Against the Wind

On Island Home, things have calmed down drastically. Becalmed is a word
that comes to mind, but we still have a slight breeze helping us along. And our
weather forecast for the next four days shows that there won't be much change
in the weather either. We do have a full suite of sails to optimize any
sailable winds. But when you have no wind, we have to use our iron sails, or
iron maidens as some will call it. Motoring day in and day out over a vast
expanse of blue sea and blue sky. We are about 200nm south of Madagascar, and
about 600nm to cover before we will arrive in Mauritius.

To expand on the sails we carry on our Maverick 440 we have the following.
Standard on most boats we have the mainsail, which runs up the mast and is
our main source of propulsion when conditions allow. On the front we have
the genoa, or headsail, or jib which rolls up on itself. Depending on the
strength of wind and the wind angle, we normally use the main and headsail
to create forward motion. They work well from about 45 degrees to 120
degrees. Close hauled to a beam reach at 90 degrees and a broadreach at 120
degrees. Our most powerful angle of sail is 75 degrees. We can adjust the
size of the main and headsail which is called reefing. In stronger winds we
will have less sail out, in lighter winds we fly full main and genoa. In
our bag of tricks we also have a screecher. Similar principle as the
headsail, but much bigger and lighter material. Depending on the seastate
the screecher works well in light winds between 60 - 120 degrees. When the
wind comes in from behind, we have a genikar. Also a huge sail, nearly
twice the size of the screecher. Very powerful when the wind fills it, and
good for up to 20kts of wind. And when the wind gets really strong we also
have a storm jib. Really strong is anything from 40 kts upwards and pushing
in from behind. When we sail with the wind from behind we are on a run. So
yes, we have all the sails for all possible conditions, except no wind.
Sails need wind to work :) And yes, we can sail and make good miles against
the wind, as long as it is not closer that 45 degrees. We call that 45
degree triangle the no go zone. No ways we can sail directly into the wind.
Although we often use the mainsail when we are motoring against the wind.
It gives us a slightly better speed, and also acts as huge rudder in a way
to keep the boat dead into the wind whilst motoring.

On our route from Cape Town to Madagascar we had fronts coming through
from when the winds blow from a westerly direction. As the front moves over
the wind would back, or turn anti-clockwise by about 20 degrees every three
hours or so. It does a complete 360 degrees in the process, and we try and
optimize all the different angles. We are now a little bit too high south to
have much effect from the cold fronts moving west to east. Also interesting
to observe all the different cloud patterns. The direction of the swell
also to an extend follow the wind direction. And all this reminds me once
again that the only constant factor in nature is change. Sometimes very
gradually, sometimes very suddenly, but always changing. Thus far we had no
luck with fishing. Not due to not trying. We have our lures out everyday.
Changing the lures now and then, but so far, no fish. Lets hope that will
also change :)

In a previous blog I mentioned the amazing creation and saving of space
featured on the Maverick 440. That was inside the saloon and cabins. On the
outside, the same principle applies. In the cockpit area, there is a corner
table with seating, and another more central table that can be lowered and
raised right up to the coach roof, completely out of the way. A long seat
below the raised table also fits perfectly to eat from once the table is
lowered. And further back, between the davits, there is also a very sturdy
hammock that can comfortably seat four adults. On all four corners of the
Maverick there are also very generous dolphin seats with arm rests.
Although we are six on the boat, one never feels cramped for space, never.
Another feature I love about the Maverick is the special built-in spaces
where one can store all the working ropes. We never really call ropes ropes
on a boat, but ropes they are anyway. Every rope on a boat has a specific
name and for a very good reason. Halyards and sheets and lines etc. For
example the main halyard. We use that to hoist the mainsail. You then also
have a genikar halyard, to raise the genikar. Sheets normally determine the
angle of the boom, lines roll in the genoa on a roller furler drum, and you
also have reef lines that hold the mainsail to the boom at different
heights. In order to raise the mainsail for example it would be very
confusing to just use the word rope for all the different ropes we need to
set the sail properly. Fortunately the ropes also have different colours to
make it a bit less complicated. But once you have spent a little time on
any boat, you will get to know the ropes very well. Sound a bit more
complicated than what it is I think, but if you want to sail, it will be a
breeze to learn the ropes. We use winches to control most of the ropes, and
on this Maverick, we have two electric winches. The way they are positioned
also makes for easy sail adjustments and changes. I wonder if one gets a
Bentley Sport. I know you get Bentley convertibles. If I have to compare
the Maverick to some car, this is the closest I can get. Check the Maverick
out on Google, and see if you can get a better comparison :) The generous,
understated and confident lines of the Maverick certainly makes it one of a
kind.

