Morning Has Broken

As the sun rose in the east this morning, I could'nt help to wonder how
magnificent it all is. How is it possible that in all this chaos,
swirling galaxies, supernovas....we came to be.It is truly a miracle.

LIFE ON EARTH
All of us , you , me , every creature from the crawling ant to the
leaping antelope has been given a gift, the gift of life. I know many of
you won't agree with me, but this gift has been given to us on a silver
platter. I also know life can be cruel sometimes, it tends to have a
sick sense of humour, but it is not for us to say weather it is fair or
not." All we have to do is to decide what to do with the time given to
us"

We are on the open ocean and we find ourselves in the most ancient of
human conditions, man and nature.I can only hope that one day we will
all see what precious gift this, before the sun will set on our time
here.

That is all.

Fun on the run

Yesterday,all my troubles seemed so far away...What a lovely day we
had,not sailing fast but staying above our required 5 kts,on a run with
genoa and main working in unison.Temperature is starting to touch on
30*C,air and water.Time to show the boys how we drag ourselves behind
the boat.Ideal speed for doing this is 4 kts,higher than that and you
start struggling to pull yourself back to the boat.Easy to drop our
speed,just furl in the genoa a little and then it was time to play.Brad
went in first,and after five minutes we were sure there are no sharks in
the water...(Melinda,Lisa and all Brad's other friends and family,just
joking.Very unlikely to have any open ocean sharks around.Great
whites,no.White tip sharks,yes,but they only gather after a while when a
plane or ship went down and lots of bodies floating in the water.Great
whites do cross oceans,but down south only,and this was only discovered
a few years ago.)To get back to dragging in the water,soon Pieter and
myself were also enjoying the refreshing,exhilirating feeling of being
dragged behind a yacht with 5 000 m of deep blue water below.Washed
ourselves,took some crazy photos and loved every moment of it.

Half an hour before we went for a swim,I was busy typing a mail when our
fish alarm sounded.I looked back and saw a familiar sight,a huge fin
behind our lure.I called Brad and showed him what was trying to stun our
little rubber lure.I pulled the lure in fast and the huge fish followed
closely behind,right up to our stern,which is the back of a boat.The
awesome beautiful shape of a huge marlin was clearly visible.I asked
Brad to be careful of the fishing line which was coiled up on our
aftdeck,and dropped the now slack lure back in the water and down the
lure went,just like a stunned fish.Instinctively I turned my back,closed
my eyes and tensed up,waiting for the line to tun out.As it did the line
pulled taught and for a few moments the marlin was on.As fate would have
it,the double hook I used wasn't in deep enough and the marlin was
off.They have a hard bony mouth and our lure was basically stripped from
the line as it must have pulled out of the marlin's mouth.A little
relieved and a little dissapointed.It is an enormous battle to take
on,even more so on a handline and with the boat moving forward.You would
really work hard to get the marlin in,then slack the line again,pull it
in,slack the line,and normally when you bring it in the third time the
battle is won,the marlin no longer fighting.One would then remove the
hook,take a few photos,drag it by it's bill through the water to
resuscitate,and once it kicks a few times,you can let it go.A battle you
will never forget.A true one on one battle.

Last night we were closing in on Ascension Island and were getting just
above 4 kts with the sails flogging,not good.Bring down the main,furl in
the genoa and bring up our iron maiden.No Madri,not you.Madri is
Pieter's sister and rides a mean big machine,a Yamaha TDM 850.

Ascension Island is a purely military set up,run by the US and
UK.Satelite dishes,antennas,balls,fuel tanks etc etc etc,including a
militay airport.This morning I saw a light flashing by and
disappear,moving extemely fast and quiet.I wonder what these people are
testing out here in the middle of nowhere.What I also wonder about is
all the dead fish floating in the water.I came past this way three years
ago and also dead fish everywhere,reef fish.Abhorring and truelly
saddening, this disrespect for life,life that we consider sacred.Perhaps
one should ask an explanation from the relative authorities to try and
find a solution.They have no right to destroy our planet,for whatever
reason.A little highlight was the first dolphins we saw on this
trip,three of them,Atlantic spotted dolphins.They played around our bows
for an hour or so,swimming between the dead fish,looking at us,and
asking us to do something about this state of affairs.Perhaps you can
google dead fish around Ascension Island and find out more.Sigh........

Brad has just mixed some breadflour,yeast,salt,sugar,olives,onion,
garlic,chillies and a few other ingredients,with cheese grilled on
top,oh,and a sprinkle of love.It is busy rising in the sun and will soon
be in the oven.Just looked at it and to big for the baking pan,and we
are now having a flat bread in a baking tray. Mmmmmmm.....Pieter has
just cooked some two minute noodles and are mixing some oysters in for
lunch.As you can see,we are very busy on this Sunday.I was going to
prepare a real country casserole for supper,but we decided we have
enough to feast on for the day.

And with that I am signing off...Have a fantastic week and we will post
again tomorrow morning.

Paul

Fun on the run

Yesterday,all my troubles seemed so far away...What a lovely day we
had,not sailing fast but staying above our required 5 kts,on a run with
genoa and main working in unison.Temperature is starting to touch on
30*C,air and water.Time to show the boys how we drag ourselves behind
the boat.Ideal speed for doing this is 4 kts,higher than that and you
start struggling to pull yourself back to the boat.Easy to drop our
speed,just furl in the genoa a little and then it was time to play.Brad
went in first,and after five minutes we were sure there are no sharks in
the water...(Melinda,Lisa and all Brad's other friends and family,just
joking.Very unlikely to have any open ocean sharks around.Great
whites,no.White tip sharks,yes,but they only gather after a while when a
plane or ship went down and lots of bodies floating in the water.Great
whites do cross oceans,but down south only,and this was only discovered
a few years ago.)To get back to dragging in the water,soon Pieter and
myself were also enjoying the refreshing,exhilirating feeling of being
dragged behind a yacht with 5 000 m of deep blue water below.Washed
ourselves,took some crazy photos and loved every moment of it.

