June - September 2016 (RCYC Cape Town) PART II

When its NOT All about the Yacht

The dictionary definition of “Cruising” is “To go or move along, especially in an unhurried or unconcerned fashion”. 

Since our return from Australia in July 2012 all we seem to be doing is getting our boat ready to go cruising.  Our sail down the beautiful South African coast in Nov/Dec/Jan 2014-2015 was the beginning of this cruising.  The plan of a quick hop in at Cape Town to affect the last work and voila we were to begin “Cruising” is still progressing, 1.5 years later, we are still in Cape Town, still doing the work we need to meet the deadline to go “Cruising” this year and we realized our work will not be finished.  We forced ourselves to sit down and logically review our situation.  Our conclusion –

Braai'ing with friends

We need to stop pressurizing ourselves, its not all about work, work and work.  We are already “Cruising” even though we haven’t left South African shores yet.  We are living on our yacht in the shadow of Table Mountain, in the “Most Beautiful Country in the World 2015 as voted by “Buzzfeed”.  Our reason for wanting to travel by yacht is the ability to stay where we want for as long as we want or to leave as quickly as we want, our choice, so we have decided we want to stay here in Cape Town a bit longer, until we have seen and done everything we want to here.

How long is a bit longer – how long is that piece of string?

Sunrise from Sundowner Rose - FBYC to RCYC

Yachties are a really special bunch.  We were invited to watch rugby and braai at Des and Jenny of Sungazer – an Island Spirit as well, a quiet little get together that ended up far from that.

Cheers on a good trip

Sundowner Rose arrives at RCYC

Chrissy and Alan and their beautiful Sundowner Rose made the journey from False Bay Yacht Club to Royal Cape Yacht Club and I was fortunate to be able to jump on board for the trip.  The weather was perfect for an uneventful (apart from the fleet of fishing boats we encountered at first light) trip.

Lipton Cup Racing Day 1

Lipton Cup

Lipton Cup 2016 was upon us once again, unfortunately Zululand were unable to enter a team this year.  Between Kevins work and the state of Maxscene we were also unable to enjoy spectating this event as we have done in the past.  We were most fortunate that Craig and Carol of Eco Promise were here for the first day of racing and kind enough to invite a number of us out with them for the day. 

Enjoying their beautiful yacht - Craig
Carol and friends of EcoPromise

The water was flat as a pancake with hardly a breath of wind, not conducive to racing but great for us, we even got Kevin’s mom to join us for the day.  

The race was abandoned around halfway through due to lack of wind so we spent a couple of hours anchored off Camps Bay, enjoying the beautiful warm sun, fabulous food and great company (missed you Reece J). 

Once again Cape Town shines through with its diversity of things to do.  We wasted no time in exploring the Oranjezicht Farmers Market,  

a trip on the Blue Route Hop on Hop Off bus which includes the Constantia Wine Route, we only managed two estates but what a fun day 

Wine Tasting @ Groot Constantia

Easy afternoon with champagne & jazz
at Houtbay Market

and the Hout Bay Market.  

Braids, boy did they hurt later

Alan, who has a nose for these things, managed to find a Craft Beer Brewery right here in Woodstock – Woodstock Brewery, great food and beer.  

Kevin and I discovered a bar tucked away in the food market at the V&A 

and we got to enjoy sundowners in the Bay on Sundowner Rose, of course.

 

Maxscene moved to the other end of the Marina, to “Cat Corner”, shallower part of the marina so preferable for boats with shorter keels.  She is in good company with 2 other Island Spirits, Sungazer and Universe II.

Christmas in July happened again, I tried eggnog for the first time and it was delicious, not at all what I expected, it was so popular we had a couple of rounds.  The music, company and entertainment was awesome, unfortunately the food was a bit of a let down but its not easy to cater plated meals for so many.

Main river running past the hotel

Kevin ended up in Bangkok, Thailand on a team building weekend, yup, 2 nights in Bangkok, we still chuckle.  He had a super trip and Bangkok sounds like a place well worth paying a visit, maybe one day…  

They found South African wine, nice
that Kev and Vossie spent a bit of time
together again

View over Bangkok from hotel

Part of this movie was
filmed in the hotel they stayed in

Beyerskloof wine tasting

Beyerskloof - great food

While he was away, having completed the necessary haul out work on Sundowner Rose, Chrissy, Alan and I were off on a wine tasting to Beyerskloof, Knorrhoek and Muratie.  

Knorrhoek wine & fudge pairing

Knorrhoek

Fantastic fire and lunch at Beyerskloof (oh and really good wine), interesting pairing of wine and fudge at Knorrhoek and such interesting history at Muratie, beautiful cobweb covered windows and amazing port.

Cathedral Peak Winery

Resident cat joined us for lunch

From the balcony where we stayed

Pretty bed

End of August was my mom’s birthday and an opportunity to realize yet another bucket list item for both her and I, exploring the Natal Midlands.  I had fun planning and booking in advance and kept it as a surprise which made it all the more fun.  Lunch at Cathedral Peak Winery was awesome and their wine (they only do red) most quaffable – like taking ice to eskimo’s, I brought wine back to the Cape.  We stayed on the outskirts and travelled up and down the whole of the Midlands over 3 days, an amazing trip making lots of memories.  

Tea at Granny Mouse

I spent another week in Hibberdene while Graeme flew to Cape Town and with Kevin made great inroads into the awfully long list of things that need to be done on Maxscene.