On board we also have a watermaker, or desalinator to be technically more
correct. And a washing machine. And radar, AIS, B&G instruments,
airconditioning, flatscreen tv, music system, two huge freezers and a
refrigerator, Force 10 gas stove with oven, VHF, liferaft, self inflating
life jackets and the list goes on and on. In short, living in the lap of
luxury. Oh yes, and a coffee machine as mentioned in a previous blog, and a
guitar :)

Four of us are doing the watches. Three hours each, my watches are 12 to 3 am
and pm. Normally my watches rotate as we are usually three on board. Which means
no set sleeping pattern. On this trip however our watch system affords us the
luxury of a set sleeping pattern. Even so, I am on call 24/7 should any problems
arise. Last night was a good example. Two hours after my watch ended, a ship
caused us a few problems. Jasmijn who was on watch had to wake me as we were on
a collision course with a ship that was bearing down on us quite quick. The rule
on the sea is that boats/ships pass port to port when you are on a collision
course. I altered course by 20 degrees to starboard, and unexpectedly the ship
altered his course to port, instead of starboard. I changed another 30 degrees
to starboard, and once again the ship altered his course to port, which kept us
on a collision course. I called him on the VHF radio,and we decied that we will
pass starboard to starboard, or green to green. I altered course 50 degrees to
port and he altered slightly to port. Ten minutes later we passed each other
with about two nautical miles between us, quite close on the ocean.

We also caught our first fish yesterday, at long last, and a dorado at that.
After filleting the fish and cutting it into portions, we bagged most of it. We
also had some sushimi. Raw fish with pickled ginger, soya sauce, lemon and
wasabi. Perhaps it is a bit of an acquired taste. But it tasted heavenly, and
what we didn't eat raw, we fried in a pan. For lunch today we had you guess
what.Fish and rice. After weeks of mostly red meat, what a pleasure to have
fresh fish on your plate. I wrote this blog over a few days, and yes, things did
change, as they always do. The current that was pushing us down south has now
released us and we are now sailing east. Soon we will be able to turn up towards
Mauritius. The moon is waning, and soon we will be able to marvel at all the
stars above us. Water temperature has gone up to 25*C. Another few days and we
will be in Mauritius. A few days could be five days, or six, or maybe seven.
Most important, we are having a lot of fun on a beautiful boat. I sincerely hope
that you will also have a bit of fun today. It is your choice after all what you
do with your life. Dare to be different, dare to be authentic, dare to be a
Maverick :)))

