12/10/2011, Luderitz - Namibia
Its been nearly a week in Luderitz and a really windy week at that. Quite a nightmare to get ashore with the chop and you are basically guaranteed to be wet.
The quadrant has been ordered ex USA and should be here by next Friday. A big thanks to SEAPORT SUPPLIES back in Cape Town
The truly sad part of our trip is that Rob was missing his family and decided that the wind and water was not fulfilling his want and decided to fly back home. Rob, you will be missed but rest assured that if it was not that we are here as a family the same might have happened with us. Enjoy the family and dry land for us as well
We will try to do an excursion to Kolmanskop and the other tourist attractions around but with the wind blowing it is not advisable to head off into the desert
Everything is covered with a thin layer of talcum like powder which turns to a heavy brown cake if any dampness sets in. Oh for a fresh water hose down, but this will only happen the day before we set off .......
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Comments [7]
12/06/2011, Luderitz - Namibia
What a start to the great adventure
Thursday 1 December was a truly emotional start. After our Wednesday evening farewell party at the Petersons we thought that we would have a quiet getaway but alas this was not to be. Everybody arrived at the holding jetty to say good-bye and things became emotional and getting away became rushed
We enjoyed the calm weather as we left the Berg River mouth and when the wind started picking up, spirits were high. With the first watch after dark the wind picked up to 20+ knots and gradually increased. Mind you, sea sickness also crept in with me and Rob starting to talk to George but there seemed no problem. This however became so serious that I became man down and apparently caused a lot of stress to the rest of the crew (although this only became known to me later)
Things then started to became very rough and we experienced winds up to 45 knots and the seas increased to 6m swells. On Sunday morning plus minus 03h00 the quadrant on the steering decided that it had enough of this and sheared off leaving us with no steering as well as no auto-pilot. Fortunately the wind was just abating at that time and we went to emergency steering and took the decision to head for Luderitz where we arrived this morning safe and sound after motoring nearly 215 nautical miles after the wind totally died on us
The nights were really balmy and we had dolphins, whales and albatross to entertain us with the most beautiful experience must have been dolphins at night leaving a phosphorous trail whereby you could actually see their colours
We will be posting further pictures and what not as soon as we finish sourcing spares etcetera
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11/30/2011, Holding jetty
I suppose we never believed that the time would come but lo and behold we have moved to the holding jetty this morning and if nerves could be shot I assure you that they are
We have completed the formalities at immigration and customs and are officially booked out of the country so there's nothing stopping us now
The weather forecast is predicting a blow of 30 - 35 knots starting on Friday morning and blowing itself out by Saturday so we will be out there enjoying the ride
Mads is downtown picking up the fresh produce and we have a few final chores on the boat and then its the farewells tonight and a good night's rest
We are amased at the number of good wishes we have been receiving and here's a BAIE DANKIE from all of us for the interest shown
Alas we will now be signing off untill we arrive at Saint Helena Island where we will have internet connection again so its goodbuy for 10 to 14 days....
Please check the albums for more pics!!
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11/26/2011, Port Owen
No time left for nerves....
At long last all the items on the numerous lists have been ticked and we and Mystic are ready for whatever happens. Thought that I would never get to the point where I would be able to say this but perseverance sufficed
Nerves has given way to trepidation where we will be facing the worst ocean and the longest passage without site of land for all of us
At least we know that there is enough food (and treats) and should we get lost we should have enough provisions for at least 6 months (water might be a problem though)
We are picking Rob up at the airport tomorrow and then its immigration (and maybe a last meal at Royal Cape Yacht Club for a while)
Thursday is now looking us in the eye and as a matter of fact I cannot wait
Will post something just before we leave......
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11/15/2011, Port Owen
We now have a new skipper in Neil as he passed his Yachtmaster Offshore with commercial endorsement so the old man cannot say too much at this stage (Oh for the knowledge of youth!!!)
