After we got back from Inhaca we took at bit of time off to just enjoy our boat and ourselves. We wandered around MaxScene commenting over and over how well she had managed the trip and ignoring the newly updated (since our return), long list of changes and improvements we still need to effect.
Then we took a full day off and headed for the Umfalozi Game Reserve for something different. Well that was for sure. Heading down the main road we were stopped by an excited chap - there was a pride of 7 lions 3.1km's back so eye's glued off we went in search of cats. Closer to 5 km's we managed to squeeze our way through the other 3 cars stopped in the road to see 3 lions quite far back, but lions none the less, our first cat sighting in the Park, woo hoo. With big smiles we headed down the road, there had been a lot of rain and there were turtles in every bit of water even the little pools on the side of the road.
We passed through the main camp and on the way up the road heard a helicopter overhead. On inspection it was carrying something through the air, Kevin jokingly said its probably a rhino. Well, true as bob, there it was, a rhino hanging upside down from a helicopter by a rope, what an amazing sight. We found out later that apparently this is a preferred method of moving the animals as when they dart them on the ground they then have to get them into trucks and out again before they wake up, this is a fast and relatively harmless way of transporting them. Sure had us on our toes. We had a lovely day, saw loads of buck, zebra, giraffe, warthog, buffalo and a couple of rhino, but alas there are definitely far fewer to be seen than on previous visits. To top the day we saw another two prides of lions on the way out, awesome trip!!!!
The next big event was that Kevin got another contract with EOH. Their head office is in Johannesburg and we thought a lot of commuting was on the cards, trying to figure how to get our caravan back to Jhb from Sodwana and the best way to travel up and down, when to our pleasant surprise we found out his work is remote work and they are happy for him to carry it out from Richards Bay, on the boat. Some travel up to Jhb will be required but not often, what a bargain. So now Kevins corporate clothing takes the form of shorts and if we are lucky a t-shirt, it takes him all of 30 seconds from bed to office in the morning and he has the most awesome view from his office windows while working, life really is good.
After a lot of thought and for various reasons we moved home again. Being concerned about the possibility of travelling we were happier leaving our boat unattended at Tuzi Gazi Marina and financially we benefit a bit from being here, we get a good rate for long term mooring. Also the water here is so much cleaner as we don't have the pollution flowing down from the river here that we had before it is amazing, the fish are clearly visible from quite a distance and there are so many different ones. We have two hatches that face into the water, under the saloon, on the side of the back cabins and every morning I crumble up two slices of bread and feed the fish through the window. At Zululand Yacht 
Club they were mainly African Moony's, triangular silver small fish, and they got so used to being fed every morning that if I put my hand out the hatch I could get them to do synchronized swimming just following my hand. Well one morning we were obviously a bit late with the bread and one of them jumped in through the window onto the bed with Kevin - he jumped out of the bed and I threw the poor fish straight back in the water, ha ha ha. Here at Tuzi Gazi the fish aren't quite as used to being fed yet, still a little too scared to come to the surface, but now I have a school of powder blue surgeons as well, counted at least 9 this morning, fighting for food with the Moonys. Shortly after we moved here we had quite an unusual phenomenon, after a pretty heavy south westerly wind the water around our boat was full of little pink jelly fish, it was like a carpet of jelly fish surrounding our boat. They hung around for a few days and gradually disappeared.The Vasco da Gama race - Maputo to Durban - was the next big sailing calendar event. We were unable to enter as Kevin had just started his new contract so we decided that we would make a trip to Durban by boat to be there to welcome in the racers, one of our young sailors Tyron was crew on a racing boat - Southern Storm - from Durban and Nomad a catamaran from Zululand Yacht Club whose crew were all good friends of ours had entered the race. Unfortunately the weather turned against us, especially for the trip back so in the end we made a roadtrip of it, went to visit my mom in Hibberdene for a couple of days, then two days in Durban to welcome the racers back and attend the prize giving. Unfortunately Nomad had to retire from the race around 5nM from Durban as they had steering problems. Nonetheless we had a huge evening at the prize giving, Ty's boat came 5th so no prizes there either, just lots of fun and great company.
We left the next day for Johannesburg as Kevin had a couple of days of meetings, and spent a week trying to get the bakkie fixed, a small starter solenoid replacement became a full weeks work including exhaust branch pipe and starter motor replacement. Thanks again to Graeme, Michelle, Samantha and Nicole and even little Crystal who all worked around giving us lifts and lending us cars, you guys are great friends.
We managed to spend some time with Gaynor and Rhiannon and all their dogs at their dog school, absolute bliss - well for me anyway :-) Very proud of how well they are doing, hope they become as big as they are aiming.
They have a huge fun day planned for 9 June - so sorry we can't be there.
We also saw Jessica and Christopher practicing for a hip hop competition, so cool and saw Leanne and Kylie and met Grant, all in all a most beneficial trip, just too short, sooo ran out of time!!We came back with Kevin's mom who spent a week on the boat with us and surprisingly seemed to quite enjoy it. Boat life really does seem to be good for the soul. We came back to a sad situation - we met crew and owner of a beautiful power catamaran
named Isis three years ago and watched them spend three years sitting here in Tuzi Gazi Marina, waiting for the right time - weather and financially - to head out to places more beautiful. The end of April and 
their waiting was over and to the really loud sounds (they have one heck of a sound system) of Thunderstruck we and half the marina waved them farewell as they headed off to Dares Salem and the start of the fulfillment of their dreams. While we were away we got the sad news that the owner had died of a heart attack in his sleep in Vilanculos, Mozambique, where they had stopped to refuel and fix one or two issues. This saw the crew bring the boat back, they arrived shortly after our return and now the boat sits back in its mooring, hopefully to be sold to someone who will be able to fullfil that dream. Absolute proof that life is really short and not to be taken for granted at all.
Our current project is the Lipton Cup Challenge. A competition that began in 1909 to encourage sailing and seamanship. The race is held annually and the winning club becomes the hosting club for the next race. For the last 29 years it has been held in Cape Town, but in a surprise upset last year a team from Royal Natal Yacht Club in Durban won the cup and this year the Challenge takes place in Durban. Zululand Yacht Club have decided to put in an entry and Kevin and I are on the committee and are helping to organise their representation. A task not without its challenges :-) the race takes place 6 - 13 July and we plan to head down there with our boat to be a support vessel, together with Sirrocco, a mono hull from here owned by Chrissy and Alan Crichton. This time we have no time constraints to return so can wait out the weather if necessary, looking forward to it, exciting times. Keep watching Facebook for regular updates, photographs and progress.Right, well I think thats all for now........
