us
healthy.Then we will do the usual customs,immigration and port control
procedures before we take on Jacob's Ladder.Afterwards we will have a
burger and some refreshments at Ann's Place,also arranging a tour for
Tuesday.Returning to the boat we will do some odds and ends,fill the
water tanks and take it from there.If possible we will post a photo or
two on the blog for your enjoyment.All is well on Yacht Synchronicity
with two first time visitors to St.Helena.Neither my crew has crossed
the equator but that we will come to at a later stage.I can assure you
that both of them are looking forward to the little stop ahead even
though they enjoy the ocean immensily.Yesterday was a working day for
us.Filling out diesel tanks,wrapping fenders with plastic bags for extra
protection,packing away the empty diesel containers,washing the aft deck
where the containers stood etc.All just an excuse really to enjoy some
fun in the sun.The wind has been a bit indecisive and sails in sails
out,port tack starboard tack and motoring for most part of the day.It
always seems tah,unplanned,we "rest" for six days a week and on the
seventh day we "work".We also listened to some Janis Joplin,Neil
Young,Peter Tosh,Nelly Furtado,Kings of Leon etc while we were working
outside.We had our lure out and although conditions were good for
fishing we did not had any action.The only action were some flying fish
that landed on deck.Looking forward to a nice hot shower and we will do
our best to relay our impressions of St.helena to you.I will instruct my
crew to hit the keys a little so you can get their impressions as
well,first hand.Have a fantastic Monday,I heard the Bulls won,still
don't know who they played or what the score was.

Adios

Surprise surprise !!!

Well,thanks for the info on the rugby saga.I hope the Bulls made it all
the way,please let us know.I won't elaborate to much on this issue
except that I will be naughty and say I am a little surprised,although
not really.In good times and in bad,since I could remeber,I supported
the Stormers,Province,WP,Maties.It was and always will be the home of
running rugby for me.All the phase type of rugby with the pack in front
of the ball I feel is obstruction,I prefer speed and skill over brute
force.Very sportmanlike to send their B team to play against the
Stormers,justify it any way you like.Now we can shift our attention to
the World Cup Soccer extavaganza.

Outside the moon is still hanging high in the sky.In the east,another
beautiful day in paradise is unfolding.We are about 170 nm SE of
St.Helena and if all goes well we will arrive there on Monday morning.As
the weather forecast predicted,the wind has dropped substantially and we
are motorsailing towards our first stopover.It will afford us enough time
to fill our watertanks,take Gareth up the mast to do some preventative
maintenance,and check all the other bolts,props etc properly.We should
also have enough time to climb Jacob's Ladder,699 steps increasing in
gradient and the steps nearly half a meter each.It is not easy at all and
my then five year old daughter and wife ascended the steps about a year
and a half ago.Well done to my wife and an incredible show of
determination on the part of my daughter.I told her that we don't have to
climb all the way to the top but she insisted,and did so step for step.

Tuesday we will have ample time to do a tour of the island,visit all the
interesting sites,climb to the highest point,visit the museum,do some
provisions and end up visiting with our friends at Ann's Place.Wednesday
morning at first light we will be on our way again,heading for the top of
South America.The moon will be waning,the stars will become brighter and
we will be posting our impressions daily.

Last night Gareth perpared supper and what a treat it was,Scottish Pie.We
all ate far to much and there was not a morsel leftovers.I warned him that
if he keeps this up he will be appointed full time chef.He smiled and
replied that he will then just have to get more recipies from his mom,so
Cheryl,be prepared,just in case.To one of our regular readers,Len
Gerber,IT Officer for Capitec Bank,congratulations on your Leopard
38,AMUR,that was launched just over a week ago.Hope you have some of the
best times of your life on this little beauty.To Paul Rackstraw from
Futuregrowth Asset Management,your Maverick must nearly be ready to be
launced and we are waiting in abated breath as we sure you are too.Thanks
for taking the time to see us in Cape Town.

A wonderful Sunday for everyone and standing by on 16.

