Road Trip through Southern Cape, Overberg, and Winelands

Our tour guide, Greg, and Carol at Hout Bay

Beautiful beach at Hout Bay

Driving to Cape Point

Road along the Cape Peninsula - parts where build by Italian prisoners of war

Original lighthouse - Cape of Good Hope

New lighthouse on the tip of the Cape

An African Penguin strolling at Boulders

A few of his/her friends

Shantytown close to the airport in Cape Town

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Vineyards in the Overberg

The Overberg is also one of the main wheat growing areas of South Africa

Lots of sheep, as well as cattle

Very scenic mountain pass

More vineyards with the mountains in the background

Carol in front of Adley House - our accommodation in Oudtshoorn

Visiting the Ostrich Farm outside Oudtshoorn

Bet you've never done this!

Another mountain pass - low scrubby plants are called fynbos

Carol wine tasting at the Graham Beck winery

A male weaver bird building a nest. If the female doesn't like it she destroys it and he has to start again!

Rob and Carol at Cape of Good Hope with the other coast of False Bay in the background

Beautiful scenery in the background at the Graham Beck winery

Enjoying Cape Town

At the V & A Waterfront with Table Mountain in the background

Local entertainers - they were very good - we bought their CD which wasn't up to their live performance standard!

At the base of the two hour climb to the top of Table Mountain

Half way up Table Mountain

Southeast view from the top of Table Mountain

View Northwest from Table Mountain

Table Mountain from Robben Island

Poster of last prisoners to leave Robben Island

Small cell where Mandela spent 17 years

Returning to Capetown on the ferry

Enjoying Cape Town

Oct 25, 2016

During our first week in Cape Town, we have been trying to fit in some sightseeing in between the boat chores that need doing. All three boats are getting some work done. For us, it is repairs to our roller furling and the foresail that is on it. Also, downloads for the upcoming trip and getting our Brazilian visas. The visas were a time consuming project with a half day of computer work and another day at the consulate. They were expensive but the fees varied depending on what your country charges Brazilians to visit.

We have visited the V and A (Victoria and Alfred) Waterfront, a shopping and entertainment complex, about a mile further along the water from here. We hope to get back, as there is much to see. We haven't visited any of the museums yet. Being a Sat, there was extra street entertainment to enjoy. We have also walked around in the downtown area, where there are street markets, malls, grocery stores, and tourist info. There are many colonials buildings and sights of historic interest. Both areas are about a 45 walk away which we have done several times, but now it's worth the $3 for an uber taxi.

On the weekend we decided to take the cable car up to the top of Table Mountain as it was a clear day. The line up looked like it would take hours so we decided to hike up. We did make it to the top but I wouldn't want to do it again. It was like climbing stairs, but on uneven rocks, for 2 hours. The knees are still sore. But it was worth the trip as the views are great in every direction. It is such an amazing setting for a city. The top is part of the park system so they have lots of info, as well as guided walking tours.

On Tues we took a half hour boat trip out to Robben (seal in Afrikans) Island. This is where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 17 years of his sentence. It was predominately for political prisoners and all black males. The prison is now closed and the whole island is a museum and nature reserve. From the ferry we took buses around with a guide talking about the history as well as the birds and sea life. Then we had a walking tour through the prison itself, led by a former prisoner. He needed more time as he had so many stories to share. The inmates built much of the prison themselves. There were many well educated men imprisoned as well as the illiterate. They ran informal schools to share knowledge. There was a censor's office checking all communication in and out. But Mandela managed to hide and get out his book "The Long Road to Freedom". The ferry office had more background information and other exhibits.

On Tues night, six of us went to see the opera, Carmen, that was showing for a week. It was a treat to be able to do something like that. It only cost $30 for the best seats. It was a surprise to have a guest tenor from Canada in the cast. It was also good to see a full house.

If we have time, we still want to get to the renowned botanical gardens on the back side of the mountain. Also would like to spend a day or 2 on the "hop on hop off" bus, which has a good reputation here.

