Home is the sailor,

"Home is the sailor, home from the sea" by R.L. Stevenson

It's 30 days since I last wrote something here. And I'm right back here in Simonstown where I wrote the last piece.

So much has happened. I will give the whole story over a number of posts by just putting down things as they flash through my mind.

All in all, a wonderful experience. The race was everything I could have hoped for. A fast passage, good company, a sound boat, the South Atlantic Trade winds, the turquoise seas, the flying fish. And after 9 days and 19 hours of sailing, the island of St Helena and being the first boat home.

Highlights?.......... too many.

Some things that now flash through my mind:

The first night. We new that the first night was going to be a make or break and that the weather was going to cut off those that get away from the rest. We blasted around Cape Point in first place with Our Dianne and Swimlion. Then blasted North in a rising westerly wind under spinnaker. That was to be our getaway from the rest of the fleet. It was a hair raising first night, sailing right on the edge of sanity. At 3 am Jeremy called me on deck so we could drop the spinnaker...................it was getting too much. And what a battle it was getting it down. (After the race we learnt that the other two leading boats dropped theirs at exactly the same time for the same reason!

Then two days of blast reaching in very bumpy conditions. Behind us there was carnage in the fleet. The boats that did not get away was plastered by wind in excess of 45 kts. We saw none of that, but still took a beating while we speed ahead.

The a bout three days of cat and mouse fighting with Our Dianne for the lead.

Jeremy telling me we must either sail harder and keep more sail up for much longer or we will not get in front. We did just that and took off into the lead.

The beautiful trade wind sailing that followed. I have never experienced such sailing. The boat flew. Day after day we did 24 hr runs in excess of 200 miles. In a 9.5 meter boat!

The dark night watches. "A star to steer her by".

Then St Helena appeared in a dark night. Just silhouette at first. Then round the northern tip. The each in to the finish under spinnaker.

The two power boats that came out to meet us in the black night. As we swept past them the Banjo powered up and they gave full throttle to keep up. But the Banjo was flying and they had to give it all to catch us. Which they took long time to do.

As we swept in to the finish line, our speedo showed a steady 12 to 13 knots and I shouted to Jeremy "you don't get it better than this, what a way to finish a race!"

Then Tanya and Jamie and Rosie coming alongside and Jamie jumping onboard to help stow sails and pick up moorings.

We had finished at 5 in the morning. It was just getting light when we stepped ashore at St Helena's (in)famous landing steps. Just like every single person who had ever called at the Island. The only way to get onto St Helena is by landing at the steps. Unless you were born on the Island.

Napoleon landed there, royalty had to climb them, Frans Loots had to climb them.

More later.

And more pictures later too.

It's all about the People

Our dinner guests have just left.

We had the Bagshaws down for dinner. Like a final get-together for the two families.

And Jeremy and I had a look at the weather. A light wind start. Great! That will ease me into the trip without getting seasick. But its gonna make for a tricky first night of racing. If we can do it right on Wednesday night and early Thursday, I believe one can do a big getta way on the rest. Time will tell. But I think if you mess up, you are going to be stuck in some light winds for a day while the others get off to a flying start.

It has been a peacefull few days leading up to the start. It gave me time to reflect on how we got here and why do we sail. There are lots of reasons. You can write a book on it.

But one think is for sure...............It's all about the people.

So many people out there make this wonderfull game of sailing.

Like Mike Jones.

Mike is from Falmouth in England. He has stopped in Simonstown with his family, on their way to their new home in Freemantle Australia. Their boat is a sailor's dream boat. A steel sloop by Van de Stadt, 48 foot long, and fitted out for serious ocean sailing. A chatty fellow, I met him on our arrival at False Bay Yacht Club.

Yesterday afternoon Mike comes over to the Banjo. Says he is bringing me a present. Out comes a so-called series drogue. A piece of heavy weather equipment which is towed from astern in very heavy weather. Your life can be saved by that piece of equipment.

And Mike made it up for us as a gift. A piece of safety equipment. Hopefully we will never need it, but if we do, we will think of Mike Jones from the yacht AMOK.

Thanks Mike!

It's bed time now.

Hopefully Tanya will post something here while we are at sea.

Please follow our progress on www.thegovernorscup.co.za

We had tracking devises fitted today so our tracks will be on the race website.

Thanks for all the calls over the last few days.

Andre de Jager,

William Brooks who called and offered a lot of help.

Oom Ampie,

Kerri Smith,

Con Meyer,

My Mom,

Jana,

Hannes,

the Pennypinchers guys who are comming out to the start.

And, and and...............

Saturday in Simonstown

Saturday in Simonstown.

Start day is Wednesday, 5 days away.

This morning there was a little parade up the main street of Simonstown for all the race entries.

