March 2018 - May 2018 (Yachtport Saldanha)

Moonrise over Saldanha Bay Yacht Club

So finally the “To Do” list has shrunk to 2 pages, none of which are going to prevent our sailing.  We have been spending time on anchor at the picturesque Kraal Baai in the Western Cape Nature Reserve testing our self-sustainability and have found that our solar, while enough on really sunny days to supply the demand without having to be uber conservative, it is not enough for luxuries such as switching on the geyser for hot water.  

Cloudy days and showering require the use of an engine or generator and thus the use of petrol or diesel.  The solution, we are busy purchasing a wind generator and the debate on another solar panel rages on. 

Still to do are our STCW (Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seaferers) courses which we are hoping to do in June in Cape Town, a safety, firefighting, survival, first aid course that is necessary for Kevin to complete his Yacht Master Off Shore qualification and helpful for both of us if we want to do Skipping or Charter work going forward. 

With his fan club

Concentration at the helm

Graeme popped down to do some sailing and docking practice and boy did he excel, Kevin had him reversing into tight spaces, on to the dock and mooring balls, I however need a lot more practice, oops! 

Carefully and with control

Of course while here he still managed to get a couple of things done, making shelves, helping install a new outside shower and salt water deck wash, mounting new fans and installing the eyebrows, they make a huge difference, we can now keep the port lights open in light rain.

Just Rewards

Outside cushions

Tender motor cover

The sewing has reached its end, everything that needed a cover now has one, we have new cushions and covers and it all looks really great (hallelujah).

 

Inside cushions

And the coolerbox doubles up as a seat

We said yes!!!

Great day at the
Harvest Table

The Fat Butcher in Stellenbosch

Johnny made one of our greatest desires for this year a reality when he surprised us with a visit in March to ask us if he could marry Gaynor.  Naturally and with great excitement (and maybe a tear or two) we said yes, what a weekend of celebrating that turned out to be, we had lunch at the Market Table on the Fairview Estate and consumed much excellent food and wine, saw Johnny safely on his way to the airport and continued on to the Spice Route next door for beer tasting before dinner at the Fat Butcher in Stellenbosch.  

An additional benefit is that we discovered that Fairview make a most quaffable “papsak” red wine blend, easy storage in the boat and good to drink, winner all round.

Dinner with our favorite travel agent

Easter weekend was a lovely time to be back at Kraal Baai, Kevin took the opportunity to scrub and inspect the hull and I got to use my SUP for probably the last time this summer.  A little surprise visit from Nicole added entertainment and a good excuse for sushi.

This is the year to knock some items off the bucket lists, one of mine was a visit to “Horse Play” on Old Kilgobbin Farm in the Dargle Valley, KZN Midlands.  It was home to horses in the 1880’s when Meredith Fannin, an Irish settler, depended on them for a living and now more than 130 years later it is home again to a herd of around 38 beautiful horses including Dutch Friesian, Andalusian Thoroughbred cross, donkeys and a mule.  

A hug goodbye from Willow at the end

Horse Play is just that, a hands-on, no riding experience in which you communicate with a most beautiful creature and convince it to do what you want it to with no force or props, I started out a clumsy individual on the end of a lead and ended up convincing a huge noble Friesian to climb up on top of a box and to stop with both

his front feet in a tyre, a truly magical experience.

Lemonwood cottage

We spent 3 days at a lovely picturesque cottage in the Midlands called Lemonwood (complete with fire and dogs, pure heaven) and how amazing to see everything so green and lush following their wonderful rains, such contrast to the drought stricken Cape.  

The view from our cottage

We visited Fort Nottingham, a collection of buildings steeped in history.  It was erected in March 1856 by a detachment of the 45^th Regiment, The Sherwood Foresters from Nottingham, England, as a Fort and Military outpost to prevent the Bushmen (the children of the mist) from cattle rustling in the Natal Midlands.