Mystic is pulling on the warps and asking to be let loose to cross the ocean and I must say that the family (and Rob) are raring to go but there are so many things to finalise and 1 December is still the date
Neil and I completed our Scuba coarse with our final 2 dives last Saturday which was really good although the visibility was down. Both of us enjoyed the dive and now we can put the coarse to good use by diving on Mystic and cleaning the hull
Rob has had his Yellow Fever shots and his teeth fixed and is ready for the experience and will arrive on the 28th when we will be booking out at immigration in Cape Town
Mystic has been filled with provisions and all systems are GO.......
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11/06/2011, Port Owen
Time is now really flying
We were in the Vaal for a week where we had a bit of an emotional rollercoaster ride. I have officially finished with my work at Turnmill Proquip Engineering where it was rather emotional saying my goodbyes after so many years.
The cats went to our dear friends Rob and Lorraine where they seem to have adopted their new slaves and Lorraine is just pleasing them with every action
Goodbyes at the Vaal Dam was great with well wishes from all
As far as Mystic and the adventure is concerned Rob has confirmed that he will be in Cape Town on the 28th and seems as excited as we are
Of coarse Mystic had to have a present once again as the wind instrument was not to her liking and she switched it off and we had to replace the unit. Neil thought it a good idea that we should purchase the new Simrad plotter that was released at the Cape Town Boat Show, so we hope that Mystic is now content with her new instruments (If this carries on there won't be money left for the trip?)
Mads and I will be taking the life raft to Cape Town for servicing and we will do the first shopping at Makro on Monday
Neil will be doing his prep work from Tuesday and his Yachtmasters practical test on Friday
Have a look at the Albums and see if you can spot your face!
As you can gather we are pretty busy and there's no time for nerves.......
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10/18/2011, Port Owen
Things change so rapidly with us that it's hard to keep up with everything.
Neil has completed his Yachtmaster's theory and will be doing practicals the first week of November. This seems a big change from Day skipper but the sailing school feels that he has the experience
The two of us have done our first open dive at Simonstown last weekend which was great fun
Rob, our friend from the Vaal has confirmed that he will be joining us for the Atlantic crossing up to Trinidad. This is really exciting as it puts us 4 up which makes the watches so much better (thanks Rob)
Mystic remains at 99% ready as just after the alternator problem we now have a faulty wind instrument. We will be going to the agents this week and hopefully it's repairable. I really don't want to spend money on a new instrument
Well, things are looking good for the beginning of December.......
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10/04/2011, Port Owen
Well the gang now all have their restricted radio operators licenses and the seniors have their international certificates of competency.
Neil is busy playing at a sailing school trying to get his day skippers ticket
Mystic received a clean bill of health from the electrical people and no sooner did the alternator on the main engine pack up. I think that this was a message to remind us about spare parts. I took notice of the omen and got a spare alternator and am working on the other spares deemed necessary
We have filled the diesel tanks before the monthly price increase so at this stage we are pretty much ready to go....... (57 days and counting)
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09/23/2011, Port Owen
At last all the work is now complete and what's left could be done while sailing
The electrics have been sorted and now the genset is fully functional and the 12V system has been sorted. This is a relief as I thought that it would become a costly excercise but there was no real problems and the greatest expense will be 1 new battery because the engine requires 2 batteries for starting.
Today its off to the Cape Town boat show to see if we can spend more money on something we do not need (haha)
Mads and Neil are writing their radio licenses on Monday which will tick off another item on the list
What a time for the SA Rand to take a dive?? We can only purchase US $ two months before departure and it looks like the bottom has fallen out with the Rand. Never the less, the date has been set and its all ahead now
Till later .....
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09/11/2011, Port Owen
We had the Port Owen Yacht Club opening cruise yesterday which was a well attended outing
Of course this was the first time Mystic was off her mooring since April and she really enjoyed the chance. Wind peaked at 21 knots and she made a respectable 8.2 knots with the wind on the nose.
The whole family is doing first aid 1 and 2 on Tuesday and Wednesday so we can tick off another requirement on the list.
As they say in good old Queens English .... "time is getting few and we must be wenting soon"
Attached pic is Mystic with her new clothes!!!
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09/08/2011, Port Owen
Neil has been the guy who never gave up. This pic is him on the duck busy polishing the hull which is no walk in the park.