Rather nostalgic for me was that we started the proceedings at SAS Simonsberg which is where I was based when I did my national service in the Navy, way back in 1975/1976.

Anyway, Banjo was posted to walk right at the back. But just in front of two guys playing bagpipes. They, in turn were followed by a single bergie who just joined in and who was playing a pennywhistle. The folk at the front were lucky, they had some Capies playing jive music.

At the village square we had a ceremony and the "mixing of the waters". The Banjo poured it's St Francis Bay water into the inverted ship's bell with the waters of the other boats' home ports.

We were also handed our "permission to sail" certificates. The "ba" of Banjo put us first on the list. I felt so relieved. All the work, the expense, the dreams.......................

Afterwards we took Chris Lee, the Commodore of False Bay Y.C. for a sail. It was his first outing on a trimaran. He liked it very much. We also tried out the spinnaker which Andrew McKenzie is lending us. It worked beautifully. I think that's gonna be our working kite.

The weather is looking good for Wednesday.

A little bit Windy.

The South Easter has been blowing here. Non-stop since the weekend.

So what?

It's been blowing about 45 to 50 knots. That's what!
I took this picture earlier today. That is a waterfall behind Simonstown and the wind is driving the water UPWARDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And the folk down here tells me it's gonna blow like that on start day too.



That means we are having it on the nose for the 18 mile beat out of Simonstown to Cape Point. Not the best way for me to start an ocean passage. Not with my leaning towards mal de mer, that's for shure.




The talk at the Club is all about the gales and how to get out of here if it blows on Wednesday. Jeremy and I have talked it through. Our strategy is going to be to just nurse the Banjo to Cape Point and to get out of False Bay in one piece. Double reefed and storm jib. Not to worry about what the others are doing. We will start racing once we have rounded the Point and we are aiming for St Helena.




But deep down I believe it's going to be nice weather on start day.




I had earlier spent the day fiddling around with the two solar panels and fitting some plastic bushes to their mountings. Just to make it smoother to adjust their orientation to the sun.




Late this afternoon Jeremy brought our 50 litres of bottled water. We stowed most of it in the lockers under the saloon bunks. The rest will go behind the backrests of the bunks and under the cockpit floor.




On Monday we will purchase our food and get that stashed away too. I have never been so ready to set sail.

Pennypinchers

Pennypinchers.........................it envelopes our lives.

I just can't get rid of them. Well the mannetjie is going to St Helena too. Pennypinchers (thanks Theodore and Johan) has given us a few Bucks. Not much, but is all helps.

We have spent it on a video cam to shoot footage for the guys making a movie on the Race (Supersport Feb next year). Also on some branded Banjo clothes and the rest was used to buy airtime for the Satphone. Now THAT was expensive! We had to buy a minimum amount.......a lot more than we need. We only needed enough to put a daily call through to report our position, but was forced to buy a lot more.

So I am now making arrangements to put a call through to Eben Human at Die Burger to give him a daily update.

Jeremy reckons we can exchange the rest of the airtime at St Helena for beers and meals. I.e. we go to a pub, ask another competitor if he would like to phone home and if yes, he can buy us a beer or a meal in exchange for using our phone.

I think it is a brilliant idea. The more they talk, the more we can eat and drink.

7 Days to Go!

It is now just 7 days to go.

Hard to imagine that it was way back in March that I took the bold (for me!) step and entered the Banjo in the race. And now the start date is here. It's seven days to go.

We are all but done. We had the race safety inspection done yesterday morning and I am pleased to say that we passed without any problems.

What remains to be done now is to put the water and provisions onboard. That we will do Monday when Tanya arrives.

We must still do the radio checks with the race organisers and clear customs. That's it.

All the late nights and hard work over the last 9 months have paid dividents. And that is how I had wanted it to be. I wanted the Banjo to arrive at the start running, ready to go.

Thanks to all those who had helped us so far.

Tanya, my sailing life manager, Patrick our butler who helped me launch boats and step masts, the Pennypinchers staff in Humansdorp for their support, Graham for the spinnaker and liferaft, the Bagshaws here in Simonstown, the False Bay Club folk, Andrew McKenzie for lending us some more spinnakers. I can carry on...................

But we have won the race to the start line.

The Gov Cup is going to be the easy bit!

The Banjo Makes It

The Banjo Makes It.





The old sea dog "Just Nuisance", the Banjo, the Navy Dockyard, ships. We're in Simonstown!





The Banjo had left St Francis Bay on Sunday morning for a brisk, wet, bumpy, FAST sail down the coats to Simonstown. Yours truly suffered from a bit of mal de mer and that left Jeremy to do a bit of singlehanded sailing. I did make a good autopilot though. I just shut my mouth and steered. Jerry made the sail changes and the meals.
Well done Jeremy!





