St.Helena onwards

The weather was really kind to us from Cape Town to St>helena, and as you can
see in the pics I posted, we were sailing in under our big blue gennikar. I
have no problem arriving at any time at St.Helena, day or night. Just much
easier if you arrive while it is still light. A few massive dolphins welcomed
us, and as we turned the first headland, a beautiful rainbow was also smiling
at us. An hour before we arrived I radioed St.Helena Radio on VHF Ch 16 to
announce our imminent arrival. As usual they requested us to call in again
when we are 1nm from James Bay which we did. Port Control then called
us and requested us to go down to channel 14. They required some information
instructed us to tie onto one of the red mooring buoys as our boat is rather
big and heavy. We arrived at about 6pm and as expected Port Control informed
us that they will clear us in the next morning. I know the drill having been
here a few times before, but we patiently follow procedure as if it was our
first time at the island. It affords Radio St.Helena and Port Control an
opportunity to do their thing properly.

Once we were safely tied up to our mooring buoy the crew all dived into the
calm, relatively warm water. We also untied our rubber duck and took it for
a spin to make sure everything is working as it should. The sun was just
setting, perfect timing for us. We all marvelled at the colours that was being
painted across the skies. Afterwards we all sat down for dinner and had a
restful evening sleeping on a quiet boat with hardly any movement. After
nearly two weeks of sailing it was good to relax a bit, not that sailing is
not relaxing. But slightly more relaxing nestled in James Bay. Early Saturday
morning and it was wonderful to wake up next to these towering cliffs and lots
of fairy terns flying around. There were a few other yachts on the mooring
buoys as well. More yachts arrived during the course of the day, and it was
great to see a few of the boats that departed from Cape Town the same day as
us. At 9am Port Control radioed us and invited us to come ashore from where we
will clear in. The ferry boat collected us at 10am and soon afterwards we were
free to roam the island. The landing steps at the wharf were quite hectic.
Close to new moon, the equinox and a big swell still running from the week
before made landing a rather precarious exercise.

Our plan of action was first to move 20 bags of charcoal and a few other
things from our boat to Anne's Place, a standing order for whenever we
arrive at St.Helena. It was wonderful to walk into Anne's Place and be
welcomed back like a long lost son. Jessica was the first to spot us and
after a big hug and introducing my crew to her, Jane also made an
appearance. The warm hearted greetings we always receive there always makes
us feel so very welcome, a home away from home. Love my family there dearly.
I recommended to my crew to first do Jacob's Ladder before we order burgers
and beers, easier that way. They are a fit bunch, working out on the boat
every day. Even so, the ladder did not disappoint. Tristan was leading, Dan
followed shortly behind, and Richard stayed with Carey. Carey wanted to stop
every now and then to take in the scenery and take some pics :) After they
reached the top they walked through a forest all the way to the Governor's
House, quite a distance. From there they hitch-hiked back to town. The first
car that came past gave them a lift, typically of these most friendly Saints,
as the people of St.Helena is called. We had a burger and a beer or two and
made some plans for the rest of our time there. We asked Jessica to join us
later in the evening and show us around a bit. We went back to the boat, had a
quick swim and a shower, and at 8pm made our way back to the wharf on our
rubber duck.

We fetched Jess at Anne's Place and went up the road to the White Horse Inn
to shoot some pool with the locals there. Lots of fun and laughter and at
10pm were ready to go and enjoy some life music. We danced through a few of
the band's songs and at about midnight went to Donny's. Carey was looking
forward to an early morning and we took her back to the boat. Back at
Donny's we were jiving to the vibes from the DJ until they closed at 2am.
The place was jam packed and great to see so many familiar faces there. We
made our way back to the boat after saying bye to Jessi and went to bed
feeling well and truly exhausted.

