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