Year 3 -10 July 2026 -Depart Port Elizabeth for Cape Town -South Africa

We agreed to wake at 7.00am and John and Jenny made breakfast which was scrambled eggs on toast with avocado which was delicious and a good start to the day and for our trip. The trip to Cape Town is about 400 + nm depending on the route you take and passes the notorious Cape Agulhas and Cape Point (Cape of Storms) After breakfast we went through our emergency procedures. I went through the boat with Robin both inside and outside so he was as familiar as he could be in the circumstances. In terms of watches  I put Robin with me, Mark with Keith and John with Jenny.

It was a grey day but felt quite calm inside the harbour. We took in the electric lead and prepared our lines into slips and got ready to leave. I contacted Port Control to get permission to leave and it took a number of attempts before they answered but we got permission to leave the port. We slipped the lines and eased off our mooring and then idled in the port whilst the lines and fenders were put away and that everything was ship shape and Bristol fashion for departure.

We motored out of the harbour and round the breakwater which had waves crashing into it and spray was coming over the top. We slowly eased round into the deeper water and headed toward the cardinal before Cape Recife which warned ships of a reef. Although there was a westerly wind we decided to get out to the cardinal before putting up any sails.

There was a wreck marked on the chart called Baratz so I decided to look it up. On November 26, the 29-meter-long fishing vessel Baratz became disabled and sank off Port Elizabeth, South Africa. The crayfish boat had suffered engine failure and water ingress in heavy seas with winds reaching 20 knots and swells reaching 5 meters. The Baratz requested assistance with its sister ship, Helena Marie coming to her aid. The Helena Marie attempted to tow the Baratz back to port, but the Baratz flooding caused the vessel to list. The 25 crew on board were forced to abandoned ship into the fishing vessel’s two life rafts before the Baratz sank. The NSRI dispatched a lifeboat which was joined by two helicopters to the scene.  All 25 crew were later rescued.  No reports of injuries. This was a reminder that this coast can be treacherous.

We reached the cardinal and the swell had increased to 3-4 m and we put up the sails and headed out to a waypoint some way off Cape Recife. We could see from a number of miles away the lighthouse we visited and the waves crashing on to the shore which is the most Southeastern point of South Africa.

As we continued we began to encounter shipping and we were going to miss most but one ship was going to be close. They called us up and I agreed to reduce sail to allow the ship to pass in front which it did. We continued on our course South as the wind was supposed to come round to the South over the day. It started to bend in the right direction but by midday was dying and becoming variable. This may have been caused by a front South. We had drizzly rain and it was not particularly pleasant conditions.

Due to the wind we put on the engine and motored hoping the wind would back and strengthen. It did neither and on doing a further update we were in a wind hole which had increased in size and it looked like we would not get more wind until the morning. This was very annoying but we need to be making progress as the wind turns to from the North on Monday afternoon and we have to be in by then.

I had checked all the models and we needed to head Southwest to a point where we could head for the Capes on a reasonable wind angle. We therefore motored as best we could and I knew we would come into the Agulhas Current again which would help us.

We settled down but with the swell and without sails it was quite rocky and made sleeping, cooking and general living quite uncomfortable. Robin and I handed over at 12.00noon and Jenny made some sandwiches.

The afternoon wore on and we had a lot of ship movement about us and we had to call some of them up to ask their intentions and they agreed to keep out of our way.

Mark heated up the mince meal that Terry had kindly given us which was tasty and we had it with rice and broccoli.

Robin and I were then on watch from 8.00pm -11.00pm and we had to look out for ships. There was some wind but it was all over place and would increase when we had rain again and it was not consistent in terms of direction and strength so we just had to push on and make the miles until the wind properly returns. We therefore settled in for the night.  The weather could be far worse and we just need to get to Cape Town whilst we have this lighter weather window.

 The picture of the day is a view out to see from Cape Recife an area we would have sailed through. This was on a sunny day not the day when we passed as I took no photo today.

 Need/Opportunity Year Three

I am now on the way to Durban and will then head for Cape Town and then on to St Helena, Azores and back to the UK. 

I am now in need of 1 additional crew from Cape Town to the Azores. The new crew member would need to be onboard by 10 August and it is likely we would get to the Azores by late September or early October. If at all interested in joining me please contact me on my email below or WhatsApp +44 7931360372.

The blog will continue as we continue the journey. If you have any comments or suggestions about the blog then do email me on hine.nick9@gmail.com