The beautiful Midlands

Chrissy decided to make the most of her birthday, a real inspiration to do what you want to, when you can and to enjoy life to the full.  She did a tandem parachute jump off signal hill (so brave), followed by a catamaran cruise and a helicopter ride and then dinner at Den Anker.

 

Next the push was on to ready Maxscene for visitors.  Kevin turned 50 in September this year and Graeme shortly afterward.  Graeme’s company co-sponsor two Formula Vee racing cars and they were racing in Cape Town for the first time in many years on 24 September, seemed like too good an opportunity to miss, so he, Michelle and Gary towed a racing car down and we all decided to have a bit of a party. 

Start of road trip - du Toitskloof Pass

Graham Beck champagne

Graham Beck Estate

First off, for Kevin’s 50^th we did a road trip, from Cape Town to Knysna Elephant Park, via Route 62.  What an amazing trip, stopping to do wine tasting at Graham Beck  and 

Van Louveren Estate

van Louveren (two beautiful estates, great wine and champagne) 

Montagu

Montagu

first stop over in Montagu (home of dried fruit)

Pickling olives

Olive trees at Olijvenhof

Olive press

Then, via Olijvenhof olive estate (learned so much about olives here) and bought delicious olives and olive oil, 

View from balcony - Riverside Guest
Lodge in Oudtshoorn

Riverside Guest Lodge Oudtshoorn

we went on to overnight at Riverside Guest Lodge in Oudtshoorn.  

Interesting to wander through Oudtshoorn, last time we were here was when we did the Iron Butt run on our motorbikes in 2005 - nothing much has changed lol :-)

Dung Beetle Bar & Backpackers
Barrydale

Dung Beetle Bar Barrydale

Barrydale (great bar/backpackers) 

Barrydale

and

Interesting decor at Ronnies Sex Shop

Ronnies Sex Shop (used to be Ronnies Shop, but a friend of Ronnies painted Sex on the wall next to the name as a joke and it became famous). 

Had to have a GnT at Ronnies Sex Shop

Amazing what ostrich eggs
 can withstand

Age & height restrictions left riding to
kids and small people

Saddled up, ready to ride

We paid a visit to the Ostrich Farm on our way out of Oudtshoorn, so interesting, 

then on to Knysna, following Route 62 to its end, along a dirt road at Prince Alfreds Pass, we found Angie’s “G” Spot and had to stop for a drink, a little piece of Eden.  

The sign that made us reverse
Hot beer, lousy food, bad
service, kak accommodation

Actually we had driven past when we realised what the sign at the entrance actually said and had to go back.

Feeding the ellies

We arrived at the Elephant Sanctuary in time to purchase a bucket of fresh stuff, veg and fruit, then to head out to the herd.  There is a herd of 7 elephants with two more being kept on their own as they are to be rehabilitated onto a reserve somewhere.  

A reassuring pat from one of the handlers

Sally the Matriarch

Playing in the rain

Despite the rain they love to swim

This place does amazing work, they take in damaged, abandoned and/or abused elephants and rehabilitate them using positive reinforcement methods, then to aid the current Matriarch Sally to keep control of the herd they decide which ones will be better back in the wild and rehabilitate accordingly.  They can accommodate up to 18 elephants on the 16ha property.

Lounge overlooking boma

Boma with heated lamps and sawdust
floor

Now thats a load of turds to pick up

We stayed in one of the two rooms overlooking the boma where the elephants can enter at night to sleep if they wish, so interesting to watch the interaction between the elephants all night and to hear them fart and snore, just loved it.  Ate pizza and drank wine watching them, then was up numerous times during the night to peek out the window in awe, amazing.  In the morning it was heartwarming to watch the rapor between the handlers and elephants as they woke up, reaching out their trunks to the guys and getting pats and hugs in return.   

Walking with Tandi

Walking with Sally

We had an early walk with the herd, the guides were professional, experienced and most informative.  What an amazing place, one I would really recommend.

Southern most restaurant
& pub in Africa

Next stop was a night at L’Aghullus – the southern most point of Africa, we sailed past it on our trip down the coast and vowed then to return by land.  

An incredible experience, beautiful views, we climbed all the way to the top of the lighthouse

Found a replica of the Strike craft
he served on in the navy, in the museum

Long way up!!

Found the light

then walked down to the actual point, a beautiful coast.

Thats where we sailed past

View from the lighthouse, breathtaking

The black sheep

Then a leisurely drive back to Cape Town, via Baardskeerdersbos – we had to stop here just to take a photo of the name.  A friendly little farming town, fondly referred to by the locals as “BBos” with 1 Church, 1 bottlestore and 3 bars (oh and I spotted the black sheep too).  

In one of the bars @ BBos

Gansbaai Harbour

Gansbaai

Gansbaai for a quick drink and snack then 

Kleinmond

Kleinmond for lunch of sushi, oysters and champagne and then back in time to fetch Gaynor at the airport.  

She was arriving a week ahead of everyone else as she was to do her disabled riding instructors exams in Constantia. 

Friday night and all the rest arrived and the fun began.  Saturday was a parting of the ways some sailed, some raced, all met again at the party and what fun it was.  Chrissy and Alan were so instrumental in making this a huge success, thanks so much, an amazing cake, décor and photo booth making it a night to remember together with a blast from the past DVD with input from family and friends, good food and booze, memories……

Everyone left on Sunday and so did the party spirit, back to work began in earnest and stainless steel and fittings and Japanese people took preference yet again. 

This blog presents much like a photo album - think its due to length of time between blogs, so many good photos its hard to pick only one and so much to stuff into one blog.  Anyway, hope no one minds :-)

We don’t remember days, we remember moments – Cesare Pavese