Paul

East to West in the Trades

Little fluffy balls of cotton clouds fill the sky,the hallmark of the SE
Trade winds,and we are hooked solidly into them.The twin genoas getting
filled with up to 15 kts apparent wind and we are making best times on
this trip so far,maximum speed 13.8 kts surfing down a swell,averaging
7.4 kts for the last 18 hours.Our average since leaving Cape Town is
back at 6.6 kts giving us just under 160 nm per day.It seems that we
will set foot on St.Helena on Monday even though we are expecting the
wind to ease a bit as it already has done.This was our first fairly
intense run and both boat and crew held up well.Enough of the technical
stuff.

The energy on Synchronicity is steadily building and your comments and e
mails certainly adds to the equation.The awesomeness of this experience
which you are very much part of is slowly permeating our bodies,soul and
spirit and I certainly hope that you are enjoying it as much as we do.

I am very much looking forward to seeing some old friends on St.Helena
and introducing them to two new friends of mine,and although our visit
will be short one,we always pack in as much as we can when we are
there.They are probably expecting us as their are two boats ahead of us
who would have informed them of our imminent arrival,and I am sure they
are just as excited as us.It's been seven months since I've been there
and we will have a lot of catching up to do.

We have just crossed the Prime Meridian and our position is
19*01'S/000*06'W.Time is now 1 am here by us,3 am in SA.Temperature of
both water and air is 21*C and the barometer is at 1017 mb/hPa.In the
meantime I wish you a pleasant weekend,enjoy the rugby,we on board are all
blowing our foghorn for the Stormers as we do not have vuvuzelas on
board,brace yourself for the worldcup soccer and take care.

Paul

And the wind whispers Mary

The day before last we crossed over the Tropic of Capricorn and
yesterday,as to be expected in the tropics,we had our first little bit
of rain.All around we could see patches of clouds pouring their load
into the see and knew sooner or later we would also get a turn.The
clouds are low and therefore not much squally conditions were
expected.When it was our turn the wind shifted just a little,speeded up
a fraction and lovely fresh rainwater poured over us and rinsing all the
soot from Cape Town and the salt deposits from the last six days
clean.It's good and clean and fresh ...The water temperature is up to
21*C.

For the last few days we have witnessed the wind gradually shifting from
NW to W to SW to S to SE where it should more or less settle for a while
and become what is known as the trade winds,a constant wind direction
and speed.We are now well set for our final run to St.Helena,about 500
nm ahead of us.Depending on how strong the wind will blow we could
arrive at noon on Monday which would be fantastic.It will allow us to do
some preventitive maintenance,fill our water tanks and have Tuesday free
to explore the island and mingle some.Wednesday morning we will set sail
again for the coast of Brazil.

Yesterday was Malcolm's turn to prepare supper and we were firstly
treated to an omelette with bacon,cheese,tomato,onions and toast.Sorry
if you haven't had breakfast yet.For supper we had lovely tuna
steaks,potato wedges,coleslaw and mayonaise.With all this cuisine it is
no wonder the crew need to exercise to get in and stay in shape.I have a
fast metabolism and do some exercise on the quiet to keep my muscles
toned and ready for any eventuality.Gareth wants to build some,Malcolm
wants to trim some,I am just maintaining.

For mental fitness we read quite a bit.Gareth,as it is with the younger
generation,is getting to nibble on the habit of reading,Malcolm who has
evolved from reading Stephen King and Louis Lamour is in the swing of
things and for me reading is like breathing.The full moon is hovering
overhead,giving us the eye from a fairly clear sky.Our postion this
morning at 3 am was 20*11'S/002*33'E.The barometer is at 1015,temperature
20*C,wind SSE at 13 kts.

May you have a wonderful Friday and may the weekend not be too swift.

Paul

Full moon on the Atlantic

We have just covered our 1st 1 000 nms out of Cape Town,mainyaining a
steady 6.6 kts average.At 21h00 we reached our one waypoint and changed
our heading a little.As on cue the wind also picked up a little,enough
to set sail and cut the motor.After more than two days of motoring
and motorsailing it is a welcome relieve to just hear the wind and
the water.12 kts of wind,1 kt of current and we are clipping along at 7
kts.Our position at 9 pm was 22*35'S and 004*53'E,690 nms to
St.Helena.The nearly full moon is entrancingly drifting through the
sky.On my watch at 6 am I will see the moon set and the sun rise at the
same time.At 6 pm I will also be on watch,watching the moon rise and the
sun set at the the same time,magical moments await us.

