Finally Tortola

It's been a relatively fast and troublefree passage.I learned to enjoy
the powercat.She has been kind to us and we treated her with care.She's
been our home for the past 42 days.Good memories were made and everyone
on board had learned,observed and grown as people.

Our run into the Caribbean first had us stop at St.Lucia abd stop for a
few hours to time our arrival for St.Maarten for yesterday morning.No
doubt that St.Lucia is exquisite.Left St.Lucia early afternoon and
arrived at St.Maarten yesterday morning early.We immediatly proceeded
starting to wash the boat with fresh water on tap before it got to
hot.Everyone else around was still sleeping and it was interesting to
see how the place slowly becomes alive.At about 11am we were done and
enjoyed a burger at the Dingy Dock restaurant at the marina.Went back to
the boat for a catnap and woke up a few hours later.

An hour or two later we started our final leg to Tortola.Leaving at
night and sailing the Caribbean at night is mostly very pleasant with
lights and islands always somewhere in sight.I always enter between
St.Vincent and St.Lucia ,then turn north and sail past
St.Lucia,Martinique,Dominica,Gaudeloupe,Montserrat - an active
volcano,St.Kits & Nevis,St.Maarten turning NW and then nearly W to
Tortola.We are about four hours away and will take extra care as we near
the end of our journey.

My next delivery on a Leopard 46 catamaran starts early in the new year
and will take us about three months and 11 500nm's to Tahiti.I will then
endeavour to post a daily journal.I wish you a most excellent Christmas
,a splendid 2012 and a safe festive season.

Until then it is over and out...for now.

Paul

Across the equator...at night

The first day or two out of Fortaleza was rather bumpy as we were
getting the swell on the beam or from the side in non-nauitical terms
,and fairly big swell it was.Every now and then a wave would smash
against the side and spray it's load over us.Now and then a wave would
"ankle tap" us causing an uneasy motion on the boat but from experience
I knew that this won't last long.As soon as we were back into the deeper
waters things would improve dramatically.But not before poor Bernhard
left his hatch open and had a wave crashing in.I did tell him when we
left to close his hatch and the next morning he opened it again.But our
beloved ocean is like this,all looks fine but just that one wave will
sit and wait for an opportunity like this to teach us.No damage was
incurred.On a previous trip to India my one crewmember was sitting in
his cabin working on his laptop and his hatch just slightly open when a
wave came over and wiped out his cellphone and laptop...ouch.It does get
hot out here at times and the temtation to open your hatch is great,but
even greater care is required to know when it is save to open
it.Yesterday the heat soared to 33*C and the humidity sitting at
87%.Fortunately the waves are fairly flat and we can open our hatches to
get some breeze ventilating through.

On Saturday night at 20h15 we crossed the equator.Whenever one crosses
the equator on a yacht for the first time you are initiated into the
small group of people that have done this.There are different ways of
being initiated and I normally give first timers a choice.You can go
through the whole dirty ritual of eggs,flour,syrup etc and even old
engine oil and grease in some cases,or you can swim across.I prefer the
latter for various reasons,mostly being more real to me.In a way this is
our way of saying thanks to Neptune for the protection so far and ask
for his favour in the Northern hemisphere as well.The crew also has to
make their choice a few days before the time,and one never knows exactly
at what time you will cross the equator.During the day it is not so
scary,at night it is a different kettle of fish altogether.The new
moon/dark moon makes it even more scary ,and one's imagination can play
all kinds of tricks on you ,if you let it.We also switch off all the
lights on the boat as we do not want to attract any unwanted attention
from the denizens of the deep.If you have any fear of darkness and/or
deep water this is the perfect opportunity to face those fears and
overcome them ,which is exactly what our crewmembers did.Very well done
to both of them.We tied two mooring lines to the back of the boat and at
the given moment they jumped into the water and swam across the equator
holding on to the mooring lines.both were understandably eleated
afterwards.

Currently we are right across the mouth of the Amazon river mouth,about
200nm offshore.Within the next two or three days the purpleblue water
will turn light brown as the river spews it's water into the ocean and
the current will eventually pick it up.For the last two days we have
hooked soliudly into the current and averaging 10nm per hour at the same
rpm's as previously.We expect to arrive in tthe Caribbean on Friday and
should reach our final destination Tortola by Tuesday next week,hand the
boat over on Wednesday and fly to out on Thursday morning.All aboard is
well and the delivery is hurrying to an end.

We wish you a splendid day or till we meet again.

Paul

Fortaleza onwards

We arrived at Fortaleza at noon on Wednesday.To our pleasant suprise one
of the cats that left a few days before us were there and planning to
depart a few hours later.They arrived on Monday and it was swell to
spend some time with the young captain and crew and sharing
experiences.Three hours later we had our fuel,our water tanks was full
and we could relax next to the pool with a few capairinhas.First work
hard,then we can relax.I've had to wait three days for fuel before and
was most thankfullthat we got it done in extra quick time.The marina has
no fueldock and they have to bringb the fuel on the back of a van in a
container.I ordered 800 ltrs and twenty minutes later the guy was there
in an old Ford F250 double cab with a 1000ltr container on the back.I
escorted him to the fuel station which is just five minutes away,paid
for the fuel and the petrol attended had both nozzles filling the
container.Once filled we drove back to the marina.There is about a ten
mtr water channel between the driveway and the dock.A length of string
with a bolt attached to one end is thrown over to the dock,the end of
the hosepipe is atttached to the string a pulled in and across the
channel.A small electrical fuel pump is then used to get the fuel from
the container to the boat.All in all the operation took about two
hours.At the sametime we were filling the water tanks.

We are on a bit of a tight schedule as my next delivery to Tahiti will
depart late December early January.Also never leaving on a Friday we had
to move quick to get and do all we wanted to.Thursday morning we had a
breakfast buffet at the 5 star hotel which is part of the marina and we
could enjoy fresh fruit and a long list of other culinary delights.It
was also good tohave some internet and we all could check our
emails,skype,catch up on facebook etc.Thursday after breakfast we spend
some time next to the pool,washed the boat down,checked the motors
throroughly,had a few games of table tennis and after skyping a bit it
was time to cast off and start our next leg again.So yes,in and out of
Fortaleza in good time considering that we got our fuel etc.I have
previously been in and out of Fortaleza in six hours,but that was just
for water and some provisions.

Leaving a port at night is much easier than entering a port at
night.When you leave you get away from the city lights,when you enter
you face millions of lights at times.GPS does assist a lot and if you
are familiar with the port it makes it even easier.I have entered
unknown places all over the world at night,with sometimes difficult
currents to contend with,tides running in or out,a whole lot of
information you have to processs.But this is what we do,this is what we
love.Other sailors and even very experienced sailors will rather slow
down and enter at first light,even at a place like St.Helena.Respect to
them,I prefer to get in when we get there and get an extra few hours to
rest afterwards.We are always on a schedule in the delivery business,no
time to tally around,and sometimes our schedules are very very tight.F1
style stops are then called for as our operations manager Nicky in Cape
Town calls them.And we don't only try to meet expectations,we aim to
exceed expectations.

We just had our first dolphin sighting for the trip,a huge single
dolphin,not sure exactly which species,but there are some very pertinent
markings which will assist in identifying it.Unfortunately I left my
book on mammals of the ocean at home so it will have to wait till then.

With this very special event I am signing off and running out to enjoy
the dolphin playing around our boat.

Take care

Paul

When a plan comes together

On one of my previous postings I mentioned that we are experimenting
with a new way of fishing as the powercat is going too fast to just
troll a lure behind.Our line keeps on snapping,even though it has a
breaking strain of 1500kg,and we keep on loosing lures and now down to
the last one.Our plan was to tie a 30ltr drum to the line which will act
as a float.No bungy,just a few strands of ski roap,three to be
exact,just enough to keep the lure attached to the boat.Theoretically
when the fish strikes the strands of skirope should snap and the drum
should fall of the boat and follow the fish.Which means that we have to
turn around,retrieve the drum and at the end of the line we should then
have the fish.

I was on watch between 2-6pm yesterday when exactly this happened.I was
just about to swop engines when the drum was unceremoniously whacked off
the boat.I immediatly dethrottled and started turning the boiat around
and at the same time starting the other motor to warm up.I shouted at
the crew who was sitting inside-"Fish,fish,everybody out!!!".In a flash
all three were out and we followed the drum.From the flybridge upstairs
I could see the drum was being pulled and also saw a big splash about
40mtrs from the drum.

Getting closer my concern was not to get the line in the props.I could
not see clearly where the line was going.Steven and Bernhard pointed the
line's direction while Liezel was relaying the messages to me.Within ten
minutes we were right at the drum and the line was straight
down.Bernhard jumped in and swam back to the boat while I kept the
motors in neutral.In a few minutes we saw the shape of the fish in the
water,a nice big sailfish.Now the danger was the bill and as Steven was
pulling it on the the back of the boat it gave a little jump
forward.Just before this I shouted at Steven to watch for the bill and
with catlike agility Steven got out of harms way.

The round circle hook was set in the bill and the sailfish was now on
board,Steven holding the tail and Bernhard removing the hook.We decided
to set the fish free and therefore had to cut the line that was tangled
around the bill and remove the hook.A minute or two later the hook was
out and the sailfish was back in the water.He was starting to loose
colour and had to first resuscitate the fish.Bernhard had a piece of
cloth around the bill dragging the fish through the water,Steven was
holding Bernhard on the boat and Liezel was once again relaying steering
directions to me.Just idling we were doing 5kts and after about ten
minutes the colour of the fish returned and started moving his tail a
bit.Five minutes later we deemed the fish fit enough to let go.

What a relief it was to see the sailfish gently moving his tale from
side to side and start swimming away.So great teamwork,beautiful fish
and very satisfying to see our plan come together.We are now about two
hours away from Fortaleza,land in sight and starting to get ready for
landfall.First priority is to arrange for 1000ltrs of diesel to be
delivered,fill our water tanks and take it from there.We will have
internet access and hope to skype a bit later on today are now about
four hours behind South Africa.We are hoping to leave for the Caribbean
tomorrow sometime,it all depends on when we can get the diesel.

