At 1530 on Friday, October
5 - departed Benguerra anchorage to head
for Bob's Hole on the rising tide. Bob's Hole is a reasonably protected
anchorage near Point Chissangune - the navigable gap between Benguerra Island
and Bazaruto Island. Sadiqi was pushing against the current of the rising tide.
There were a few nervous moments when the depth gauge only showed half a meter
of water below the keel while navigating the channel. I'm indebted to Des at
Sakatia for giving me the coordinates of the passage. The anchor was dropped at
1730 with out loosing paint off the bottom of the boat or crushing any
crustaceans on the bottom of the keel.
Bob's Hole:
Bob's Hole:
Lat: 21 48.97 S
Lon: 035 27.50 E
 |
| Southern end of Bazaruto |
At 0500 on Saturday, October
6 I hauled anchor and headed to the gap - mindful of the hazards of the bar and
navigating the gap on the rising tide.
Winds 10 to 12 knots
Easterly.
1099.4 Engine hours.
Barometer: 1018 Mb.
 | |
| Early morning washing machine - The Gap |
There was tremendous water turbulence
in the centre of the channel. Something I would not have liked to have gone
through. The waves in the channel tended to come from all directions,
fortunately not very large. The wind increased slightly from the ENE to 12 to
15 knots making it easier to push against the incoming current. While the bar
on the seaward side of the gap was shallow at 4 metres below the water the
waves were not threatening.
After crossing the bar at
0700 the winds dropped to ENE 5- 8 knots and the waves were very sloppy and
uncomfortable. The sails banged and crashed. The engine was restarted and
Sadiqi tried to slice through the slop at 3 knots. I can only assume that the
lousy, choppy uncomfortable waves were the result of the wind waves meeting the
counter current heading north. The hunt was on for the elusive Mozambique
Current.
At 0900 the waves were
incredibly uncomfortable - short length and steep. The winds were also light.
The sails were slatting so much that I pulled then down and Sadiqi bounced
about like a cork motoring south west at 3 knots.
1100 the winds picked up to
6 to 10 knots - what a relief. Big Bertha was put up and the Engine was turned
off.
Speed 4.5 and SOG 4 knots.
Noon 06-10-12 – Saturday
Time: 12.00L UTC+2.0
Lat: 22 10.04 S
Lon: 035 37.91 E
COG: 175 Deg M
Winds: 8 to 12 Kts NNE
Engine: 1103.6 Hrs
Distance covered since
departing Bob's Hole 23.8 Miles.
Barometer: 1017 Mb.
1500 Winds 10 to 12 knots
NNE.
Very pleasant downwind
sailing with Big Bertha flying.
Speed 6.5 knots SOG 6.5
knots.
Current heading south in the
right direction remains elusive.
 |
| Gull wing with Big Bertha |
1730 Winds dropping 5 - 10
knots NNE.
10 miles off the coast -
maybe in the current. Boat speed and SOG mostly the same.
Dropped Big Bertha.
Poled out the Jib.
Speed 4.0 knots, SOG 4.5
knots.
Chef preparing Massaman
curry on rice for dinner.
2100 Winds 6 -8 knots NE.
Speed 2.0 knots, SOG 2.0
knots.
Sails slatting and banging
in lousy chop.
Raised Big Bertha.
Speed 3.8 knots, SOG 4.00
knots
It would appear that the
lousy, choppy waves, that throw the boat around, mean we are in the vicinity of
two opposing currents. The trick is to find the current that is going in the
right direction.
2145 abreast Pomene - 5
miles off.
0030 Winds 5 - 10 knots NE.
Nice sailing with Big Bertha.
Speed 4.5 knots, SOG 4
knots.
10 miles off the coast.
0600 Wind 8 - 12 knots NE.
Big Bertha still flying
Speed 5.5 knots, SOG 5.2
knots
20 miles off the coast -
still looking for that elusive south setting current.
18 miles north east of
Inhambane
Barometer: 1016 Mb
0830 Winds 6 - 8 knots NE.
13 miles due east of
Inhambane.
Speed 4 knots, SOG 4.4 knots.
Noon 07-10-12 – Sunday
Time: 12.00L UTC+2.0
Lat: 24 02.76 S
Lon: 035 48.72 E
COG: 195 Deg M
Winds: 6 to 8 Kts NE
Engine: 1103.6 Hrs
Distance covered since noon
yesterday 113 Miles.
Barometer: 1018 Mb.
Speed 5.0 knots, SOG 5.5
knots.
Seem to have found the
elusive current of about 0.5 to 1 knot south. 15 miles off the coast near Cabo
Das Correntes.
 |
| In the elusive current |
1500 Wind 10 to 12 knots NE
Speed 6.5 knots, SOG up to 8
knots.
Pulled down Big Bertha -
stressing the boat and the skipper - its not a race.
Poled out the Jib.
Speed 5 knots, SOG 6 knots
1700 Beer o clock. Winds 10
- 12 knots NE
Listened to weather forecast
from Roy at Peri Peri Net. There was a risk of a small low pressure with winds
SE to 30 knots near Inhaca/Maputo in the early hours of Monday morning.
Speed 5 knots, SOG 6 knots.
1800 Winds 12 - 15 knots NE.
Furled the poled out Jib and
sail on mainsail only.
Speed 5 knots, SOG 6 knots.
2300 Winds 8 - 10 knots NE -
dropping.
Barometer: 1016 Mb.
Speed 4.5 knots, SOG 4
knots.