Update from Marina on our way to Mauritius

Goodmorning everyone, from a place in the ocean off the coast of Africa,
underneath Madagascar somewhere!
I have just relieved Jasmine of her night watch, and it is now my turn from
6 untill 9. We do 3 hour shifts per turn and it seems to work well.
I am accompanied by sleeping bodies, a stunning rising sun, three types of
seabirds who are checking out the trawling lewers behind the boat. One is a
black /brown one, the other a black and white bellied one and the last type
is an albatross looking bird. When I get back in reception I will Google
what they are called. The black / brown one is landing on to the lewer each
morning, sits on the water for a while and then flies off again. The others
just scan it and fly over. These are not the only animals that accompany
us. We also had a moth for while, which scared the jeepers out of Scott as
it followed him everywhere. It must have hopped on board in Mossel Bay but
the wind has now caught him and I assume has laid it to rest in the ocean
somewhere? (I don?t think it had the capacity to fly all the way back to
Mossel Bay).
A pilot whale has chased a lewer so far and we have seen some pretty flying
fish with bright blue wings but apart from that the only thing we have seen
is a changing ocean state.
And boy did we see it change. Early on after leaving Mossel Bay, we
actually reached the 36/37 parallel and got landed in our first REAL storm!
It just appeared out of no where?. The wind picked up drastically and the
noises got louder and louder. I was lying in bed wondering what was
happening. When you lie in bed in our Starboard side, it is like lying
inside a plane. When you look past your feet you can imagine the lines of
chairs going forward, it is just that plane shape, with windows to your
right. In a calm state you just get rocked forwards and backwards and
generally it is a slow motion. The motors hum when they are on and you hear
the sail-drive spin in the water and the autopilot make its adjustments.
When you listen to it the noises together actually sound like words or
people singing! (no I am not going crazy, Paul confirmed this and Geoff has
also heard it!) We just call it the ocean transmitter. Like a radio it
transmits the secrets that ly deep in the ocean (haha!) . Anyway, these
noises got louder and louder, the noise of the water slapping against the
hull got extreme, when I looked through the window all I could see was a
mass of moving water and white foam. The gentle rocking motion went from a
strong lift up to a moment where there was nothing?? and nothing again?.
And the anticipation got just to the point of ?when is it going to
happen?????? when you could feel being pushed forward again slow but with
force?. You felt the drop and then wondered when you were going to stop
dropping?? followed by a plane crash sound?..
And then the whole thing would repeat itself again. At certain moments you
just felt like you where hanging in space, lifted of your bed for a few
noticeable seconds?.. Weird stuff!!
Geoff was on watch and I decided to go check it out. The boys were sleeping
in the saloon on the daybed. As I popped my head out of the hull, Paul was
already up investigating as well. I pulled myself up and onto the couch and
asked, ?whats happening? ?. Paul with his Cool, Calm and Collective manner,
just slowly walked back to the Port hull, rubbing his chin, and calmly
said?. ?Errrhmmm,, we are just going to reef some sails?..? like it was a
perfectly sunny day with not a breeze in the air?. Well, ok I said? He then
slowly went down his cabin to put on his jacket. Took his time, slowly came
back up and went out the door. Welll, those words were re-assuring but the
surroundings certainly weren?t!
Meanwhile the boys woke every now and again when the bow of the boat
pierced itself through a wave with a massive crash sound, to then wear the
wave allover herself, as it got thrown down by the big swell. They would
argue a little over the amount of bed space the other one had pinched and
then fall asleep again.
The front windows were looking as if you were looking into a washing
machine. The whole front was actually submersed into the wave.
How Jasmine slept through most of this I have NO IDEA! She has Scotts cabin
at the front and literally she went through the waves. The crashing noise
was incredibly loud?. But hey, better like that I guess!
Anyway,?.. we made it th rough. When we got up in the morning and looked
at the huge waves it looked rough but when you saw how the boat just hopped
over the top of the breaking waves I could then see how well she handled
it. Even though the noises were scary at night I have not felt scared
inside the boat. The boys even less so?.!
OK, what else?. We are now in beautiful sailing weather again. And the day
just consists of our 3 hour watches, some house keeping and our shared meal
at midday. We take turns in chosing what to eat and all have an input in
cooking it. This midday meal is a nice time as everyone is awake and it is
a real time of sharing.
The rest of the time it is just an open galley and we might share a coffee
together, depending who is awake. Talking about coffee?. As most of you
know Geoff is a fussy coffee drinker and refuses to drink instant coffee?.
We brought our Nespresso machine onboard and the nice coffees are rubbing
off on everyone. We now all enjoy a nice cuppa everyday and figured out
that we make enough power to use the machine, so the instant coffee has
been pushed to the back of the cupboard :). We fill out a log after every
watch. The boys do watches during the day and get to fill out the log as
well. They have to source information from different spots and are learning
how to read the weather and weather forecasts which we get via sat-phone.
We are learning more and more about the navigation system and when we see
ships the boys look them up and Scott even called one up via the VHF radio.
So much learning going on.
We still have plenty of food and I think our provisioning has served us
well so far. We even have plenty of fresh produce left. I have been making
vanilla muffins with Scott a few times. Nothing nicer then fresh baked
goods straight from the oven to be eaten in the fresh sea air.
Unfortunately no fish has stayed on the hook yet. So no Sushimi yet?..
The ocean is getting blue-er and Blue-er? and slowly the little boat on the
autopilot screen is moving itself to Mauritius. We produce plenty of water
with our watermaker. Enough for every one to have a nice hot shower every
day, and to do a load of washing in the machine every once a while. We are
cruising in absolute comfort. Just like being at home.
The swell has gone down heaps and we have a nice following sea which makes
sailing a pleasure. Yesterday we raced along doing mostly 8-10 knots with
our screecher. We find ourself singing out loud at times. The mood is very
good on board without any major disruption. The guitar gets practiced, and
there is a lot of reading and writing going on. Scott did start his
handwritten Journal but then decided to type a book on the Ipad. He written
the start so well and then one night pressed on ?select all, and delete??.
He cried his heart out because he lost the lot. It didn?t take long for him
to franticly get back on it though and type the whole thing again.
Unfortunately the first part was not as elaborately written as the first
time as he was a bit angry he had to do it again, it also sounded a bit
more negative?. But when he caught up with where he was his writing soon
improved to the previous standard. He spends every night adding to his
story and reads it out loud to everyone. I am amazed at his writing skills!
And so funny too, he has us all laughing! We now make sure we back his
writing up so he can?t lose it again. Paul is also writing a blog, and then
there is me?.. ;-)
Well, Paul will post this somehow via his sat-phone and he has posted
Scotts story too. I will sign off now. There are some sleeping bodies
getting up! I hope everyone is well over there , all our love!

