svbeachhouse

Author: kerrizane

  • Day Three to Luderitz……Cold and Wet

    Day Three to Luderitz…..

    Cold and Wet
    May 21st, 2013 (Eastern Hemisphere)

    After we gybed the main yesterday, we were pretty much right on course and had stronger than predicted winds (yet again!). Initially, it wasn\’t blowing too hard so we put up the spinnaker again. Shortly thereafter of course, the winds piped up into the low 20 knot range and we were galloping a bit too fast; hitting 9-13 knots. It\’s a long boat ride and I don\’t want to stress out the boat and the crew, so we took the kite down and went to a single reefed main with full genoa to port (starboard tack). We rode this till mid night on a cold, lumpy dreary day.

    Mid night last night, the winds started to shift to the East so we rolled up the genoa and motored. With the mainsail up, we were going around 7 knots. At 6 a.m. this morning, the winds shifted to the NNW at 20-25, right on the nose with 60 miles to go. No fun. We rolled up the mainsail, and bounced for a few hours and the wind has now settled back to 15 knots from the NNW. Still not the greatest ride, but we will be in Luderitz in about 4-5 hours so we\’ll get over it.

    This is a small coastal low pressure system that the \”Skeleton Coast\” is known for. It would play havoc with an old sailing ship as difficult as they were to maneuver. With our \”iron genoa\’s\” (aka motors), no worries mate. Currently, there is a much bigger low pressure system out in the South Atlantic and we don\’t want to find it. It has the same conditions we are now in, but much stronger with winds to 40 knots. As such, we\’ll be sitting in Luderitz and watching the weather to see when the South Atlantic High re-establishes itself and gives us the green light for the jump to St. Helena. Were making water before we get to Luderitz as the harbor is very muddy, I don\’t want it clogging up the filters. IF it calms down a bit, we\’ll do the wash in the machine and otherwise we\’re just reading and relaxing and looking forward to a good night\’s sleep inside the well protected bay. We\’ll top up fuel and watch the weather. Getting ready for the start of the big jump; off to the mid Atlantic island of St. Helena.

    KIT,
    Scott and Nikki

  • Half Way to Luderitz…..

    Half Way to Luderitz…..

    May 20th, 2013 (Eastern Hemisphere)

    Yesterday started out with light winds and predicted to essentially drop off to very little. However, as I have come to learn, the timing and direction of the GRIB (Gridded Imbedded Binary Files) that we use as computerized weather is accurate. The strengths of the winds are not.
    Usually, the strengths are under reported by around 5 knots, sometimes a bit more. Yesterday we had winds of 15-25 knots most of the day. The computer said 12 and dropping.

    As such, we flew the spinnaker with the full main and all systems worked well. We had some exhilarating surfing between 9-12 knots. As we\’ve a lot of ocean to cover, I didn\’t want to shake our rusty sail handling out in the middle of the night, so we took it down at sunset.

    The direction of the winds is taking us a bit offshore, but we\’ll gybe this morning when Nikki gets up and be headed almost exactly at Luderitz. We\’ve 200 miles to go and should be there by tomorrow afternoon.

    Someone quickly knock wood, all systems seem to be working just fine (thank you very much!). A few little bug-a-boos. Our new wind speed/direction instrument is too quick to react and we haven\’t been able to dampen it. I also think it\’s out of calibration and is reading the winds a bit too high.

    My \”eye\” sees 12-14 knots on the water, the instrument says 18-21 knots. Looks good, but isn\’t as helpful as it should be.

    It was COLD last night. We saw 49 degrees F!!! (9.4 C), It\’s now 0745 and still pretty chilly. No clouds but lots of haze for which this coast; known as the \”Skeleton Coast\” is famous for. Heavy fog like London or LA can be the norm. Yes my UK friends, LA gets heavy fog! (And the water is COLD!).

    The Skeleton Coast was so named as in the old sailing days, lots of ships wrecked here in the low visibility conditions. It didn\’t help that the area was virtually unpopulated for hundreds of miles north of Cape Town up the coast to Namibia and Angola.

    The day before we left Cape Town, a 46 foot Catamaran on a delivery across the Atlantic hit that heavy fog off Dessen Island. They went aground where the boat still is! Two out of every three catamaran\’s in the world are made in South Africa. Almost all of them sail across to the Caribbean or to Europe; most for the charter markets. Robertson & Caine is the world\’s largest manufacturer and makes all the boats for the \”Moorings Charter Group\” of which \”Sunsail\” is the parent. They have lots of boats leaving Cape Town all year round. Some with more experienced crews than others!