The next morning up early and a quick dive into the ocean to shake off any
cobwebs from the night before. It was now Sunday and we had a few plans for
the day. A little tlc for Second Wind first, and a bbq at 2pm at Anne's
Place was on the to do list. Legendary bbq's we always have at Anne's Place.
We took about 3kgs of beef sausage/boerewors with us, and Jane supplied
chicken, steak, salads, chips, garlic bread etc, and afterwards spoiled us
with desert. Every time I visit the island, we have a bbq at Anne's Place
with Richard and his family. The other yachties are always also invited, and
it unfailingly turns into a great event sharing our experiences and catching
up on the latest developments on St.Helena. At half five as they call it, half
past five as I call it, we made our way back to the wharf to catch the last
ferry at 6pm. Although we had our rubber duck tied up safely, there were
quite a few yachties and easier to catch the ferry than risk getting on the
rubber duck from the steps. I instructed Dan and Tristan to swim out to our
rubber duck, untie her, and we will meet them at the boat. Young guns as
they are they were soon on their way. We waited a few more minutes for the
ferry and we all made it safely back to our boats.

Monday morning, and before we arrived at St.Helena, we have arranged for
700ltrs of diesel which was scheduled for Monday 10am. At 10am our fuel
arrived. We filled both tanks and drums, and were now ready for the long haul
to Cape Verde. We tied our rubber duck down solid, packed our drone, and made
our last visit to the island on the ferry boat. We had to have our passports
stamped in and out as immigration is not open on weekends. Once we were
stamped in and out, we had a final bit of shopping and had a burger and soda
drink at Anne's Place before we bid them farewell. Our final mission was to
take some footage of Jacob's Ladder and Jamestown with our drone. Not sure if
we were allowed to, but we did it quick stix and should we had a run in with
the law I could honestly plead ignorance. No signs anywhere that we need
permission to fly our drone. Got some great footage, packed our drone in our
bags and made our way for the 2pm ferry. We paid the ferryman his dues, got on
and got ready before casted off. Usually we would head straight out, but this
time decided to follow the island contour up to Egg Island. There were rumours
that we could catch some wahoo there. We tried but no luck. We then set our
course roughly for Cape Verde. As the wind sometimes blow from the east and at
times south east, we keep our sail at about 150 degrees to the wind. Which in
short means we don't always sail the straightest line, but hopefully the
fastest line.

The cherry on the cake whenever I visit St.Helena is that I can chat to my
daughter Maryna from a call box. She is turning 14 on the 1st of July. Clear
lines, unlike on a satphone where the signal and delays makes it sometimes
very frustrating to call from. We sms each other, an email now and then, but
nothing as satisfying as hearing her voice clear as daylight. She follows her
dad on the tracker as well. She knows what it is like to be out here on the
big blue. She was 5 when she sailed with me from Cape Town to Belize, 7000
nautical miles. We visited St.Helena, and her name is engraved on one of the
steps on Jacob's Ladder. I often engrave it again when I visit to keep it
fresh and visible. After St.Helena we had a quick stop in Fortaleza, Brazil,
St. Vincent, St.Lucia and spent a bit of time in Belize. We explored some of
the Mayan ruins and she made quite an impact on the local kids there. They
loved braiding her long blond hair and we learned that if you invite a friend
for some cold drinks and cookies, expect 15 to turn up :))) Loved every moment
of it.

Two days ago one of our lures was attacked by a wahoo. I watched it jump and
fight taking out line at an alarming rate. As we had a nylon trace on I knew
it was simply a matter of time before we loose the teethy wahoo. On a yacht
unlike on a ski boat, we can't turn around in an instant and chase the fish
down. Yes, I can can turn the boat around in an instant when we have a man
overboard, but this situation did not call for such drastic action and stress
on the rigging. We decided to rig two of our bigger rods and reels and made
some steel wire traces for our lures. Since Cape Town we've had no luck with
fish. Not even a strike, except for the one mentioned above. I have never been
so well equipped to catch fish either. We also have loads of pickled ginger,
wasabi and soya sauce, for just in case we land a fish. Fresh sushimi and
sushi and fish strips and fillets, we have all the tools and the ingredients.
Now we are trolling three lures behind us, and waiting :)))

From St. Helena to Cape Verde is about 2200nm. The first bit is easy enough
with the SE trade winds assisting us tremendously. For a while, even past the
equator. Then we expect a period of no wind, known as the doldrums. Which is
why we are delighted to have a full supplement of diesel. After the doldrums
we can expect wind mostly from the NE, headwinds. Nothing to hectic this time
of year, but sailing into the wind is a different dynamic than running with
the wind as we mostly have done so far. We will take it as it comes, as the
weather dictates. From Cape Verde we will be heading on a close haul for
Madeira, where the owner will be joining us to share in the fun. A few days
from there we will be stopping in Cadiz where we will take on a few more crew
before we head into the Med. Lots of fun ahead, some of the guys joining us in
Cadiz also did the Mykonos race with us, and looking greatly forward to seeing
them again.