Half an hour before we went for a swim,I was busy typing a mail when our
fish alarm sounded.I looked back and saw a familiar sight,a huge fin
behind our lure.I called Brad and showed him what was trying to stun our
little rubber lure.I pulled the lure in fast and the huge fish followed
closely behind,right up to our stern,which is the back of a boat.The
awesome beautiful shape of a huge marlin was clearly visible.I asked
Brad to be careful of the fishing line which was coiled up on our
aftdeck,and dropped the now slack lure back in the water and down the
lure went,just like a stunned fish.Instinctively I turned my back,closed
my eyes and tensed up,waiting for the line to tun out.As it did the line
pulled taught and for a few moments the marlin was on.As fate would have
it,the double hook I used wasn't in deep enough and the marlin was
off.They have a hard bony mouth and our lure was basically stripped from
the line as it must have pulled out of the marlin's mouth.A little
relieved and a little dissapointed.It is an enormous battle to take
on,even more so on a handline and with the boat moving forward.You would
really work hard to get the marlin in,then slack the line again,pull it
in,slack the line,and normally when you bring it in the third time the
battle is won,the marlin no longer fighting.One would then remove the
hook,take a few photos,drag it by it's bill through the water to
resuscitate,and once it kicks a few times,you can let it go.A battle you
will never forget.A true one on one battle.

Last night we were closing in on Ascension Island and were getting just
above 4 kts with the sails flogging,not good.Bring down the main,furl in
the genoa and bring up our iron maiden.No Madri,not you.Madri is
Pieter's sister and rides a mean big machine,a Yamaha TDM 850.

Ascension Island is a purely military set up,run by the US and
UK.Satelite dishes,antennas,balls,fuel tanks etc etc etc,including a
militay airport.This morning I saw a light flashing by and
disappear,moving extemely fast and quiet.I wonder what these people are
testing out here in the middle of nowhere.What I also wonder about is
all the dead fish floating in the water.I came past this way three years
ago and also dead fish everywhere,reef fish.Abhorring and truelly
saddening, this disrespect for life,life that we consider sacred.Perhaps
one should ask an explanation from the relative authorities to try and
find a solution.They have no right to destroy our planet,for whatever
reason.A little highlight was the first dolphins we saw on this
trip,three of them,Atlantic spotted dolphins.They played around our bows
for an hour or so,swimming between the dead fish,looking at us,and
asking us to do something about this state of affairs.Perhaps you can
google dead fish around Ascension Island and find out more.Sigh........

Brad has just mixed some breadflour,yeast,salt,sugar,olives,onion,
garlic,chillies and a few other ingredients,with cheese grilled on
top,oh,and a sprinkle of love.It is busy rising in the sun and will soon
be in the oven.Just looked at it and to big for the baking pan,and we
are now having a flat bread in a baking tray. Mmmmmmm.....Pieter has
just cooked some two minute noodles and are mixing some oysters in for
lunch.As you can see,we are very busy on this Sunday.I was going to
prepare a real country casserole for supper,but we decided we have
enough to feast on for the day.

And with that I am signing off...Have a fantastic week and we will post
again tomorrow morning.

Paul

To the boatwash

Last night we had our first taste of substantial windshifts in a short
period of time,accompanied by rain.It showed where as a team we had room
for improvement,a gentle introduction to squalls and how to deal with
them.It also caused us to drop the mainsail and use the genoa and motor
to make the most of whatever angle the wind was coming from.

This morning my shift started at 6 and as the day was starting to loom
in the background,the wind also settled in a SSE direction.Often,just
for the challenge of it,I decided to get both sails up again.I always
think in term of solo sailors when I am in this frame of mind.Started
both motors,furled in the genoa,turned into the wind,switched the
autopilot to windvane mode and upped the rudder response to
max.Ideally,you want the wind straight ahead when you raise the
main.

Once I was happy that we were pointing and staying that way into the
wind,I released the main sheet,went to the foredeck and in no time at
all had the main up,2nd reef.I slowly turned the boat around using the
windvane mode.From there it was easy to track the mainsail all the way
to port,and slacked the mainsheet until we were just touching the
shroud.Tightened a gybe preventer to keep the main just off the shroud.

Then I furled out the genoa and got the wind from right behind,pulled
the genoa also down with a gybe preventer and soon we were sailing
again,no motor.Pure bliss.If the above sounds very technical,sure it
is.Sometimes sailing is like that.The secret is to visualize the whole
operation,anticipate any problems,and once you are sure what you going
to do,just do it.

If you think I am blowing my own horn,you are wrong.Just pointing out
that it can be done.It helps when you have sailed a few times around the
globe as well,experience counts for a lot on the
ocean.Yet,caution,respect and at one with the elements around you keeps
you alive.You get old sailors and you get brave sailors.There are not
brave old sailors.All of us who sail the seas have been humbled when the
sea gets big and stormy.Been to the edge a few times,so never will I
shout bring it on.I just ask for grace to deal with whatever the ocean
throws at me.And if she decides to take me down one fine day,I will go
down having tried my utmost to stay afloat.

We are less than 90 nm from Ascension Island and it looks like we might
pass by in the night.Perhaps early tomorrow morning,that would be
awesome.Last night we also had what I think a floating tuna factory
coming past.Pieter told me that he thinks he sees a lighthouse.It was a
searchlight on the vessel turning around in the sky.Not only were we 160
nm from Ascension,there are also no lighthouse on the island.On my watch
the vessel came past us,within ten miles and one could clearly see the
workings through the binoculars.Our position at AM 10:00 UTC
08*52'S/13*01'W.

Pieter's turn to prepare supper tonight,I untangled and let the fishing
lure out again as the moon is right above us,hoping for a dorado.

Wishing you a pleasant weekend.

Paul

One of those days

Yes,it was one of those days that you could wish you were here.At 01:30
this morning the wind started shifting around a bit and settled on SE.On
a broadreach this was pushing us more north and it was time to change
our sail configuration.Quite simple really,left the main as it
was,furled in the genoa,changed it to the other side and voila,we,are on
a run again.Smooth,fast and right on target for Ascension.Windvane mode
set on 180,dead from behind.Following seas and following winds.

We had a little black bird hitching a ride and leaving some deposits
scatterred here and there.At about 02:30 this morning a slight drizzle
came over,but soon the dark bank of clouds was starting to break up.The
moon was starting to rise and a moonbeam shining through here and there
gave me the assurance that the dark bank of clouds will blow over.when I
took over watch at ten this morning,the sun is shining,the wind pushing
us at between 10 and 12 kts from behind and our little boat is having a
lot of fun,surfing down the swells and running between 6 and 7 kts.

Last night I thought we will have Thai chicken curry.Turned out to be
Malay chicken curry and I did not had too much to clean as it was all
consumed.The deboned chicken breasts comes in 2kg packs,and instead of
defrosting the lot,I took a hacksaw and cut off one third.This amused
Pieter to the extend that he had to take a few photos.Once defrosted,I
cut the chicken into bite size pieces using a scissor.Fast,clean, neat,
perfect.When I reminded Pieter that butchers use a bandsaw to cut there
frozen meat,he agreed.Not so out of the ordinary after all.The young man
is still battling with the green monster that whirls around in his
stomach,but he is strong and brave.I feel for the man,apparently he is
on a supermodel diet.Ha ha ha.Seriously,he is better than ok,but still.