    The sun is rising, the coffee is hot, the generator purring.
    Gybe Ho!

    KIT, position report out in about an hour.
    Scott and Offwatch Nikki

  • POSITION REPORT

    YOTREPS: YES
    TIME: 2013/05/19 07:29
    LATITUDE: 32-07.97S
    LONGITUDE: 016-31.42E
    COURSE: 326T
    SPEED: 6.8
    MARINE: YES
    WIND_SPEED: 7
    WIND_DIR: SSE
    WAVE_HT: 0.2M
    WAVE_PER: 8
    SWELL_DIR: SW
    SWELL_HT: 2.8M
    SWELL_PER: 8
    CLOUDS: 20%
    VISIBILITY: 15
    BARO: 1016.9
    AIR_TEMP: 18.9C
    SEA_TEMP: 15.0C
    COMMENT: Beach House -EN ROUTE -Luderitz, Namibia

    We sailed all night in 10-15 knots of wind, but gave it up once we could no longer maintain 5 knots boat speed.

    The swell is up due to big Southern Ocean storms, but fortunately, they are not near us! US Sailing Vessel \”OZ\”, Steve and Pat are about a half day ahead of us. We made first contact this morning with the SAM HAM Net which assists we boaters in weather across the Atlantic.

    Once across the pond, we\’ll be able to get the Maritime Mobile Nets which will do the same from the other side. Basically, this will be an abbreviated version of the remote blog posts.

    NOTE: They may not paginate properly on the home page until my web guru (he knows who he is!….))) makes sure it\’s working properly So, we\’re back to motoring for the moment, expect to be in Luderitz on Tuesday afternoon…. I think I hear a song?….:-)

    KIT,
    Scott and Nikki

  • 2013-04 & 05 Boom Boom & Cape Town Departure #2 – Photos

    To see the Ship\’s Blog associated with this Photo Gallery – CLICK HERE

  • 2013-04 First Departure for Namibia & Sossesvlei Sand Dunes – Photos

    To see the Ship\’s Blog associated with this Photo Gallery:  CLICK HERE

  • Back to Cape Town & Repairs……(Winter is Coming!)

    Back to Cape Town & Repairs…..(Winter is Coming!)

    To see the Photo Gallery associated with our Land Trip to Sossesvlei Sand Dunes in Nambia:  CLICK HERE

    April 23rd – May 18th, 2013 (Eastern Hemisphere)

    The weather window was really cooperative.  We could have had blasting headwinds but blessedly, we were able to fuel up and motor the 72 hours back to Cape Town.

    To see the Photo Gallery associated with REPAIRS and Madam Zingara\’s Dinner Show for this Ship\’s Blog: CLICK HERE

    Once at the V&A, we assessed the full damage.

    The boom was broken or bent in three places.  The back end and bearing, the front yolk and mid support would all have to be replaced.  Parts were ordered from California. The really good news was that Southern Spars, the largest mast manufacturer in the southern hemisphere is in Cape Town and they were actually able to perfectly straighten our mandrel! If necessary, they could have actually made a new one right here.

    New and Bent Front Yolks……

    \"CT
    New designed mid boom roller guide section, support and repaired mandrel…..
    \"CT
    New rear plate and \”outer bearing\”.  This new bearing is much thicker and the welds are on both the inside (not shown) and the back of the plate.  This bearing would not have sheared off!…..

    Where you see my fingers are custom cut outs for storing the spare battens in the unused (on our system) hydraulic galleys.

    \"CT
    The traveller system was upgraded to a Harken system (made in the USA).  The most critical lack of confidence was of course, the steering system.

    Steering:  It took about 5 iterations to completely resolve.  First, it was determined that air in the system is what caused the failure.  Second, Meridian Technologies took over and really went over the system. They made custom pistons for our steering rams and used a \”gas/liquid\” seal.  Not only did the get the steering completely tight (responsive), but they managed to fix the rudder synchronization issue as well. Thank you Denver, Steve and Tony!

    Next, the boys from Associated Rigging took over and did a great job of repairing the boom and re-installing it. A new \”Tylaska\” main halyard shackle was installed as well and this eliminates the twist in our 2:1 main halyard completely.  This shackle is twice the strength of the previous one which bent in the \”boom, boom, boom, boom\” debacle.  Thank You Warren, Andre, Wiseman and BJ!

