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.