From the youngest crew on board Island Home, Scott(9)- Unedited

MAURITIUS!!!We left Cape Town in the afternoon. We all saw seals,whales,and
dolphins as we'll. we sailed around Cape Town and got to false bay in 4
hours which was quick. The boat kept its speed up for the night. I slept on
the couch for the night. The next morning I got a little more better at
being more not puking but still haven't gotten over it yet. That afternoon
we sailed till Cape Agulhas. we got tied up to a buoy but stuffed up so dad
had to go in the freezing cold water which was like 12 degrees cold. The
other bad thing was it was like 8.00pm. we had to shine a torch to keep on
track of where he was. We had trouble because we had our keels stuck which
sucked. So that's why he had to hop in. The noise was that bad we all
didn't get a decent night sleep. The next morning we had to leave for
another anchorage spot out side of the bay. We did a different way of
getting the further away buoy untied.Step 1:Untie the first buoy tied to
the bowStep 2:Turn the motors onStep 3:Slowly move side ways toward the
buoyÊStep 4:ÊGet the nearest hook that can extendÊStep 5:ÊExtend the hook
and angle the Captain to the spot you want him to go toÊStep 6:ÊQuickly
grab the buoy and untie the rope before you stuff up the propsÊWARNING:
Always have an helper in this job other wise get your butt in to gear ready
for a tuff job.We got untied ready to enter out. We waited for the
breakers? to pass and miss us. We didn't sail obviously because It was only
half a kilometre or so. We settled in the anchorage spot outside the bay.
We had breakfast or lunch or whatever we had and then me and Phil obviously
did the stupid dishes like always. We did the dishes and saw some whales
making a R18? Talent show which I meant doing it together like humpy back
whales do. We waited in the saloon looking at the weather for the next 5
days to see if I wouldn't puke but if it was 6-8 meter swell they wouldn't
care anyway for my workers in my belly they would make my little men chuck
out all my food and make me sick and yes I'm talking about my dad. But
luckily I was safe it would be say 3-5 meter swell. We recognised the sky
had given us a little darkness. The sky turned black so Jasmijn and I took
photos but I did a video and she did a photo.( I forgot to wright ) we had
custard and fruit with tea or coffee. We had with caramel waffles ( which
in Dutch it was said stroopwafels ).( Going forward now ). We sat in the
saloon for the most of the time. I can't remember what we had for dinner
that night but it was something like sausage and potatoes with fruit salad
with some other things. We set sail the next day for mossel bay which was
another 170 nautical miles away. We had to sail for 1 and a half days. We
sailed and sailed for the next day and a half. I did my first night watch
with Jasmijn And I an had appetiser while she had white wine yuck!!!.Phil
got bored and came to help do a night watch but instead we looked at little
blue sparkle speck things that come from out of the water. We looked at the
silver moon shine on the the water as well as the stars which I saw a few
stars that gathered up together and looked like a rat or mice. We kept an
eye out for any Tankers or Cargo ships but only thought a lighthouse was an
other ship in the distance but wasn't one. I stayed up till the 8.00 pm
night watch before I had to go for a shower. I went for a shower but mum
had to be my assistant for washing my body. Once I got out of the shower I
got changed and said good night to everyone and then fell asleep on dad and
mums bed dreaming of making a wooden catamaran. In the morning I recognised
we were at mossel bay and I woke Phil up to show him the big boat called
Smit-loyde we tied up next to a fishing boat haha we tied up to a cleat at
the bow but as the back we tied the rope to all the fishing lines we had to
see if we could find a spot for shelter for 36 hours but we only could do
36 hours because our visas were expired. When Paul got back from port
control security or police came to see what we were doing but they allowed
us to stay for 36 hours we got a spot at the end of the jetty and
apparently there was a big rock I had to look out for. We got tied to the
jetty and we had breakfast. ( sorry readers I don't know what happened
after breakfast ) the next the next day later we didn't leave and became
illegal citizens. The next night or so we went to the very first maverick
owners farm near George and went there for dinner it was about a 45 minute
drive away. Once we got there we met a super cute dog called Rover?. He got
aggressive once he new us more I saw a quad and got more excited. The even
better thing was we got to play Xbox we played some games and got stuck in
one game for the whole time. I asked joe the oldest son if me and Phil
could go on the quad and he took us took us around. Once I hopped on I got
a little anxious but as soon as I pushed the knob thingy I wasn't anxious
any more we drove around on the quad to the lambs and on board the quad was
me Phil joe and Rover?. When we looked at the first herd of lamb we all
stepped in lamb crap when we left we headed over 4-5 hills before getting
to the 2 herd of lamb. We came to the lambs because there was a lamb that
was born that morning when we headed back I warned Phil not to scare the
baby lamb because it was only little. It was Phil's turn to go back but he
went slower than me because Rover? was on the back and he tried to jump
off. As soon as we got back we went to have dinner for dinner we had corn
pap and delicious bread with sauce and a little bit of chilli in it. We had
4 different tiles of sausage and some lamb with chicken. Me and Phil went
back in the game room and played Xbox with cream soda as a drink. We had a
other one for desert and missed out on chocolate mouse with cone things. We
had to leave because of those stupid contacts of mums. We left back to the
boat once we got back we said bonjour to everyone and gave everyone a hug
and once we got on the boat we all went to bed.ÊThe next morning we went to
a museum to see things from ages ago we went to an taquarium and then we
saw a big ship which discovered South Africa in 1488 by Diaz when we went
up stairs we saw a dentist chair and a dentist kit when we left it was like
12.00pm in the afternoon. We went to the yacht club and we had wine
appetisers and fish with pizza I met two boys called Christian and Anthony
which went up to two random girls and went aaaaayyyyyy!!!! Sexy lady and it
made me embarrassed. I had to look for there sisters which one of the said
one of the sisters were hot. Which I saw her I'd not been to sure?. We left
and they said there boat was called SEA BORN and ours was right in front of
us and they had seen our boat and had got jealous because it was bigger.
Anyway we left and we got back to the boat we got a plate of nibbles and
had that for a for a full dinner the next morning we had breakfast and we
untied from the jetty's and that was it we had our chance to charge
everything and we would be heading out for open ocean and wouldn't be
seeing land for the next 2 weeks?

