Saturday, 13-10-12 at 1130 -
departed Ilha Dos Portugueses, Inhaca.
Engine: 1116.8 hours.
Wind: not much from the NE.
Noon 13-10-12 – Saturday
Time: 12.00L UTC+2.0
Lat: 25 57.10 S
Lon: 032 55.97 E
COG: 90 Deg M
Winds: 4 to 6 Kts NE
Engine: 1117.3 Hrs
Barometer: 1021 Mb rising
 |
| Happy Whales |
There were a surprising
number of whales around. Some were breaching quite far offshore others
frolicking in shallower water. It was a privilege to watch these leviathans
play from a safe distance. I'm sure they were celebrating having survived
another day of not being captured, allegedly, for research and turned into
sushi.
1445 Wind: 6 - 8 knots NE
Arrived at the 200 metre
contour depth looking for the Mozambique Current.
Speed 4.0 knots, SOG 4
knots, COG 185 degrees M.
1515 Wind: 6 - 8 knots NE
Raised Big Bertha
Speed 4 knots, SOG 3.5
knots, COG 200 degrees M
2000 Wind: up to 15 knots NE
Dropped Big Bertha.
Sunday, 14-10-12 at 0600 -
Wind: 6 - 8 knots NE.
Speed 3 knots, SOG 4 knots,
COG 200 degrees M
15 miles off the coast at 27
degrees south.
Raised Big Bertha.
1000 Wind 8 - 10 knots NNE -
dead down wind.
Speed 3.5 knots, SOG 4.5
knots, COG 200 degrees M
19 miles off Jesser Point.
1100 Wind 8 - 12 knots NE
Speed 5.5 knots, SOG 7
knots, COG 200 degrees M.
These speed are fat more
like it.
Noon 14-10-12 – Sunday
Time: 12.00L UTC+2.0
Lat: 27 32.64 S
Lon: 033 02.38 E
COG: 220 Deg M
Winds: 10 to 12 Kts NE
Engine: 1120.5 Hrs
Distance covered since noon
yesterday 98 Miles.
Barometer: 1021 Mb steady.
Speed 5.0 knots, SOG 6.5
knots.
There were quite a number of
ships around, which is not so surprising around the large ports of Maputo and
Richards Bay. What was surprising is that my AIS (Automatic Identification
System) unit was not showing the ships on the Chart Plotter. This could be one
of two things; all the ships had there AIS transponders turned off or my AIS
had the cactus. Good timing!
1600 Winds 12 - 18 knots NE
Fast sailing under reefed mainsail
only.
Speed 5.5 knots, SOG 8
knots, COG 220 degrees M.
60 miles out from Richards
Bay, South Africa.
 |
| Very fast sailing/surfing down wind |
1730 Wind 18 to 22 knots NE
- waves boisterous following seas and 3 meter swell from the south west.
2 reefs in the mainsail.
Speed 4.5 knots, SOG 6.5
knots, COG 240 degrees M.
With these sort of winds in
the strong current it would be very easy to miss the entrance to Richards Bay.
I angled Sadiqi toward the shore 15 miles north of the port entrance. The
compass variance in this area is 26 degrees west.
2200 Wind 18 to 25 knots NE
Speed 5.5 knots, SOG 6. to 8
knots, COG 240 degrees M.
Very fast down wind sailing
with just a 2 reefed mainsail up. With
these sort of conditions I was contemplating dragging warps astern to slow the
boat down. I was delighted with the GPS speed over the ground (SOG). I was more
concerned with the speed through the water. The semi displacement hull, like
Sadiqi's, has an maximum speed, which if
exceeded increases the stress on everything on the boat and also sucks the boat
lower in the water. With the following seas and the boat having less freeboard
there is a good chance of being pooped - a wave breaking over the stern of the
boat. Several times water slopped on the boat just after hearing the roar of a
large wave breaking and Sadiqi picking up speed surfing down the wave. Helming
was a challenge, which Smithy the Windpilot seem to be coping well with. I did
not want Sadiqi slewing around and being broadside to the waves.
 |
| Boisterous following seas |
2245 15 miles out from
Richards bay.
Called Port Control for
permission to enter the port. Was advised to call again when 4 miles from the
entrance.
Monday, 15-10-12 at 0035 -
Wind: 12 - 158 knots NE.
4 miles out from Richards Bay
entrance.
Called Port Control for
permission to enter the port. I was advised to head to the International Jetty.
I knew this was somewhere near Tuzi Gazi Marina.
Sadiqi motor sailed with
part of the jib exposed through the channel. At one point I had to slow down to
allow a ship entering the port to pass. Fortunate for the Chartplotter
otherwise I would not have attempted a night entrance. There was only one unlit
mark near the entrance, which we missed. I attempted to find the International
Jetty and eventually gave up and headed for a space on a floating pen of the
Tuzi Gazi Marina.
Monday, 15-10-12 at 0245
Arrived Tuzi Gazi, Richards bay, South Africa.
Engine 1122.8 hours.
Distance travelled since
Noon 14-10-12 - 90 miles in around 14 hours- very fast!
In the gusty winds I secured
Sadiqi and went to sleep.