    Re-installing the boom with two halyards.  It weigh about 140 kg (300 lbs)……

    \"CT
    Repaired Sail by Quantum of Cape Town, re-hoisted……
    \"CT
    While were had the opportunity, we had the transmission cones \”lapped\”, repaired our port head, go the boat washed, waxed and the bright work polished.

    We now feel confidence in all the new and re-worked systems.

    We did get some R&R as Nikki took us to a lovely evening at Madam Zingara.  A dinner and show combination of Cirque de Soleil and The Rocky Horror Picture Show…. It was lots of fun and quite an experience.

    Kathy and Steve Searle….. Steve is a Marine Electrician extrordinaire.  He installed the new auto pilot systems and we became fast friends…….

    \"CT
    Our hostess with the mostest…..The Madam herself…..\”Oh Rocky\”….
    \"CT
    WINTER IS COMING (for all you Game of Thrones fans (and you know who you are!!)

    The first big winter storms are expected in Cape Town mid next week and we will leave tomorrow early to get north of them…….Yep, back to Luderitz!  We\’ll wait a few days there perhaps for the South Atlantic High pressure system to re-stabilize and then head directly to St. Helena.  St. Helena is most known as the island of exile for Napoleon Bonaparte after his second attempt at taking over the world.

    Updates will start on the 18th from \”at sea\”.  We will not be able to post any photos while underway, but will try if we get internet anywhere along the way.  It will be very sparse as we\’ve only 4 stops planned in the next 5,000 miles (7,500 km) to Trinidad.  Those will be: Luderitz, St. Helena Island, Ascension Island and Fernando de Noronha-Brazil.

    Dinner tonight at the grand re-opening of the \”Bascule Restaurant\” here at the V&A…..then rest and away!

    Feel free to write!….

    KIT,

    Scott and Nikki

  • Dear Friends of Beach House…

    We want you to know that both of us are fine and the boat is fine. We had a fairly major failure however today. The autopilot stopped working for no reason and the boat accidentally \”gybed\”. This cause two lines to break, the boom to swing to the wrong side and break it\’s mandril out of the cover. This will require us to go back to Cape Town for repairs. I estimate a minimum of 4-6 weeks once we arrive. Arriving is another story by itself. We are currently 38 miles north of Luderitz and heading back against the 25 knots of wind plus sea. Uncomfortable, but we\’ll be anchored before dark. Once there, I\’ll give a full report and look for a weather window to motor sail (with just the front sails) back to Cape Town. No way this would be fixed in Walvis Bay, Namibia!..(or anywhere in Namibia). So again, we are unhurt. The boat is fine. Welcome to cruising!…

    KIT, Scott and Nikki on at the helm…

  • Cape Town & Departure Preparations……

    Cape Town & Departure Preparations…..

    March 21st – April 12th, 2013 (Eastern Hemisphere)

    Nikki and I went up Table Mountain which is nothing short of spectacular.  See  :http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Table_Mountain   Despite the animals and other natural wonders of South Africa, this IS the most visited place in the country.  The views world class from both the bottom and the top. It is considered one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World.

    Scott at the \”bottom\”……(V&A Marina aboard Beach House)

    \"Scott
    Nikki at the \”top\”…… (V&A Marina, Cape Town Harbor, Table Bay and Robben Island on the left)

    \"Nik
    As all good things must end.  Our time in Cape Town was running short.  We spent some time with Dave & Kathie of s/v \”Sunflower\” and had a lovely evening aboard Beach House with Steve & Kathy Searle, Davie & Kathy and us.  One weekend, Nikki\’s friend Sandra came to visit from Jo-Burg.

    Nikki and Sandra…..(Girls just wanna\’ have fun!)

    \"Nik

    We got the fuel system sorted out, the new auto pilots seemed to be performing well.  However, the steering has been an issue since New Zealand.  The rudders don\’t align after a certain amount of time and we had this looked into. Unfortunately, this would become our future disaster!…..

    Good Bye Cape Town…. We will miss you and look forward to another visit in the future. (Little did we know how soon it would be!)…….  The sail to Namibia turned out to be a motor boat ride and got us north of the South African weather pattern where winter would soon approach.

    Table Mountain from Table Bay en route to Luderitz, Namibia…..

    \"The
    Next, Namibia and the Sossevlei Sand Dunes…….
    Scott and Nikki

  • Simon\’s Town to Cape Town…..

    Simon\’s Town to Cape Town…..