Making magic on a Maverick named Island Home

Since the first Maverick Catlyn was built, I have always wanted to sail
one. I got to know the owners, Johan and Marlene van Niekerk of Catlyn well
and we became good friends. They sailed the world for four years and by
chance we crossed paths in St.Helena and a few years later again in
Tortola. Their blog was and still is a huge source of inspiration for
anyone who wants to sail with their family. Colourful and excellently
written and well worth checking out. Down the line I have met a few other
owners of Maverick catamarans. Catarina owned by long time friend Paul
Rackstraw from Cape Town and Our Rose, Rich and Jennifer from New Zealand
who I met briefly in Langebaan. Island Home, owned by Geoff and Marina
Jansen from Australia is hull nr 12. Mavericks are built in Cape Town by
Master Boat Builder Rudi Pretorius, not mass produced, but custom built to
the owners specifications. It is truly a catamaran in a class of its own, the
use of space unlike anything I have ever seen .All the space creating and space
saving ideas on the Maverick is something to marvel at. Aptly named the Space
Craft, they stand out in any marina or boatshow. Check Maverick Yachts out on
google and you will see what I mean. Was wondering last night about boat nr
13 :) This morning it was confirmed that there will be hull nr 14A and 14B. No
hull no 13.

Before I could really comment on how the Maverick performs under sail, we
first had to experience different types of weather. And that we had. From
strong winds from behind all the way round to strong winds from ahead, she
felt steady as a rock. For 36 hours we had rising seas as we were beating
into the wind. Up to 40 kts of north easterlies and waves of up to 5 meters,
we made steady progress. On the beam she was also much faster than I
anticipated. And vibration from the motors when we are motoring is really
minimal. On board we have Geoff and Marina Jansen, two kids, Phil and Scott,
a fourth crewmember Jasmijn who flew in from the Netherlands a few days
before departure and myself.

We departed from Cape Town on 26 August and on advice we took shelter in
Struisbaai. The inner harbour had a few mooring bouys and we tied up to one
that was recommended by the locals. Geoff was in the engine room and I was
busy doing some dishes when we heard someone whistling at us, just in time to
see that the mooring bouy has become undone and we were drifting quite fast
towards a rocky shore. Just in time we managed to start the motors and get
out of harms way. Found another mooring bouy and this time we stayed secure.
It was close to new moon and spring tides and at about 9pm our sacrificial
keels starting touching the bottom. Not a nice feeling, fortunately it was
soft muddy sand that we were in. We read the recommendations for Struisbaai
again and realized we should have anchored outside the harbour. The next
morning early we were up, the tides was up, and we motored out and around to
a safe anchorage. The expected front was starting to come through and soon we
had winds in the high 40's blowing over us. Fine hail, rain, thunder and
lightning, it was a spectacular show. We sat at anchor until the storm
abated and made way for Port Elizabeth.