Royal Cape Yacht Club

Cape Town Harbour

Fur seals on dock beside our boat

View from our cockpit of the Cape Town harbour entrance

Royal Cape Yacht Club

Oct.29, 2016

I would like to make a few comments about our temporary home here in Cape Town. We have a visitors' membership while staying in the marina and have been made to feel welcome. They have all the facilities you would expect from a top notch marina. You can find good service people for most projects. All three boats are getting some work done. After so many marinas and rough docks, we all need some new fenders and lines, too. Our dock here has a resident seal that likes to sleep on the end  next to our boat. Once, another type of seal joined him.

It is good to see a yacht club that is as active as this one. On Wed sail nights there are between 60 and100 boats participating in racing! We are in a visitors slip right at the entrance to the marina so get to see a good parade. Last weekend there was a regatta for the insurance industry. Members of a company would go out on a boat skippered by a yacht club member and have a fun race. The decor brought in to host so many people for the meals was amazing to see. We have had a few meals at the club and enjoy their cooking and the prices. Will, who did our weather routing, came to join us for a meal and a personal meeting. He is a very active racer.

There is another major regatta that happens once every 3 years, the Cape 2 Rio race, starting just after Christmas. There are pictures up of participating boats with planning well underway. Our track will be easier heading to the north eastern bulge of Brazil. The prevailing wind is SE and the current flows north.

Antares pulled in near us this week. That is the first boat to arrive out of those we met along the South Indian Ocean route. They all sailed around the north side of Madagascar. They are staying in a marina that is part of the V and A. Hope to get together and share experiences and plans.

The Final Push to Cape Town

Cape Blaize Lighthouse - last manned lighthouse in South Africa

MAGGIE on far fishing jetty in Mossel Bay

Beautiful beach by Mossel Bay Yacht Club

Replica of Diaz's boat - this one actually sailed from Portugal to Mossel Bay

Tents set up to accommodate participants in the Cape Pioneer Trek

No Regrets passing us flying their spinnaker

Lighthouse at Cape Agulhas - most southerly tip of South Africa

Rounding Cape of Good Hope in early morning

The Final Push to Cape Town

Port Elizabeth to Mossel Bay to Cape Town

Oct.18, 2016

As I am writing this we are underway, several hours from Cape Aghulas, the southern most tip of South Africa. So far, it is quite pleasant. The wind was supposed to increase during last night and today, but has not happened yet. We have been motor sailing since leaving at 5 pm last night from Mossel Bay. Before dark we saw a whale surface within a few boat lengths of us. A rare treat! Also the number and variety of birds are fun to watch. The dolphins look quite different from ones we have seen elsewhere.

It is about 400nm from Port Elizabeth to CT and we gave up waiting for good enough weather to do the whole trip in one shot. We stopped in Mossel Bay, which was a 2 day, 1 night trip, arriving Fri the 14th. The winds were in the 30's overnight but from behind so that helped with getting there before dark. We enjoyed having a good sail after all the rough weather up to that point. There was room in the small marina for the 3 boats.

 The bay and town were really worth the visit. It is a pretty town set on a hill rising from the beach. Also it was safe enough to explore on foot. This area of South Africa (southeast coast) was settled by the Dutch farmers, and that influence still shows. The language spoken is Afrikaans, with most signage in that and English. They have tried to keep many of the original buildings from the 19th century. Many have been converted to restaurants or accommodation. It is a tourist destination for those starting a tour of the "Garden Route" back towards Port Elizabeth. The coastline is mountainous, and the land fertile, so good places to hike and see.

On the Sat there was a mountain bike event beginning in town, called the Cape Pioneer Trek. It is a 5/ 6 day race through the garden route area. The school field where they registered was full with their tents. On practice rounds they were passing us all weekend on the roads and paths. We walked out to the point that protects the bay. There is a lighthouse that you can visit that is still manned. From there you have a good view of the surroundings. Below it there is a cave. Archaeologists have found evidence in it of humans from the middle stone ages. From other such caves they think that homo sapiens originated somewhere in SA. During the last ice age the shoreline extended much further out as water levels were lower. The shallow banks off Cape Agulhas used to be land.