The trip proved the Banjo to be all sound and capable of the long trek to St Helena. And it showed the boat to be fast.

The distance from St Francis to Simonstown is 350 miles and we did it at an average of 8.5 knots. That's good going for a little 9.5 meter boat and makes me feel buoyant about our chances in the race.
Weather wise we had a mixed bag of following winds, ranging from light to fresh, to very strong at the end as we ran up False Bay in the pitch black of Tuesday morning. On Monday night Anita had phoned to warn of 45 kt breeze in False Bay and we changed down to storm jib for the final run to Simonstown.





All in all a good passage. We set a new top speed for the Banjo, 20 kts. The boat performed well in the following seas and showed no tendency to put the bows under...........very important, no leaks, but VERY wet on deck wen the speed was up.





We are ready for scrutineering. We need to provision, get water onboard, fetch as sail from the sailmakers and buy a chart of the South Atlantic.





I believe that we have won the race to the Start Line.




Thanks to all who have helped us get here.

Two Up

With Jeremy and Anita in Buenos Aires, en route to Tierra del Fuego and Cape Horn.

I first met Jeremy, my co skipper, navigator and weather router (one person) way back in the early 1980's at what was then the University of Port Elizabeth. At the Law faculty! Yep, the Law faculty. We both studied law. With various degrees of success.

Luckily for the legal profession, neither of us became attorneys, although that is what I was aiming for at the time. Or magistrates like my late dad. Or took on some other stuffy legal tipe job.

We both raced a few seasons with the Port Elizabeth legend, Rod van der Weele on his boat Wings. And then raced the 1985 South Atlantic Race, Cape Town to Punta Del Este in Uruguay with Rod and Arthur Clayton. It was an epic ocean race and Wings was right up there with the leaders most of the way. The press referred to us as "the joker in the pack" because we were really rattling the big boys.

Afterwards the two of us and one other chap sailed Wings back across the South Atlantic to Port Elizabeth for her owners.

In 2007 we travelled to Tiera del Fuego to join Skip Novak's Pelagic Australis for a cruise down the Patagonian channels to Cape Horn.

And now we are going to give it a go and see if we can be first boat in at St Helena.

Time to Go

"All my bags are packed I'm ready to go", sang who? I think it was a band called Peter, Paul and Mary.





I'm packed. All the extra gear are in plastic bins, ready to go onboard this weekend. The two ships batteries are waiting for collection in Humansdorp. I have to drop off some forms at the bank to get the boat cleared for foreign exchange regulations, the second fuel tank needs topping up.





The weather forecast for Sunday, Monday and the rest of next week looks good. Easterlies all the way to Cape Point. Jeremy and Anita are on their way to St Francis and should be here Saturday morning.





I had lunch with my Mom at her home in Jeffrey's Bay this afternoon. Thanks Mom! And she gave me our fruitcake for the voyage. And the pre-cooked meals for the sail to Simonstown. Like she used to do 25 years (plus) ago when I sailed up and down the coast more often than I can remember.





It is Time to Go.

Like I said right at the beginning, the most difficult ocean race to win, is the race to the start line.

Far from the Sea

Only in Africa.........




En route to the Cockscomb some years ago.
A dusty road in the Karoo. The Mountain . Dusty children. Not a soul in sight.

Mr B.

Mr B, Benna, or just Ben.

Last week I had to make a call to our medical aid provider. We needed to provide proof of medical insurance in order to travel to St Helena. The family needed the cover for the ship, and I needed the cover to race.

A very capable Discovery staff member took my call.

"so Mr Loots, who are all travelling? Is your wife Tanya going?"

"Yes, My wife is going, so is Francis Kendle Loots (Rosie), and James Kenneth"

"What about Ben? Is Ben not going" She asks. She was obviously checking the beneficiaries list on the other side.

"No, I'm afraid Ben is not going with", I respond.

"Why is Ben not going?", she asks.

"Why is Ben not going?"

The short answer is because Ben, our eldest child is a severely mentally handicapped boy. Travelling over such a distance and time with Ben would be very difficult and trying for all involved, not least for Ben.

Ben entered this world 15 years ago. He arrived 3 months premature following an emergency op because his mom's life was being threatened by the continuing pregnancy. At birth Ben weighed in at a mere 710 gram. The pediatrician gave Ben a 50% chance to survive the first night. History will tell us the Ben did survive.

But somehow, all was not to be with Ben's development. But for us, Ben is Ben. While still at the ICU where he spent the first three months of his life, the sisters started to call him Mr B.

That name stuck. Later, his late grampa Ben's friends called him Ou Benna.

Whatever we call him, Ben is our special boy. Everybody loves Ben. And Ben loves everybody.

