A Circumnavigator‘s Yacht
11.12.2019 13:20 local time
Sailing round the Cape right now. Faule Haut is just going round the southernmost point of South Africa.
BUT – it is not Cape of Good Hope, as most people think. The southernmost point is Cape Agulhas. She has 108 nm left to go to Cape Town.
The last two days it was perfect sailing. She is making over 5 kn of speed and should reach Cape Town tomorrow afternoon. Skipper Ingo and Crew Immanuel are in high moods.
While we are sailing along the South African Coast, with 254 nm left to go to Cape Town, Immanuel caught a tuna this morning right in time for breakfast.
It wasn’t such a big one, but definitely enough for a meal for two. Delicious tuna steaks.
Shortly after that, he had a bigger fish on the rod, but unfortunately the line broke and we lost line, lure and hook
Faule Haut has passed the most challenging leg on her circumnavigation – the Mozambique Channel and the South African Coast between Richard’s Bay and Port Elizabeth.
She is just speeding along the South African Coast, making 7.3 knots, and has just past Port Elizabeth.
What comes now, will be a walk in the park compared to what she experienced within the last three weeks.
A great relief for Skipper Ingo and Crew Immanuel.
The forecast look as good as never before, which means a safe cruise from now on is expected.
Thank God for his protection through a bunch of ordeals.
There are 405 nm left to their next stop, which will be Cape Town, and they should get there in less than four days.
Cruising along the South African coast about 80 nm south of Durban, I just received this email from my weather guru Des.
That man can read my mind:
„Dear Ingo
I am sure by now you are having some regrets about being out there…“
That guy is so darn right.
My answere to him tells you what we are in right now:
„Hi Des, you can read my thoughts. And you do know the weather well.
I knew it was gonna be tough, but I didn’t expect it to come that bad. It’s even worse than WINDY is showing in their forecast.
High waves and uncomfortable swell. This is between purgatory and hell. But what am I talking – you know all that.
It’s good that I have cell phone connection so I can get the forecast. According to WINDY the wind should go down from noon on. Slowly – but that will be a relief. They better not lie to me.
A big wave flooded the cockpit 15 Minutes ago and I was soaking wet and just changed my clothes…“
Sailing is bad, when you are tied up to a schedule. This will be a loooooong day.
Leaving Durban with ne crew. Faule Haut Skipper Ingo is in top mood.
I picked up my new crew, Immanuel, yesterday, a young but experienced sailor from Germany who will join me across the Atlantic up to the Caribbean. This will make the cruise a lot more interesting and entertaining and most likely less dangerous as well. He is a very sympathetic guy and we both are looking forward to the upcoming experience.
Immanuel has been a great help this morning already, when he fixed a disattached step on the companionway, which was not an easy task, because of the little access space in the motor compartment.
Shortly after that we got 100 liter diesel delivered to the boat.
It’s almost unbelievable: Durban is a huge port with hundreds of boats, but they don’t have a gas station for the pleasure craft. All fuel has to be carried to the boat by jerry cans. Same as I experienced in Indonesia.
A strong black guy came to the boat an asked for a job. He offered to clean the entire hull for just 400 South African Rand (26,- € or 30,- $US)
This came in handy, because it was full of barnacles again. I had the intention to do the cleaning myself once we reach Cape Town, but for that low price I decided to let him do it. This helped both of us. That fellow did a great job and Faule Haut is clean now and ready for the Atlantic crossing.
But first we need to get to Cape Town. We are still sailing along the South African Coast in the Agulhas current where it is extremely dangerous if the weather is not playing right for you.
We left Durban two hours, ago and rIght now we are having good winds from astern.
Tomorrow it’s supposed to change and we will be facing southerly winds which will be very bad for us. But according to the forecast, this should only last for about one day. On from tomorrow morning we’ll be having a pretty uncomfortable cruise.
All the other boats here that are heading for Cape Town are waiting for Sunday to leave, but because we are already 9 days behind our schedule we decided to start today. Up to East London there will be no shelter along the coast, so we hope the weather won’t get to rough.