The expected headwinds came through earlier and we had to run into Mosselbay
for shelter. The marina manager Schalk, went out of his way to create some
space for us in the marina. We shifted another boat, tied our stern onto the
dock, and ran long lines which we attached to strongholds on the shore. We
could have been out at anchor, but were quite comfortably nested in the
marina. Mosselbay and PE is known for sometimes big swell running into the
harbour, but all in all, we were properly secured. We also plugged in shore
power and had access to fresh water as well. Johan and Marlene from Catlyn
invited us for a braai, and we accepted gratefully. Also a bit of nostalgia
for Johan and Marlene who sold there yacht a while ago to step aboard the
newest Maverick and also meet the newest members of the Maverick family. We
had a most awesome time with the van Niekerk family on their farm and many
tales of their adventures were shared. We also met some of their friends.

A lifelong wish I had also came true for me during this period. Since I could
remember, I always wanted to see Paris and Knysna. Now I have been to places
all over the globe and sailed most of the oceans and seas as well. More than
eight times around the globe I've sailed if I count my nautical miles. And
until a few days ago, I have never been to Knysna. The van Niekerk family
went way out of their way to fetch me the next day again and showed me a bit
of Knysna. We also had lunch with 1st Mate Malcolm who have done 5 long
distance deliveries with me before. He has been living in Knysna for many
years, and after lunch he took me to some of his favorite spots. Knysna, I
will be back, and soon :). Malcolm drove me back to Mosselbay that afternoon
as we were ready to depart for Mauritius the next day.

The weather predicted was light north easterlies turning north which was
perfect for us to cross the mighty Benguala current. The South African coast
is considered the most dangerous in the world, and at the wrong time, waves
of up to 40 meters will swallow you alive. These are just words, the reality
is unimaginable. Once again, google it and you will see even big ships
flounder if they get caught out in these waters. So timing your crossing is
essential. At first the north easterlies was pushing us down south into the
Southern Ocean. We went over 36 degress south before the wind turned north
and we could start figting our way east. Winds of over 40 knots made it
difficult for us and we were slowly getting pushed further down south, but at
least also making good progress east. Big swells and strong seas came through
at about 10pm, some waves crashing right over us. I decided to stay on watch
from 11pm till 6am the next morning to make sure that we are safe. It was a
rough night for everybody, but once again I realized that it will change,
eventually. Staying calm but super alert is quite taxing on these long night
watches. You see the white foam of a breaking wave ahead of you. The boat
climbs and climbs up the wave, and drops down the other side. The trick is
set your sails and control your speed to try for a soft landing on the other
side. Having a third reef in the mainsail is a huge blessing under these
conditions. Most boats only have a second reef and very difficult to balance
the boat properly under such extreme conditions. I can unequivocally say that
the Maverick is a blue water sail boat through and through.

Interesting how the seastate changes as the wind starts backing. Weather
predicted is westerlies from behind, and swell too. Fair winds and following
seas, at last. The north easterly winds starting backing to north, then north
west, and finally the westerlies started coming through. The cirrus clouds were
messengers warning us of strong weather coming in with the front moving over.
Slowly the swell changed direction. A bit lumpy as sea is still not settled,
but soon she will be, and we will be surfing down the waves. We are eating
exceedingly well on board, and I love the coffee machine with little pods of
coffee that fits in the coffee machine. It warms the water, warms and froths
the milk, and in under a minute you have coffee of the first order.

Good to be out here on the big blue again, and good to be on a Maverick.

Till next time, cheers

Up the Mozambique Channel

We were sailing at speed towards Madagascar with the northerly winds giving
us a good angle to sail east. Having covered two thirds of the channel and
less than a day from the coast of Madagascar, we were dearly hoping for the
southerly wind predicted to come through. Turning sharp into the wind we
slowed down our passage east and waited patiently for our fortunes to turn.
Close to Madagascar the currents would be against us so we had to stay a
fair distance away. On Friday we watched a bank of clouds forming in the
south and drawing closer and closer. It was a bank of cumulus clouds, not
ominous, but still impressive. Scary fronts are preceded by cirrus clouds,
thin wispy clouds curved at the end similar to a horses tail. The wind kept
on backing throughout the day, slowly but surely. Backing means when the
wind direction changes in an anti-clockwise direction. And then the
southerlies were hear, coming through at 20 to 30 kts. For the first time
in a few days we could turn our bows north and with the wind pushing us
from behind, we experienced some smooth and fast sailing. The swell also
curved in from behind, and we started surfing getting up to 16 knots.
Heavily loaded Hamba na Moya Huibre sat solidly and beautifully, curving
long white tracks behind us, carrying her precious load with ease. Up front
we had half of our headsail furled out, finding the ideal speed to not run
away and out of control, or going too slow and getting caught from behind.
Poetry in motion with the ocean. Swells of over 5 metres would tower up
behind us, leaving a hollow feeling in the stomach, and miraculously Hamba
na Moya Huibre would lift her stern up to the crest, find her groove, and
slide deliriously down, pause in the trough, get lifted up and here we go
again. Following winds and seas type of sailing :) Flying fish taking off to
get out of the way, whales coming closer to have a look at this crazy surfing
cat. This morning a 4mtr long pilot whale came gliding past, also surfing
down the swells. Seemingly effortlessly and fast. Yesterday was our second day
styling in this manner.

