Sunday 10th July
Another beautiful sunny day feeling just like summer - we've had nigh on a week of this weather, which has been really nice, although the temperature drops a lot at night, especially with the clear sky.
Climbed up Platteklip Gorge this morning with friends Lee-Anne, Judy and David - felt like quite an achievement on reaching the top of Table Mountain after nearly three hours of a tough, steep climb, often scrambling over enormous stone 'steps'. The start of the path up shows how it was all the way up to the top - steep and full of stone steps, many far larger than those shown here!
Fabulous views and lots of other people also attempting the climb on such a lovely Sunday. Quite a few dassies were seen lying out in the hot sunshine at the top...
and there were great views along the coast and over to False Bay from the top of the mountain ... before catching the cable car down and driving back to the yacht club for a late dinner.
Photos show Lion's Head mountain and general view over Cape Town and Table Bay from the Table Mt cable car:
Saturday was also thoroughly enjoyable, with a lovely, sunny sail in the afternoon on board 'Lobelia' out in the bay, taking part (for my second time this year) in some club racing - excellent wind conditions and we had a great, fun race - first over the line, well ahead of the rest of the fleet!
Later, I was delighted to get some useful help from club member Gerhard in dealing with a problem I've been having in updating my 'Articles and Interviews' website page. I'd spent easily three days last week, struggling to learn how to upload files and text myself and had made good progress, except for a few items which had me beaten - but all is virtually now in place, except for one recent magazine article and two TV items from 2009, still causing a slight problem which should be resolved very soon. (If you want to check out that section, click on this link: http://www.svnereida.com/article/my_rss_podcast.php )
Earlier in the week, even though expected, it was upsetting to hear of the death from cancer of Ed (K7UEN) in Pt Townsend - a good friend to so many people in the 'Pacific NW' and B.C. and a keen Ham.... He will be missed.
Work on board has been typically erratic and not very productive since my return from the UK, with a continuation of the frustrating problems of getting people to keep to expected time-keeping. A replacement compressor for the fridge didn't solve the problem there - there seems to be a possible blockage in the refrigerant circuit; the wrong version of a replacement tricolour and anchor light fitting was sent from Denmark a..nd I'm still waiting to hear if a replacement for a faulty shore power control panel has arrived from the Netherlands. In the meantime, electrical work is on hold, so the boat is still topsy-turvy down below, but at least progress was made on some stainless steel work with a good fairlead now in place for retrieving the Jordan series drogue next time around and a fitting for a stern anchor also in place, along with some useful improvements to fittings in the galley area. The steel arch is to be lifted next week , to re-bed the base plate and bolts through the deck with sealant in an effort to prevent seawater ingress down below.... similarly the staysail deck fitting, which has been leaking badly into the forepeak. Once that has been done, the rig will be checked over by a good rigger here.
There still seems to be quite a long list of outstanding work to be done... so I'm having to extend my visa here so as to avoid possible complications. Time was needed on Friday to start organizing that (including a medical and x-ray!) and tomorrow I'll visit the Home Affairs Dept again, to submit my application. I'm hoping to assist in a scheme to get youngsters sailing as a way to help them develop in a positive way and overcome a variety of problems due to their impoverished background .
With such slow progress on work, I had plenty of time to watch some Wimbledon, which I've not seen for several years - that was very enjoyable. (Usually, the Club TV screens are full of rugby and cricket...)
I was also taken by car to Hout Bay Y.C. by Alistair and family soon after my return - a pleasant ride along the coast and it seemed a very friendly club, although the boats on the dock at Hout Bay are often very exposed to strong wind and swell and there's not much racing. Afterwards, we went to the Eastern Market for a meal - it's a great place for good but cheap food of all types - Indian, Chinese etc. Here at the RCYC, there's been good live music on Fridays and it's continued to be a very sociable place to be in while I try to get work finished on board. I'm looking into exploring a bit of S.Africa when the boat work is finished, since I seem to be 'trapped' here for the present.....