He's the guy who worked non stop for just on 3 months sorting out the lockers, engine room, as well as the woodwork and kept himself involved with the fitting of the stainless arch etc as well as assisting the mechanic on the motors, fitting the instrument consoles.... the list just carries on
Well, the next entry will have pics of the new awnings and stackpack.
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09/08/2011, Port Owen
Here is a pic of the new instrument consoles in the cockpit with the new radar and ST60 depth sounder
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09/08/2011, Port Owen
Here's Neil doing a mast clean and servicing all the blocks
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09/05/2011, Port Owen
Have we been busy? - No, it must be a rumour?
As an update since the last post we have re modelled the chart table, fitted a new calorifier, added a fridge and fitted a larger evaporator plate to the freezer which now really works as a freezer. Both engines have been fully serviced. All water (fresh, raw)and fuel hoses have been replaced. Radar arch replaced and granny bar added at the mast. All electical wires, house and motors have been surveyed and given the all clear. Teak decks and other woodwork outside sanded and oiled and the hull polished which makes the boat look totally different
Now if that is all we will be posting photos as soon as the new awnings and stackpack etc has been fitted
The date of 1 December 2011 seems cast in stone at this stage. We are battling with visas for USA and have decided that we will not be going to their territory and save ourselves a lot of agro. New pasports are in place and all stations are go
Hopefully the next entry will have photos - Until then .....
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05/03/2011, Port Owen
Well its been more than a year since the last entry but ...... ALL IS NOT LOST!
After the hype of selling the house and getting ready the twist in the tale came and a new house was built to act as our base in South Africa.
Also an extension to my contract came about up to the end of 2011 which came as a big welcome financially
Mystic Rhythm was absolutely neglected for the whole of 2010 and at the moment a lot of TLC and sweat is being poured into her
The new Hydrovane has been fitted and by golly the unit works well
We are planning a haul out toward the end of the year and as things are now the blog will be updated more regularly with the happenings
So WATCH THIS SPACE.........
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03/29/2010, Port Owen
Since the last post things have once again taken a turn. Our son Neil has decided that he wants to tag along and is now living with us again and will be starting work on Mystic doing some painting and varnishing etc. We are quite happy that things have turned out this way as he is a keen sailor and things will be a lot easier with an extra hand
The SSB/HAM set is fitted and now the license to operate it becomes a priority
We have also started using the Iridium phone which is quite a pleasure as SMS's are free for anyone wanting to send one providing they do it via the internet.
The stainless work for the wind genny is just about ready and soon we will fit the unit. The new charger and inverter is fitted and seems to work. The proof is in a short cruise which we are planning to see if all the new additions are operating as required??
We will be looking at getting cruising Visas for most of the countries we intend visiting (that is the ones that require visas) and then new passports
It now seems that our dream is realising and we are getting really close to casting off
The big pity is that we could not spend some time on the water with our dear friends on Pizzazz as they have now come to the end of their cruise
So, until next time .........
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02/17/2010, Port Owen
Where to start?
All of a sudden the house is sold and we are facing the reality of a cruising life from December 2010
No matter how you have thought of the different scenarious it still comes as a shock when you realise that your cocoon has been shattered and that reality once again prevails.
All of a sudden the inverter, charger, wind genny, more solar panels etc has to be fitted and plans to fit the grounding plate for the SSB and ...............(this carries on) has to be made and are we ready???
I will keep the blog updated as we go along....
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01/11/2010, Port Owen
We left Lamberts bay in the early morning fog which was no fun as it was cold and the seas were lumpy and unsettled with no wind at all. It did however clear and the wind picked up to a sready 20 - 22 knots which offered a brisk sail back to Port Owen.......
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01/11/2010, Lamberts Bay
We had a bit of everything that King Neptune could give us namely
1. No Wind; 2. Flat seas; 3. Lots of wind; 4. Big swells; 5. Fog .... and so forth
Attached photo shows a Dragonfly playing hide and seek........
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01/11/2010, Port Owen
Well, it's been long in the coming but we have at last had seven nights at sea which incorporated the West Coast Cruise.
There was a lot for us to learn as a double handed boat as well as the importance of checking the gearbox ATF fluid level as it became a crisis on entering the safe anchorage at Lamberts Bay.
