Mossel Bay to Hout Bay

Wednesday, 5-12-12 at 0700 - Hauled anchor and departed Mossel Bay Anchorage.
Wind: 1 to 5 Kts NW.
Engine: 1175.3 hours.
It was a fine sunny day with light winds. I was granted permission to depart the anchorage area by Port Control without hassle. By 0900 hours the winds were 16 to 20 knots from the SE, the swell 3 to 4 metres, the course was 270  degrees magnetic and Sadiqi was doing 6 knots over ground. Good fast sailing in the rolling swells.
By 1000 hours the winds had increased, I furled the mainsail to the first reefing point.

Noon 05-12-12 – Wednesday
Time: 12.00L UTC+2.0 
Lat: 34 26.94 S
Lon: 021 46.49 E
COG: 275 Deg  M. SOG 5.5 Kts.
Winds: 12 to 15  Kts E
Engine: 1176.8 Hrs
Single reefed main only due to downwind sailing.

At 1600 hours the winds were gusting to 30 knots ESE and it was cold. By 1800 hours the winds were 25 to 35 knots ESE. There was not much mainsail showing being triple reefed. Before midnight the winds were still 25 to 35 knots E. Sadiqi was rolling along at 4.5 knots. There were a lot of ships heading mostly in the same direction - west.

Triple reefed main

Wednesday, 6-12-12 at 0540 - Sadiqi passed south of Cape Agulhas - the southern most tip of Africa and into the Atlantic Ocean. The winds were easing to 20 knots easterly. I unfurled the main to the first reefing position. Speed over the ground was 5 knots. At 0630 hours I gybed the main to head north west to Cape Point (Cape of Good Hope). There was a stream of ships heading the same direction. All I needed was to be tail ended by one of those - not. It would have been nice if the Comar AIS worked so I could identify the ship that I was possibly going to be run over by. It didn't.

Sunset south of Cape Agulhas

Noon 06-12-12 – Thursday
Time: 12.00L UTC+2.0 
Lat: 34 51.71 S
Lon: 019 23.85 E
COG:325 Deg  M. SOG 4 Kts.
Winds: 10 to 12  Kts ESE
Engine: 1177.8 Hrs
Distance travelled 147 miles in 24 hours.
It was a nice sunny day - a little on the cool side - something I was going to have to get used to in these latitudes.

Paul and Roy on Peri Peri Radio Net had advised that the winds would ease from the south east over night and the wind did. At 2000 hours the winds eased 15 to 18 knots SE. At 2256 Sadiqi was due south of Cape Point. The winds eased further in the early morning, Sadiqi drifted at around 2 knots through the fog and fishing boats north to Hout Bay. I appreciated having the Radar as the visibility was very poor. I could often hear the fishing boat engines but could not see them. It was very cold and very damp in the Atlantic Benguela Current. It was quite surreal and eerie sailing in fog. 

Hout Bay

Friday December 7 at 0630 I tied Sadiqi to a mooring at Hout Bay Yacht Club.
Engine: 1179.3 Hrs
I think, this was the best sailing leg  since leaving Richards Bay. At least I didn't throw up this time or feel the inclination. Mind you, at one point I did have the equivalent of only a triple reefed mainsail up.

Some of the locals

Knysna to Mossel Bay

Sunday, 2-12-12 at 1100 - departed Knysna Lagoon, South Africa.
Wind: not much from the SW.
Engine: 1161.7 hours.

The only requirement for Sadiqi's exit was to make an entry in the Yacht Club Log Book. I paid the marina manager R150/day fee.  I had logged onto Peri Peri Radio Net the night before using email periperiradio@gmail.com. The radio interference in the marina made it impossible to hear the Peri Peri radio sched.

It was a fine sunny day with light winds. We managed to negotiate the narrow channels at low tide and cross the bar with without any unplanned stops.

Noon 02-12-12 – Wednesday

Time: 12.00L UTC+2.0
Lat: 34 06.17 S
Lon: 023 02.81 E
COG: 230 Deg  M. Motor sailing.
Winds: 4 to 8  Kts S
Engine: 1162.7 Hrs
Barometer: 1012 Mb.

The further offshore we sailed the more the winds increased and the seas became more turbulent and nasty. At 1800 the motor was turned off and we sailed at 3 to 4 Kts (SOG).

At 0615 in the morning Sadiqi was still punching into a 12 to 18 knot westerly wind, in nasty seas not making a great deal of progress. We had tacked several times in the night and made a straight line progress of 30 miles in 12 hours!

At 0830 it was decision time. Sadiqi was still punching into 15 to 20 knots SW winds. The seas still nasty and throwing us about making progress slow. We still had 200 miles to go to Cape Town and for Claude to get to the airport for her flight on Friday. This was a difficult decision. If nothing went wrong and we had reasonable wind from the right direction then we maybe able to  make it. It was not worth the risk and the decision was made to go back 25 miles to Mossel Bay. Claude would take alternative transport to Cape Town. I would continue when the weather permitted.

Noon 03-12-12 – Wednesday

Time: 12.00L UTC+2.0
Lat: 34 16.66 S
Lon: 022 07.87 E
COG: 50 Deg  M. Heading Mossel Bay
Winds: 8 to 10  Kts WSW
Engine: 1173.8 Hrs
Distance covered since noon yesterday 46 Miles.
Barometer: 1012 Mb.
 
1400 Arrived Mossel Bay

Engine: 11735.3 Hrs

Dropped anchor to the north of the harbour.

Tuesday, December 4 we rowed ashore and dropped Claude off at the beach. A sad parting after over a month together and sailing in some pretty nasty seas. There was a good weather wind with south easterly winds for Wednesday and light winds for Cape Agulhas on Thursday around mid day. I attempted to row into the harbour to report to Port Control, but on entry was told by another vessel on its way out that I had to ask for permission to enter the harbour. I rowed back to Sadiqi. Sadiqi had not entered the harbour so I assumed would not need permission to leave it.