It was Gareth's turn to prepare supper and we were treated to sumptious
cordon bleu chicken fillets and potato bake.The young lad has got some
hidden talents it seems.Initially he thought he'll make only pasta when
it is his turn to cook.Malcolm too in the beginning said he would rather
do dishes every day than cook.He is also turning out to be quite a force
to be reckon with behind the pots.The two of them are also into some
physical exercise as you probably gathered from an earlier posting and
very good on them.Once they can outdo me in any form of physical
exercise I will join them,so good on them.A 100 m swim in the open ocean
will be the first hurdle they will have to cross...ha ha ha.

The grib weather file is not proving very accurate as far as wind
direction is concerned but I do trust that we will get good winds from
Friday onwards.The wind we have now is WNW and still a young wind
.Should we hook into the more consistent South Easterlies on Friday we
should make it to St.Helena in ten days,perhaps eleven.

Kisses to the moon...

Paul

Thanks

Hi Ma,

Thanks for the positive energy.

Love,

Mal

Mellow Yellow...

I wouldnt want to be anywhere else in the world at the moment but here.
There isnt the hussle and bussle of the "Big city" and no stress. I have
lost all conception of time and the only thing that matters right now is
how i am going to cook a good supper.

Its odd what the ocean does to a person, it changes them, it makes them
mellow.

We've now done 926nm and unfortunatly motoring again. the sea is super
flat and the sun is out(its finally begining to warm up WOOHOO!!).

Malcom and myself have compiled an exercise routine for our watches so
that we keep in shape and so that i can finally put on some muscle. Im
not to sure if Paul will partake in the exercise but we'll have to see.

Catch you soon,

Gareth

5 days out and chilled

This is what life is about!

I made it a goal of mine over five years ago to own a yacht and live on it not as a weekend toy but a home on the water, one
that you could follow the summer with or at least take where you wanted it to be.
Up until January this year I had got as far as a vision board.I was granted a 2 month sabbatical by my company and suddenly
found myself doing a sailing course which I thought would take me a little down the path of understanding this way of life.
While on my course I had to fly to Durban to crew a yacht back to Cape Town.I fly a lot in my job and always ask for and
isle seat in an emergeny exit. I dont normally promote conversation with the person sitting next to me but on this occasion
the person sitting in the window seat, seeing me reading a sailing almanac simply said,"You on a sailing course"? I affirmed
that I was and he then said "Howsit I am Paul, a delivery skipper, on way back home from a trip to New Zealand"
Obviously this got the conversation going so much so that we covered every subject from religion to relationships,kids and a
bit of sailing.
The flight seemed over in 15 minutes and we left the plane with each others business cards.
I finished my course and out of the blue came a mail from Paul inviting me to crew for him to Tortola. I must admit that
besides the fact that I had only been home and back at work for a week the thought of 6000 nautical miles in plus minus 6
weeks frightened the hell out of me.
I bounced it off Miek's and the family and everyone said go for it, so here I am.
Miekie and l live in our home above Knysna, at the top of Queen Street with the forest behind us and the view in front.She
is a majic little woman that came into my life about seven years ago. We held a committment ceremony on the rocks at Roberg
some four years ago and regulary enjoy a bottle of champagne with two dozen oysters on the beach. She doesn't like sailing,
but I am working on it.
My claim to fame are my four kids who I have had the pleasure of working with for the last sixteen years and hopefully can
maintain with this sailing bug.These bods are first and foremost my friends so long may they be prepared to put up with me.
My eldest daughter has just turned 40, one of my grandsons is almost 17 and I turn 48 this year. If you battle with these
numbers read Deepac Chopras "Live longer and grow younger". Stuart Wilde will get you going if Deepac doesn't,try his book
"Infinite Self" or maybe for the not so big readers try "Magic" or "The Force".
If you dont have time to read phone Ocean Sailing Acadamy in Cape Town speak to any one of the magic people there, do a Day
Skipper course,look for a delivery skipper ( make sure you chat to the next person you sit next to on a plane)and ask him to
take you anywhere its warm.
You will read and you will learn how to live in the moment,no cell phones,very expensive SAT phone, lots and lots of sea,
sometimes friendly and sometimes not,wind, birds,fish, dolphin and whales.
My good friend Russ conned a phrase for me many years back, when ever you looked chuffed with yourself, he would say,"So you
think you are on your fathers yacht". This experience gives new meaning to those words.
What a great privalage this is, thank you the Universe, thank you Paul,thanks Robertson and Caine for the Leopard 46 and
thank you Gareth for being with us.