Ben especially loves blonds with nice big boobs and lots of cleavage. I get quite envious when I see him make a beeline for some blond woman and he just buries his head right in there and it's all smiles. Big grin on his face.

Ben will not be going to St Helena with Tanya and Jamie and Rosie (Francis Kendle on her passport).

Yacht Clubs

Yacht Clubs.

Love 'em or hate 'em. But if you want to race, you got to join 'em.

Cause that's the RULE. And the rules, when it gets to racing a sailboat is a PITA. And you must belong to SA Sailing. Because another rule says so.

The family belongs to Redhouse Yacht Club. That's where I have been a member since about 1970. Except for a few years when I took a yacht club break. We've got our SA Sailing affiliation through Redhouse. That's like your personel license to race.

Then I also belong to Algoa Bay Yacht Club. Have been a member there since 1979/80. That's where Banjo is registered. You've got to be a member of an offshore sailing club to make it easier to register your offshore sailing boat. Unless you want to go it alone with the government bureaucracy to try and get safety inspections done etc. There are laws of the country that says that bit. Never mind the Constitution and freedom for all. The bit that the LAW says you must do, also goes with paying lots of money to the Government.

But my favourite yacht club is the Kromme River Mouth Yacht Club. It's not a real yacht club. There is no clubhouse, no members, no rules, no club uniform. But on the first of January at high tide, without fail for the last 52 years (without interruption) they have a yacht race on the river here at home. Anything and anyone can sail in the race. You don't need to be affiliated to anything. And there are no real rules. Except you must bring some beers to the skippers meeting at noon on 31 December.

Back to Redhouse Yacht Club.

Redhouse is some 10 kilometers up the Zwartkops River, just outside Port Elizabeth. A dinghy sailing club on the river. Or "ditch crawlers" club.

We are sailing the Governors Cup under their burgee. Redhouse is where I first shoved a sailboat off and sailed. Way-back, in an Optimist which my Dad and I had built out of marine ply. Later on I got a Sprog and also sailed Fireballs with my friend Rodney. Then came a Laser.

We also sailed the 1982 South Atlantic Race under the Redhouse burgee.

We will also fly the Algoa Bay Yacht Club burgee.

In my Port Elizabeth days, ABYC was like my second home. That's the Banjo's port of registration although the boat has only been there once for a few days to sail in Algoa Bay Week. Nice club, ABYC.

And Jeremy sails from False Bay Yacht Club, so we will fly their burgee too.

For the Governors Cup, we are gonna be a rainbow nation of yacht clubs.

Kromme River bar.

The Bar was a bit bumpy today.

We are only a day away from neap tide so there was very little water over the bar. The South Easters of the last week didn't help either. Luckily, shortly before we left, I bumped into a customer of mine who was going fishing on the other side of the River and arranged that he will check the bar out and phone me.

"Bumpy but do-able", came his report.

So Jamie and I gave it a bash. And a bash it was.

Tanya took the pictures from the sand bank at the river mouth.

The river reaches the sea. The deep water channel then takes a sharp turn left towards Jeffreys Bay. The channel runs parallel to the beach for about 400 meters with a massive sandbank between the channel and the sea. Waves wash over the sandbank, making the channel a bit of a washing machine. Then there is a set of leading marks on the sand dunes on the left. As you approach the leading marks, you can start to see where the water is smoothest, indicating the deep water pass into the bay.

So it is then a right turn to starboard, straight out with breaking waves on the sandbanks to port and starboard. The deep water channel also had breakers today, but at least you are in deep water so as long as you don't bottom out, you're okay.

I asked Jamie to do a video clip of the bit out through the waves. He was doing well until a big wave came and he ducked into the cabin and left me to take the full impact of the wave. His video clip goes from "interesting" to a black mumble jumble as he ends up filming wild scenes of the cabin, his feet, the roof and other blurry images. This happened twice, and then we were through.

The pictures show us firstly in the channel parallel to the beach, the sand bar with the waves on it, then shows us doing the sharp turn to seaward and finally punching through the waves.

Getting Banjo out of the Kromme River

Banjo completed leg ONE of the journey to St Helena.

We shoved her off the beach in front of our house at low tide, mast down to pass underneath Gallerelli Bridge. Once past the bridge, Patric and I pulled up at the Cove to step the mast. Later at high tide Jamie and I took her the short stretch down the Kromme River to the bar, through the surf and across the Bay to Port St Francis.

Sea Fever

I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by,
And the wheel's kick and the wind's song and the white sail's shaking,
And a grey mist on the sea's face, and a grey dawn breaking.




I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call an a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.




I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,
To the gull's way and the whale's way, where the wind's like a whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,
And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick's over.




Sea Fever - John Masefield

This is Service

Great Service.

