can we help
+44(0)1983 296060
+1 757-788-8872
tell me moreJoin a rally

Menu

American Spirit II - Day 372; We Leave Cape Town for St. Helina & See our 24th Green Flash; Saturday, January 10, 2015



After 2 hours sleep, Jeanine is off to the airport to see if our bag arrived on the 7:05 AM flight from London. Joel and I get up at 7:00 AM.

Breakfast on the boat consists of eggs, cut up potato cooked in olive oil with spices, and pear halves. Jeanine passes on breakfast after returning from the airport without the bag.

At 9:34 AM I depart for the supermarket, as I just realized that we have only 2 rolls of paper towels left on the boat. I return at 9:55 AM.

At 10 AM we start the engine, and leave our wharf at 10:05 AM. All the other boats are getting under way, also. We make it thru the bridge opening at 10:15 AM.

The leg starts at 11:00 AM; a racing start. We're 2nd across the line, but in a preferred position on starboard tack, while most of the fleet is on port tack. There is 3 to 5 knots of wind, and its variable. We start the engine at 11:35 AM and motor to the west seeking the wind we know is there. No wind in the harbor is due to Table Mountain blocking the wind. Most of the other boats have started motoring earlier. At 12:13 PM we turn the motor off, as we now have 15 knots of wind from the southwest. The water is cold, as the Benguela Current is drawing cold water from Antarctica. The Benguela Current flows up the west coast of Africa. Because of the current, the air is cold, also.

Jeanine, who was basically up all night doing laundry, shower (she takes long showers) and her hair, got only 2 hours of sleep so she is the first to take a nap at 12:15 PM.

We pass Robben island, where Nelson Mandela was incarcerated for 17 years, at 12:30 PM. In his book 'Long Walk to Freedom,' Nelson Mandela calls his time on the island the 'dark years.' We pass the island and surrounding shoals closer than I like. The wind is now 22/24 knots and building, and we're doing 7.5 knots. At 1:01 PM the wind is blowing 27/28 knots, so we put a 2nd reef in the mainsail; and a few minutes later we put a 2nd reef in the jib. The weather forecast called for 20 knots of wind, and we suspect that the current winds will abate once we get away from the mountains around Cape Town. The excess wind is due to the 'land effect,' with the wind being funnelled along it off shore.

Joel is the 2nd to nap at 12:40 PM.

At 2:00 PM I put on my long underwear and full fowl weather gear. Its that cold. Shortly after that Charlie on Celebrate announces that he's going into House Bay to fix or replace his auto pilot. Not a good sign, but at least he has a calm anchorage to get to. Charlie is a 'repair expert,' having been to most repair yards between the Caribbean and South Africa. We have contributed much money to many yards ourselves, in Panama, Fiji, Reunion and Cape Town; as have many of the boats in the fleet. I overhear NDS Darwin talking to Nexus on the VHF radio and it appears that they have a problem also, but I don't know what it is or how serious it is. Nexus offers assistance and is told that none is needed.

With the wind staying around 24 knots we've taken some waves on the foredeck and a couple of big slappers over the dodger. The back half of the cockpit, where I'm NOT sitting, is inundated with sea water. What else is new? We're on a broad reach with the wind aft on the port quarter. I'm a little queasy myself; nothing serious, just not comfortable. I find out later that Joel feels the same as me. Its not unusual during the first day of a leg to be tired, and that leads to a little queasiness.

Bongo Alive passes us to port at 2:09 PM, with their full main and jib out; followed by Polaris a short while later. Big boats are faster than 40 footers. A minute later we pass three seals close to starboard, frolicking in the water.

Joel is up at 2:40 PM and I go down for a nap at 2:45 PM. I'm back up at 4:40 PM, having slept no more than 2 times for a total of 20 minutes. However, I feel better seasick wise. Joel goes back down for another nap at 4:50 PM, and gets a solid 45 minutes of sleep. He feels good after it.

At 5:10 PM the wind is 22 knots and we're moving at 6.4 nots thru the water and 7.5 knots over the land. Its sunny, and less rough as we're getting further away from the land. Merlyn of Poole is one mile to starboard of us, just ahead of our beam. At 5:25 PM the wind is down to 18/20 knots and I shake out one reef from the main. Our speed increases to 7.9 knots. At 5:38 PM I shake out the last reef in the main, and we're making 6.9 knots thru the water and 8.3 knots over the land.

A large bird, white in color with some black on its topside, lands in the water near the boat. I wonder is its an Albatross? If it is, its the first I've seen in African waters.

A gigantic tanker, the Wu Tai San, passes our starboard at 1.5 miles heading to Cape Town. At 1,093 feet long, its a big one. The waves are crashing over its bow.

Joel gets up at 6:35 PM.

At 8:03 PM the sun sets and we seen our 24th Green Flash on this trip. An average flash.

Dinner at 8:10 PM is freeze dried Turkey Teriyaki; corn kernels (a Joel favorite); and pear halves (my favorite canned fruit).

At 8:30 PM we put the preventer on the boom as the wind is continuing to go aft on us. The preventer 'prevents' the boom from jibing and damaging itself and hurting someone in the process. We also put the tri-reacher pole out on the starboard side; 'low side pole.' We pick up some speed by doing so, and stop most of the sail flapping. While we're doing this Jeanine is doing the dishes.

I type one log between 8:35 PM and 8:55 PM, then relieve Joel on watch. As usual, I do the 9:00 PM to midnight watch; Joel does the 12:00 AM to 3:00 AM watch; and Jeanine does the 3:00 AM to 6:00 AM watch.

Its cold and I'm dressed in 3 layers of lower clothing and 4 uppers; plus my wool cap, scarf and gloves. The wind is 17 knots and we're moving at 5.8 knots thru the water and 6.4 knots over the land. I can see the lume of Cape Town off of the clouds...69 miles away. Wow! There are a lot of stars out, and its so dark I can barely see the bow of the boat. I'm so tired that I can barely keep my eyes open. I listen to music to try to keep myself awake.

A 3/4 moon rises at 11:05 PM, large and orange off the aft, starboard quarter. Folie a Deux and Merlyn of Poole are off our starboard beam a mile or so away. The wind is 19/20; and we're moving at 5.8 knots thru the water and 6.3 knots over the land. We'd be moving faster except for the fact that the wind is behind us so the jib is not as efficient as it could be.

Before waking Joel up at 11:45 PM, the wind is still up, at 20/23 knots; and we're moving at 7.1 knots thru the water and 7.9 knots over the land. Back home when the weather person announces that the next day will have 'small craft advisories,' that means wind of 20 knots or more.

Joel goes on watch at midnight and I'm in bed within 10 minutes. I too tired to type today's log and send out any logs.

Brian Fox

Previous | Next