Having cell phone connection, I’m able to post this right from the boat on this website. Two hours ago, Faule Haut has left Richard’s Bay and is heading towards Durban to pick up his Crew Immanuel, who is waiting there already.
The wind is facing the bow, as the high waves (up to 5 m) as well, FAULE Haut is running under motor. It’s a very uncomfortable ride. Luckily the waves are not breaking. But with the wind and the waves against me, I’m making only 2 kn of SOG. I should reach the Agulhas Current in about 10 nm and hope that this will give me a boost. But that only works, if the waves won’t break. If they break, I have to get back closer to the coast and would not have the advantage of the current.
30.11.2019
I visited the SDA Church at Richard‘s Bay, South Africa, where I met my brothers & sisters. Being the only white one and in spite of my ugly pale face, they accepted me as their brother 😉 and I got invited to join them for lunch on the lawn, where we had good talks. Thank you guys, for your hospitality and friendship.
Stay close to the Lord, and we will meet again.
Skipper Ingo on SY Faule Haut.
There is a well known rule for sailing: Never have a schedule!
Among the boats here at Port Tuzi Gazi at Richard‘s Bay, South Africa, there are about 25 that are going to make the same passage to Cape Town like me. Everybody I talked to, has contact with the weather guru Des Cason and is listening to his advice. We are all waiting for a change of the weather.
I check it every few hours, but it doesn’t look favorable.
On Monday it looks as if it starts to get better, but on Tuesday, the winds are blowing from the south right against the Agulhas Current. And this with a speed of 30 knots.
That’s exactly the weather pattern that produces these notorious rough waves. I wouldn’t mind waiting, but I’m expecting crew and it’s sure now, that I won’t make it in time to pick him up as scheduled.
Ja – es heißt ja – das schlimmste was es beim Segeln gibt, ist, ein Zeitplan zu haben.
Von den Booten die hier im Hafen liegen warten ca. 25 seit zwei Wochen auf ein günstiges Zeit-/Wetterfenster (jeder den ich getroffen habe, steht in Kontakt mit dem südafrikanischen Wetter-Guru Des Cason und wartet auf grünes Licht von ihm zur Weiterfahrt). Es müsste nach den Regeln der Wahrscheinlichkeit jeden Moment günstiges Wetter kommen, dachte ich, bis ich es gerade wieder gecheckt habe.
Ab Montag ist es ein Tag ok und ab Dienstage blasen südliche Winde mit 30 kn wieder nach Norden genau gegen den Agulhasstrom. Das ist genau die Wettersituation, die diese Monsterwellen hier aufbauen. Was ein Mist.
Das Warten macht mich verrückt, da ich meine Crew nicht wie erwartet aufnehmen kann. Wenn das nicht wär, wär es mir egal.
Meistens sind die Wettervorhersagen nur die ersten zwei drei Tage genau. Jetzt hoffe ich, dass sie ab dem dritten oder vierten Tag falsch sind.
Faule Haut hängt immer noch in der Warteschleife at Tuzi Gazi Marina, Richard‘s Bay, South Africa.
Ich habe eine riesen Gefahrenzone hinter mir, aber ich bin noch nicht aus dem Schneider. Erst hinter Port Elizabeth wird die Gefahr vorüber sein.
Hab gerade das Video angesehen über mein Router Des Cason, in dem er über die Gefahren in diesem Mozambique/Agulhas Current spricht. Nach Novia Scotia, Canada, ist dies hier die gefährlichste Ecke der Welt. Weitaus schlimmer als Cape Horn.Unbeschreiblich, was der Mann seit Jahren leistet.Er hat mich zwei Wochen lang über Satellitentelefon mit Wetterinfos versorgt und mich bis nach Richard‘s Bay gelotst.
Ich bin einer von Hunderten. Der Mann ist sowas von verlässlich.Zu Recht, hat man ihn dafür geehrt, was er für die Sailing Community geleistet hat.
Falls es jemanden interessiert. Hier ist ein Video Clip über ihn.
Skipper Ingo on Faule Haut, Richard‘s Bay, South Afrika.