We are expecting sligtly stronger winds for the next few days. We just dropped
the gennikar to make sure the shackles and knots are all secure and raised her
again. Making excellent miles we are well ahead of schedule, good for the
slower times ahead. I hope you are having a wonderful weekend and will catch
up soon again.

Paul

Gennikar

Screecher and Main

Genoa

Closing in on St.Helena

Arriving at St.Helena is always an outstanding event for us. It is a slow
pleasure that dawns on you, and wells up inside of you. Preparing for
departure in Cape Town has a similar feeling. Slowly get everything in
place, and once the weather says go there is that last minute hollow
feeling in your stomach. A mixed bag of emotions that you have to deal
with as best as you can. There is always this gnawing sadness leaving the
people and places you love behind. It never goes away and you learn to
live with and manage it. Add to that a dash of worry that you have
everything you may need for the trip, that all the systems are working and
keep on working, and that you are prepared for any eventuality. A little
bit of fear just to keep it real and keep you alive. Simmering excitement
for the adventure you are about to embark on. Some fresh free range
organic madness :))), and then the day arrives after a sleepless night and
it is time to go. What is it that we are really looking for, and what is
it that we find out here?

The first few days, often a bit rough out of Cape Town. You really get to
know the boat and the crew, and learn to trust each other. The boat, well,
she gets to know that you are gentle on her. If not, she will let you know
very soon if she is not happy. Second Wind is a lot of boat, and we love
every bit of her. The day flows into the night and Nature in all her glory
fills all grows on you. The rainbows, the sunsets, the moon magic, the
clouds.........endless tales unfolding. And then the ocean ..... vast
expanses of seemingly nothingness. At times smooth as a mirror, when the
horizon disappears and heaven and earth becomes one and you a silent
witness. An incredible moment of silence and inexpressible awe. When all
the stars above reflect below and you are floating out here in space....you
feel big, you feel small, and then you feel nothing at all. Just the pulse
of One throbbing through you.

On the other side the ocean can become wild and downright scary. Long thin
tails of clouds fill the skies, a big swell starts rolling in, the horizon
behind you becomes black, the wind starts getting excited, thunder and
lightning and a strong smell of rain. You prepare your drogue lines, long
lines you drag behind you to steady the direction and speed of your boat
running down the swells, you reef your sails and latch everything down,
making sure everything inside is stored secure. When he storm hits with big
raindrops that stings your face and then add hail for good measure :))) I
love the storms........long afterwards :))) There are times when you are
fighting for your very life against the elements. When you become dead
calm, confident in your boat, your preparations, your experience, and most
of all your unwavering respect for the elements. Most of the time though
sailing the oceans is nothing but a breeze. In the ten years that I have
averaged thirty thousand nautical miles per year crossing oceans and seas
all over the world, I can count the scary storms on one hand. Technology
nowadays also enable us to optimize weather conditions and stay safe.

We are less than a hundred miles from St.Helena. One of the most remote
places on earth. A volcanic island roughly in the middle of the South
Atlantic ocean. A powerful monument to the forces of nature. It certainly is
a place like no other in many ways. Rising up from the ocean floor in a
pinnacle five thousand metres high to the surface and nearly another thousand
metres marks the highest point on St.Helena, Diana's Peak. I have been there
a few times, a lonely really wind blown conifer tree clinging on. I have
visited perhaps thirty times or more and have made great friends there. The
slow anticipation of seeing my rock star friends again always brings a big
smile to my face. We are also stopping to take on fuel, to stretch our legs a
bit on a piece of solid land. Three of my crew haven't been there before, and
they will also experience the easy going hospitality that the Saints are
known for. While on the island as mentioned before we will try and post some
pics of our experiences thus far. Monday we will be on our way again, making
way for Cape Verde. Just keep on sailing :)))

Hope you have a wonderful weekend. And that the beauty we find out here, that
same source of wonder and amazement you can also find, where ever you are, if
you just look and listen :-)))

Up up and away......

