www.gratisaustralis.com/category/indian-ocean/ And for other news: More sanding for Bob on the cabin sides. After two days of hard slog sanding, I have commenced varnishing and painting the galley.

  We now have St Lucia Wetlands, Bayete Zulu Elephant Interaction, Imfolozie Game Park, Richards Bay to Durban, and Ushaka Marine World online. Some of the boat work images are also up. The links are: www.gratisaustralis.com/?cat=222 www.gratisaustralis.com/?cat=220

What a night it was Friday!!!! 50+ knots throughout as a massive low to the south passed through. One section of the pontoons came apart early on as it snapped under the pressure created by the wind. It required the assistance of two tugs with lines attached to the southern piece in order to prevent it from totally falling […]

Exquisite weather, a midnight departure and the speed of the infamous Agulhas Current (www.oceancurrents.rsmas.miami.edu/atlantic/agulhas.html) all worked in our favour as, after a three month sabbatical, we commenced our journey southward: Europe bound.  

Weather window not large enough: not departing tomorrow after all. We shall be moving round to Zululand Yacht Club to escape escape the effects of the tugs and the deafening noise that goes until 3am most Thursday to Sunday nights. Time for completing a few more jobs.

Preparations for the move are coming along: food stowed, repairs made…… It’s now just wait for the weather window. Video editing has commenced. With some rain predicted, another visit to the parks is imminent: with water pooling in a region that is currently rain deprived, that’s when the animals appear. Our friends from Thor espied […]

Tidied the forward cabin and purchased the first of the food. Weather checks are now a daily job. Our new logo is well under way and is going to look fantastic. Tome is now revamping the blog itself. We are so excited.

Our trip to Imfolozi Game Reserve (http://www.nature-reserve.co.za/hluhluwe-imfolozi-wildlife-preserve.html) was magical. We had only just crossed the grid into the park, and there was our first elephant sighting: such a graceful animal for their size. Giraffes, baboons, rhinos, deer by the hundreds, zebras, hunting birds and more…. The work on the engine is now complete.  With a […]

  Only a half hour or so from Richards Bay, Imfolozie (www.nature-reserve.co.za/hluhluwe-imfolozi-wildlife-preserve.html) was the park we left until last. Every park and every day was different in its own indefinable way. Birds…… Warthog Deer ….. We just loved how the animals interacted with one another. Wildebeest grazing…. One of our favourites, the elephants: a heard crossed the road in front […]

http://gratisaustralis.com/the-journey-so-far/journey-the-world/2014-2/richards-bay-south-africa/ Keep scrolling down in order to view the new images and script. A bit of news on Daily Snippets. http://gratisaustralis.com/preparations/

http://gratisaustralis.com/the-journey-so-far/journey-the-world/2014-2/richards-bay-south-africa/

Painting and the demoulding of the forward lazarettes is completed (always a continuing saga on boats when in the tropics). In just a few minutes I will be into the bilges once again – drying the compartments and rinsing/drying/vacuum bagging the cans this time. Bob is heading out to replenish the gas bottles and doing a few of […]

Lunching in one of the waterfront restaurants, our eyes bulged as the platters arrived. For me, a massive succulent half chicken butterflied open, accompanied by a large serve of pumpkin, zucchini, beans and a cup of rice filled a plate nearly 40 centimetres square. A serve of mushrooms overflowed a 30cm diameter bowl. Bob’s chicken […]

More spiels added to The Mauritius Page (more pics will come over the next month). http://gratisaustralis.com/the-journey-so-far/journey-the-world/mauritius/ South Africa so far http://gratisaustralis.com/the-journey-so-far/journey-the-world/richards-bay-south-africa/

Bone weary and mentally drained, this was proving the most difficult leg to date. The high in place for an additional day, gave us 24 hours up our sleeve, and with poor wind strength did we need it!!! Regularly checking with Peri Peri for weather updates……. Midday: at long last, although light, the winds turned […]

The north easterlies at long last arrived! Another drama as the wretched throttle wouldn’t engage, so with engine off, rocking and rolling we were during the process of raising the sails once more. A bit of investigation later, it turned out the second throttle in the cockpit had been knocked into gear, thereby blocking the […]

Upon my awaking, there was Bob setting the main: the long awaited Easterlies had arrived, or, so he thought. What a farceur that wind had been!!!! Main and Asymmetric out, that bug bear of nature receded once more. Grrrrrrrrrr…….!!!!! Down it all came. Like an imp, the wind frolicked with Bob throughout the day: up, […]

After struggling with light winds overnight, conditions finally reached the ultra – light level and without our twins, (remember, we were unable to use the combination until the alteration to the rig was undertaken). All sails were brought on board and Big Bertha thrummed to life. Two days remained, of the journey – touch wood!! […]

17:30, 440nm remained. This was the evening we commenced listening to Roy on Peri Peri Radio, a South African service that provided twice daily weather updates and advice. South Africa is notorious for the development of localised weather fronts. All was well.