On Sun we visited the Diaz Museum. Diaz is commemorated in town as the first European, from Portugal, to arrive here in 1488. In 1988 a similar voyage was made from Lisbon to Mossel Bay. A replica ship had been built for the trip and is now on display in the museum. The only difference was that the new ship had all the modern electronics and safety gear and an engine. Their trip took 3 months instead of the original 6 months. In the museum there are long lists of shipwrecks through the centuries along these shores. But with our new equipment there are not nearly as many. We enjoyed a few hours of reading much more history in the museum. There was also a shell museum and aquarium and grounds with the plants identified. There is a tree, centuries old, that was used to "post" mail for passing ships in a shoe in the tree. The bushmen thought writing was from the devil so left it alone. On the weekend there was a flower show and competition in the buildings. I enjoyed that as well.

Our goal on this passage is to make it to Cape Town in the light Wed afternoon. And also try to pass both capes in the daylight to enjoy seeing them. The southernmost cape of Africa is Cape Agulhas which you pass first coming from the east. The Cape of Good Hope, that is to the south of Cape Town, is more famous than  Agulhas. It is more dramatic to see, and also to sail around, we hear. Its former name was the Cape of Storms.

Update, Oct.20

We arrived in Cape Town about lunchtime Wed. The whole trip went well. I think this was the first time that the weather was more benign than forecast. We even had a full moon to brighten the night. We spent Wed am enjoying the trip up the coast from Cape Point into Cape Town. There were many seals in the surrounding water entertaining us. Our slips are in the Royal Cape Yacht Club. After an unglamorous docking job by the admiral we had a leisurely lunch at the club. Adrienne is representing the BPO here and was full of  ideas about things to see and do in the area. After a nap and some chores and we will be looking forward to exploring.

The Wild Coast, Leg 2 East London to Port Elizabeth

Fishing boats off our jetty

Tied to fishing jetty wall - low tide!

Zeke and Klaudia negotiating with street vendors on the promenade

 

Surfers on PE beachfront

The Wild Coast, Leg 2

East London to Port Elizabeth

Oct. 12, 2016

About the only good thing I can say about that last passage is that we are now half way to Cape Town. (This is Carol writing.) We are almost at the same latitude as Cape Town now but have to go south to round Cape Agulhas and Cape of  Good Hope. We left at dusk on Fri with still some south wind on the nose. It is more challenging to get set up for the evening of motoring/sailing in the dark. By Sat there was not much wind and it was forecast to stay that way until 6pm which would give us lots of time to get in. But it started to blow SW, on the nose again,  in the afternoon. We arrived at 5:30 about 2 hours later and wetter than we expected. We were lucky to have the other 2 boats here to catch lines to tie up along the fisheries jetty.

There is a lot of fishing boat action at the dock. Mostly they are going out at dusk and returning to unload in the morning. There is a big squid business, and the squid are unloaded in frozen blocks. The other types of fish are fresh. Today we are going to try the nearby seafood restaurant that is recommended for lunch. May also purchase some fresh fish for the next trip.

On Sunday, we all walked to the tourist area of town which spreads out along the beaches. There is a beautiful paved promenade along the shore, with seating, plantings, kids' play areas, a pool, and lifeguards. On the weekends there are vendors selling souvenirs. Too bad we can't store much more on the boat. The downtown of the city is just to the north of the marina. It has some historic sites, but it is not recommended to walk around from a security point of view. Some security guards by the beach said that things have gotten much worse over the last 5 years. Too bad!

The Algoa Bay Yacht Club is really nice. Good views over the harbour from a second story, bar and restaurant, wifi, and hot showers. No water or power available on the jetty however. At low tide it would help to be a monkey to get off the boat.

The current plan is to leave Thurs lunchtime and stop at Mossel Bay, which is 188nm. There are supposedly 40 hours of decent conditions to get there, probably a night arrival for us. But at least you can anchor until morning there. Everyone prefers to make it to CT in one trip, but the weather isn't cooperating. Our router says that the conditions we are seeing are more typical of winter than spring. The upcoming scenery is supposed to be quite dramatic, so hope to have good visibility.