Our newest weather reports turned out to be quite accurate and we could
anticipate the changes and act accordingly. The wind backed behind us from
south west to south and settling on south east over a period of 36 hours. We
first held cause up north, then got pushed northwest when the wind was
blowing strongest and gusting at around 30kts from the south west. Africa was
once again closing in but in good time the wind backed to south which gave us
back north, and at about 2pm today the wind from the south east started
easing and we could go on a broadreach with main and genoa on 2nd reef. On a
broadreach the wind come from about a 120 degree angle. Beam reach is when
the wind comes from a 90 degree angle. The wind has died down to just a breeze
and we are motoring making good miles carried by a good current.

In the galley things are heating up and the cook and chef is cooking with gas
:) On Friday night Edrick prepared a Cottage Pie, and for entrée's we had
freshly caught wahoo that Aubrey applied some alchemy to. You get cooks and
chefs, and then you get alchemists, mmmmmmmmmm.......we have one on board. Our
alchemist prepared some lamb curry, and unequivocally superior quisine. Last
night we had lamb chops and roast potato for supper. Super lamb chops to be
sure. This morning we had omelette and bacon for breakfast, celebrating
Father's Day :):):). Three of us on board are daddy's and there was some
dispute about the exact date. We decided to celebrate it yesterday !!! If not,
why not. We did later learn that Father's Day is next Sunday. And we will
celebrate it again :) And the top cuisine keeps on exceeding our expectations.

This morning John landed a fair size skipjack. Aubrey filleted the fish and
tonight we will have some starter dish ala Aubrey the alchemist. We are a day
and a half from Mayotte where we will run in for a day or so. This morning we
decanted our extra diesel and up to date we have used 300 ltrs and covered about
1200 nautical miles with about 1100 to go. So yes, we are over the halfway mark.
Time is flying with the days and nights just flowing into each other. All of us
are doing exceedingly well. We have now been at sea for over 8 days and enjoying
the calm stretch we are having after some rough stuff we've been through.

From the deep blue sea and blue skies all around, take good care.

Maputo into the Mozambique Channel

The northerly winds came through as expected. We were about 36nm from the
Mozambique coast that runs from Maputo upwards and then east towards Punta
da Barra before the coast turns up north again. The angle of the wind
allowed us to sail east across the Mozambique current that runs from north
to south. Not the smoothest sailing but making good ground towards the
middle of the channel. Some stretches are pure bliss, some stretches are
not.

On Tuesday night Edrick gave Aubrey a bit of a break in the galley and
offered to prepare supper. Wednesday morning Edrick also made a big egg
pizza which was also enjoyed by one and all. Basically an open omelette or
Spanish omelette. The day before John landed a small dorado which Aubrey
filleted in a flash, and the fillets were placed on ice in a ziplock bag.
These fillets Aubrey prepared for lunch yesterday, and John commented that
it was the best dorado dish he has ever tasted. And he has been fishing all
his life and has prepared many fish himself. For supper last night we had
baked lamb chops and mash with gravy. Really living and eating well,
besides the fairly rough conditions thus far. We had some cereal and then
fresh fruit salad for breakfast, and for lunch we had sumptuous burgers
with grated salad, once again delicious.

The northerly winds is having a last blow at us before she will make way
for the southerly winds which we expect tomorrow morning. Fortunately we
are quite deep into the channel already and will miss the brunt of the
southerly front pushing up. We are looking forward to have some good wind
from behind and some open ocean ahead of us. The good winds will stay with
us till Sunday when it starts easing to a breeze. Earlier today we landed a
small wahoo which was also filleted in a flash. Wahoo are normally around
when the weather is a bit rough and the reef fish comes to the surface. The
predators like the wahoo then follow their prey. The lure we caught the
wahoo on is a white with a red head Rapala. All of us on board are
exceedingly well, and having a fabulous time. The rough and the smooth.

Hope you enjoy a little glimpse into our lives here on the ocean every now
and then. Take care till next time.