My first mate on my four previous trips,Gareth,is delivering a Fast42
from Rio back to Cape Town,his first trip as skipper.I received a
message from him,six mtr waves and 50 kts from behind.In his own
words,he got hammered.They are about 2300nm from Cape Town.Gareth and
myself had 56 kts from behind on our last trip from Cape Town to
India,between PE and East London.Not much room for error under those
conditions and I am immensily proud of the 20 year old young man.

Brad is taking the trip in his stride.He is also a pleasure to have
around,a fine sense of humor and the dynamics between the three of us
are excellent.We are busy honing our skills as a team and they learn
exceptionally quick.When the real test comes,we will be ready as can
be.What I teach them about how I want the "ropes" coiled etc is all in
preparation for super quick action when we enter the squally zone.Not
nice when you have to uncoil a sheet that has been beautifully coiled
and 30 kts of wind chasing down on you.Decorative ropework on a yacht is
not practical when you have to act quickly,and can be dangerous when
speed is crucial.One flick of the wrist and ready for action,that's what
you want.Sailing schools should up their game a bit.This is the real
thing.

To our wifes,our families,our friends,thank you ever so much for staying
in touch.We appreciate every word you send more than words can say.It is
Friday and what can we say,have a fantabulous weekend.Your support means
the world to us.

Paul

Thai Chicken Curry

It is the third day since we left St.Helena.The first day was slow
going,motoring and waiting for the wind to kick in.Sailing long distance
one learns a lot of things.In this case,not to get disheartened when the
going is slow.Just grin and bare it.Yesterday,as our weather prediction
indicated,the wind came through and we didn't loose a second to get the
sails up and start making up for some lost time.As our secondary
headsails has been reduced to rags,we had to rig the mainsail and genoa
as a goosewing,giving the wind something to get into.Not as effective as
twin headsails,but miles better than just one headsail.

During the night the wind started shifting from SE to more ESE and we
were running a bit north.At about ten this morning the wind shifted
sufficiently for us to go on a broadreach.Also a difficult angle to sail
on as the swell is coming in at an angle,causing us to slip down the
face of the swell at times and throwing us around a bit.Nothing
vicious,and with gybe preventers not too stressful on the rigging as
well.The wind is between 12 and 15 kts.Main second reef with full
genoa.A bit conservative but our speed is above our 5 kts
average,sometimes even touching 7 kts.The motion is much gentler this
way.Once we get on to a beam reach,things will change again.Speed will
then give us a better motion as we are then actually sailing,and not
being pushed by the wind.

On the menu tonight is Thai Chicken Curry with spiced rice.Easy with
Denny readymixed sauce.Last night we had rump steak with spuds.Mayonaise
and a few other little tricks makes spudds an awesome experience.It was
Pieter's turn to prepare supper and not having a pan,yes,we lost it in
Cape Town already,I recommended we bake the rump steak in our baking
pan.It came out absolutely deliciously succilently soft.We have a pan
somewhere on board inbetween the charter cutlery,but we seem to manage
fine without a pan.Brad scooped some water in Elliot Basin in Cape Town
and came up with just the handle in his hand.I always buy fairly good
stainless pots and pans,even though we use it only for the delivery and
then leave it behind.No pan,no problem.The weather is positively
starting to get hot,bordering on 29*C.

Last night saw a satelite moving through the sky,quite amazing,gazing at
the stars and see one star just moving through the sky at speed.I have a
program,Astro Viewer and have a lot of fun with it.You type in your
position,date and time and voila,you have all the planets and other
heavenly bodies visible from where you are on your computer
screen.Pleiades,a cluster close to Orion,is probably my favourite sight
at night,a right little jewel in the sky.The Greek mythology around this
cluster is rich with imagination.More about that some other time.The
stories these people saw in the sky is sometimes absurd,sometimes
comical,but always beautiful.Also interesting that the Celt mythology
also have it's roots in the Grecian/Roman times.

If all goes according to plan,we will be sailing past Ascension Island
on Saturday.This weekend is also the Mykonos Regatta in Cape Town and we
wish all the participants a really excellent time.Our position @ PM
03:00 UTC 11*42'S/10*17'W.Distance to Greece about 5150nm.

Wishing you pleasant day or night.

Paul

Another installment from SinBrad the sailor

Hi all!

We had an amazing time in St Helena. We met some amazing people, saw a
very unique island, and enjoyed some rest and relaxation before the next
part of our journey.

Pieter and I ended up climbing "Jacobs Ladder", which was hell for the
legs, but heaven for the eyes. What an amazing view from the top! The
record for climbing the 699 steps stands at 5min 11seconds...We managed
about 15-20 minutes:) We were not taking stain, but merely enjoying the
sight! Once we reached the top of the climb, we walked a bit towards the
village up on the hill. To our amazement, the walk carried on uphill. So
we decided it was about time to let our thumbs do the work for us. We
hitch-hiked our way uphill, and finally got a lift with a lady and her
friend who were heading in our direction. We were on route to find a
place that sells pizza. We quickly came to the conclusion that none of
the locals, called "Saints", had any clue of what distances meant. They
all told us that the place we were looking for was "just half a mile up
the road". Needless to say, we ended up getting a lift about 3 miles up
the road. We arrived and enjoyed some delicious pizza. From there we
decided that we wanted to make our way to the old plantation house to
see one of the islands celebrities. This individual is a giant tortoise,
approximately 180 years old. We were not suprised to be told that this
house was "just half a mile up the hill". We ended up walking this
distance, and then once again decided to hitch-hike the rest of the way,
which ended up being about a ten minute drive. When we finally got to
the our destination, we were amazed at the beauty of this old house. It
is a massive, white slatted house with a large grass lawn and tennis
court, which is now home to the Governor of St Helena. Pieter and I
walked around the house and the forest which was in its backyard. After
hitch-hiking our way back to jacobs ladder, we walked down the stairs
again, which was much easier, and caught a ferry back to our boat. In
total, a very enjoyable day making our way around the village.

On sunday we enjoyed a braai at "Annes Place" where we met some more
interesting people and made some great contacts. Its amazing how sailing
automatically establishes a connection between people. One never feels
like you are meeting a stranger, as we all have our own stories from
past and future routes at sea. So, when one meets a fellow sailor, it is
as if you are catching up with an old friend, hearing all about his past
exploits. There are some truly interesting people out there, who have
done some amazing things in their lives. Thats one thing about
sailing...everyone has an amazing story to tell! I look forward to
meeting many more people like this in future.

