St Helena
A very quick post with no pictures due to expensive and limited internet capabilities.
It’s Christmas Eve and we are sitting at anchor off the main port town of St. Helena – Jamestown
The anchorage is an open roadstead i.e. there is no protection from the ocean swells but we are on the lee side of the island. That doesn’t stop the Christmas ornaments from swinging violently from side to side on the inside of the boat nor negate the need to cook with a gimbaled stove. The wind howls in powerful gusts down the valley of Jamestown, blasts across the waterfront and out into the anchorage. Sometimes these gusts reach 40 knots pushing us onto our sides and rattling our drinks (oh, poor us!)
All in all though we have enjoyed St. Helena what with incredible hikes, lovely landscapes and extrememly friendly people. Everyone knows everyone else and no-one passes without a “hello” or at least a wave from a speeding car. Of course, everyone is in the Christmas mood. There has already been one parade of lights and tonight everyone comes to town and walks from the hospital to the waterfront to wish each other Merry Christmas. Of course, we’re going. We have ordered a special ferry trip ashore as for the next four days ferry services in the anchorage have ceased.
Speaking of ferry service it’s been wonderful. The mooring buoys provided for 2GBP/day are outside the main anchorage and a ferry service to take one ashore on an hourly basis. One needs the ferry service as there are no beaches to leave ones dinghy and even if there were one would have to surf in with the likely consequence of an unscheduled bath. It’s just too unprotected from the swell to provide safe arrival.
So, to all, a Merry Christmas. And since we are heading to sea on Christmas day we also wish you a Happy New Year considering we will still be at sea on our way to Ascenion. This time there is no tracker as our crew member, Gary, has abondoned ship and left for his hometown of Cape Town and taken his tracking device with him. It was a great experiment and hope all readers had enjoyment watching our progress. The next leg is not as far – 800NM and we’ll be there. Time depends on the wind but judging from the wind now we should be there in about 7 days or less.
Sage on sail 
feliz navidad compa!
Just in time for Christmas. Your blog most welcome as a Christmas gift. Great to hear from you. good luck on your next leg, the mystery tour, look forward to hearing about where you’ve ended up.
Frozen-in Fred
Merry Christmas you two and a Happy New Year and safe travels! Love, Loretta and Darrel xoxoxo
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Tony & Connie!–so great to hear from you on Christmas Eve–much love xxxx
Merry Christmas and hohoho… great that you’re on your way again. Happy New Year!
Hey Folks. Best of the season to both of you. I’m green with envy of you for being somewhere I’ve always been fascinated by. Something about being remote really has an appeal to me. All’s well here, except poor Ingrid. She’s been in hospital since March and is gradually less and less animated. Still doesn’t seem depressed but it’s hard to tell when there’s no communication. Not a very happy expression on her face but there’s several drugs involved so who knows? We’re having the kids here for dinner as usual and that’s it. Hope your sail to Ascencion is pleasant. Merry Christmas and all the best. Teddo and Bev .
And a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you both. Sounds like your having a real “rock and roll” Xmas. We’ll be having a white one here in Shawnigan. Looking forward to hearing your further adventures in 2017 and Bon Voyage to your next destination.
Oh wow, U 2,
We did not know you had a fellow on board from CT to St.Helena.
I am feeling quite out of your loop right now but Mexico does that to us.
We also do not have a world map here so I am not really sure where you are in the Atlantic?
Any way, you are probably into Boxing Day or even later from our time zone and maybe you will not get this until your next land fall…. any way, you know we love you guys dearly at any time of the year.
BIG hugs from us,
Annie B. and Lornie De.
Happy Christmas and fair winds from us on frosty Cortes.
Much love
J
Merry Christmas and all the best for Hogmaney May Aleous be fair to you .Thank you verymuch for your news from Southern Africa enjoyed your experiences .
From Bill enjoying sailing on Bandaras Bay ! Mexico
Salude mi amiga y amigo
Sailboat BIKA has shared a?OneDrive?file with you. To view it, click the link below.
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Bika crew, xmas 2016.jpg
How wonderful to hear from you! Hope the sail to Ascension has gone well. We are in Stavanger still, probably until spring 2018, when we’ll cross from NFDL and resume our life afloat. Keep on sailing and one day we’ll reunite. This summer we’ll go back to the boat in Shelburne, finish the cockpit work and sail to NFDL.
Much love, Nina & Henrik
________________________________ Fra: Sage on sail Sendt: 24. desember 2016 16:33 Til: sybika@hotmail.com Emne: [New post] St Helena
tcgibb posted: “A very quick post with no pictures due to expensive and limited internet capabilities. It’s Christmas Eve and we are sitting at anchor off the main port town of St. Helena – Jamestown The anchorage is an open roadstead i.e. there is no protection from t”