We will stay in touch.

Endorphins and other things

Just had my first seashower for the trip and woooop woooop woooop,it
feels good to be alive again.The rush of cold water from the ocean
scooped with a bucket and emptied over my head.My body jerks from the
shock and I laugh out loud,and do it again.Shampoo ,rinse ,conditioner
,rinse ,soap ,rinse with fresh water and stand in the hot sun to dry a
bit with the breeze tingling my skin.Forgot how awesome this feeling
is.Apparently it is a chemical that your brain secretes during various
physical activities ,cold water and laughter.Soulfood if you ask
me.Which is why some of my mad friends that surf in the cold water of
Cape Town also love it so much.So when you have a nice hot shower in
the morning,just before you close the taps,open the cold tap full and
blast some laughter into your day.Re-learning all these things at
47.Late bloomer I guess.Perhaps I will have my mid-life crisis when I am
70 something,chasing the nurses around in my wheelchair should I one day
end up in an old age home.And before that at least a tattoo or three
,earring ,Harley Davidson ,we only live once.For now though ,sailing is
what I do ,crossing the oceans ,long distance sailing I should say.To be
even more precise ,on this trip ,running a 47ft motor boat across the
Atlantic for 6000 odd nautical miles.

The past few days have been fairly eventful.A whale blessed us with it's
appearance ,even more special since we haven't seen any dolphins or
whales at all on this trip so far ,and we have covered two thirds of our
journey.About 200nm from the coast of Brazil.At our average cruising
speed of close to 8kts it is difficult to catch a fish.We use 2mm flat
braided line with a breaking strength of 1500kg attached to the boat
with a bungy.The hooks we are using for the first time is round circle
hooks that just lodges in the side of the fish's jaw,not the double
hooks we used to use that slams into the fish's mouth,causing severe
damage.Now we can release the fish if and when we want.But at this speed
the fish strikes,huge fish out here ,and snaps the line like a thin
piece of gut.Gone is the lure,the line and the fish.According to
scientists it takes about three days for the hook to rust off through a
combination of salt water and chemicals in the fish's mouth.We have
landed a big tuna earlier on in the trip but have in the interem lost
three lures.We came up with a plan to attach a 30ltr empty sealed drum
to the fishing line,and if it snaps it will take the drum with
it.Theoretically we then hope to follow the drum,haul it in and land the
fish in this manner.Huge marlin etc roams these oceans and we will have
towait and see how our plan works.All we really want is a dorado but
difficult to target them specifically.

Before sunset yesterday the sky was turning pinknand the sun
hazy,normally the first sign of a phenomenon we encounter out here at
times.Sahara desert dust.More than 2000nm away or about 3600 km in terms
you may be more acquainted with.Unusual so far down south,but here it
is,drowning the sun just a little.

We just had some freshly baked scones with strawberry jam and cream for
breakfast,damn decadent and damn nice.Rooibos tea to swallow it down
with.Only problem is that one overeats a bit but difficult not
to.Worrying that I might bore you stiff with our rantings and ravings I
will rather stop writing,even though I have much more to say.

So until next time,take good care.

Paul

Friday on my mind

Yesterday morning a huge marlin was trying to stun one of our lures
setting off the alarm.It was just past six in the morning and Steven had
just handed over watch when he was alerted by the alarm and pulled the
lure in and then slacked it again ,repeating this two or three times.The
marlin was criss crossing behind us and then attacked the lure and
the moon was sitting right above us.We use one and a half ton breaking
strain 2mm flat braided line and the marlin snapped our line like a
piece of cotton.On closer inspection the line snapped more or less in
the middle,not as one might suspect on a weaker spot like a knot.The
marlin's fin could clearly be seen about half a meter above the water
and one could clearly trace his movements by the wake left behind.Some
fish are just to big ,this was one of those rare occasions and that is
how our day began.Soon Steven had another line out and told me it was
more exciting watching the chase than actually catching a fish.It
happens at times that one gets a feeling ,look behind at the lure and
watch a fish chasing and taking the lure.Nine out of ten times the fish
would be landed ,this time it was not to be.

The weather is warming up quick now and we had the ventilator fans
running for the first time today.We also serviced both motors and
replaced the anodes.An anode is a zinc screw that protects the props and
motors and props from corrosion caused by sea water.So instead of the
other metal parts the zinc corrodes away and needs to be replaced at set
intervals.We had a snag or two with the oil extraction pumps but it
wasn't long before we had fresh oil in the motors and new anodes
installed.

We are about six days away from Brazil and as can be expected we also
saw our first ship today,reminding us that we are not alone out here and
now have to sharpen our watches a bit.I have done some calculations and
our fuel consumption so far is about 2 250 ltrs used for the first
3000nm.We are maintaining a speed of between 7-8kts and the consistant
wind and current from astern has assisted much in keeping our figures
lower than expected.I can't remember ever having such consistant winds
for so long,and on a sailing vessel we would have only used a little
fuel to keep our batteries charged every day.The powercat is a beautiful
vessel although we are not so attuned to the elements as we would have
been on a sailing vessel.

Our position currently is 08*55'S and 022*13'W.The equator we will only
cross two days or so after reaching Brazil and the new crew will
probably swim across the equator as their initiation ceremony.Always a
lot of fun ,especially if we happen to cross over at night.One thing to
take a dip in the ocean during the day ,another thing to do it at
night.Well,Friday has arrived and I wish you a splendid weekend.

Paul

Positivity Negativity Reality

Crazy thing about traversing the oceans is that one never stands still
,keep on moving and never sleeps at the same place twice.In life it is
the same ,you keep on evolving ,adding years ,even thougfh we often feel
we are stagnating.Evolving can take a long time ,to get to the next
level.But finally it dawns on you that you see things differently.Out
here things might seem the same,the ocean,the skies,the sun and the
moon,but if you take note they are changing all the time.

I used to be a very positive person ,always thinking that negativity
only holds you back.I still think it does ,but I have gained new respect
for it.As day turns into night and night turns into day the two need
each other to make life possible.If you have only day things will soon
turn sour ,if you have only night ,nothing will grow.So it is with
pleasure and pain,loss and gain,they all go hand in hand.

When our emotions are allowed to run riot we loose the ability to see
clearly.Why must we always feel good ,why must we always be happy .We
try for sure ,thinking that life is about reaching a state of permanent
feeling good and happy.And when you are not happy or not feeling good
everything seems meaningless ,even life itself.But if you look around
you ,you realize that good times and bad times are equally
important.Wishful thinking leaves you dissilusioned .

If I love and am grateful for both good and bad ,happy and sad I find
myself in a heightened state of awareness , a state of reality.But I
guess you know all this ,I am only beginning to see it lately.Learning
to balance positivity and negativity with reality.I have much more to
learn about these things but I sense I am on the right track.

On another note we are halfway between St.Helena and Brazil.The last day
or so the sun has been more dominant during the day and suddenly we are
walking around in shorts and t-shirts.More correctly,sitting around.I am
also starting to realize that if you don't use your muscles you will
start loosing the proper function of them.And after many years on the
ocean and having sailed more than four times around the globe I now know
I need to exercise,that it is vitally important.And every day I say I
will start but have not done much in that department yet.I have always
been blessed with excellent health and felt naturally fit but little
squeeks and pains are trying to tell me that I should take more care.

On board all is well and one day is flowing into the next.We are getting
into the flow of things and have attained a certain state of harmony.I
can assure you we are all enjoying our time out here,all for our
individual reasons.Yes,we miss our loved ones all the time.

I wish you a splendid day.On our side we will try and keep it real.

Jacob's Ladder demands respect,ask Steven

It is three days since we left St.Helena and things are starting to ease
a bit.It has been overcast and rainy with fairly strong winds for what
seems like forever,but the sun does peek through every now and
then.Tonight the moon and stars are visible now and then.

Yesterday Steven called me to show me a fish chasing one of our
lures,quite an exciting experience to watch a chase like that.Not sure
what fish it was as we are trolling 30mtrs behind us and the sea is
fairly rough.He is still suffering fromn his hasty climb up Jacob's
Ladder on St.Helena.His left leg and knee is swollen and very
painful,too much exertion too quick.I know he will respect the Ladder
much more next time he looks up from the bottom and see 699 steps
towering above him.699 big steps they are as well.

We are about 9 days from Brazil and enjoying the powercat tremendously.I
have not had such consistently strong winds on any of my Atlantic
crossings before and can only smile at this twist of fate.On a sailing
vessel we would have been great miles without burning fuel.Who
knows,perhaps next time the wind will be kind enough to keep on blowing
when I cross on a sailing vessel.On my next delivery I will be
taking a boat to Tahiti late December early January.About 11 500 nm and
an estimated three months.The trip will once again take me through the
Panama Canal and halfway across the Pacific.

Flying fish have started making their appearance again in great
numbers,landing on deck at night.When we get a change to we normally try
and help them back into the ocean but a few go undetected and in the
morning we remove the unlucky ones.

My dearest wife had an unfortunate accident on Sunday.She got a nasty
bump on her head and went to the hospital as she was bleeding profusely
as one sometimes does with a head injury.She got three stitches and a
slight concussion.Through her latest correspondence it seems that she
now loves me much more than before.Once the wound has healed properly
she may love me less again,I hope not.I do wish her a speedy recovery
though.

Wishing you a tremendous Tuesday.

Paul

St.Helena and beyond

We arrived at St.Helena just past midnight and after five attempts had
the anchor holding.Always such a pleasure to arrive at night,especially
on or near the full moon and some open skies.The lights up Jacob's
Ladder,the longest man made ladder in the world,was hauntingly waiting
to be conquered again.The lights of Jamestown blinking and normally the
leading lights which were not on when we arrived.We announced our
emminent arrival an hour before we arrived and went through the sing
song of repeating everything three times and being answered in the same
way,doing it by the book.