We are currently two days into the next stage of our journey, which will
see us pass Ascension island, cross the equator, pass Cape Verdes and
the Canary islands on route to Madeira. This will be a three week
passage (approx), some 3000 nautical miles. I have decided that it will
be a lot of fun to jump off the boat and swim across the Equator when we
get there. I will time my jump so that I dont end up swimming too far:)

The wind has been a bit on the still side the last two days. We are
hoping to get a bit more wind here and there before we approach the
equator where we may have a period of weak winds as we enter the
doldrums. We are hoping to cross the equator such that we are not in the
doldrums for too long, and can thus make our way up to Madeira with not
much time lost.

We hope you enjoyed some of the pictures that were posted on the blog.

Chat soon

Brad

Ciao ciao St.Helena

What an immense pleasure it was to once again drop anchor at
St.Helena.There were on average 12 yachts moored,one of which is
Catlyn,one of the first Mavericks to be launched.I met Johan and Marlene
two years ago when they just started out and moved onto their new
yacht.I received news from a mutual friend,Paul Rackstraw,that Catlyn is
in St.Helena.That was 5 days before we arrived and we were dearly hoping
that they would still be there when we arrived,and so it was.They just
finished their first long sail and enjoyed it thoroughly.Two of their
kids,Johan and Marko,are also on board and they plan to cruise for the
next few years,next stop Brazil.

At Anne's Place Richard and Jane planned a little BBQ as they always do
when I visit,little not really,but a few close friends,and always
too much food.We normally also bring something along,they supply a
variety of salads,french fries and and and.Johan and co were also
invited and they experienced the true hospitality of these wonderful
friends of ours.And as usual,a feast was had by all.

But I'm jumping the gun here,but why not.No need to place events in the
exact order it happened.When we arrived on Friday we went ashore at
about noon,cleared customs etc.,popped in here and there to greet some
old friends and soon we were at Anne's Place,enjoying a cheeseburger
with chips and a beer.May sound like small fry to you,for us it was
anything but.We also had excellent internet facilities,one pound for ten
minutes.We were back at the boat at about 6pm having dealt with all the
formalities and informalities.I also started making work of finding some
navlights for us and soon I was assured by another good friend of mine
on the island that he's got some at home and will see that it gets to
me.Saturday no navlights,Sunday no navlights,Monday reminded the man and
at noon the navlights were delivered.No charge.Old ones,but far better
than no navlights.

Pieter and Brad took on Jacob's Ladder on Saturday,also did some hiking
around the island,but they can tell you more about their own experiences
first hand.Saturday afternoon Brad and myself swam over to Catlyn and
landed up spending much longer than planned.10 bells Saturday night
Johan lowered their dinghy into the water and saved us the short swim
back to our boat.Thank goodness.Sunday morning Johan Jnr and 11 year old
Marko rowed over and we swopped movies,filling the storage space on
their external hard drives to the max and in turn also loading quite a
few goodies onto ours.At 1 pm we called the ferry and we left for Anne's
Place.

I won't elaborate too much as Pieter and Brad can also share their
experiences.Suffice to say,we are well rested and totally motivated for
the next leg of our journey.We are aiming for Ascension on a broad
reach,about 680nm away.Hopefully we will pass it during the day but no
plans to stop there.Not sure where we will stop next.Madeira if we can
cut in deep enough,otherwise Cadiz just outside Gibraltar.All depends on
the weather.St.Helena is slowly growing smaller and smaller in the
background.Once again that aching feeling of leaving loved ones
behind,the call of the big blue ahead of us.

I greet you

Paul

Hola St Helena!

Hello everyone.

We have arrived at St Helena safely after a great nights sailing. We
dropped anchor and went ashore (fetched by the little ferry). We have
already enjoyed a beer and a hamburger for lunch at "Annes Place", and
Pieter and I took a stroll around some of the shops and little alley
ways to explore a bit. We also took a walk around the museum, and met
some interesting locals:) (one guy who would not speak, but insisted
acting everything out to us...very perculiar...small island fever
perhaps!)

It was such a weird sensation setting foot on land again after nearly
two weeks. The land felt like it would not stop moving from underneath
our feet, and it took a while until we could be sure of our steps. There
are a twelve yachts moored around us, also stopping over for a few days
on route to various destinations. So perhaps we will all meet up to swap
war stories from our adventures.

At this satge it looks like we are able to orgainise navigation lights
to replace ours, which were damaged by our headsail. So it seems like
we will be clearing out on monday morning first light to make our way
to Madeira, some three weeks away. We are hoping to have a really good
few nights rest, as this next part of the journey will be more demanding
on us.

We were fortunate enough to pick up a mooring buoy close to the shore.
Apparently the anchorage here is not all that good, and boats have often
been known to drift off into the distance when their anchors drag and
lift.

We will be posting a few photos onto our blog tomorrow for your
enjoyment. We will also be climbing the formidable "Jacobs ladder". I
have convinced Pieter to hitch-hike up to the next village with me
tommorrow, which is up a very steep, long and winding road. I am sure
even Lance Armstrong would give this hill a second glance before taking
it on.

Summing up our arrival, St Helena is an amazing place. Its not luxurious
or extravagant at all, which is exactly what could be expected from an
island in the middle of the Atlantic which is only accessable by ship or
yacht (no airport at all). The shops here get there supplies shipped in
every three months on the RMS St Helena. But the town is very
intersting, and has a very rich history. The locals accents sound
English/Kiwi/American. Very strange, but it is very enjoyable listening
to them speak. We will update you on our progress with regards to our
search for navigation lights, and also on our adventures on the island!
Pieter and I decided that the island looks like something out of the
King-Kong movie! Steep, rocky volcanic cliffs all around the island...

Chat soon.
Brad

Hola St Helena!

Hello everyone.

We have arrived at St Helena safely after a great nights sailing. We
dropped anchor and went ashore (fetched by the little ferry). We have
already enjoyed a beer and a hamburger for lunch at "Annes Place", and
Pieter and I took a stroll around some of the shops and little alley
ways to explore a bit. We also took a walk around the museum, and met
some interesting locals:) (one guy who would not speak, but insisted
acting everything out to us...very perculiar...small island fever
perhaps!)

It was such a weird sensation setting foot on land again after nearly
two weeks. The land felt like it would not stop moving from underneath
our feet, and it took a while until we could be sure of our steps. There
are a twelve yachts moored around us, also stopping over for a few days
on route to various destinations. So perhaps we will all meet up to swap
war stories from our adventures.

