It looks like our long wait here for the weather window to arrive is about over. The Grib file and the spot forecasts are looking a bit encouraging for a departure in one or two days. We hope the forecasts will continue to hold to this positive news as we get closer and closer to leaving. The forecasts are showing light winds that slowly move to the east over time. There are still some variations between models that indicate a bit more atmospheric instability than what I would like to see but the overall trend is encouraging. We have our fingers crossed since I am getting really antsy to go. Patience and waiting for the right window is really important now so I am still maintaining my overall conservatism when it comes to choosing our window. But I must admit it is getting harder and harder to wait with each passing day.

S/V Steel Band headed out early this morning. I believe they are going to be anchoring in front of the cape that is about 10 nm southeast of here called Ponta da Barra. The advantage of being there is that you are not restricted by the tidal stage there when you are ready to start your passage to Richards Bay, such as you are here in Linga Linga. It is best to leave this anchorage within one hour of high tide to make sure you can clear all of the sand bars and breakers at the river mouth. We are debating to do this also but this anchorage offers more protection from the wind and the swells then the cape anchorage. Thus, I will be getting up at 0500 tomorrow morning to check the latest weather forecast to decide if we stay put another day, weigh anchor and go out to the cape or to just start our passage.

The remainder of the people in the fleet all went to shore early this morning and spent the day in Maxixe. They all needed fresh vegetables and were anxious to go to an Internet Café. We still have a number of vegetables that are pretty good (onions, potatoes, carrots, zucchini, and cabbage) so we opted to stay on Leu Cat and get things ready, just in case we weigh anchor tomorrow morning around 0600.

When they returned, David of S/V Rhythm came over. During our discussions he said that he has talked with a local fellow that skippers the catamaran which is owned by the resort here. That fellow is recommending that people delay for a couple of more days. He said that forecasts which show light winds along this coast can be unreliable and later in the week the winds will be turning to the east and then north. While I see no indication of northerly winds, it does appear to me that they do start to turn and come from the east as the week wears on. This would be another reason to wait here another day or two.