0030 Monday Winds 5 - 8
knots NE
Lousy, sloppy waves. Sadiqi
feels like she is being continually tripped up.
Speed 4 knots, SOG 3 knots.
Barometer: 1016 Mb.
0215 Winds 6 - 8 knots ENE.
Lat: 25 12.23 S
Lon: 035 22.58 E
Seas very confused choppy
waves.
Speed 3 knots, SOG 3 knots.
0400 Winds 8 - 10 knots NE
No sign of low pressure -
barometer going up.
0500 Wind picking up 10 - 12
knots SE
Very rough choppy seas.
Started engine.
Barometer: 1018 Mb going up.
0630 Winds 12 - 15 knots SE.
Speed 6 knots, SOG 6.5
knots, COG 270 degrees M.
We seem to have missed the
low pressure with strong winds.
0730 Winds 12 - 18 knots SE
Speed 6 knots, SOG 7 knots,
COG 160 degrees M.
Noon 08-10-12 – Monday
Time: 12.00L UTC+2.0
Lat: 25 34.30 S
Lon: 034 32.44 E
COG: 280 Deg M
Winds: 12 to 18 Kts NE
Engine: 1104.6 Hrs
Distance covered since noon
yesterday122 Miles.
Barometer: 1018 Mb.
Speed 5.0 knots, SOG 5.5
knots.
Heading almost due west for
Inhaca/Maputo.
Swell 3 to 4 meters -
confused seas - bearable.
1700 Winds 12 - 18 knots SE
Speed 4.5 knots SOG 4.0
knots
Beer o clock.
Spoke to Roy and Paul on
Peri Peri Net. Bad weather forecast for Wednesday, Thursday. At the time was
220 miles from Richards Bay. Even with the Mozambique Current, if I could find
it, it would be too risky to attempt to beat the strong 38 knots south
easterlies forecast.
2100 Wind 8 to 12 knots ESE
Nasty, sloppy waves.
Pushing against a one knot
current.
Speed 4.0 knots, SOG 2.5
knots, COG 275 degrees M.
2330 Very uncomfortable in
slop - going slow. Wind 6 to 10 knots ESE.
Smithy - Windpilot was not
coping with steering down wind - too little wind.
0030 Wind 6 to 8 knots ESE.
Motion on board very
uncomfortable - sails slatting and banging.
Pushing against current.
Started engine.
Speed 4.5 knots, SOG 4
knots, COG 270 M.
0530 Winds 5 to 10 knots
ENE.
Still motoring!
Speed 4.5 knots, SOG 3.0
knots
Barometer: 1019 Mb
0600 Wind 5 to 10 knots ENE,
COG 270 M.
Poled out the jib to try and
get some boat speed to make the motion more comfortable.
0815 Winds 6 - 10 knots NE.
Sloppy seas - sails banging
and slatting.
Its like listening to 100
dollar notes being torn apart. I already had to effect some repair to the
mainsail where the batten pockets meet the luff.
There were many seabirds
soaring the waves - large albatross, shearwaters, petrels etc.
Noon 09-10-12 – Tuesday
Time: 12.00L UTC+2.0
Lat: 25 47.93 S
Lon: 033 02.30 E
COG: 260 Deg M
Winds: 5 to 8 Kts NE
Engine: 1110.4 Hrs
Distance covered since noon
yesterday82.5 Miles.
Barometer: 1020 Mb.
Speed 3.0 knots, SOG 2
knots.
Approaching the entrance to Maputo
Bay.
 |
| Whale breaching |
 |
| Close enough to frolicking whales |
Heading toward Ilha Dos Portugueses
I saw a tremendous splash in the distance. There was not enough swell to cause
that sort of breaking wave splash on a reef. Then I saw a large whale breach
and splash back into the water - a
phenomenal sight. I was not sure if they were Humpback whales or whales humping.
Seeing, possibly, several tonnes of whale suspended in the air, momentarily
defying gravity and splashing back to the water was truly amazing.
While approaching the area I
wanted to anchor in several fish leapt out of with water toward the boat. Some
of them flew over the cabin top and I had to duck to avoid being hit by
another. Another landed in the cockpit sole and flopped about. I identified it
as Wolf Herring, not a particularly good eating fish, apparently. The fish did
not survive however, after having beaten it's head against a winch handle I
happened to holding at the time.
 |
| Ilha Dos Portugueses |
1500 Arrive Ilha Dos
Portugueses, Inhaca, Mozambique.
Engine 1112.2 hours.
Lat: 25 58.85 S
Lon: 032 54.16 E
Barometer 1016 Mb - falling.
Noon 10-10-12 – Wednesday
Time: 12.00L UTC+2.0
Lat: 25 58.85 S
Lon: 032 54.16 E
Anchored
Engine 1112.2 hours.
Barometer: 1012 Mb falling.
1500
I hauled anchor and headed around the northern side of the island anticipating
the south easterly blow that was due during the night. As I left I could barely
make out the city of Maputo through the fug and haze toward the west.
The new anchorage to the north
of Ilha Dos Portugueses:
Lat: 25 57.76 S
Lon: 032 54.83 E
Warning the C-map electronic
charts show Ilha Dos Portugueses as larger than it actually is to the north
west. Looking at Google Earth this may be caused by the north westerly part of
the islands being washed away. The anchorage was a little rolly as the wind
waves had not abated from the north east. That would quickly change once the
south easterly blew in earnest.
1800 Winds 25 to 35 knots
SSE.
The wind howled
Barometer: 1009 Mb
By 2200 hours the wind had
started to abate.