Easter Sunday surprised me with a bowl containing a Lindt Easter bunny
with a bell, and various sizes and colours of Easter eggs next to my bed
when I woke up :))) It set the tone for the day. We have lots of sliced
bread and egg and should be used before we loose it. Tristan offered me a
sarmy and I suggested he makes a pile of french toast with bacon. He said
he has never made french toast before but he will give it a go. I gave him
a few basic pointers and soon he was producing perfectly fried slices of
french toast. The smell of the french toast drifted into the cabins and a
few enquiry rounds were made past the galley. Once the toast was done it
was placed in the oven to stay warm and then the smell of bacon started
filling the saloon down into the cabins and up to the helming station on
the flybridge. Not long after we all sat down to a delectable breakfast.

The wind has been dying a bit on us with little spells of air here and
there. One of our missions on this voyage is to take some footage with a
drone and it was time to do our maiden flight. We were motor sailing with
the full genoa and Richard was the first on the drone controls. He made a
three minute flight away from Second Wind and back in again. Nervous
moments for all of us but high 5's all around after Danny caught the drone
mid air. Difficult enough to fly a drone with hardly any practise on land,
let alone out at sea. Moving platform that you take off from and have to
come in and land on as well. One little mistake and the drone goes to Davy
Jones's locker. On Richard's first attempt to land and he bounced slightly
off the deck before he got it under control again. It really is not so
easy with the wind blowing you off course.

An hour or so later the conditions were good to raise the gennikar which
would make excellent footage with the drone. This time Danny was at the
controls and circled Second Wind a few times from afar, getting some great
footage. The landing was a bit hectic, but Richard saved the day by
grabbing the drone after Danny half crash landed. We all uttered a great
sigh of relieve and a few out at sea expressions too. The footage on both
flights was eagerly awaited as Carey loaded it on her Mac. She will be
editing all the drone and GoPro and cell phone footage we capture. Just
the other morning I called Danny to come and look at a spectacular rainbow
right behind us. Captured it on my cell phone, both ends of the rainbow in
sight. Amazing what perspective a drone can give you. Looks like we are
out in space, which I guess we really are. Seeing the curve of the horizon
in the background also lends to the outer space feeling. And Second Wind
looks stunning with her blue gennikar up front leaving two long white
lines in our wake. What a feeling, what a sight!

Today we also sailed our first 1000 nautical miles. And New Moon as well
today. And we rigged two rods with reels and lures and trolling for wish.
A few flying fish have also made an appearance and soon we should have
some ultra fresh sushi and sushimi :) We have loads of pickled ginger,
wasabi and soya sauce for these occasions or blessings I should more
correctly say. The previous few days we were going a bit to fast to fish,
at one point surfing at 14.5kts. 6kts is ideal and on rod and reel one
preferably also want to the able to slow the boat down when we get hooked
up.

For supper I used our steamer magodi for the first time to steam some
spuds. Looks like a metal flower that opens to fit most size pots
perfectly. Fried some sausage all the way from Ladysmith in KZN and with
some whole kernel corn and various condiments we had a most agreeable meal
:) For desert we had some tea with banana bread that Carey baked the day
before. She baked two loaves, the first one was devoured in minutes.
Torture to sit and wait for it to cool down. Only once the baker gives the
thumbs up we got stuck into it.

The water temperature is rising steadily as is the weather. The nights are
warmer and the cold misty rainy stormy nights are over for a while. Not
long before we cross into the western hemisphere. We expect to arrive at
St.Helena within the next five days and will try to post some footage and
pics. Hopefully the internet is fast enough. Trust that you had a blessed
Easter as well and will keep you posted on our adventures.