Soon we were fast asleepand woke up at first light.Took a while before
we could go ashore but by 9:30 we were clearing customs,immigration and
port control.We also booked a tour for the next day as it was too late
to arrange for Napoleon's house etc to be visited.Took in our
laundry,greeted some long time friends and found ourselves at Anne's
Place.The crew got ready to scale Jacob's Ladder and Steven decided to
run the first bit up,two steps at a time.They were fairly exhausted when
they returned but we sat down and had a burger sitting chatting with
Richard and Jane,owners of Anne's Place,getting all the latest news.

After 50 years of yes no yes no eventually a contract was signed with
Basil Read to construct an airport to sum of 201 000 000 British Pound
plus another 40 or so for running costs during the first ten years.There
is a lot of construction going on,a new customs house thst was just
completed.We were fortunate when the clock tower was raised with a crane
and placed on top of the building,history in the making and we were
there.Construction of the airport is due to start early next year,and a
new breakwater as well.We were shown all the sketches and plans and
everyone is very exciting about all these new developments.

Not enough manpower or accommodation to do all this and we were offered
jobs on the spot.Accommodation camps will also need to be erected to
cater for the construction workers.The whole operation is immense in all
regards.New roads will have to be constructed and everything will have
to be shipped in.You should be able to get the latest news on the
net.We stayed on at Anne's Place till nearly 9pm when we arranged for a
ferry to take us back to our boats.

We were also invited to Anne's 71st birthday on 11/11/11 but we
reluctantly declined as we wanted to leave on Thursday straight after
the tour.Thursday morning arrived and at 9am we started our tour and
what an amazing tour it was.I have been here a few times and everytime
it gets better and every tour I see something new.This time we were
taken to the usual Napoleon's house and all the other normal
attractions.Exceedingly good to see Jonathan again,the oldest animal in
the world,now estimated to be about 220 years old.What was new for me
was a visit to the Boer prisoners of war graveyard.I found four
inscriptions of my forefathers here,four soldiers bearing the same
surname and would love to do some research and find out if they were
direct relatives bearing the same surname.At about 2pm the tour was
finished and we had a last meal of lamb chops at Anne's Place,collected
our laundry and greeted everyone farewell till next time.At 3pm we
started the engines to warm up and started to raise the anchor.Try as we
might,we could not dislodge it.We tried from all angles letting chain
out trying to unwrap the chain or dislodge the anchor but to no avail.I
called one of my friends and they arranged for a diver but would only be
able to do it the next day,Friday, at 3pm.Nothing we could do,it has
been decided by higher powers that we will stay,the island wouldn't let
us go.Which meant that we would be there for Anne's birthday,an immense
honor.The diver arrived at about 3:30pm and dislodged our anchor which
was wedged in under a rock.

Anne is now confined to a wheel chair,has Alzheimers but looked
absolutely glowing when they wheeled her in.She has for over 40 years
been a mother to all of us that sail the oceans and stop at
St.Helena.She would feed us,do our laundry,love us and leave us much
stronger to carry on.I tried to communicate all the love from all the
sailors that ever had the privilege to meet her.Words were not
important,we both looked at each other and our eyes just flooded with
tears.I am one of her wayward children and as much part of her family as
her own flesh and blood children,who I also take as my brothers and
sisters,and are always welcomed as such.The islanders are known as
Saints,and as my good friend Kirsten have always called
me,St.Paul,part of the family.My dear wife might object a bit to
this,but that is another story altogether.Tinker tailor soldier
sailor.Mmmmmm....

We were back at our boat at about 10pm on Friday and I wanted to leave
just after midnight.We also had the option to leave early the next
morning and flipped a coin to decide when we will leave.The coin said we
willleave just after midnight and we decided to catch a quick two hour
nap.At midnight me and Bernhard got up to tie off and go,but I then
decided,what the heck,lets get a proper rest in and leave at first ligh
t which is what we did.The weather for the next few days is fairly
strong with up to 35 kts of wind from behind and close to 4mtr swell to
surf down.The powercat is another beast and wants to zigzag down the the
waves,placing quite a bit of stress on the boat.To keep us running in a
straight line we let out some mooring lines in the centre of the boat
and the effect is perfect.I experimented a bit with the length of line
and found a sweet spot.We are going about half a knot slower,but much
more comfortable and less stress on our vessel.

St.Helena will never be the same again.With the airport it will become
accesible to everyone.There are some positives and some negatives to
this but only time will tell how it all pans out.Our postion at 13h00 UTC
on 13/11 is 14*20'S/009*23'W.We expect to arrive in Brazil in ten days
time to take on some fuel.

I wish you a most pleasant week ahead and hope your 11/11/11 was also a
most memorable day.

St.Paul

1st Squadron of the Atlantic Flying Fish Brigade

Just spotted the first school of flying fish taking off.Always a rare
pleasure to see these amazing creatures speeding out of the water,spread
their webbed fins into wings and glide across the pulsating surface of
the ocean.The bottom part of the tail is used to propel the missile to
sustain flight or change direction ,sometimes radically.They are similar
to mullet and form the staple diet of the dolhphins and game fish in the
area.Top of this list for the plate I place the gold ,blue ,green
coloured dorado.The lures we use also look like flying fish in colour.On
this trip we are experimenting with round circle hooks and had great
success landing and releasing a tuna totally unharmed.A short shock cord
of surgical tubing and 2mm flat braided line,trolled about 30 mtrs
behind the boat.In short we are now in the dorado's hunting grounds and
and have casted our wish upon the waters.

St.Helena is about 70nm away and should it clear up we will soon be able
to see her on the horizon.Our ETA is about 10pm and with the nearly full
moon to brighten the skies we should have little problem doing a night
entry and drop our anchor in a safe spot.Tomorrow morning we plan to
clear port control,customs and immigration.After that scaling Jacob's
Ladder for the crew while I visit at Anne's Place where I have
some long time friends.Arrange a tour of the island,do a little shopping
etc.Thursday visit the museum which only opens on a Thursday and
Friday,make sure our water tanks full and point our bow in the direction
of Brazil.Weather seems strong for the next few days starting
tomorrow.Fortunately it is in the right direction for us and we will see
what brings.We have a small drogue on board ,ready to deploy should we
encounter some adverse conditions.

The skies have been overcast for the last few days but opening in the
afternoons from about 2 onwards.Still overcast and as usual only time
will tell.Our position at the moment 16*01'S/004*28'W.Temperature 22*C.

Wishing you a pleasant day

Paul

Kissed by the sun

At about midday the sun finally broke through and the clouds
dissapeared.We stopped the boat for a few minutes to swim and play a
bit,Stephen and Bernhard respectively being towed behind the boat on a
wakeboard.I also learned that jumping into or showering in cold water
also releases endorphins ,the feel good chemical.Another way of enducing
this is running and getting your second breath.

We also landed a +-10kg yellowfin tuna ,this time on a round circle
hook.First time I am trying it. Theoretically it is supposed to hook the
fish on the side of the jaw and makes for an easy release.I learned
about this a few years ago when I read an article about 2300 and
something sailfish that were caught,tagged and released using these
hooks,a world record set in Mozambique from one charterer.

What a pleasure it was to catch the fish ,take a few photos ,and place
it back in the water without spilling one drop of blood.We have more
than enough fresh tuna in the freezer and are trolling for dorado.No
flying fish yet,but like the sun eventually came out ,so will the flying
fish also appear in time.The normal big double hooks I normally use
won't afford us this option and we are thrilled.

Last night was my turn to prepare supper and spaghetti bolognaise was
served ,except that I used pork mince instead of beef.Came out quite ok
and the dip in the ocean combined with the sunny weather also improved
our appetites.We are less than two days away from St.Helena and looks
like we will do a night entry again.Strong weather predicted from
Wednesday onwards but fortunately straight from behind.

We haven't had big swells yet and we may have to deploy the drogue to
keep us reunning in a straight line when surfing down bigger swells.We
should be on our way again Thrursday morning and will take it from
there.We also crossed into the west during the night and set our clocks
one hour back.Our position is 16*55'S/000*10'W.

Wishing you a splendid Monday.

Paul

Grey grey on a Saturday

I think this is now the 4th day without any sunshine or blue skies.last
night a small patch of blue here and there looked promising but not just
yet.In time.We have just decanted 500 ltrs diesel into our tanks taking
about an hour.Seem that we run about 50 hrs on 300 ltrs at 1500 rpm.The
sea and swell and wind have now all turned in our favour and St.Helena
is four days away.

Steven just had the bright idea to make some pancakes and we will see
how this turns out,nothing much else to do but to sit,sleep,read,play
guitar,watch movies,eat some more,watches day and
night,think,contemplate,write,experience and enjoy.

Yesterday received word from a good friend of mine,Kirsten.She is on her
way from Portugal to East London in South Africa.Two days away from Cape
Verde where she will stop for water.Totally opposite of what we are
doing she only carries 70 ltrs of fuel with her.She is sailing solo on a
32 ft ferro cement boat and enjoying both the fast and the slow.But most
of all enjoying time out by herself.An extraordinary person in any sense
of the word,I dearly hope she shares some of her experiences in
writing.One of her adventures was cycling from Berlin to Cape
Town,through Africa...alone.Took her a year,was held back blinded for a
month in a kaya due to an overdose of quinine against malaria,and much
more.We were looking at meeting somewhere in the middle of the ocean but
our timing is a bit out.But we will cross each other's tracks at some
time.

We just tasted the first sampling of pancake and yum yum,muchos
delicious.

At home my 8 year old daughter Maryna is growing up and asking more
difficult questions from daddy,like why must one be happy.My wife and
myself are deeply in love if you take love to be a misunderstanding
between two people.My inlaws are fine,my parents are fine,my brother is
fine and Bella Rosa,my daughters black Labrador's nose is wet,so all
good on the home ground.