The Fort

These Mountain San, also called the “Secret San”, were the first indigenous people of KZN, thought to be extinct until descendants with knowledge of their culture were found in the 1980’s distributed far and wide, from Ermelo to the Eastern Cape to Lesotho.

 

Outside the main building was the remains of a tree, it was originally a “post tree” outside the village post office.  It was used by the farm runners twice a week to hang their post on.  The post was delivered from Howick by pony and cart.  Fort Nottingham has since become home to the Annual Bells Scottish Highland and Traditional Games.

Gin Still

We did the obligatory Rawdons hotel and brewery visit, good news is they are now distilling gin as well and serving it on tap, ready mixed with tonic, absolutely fabulous I tell you!!

Beer Paddle at Rawdons

Caversham Mill

Also a visit to Caversham Mill, the river was flowing strongly again, I tried to find the dwarf chameleon one last time at Lilac Crane but no joy, 

St Ives

Good Coffee

we found a local gem in St Ives lodge, a bar/restaurant on the side of a beautiful dam and coffee at the original home of Terbadore coffee, their house coffee blend and trademark is a Great Dane as they were so loved on the farm and they still are…

The Mascot

Cheers Craig

Next stop was Richards Bay to the Monday night braai at Zululand Yacht Club and a catchup with old friends we left behind, a wonderful evening.  It was Craig’s 50^th birthday and we made a special effort to pop onto his yacht Eco Promise and have a quick drink with her in celebration and in his absence.

Then on to the Imfolozi Game Park, we were last there 3 years ago when both the Black and White Imfolozi rivers were dry and things were looking grim, how amazing that both rivers are now flowing strongly, so many animals to see at the waters edge, even elephants playing happily in the water.  It was great to see quite a few rhino, sadly the poaching is still not under control.  

Guess who wasn't looking for animals

What a great time of year to go to the Reserve, lush vegetation for the animals, water, many young animals, it was great except we were in a rental car that seems to have particularly low seating so the majority of our game sightings were of knees and feet!!  

In exasperation we did an early game drive on the second day, better view by far.  

We spent the night at Mpila tented camp again, sadly starting to look a little worn, hopefully they will do some upgrades, the hyena didn’t disappoint though, slinking around as soon as our meat was off the fire in case we had left anything.

4 new plats, looks like new again

At 90 Vic does so well

We spent a couple of days with my mom in Hibberdene, helped her with a couple of maintenance issues and 

Kevin, in true style, helped wherever he could with computer issues.  Bingo, Craft afternoon and general catching up with some wonderful old folk, so amazing.  We spent a fun last day doing an exploratory drive of the hidden and a little down at heel gem that is the Natal South Coast, stopping for a wonderful lunch at C-Bali in St Michaels and dinner at Jaxx, Port Shepstone.

C-Bali

Graeme, Michelle, Carol and Craig descended on Saldanha to celebrate that 50^th birthday properly.  After the initial party on arrival on Friday, a travelling dinner between our boat and Sundowner Rose, we all headed out on the same two yachts to Kraal Baai next day, it might have taken a number of attempts to get the spinnaker up and flying, co-ordination not being what it should have been, followed by a wonderful braai and slightly quieter party.  Sunday dawned thick and foggy but it was mothers day and we had to get back for lunch in Langebaan, much concentration was required from some tired brains.  

Up the pole

New anchor roller

Craig and Carol left after lunch but Michelle and Graeme stayed on for a few days and once more Graeme had a couple of small jobs, he installed a new anchor roller that he made and it works perfectly,

 then he was up the mast to figure out why one of the spreader lights wasn’t working. 

Then big excitement – Johnny, after keeping us in sworn to silence and suspense for ages (well it felt like ages), finally and in such style, asked Gaynor to marry him.  

He organised a helicopter flight from Randburg to lunch at The Conservatory, de Hoek Hotel where the will you marry me question was presented on the desert dish in chocolate sauce, wow!!!! 

Oh and she said yes 😊.  Now wedding arrangement fun.

On that happy note and while we are finally enjoying some much needed rain here in the Cape, have fun all….