Monday morning today, and as we always joke, for six days we rest and on
the 7th day we work :) We have covered just over 1100nm in our first week,
averaging about 6,5kts. We are hoping to maintain a 6kt average and thus
have a few miles in credit. We did however had great wind which helped a
lot. For the next few days we expect very light winds which will bring our
average down a bit, but 6kts should be within our reach. Today we are
servicing both motors. Just an oil and filter change really, and we are
well equipped to make this an easy task. We will also decant 250ltrs of
diesel into both port and starboard tanks. We prefer to keep the tanks as
full as possible to reduce the change of condensation forming inside the
tanks which in turn will create water. We have got special ceramic magnetic
fuel filters that will remove any diesel bugs before the fuel goes into the
engine. We also do the daily maintenance checks all around the boat. Great
to have so many able and willing hands on deck. Makes light work of any
task.

Wishing you a wonderful day. We hope to make St.Helena in the next four to
five days, Friday or Saturday.

Second Wind

Interesting name......Second Wind, a Leopard 58 catamaran destined for
Malta. Prior to getting ready for departure, Second Wind was entered in
the Mykonos race. When the owner expressed his wish that we should enter I
thought it crazy, a week before the race. But in good time we completed
all the paperwork, paid all our dues, and had our vessel rated. The day of
the race we were up bright and early and were bobbing around the starting
line with a fleet of other boats. There was precious little wind, and the
little there was, was also from the wrong direction :-) But we tried.
Tacking this way and that way and slowly making progress forward. Our boat
was by quite a margin the biggest boat in the fleet, and we do need a bit
of wind to get us going. After an hour of getting nowhere slowly we decided
to start a motor and motorsail the rest of the way, in racing terms it
means we retired from the race. The Mykonos race is an annual event
starting in Cape Town and ending at Mykonos in the Langebaan lagoon. At
once stage much to our amusement we were leading the multihull class,
competing against fast racing trimarans. If I recall correctly there were
over 100 yachts competing. Due to our rating we were doing exceptionally
well. Our aim was to take part in the event for the fun of it, and also to
test our brand new boat properly before we take her on the long voyage to
Malta.

We arrived just before midnight and tried to anchor where the race
organisers allocated a spot for us. It was inside the Mykonos marina, and
very cramped for space on a big vessel such as ours. All the moorings were
full, and we did not feel safe at our anchorage. We thus decided to rather
anchor just outside the marina and wait for the morning to make a better
plan. At 8am we made contact with the race organisers again and were
allocated a mooring buoy at Yachtport on the other side of the lagoon. 10
out of ten for the race organisers. They exceeded our wildest expectations.
They also had a shuttle arranged for us and we thoroughly enjoyed a lovely
day at Mykonos. Later the afternoon the prize giving proceeded in very
windy conditions and we all filled the pubs and restaurants after the
event. It was me and my crew's first Mykonos race. Taken all the funds and
time and effort that goes into the race, I was surprised that a year's hard
work for most participants was rewarded so low key. No media was present,
no speeches made by the winners or the second places. The trophies were
minute. IT IS A GREAT EVENT !!! Massive amounts of fun, and hardcore
sailing too. Share the fun !!!

Probably around ten pm we were shuttled back to Yachtport. To get to our
yacht on the mooring buoy was an interesting challenge. There was a small
dinghy that we could use to row over. Two needed to row and only space for
one passenger. With the wind pumping we had to row quite hard at an acute
angle to not get blown into the lagoon but made it safely to our yacht.
The other three saw that we struggled somewhat and woke up another yachtie
with a bigger dinghy and he kindly rowed them over and stayed for some
refreshments. Sunday morning we were allocated a berth in the Mykonos
marina and made our way over. We dwarfed all the other vessels there but
managed to squeeze in and tie the mooring lines down. Lovely place to sit
and socialize a bit, lots of friends and passers-by who stopped to have a
chat and a few were invited to have a tour of the boat. A most agreeable
day was had by all. Monday morning early we were on our way motoring back
to Cape Town, again against the wind :))) Light winds fortunately and just
before sunset we were back at our berth at the V&A marina.