The crew on board is fine,the boat is fine and our position currently is
18*04'S/004*46'E.

Wishing you a splendid weekend.

From the deep grey that will turn deep blue.

Paul

In the swing of things...

It is Friday morning ,6am on the 4th of November 2011.

Our passage from Walvis Bay to St.Helena is now well on it's way.From
the start we were taking the swell and current on the port beam.Not so
pleasant and being heavily loaded with fuel ,we had to ensure our weight
distribution was optimal towards a positive and balanced waterline.And
instead of fighting the elements we opted for a compromise and headed NW
instead of WNW.This way we gained a slightly better angle which resulted
in less strain on our vessel and we were also worked a better VMG ,a
navigation term to describe the speed at which something or someone is
moving towards a set point.In our case we had to aim away from our
waypoint to more ride the swells and gain better speed towards
St.Helena.Our ETA is next week Wednesday,comforably.

As the days rolled by since leaving Walvis the wind,the swell and the
current has ever so gradually been curving more W.Tomorrow we expect the
wind very much from behind us as we are entering the trades.All aboard
have once again become one with the motion of the ocean and enjoying
every moment out here being completely out of our comfort zones.We
haven't really seen the sun for three days.It has been completely
overcast although yesterday evening just before the sun set a small
opening allowed a golden light to beam down just for a minute or two.

We are also slowly moving through a time zone and the sun is rising and
setting substantially later everyday.Our watches rotate so we up at all
hours day and night.Being four on board allows long periods of rest
inbetween watches.During the day we do four hour watches and at night
three hour watches.We are eating incredibly well.Last night we had
chicken fillets filled with spinach and feta and tied with a strip of
bacon and mashed potato covered with a cheese sauce.

Looking forward to see what the day brings.

Our position currently is 19*24'S/008*22'E.We are averaging about 7 kts
and St.Helena is 870 nm away.So far we have covered 1163 nm.

Wishing you a great Friday and a pleasant weekend.

Paul

Once upon a time....

The night before last was fairly rough with the swell getting up to
4 mtrs and criss crossing their direction.But as the hours ticked on the
swell direction become more uniform and our comfort increased
proportionately.Yesterday the wind also started running out of steam and
the swell is now a nice rolling two mtrs and we are curving more and
more in the direction we want to go.The weather should be completely in
our favour from the 5th onwards with wind,current and boat all moving in
the same direction.The powercat is asking different questions than the
sailing catamarans and interesting to experiment and find new
solutions.

Yesterday morning the crew had a fab time baking peanut butter and
banana cookies and two types of banana bread.Instead of the bananas
going to waste they were put to good use.Last night it was my turn to
cook and I prepared a simple country vegetable stew with rice.Cubed
beef,carrots,cabbage,potatoes,onions,garlic,marrows,tomatoes,peas,chilli
beef stock,Worshester sauce,soya sauce,salt,pepper,mixed herbs etc.It
turned out tasty enough and we all enjoyed this simple dish.I enjoy all
the handwork that goes into preparing all the veggies and the colour and
flavour they add in the end.

Last night all the watches went smooth with one ship causing us to
change direction just a little.It is also starting to get a bit warmer
and although it has been overcast for the last two days visibilty has
stayed excellent since we left Cape Town.Going up the west coast fog is
a factor one often have to deal with,we have been fortunate and are
moving deeper and deeper into the Atlantic.So all well on this side.

Hope all is well on your side too.

Paul

No whales at Walvis Bay

After sorting out a few glitches we once again hope to post daily
reports on the blog.To recap what we have been up to a few highlights.

Last week Friday Steven landed a 30kg plus longfin tuna,what the Japs
call the chicken of the sea.Dense white meat,suitable for all types of
tuna dishes.We had four different tuna dishes that day and three the
next day.Never had tuna like this before and suffice to say ,lucky fish
to have been enjoyed somuch in so many ways.

We kept a bit offshore during our run up the west coast,up to 50nm at
one point before we started curving in towards Walvis Bay.8am Sunday
morning we were tied to a mooring bouy close to the Walvis Bay Yacht
Club.Soon someone spotted us and whisked us ashore on a rubber
duck.There we met some guys who is attempting to break the world speed
record on water for a sailing vessel,www.rocketsail.com.We saw some of
there video clips and they got uo to 54kts at one attempt.Is it a plane
that can sail or is it a boat that can fly?

We then had a Sunday lunch at the yacht club which we also enjoyed
thoroughly.Afterwards the commodore ,Pete ,took us to town to get one or
two items we didn't get in Cape Town.On the spur of the moment he also
took us on a little scenic drive past the salt pans and miles of desert
beach all the way to Pelican Point,the lighthouse at the entrance to
Walvis Bay.Every now and then we found small groups of seals basking on
the beach.One could get an idea of the vastness of the Namib ,the oldest
desert in the world.It was quite an experience and the VW Amarok was
also impressive.

The next day we left at 8 am to look for the fuel jetty.What an amazing
sight to see the shipyards repairing all types of ships,a long line of
vessels of all shapes and sizes.It was a somewhat surreal sight and made
me think of all the souls that have worked on these ships and the
stories they coulkd tell ,the storms they have weathered ,the comradie
they have have formed.After some effort we eventually found the fuel
dock and proceeded to take on 4000 ltrs.At 3300 ltrs the tank ran dry
and we had to wait there the whole day for the tanks to be filled
again.At 6pm we were fuelled up ,water tanks full and ready to leave for
St.Helena.The weather was blowing about 30kts outside the harbour and
our grib weather files predicted that the strong weather will start
abating on Tuesday.

Another PC 47 arrived on Monday and tied up next to us for the
night ,always nice to spend some time with fellow mariners.Tuesday
morning we had all our fuel drums tied down and the boat washed down
thoroughly.We had to leave in a hurry as other boats were also waiting
to fuel up and soon we were on our way again.Just out of the harbour one
of our fuel drums spilled some diesel and we had to clean upand secure
the drums a bit better.We were all a bit tender and didn't eat much last
night.The sea was fairly rough and taking the swell from the beam had us
bobbing up and down and around a bit.At three this morning we altered
our course by 15 degrees to give us a slightly better angle to take on
the swell.It made a fair difference both in speed and comfort.We are
finding a good balance and being heavily weighted we are also taking it
slow.The swells gradually turning in our favour and at the moment we are
taking it on at about 45 degrees from behind.

We are hoping to reach St.Helena next week Wednesday and our position is
21*59'S and 012*32'E.

Until next time take good care.

Paul

Nearly 300 nautical miles

We have since leaving Cape Town covered close to 300nm.Alternating the
two motors every four hours we are doing between 7 something and 8
something kts.At the start we had a bit of westerlies on the beam
causing the swell also to come at us from the side.As the grib weather
file predicted the wind has backed to SW turning south and the swell
following suite.

We started cooking on the first day and our first supper was a sumptious
stew prepared by Liezel.Tonight Bernhard treated us to pap en wors and a
nice chilli gravy sided with some curry green bean salad.Suffice to say
there were no left overs on either occasion.

Later today we will cross the Orange River mouth and going wide around
to avoid the diamond mining areas and sand banks.Soon we will start
heading straight north and expect to arrive at Walvis Bay round about
noon on Sunday.We have one fishing line out but so far no go in that
area.

Everyone on board is well and enjoying the experiences to be had our
here.Our position at 1:30am on 28/10/11 is 29*41"S and 015*01"E.To get a
feel for where we are you can check our position on google earth.Wishing
you a most pleasant day.

Paul

Absolute Beginners

Once again we have the insane pleasure to transverse the oceans on a
stunning vessel ,this time not a sailing vessel but a motoryacht or more
precisely a re calls for slightly different tactics compared to a
sailing vessel and delivers a very different experience from a sailing
catamaran.We are propelled by two 150 Hp John Deer turbo aspired power
units,brand new and being taken care of as such.Not having sails we will
burn about 5 times more fuel than wirh a similar sized sailing cat.

We left Cape Town at about 7:30 am on 25/10/11 and our first stop is
Walvis Bay,about 700 nm up the Weswt Coast.We expect to arrive there
over the weekend and will load our bulk of fuel there before we cross
the amazing Atlantic via St.Helena.We will leave Walvis with about
4500 ltrs of fuel and will take on another thousand or so in Brazil.Our
end destination is Tortola in the B.V.I.'s ,about 6200 nm from Cape
Town.

On board we have in alphabetical order Bernhard ,Steven ,Liezel and
myself.Steven has done two trips with me before ,Bernhard and Liezel
will be crossing the equator for the first time.We are looking forward
to both an inward and outward journey finding new depths and scaling new
heights ,constantly evolving towards and shaping our destinies.Hopefully
a better understanding of this mystery we call "life" ,in all it's
facets.

We are after the experience of experiencing the stars ,the sun ,the moon
,the clouds ,the rainbows,the thunderstorms ,the ocean and all the other
manifestations of life anew.Look at it all through the innocence of
children ,be astounded ,be amazed ,be wowed.We find ourselves again at
that place or space where we are absolute beginners.If you want a taste
of what's it like out here ,welcome aboard.We will post daily ,enjoy.

Paul

Paul

Italy to Greece

Yesterday we navigated the Straights of Messina safely and rounded the
most southern tip of Italy late yesterday afternoon. It was a stunning
sunset as we left Italy in our wake and went on a staright line for
Greece. The wind predicted from behind hasn't happened yet and we are
motoring at about 3.5 kts towards Greece. That will get us there on
Sunday afternoon. Whave already contacted the base and they are ready
for our arrival.

Last night a swallow landed on the boat,starnge that they head east so
close to Italy.Brad made a comfortable bed for the swallow from toilet
paper in a small plastic tub,but alas this morning the swallow was
dead.Today we have about six swallows circling us chirping and landing
every now and then for a rest.Hope we make it to Greece before they also
die.

