Home Sweet Home

Home sweet home, or, is it?

We returned to Simons Town (False Bay Yacht Club) to find the boat in fine form thanks to our boat-sitters Jef and Barbara. Jef and Barbara had been living on Sage while we were in Canada. They fended off all sorts of nasty winter weather, cleaned the decks of sand blown on-board from winter winds and generally kept everything ship-shape.

Returning to Sage meant a haul out and a preparation for further voyaging. The first item on the agenda was to haul Sage out of the water, paint the galley, clean  and re-paint the anti-fouling and start on painting up the cockpit. Here is a partial list of all the items that we had to cover in order to prepare the boat for further adventures:

-check rigging

– review and renew abandon ship box

-check rudder- DONE
– check dripless coupling – DONE

– fix pulpit – DONE

– straighten stanchion – DONE
– get ss safety grid made – IN PROGRESS
– replace and install new propane gas holder
– make up stern rope reel
– light on propane switch
– replace zincs – DONE
– replace through hull valves
– check lower starboard shroud – DONE

– paint cockpit – DONE
– replace and install salt water pump – DONE
– replace and install fuel lift pump – DONE
– order dinghy – DONE
– order new genoa – DONE
– put wheels on new dinghy
– install new halyards – DONE
– re-bed waste tank extract
– fill hole in electronic self steering box – DONE
– mount dodger light – DONE
– install cigarette lighter socket in cockpit
– seal aft edge of new dodger – DONE
– purchase and install weather station DONE
– replace ventilator – DONE
– replace wire line on centreboard – DONE
– straighten pulpit and stanchions -DONE
– varnish interior – DONE
– sand cutting board inserts – DONE
– grease propellor boss – DONE
– replace jam cleats for mainsail track ropes – DONE
– re weave spinnaker pole halyard – DONE
– attach chafing plate on cockpit coaming – DONE
– install two handles on side of dinghy
– install towing eye on dinghy – DONE
– install clips and holder for main centre dodger window – DONE
– complete repair of vang by riveting DONE
– reseal mast top cap DONE
– reeve additional halyard for stern use DONE
– purchase and install new man overboard light – DONE
– install repaired starter motor – DONE
– replace salt water trap gasket – DONE

As you can see not all jobs have been completed but those that aren’t done at this point can wait for another day and a move up the priority list.

I think my favourite picture from the haul-out is the one below which shows not only how long we had not turned the propeller but also how vibrant the growth is here at the confluence of the Indian and Atlantic Ocean.

   Just a few of the ingredients for a healthy seafood chowder from prop scrapings

And here also a few pictures from the haul-out-days:

So not all our time has been spent working on the boat.  I can’t say we have been totally immersed in boat work and have managed to get away for a few breaks. We did get away for a two-day break and headed up to an area north of Cape Town called Langebaan where we had been back in January. There is a wonderful National Park there and an incredible lagoon which I would love to have the time to explore on the boat.

West coast of South Africa just north of Cape Town including Langebaan and Paternoster

There is great bird watching but the real draw in the spring are the flowers. We were a little late in the season but there were some remnants of the extent to which the spring flowers carpet the hillside.

We managed a two-day/one night trip up to the Langebaan area. It was a great break from boat duty but we needed to get things done so back down to Simons Town it was and work began again. But we did have to go into Cape Town and number of times for supplies. And in one instance we walked around what is known as the Bo-Kaap which is the muslim area and located very close to the downtown area. It’s colourful and being a Friday when we visited, the holy day for Muslims,  was busy with lots of people out on the streets and the numerous mosques teeming with worshippers.

After buying necessary supplies for boat work in Cape Town, visiting Bo-Kaap it was time for lunch. S0, off to our favourite eatery – Chef’s Warehouse. This is an unusual restaurant the combines a bookstore, speciality item shop and the restaurant. It doesn’t have a large menu and in fact just one set menu where you choose either four or eight items of what if featured for the day. It’s not cheap but presentation and taste are tops. To go along with their excellent food they have a great wine selection. Seating is very informal and tight. In fact you may have to share a table which always leads to interesting conversations. We highly recommend this place if you want a treat for either dinner or lunch.

                                 Dessert at Chef’s Warehouse at 95 Bree Street

Running back to Simons Town with our supplies we worked away for a few days before making another foray but this time closer to the boat.

We hadn’t yet been down to see the Cape of Good Hope. Although we have already rounded the southern most point of South Africa which is known as Cape Agulhas, we had not rounded the Cape of Good Hope (we hope to do this tomorrow). The Cape of Good Hope and Cape Point are the southern most point of the Cape Peninsula which runs south from Table Mountain and is part of the National Park

                    Cape Peninsula and False Bay

The Cape Peninsula is fantastic. Wonderful sea and landscapes, protected areas for recreational purposes interspersed with small unique communities perched on cliff edges and small bays. It’s a recreational wonderland for mountain biking, surfing, kite-boarding, cycling etc. Simons Town is right on the edge of it and within a very few minutes we can be swimming on beaches teeming with penguins or hiking amongst the fynbos and proteas. To put it simply it’s fantastic.

Very little else has happened in the last two months but we are now ready to move on and tomorrow head to an anchorage in Cape Town proper where final preparations and victuals will be put onboard Sage to make our long trek north.

As a parting gift to us the other cruisers in the marina managed to sneak onboard last night and do a few more renovations: