Thursday arrive and at noon, so did Oceans Dream with a traffic department escort, after an hours land trip from the Admiral factory in Atlantis, 35 kilometres north of Cape Town. The trailer was backed into the Royal Cape Yacht Club launch area and soon the yacht club crane slings were in place and we had a 40' catamaran flying through the air and slowly being lowered into the water. She looked brilliant!

The Southern Spars crew stepped the mast and boom and then the boat was abuzz with technicians and factory staff whilst Adrian, Jackie and a group of factory management sat down for a quick lunch at RCYC before jumping back onboard and motoring the boat to the Elliot Basin, a smaller yacht basin a short distance from the main yacht club.

The factory has about a week of work to get all systems working and finishing touches undertaken before Adrian and Jackie move out of their apartment and onto the boat. We have done all the non-perishable shopping and need only to move the goods onto the boat as soon as the factory staff are finished and then do the perishable shop.

Luke Tod, our first mate who has undertaken two previous trips to Tahiti and one trip to Nice with me, is due to arrive in Cape Town on Tuesday and we will then start our survey on the boat and have any glitches rectified before we throw off our lines and head out on the first leg of our journey - first stop Jamestown, Saint Helena Island.

Visit Oceans Dream blog (the link is on the right of this page under "Favourites") to get Adrian and Jackie's thoughts on the launch - I am sure they will have a new post soon!

The photo above is Oceans Dream entering the Elliot Basin - sails to be hanked-on in the morning.

John