Not a cloud in the sky today and the ocean is fairly flat.A gentle
easterly breeze on the bow is slowing us down just a little,but we have
enough fuel left to motor all the way,even enough to speed up a little
if we need to.Still taking it easy though,we prefer to have some diesel
in reserve.Dolphins have also been around on and off,always a most
welcome sight.We are now on the Ionian Sea,as the stretch between Italy
and greece is called.To the north of us lies the Adriatic Sea bordering
countries like Croatia and the other previous eastern block countries
like Bosnia.

Brad and Felix have started cleaning the boat on the outside,removing
small traces of rust here and there and shining the stainless
steel.Pretty chilled atmosphere on the boat,lovely weather,what more can
we hope for on the final stretch.

Our position AM 12:00 UTC 38*07'N/017*21'E.We are about 180nm from
Vounaki which is just east from Lefkas,the first big Greece island from
the west.Take care,hope you had a royal high tea on the royal wedding
and that the weekend ahead will be filled with laughter and joy.

Paul

Cefalu to Messina

We arrived at Cefalu at about 1pm, asked the locals where we could fill
up with some LPG and they informed us that town is about ten minutes
walk away. Immediatly we set of for town and soon were surrounded by
quaint little buildings lining narrow cobbled streets. Very fortunate I
asked the first person I spoke to where we could get LPG and he invited
me in. It was the local supplier of gas heaters etc, no signs etc
outside. They thought they may have a problem with filling the cylinder
as the fittings were different from theirs. We left the bottle there and
they said we must be back in half an hour or so. Went for a stroll
passing all kinds of very colourful shops looking for an atm. Found one
and nearly next door was a small Italian barber shop. On the spot I
decided to have a haircut and 10 euro later I felt like Valentino.

We returned to the gas shop and were informed that the guy has left with
the bottle to fill it up and should be back shortly. Two hours later the
shop assistant phoned the owner who was running around doing some other
errands as well. We were hoping to get back to the boat in time to get
two extra drums of diesel just in case. In the meantime we went for a
slice of pizza next door and standing under an awning to stay out of the
rain a bit which fell sporadically. Another two hours later the owner
returned to lock up shop and handed us the gas cylinder. He managed to
fill it and charged 35 euro. Most of the time I spend waiting I was
having a conversation with the owner's brother in law who was also the
shop assistant, the language barrier not to bad but still took a lot of
effort to communicate. I was invited for real Italian pizza in the
country should I return sometime in the summer.

When we got back to the boat it was already dark and the fuel dock was
closed. I looked at the weather and decided to stay for the night as the
weather in Messina will be good from us on the 28th, so no reason to
beat into the wind now and wait there. We could rather wait here and
have a nice run to Messina. We had an excellent rest after we had a warm
cup of tea and food cooked with the gas now filled. The gas meter
before we ran out of gas indicated that we still have a quarter
bottle of gas left. The next morning we waited for the fuel dock to open
and were told the guy should be in by 9 or 10. No problemo. He arrived
at 11:30 and informed me that they have no diesel. He called a taxi for
me and filled up the drums quite some distance from the port. No stress
at all as our timing should be good to arrive at Messina on the
28th, only 70 miles away.

We casted off and had a gentle breeze from behind and maintained 4 kts
motoring. Through the night the breeze picked up a bit and we were doing
even better, eventually sailing with just the genoa on a downwind run
getting 5 kts and more. The entrance to the Straights is just six miles
away and we will enter at about 7am, absolutely perfect conditions and
timing. Brings back tough memories when I tried to get through three
years ago. Three times we tried and twice we had to run back for
shelter. On the third day we went through it was at midnight and on the
way there were three maydays called on the VHF. After all this time of
beating against the wind through the Med it is a most humble and
grateful and thankful crew that will soon go through the Straights and
enjoy the beauty that is to be found here. The irony that one of the
most beautiful places can also be one of the most treacherous places is
not lost on me. Greece is now only 290 miles away and we should reach
our final destination in the next two or three days.

We sincerely thank you for your prayers, your thoughts, your mails and
sharing our experience with us. Not there yet, so please don't stop. We
promise to take even more extra care. We have come this far and know
that to slack now will not be good. The weather looks good for our last
few days and it is amusing how a long stretch of tough sailing can be
sorted out by a small stretch of plain sailing. Guess one wouldn't
appreciate the smooth if it wasn't for the rough.

Wishing you a splendid day.

Paul

Stop go stop go

We arrived at Capo St. Vito in Sicily on Saturday night at about 9
pm, made a good night entry and found a nice jetty we could tie on
to. What a relieve to just stand on dry land again. It was too late for
any shops and we had to leave the shopping for the next day. Just before
we turned south to head for the marina a mile away we had to drop the
mainsail and we had difficulty getting the sail down. Pulled a line over
the first car and pulling on both sides of the mast the sail came
down, bit for bit as we moved our line to the next car. A car is the the
fitting that slots into a track that runs up the mast and keeps the sail
against the mast. When we got all the sail down we noticed that the top
car was damaged, one of the sides holding on the tract was broken. Not a
trainsmash as we could replace the top one with the car with the bottom
car as we don't use the full mainsail. It turned out to be a bit more
difficult than anticipated but after an hour or two we had it sorted.

I went for a stroll through town on Sunday morning, lots of restaurants
open, found a fruit and veggie shop open by the supermarket was
closed. Stocked up on fruit, big time. Oranges, apples, pears and
bananas. As much as I could carry in my backpack. Spend the rest of the
day sorting out the sail, filling the water tanks, doing washing
etc. Looking at the weather it looked like we could expect a lull later
that evening. Just having fruit and veggies aboard was not ideal but we
could stop in Messina if we really wanted to.Everything was ready to go
and Sunday night at 10pm the wind lulled and we casted off. As we casted
off a gale warning came through on the VHF. We knew thare was a huge
system passing below Sicily and a bit further up north as well. We have
been hearing these gale warnings for a day or two coming into Sicily.
Five minutes later the port engine alarm went off, we are
overheating. Turned it off and turned back with one motor. Just as well
as ten minutes later a storm exploded on us, the lull was the quiet
before the storm. Wouldn't have made much progress. Bringing the
catamaran into the marina under one motor only is tricky to say the
least but fortunately we had enough room to manouvre.

Monday morning we started lookin at our engine problem. Felix
volunteered the night before that he would dive under the boat and see
if there is any obstruction at the water inlet that feeds the water to
the engine. Got a mask and snorkel and he went into the very cold water
and found nothing wrong. Systematically I went from the water filter to
the waterpump that works with an impeller and found the problem.
Impeller blades all off. The blades is what creates suction and draws
the water from the sea through the filter into the engine to keep it
cool. We always carry a spare one and after some fancy body contortions
to fit into the engine room and reach all the places I needed to reach
the impeller was replaced. Started the motor, no water coming out yet
and switched it off. Filled up the water pies from the hosepipe and
tried again. This time we had success.

We also found the supermarket open and Brad and Felix came back with
some meat, rice, chips, chocolates, cookies etc. The storm from the
night before had covered our boat in fine red dust and we washed the
boat down form top to bottom, nice to have fresh water on tap. Did a
thorough job, watering, brushing, sponging, we got it all off and all
sparkling clean. At about 5 yesterday afternoon the wind had died down
for quite some time already and it was good for us to go. Had a fair run
through the night, the wind sometimes from behind, sometimes from the
side and at other times from ahead.

At about 9 this morning I got up and switched on the gas to make
tea...gas finished! We looked at our ETA for Messina and at that time we
were doing about 3kts, no problemo, we will get gas there in the next 24
hrs or so. At 11am the wind picked up from the east and we are motoring
making 1kt and three days to get to Messina at this rate. Just then
Nicky phoned from the office to find out how we are. She informed us
that all the guys on the Med and coming into the Med has some adverse
weather and no need for us to rush, although she knows that we also want
to get this trip behind us. Looked at my electronic charts and saw a
small marina 14 miles on our starboard. Woke Felix up to help me raise
the mainsail and we are now heading for Cefalu and should be there in
the next three to four hours.Not what we wanted, not what we planned,
but fortunate to be close enough to be able to do it. Will get gas there
and see what the weather is doing before heading out again. Just got a
call from Pieter saying he is missing us, wish on the one side he was
here and on the other that he is glad he is not with the adverse weather
we are facing.

Our position at AM 11:30 UTC is 38*03'N/14*03'E.

Hope you had a wonderful time over the easter weekend.

Paul

Good Friday Bad Friday

Yesterday we were running the gauntlet between Africa and Sicily, 140nm
of which have 50nm left. Wind predicted was 25 red and we had 30kts plus
coming across the bow. Windvane set at 55S we had main sail on second
reef and about one third of genoa, taking it slow and sideways over the
oncoming waves. Taking the waves on sideways is a no-no.We were going
between four and five kts, and also had a make-shift drogue out at the
back, two mooring lines tied in a loop. This prevented us from flying
over one wave and crashing into the next.

The waves on the Med are very close together, unlike in the open ocean
where they have time to spread out a bit. During this somewhat rough
conditions our second reef line snapped pushing the bit of sail we had
out against the shrouds. In a flash we turned on the motors , turned
into the wind while furling in the genoa and moved the boom back to the
center. Tightened he topping lift, dropped the sail and fortunately the
reefing line did not pull through the boom. Turned our stern towards the
wind and running down the swell with both motors running at 2000rpm,
doing about 8kts. Tied the reefing line back on, tied a sacrificial
reefing line and back on track again.

This little turn of events had our adrenalin going and we were high
fiving each other for pulling off a fairly dangerous operation. Not fun
standing on top of the bimini top while surfing down the huge swell. A
bit tensed up but ok. Had a rough night as well, a lot of rain and we
called All Ships procedure on the VHF every 30 mintues as visibilty was
not good. Even during the day we would see a ship on the horizon coming
right at us, call All Ships, reading our exact position, our course over
ground, our speed over ground and watch the ship alter course motoring
by a mile from us, passing port to port as the rules of the road
recommends.