We decided to fit an additional spinnaker halyard to the mast. For that we needed a tang to take the halyard block.

So I contacted Southern Spars in Cape Town. They manufactured Banjo's mast a few years ago.

Despite being one of the world's leading mast builders they remember me. Anyway, Richard Stubbs advises a stainless steel tang and a nylon mounting pad to suite the mast profile (the details of which they have kept on "my" file.).

I ask for a quote and ask them to please include whatever fasteners I will need to attach the fitting to the mast. A few days later they advise that the parcel is on it's way to me.

And I now start to worry about where on earth in Humansdorp or Jeffreys Bay will I be able to buy a tap for cutting the thread into the aluminium mast. I envisage driving to a gazilion places looking for a tap. And how will I know what size drill bit to use?

I just see my valuable spare time going to waste driving from one shop to the next.

The parcel arrives.

Now what I had ordered, is in the top picture.

What Southern Spars sent me, is in the bottom picture.

The first thing to catch my eye when I opened the parcel, was the drill bit. I couldn't believe my luck. And then, after getting all the stuff out, the last item out of the packet...............A TAP! A tap for cutting the threads for taking the four machine screws. I was ecstatic!

Now if that is not service, I don't know.

Well done Southern Spars. I think we can all learn from you.

The Boat is Afloat

The Boat is Afloat.

Banjo is afloat again!

Patrick, Tanya's butler and I manuavered Banjo out of the driveway stern first, a sharp turn right, aim the bows down the road, get the car onto the other send, hook everything up and down the road we went.

All went well until one of the launching dolley wheels went off the road and got stuck on the Italian's lawn. Vas!

This is St Francis Bay. The town of thatch roofed houses. Thatch is roofed onto poles. There will ALWAYS be an abandoned pole in sight somewhere close by in this town. So we scanned the surrounds and spotted a pole. Under the dolley went the pole. Got the car to the other end of the boat and in two ticks we're back on the road again.

Then down the slip, unfold the boat and motor to the front of the house. But only after realising that I had left the kill switch for the engine at home. So home first (200 meters down the road), then hop onboard and motor to the beach in front of the house.

Tanya waiting for me, heels tapping, shower, change of cloathes and back to Humansdorp with Jamie to attend a welcomming function at the high school he will be attending next year.

I hope the weather plays along so we can step the mast and get the boat out the river on Saturday/ Sunday.

Oh, Yes. Jerry and I have set our sights on getting involved with some guys making a documentary on the Race. Hopefully more about that soon.

Cheers!

Cheers!



My co-skipper and navigator/ weather router and race strategist (that's one person!), Jeremy Bagshaw and I toasting the future success of our voyage. That rock in the background isn't just any old rock by the way. It is THE ROCK. That rock is Cabo de Hornos. Cape Horn.



As the winning skipper of the previous Governors Cup race, Jeremy comes with a degree of celebrity status. Our objective...........to have a good fast passage and to be first boat in at St Helena.
Jeremy is talking about beating the mailship there................That means a 9 day trip. Can be done. But it is sailing. All depends on the weather.




Way back in 1985 the two of us were part of Rod van der Wheele's crew onboard Wings in the South Atlantic Race to Punta del Este, Uruguay. That was a great voyage and afterwards the two of us remained behind to sail Wings back to Port Elizabeth for Rod. With one other guy onboard, we tackled the hard slog back to South Africa on the 10 meter long Wings.
To this day, that voyage stands out as the hardest trip I have ever done on a yacht. The weather was atrocious. It was cold. We had no autopilot. It was just a relentless bash.



We had strong headwinds, we had storms, we hove-to more than once just to get some rest and to get out of the cold. We had hailstorms, but we also had some incredible runs under kite approaching Cape Town.



The fact that we are still on speaking terms after that sail means that the hop to St Helena should be a walk in the park for us.



Back to the present.



In 4 weeks time we leave St Francis Bay to sail Banjo down to Simonstown for our 1st December start.



I hope to put the boat back into the canals outside our home tomorrow afternoon after work. Depending on the weather and the state of the river mouth this coming Saturday or Sunday, we will get the boat through under the bridge in the St Francis Bay canals and step the mast. Then through the surf at the river bar and back to our berth in Port St Francis.




Once back in the harbour I will relax a bit.



This evening I got the job list out. Not much left to do. Small jobs like wash the sailcover, measure the running rigging for the spinnaker, make Jeremy's cockpit shade and make Jeremy's deck chairs................these rockstars want everything.



Back at the business I am working my butt off. The "while I'm gone" file is just about complete. The new pole yard is coming on well and should be done by Friday. We have a paint tinting machine coming into our St Francis Bay store by the end of the month. I have to throw a staff party and long service awards evening in early November.



We are just about ready to leave!

Wrapping Up

Wrapping Up.

