The good luck started with finding that one lens had dropped out of my specs .. onto a damp tissue on the dock (and had NOT fallen down between the dock planking - which has large gaps in it!) I'd found a very short bolt on deck coming down the coast to Simon's Town - this morning I suddenly realized it was from the anchor/chain connection which was loose, so good thing to have spotted that! And finally, I found the purse today which I'd thought had been stolen/dropped/left behind somewhere - excellent news since it was of grey buffalo hide, bought in Mossel Bay & I like it a lot!
Since Monday the weather has been bad for moving out of Simon's Bay - just as well since I've had plenty to keep me occupied... cover for new whisker pole, additional mast support for pole, cleaning deck (twice!) of metal bits from rivets drilled out, clearing/sorting out below deck (very time consuming since in complete chaos!) and checking out lines/blocks etc on deck after new rigging. Changed a preventer line and now need to do some more whipping at some point. Still several jobs to be done but weather window on Thurs/Fri will dictate which get done - need to prioritize!!
........
Having said my farewells to the many people on and around the False Bay Y.C. dock, I was all set to go by soon after ten o'clock on Friday morning, having been up most of the night sorting out locker contents and re-stowing many items safely. I even treated myself to a 'proper' English cooked b'fast and then Baden came to the boat to cut away two rusty anchor chain links before helping me cast off my lines in flat calm conditions..!
On hoisting the mains'l under a grey, drizzly sky near Roman Rock, I found that the 2nd reef car was jammed inside the boom (but had that not already been sorted out earlier this week...??? Hmmm...) I was able to motor-sail around the Cape of Good Hope in increasingly sunny, flat calm conditions to the Royal Cape Y. C. in Cape Town, where Warren will sort out the rigging problem in the morning.... those rivets, again!!
The journey was increasingly pleasant - past Bellows Rock off Cape Point (the very end of the long peninsula of the Cape of Good Hope), where the swell crashed spectacularly.
On past craggy mountains and white sandy beaches to the Twelve Apostles, Table Mountain amd Lion's Head. The sun shone and I was even able to dry my washing from the morning as well. I came into the Royal Cape Y.C. just after sunset, berthed on the Visitors' Dock ready for tomorrow morning, met up with 'Trudel' and had a meal with Rowena & Ian of 'Warlock'
. Then to bed for a good sleep - tomorrow I have several more jobs to complete before leaving again for Namibia - but the wind should be better for that passage since it is easy to leave the Royal Cape YC in a SE'ter
I wish everyone good sailing - through life, whether or not afloat!
Jeanne
'Nereida'
Cape Town
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