We hope to get to Sicily within the next ten hours or so and will stop
for the night to get some provisions. The crew requested fresh fruit and
veggies only for the next day or three to Greece. Perhaps they want to
go on some type of vegan diet. For me I will then have to get some
salami, pizza, chocolate and things like that. Felix just spotted land
so things are looking up for us. Hope the shops will be opoen in the
morning as it is Easter weekend.

Our position currently at AM 10:00 UTC is 38*12'N/11*43'E. The sun is
shyly making an appearance, spots of blue appearing here and
there. Wishing you a most blessed Easter weekend.

Paul

Algiers/Tunisia

We have now passed the border between Algeria and Tunisia. Algeria has
been a long and tedious trip, tacking up and down, making way slowly
against the beasterly easterly. The wind is now taking a more south
easterly shade, coming through strong now and then. We are struggling a
bit to stick to the coast of Tunisia and make decent speed. Less than 30
miles north of us the wind is howling at 30 kts red,gusting up to 45
with a change of even reaching the 50's. There is a small island called
La Galite, about 20 miles from the coast of Tunisia. It is one of only
two islands off the African north coast, the other one being Isle de
Alboran on the border of Morocco and Algeria. As I am writing the small
island of La Galite is 5 miles to our port and the coast of Tunisia 15
miles to our starboard. This morning at sunrise the sky was deep red,
nearly angry, and the isobars on our weather charts are close together,
so time to take extra care. Last night I had to tack and had a negative
VMG to get close to land again and stay out of harms way. Demoralizing
....no. Reality, yes.

We are still hoping for a good turn of weather and run straight to
Greece, but it is more lookinb like me have to stop for an hour or two
in Sicily for some final provisions. Time only will tell. Greece is just
over 600 miles away, and when I say I miles I refer to nautical
miles. Lots of ships all the time, had to change course twice in the
early hours of the morning not to compromise our safety. The sooner you
change course, the less time there is for a collision.Our position at PM
01:00 UTC was 37*21'N/08*49'E. The sea is moderate, not to rough and not
to smooth. Our morale on the boat stays high, although it takes some
effort to stay positive all the time. But it is a great test of our
endurance, both physically and mentally. And all in all we are doing
just fine, what else can we do but to hang in till the end, which will
so much sweeter for the hardships we endured. Far from over though,
could be finished in five days or perhaps seven, or even nine, so we
take it as it comes.

Thanks for being with us in spirit and heart at times, we appreciate
your interest and support more than these little things called words can
ever hope to express. Take good care.

Paul

The ocean of life

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Rocket science

When you have faults, do not have fear to abandom them. A saying from
another ancient Chinese mystic, Confucius. But we hold onto them, for
dear life, justify them, any which way we can. Excuses not to
act. Procrastination is probably one of the faults I battle with at
times. With sailing I don't procrastinate though, I act as soon as I
feel there is a need. I won't just sit and see what happens. Another
saying,not so old I think, but a funny one nevertheless, is that you get
people who make it happen, people who let it happen and people who
wonder waht happened.

So often we are faced with a daunting task, so daunting that we don't
want to take the first step, forever getting ready to set sail. A
journey of a thousand miles starts with one single step. And funny how
once you have taken the first step, the next step just follows. It is
thus the first step that needs to be taken. I am speaking mostly to
myself here, and looking at all the different facets of my life. Perhaps
you will be able to relate somewhat. It does take monumental courage to
face some problems, much easier to just let it be, instead of dealing
with it, just switch on the TV. The greatest procrastinating tool ever
invented in my humble opinion.

Have you ever had friends or family over and don't switch the TV on.The
uncomfortable silence that hangs in the air, everyone staring at the
blank TV screen. If I were to visit you and the TV is on, I will excuse
myself in no time at all. You will probably not even realize I have
gone. TV only came into SA in '76 and it's effect on family and other
matters have been all consuming, taking no prisoners in it's wake. We
have one of the highest divorce and suicide rates in the world. Compare
the figures before and after '76, it as clear as daylight. The young
people I deal with all the time don't read books anymore, movies are so
much less taxing. And the ability to express themselves properly are
very limited, F and J words mostly to express their frustration at not
being able to find the right word. And words in themselves are already
so limiting to express what we really want to. And that is where art comes
in, speaking to a part of us that we don't always get at first sight, but
with time in becomes part of you. Expressing the inexpressible.

Sailing is both a science and an art. The science of creating forward
motion from the angle of your sails and the angle of the wind getting
squeezed between the sails. There are so many factors you have to take
into consideration. Wind speed and direction, currents, proximity to land
at times, effects created by land masses and continental shelves, tides
and then the vessel you are on. Trying to work out an estimated time of
arrival and provisioning accordingly. Then there are less tangible factors
like morale on the boat, living and staying healthy, using water sparingly
on longer journeys. Living with others in very close quarters, sharing and
caring.There are many other factors at play to create a happy boat.

Then the art of sailing. Easy to keep a happy boat when things are on
song, but when things get tough, rough or slow, it is not that easy. But
it only takes a little favorable conditions to get the hopes up again. The
art is when it all comes together, no matter the circumstances. When you
are on watch and witness the most glorious scenes. When you become one
with all around and inside of you. When the incredible lightness of being
dawns on you. When you now and then catch a glimpse of eternity. Perhaps
this is why we sail, why we are called to the deep blue. When the salt in
our veins and arteries and our tears match those of the medium that we are
on, the ocean wide. At the end of the journey you look back and are
humbled by what you have witnessed, experienced, learned. And somehow we
remember the best, and the tough times seem to take on an isignificence,
although without it the end wouldn't be half as sweet. Much more I can say
about all of this, but perhaps you are stifling a yawn.

Our position @ PM 01:00 UTC was 37*09'N/06*14'E. We are 740 nm from
Greece, 314 nm from Sicily. Slight headwinds, motoring with main up and
centered, genoa also furled in a bit and centred in front of the boom. Not
doing good, not doing bad, just doing, just keeping at it.Wind predicted
to turn south east and even south for a while,which will suit as down to a
t.

Greetings from the north of Africa, Algiers, still but not long, and we
will be above Tunisia.

Paul

Howling at the full moon....again

Just after midnight we did the customary thing at full moon. The last
few days have been testing to say the least, tacking up and down, making
70nm, then 60, then 50, 40 down to just over 30 miles a day towards
Greece. A little frustrating with medium to strong winds blowing
straight from where we want to go. The sea fairly big just adding to our
disposition. I asked the guys, tongue in cheek, if they have any
frustrations for whatever reason, now is the time to let it all out and
howl at the moon. Felix recorded it for prosperity and what a pack of
wolfs we turned out to be, howling our lungs out.

At last the wind has died down to insignificence, the water is flat and
we are motoring making 3 kts. We are expecting a little build up from
the south that will expediate matters for us. A feeling of calmness has
desecnded upon us and we should be in Sicily in the next few days.Have
to stop for uno momento there to get some provisions as our journey has
been taking considerably longer than anticipated. From there through the
Messina Straights Greece is just across the Ionian Sea, a short hop
away.

Our position @ AM 12:30 UTC 36*59'N/95*29'E. A coastal patrol vessel
just radiod us checking up on all our credentials, all clear.

Wishing you a better day than yesterday.

Paul

I see

Often one has little control over things. The actions of other people,
natural events or acts of God. As if God's actions are only bad, but so
the insurance companies word their contracts. The one thing you do have
control over, to an extend, is your reaction to any outside actions. If
your spouse passes away, not much you can do about how you the deep
bereavement you will experience. It is human. It is also an extreme
example. Yet, some wise man said that one said be joyful when somebody
passes away, and lament the birth of another one born into this world of
suffering, as the buddhist looks at it. And how to escape this
unescapable sorrow I am still learning.

When my late wife passed away, naturally I was inconsolable. I blamed
God, I didn't feel like living anymore, it was the end of my world. And
there perhaps the key lies, the end of my world, sorry for the loss I
suffered. Now, about twelve years later, I have a most loving and
precious wife and daughter, and I am happier than I have ever been
before. If I could look down the corridors of time and see myself twelve
years down the line, I could have been rejoicing as the wise man
suggested at the end of someones life. No more suffering, no more
struggling, no more pain. And my late wife would have been rejoicing
too,as she is now where she is now. And death has now taken on a
different meaning for me, yet, if someone has lost a loved one today, I
would not tell them not to be sad, not to be shaken to the core. We all
walk our own paths.

On a more mundane level, things are really much easier. If you want to
be happy you will find a reason, and if you don't want to be happy, you
will also find a reason, within the same happening. Bad news happens all
the time, so not to difficult to cultivate a negative look on life. One
can also stare blindly into the positive side and have a negative effect
on you. Or one can try to see the whole picture.Reminds me of a Chinese
story,in fact two Chinese stories I've read some time ago.Perhaps the
same old wise man in two different settings.

They go more or less as follows. The people praised the man for bringing
forth such an exemplary son. Ah saw is all he said. They then later told
him how well skilled the young man has become and once again his
reaction was the same. Not moved by good or bad. Then came the bad news,
the young man has fallen of a horse and broke his arm and once again the
old man just shrugged his shoulders and said ah saw. The people started
blaming him for not acting worried about this event. A week later war
broke out and his son was the only one that could not be send of to war
because of his broken arm. You see.Ha ha ha.

A young prince arrived and fell in love with one of the daughters in the
village and it was a secret love. He had to leave shortly afterwards and
soon it became apparent that she is pregnant. Fearing for her life she
accused the old man of doing this to her.His reply....ah saw. The
village peopled pushed him to one side and denounced him completely.
Still he wouldn't defend himself. When the child was born it was left up
to him to raise the young lad and once again his reaction was the
same.He brought up the child as if it was his own. A year later the
prince returned and the girl told him about what has happened. They
called the family and the village together and told them about this turn
of events. They then fetched the child and the old man and informed him
of what he knew already. As he handed the child back to the mother he
just nodded his head and said........you guessed it....ah saw.