I have four weeks left at the shop!

The 14 th, 15th November is the date we have set as earliest date of departure for Simonstown. That will leave us less than 12 days for final preparation in Simonstown. So all of a sudden the heat is on.

The boat is ready to go back into the water, any high tide this week.

The engine is back from the engine guys. The solar panels have been tested and is working fine. The autopilot has been dropped from my study upstairs, to the dining room downstairs. It seems to have survived. I gave it a checkout and it is working. Time will tell.

The leaky cabin windows have been reseated and is keeping out the rain. Tanya has washed the ropes and lines and halyards! Yes, Tanya. Jamie and I have fitted the chafe protection strips onto the mainsail. That's to stop the spreader tips working their way through the sail on the run up to St Helena.

I am still waiting for the extra spinnaker halyard bracket from the spinnaker halyard bracket guys. And waiting for the spinnaker from the spinnaker guys.

Still to go in are the two 102 amp batteries. (they are in Humansdorp.....still at the battery shop guys.) And one more solar panel. All the wiring is done. That was the big job.

Within the next week we must get the boat out of the canals in front of the house, under the bridge, step the mast, get the boat out of the river, over the bar and through the surf, and back into Port St Francis. Then I can relax a bit. Before I tackle all the house jobs.

Tanya has rented out the house for December. That is to fund the costs of the family going to St Helena on the mailship and for my trip back. Only pity is I had to pay for all that now, and we only collect the rent cheque in December. SERIOUS cashflow challenges. Meanwhile I must do some work on the house too.

To pay for our accommodation on St Helena, Tanya started to clean out the garage and all the cupboards inside the house for a huge jumble sale next to the road coming into town. Result.... The accommodation is almost paid for!

Still to find a new home is Rosie's Optimist dinghy. If that can go, we can seriously upgrade our cottage on St Helena. And there is still my marina berth for sale. That has to go badly, I need the ash to plug some other holes which the boat has made.

My study is getting crammed with boat gear. The yacht is totally empty of lose gear. All in my study. Everything which must go back on, is up here so I can check it out and decide if it has any role to play on board. WEIGHT, WEIGHT, WEIGHT.

I can just see the boat settling deeper in the water by the day.

Business Opportunities

Business opportunities.


My co-skipper/ navigator gets hold of me this morning. He says that there has been a 30% increase in the price of beer on St Helena since September last year. That's when he last visited the Island. Twice within one year. He's like a celebrity there he tells me.


Anyway, I cannot figure out why, if he is so famous, does he worry about the price of beer out there. Surely people are climbing over one another to buy him a dop.


Seems like he isn't THAT famous!


So, back to the price of beer on the Island.


He asks me how much beer can we get into the two floats of our trimaran. He's talking case loads. He reckons we can double our money by shipping some Castles over. Kinda like recover the costs of the Race. Now you have read about that Money Tree that is bearing no fruit. So I perk up a bit.


I say,"skip the case loads. Let's go big, lets do bulk. Lets just flood the two floats with beer and when we get there we rig up a hosepipe and trade on tap, so to speak".


Tanya says, "with all that beer on board you guys will be so wrecked you wouldn't care what the price of beer on the Island will be".

I say, "with all that beer on board, who says we will even find the Island".


The navigator peps up from out of his locker, "I've always wanted to go to Brazil!"

I say, "In Brazil beer is cheap, we won't need to take our own".


The discussions drift over towards hot chicks on Brazilian beaches and finding Grahams abandoned boat and whatever.



Life goes round in circles.

Checklists

The checklist is getting shorter by the day.

Hopefully we can shove the Banjo back into the water round about the 17 th/ 18 th of the month. As soon as we can tie up getting away from the business with a nice high tide to float the boat off the dolley.

Whats left to do?

The big jobs are all but done.

The solar panels are ready to plug in and test. I fitted the one onto its post and it makes the boat look like a serious offshore racer. I would have tested it today but there was no sun, not a single ray.

The boat is antifouled. Except for the two spots where the centre hull is resting in the chocks. I'll jack the boat up with a truck jack and touch the two spots up. Wait for it to dry, and lower the boat down again.

This is the kind of thing that takes time. Nothing can ever be done one-shot. There is always the little spot that needs extra time.

The bottom is now RED. Used to be blue. The red is a bit of a safety thing. In case we flip the boat, the red will hopefully makes it easier to spot us. Note, "in case we flip the boat", not "if the boat flips". Sailing the tri under kite on the open ocean with the trades pushing is gonna be a new experience for us. It is going to be so different from running downwind with a keelboat where you can push as hard as you want. The trimaran is going to require some "responsible" boathandling when the breeze kicks in.