At this satge it looks like we are able to orgainise navigation lights
to replace ours, which were damaged by our headsail. So it seems like
we will be clearing out on monday morning first light to make our way
to Madeira, some three weeks away. We are hoping to have a really good
few nights rest, as this next part of the journey will be more demanding
on us.

We were fortunate enough to pick up a mooring buoy close to the shore.
Apparently the anchorage here is not all that good, and boats have often
been known to drift off into the distance when their anchors drag and
lift.

We will be posting a few photos onto our blog tomorrow for your
enjoyment. We will also be climbing the formidable "Jacobs ladder". I
have convinced Pieter to hitch-hike up to the next village with me
tommorrow, which is up a very steep, long and winding road. I am sure
even Lance Armstrong would give this hill a second glance before taking
it on.

Summing up our arrival, St Helena is an amazing place. Its not luxurious
or extravagant at all, which is exactly what could be expected from an
island in the middle of the Atlantic which is only accessable by ship or
yacht (no airport at all). The shops here get there supplies shipped in
every three months on the RMS St Helena. But the town is very
intersting, and has a very rich history. The locals accents sound
English/Kiwi/American. Very strange, but it is very enjoyable listening
to them speak. We will update you on our progress with regards to our
search for navigation lights, and also on our adventures on the island!
Pieter and I decided that the island looks like something out of the
King-Kong movie! Steep, rocky volcanic cliffs all around the island...

Chat soon.
Brad

The Race is on!

Hallo Friends And Family

Yes, it is almost time, time to see dry land again and to have a cold
one because the more cold a one is, the more of a ONE it is!! The
spirits are high and the gods have given us favourable winds.Skipper
Paul had a good run this morning, but now it is up to Brad to run the
boat and show the salty old sea-dogs how the real naughty miles are won.
Yes folks it is an exiting day.... somewhere out here in the Atlantic.

Yesterday, on the other hand, was just as exiting. We saw an orange
cylinder, a turtle, some flying fish..again and a flock of birds far far
away. We were over the moon about these sightings and it became the talk
of the day.No no not really, but it is good to see other stuff.We often
take the little thing in life for granted, we think they are trivial,
beleive me, nothing is trivial.So pat your dog some extra today, give
your bird more seed and an extra cup of water for your potplant.

Bye from the salty sea-dogs.

Steady progress made

Hi all

After a day or so of slower than average sailing, and a bit of
motorsailing, the wind has decided to take a deep breath in and let out
a bit more for us. Last nights watches allowed us to make up a bit of
lost time, with the wind reaching 17.4 knots at one stage, which is
considerably higher than our average wind speed of about 8-10 knots of
the last few days. This allowed us to inflate our average speed
(VMG-Velocity made good) to 6-7 knots, and at some stages 8-9 knots. We
are back on track with regards to arriving in St. Helena on Friday
morning (ETA 11am).

We look forward to some solid ground, "jacobs ladder" (699 steps up a
steep hill to the next settlement on the island) which should put a bit
of lactic acid into our thighs and calves, after which we shall enjoy a
nice cold beer. There are also interesting sites to see on the island,
such as the house where Napolean lived his last days, the museum on the
island, and a few of the local shops and villages...We look to clear out
of St. Helena on sunday morning to make our departure on the next stage
of our journey.

Life on the boat is great. We were afforded a nice warm shower in the
heads yesterday (with fresh water, which was a treat!) as we have been
working very sparingly with our water supply onboard, as well as the
fact that we are going to be refilling our water drums and tanks when in
St Helena.

Other than that, we are all in good spirit and having a great time in
the fresh air and vast open space around us! My turn to cook dinner
tonight: Sliced lemon and herb chicken breasts, three bean salad,
noodles, and creamed sweet corn...

Chat soon

Brad

East to West

Vir die Afrikaanse vriende sal ek vir n oomblik hand aan eie taal slaan
en dit pertinent verkondig dat my lieflike vrou op Valentein's Dag my
weereens laat besef sy is deur en deur n robyn rose vrou.Julle kan maar
comment in Zulu,Xhosa,Afrikaans,Engels,enige van ons 11 amptelike
tale.As jy nie verstaan nie,probeer Google Translator, ha ha ha.Terug na
Ingels.

We have noticed a pattern with the weather the last few days.The wind
will blow steady with sunrise,but as it heats up the wind starts dying
down.In the afternoon when the sun is on it's way down again,the wind
seems to pick up.The trick is to motorsail and charge the batteries when
the wind is down to keep our average up and keep the batteries
charged.Optimal use of wind and motor.Our ETA for St.Helena is still
Friday but slowly getting later and later,now at about 10am should we
average 6 kts.Our grib weatherfile looks positively better for the next
few days and the lull we are experiencing should soon be over.reason why
we need to get to St.Helena on Friday is in order for us to clear
customs and immigration,do all we want to do there and be on our way
again on Sunday morning.Nowadays they also send a docter to the yacht to
see if we are all well before allowed to go ashore.Customs and
immigration is closed on weekends and in a worst case scenario should we
arrive to late on Friday is for us to sit out at anchor until next
Monday before we can get ashore.We need to fill up our watertanks,do
something about our bicolor navlight and touch base again for a day or
so.

Last night we had baked and grilled lamb chops,butternut,boiled and
fried potato dices and bean salad with banana,cheese and
mayonaise.Pieter is an accomplished chef with great abilities,Brad is
good in his own way and myself can also cook up a storm.But at this
stage Pieter is numero uno,so voted by Brad and me.Yesterday morning
Brad baked some scones and bread so we had a feast all day long,midnight
snacks and this morning toast with egg.So for the wifes and kids,
brothers and sisters,friends and family,pets etc who are concerned about
us eating well,you have nothing to worry about.

Today is really the first day that it is completely overcast.Not cold at
all,rather pleasant at 24*C.We are 400nm from St.Helena and at PM 02:00
UTC our position is 19*40'S/00*08'E.We are less than 10nm from crossing
over to the west,less than two hours away.My turn to cook tonight and
some type of beef casserole will be conjured cooking with gas.All aboard
is well and in fine frame of mind.The moon is getting fuller and fuller
everyday and soon it will be fullmoon or foolmoon for the lunies.Please
hop aboard again tomorrow as I would love to share some secrets about
Leonardo Da Fishi.Closer to fullmoon I will tell you about "Sailbad the
sinner",a name I saw on a boat in Port Elizabeth.

Until then take good care.

