Pee Dee Q sailing to Port Owen
Pee Dee Q sailing to Port Owen for the Easter Holiday 23 “Fun Worlds”
I called Cape Town Port Control on Ch 14 and asked if they had any traffic coming in or out of the harbour, the reply was that there was one vessel coming in but it is going into the V&A Waterfront. I looked around me and thought, geez mate you must have very good eyes because I have only 20 – 30m visibility. I turned Pee Dee Q’s bow back to the RCYC basin and had to press my nose right against the oil rig platform before I could see it.
We left Gordons Bay Friday at first light and with a North Westerly forecasted we wasted no time to get to Cape Point. With the main up and the engine at half throttle we averaged 5 knots crossing False bay. Turning North at Cape Point against the 10 -12 kts northerly I found that every time the South Westerly swell pushes us forward the main sail gives us forward motion. With the engine still running we could average 5 – 5.5 kts, pointing at 25 – 30 degrees against the wind! That is when I decided to wake up “FRED”, I plugged him in on the 12v and with the flat seas we were now making good progress and it looked as if we are going to miss the forecasted rain and stronger Northerly of the afternoon.
Six o’clock we moored at RCYC and enjoyed the evening with the Mike Cave, Rob le Roux and the “Royal Cape Rockers” playing a “hond uit die bos uit”. Afrikaans sounds better because “dog out of the bush out” do not sound right. Saturday morning’s fog delayed us till after nine, the fog cleared a bit but the visibility was still only around 100m.
Smidgen, also on her way to Port Owen joined us on the trip to Port Owen. At Robben Island the fog cleared completely and we motor sailed away. 7 Miles before Dassen the wind picked up and we hoisted the spinnaker, we dropped anchor in House Bay at 17h00. Soon the fire was lit and then it was the normal “dop and chop” on a Saturday night.
Smidgen had to leave early on Sunday, we lifted the anchor at 06h30. Between Dassen and Cape Columbine the sea was fairly rough and made moving around the boat not easy. From Cape Columbine the wind picked up, we hoisted the genoa and with a retainer on the boom we goose winged at 5 – 6 kts to seal Island. As we rounded Cape St Martin the sea was flat and shiny like a mirror.
Half way on our way to the Berg River mouth we were met by the new Holiday 23 “Barato” . The wind picked up again and we had a lekker dice sailing to the Berg River. Safely moored in Port Owen at 18h30 and with Barato rafted up against us we enjoyed a cold one as the sun disappeared in the West.