Hamba na Moya Huibre - Durban to Seychelles

We find ourselves on one beautiful boat, Hamba na Moya Huibre, a legendary
Leopard 46. After two weeks of running around to get everything ready for
our crossing, we were at last ready to leave. We were looking at departing
on 31 May, but our departure date was dependant on the weather. And the
weather turned good for us a day later. My family and Gerry's wife came o
wave us goodbye and at 9am on Sunday 1 June, we started the motors and by
then we were just outside the breakwaters of Durban harbour. On board we
have Gerry, the owner, John, his long time friend, Aubrey, a great chef and
sailor from the Seychelles, Edrick our 1st Mate, and myself as skipper. A
few years ago Gerry, John, two other crew members and me sailed the boat
from Cape Town to Durban where she stayed for a while. On a few occasions I
had the wonderful opportunity to take my family and/or friends for a little
day sail in Durban to keep the bat in good shape. Never a good idea for a
boat to just sit in the water and not ever go out. All types of technical
complications starts happening. The same with your motor vehicle. If you
let it stand in the garage for a few years without running it now and then,
your batteries will be flat, the seals on your engine will be dry, your
tyres may have deflated and so on. Same with a boat,except the tyres of
course :-) The first time I took my brother for a sail he asked, tongue in
cheek, where the brakes are.

The first few hours out the water was flat with only a slight breeze. We
stayed close to the shore staying out of the Agulhas current. Sometimes one
would get a bit of counter current, this time we had current against us all
the way. Not strong as we were close inshore, but still holding us back a
bit. Our weather predicted a strong south westerly coming through later the
same day which it did with a fair amount of intensity. We were running
smoothly up to Richards Bay where we had to turn a bit deeper to run around
all the anchored ships. At one point the current really got strong from the
front, and the wind pushed us from behind. Wind against current is never a
bright prospect. I was catching a quick rest at the time, and was up and
out in a flash when a wave crushed on us from behind. Our boat which is
heavily loaded was doing the rodeo and we had to get out of the current as
quick as possible, and also get some momentum forward to prevent another
wave braking on our stern, which is the nautical term for the back of the
boat. I decided to stay up until we were out of danger. We have tied our
quite a few things onto the boat, and this was a good test to see if there
was any weakness in our efforts. Glad to say that we came out of the rough
patch with everything still intact. Me with a few extra grey hair, but so
be it. Monday morning turned out to be nice and calm, and we started the
day with coffee and rusks. After such a rough night I thought everyone
would be fairly wacked. To my surprise John, who is turning 71 this year,
was up at first light and had a few lures trolling behing the boat in no
time. And he also landed a few small bonnies which he rreturned to the
ocean. An hour later Aubrey prepared a succulent fresh fruit salad for
breakfast, and lunchtime we were treated with a spaghetti bolognaise and
salad. For supper we had delicious chicken stir-fry with basmati rice. I am
used to one, sometimes two meals a day. So yes, we are eating well, very
well. And quite healthy as well.

We reached Maputo at sunrise this morning, the sea was flat, the current in
our favour, and we all got a good rest last night thanks to the smooth
conditions. I made some cornmeal porridge for breakfast, krummelpap as it
is known to Afrikaans speaking people, and an hour later we had fruit
salad. Lunchtime we were spoiled with hamburgers and salad, and tonight
Edrick will be preparing porterhouse steak for us. As you probably have
gathered by now, this is no ordinary yacht delivery. As we all woke from
the night shifts, we started testing a few systems. First our desalinater,
and afterwards the washing machine. We are expecting a bit of northerly
winds for the next two days, sometimes north west, sometimes north east,
and northerlies in between. We are motor sailing in an easterly direction
for now and following the contour lines of Mozambique. On Friday we expect
strong south westerlies from behind, by which time we should be deep into
the Mozambique channel, close to Bassas da India, a atoll that lies about
100nm north of Europa Island. Both are just about in the middle between
Africa and Madagascar.

What a pleasure it is to sail with a few guys that have never done a
crossing before. Most people only dream of sailing across an ocean. And as
you can gather, the rough weather makes way for smooth weather, and the
rough never last all that long. This morning we once again have a few lures
out, thanks to John, but no strikes yet. Because we are five on board, our
watch system works a bit different from our usual four hour shifts during
the day and three hour shifts at night. Our shifts are now just two hours
long, day or night. We hope to arrive in the Seychelles before the 21st of
June. A estimated three week trip. Compared to my previous trip which took
three months, this is a nice quick crossing. I never underestimate the
ocean, and will make sure that we travel as safe as possible. I will post a
blog every second day or so, and hope you enjoy the trip with us.

Take care till next time.