Paul

In My Head-Movies

Greetings from the three guys in the Atlantic on Valentiens Day!!
We've just had an engine oil change, conducted by our handsome skipper
Paul.He tells us and we do it, it's like slave labour, only without the
labour and without the slaves.....ha ha ha. No, on a very NOT so serious
note, this may be one of the best experiences i've had since i was a
litte girl.My skipper and crew mate are exelent companions.

We watched Step Brothers last night, because it was Sunday and Sunday is
movie night for me, and had some caramelo bears witch my lovely wife
packed for us.The watch was quite interesting as the moon is almost full
and the crisp clear sky out here makes it easy to get lost in the
heavens above. Well to be honest it is quite easy to get lost in
anything out here, espesially in your own thoughts.You might just find
yourself wandering in places that you've never been to or haven't
visited for a long time.This thing that we call time and have so little
of back home, suddenly becomes ample and all you can do is get lost in
your head movies.

As i am writing this, Brad is preparing a scone mix to go with our tea,
quite a handy young fellow if i must say so myself and our skipper is
having a good snoozz after a long watch.

Excuse my spelling as i am a Afrikaans speaking South African, but i
think you will get the idea.

We are cruising at 5 knots position 21 18 S 02 15 E, so go check on
google earth so you know where your loved ones and friends are.

Regards pIETMAN

The Adventures of SinBrad the Sailor

Hello all you lovely people.

For those of you who dont know me, my name is Bradley Cannon. Pieter and
I have now found our sea legs, settled ourselves, and have now changed
to a higher gear aboard this amazing trip to Greece. Pieter is no longer
tasting his dinner twice, and is in great spirit! I have grown
accustomed to being flung around my cabin when the ride gets a bit
bumpy, and have tended to adopt the saloon as my place of rest from time
to time...but I would have it no other way! This is by far the longest
passage I have ever sailed thus far! Both Pieter and myself have at
times wondered, "what have I gotten myself into?"...There is no turning
back, and no such thing as "calling in sick". We are on this trip,
period. And we are both loving every moment of it! This has already been
such a learning experience and adventure, and its only week one!

We have all had our introductory cooking shifts, where we got to assess
what sort of cooking awaits us in the next couple of weeks... I think we
have done well so far...Pieter is a closet Jamie Oliver, and Paul makes
an amazing cup of tea:) No, really Paul is an amazing cook too! I think
I might be the weak link in the kitchen, but I have a few tricks up my
sleeve! Dont fret!

We are all getting along really well, and it seems very unlikely that
one of us might be accidently pushed overboard:) I think we have a nice
mix of personalities on the boat, with each personality complimenting
the other...

We are making great progress, and are looking to arrive at St Helena on
Friday. For those of you who may not know where or what St Helena is, it
is an island (British possession) which covers an area of 122km
(squared). It is an extinct volcano, and rises up 823m. It was the place
of confinement of Napolean after the Battle of Waterloo. Now that the
Geography/History lesson is over...Our current position is 22* 30'S 04*
03'E. We are 666 nautical miles from St Helena, and have been averaging
140/150nm a day for the previous four or so days. We have all discussed
what cravings we will attend to first when we arrive at S.H. Amongst
these cravings: Beer, beer, pizza, burger, beer, and from my side some
jelly sweets (wine gums or anything!)

As you have already been told, we caught a massive long-fin tuna, which
we enjoyed as sushimi with pickled ginger, wasabi, and soy sauce. We
have even hung a few strips on a line to make fish biltong! What an
amazing team-building experience that was. We had all been adjusting to
our ever-changing sleep patterns and trying to find our sea legs, so the
catchin of the tuna really injected a bit of excitement and was a great
bonding experience!

We generally spend our free time sleeping, reading, chatting, and
occassionally we might watch a movie on the laptop. Pieter and I have
both been reading a book called "Shantaram" by Gregory David Roberts. I
am about 150 pages into it, and enjoying it immensely. I would recommend
it as a must read!

Other than that, life is good on the mighty Atlantic Ocean, and we are
all doing very well!

We all look forward to your emails and comments.

Chat soon

Brad

Ferdie the flying fish

Squadrons of glistening flying fish are taking off all around the boat
today.As in slow motion one follows them escaping from this imaginary
threat,gliding some distance,touching and finning the water with the tip
of their bottom tail fin,and off on another stretch of elegant manouvres
in the air they go.They form the staple diet of many forms of life out
here.From the deep blue the golden dorado is king when it comes to
hunting flying fish.With eyes situated on the top of their heads,they
can pursue the flying fish in flight and sometimes even snatch them out
of the air.A long sleek body powered by a huge tail fin it is also a
most delicious dish to enjoy.The hunter becomes the hunted.9 out 10
times fish will take a blue lure,the colour of the flying fish and
ocean.The better camouflaged it is,the better it works.We have caught
tuna,dorado,wahoo,sailfish and marlin on oceans all around the
world.There are other factors to successful fishing like the phase of
the moon,the seastate etc,but that is altogether another matter.To have
a feeling,look back,and watch a big tuna take your lure,or to let a lure
out on a whim,and half way out,you are on,comes with time spent on the
ocean and a lot of grace.

I also want to tell you about the clouds and the mythical shapes they
form and how they in turn relate to Greek mythology.The Greeks had to
give substance to every element they knew,every feeling and the patos of
the human experience.A rich and colourful tapestry that depicts the
birth of western thought.But more about that later.

Suffice to say that we are well on our way to anchoring off
Jamestown,St.Helena on Friday,18/02.The wind and swell and current from
behind is pushing us merrily along and ahead of our required target per
day.For the last few days we have run the motors a little here and there
just to keep our boat's batteries charged,other than that it has been
plain sailing.We have also turned our clocks back one hour to balance
sunrise and sunset.

Our position @ 10:30 UTC 22*39'S/04*21'E.We are just under 700nm from
St.Helena,apparent wind 10-12 SSE,new top speed of 9.3kts.

Wishing you a slow and stressfree Sunday.

Paul

We are here

At the time of writing,14h00,we are lying 450nm due W of Walvis Bay,30nm
N of Valdivia Banks833nm from St.Helena.It's been seven days since we've
seen land,the last land being Table Mountain as it grew smaller and
smaller.Around us the blue ocean,alive and rolling in from behind,pushed
on by a gentle southerly wind.Above us blue skies,dotted with little
puffs of cloud drifting around forming all manner of shapes.

For supper last night we had delectable chicken pasta,prepared by Pieter
using Knorr chicken pasta sauce.We all had second helpings,although
Pieter is still treating his sensitive stomach with care.Inbetween we
had bread with peanut butter and syrup and hot tea to enjoy it
with.Temperature inside the boat is a pleasant 24*C.The six cappucino
muffins we baked with the bread only lasted a minute or two.

