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Thursday, 1 April 2004 -- April Fool??? We arrive Cape Town at approximately 0230. We go out to Long Street until approximately 0700. They boys enjoy a long session, I have a few and just watch the folly. We wait for the breakfast places to open so we can eat. Breakfast, internet and a haircut - got my head shaved again... feels good but weird as well... The afternoon is reallllyyyy long as I drag through past midday before grabbing a nap. Up for dinner, a few drinks and another trip to the internet place then crash, HARD... Friday, 2 April 2004 -- Port Control Rocks!!! Up early to visit the largest boat factory in the southern hemisphere: Robertson & Caine. We see how they make 40'-47' cats for charter fleets. Interesting.... Then a trip to Port Control. Port Control was pretty damn cool, just picture an airport control tower for ships. That's it, complete with massive picture windows, cracking radios and cool radar screens. On my way back to the internet place to finish this installment, I spent an hour watching the French Navy dock a cruiser of some sort. Not the tidiest of ships or very good seamanship frankly. The capitain should have been embarrassed by the condition of his vessel, lines and other gear. Still a neat thing to watch. I kept to myself for the evening. A quiet dinner at a Portuguese place (chorico appetizer, pork and clam cataplan entree) while reading "The Complete Yachtmaster" by Tom Cunliffe (yes, my library continues to grow!). A quick internet session. And finally, a movie. "Lost in Translation" is a stunning film. I would highly recommend it. Should be an Oscar contender, especially for Bill Murray. Saturday, 3 April 2004 -- Off and running again... Off to Langebaan early. Not quite the 0800 start but pretty close to it. Arrive Langebaan, load the boat and head south back to Cape Town. Another bitter cold wind screaming across the very cold water. More penguins, more long johns, more seaboot time. Motored most of the way... yuck! Sunday, 4 April 2004 -- Early Arrival... Arrived Cape Town at 0130. Cleaned up the boat and headed to Mitchells. 1 Boddingtons and back to bed (change from Windhoek and/or Savannah??). Awoke at 0930. Group breakfast. Then off to fuel up the boat. The RCYC fuel dock is about 20 minutes away. It took aobut 45 minutes to get there... because I was navigating... from down below... receiving inputs from the guys on deck pretending that we were in fog with 50m vis... Blind navigation is weirdly fun! I did an awfully damn good job. John did ok getting us back as well. A quick run to the supermarket and now internet... Monday-Tuesday, 5-6 April 2004 -- At Sea Again... Left Cape Town to sail around the Cape of Good Hope again. This shot is the Cape of Good Hope Lighthouse. What a nasty place to be in a storm!
We arrived at Simon's Town early Tuesday morning - a bug of some sort also hit me... I think I'm in for a whale of a chest cold. Wednesday-Friday, 7-9 April 2004 -- Sick Sailor... Being sick at sea is not fun. I slept late (a luxury!) and went to town to chase down expectorant at the chemist's. Since I'm not congested or runny I think it's probably a bronchial infection. I'll give it another day or so and then start looking for a doctor.... We left Simon's Town Thursday and headed back around the Cape to Cape Town. Friday, back in Cape Town and I'm still not feeling any better. Checked with the OSA office re physician and made an appointment for Saturday. Went to the internet place and tried to catch up on email then back to the boat to get some sleep. Saturday, 10 April 2004 -- Drugs are good... Saw the doc at 0930. Nice guy, sailor too. He gave me some antibiotics & prednisone and off I went - for a nap! Met the boyz for lunch, had a Coke Light. Then it was time for another nap. Got up, met the boyz for another Coke Light, internet then - you guessed it - sleep again... Sunday, 11 April 2004 -- Better and better... It's amazing what drugs can do! With the antibiotics and prednisone coursing through my body for the last 24 hours I already feel better. We'll be heading up to Langebaan (actually Club Mykonos) soon to spend the week doing drills as preparation for the exam next weekend. Classes are zipping along here. And very well. We're due to sit for the "Coastal Skipper" exams next weekend, but are doing so well we're going to jump ahead and shoot for "Yachtmaster". It will be a stretch but a reasonable one. I hope I can pull it off. Monday-Thursday, 11-15 April 2004 -- Stress? Who me??? Man overboard, docking, maneuvering, docking, man overboard, more maneuvering. Long tense days with little time to think or relax. On the water for 10 hours drilling, drilling, drilling... We finished up early Thursday and headed to the Langebaan house to write our passage plans. The first part of the exam. Friday will be for cleaning the boat to prep it for the examiner... I'm definitely a little stressed here.... |
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