Perhaps he was one of the three wise men from the east who followed a
star and brought gifts to celebrate the birth of another wise man.I
don't know, but what I do know is that beauty is in the eye of the
beholder, and that there is far more than meets the eye. Who is that
person in the mirror and what does that person see. It is your choice.

We are about 450nm from the border of Libya, and no, we won't be sailing
in that direction. We will be heading up to the north of Sicily and take
a short hop to Greece from there. I am thinking of taping all our flares
around our broom stick and tying all the detonating lines together. And
if a war plane dares to come to close, I might just.....It is nearly
full moon, and perhaps you would advise me to rather jump on the
broomstick and fly me to the moon.

Our position at high noon is 37*18'N/04*06'E.Wind for the next few days
predicted still from the east and we are making our way zig zagging
along the north coast of Africa.

Wish you a momentous day

Paul

I see

Often one has little control over things. The actions of other people,
natural events or acts of God. As if God's actions are only bad, but so
the insurance companies word their contracts. The one thing you do have
control over, to an extend, is your reaction to any outside actions. If
your spouse passes away, not much you can do about how you the deep
bereavement you will experience. It is human. It is also an extreme
example. Yet, some wise man said that one said be joyful when somebody
passes away, and lament the birth of another one born into this world of
suffering, as the buddhist looks at it. And how to escape this
unescapable sorrow I am still learning.

When my late wife passed away, naturally I was inconsolable. I blamed
God, I didn't feel like living anymore, it was the end of my world. And
there perhaps the key lies, the end of my world, sorry for the loss I
suffered. Now, about twelve years later, I have a most loving and
precious wife and daughter, and I am happier than I have ever been
before. If I could look down the corridors of time and see myself twelve
years down the line, I could have been rejoicing as the wise man
suggested at the end of someones life. No more suffering, no more
struggling, no more pain. And my late wife would have been rejoicing
too,as she is now where she is now. And death has now taken on a
different meaning for me, yet, if someone has lost a loved one today, I
would not tell them not to be sad, not to be shaken to the core. We all
walk our own paths.

On a more mundane level, things are really much easier. If you want to
be happy you will find a reason, and if you don't want to be happy, you
will also find a reason, within the same happening. Bad news happens all
the time, so not to difficult to cultivate a negative look on life. One
can also stare blindly into the positive side and have a negative effect
on you. Or one can try to see the whole picture.Reminds me of a Chinese
story,in fact two Chinese stories I've read some time ago.Perhaps the
same old wise man in two different settings.

They go more or less as follows. The people praised the man for bringing
forth such an exemplary son. Ah saw is all he said. They then later told
him how well skilled the young man has become and once again his
reaction was the same. Not moved by good or bad. Then came the bad news,
the young man has fallen of a horse and broke his arm and once again the
old man just shrugged his shoulders and said ah saw. The people started
blaming him for not acting worried about this event. A week later war
broke out and his son was the only one that could not be send of to war
because of his broken arm. You see.Ha ha ha.

A young prince arrived and fell in love with one of the daughters in the
village and it was a secret love. He had to leave shortly afterwards and
soon it became apparent that she is pregnant. Fearing for her life she
accused the old man of doing this to her.His reply....ah saw. The
village peopled pushed him to one side and denounced him completely.
Still he wouldn't defend himself. When the child was born it was left up
to him to raise the young lad and once again his reaction was the
same.He brought up the child as if it was his own. A year later the
prince returned and the girl told him about what has happened. They
called the family and the village together and told them about this turn
of events. They then fetched the child and the old man and informed him
of what he knew already. As he handed the child back to the mother he
just nodded his head and said........you guessed it....ah saw.

Perhaps he was one of the three wise men from the east who followed a
star and brought gifts to celebrate the birth of another wise man.I
don't know, but what I do know is that beauty is in the eye of the
beholder, and that there is far more than meets the eye. Who is that
person in the mirror and what does that person see. It is your choice.

We are about 450nm from the border of Libya, and no, we won't be sailing
in that direction. We will be heading up to the north of Sicily and take
a short hop to Greece from there. I am thinking of taping all our flares
around our broom stick and tying all the detonating lines together. And
if a war plane dares to come to close, I might just.....It is nearly
full moon, and perhaps you would advise me to rather jump on the
broomstick and fly me to the moon.

Our position at high noon is 37*18'N/04*06'E.Wind for the next few days
predicted still from the east and we are making our way zig zagging
along the north coast of Africa.

Wish you a momentous day

Paul

The ocean of life

And so it goes, tack one way for a few hours, tack the other way for a
few hours, for the next few days. And what can one do bot to keep at it.
The test now becomes a mental one, the toughest test of them all. Some
live in the past, some live in the future, most live in a combination of
the two. Only few have the capacity to live in the moment. And yet, that
is all we have, moment for moment. Yes, I miss my family dearly and
can't wait to get home. A wife missing her husband, a daughter missing
her daddy, and a daddy missing both of them. But when we are re-united,
the joy we experience is boundless, nothing is taken for granted, every
moment is precious.

Both Felix and Brad have got plans of their own. All good things comes
to them that wait. They may not know it, but this time on the ocean is
moulding them for greater things. It will give them something that they
will carry with them into the future. The greatest knowledge is
knowledge of self. Know your strenghts, know your weaknesses,
intimately. Learn to respect yourself, to love and appreciate yourself,
learn about the sacredness of you.Only to the extend that you can do
this can you apply it to the world around you. You cannot give what you
don't have.Learn to laugh at yourself, probably the most healthy thing
you van do. Learn to appreciate yourself, and you will learn to
appreciate the road you are on. It is a sacred quest.

On the other side of the coin you loath yourself, you have very little
real self respect,you confuse loving yourself with selfishness, you get
frustrated and loose sight of the magic of the moment that you are in.
It is a choice. St.Augustine prayed for courage to accept the things he
can't change, and for strength the change the things he can. This is the
hero's journey, portrayed in all cultures. Most fall by the wayside,
tripped or trapped by the obstacles on the way. How many times you
stumble and fall is not as important as how many times you stand up and
carry on again. Stronger and wiser.

Only when you realize that the destination is not where it is at, but
what you learn on the way there, that you will reach your true destiny.
And if you collect and bag a few treasures on your way, then blessed are
you. Humbleness is not a sign of weakness. Meekness is not a sign of
subservience. On the contrary. To be meek is to be quiet and hear and
obey your inner calling. To be humble is to be strong enough to stay
focused on your path and not be sidetracked by vanity and glory.

It takes enourmous courage to stand alone, yet we are born alone and we
die alone. To seek safety in numbers is fine, you will find it. But just
as a boat is not built to sit in a harbour, so you also were not made to
hide from life. Sadly, most boats you will find most of the time in a
harbour.It remains your choice. It is essential to touch base now and
then, but I am yet to see a happy boat tied down to a pier. And when a
big storm hits the harbour and the mooring lines break loose,the boats
smash into each other and sink. On the open ocean boats are built to
weather storms, and they are safer out there than anywhere else.

As I have been reminded recently,one is somewhat conditioned to see what
one sees.But the ultimate goal is not to see,but be aware and therefore
see everything.It is amazing if one walks somewhere where there are a lot
of people and you just observe people,without any though of what they are
doing or saying.Just switch your glance every moment to the next person in
your vision,and carry on in this mode.You will see a lot more and be far
more aware,without being intrusive.

We find ourselves 10nm just off the coast of Algiers, Northern Africa. Our
position @ UTC 01:00 PM 37*00'N/03*07'E and we are about 880nm from
Greece.

Have a solid weekend

Paul

Maktub-It is written

Another day on the big blue, and like every day before, different from
every day before. We are stitching our way in the direction of Greece.
Easterly winds, sometimes a bit north easterly, have us tacking up and
down along the coast of Africa. At first we were going to sail more
north, but strong winds are predicted up there and we therefore rather
stay south. Sometimes sailing, sometimes motorsailing. Nice sunny
weather for the last few days. At night is a bit chillies and ships from
every direction keep us honest and true.

Felix has just attempted his first try at baking bread. As I am writing
the smell from the oven is starting to fill the air, soon we will be
enjoying it, fresh from the oven. My turn to cook tonight, spaghetti and
bolognaise, always a winner. Last night Brad made us a curry stew and
the washing up was easy as there wasn't a crumb left.

With Felix on board we are far more rested now, and our watch shifts are
changing every day. Last night I had the privilege of watching the sun
set, and this morning watching the sun rise. The same sun that has risen
and set over these waters for who really knows how long. And so close to
North Africa, there is a quiet, ancient feel about area we are in. And
the ancient mariners that traversed these waters in their ancient
craft, I feel part of the morphic energy left behind by them as well.

And the sad energies as well, of people at war, as they have been for so
many years. Greed and the conception that survival is a battle and we
have to compete in order to survive. But hopefully soon the sun will
shine down on a planet that is at war no more. Where people will be free
from sub-ordination, from indoctrination, free to be all we are meant to
be. And so it will be, as it is written.Maktub, an Arabian expression
,very apt for the times and the place we are sailing and living in.

The bread just came out, I had my first slice, Felix is a natural, I am
out of here.

Blessings to you

Paul

Maktub-It is written

Another day on the big blue, and like every day before, different from
every day before. We are stitching our way in the direction of Greece.
Easterly winds, sometimes a bit north easterly, have us tacking up and
down along the coast of Africa. At first we were going to sail more
north, but strong winds are predicted up there and we therefore rather
stay south. Sometimes sailing, sometimes motorsailing. Nice sunny
weather for the last few days. At night is a bit chillies and ships from
every direction keep us honest and true.