No change of sails last night.Twin headsails pushed by between 7 and 13
kts of apparent wind.Our hopes of arriving at St.Helena on Friday is
looking good.We have to maintain an average of 6 kts to arrive there in
the morning.A little extra surge of current off the slopes of the
Valdivia banks is also aiding our progress.Excellent conditions for
fishing once again but with our freezer full there is no need.

So yes,our watches comes and goes,the sun sets and rises,the moon is
growing fuller and we have settled nicely into the motion of the
ocean,the haphazard routine of watches and will have to turn the clock
back soon.The sun is now rising at past 7 and going down after 9.Time to
read a bit,think a bit and contemplate.

Our exact position at 15h00 23*56'S/006*13'E.Check it on google earth to
give you an idea of where we are on this vast expanse of water.
Signing off

Paul

P.S.Tersia,thanks so much for your comment.We love what we do and glad
that you enjoy our blog.

Week full of Fridays

It's been a "busy" night once again.From a beam reach we were more and
more sailing on a broad reach,a sometimes difficult and uncomfortable
point of sail and not very fast.At 11 last night the wind starting
climbing to 18 kts and I thought about bringing the main down to 2nd
reef.When sailing,if you think of reefing,very simply reef.I woke Brad
to assist in furling the genoa,undoing the gybe preventer,drop the
main,hook into 2nd reef,raise the main and furl out the genoa.20
minute's effort which allowed us a smoother passage,some peace of mind
and a better angle to the wind on the main.The gybe preventer between
the end of the boom and the middle cleat also has another little secret
to it.Probably illegal in racing,but a bungy cord on the gybe preventer
tied to a deckring gives us a pumping action and also prevents the main
from banging when we hit a pothole.And we sail a little faster.

4am this morning the wind has shifted to south.I decided to drop the
main,hoist the secondary headsail,furled out the genoa and a few other
small adjustments before we were on a run,right on target for
St.Helena.We are about 120nm from the Valdivia Banks,an underwater
mountain range which can get tricky in adverse conditions.Fortunately we
are passing just north of the banks without having to change course,just
keep an eye on things.

Last night Brad prepared baked tuna with tomatoes,onions and a few other
secret ingredients.Absolutely sumptious.I have just placed a bread in
the oven and Brad used the second half of the muffin mix we've used
before.In 45 minutes or so,fresh bread,muffins and lunch...mmmmm.What to
have on the bread now becomes the question.Lots of choices.

We have a gentle southerly breeze pushing us along,following seas,sun is
shining and things are very much relaxed out here.Clair,thanks for the
comment.You ladies also work at all hours and we salute the great work
you do for people in dire need.It takes a lot of bravery and heart to do
what you ladies do.

Our position @ noon 25*33'S/08*18'E.970nm from St.Helena and hoping to
arrive there on Friday next.Hey hey,nearly forgot,it is FRIDAY!!Out here
we seem to have a week of Fridays,just rolling into each other.Take care
and touch base again tomorrow.

Paul

20 kg Longfin Tuna on handline !

Yesterday late afternoon,after supper was served and all cleaned up,Brad and myself were talking about fishing after looking
at some photos of fish we've landed on deliveries.Next moment the tin we rig as an alarm sounded and the line was totally
taught.In a flash I was there and experienced the thrill of a fish on a handline.I soon gave the line to Brad so he could
experience his first fish on the ocean.It was on his watch and therefore his baby.After a short while the line slacked and
the tuna was swimming towards the boat.Suddenly he powered away again and inflicted a nice little line burn on Brad's
finger,a little battle scar.The boat is ok.By this time Pieter was out with sailing gloves and together they hauled in this
beast of a beauty.They pulled it aboard,tied a noose around the tail,made a few cuts to bleed and we dragged it backwards
through the water.Once it stopped flapping we pulled it back in and set about processing the body.We filled our freezer,made
some biltong and also had sushimi,the freshest these guys have ever had.We will post some pictures once in St.Helena.

Pieter is much much better with his sealegs and really starting to enjoy the trip.Brad is opting to sleep in the lounge when
it gets a bit bumpy up front.Both are shaping excellent in all manners relating to sailing a vessel and enjoying it.Missing
the loved ones as we all are all the time,but we do what we do because it is what we do best.

Since about 9 last night the wind has veered back to SW and we are sailing on a beam reach making great miles.Weather
predicts that we should be having S or SE.At first I thought the SW will only be around for a short while and opted to stay
on a run with the twin headsails and were pushed up N,even NNE.We dropped the one headsail at midnight and turned NW
again,making fair miles and still expecting the wind to back S.At 3 this morning when Brad took over watch,we furled the
genoa,raised the main,unfurled the genoa and sailing fast.I can see the swell is starting to run in from the S and the wind
is just starting to put us on a broad reach.If this all sounds too technical,in a nutshell we are having fun and doing the
best with what we get.

Our position now @ 12:30 27*02'S/10*29'E.Distance to St.Helena 1120nm,ETA 18/02 @ 6kts.Distance to Greece 6590nm,ETA 10/04 @
5kts and four days for stops.The week is nearly over and wishing you a pleasant day ahead.

Paul

Building up momentum

What a fantastic run we've had last night.The swell is building,the wind
steady between 9-12 kts apparent and we are averaging just over 7
kts/hr.Fastest speed we've had was 8.8 kts.We also lost our navlight
lense up front.The loose headsail we fly with the furling genoa is tied
down with a line between the two cleats and although I tied it down
tight to prevent this from happening,it happened.When we get to
St.Helena we will see what we can get,in the meantime a small tupperware
bowl will suffice to protect the globe.We just by change also have red
and green lids from which I will rig a temporary navlight.Fortunately
there isn't much shipping this way but we will take extra care on our
watches.

It is Lisa's birthday today.Lisa is Brad's lady friend and spend some
time on the boat while we were in Cape Town.Happy b/day Lisa and may the
year ahead be the best one yet.Brad baked some cappucino muffins to
celebrate Lisa's 24th.I'm sure they still check her ID at places where
no under 18's are allowed.

As for Pieter,he was shocked that his wife Bonny isn't missing him much
yet.Whilst in Cape Town they invited us over for a braai on Thursday
night,two nights before our departure.We had a feast,excellent company
and enjoyed it very much.Bonny.......have a heart!Tell Pieter you can't
breath without him,can't think,can't sleep.Just joking.They have got
plans and this is part of it,and they are willing to pay the price.Looks
like Pieter is getting better at not feeding the fish.Maybe Bonny's
tough love stance is doing the trick for him.