I have also re-seated the portside cabin windows which were leaking a bit too much to my liking. It was a real pita job. Sika everywhere if you are not careful. But it is an important job. Sailing a boat with a nice dry interior is just so much better than one with leaks and drips everywhere. Except for one or two leaky bolts on the starboard side windows which I must still hunt down, I am now confident we will have a dry boat.

So what's left?

Step the mast. After getting an additional halyard tang from Sparcraft. But don't rush them!

Get the outboard back from the service agents. Now hopefully with a charger fitted. And don't rush those outboard guys either.

Buy the two batteries. At least the battery guy have them in stock and they will fit into the battery locker without any mods.

Give the boat a good scrub and polish the stainless steel.

Oh yes, I almost forgot. I must still do the co-skippers comforts list. That I'll do once the boat is afloat.

Graham

The title is "Graham", but the picture is one of a spinnaker?


Way back in the 1982 South Atlantic Race to Punta Del Este, Uruguay we gave the spinnakers on our boat names. I remember the intermediate kite was called "Daantjie" after one of the boat's owners. (The owners did not sail with us!) The spinnaker was built just like Daantjie. Tough and strong and could take whatever came its way.


For the Governors Cup we are going to call this spinnaker "Graham".

Why, because it has a story. Just like Graham, the guy who is "lending" it to us, always has a story. Lending it, but at the same time saying to me it is okay to cut it smaller to fit our boat.


I have known Graham since late 1981 when he joined our Uruguay Race team as a last minute replacement for a guy who had made his girlfriend pregnant and had to get married instead of going sailing.

When I mentioned to Graham some months ago that the budget was getting a bit tight he told me he's got an asymmetrical kite we can use.
My immediate response was "what spinnaker, why on earth would you have an asymmetrical kite in your possession?"

And then came the story.
"I bought it with some other sails and furlers and this and that from an insurance company"
"Huh?"
"Yep, remember that Island Spirit cat that flipped off the Wild Coast? It got pulled in here upside down and was declared a write off. The salvage people were dumping the lose gear on the dock and I chatted to the insurer's rep and they sold me the stuff". "The kite has never been used".


The kite turned out to be much too big for our boat. See "Pontoon sailing", one of my earlier blogs.

But in true Graham style his response was that I am free to have it cut down to size to suit our boat. Thanks a stack Graham, you're a real pal!


Tomorrow Graham the Kite leaves for Cape Town to be cut down to size.


PS.


Graham has also lent us a liferaft.


And here is his story.

The raft is from Graham's cabin cruiser. A real floating passion pit. Wait for it. The boat once upon a time belonged to that Pommy actor Austin Powers! Graham promptly changed the name of the boat to "Austin".

The Spinnaker Pole is Red

The Spinnaker Pole is RED.


The jobs list is getting shorter.



I have sprayed the spinnaker pole red. The idea was to use the last red paint, left-over from the time many years ago when I painted the coamings of the children's' Optimist red. I figured this was a good way of cleaning out the garage. Except I ran out of red before the final coats and had to go and buy some more red paint. So I managed to throw out the old empty tin, now replaced by a new, half-full tin.


Also sprayed the two solar panel posts white. That was to get one step closer to throw away the left over white paint from the boatbuilding days. There is enough white paint left over to keep for just in case I must touch up a scratch or scrape. Better keep some, cause I have done quite well in the boat bumping department lately.



And I have received the official SAMSA "Carving and Marking Note".

Firstly that means we are very close to being officially certified as fit to go foreign.
Secondly, it meant I had to engrave an "Official Number" onto the main bulkhead. That I have now done. I must now get the surveyor out here again to inspect the carving and make himself happy that it is permanent! And have the boat's name in plain black letters on the bows. And have Port Elizabeth on the stern. That is the boat's official port of registry.


And I had to appoint an official "Ships Agent".


Wait for it. The ship's agent is none other than my darling wife Tanya!
Hell, and Tanya hates my boats. But she's my agent. She kinda likes the idea. Well, at least that's what she told me. I think she's expecting (or hoping) to be paid an agency fee.
Boy, is she gonna be disappointed.

Fruitcakes, Partners and Coming Out

Fruitcakes, Partners and Coming out.

No, it's not what you're thinking!

Fruitcakes.

My mom was on the phone this morning. Wants to know how many fruitcakes I want her to bake me for the voyage.

I have never raced across the Atlantic without taking one of her fruitcakes with. First time in 1982 on Checkers Hyper and again on Wings in '85. Any way, she was asking if we would like one. Obviously, Yes please. And please make one more for the trip to Simonstown. Then we will have something to eat at teatime at False Bay Yacht Club in the days leading up to the start.

Partners and Coming out.

My sailing partner (no, we are NOT a couple) is still lurking in the locker so to speak. Because he must still clear his departure from business with his business partners. Only then will he come out. He was hoping to be a free man by now, but those wheels are turning a bit slower than he (we?) had hoped.