Felix has just attempted his first try at baking bread. As I am writing
the smell from the oven is starting to fill the air, soon we will be
enjoying it, fresh from the oven. My turn to cook tonight, spaghetti and
bolognaise, always a winner. Last night Brad made us a curry stew and
the washing up was easy as there wasn't a crumb left.

With Felix on board we are far more rested now, and our watch shifts are
changing every day. Last night I had the privilege of watching the sun
set, and this morning watching the sun rise. The same sun that has risen
and set over these waters for who really knows how long. And so close to
North Africa, there is a quiet, ancient feel about area we are in. And
the ancient mariners that traversed these waters in their ancient
craft, I feel part of the morphic energy left behind by them as well.

And the sad energies as well, of people at war, as they have been for so
many years. Greed and the conception that survival is a battle and we
have to compete in order to survive. But hopefully soon the sun will
shine down on a planet that is at war no more. Where people will be free
from sub-ordination, from indoctrination, free to be all we are meant to
be. And so it will be, as it is written.Maktub, an Arabian expression
,very apt for the times and the place we are sailing and living in.

The bread just came out, I had my first slice, Felix is a natural, I am
out of here.

Blessings to you

Paul

West to East

Yes, today we will be crossing the meridian again, this time from west
to east. In the next hour or so to be exact. Only about 1000nm from
Greece but we have to tack up and down to make progress, sometimes
that's the name of the game. Felix did an excellent job of preparing
supper last night. The chicken he served was numero uno. It was his
first meal to prepare and his little initiation depended on how well he
does. He passed with flying colours, so no, we won't drag him behind the
boat on a rope through the icy cold water. A lot of blue bottles as
well, so it would have been quite an initiation.

I am on the 6 to 10 watch this morning and was greeted by clear skies
and the sun rising at about 6:30. Wind blowing at 15 kts from the north
east bring a slight element of chill, and we are sailing in a south
easterly direction. Our weather report predicts that the wind will die
down a bit later and come in from the east. Then we will head back up
north again as some heavy winds are predicted for the 18th, and the
higher north we go the less the wind will be. Down at Africa winds of up
to 45 kts can be expected.

Our ETA for Greece at our present speed is 28/04,a worst case
scenario. We trust that favourable winds will meet us along the way and
cut some time for us. Only time will tell when and where. It is
difficult at night with the waxing moon to see ships, and difficult for
them to see us. Last night our stern nav light wouldn't work, making it
even more difficult for ships to see us from behind. Time to extra
vigilant on our watches. Will check the nav light later today and make
sure it works tonight.During the night we had our port and starboard nav
lights on, our steaming light and our anchor light which has a 360*
visibility.Not much else we can do but a keep a sharp eye on things.

There are dolphins playing around the boat at the moment. I just saw one
leaping completely out of the water.There seem to be a lot of dolphins
as we see them everyday and sometimes at night as well. Always a most
welcome sight, these agile creatures carving curves through the
water.Also spotted a turtle yesterday, to be expected with all the blue
bottles around as the turtles feed on them. Definitaly Short Beaked
Common Dolphins, Delphinus Delphis being the scientific name of the
particular species.

Haven't got much else to say today, all is calm out here. Our position
at AM 05:30 UTC was 37*09'N/00*12'W.More or less staright line distance
to Greece 1040nm. Temperature around 18*C. Skies filled with jet streams
from...you guessed it, jets leaving long white stripes in their wake.

Wishing you a pleasant day

Paul

West to East

Yes, today we will be crossing the meridian again, this time from west
to east. In the next hour or so to be exact. Only about 1000nm from
Greece but we have to tack up and down to make progress, sometimes
that's the name of the game. Felix did an excellent job of preparing
supper last night. The chicken he served was numero uno. It was his
first meal to prepare and his little initiation depended on how well he
does. He passed with flying colours, so no, we won't drag him behind the
boat on a rope through the icy cold water. A lot of blue bottles as
well, so it would have been quite an initiation.

I am on the 6 to 10 watch this morning and was greeted by clear skies
and the sun rising at about 6:30. Wind blowing at 15 kts from the north
east bring a slight element of chill, and we are sailing in a south
easterly direction. Our weather report predicts that the wind will die
down a bit later and come in from the east. Then we will head back up
north again as some heavy winds are predicted for the 18th, and the
higher north we go the less the wind will be. Down at Africa winds of up
to 45 kts can be expected.

Our ETA for Greece at our present speed is 28/04,a worst case
scenario. We trust that favourable winds will meet us along the way and
cut some time for us. Only time will tell when and where. It is
difficult at night with the waxing moon to see ships, and difficult for
them to see us. Last night our stern nav light wouldn't work, making it
even more difficult for ships to see us from behind. Time to extra
vigilant on our watches. Will check the nav light later today and make
sure it works tonight.During the night we had our port and starboard nav
lights on, our steaming light and our anchor light which has a 360*
visibility.Not much else we can do but a keep a sharp eye on things.

There are dolphins playing around the boat at the moment. I just saw one
leaping completely out of the water.There seem to be a lot of dolphins
as we see them everyday and sometimes at night as well. Always a most
welcome sight, these agile creatures carving curves through the
water.Also spotted a turtle yesterday, to be expected with all the blue
bottles around as the turtles feed on them. Definitaly Short Beaked
Common Dolphins, Delphinus Delphis being the scientific name of the
particular species.

Haven't got much else to say today, all is calm out here. Our position
at AM 05:30 UTC was 37*09'N/00*12'W.More or less staright line distance
to Greece 1040nm. Temperature around 18*C. Skies filled with jet streams
from...you guessed it, jets leaving long white stripes in their wake.

Wishing you a pleasant day

Paul

Sirens and things

The last time I sailed the Med was on a delivery from Cape Town to
Croatia. Flew through Gibraltar and four days later reached Sicily. Got
delayed there for three days due to 50 kts of wind through the Straights
of Messina. It is the little gap between Italy and Sicily and rich in
Greek mythology. The Straights were inhabited by sirens, some say
two, some say four. The sirens were creatures with bird-like bodies,
girl's faces, and exquisite singing voices, so exquisite that almost
every mariner who passed the island fell completely under the spell of
their seductive voices and stayed there listening to them forever
more, or else smashed their ships to smithereens on the rocky coast of
the island. It was littered with the shipwrecks bleached bones and of
their countless victims.

Although almost all the ships which passed the islands of the sirens
went down, mythology reports two successful attempts to pass the sirens
unscathed. On his lengthy return journey from Troy to Ithaca, the hero
Odysseus heeded the advice of the enchantress Circe and stopped the ears
of his men with wax to prevent them from hearing the enticing singing.
Since he was keen to hear the sirens himself, he left his own ears
unprotected. He took the precaution, however, of having himself strapped
to the mast of his ship and ordered his men to bind him even tighter if
he appeared to be too carried away by the singing.

The Argonauts, the heroes who had set sail on the ship, the Argo, led by
Jason, chose a simpler but no less effective solution.One of those on
board the Argo was the great singer Orpheus. With his own lovely voice,
he effortlessly drowned out the voices of the sirens.

So one has to deal with this on top of strong currents, strong winds and
lots of traffic. But if you time it right it is also one of the most
beautiful, awe inspiring places you will see. With Mount Edna on Sicily
to our right and the cliff-carved temples on our left, I will ask the
guys to plug their ears with Prestik, tie me to the mast, and hopefully
we will have a safe passage through.

In the meantime we are zig zagging our way towards Greece, slight
headwinds predicted for the next few days. Our position at AM 11:30 UTC
is 36*29'N/00*56'W,google earth it if you like. Felix has plans of
serving chicken for supper. First lightly cooked and then baked in the
oven. I just finished baking a bread and Felix and myself have already
had half of it with some soup. When Brad wakes up he will no doubt also
have his fair share of bread and it will see us through till suppertime.

Take care

Paul

Salsa

Our unexpected little visit to Almeria in Spain was throroughly
enjoyed. We saw some salsa dancing and wow, what a way to express
yourself.My wife is a very good dancer,some people just have a natural
rhythm,and I am sure she would have enjoyed it very much,maybe next time
love.I don't know the meaning of the word salsa,but I would give it the
dance of life.

The wind has died down substantially from yesterday and we are making
our way up east coast of Spain.Our weather predictions shows very strong
winds down south at the coast of Africa,so we are planning to stick to
middle grounds.We will soon tack again and keep on zig zagging towards
Greece.Slight headwinds predicted for the next few days where we are,but
then it should start curving in from the north backing to west.This will
give us an excellent run towards our destination.And so it goes with
sailing,and more so with deliveries.When things are good,they change,and
when things are bad,they change.Just keeping at it,pacing yourself and
not getting frustrated when your expected time of arrival is delayed.

Just looked through the binoculars at a small "village" against the
steep mountainsides with limestone formations running into the
sea.Beautiful Spanish villas,most painted white,a small marina and a few
condomeniums.I also feel a sense of what it is like to stay in such a
place,so secluded from the city buzz.I guess with tv etc no matter where
you stay,if you don't make the most of staying in a place like this,you
,ay then just as well stay in a room anywhere in the world if you spend
most of your time glued to the tellie.

We all had a good rest last night,and it was my turn to cook supper
today,country vegetable stew withfresh carrots,potatoes,marrows,cabbage,
onion,garlic,tomato and a few herbs and spices served on a bed of
rice.We all ate to our hearts content,I'm finished with the dishes and
tomorrow it will be Felix's turn to cook his first meal on the
boat.Pieter had a real knack for making delicious food,and I have got an
idea that we will enjoy Felix's cooking also very much.

Our position currently is 36*43'N/02*06'W.Soon we will be in the
crossing back into the eastern hemisphere and perhaps we can have a
little initiation for Felix.He didn't cross the equator with us,but
surely this is also some milestone.Mmmmmmmmmmmm,we will see what we get
for supper tomorrow night and then see how and if he will be initiated.

Take care

Paul