As for me ,I am also missing my family dearly.Fortunately they are used
to it and we have learned to adapt.My little one has started gr 2 and
she seems to be growing by the minute.

I just let the lure out again and conditions look very good for catching
a fish.Not many flying fish around yet.Yesterday we had a visit from
some whales.Pieter saw them and said they were rather small whales.Could
have been pilot whales.I always try to get a photo or two to assist in
identifying these beautiful creatures and have obviously also had more
experience to look for certain characteristics which would make it
easier to identify.

My turn to cook tonight.Beef stew with rice is on the menu.If you want
to reserve a seat,places are limited so please book well in advance.

Our position now at 11 am is 29*04'S/012'02'E.Wind 10kts SSW.Hope to be
at St.Helena next week Friday.

Go you well.

Paul

Up and running

It is the third day since we departed from Cape Town.The first two days
we had slight headwinds allowing us to sail either west or north.The
first day we opted to head more north as it gave us a better VMG.15
miles west of Saldanha we found some current and the wind also started
to back more towards west as expected.Yesterday the wind settled at SW
and we could sail on a beam reach straight for St.Helena.This morning
the wind has backed to south south east and we are at last on a run.It
is interesting to see how the direction of the swell changes before the
wind reaches you,hours in advance.It is then a young sea,not settled and
a bit bouncy with light winds as the direction shifts.Once it settles
you start building momentum and the wind follows suit.We are once again
sailing with twin headsails and although heavily loaded we are in the
sixes with 10 kts of apparent wind from behind.The swell is starting to
build up in the direction of the wind and current and starting to surf a
little here and there.with the sun shining,scattered clouds and a soft
blue sea the stage is set for a few days of pure bliss.

Crewmember Pieter du Preez is slowly starting to grow sealegs,a beard
and it his turn to prepare supper tonight.Lambchops and butternut baked
in the oven.Salivating just at the thought of it.Tomorrow I will bake
some muffins,capucinno ones perhaps for breakfast.Brad is settling in
nicely as well,Bradley James Cannon for the record.

We have a lure out behind the boat and who knows,soon I can invite you
over for some sushimi like you've never tasted before and a setting you
can only dream of,or not.It is your choice.

Last night I was on the 9 to midnight watch and helming was divine.With
the evening star and the sickle moon on the horizon to aim for,I
remembered once again why I love sailing so much.My daughter reckons the
only problem with daddy's job is that he has no problems.She is seven
and has crossed and ocean,7700nm from Cape Town to Belize.So who will
refute her wisdom.My lovely wife and I have learned to weather the
storms a bit better,storm tactics if you will.I see the storm coming and
deal with it calmly,even though a storm might be brewing inside of
me.After the storm we get back on track and get some miles behind
us.Can't remember a crossing I've done without a few storms,some worse
than others,but storms none the less.

It is nearly time for me to start my 6 to 9 pm watch so time for me to
sign off.Wishing you all the best and looking immensily forward to
having you aboard for a while.

Paul

Paul

Up and running

It is the third day since we departed from Cape Town.The first two days
we had slight headwinds allowing us to sail either west or north.The
first day we opted to head more north as it gave us a better VMG.15
miles west of Saldanha we found some current and the wind also started
to back more towards west as expected.Yesterday the wind settled at SW
and we could sail on a beam reach straight for St.Helena.This morning
the wind has backed to south south east and we are at last on a run.It
is interesting to see how the direction of the swell changes before the
wind reaches you,hours in advance.It is then a young sea,not settled and
a bit bouncy with light winds as the direction shifts.Once it settles
you start building momentum and the wind follows suit.We are once again
sailing with twin headsails and although heavily loaded we are in the
sixes with 10 kts of apparent wind from behind.The swell is starting to
build up in the direction of the wind and current and starting to surf a
little here and there.with the sun shining,scattered clouds and a soft
blue sea the stage is set for a few days of pure bliss.

Crewmember Pieter du Preez is slowly starting to grow sealegs,a beard
and it his turn to prepare supper tonight.Lambchops and butternut baked
in the oven.Salivating just at the thought of it.Tomorrow I will bake
some muffins,capucinno ones perhaps for breakfast.Brad is settling in
nicely as well,Bradley James Cannon for the record.

We have a lure out behind the boat and who knows,soon I can invite you
over for some sushimi like you've never tasted before and a setting you
can only dream of,or not.It is your choice.

Last night I was on the 9 to midnight watch and helming was divine.With
the evening star and the sickle moon on the horizon to aim for,I
remembered once again why I love sailing so much.My daughter reckons the
only problem with daddy's job is that he has no problems.She is seven
and has crossed and ocean,7700nm from Cape Town to Belize.So who will
refute her wisdom.My lovely wife and I have learned to weather the
storms a bit better,storm tactics if you will.I see the storm coming and
deal with it calmly,even though a storm might be brewing inside of
me.After the storm we get back on track and get some miles behind
us.Can't remember a crossing I've done without a few storms,some worse
than others,but storms none the less.

It is nearly time for me to start my 6 to 9 pm watch so time for me to
sign off.Wishing you all the best and looking immensily forward to
having you aboard for a while.

Paul

Paul

Trip to Greece

At last we are on our way.We left CT on Saturday morning 8am as planned
but 16 nm later had to turn back as we forgot our epirb.Running back was
easy as the wind was now from behind.At 4pm we were on our way again
into some slight headwinds from the north.The weather forecast predicts
that the wind should back in the next few days to W,SW,S and settle on
the SE trade winds.In the meantime we are motorsailing making the most
of the current which we hooked into just past Saldanna.

Pieter is still seasick but holding up well.His wife Bonny has made sure
his got medication for any situation.I respect that one so much wants to
sail that seasickness does not stop you.Before the trip he told us that
he gets chronically seasick,but that was on a monohull.We trust that the
catamaran we are on will treat him better.

Brad is settling in quickly,already had his first seashower and his turn
to cook tonight.For myself,I have the usual mixed bag of feelings when
you leave your loved ones behind and looking forward to the adventure
ahead.

Our position today at 10 am was 32*02'S/16*05'E.Our ETA for Greece is
10/04/2011.That is estimated at 5kts/hr and we have just under 7000nm to
go.So this trip is really still a baby and we hope to share some of our
amazing experiences with you.Photos we will post at St.Helena.We will
incorporate some Greek mythology as the trip unfolds and we have decided
to name our vessel Venus.I will also ask Brad and Pieter to add their
impressions on the blog for your pleasure.

Take care and wishing you a wonderful week ahead.

Paul