Catch you soon.

Mal

PS Apologies for the spelling- No spell check on this program and a very small Oxford dictionary(2.5 readers fail to deliver
clear vision)

5 days at sea

It is our fifth day at sea.The weather has been kind to us and it is
ever so slowly becoming warmer.The water temperature has also steadily
been climbing at exactly 1 degree per day.Starting at 11 degrees we are
now sitting on 16 degrees.This morning at 3am the water is 18 degrees C.
We,ve had more sun than clouds although today
was overcast.We are maintaing our average of 6.6 nm per hour,whether
under sail,motorsailing or just motoring.The current is helping us along
as well and we have no reason for not becoming one with all that is
around us.

On the one hand we are on an outward journey,on the other the other hand
on an inward one.Both work well together as we are
shifted out of our familiarities,deal with elements in their purest form
and have time to contemplate in between.Between Gareth,Malcolm and
myself we span about four generations.Gareth is our IT Officer amongst
many other portfolios he fills.Malcolm,at 63 is seasoned at life and
what makes it work.His first ocean crossing,way to go Malcolm!Me,I am
inbetween,this world and that world.Together the dynamics are dynamic
and good things are happening around us.One of them that Carolina landed
an opportunity with Ocean Sailing Academy.May both Carolina and OSA benefit
richly from this,and may many more people be prompted to answer that call
to the sea and enjoy a little of the best of what life has to offer.

The first night we had soup,a freshly packed variety of veggies and it
went down well whilst waiting for our sealegs to take shape.The second
night we had fresh yellow tail and spuds,the third night we had
beefstew,the fourth night spaghetti and tonight Malcolm introduced us to
Toad in the Hole,an old English dish.I heard about it from Emma that you
will remember from our trip on Angie.An English rose of note,the thought
of her brings back pleasant memories.We did not had the right
ingredients for Toad in the Hole but then she also introduced me to mushy
peas...mmmmmmmm.She and Ben is now working on a boat in Fort Lauderdale and doing
just fine.

Thanks to Mom for sending a grib weather file.Looks like we will have about 15 kts
SE for the next two days,petering out to a breeze for another day or two and then
coming in strong again at 20 kts from ESE,perfect for a final run to St.Helena.On
a bit of a technical note we have been motorsailing with both genoas up and the wind
on our stern for the last two days.To bring the free flying genoa down is really easy.
You get your spinnaker halyard ready to drop,ready your sheet and turn the boat towards
the side the loose genoa is on.Soon it will backfill into the furled out genoa,you
release the sheet tied to the clew and then drop the spinnaker halyard.Save ,quick and
effective.Flake it,fold it,bag it.1,2,3.

I wish you a fabulous day and may you see more than meets the eye.Capture a moment.

Paul

A yacht called Synchronicity

Ahoy ahoy

At last we are back on track.We departed on Thursday,20 May at about
noon.The sight of Table Mountain growing smaller and smaller,the signals
on our cell phones getting weaker and weaker,a sigh for the family and
friends we leave behind.Ahead of us miles and miles,5 900 nautical
miles,of ocean,islands,mainlands but mostly water,sky,the sun,the
moon,the stars,rainbows,dolphins,whales,fish and live aboard.Time to
really dig deep to control the emotions of heartache,to channel the
trepidation of what lies ahead.On this journey I have Malcolm and
Gareth.You will learn much more about them and how they experience the
big blue.We are taking turns in writing and sincerely hope you will
enjoy it as much as we do.

We wanted to start posting the day we left but there was a problem with
our system.Fortunately not on board and the problem was resolved on
Sunday.No e mail for five weeks means a lot to me,but if that was to be
I would have to accept it.Now it is all systems go.We have logged 533 nm
since leaving Cape Town,averaging 6.6 nm per hour.We also landed two
fish within an hour of letting our lure out,an albacore or yellow tail
and a longfin tuna of about 12 kg.our position @ 21h00 on 23/5 was
27*08'S and 012*46'E.Wind light S.

Take care.

Paul

Test posting

Test posting