The next event we prepared for was the christening of Second Wind. The
date was set for 12 March, the day of the Argus race. The cyclists that
trained all year for the event and made their way to Cape Town was shocked
that the race was cancelled, the first time in 40 years if I recall
correctly. The wind was blowing so hard that the cyclist could make no
progress. I saw some footage of bicycles being held on like kites being so
light. A few contestants were some of our guests and it was inspiring to
hear how they felt about the race on the day. After the race was officially
cancelled a few cyclist still tried to unofficially complete the race, but
it was really impossible. Back to the christening event. My crew were given
the opportunity to host the event and worked closely with the owner to
create a wow event. Wearing Second Wind specific uniforms we not only
looked the part, I am sure everyone will agree that the crew makes a dream
team. Sushi platters, cocktails and champagne was enjoyed by all and at 7pm
Second Wind was officially christened.

During the course of the above events we also enjoyed a couple of day sails.
The last day sail we had before we started to prepare for the long voyage to
Malta was truly magic. We decided on a leisurely sail around Robben Island.
Halfway there we saw a thick bank of fog crawling in between Lion's Head and
Table Mountain. An hour after we were totally surrounded by fog, and all we
coud hear was the fog horn on Mouille Point sounding every so often. A whale
or two also made an appearance and a seal also lazily waved into the air.
Fortunately we have radar and AIS on board and could see exactly where we
were in relation to land and other vessels. A surreal experience, cocooned
like that. I have sailed in heavy fog without radar once before, probably one
of the most tense experiences I've had on the ocean. As we motored back to
Cape Town the fog lifted just before we entered the harbour.

It was now time to get ready for our voyage and final provisioning was done.
We are five on board and later will be joined in Madeira and then in Cadiz we
have three more crew joining us. We thus provisioned accordingly, loads and
loads of groceries. We did a few final preventative maintenance and sorted a
final few snags. I have been keeping an eye on the weather for a few days and
on Monday 10 April a window opened up for us. A few other yachts departed at
the same time. The first few hours we motored into light winds, and as was
predicted, the wind direction turned from NW to SW to S and settled at SSE.
Tuesday morning it was still light SW and we rigged our screecher and
mainsail on 1st reef, getting an angle just aft of the beam. Soon we were
leaving a long white track behind us sailing along at a steady 10kts. The
wind speed gradually increased and backed to S. Time to furl the screecher
and tried with the main and genoa to run on a broad reach. We did well for a
while but us the wind was coming more and more from behind us we decided to
drop the main and just sail with the genoa opened out wide. Wednesday morning
we hoisted the gennikar and made excellent miles. As the wind velocity
increased we dropped the gennikar and could sail with the genoa alone. We
could anticipate the changes in weather and work our sails accordingly. Great
to have all these options available. Thursday we expected the wind to get
fairly strong and stay strong until Saturday, which is exactly what it did.
Strongest wind we had was 35kts and the swell about 4mtrs. Following winds
and seas as the saying goes. Well done to the crew for trusting the boat and
not getting to scared when it got just slightly wild :) Through Friday night
the wind very slowly started easing off, and Saturday morning we could fly
the gennikar again. Smooth and fast.

Our watches are somewhat shorter than usual, nice to have 5 crew on board.
3hr watches gives us all lots of time to rest and read and do all the other
things we do when sailing. The days are started to flow one into the other
and we are getting into the motion of the ocean. We are relaxed yet always
stay alert. Do the daily routine maintenance to make sure all is well and
stay well. I have done a crossing with Richard, my 1st Mate before, and we
have definitely got a dream team on board. More about them later.

We are also doing a little documentary on our voyage. The owner has made a
drone available, and we have two gopros on board as well. On top of that a
professional to edit and sort all the footage with background music. The boyz
have not really started fishing yet, we have been goin a bit too fast the
last few days, but I hear tomorrow they will make a serious effort.

We are exactly 900nm from St.Helena and already looking forward to touching
base with some long time friends there again. Hope you are having a great
weekend and blessed Easter to one and all.

Paul

Photo from sailwithpaul

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