I attach a photo of the first night on the official cruise where we anchored in Stompneus Bay. Unfortunately there are no photos of our baby....
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12/14/2009, St Helena Bay SA
Its been a long time in the coming but here is the proof that it's a sail boat.
The picture was taken in St Helena Bay in an idyllic 12 to 14 knots of breeze
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11/05/2009, Port Owen
The final change made was to add a porthole to the raised coach window for ventilation.
I can confirm that this makes a huge difference as we had a couple of 30 plus degree days and with the extra ventilation the interior was much cooler than before.
Now I am being told that I am trying to re-build the boat and that enough is now enough. So I hope that we are now finished with changes on the interior and hopefully I will be fitting the wind genny and an extra solar panel next month and that should be that apart from the SSB radio still to come........
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11/05/2009, Port Owen
With the interior changes we removed the Portside hatch at the galley and replaced this with a Lexan window with a porthole. The hatch we used to replace the Starboard cabin hatch which had a broken hinge and was exactly the same as the one we removed.
The photo attached shows the galley with the new porthole setup ....
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11/05/2009, Port Owen
We had an exilirating sail in 25 knots of breeze on Saturday and all systems are operating as required. That is the auto pilot does not trip (I now have it on a 10 Amp circuit breaker) and it handles the boat readily.
I attach a photo looking aft of the panelling which we did to cover the black water marks on the old veneer .....
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10/31/2009, Port Owen
Rob and I starting off from the Berg River mouth.....
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10/31/2009, Port Owen
To prove that we actually sailed I attach this....
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10/31/2009, Port Owen
Well it took me some time to add to the blog but never fear. Our weekend with Hugh and Glyn passed way to quickly but we really enjoyed seeing them again and the Oysters were devine (or so I believe?)
We were really pleased that our friend Rob from the Vaal could make it out here at the same time so the fun was double as good
As far as the sailing is concerned we had the usual rain on Friday which put a stop to the idea of going to Dassen, but Saturday turned out OK and we had a leasurely sail and a slight overnight at Sandy Point harbour tied up to a motor launch. Unfortunately the wind shifted in the really early hour of the morning forcing us to do a bit of night sailing which turned out to be fun
The picture attached is to prove that our dear friends from Pizzazz was on Mystic
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09/13/2009, Port Owen
Well we finally got our foreign registration for the boat and now we can legally leave SA waters. This happened on the 09/09/09 which we both think would be possible to remember'
The interior has also been finished (might I add after a second try) and Mystic Rhythm is looking stunning.
I will add some pics with the next entry, but for the moment exitement reigns as we will be seeing our seafaring friends from the yacht Pizzazz this weekend and we hope to take them to sea and show them our beautiful sailing area of St Helena Bay and just maybe take them to Dassen Island should the weather Gods take kindly to the suggestion
Till next time .....
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06/18/2009, Port Owen
Well, it's been some time again since the last post, but rest assured we have not been doing nothing
We finally got our Cat A offshore clearance yesterday and will proceed with the foreign bit now
We are planning a trip to Luderitz in December so the foreign thing to legally leave SA waters is now important
The new cushions are looking good and should be completed in the next 2 weeks. There have been a couple of leaks which I have successfully repaired and the boat is now dry in the heaviest of downpours
Now I suppose there will be a time delay before the next post....
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04/05/2009, Port Owen
It's been a while since my last entry, but rest assured we have been busy
At long last the covers are now 99% complete and we are just waiting for the windlass and sheet covers. Marion Cole and Taliep did an excellent job. Everytning looks just as we wanted it and we could not have asked for more.
I believe that due to the extension to our departure date Mads is going to have the saloon and our cabin cushions replaced. But more about that later
My dear friend Pieter has spent the whole weekend working again and Mystic now has a Raymarine linear drive auto pilot (be it un-tested though). I am really proud of the fitment job we did as I'm sure that the professionals could not have done a better job.
We are looking forward to Easter weekend to test the auto pilot although the finishing touches will have to be done on Friday before we can go for the much anticipated sail. The bonus being that Neil and Juanita are coming to join us which will be great. The only bother might be rain as the long term forecast does not look to good
Well.........until next time
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