Meanwhile, the jobs list is getting shorter.

Same with the time to go. It is now two months and a day or two before the start. And I have only six weeks left at the shop before I leave to sail down to the Cape.

It is scarey.

Recycled Energy

The biggest challenge facing us on the voyage to St Helena (once we get past the financial hurdle- anyone want to buy my marina mooring?) will not be wind, weather or high seas.


It will be electricity, or energy, to use the words of the politicians. Energy, both the generating thereof and limiting the consumption of it.


Well, Banjo is going green.

We are relying solely on solar energy during our passage.
I have taken advice from the Mini Transat Class boats and from their website to see what they do, because our needs and our general minimalist approach is the same as theirs.

These guys use (and their class rules dictate) two separate solar panels of at least 45 watt each, charging two batteries if at least 100 amp each. And that is exactly what we are fitting.

The two solar panels are being mounted aft on each stern quarter. They are fitted onto two aluminium posts which are bolted onto the stern pushpit. The solar panels in turn are mounted on fully adjustable brackets so that they can at all times be facing the sun at the optimum angle.

All the bits and pieces have now been made and bolted together. This weekend I can fit it onto the boat. But only after first spray painting the posts. Nothing is ever that quick and easy!

To complete the whole GREEN thing. The aluminium posts are recycled. It is from a broken boom that once, long ago, 1976/1978 thereabout, belonged to my Laser. I knew that broken boom was gonna come in handy one day.

And the two posts are resting on two marine ply pads on the aft deck. And where does the marine ply come from? I cut it from a spare rudder blade that once belonged to Jamie's Mirror dinghy (the Mirror has been passed on some time ago). Nothing gave me more joy than cutting up that old Mirror rudder blade. Those boats rank right up there with Optimists as the biggest crap I have ever sailed.

Just a pity we are giving part of it a ride across the ocean.

Is this cat the king?

Is this going to be the meanest cat in the harbour?

Not many little kitty cats are gonna mess with this mister of cats in the harbour. His simply going to ignore them with a schmuck "wait till I get you outside" expression on his face. Like cats do.


I caught up with this cat of the cats in Port St Francis last night. I was down there to take pictures of my marina berth (up for sale to fund our Gov. Cup entry). First I spotted the mast. And I immediately knew what was happening.

Tim the MD of Tag Yachts has done a good job of keeping all interested parties fully up to date with progress on the build of this boat. So we knew launching was coming up soon.


What they created is something special. It is impressive.


The boat went in as smoothly as can be expected. I saw a calm looking owner and a guy was pointed out to me as the new boat captain. Just as calm. These captains never show any form of stress! That's why they get these jobs.


But it is out at sea that this cat is going to rule.

Carbon everything. Lifting daggerboards. High aspect rudders. Rotating carbon mast. Lifting a hull when sailing.

No little kitty cat is gonna mess with this dude!


I hope to have the Banjo back in the bay soon to see if the Dude will play.

Mountains and Mountaineering

Mountains and Mountaineering.

In January 1996 I became a mountaineer (by default).

I inherited a mountain peak! The Cockscomb. At 5 700 ft it is the highest summit in the immediate Port Elizabeth region. The mountain lies some 80 kilos North of St Francis Bay, and forms part of the Groot Winterhoek range. It borders on the the Baviaans Kloof.

Look at the full picture of the mountain:

The view is from the North, looking South towards the coast. My piece of solid African rock starts on the saddle on the left, stretches to the right to include the tip of the mountain peak, and then comes North towards you to include the ridges just in front of the summit. The two peaks on the left, the Little Cockscomb and The Pimple are also on my 54 hectares of mountain land.

At 4 500 ft, tucked into one of the ridges is Echo cave. Complete with rudimentary mountain hut, ice cold shower and flushing loo with the best view in Africa.

To summit, we climb from the North, starting out from the neighbouring farm just off the Steytlerville road.

To get to my piece of Africa you have to first embark on a three and a half our, unrelentless climb of 2 500 ft. It's a bit like cruising long distance to windward on a heavy keelboat. It is zig-zag, slow going, up and down, but always climbing. Every now and then you hove- to for a break. Eventually you see your destination but the last little bit takes forever.

Coming down is like running down wind. It's good to start off with, but like sailing, eventually the constant rolling gets to you. Your knees get sore, your toes hurt. And the ice cold beers you left in the car down on Hannes's farm will be luke warm by now after a few days in the hot Karoo sun.

But up there you would have had a nice total relax, enjoyed the challenges of the high ledges, steep chimneys and awesome drops while slowly working your way to the summit and then the views.

If you don't climb the mountain, you cannot enjoy the view.