We set off from Reunion Island for South Africa on 31st October 2013. Unfortunately, we had to give Madagascar a miss due to political unrest at that time.
CRUISING LOG
1st November: 130 nm southwest of Le Port, Reunion Island, no wind at all since we left. Weather is fine.
2nd November: 250 nm southwest of Le Port, Reunion Island, 10 kts of wind behind us, we are motor-sailing.
3rd November: 100 nm southeast of Madagascar, Wind N 14-18 kts. Seas slowly building.
4th November: 200 nm due east of southern point of Madagascar, Wind S 14-18 kts.
5th November: 85 nm due east of southern most point of Madagascar, Wind E 10-15 kts. Added 145 liter of diesel.
6th November: 636 nm east of Richards Bay, Wind, SE 6-8 kts. Currently running downwind. Waves easing to 1 m. Saw whales today.
7th November: 500 nm east of Richards Bay, Wind NE 10-14 kts. Weather holding. Waves 1-3 m.
8th November: 400 nm east of Richards Bay, Wind S 16-20 kts. Waves 1-3 m and building.
9th November: 270 nm east of Richards Bay, Wind died S 4-6 kts. Motor-sailing. Weather is calm and waves are less than 1 m.
10th November: 150 nm northeast of Richards Bay, no wind, motoring for the last 24 hrs. Weather is calm and waves are less than 1 m.
11th November: 8 nm northeast of Richards Bay, no wind. Weather cloudy and overcast. Saw 2 big whales.
1,402 nautical miles later, we arrived in Richards Bay, South Africa on 11th November.
We berthed at Tuzi Gazi Marina (S 28.47.970 E 32.04.560) right opposite the restaurant & discotheque for the next 2 months. Boom, boom, boom, almost every night. The South Africans know how to party! The music and base was so LOUD that Raptor would vibrate at every beat.
Tuzi Gazi Marina is located within Richard's Bay Small Craft Harbour at the Tuzi Gazi Waterfront. The name "Tuzi Gazi" is derived from the two rivers which flow into the harbour in this area - uMhlathuze and Mzingazi.
Here we met Daniela and Rolf of S/Y Yelo who are Swiss/Canadian but their yacht is registered in Langkawi, Malaysia! I have not met any other Malaysian sailors but I was sure happy to see a "Malaysian" sailboat!
Daniela's so friendly and easy to talk to, we just clicked! Very glad we walked over to their berth to check out a spot next to them because it was so noisy where we were. Even though we didn't end up moving there, we became fast friends. And today, she's one of my closest and dearest friends.
One of the many repairs we did in Richards Bay was to strengthen the bow where we cut two access holes and reinforced it by fibreglassing in some wooden "ribs". Some photo's below.
CRUISING LOG
1st November: 130 nm southwest of Le Port, Reunion Island, no wind at all since we left. Weather is fine.
2nd November: 250 nm southwest of Le Port, Reunion Island, 10 kts of wind behind us, we are motor-sailing.
3rd November: 100 nm southeast of Madagascar, Wind N 14-18 kts. Seas slowly building.
4th November: 200 nm due east of southern point of Madagascar, Wind S 14-18 kts.
5th November: 85 nm due east of southern most point of Madagascar, Wind E 10-15 kts. Added 145 liter of diesel.
6th November: 636 nm east of Richards Bay, Wind, SE 6-8 kts. Currently running downwind. Waves easing to 1 m. Saw whales today.
7th November: 500 nm east of Richards Bay, Wind NE 10-14 kts. Weather holding. Waves 1-3 m.
8th November: 400 nm east of Richards Bay, Wind S 16-20 kts. Waves 1-3 m and building.
9th November: 270 nm east of Richards Bay, Wind died S 4-6 kts. Motor-sailing. Weather is calm and waves are less than 1 m.
10th November: 150 nm northeast of Richards Bay, no wind, motoring for the last 24 hrs. Weather is calm and waves are less than 1 m.
11th November: 8 nm northeast of Richards Bay, no wind. Weather cloudy and overcast. Saw 2 big whales.
1,402 nautical miles later, we arrived in Richards Bay, South Africa on 11th November.
We berthed at Tuzi Gazi Marina (S 28.47.970 E 32.04.560) right opposite the restaurant & discotheque for the next 2 months. Boom, boom, boom, almost every night. The South Africans know how to party! The music and base was so LOUD that Raptor would vibrate at every beat.
Tuzi Gazi Marina is located within Richard's Bay Small Craft Harbour at the Tuzi Gazi Waterfront. The name "Tuzi Gazi" is derived from the two rivers which flow into the harbour in this area - uMhlathuze and Mzingazi.
Here we met Daniela and Rolf of S/Y Yelo who are Swiss/Canadian but their yacht is registered in Langkawi, Malaysia! I have not met any other Malaysian sailors but I was sure happy to see a "Malaysian" sailboat!
Daniela's so friendly and easy to talk to, we just clicked! Very glad we walked over to their berth to check out a spot next to them because it was so noisy where we were. Even though we didn't end up moving there, we became fast friends. And today, she's one of my closest and dearest friends.
One of the many repairs we did in Richards Bay was to strengthen the bow where we cut two access holes and reinforced it by fibreglassing in some wooden "ribs". Some photo's below.
and..
We finally departed on 14th January 2014.