    March 15th, 2013 (Eastern Hemisphere)

    It was time to finally move the boat the 50 mile trip from Simon\’s Town in False Bay to Cape Town. By car, this trip takes about 35 minutes as it\’s only about 17 miles. But by boat, we had to go 15 miles south to get around Cape Point/Cape of Good Hope before heading north to Table Bay.

    We had a decent weather window and decided on a very early departure as to not get to Cape Town too late in the day.

    The sun rose as we rounded Cape Point – Cape of Good Hope and we played \”Lighthouse\” in honor of Cindy. The song is by James Taylor and if you\’ve never heard it, it\’s sweet and worth the listen. It was one of our all time favorites and spoke much to the way we felt about coming more than half way round the world…… There are over 2000 known ship wrecks along the coast from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth. A distance of only a few hundred miles.

    Cape Point Lighthouse – South Africa. Just before Sunrise………

    \"Cape+Point+South+Africa\"

     

    Table Mountain from the South…….  You can see the Cable Car station at the top left of the mountain. It\’s the little blip on the end of Table Mountain….. A spectacular site from the sea.


    \"Table+Mountain+from+the+South\"

     

    This photo was taken from the V&A \”Eye\” A modern ferrous wheel at the Mall……\”Beach House\” is behind the green building

    \"Table+Mountain+from+the+V26A+Eye\"

     

    A tradition of the old sailing ships was to give those who had never seen Table Mountain from the sea a small gold coin on their first viewing. Nikki and I had learned that from reading James Michener\’s \”The Covenant\” (THE definitive book on the history of South Africa and we highly recommend it). Nikki\’s Gift upon our arrival……

    \"Gold+Coins+of+Table+Mountain\"

     

    Some of you might think it looks like Chanukah Gelt!….:-)

    The trip was easy enough, our new auto pilot worked well and we were docked right next to Dave and Kathie Blanding on \”Sunflower\”…. One more side trip of the area and the real work begins to get off the dock and toward the Caribbean! Next, the Wine Region tour and Cape Agulhas……

    Stay tuned, Scott and Nikki

  • Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe…..

    Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe…….

    March 9th – 11th, 2013 (Eastern Hemisphere)

    Well we had such a good time in Namibia (and yet a bit of time before we would be off to Cape Town with the boat), so Nikki suggested we fly to Victoria Falls on the Zimbabwe/Zambia border. This waterfall made famous by the one and only Dr. Stanley Livingstone. (As in…..\”I presume\”). It is about 800 meters wide along the Zimbabwe/Zambian border and is on the Zambezi River.

    Livingston was the first westerner to see the Falls when on a \”mission\” to darkest Africa. It was quickly decided that we would go to the Zimbabwe side as the Zambian side (where the actual small hamlet of Livingston is) requires a Yellow Fever (World Health Card) to get back in to South Africa. Yellow Fever itself is not contagious amongst humans, it is mosquito born. But as South Africa is in a \”near endemic\” area, they wouldn\’t know if they were having an epidemic or if someone had contracted it while out of the country. Hence, we opted for the town of Victoria Falls on the Zimbabwe side. Ironically, it is believed that Livingston died of Malaria and Yellow Fever some years after he introduced this natural wonder to the Western world.

    The view is really from the Zimbabwe side looking toward Zambia. Victoria Falls……..

    \"Victoria+Falls+Zimbabwe+1\"

     

     

    The main falls were running so hard, we could barely photograph them. The ideal month is September/October. Running then \”hard enough\”, but not so as to make it RAIN constantly.

    \"Victoria+Falls+Zimbabwe+2\"

     

    It was a quick turnaround type trip as we would soon be moving the boat from Simon\’s Town to Cape Town, but it was well worth the flight. While we were there, we had an opportunity to go on an Elephant Ride! This was one of the highlights of the trip. It\’s a reserve where rescue elephants are brought too and believe it or not, a few years ago, a male bull elephant brought an abandoned baby into the camp and promptly disappeared. It was feared the Mother had died and the Male somehow knew the baby would be taken care of here.

    This is \”Janet\” with Scott, Nikki and our Guide……

    \"Janet+with+Scott-Nikki+and+Guide\"

     

    We had a very large Cheetah come near our group and Janet became somewhat ferocious as her baby was with us. Interesting experience to be on the back of an Elephant that might charge at any moment! Our guide had things well in hand…..we think? At the end of the experience, we got to feed the elephants by hand and that was a treat for both them and us. I will add lots more photos when I get to the Photo Galleries, but at least here you can get a feel for the experience.

    KIT,

    Scott and Nikki (next – Simon\’s Town to Cape Town)…….