Happy New Year and a prosperous 2012 to you.

Here in Richards Bay at the international dock, many boats await the next weather window to start rounding South Africa.

While the old-timers from this area scratch their heads with the apparently abnormal quick-changing weather patterns for this time of year, we sailors hope that January, instead, will bring a calming and a more predictable pattern with longer windows to get from port to port.

For instance, in the last almost 10 days, the best that nature offered was a 2 day window of NE winds before the next SWester blew through. Just enough to go about 100 miles. As we look at the weather forecasts for the next ten days...it looks like the wrong-way weather until the end of the week.

Boat is basically ready. Yesterday saw me up at the top of the mast installing the spare halyard that parted on the way here-one of the last jobs to be done.

But for now let the celebrations begin!