Under Africa
Day 86
Noon Position: 48 02S 18 35E
Course/Speed: E7
Wind: NW 15-25
Sail: Working jib full, wind on port quarter
Bar: 1003
Sea: W10
Sky: Overcast
Cabin Temp: 53
Water Temp: 42
Miles last 24-hours: 163
Longitude Miles Made Good: 155
Miles since departure: 11,527
Yesterday. A half day of open blue sky and sparkling blue ocean. At 47 and a half south. If I had not seen it, I would not have believed. I spent the entire morning shooting video (below), whose images I loved so much I could not edit any out, but instead am presenting a full five minutes of boat on ocean from various angles.
The night before had seen one squall after another taking winds to 30 and requiring I run the twins reduced so I could sleep. That made the hours of uninterrupted sun the more surprising.
In the afternoon the world reverted to its mean, cold self. Cloud came in heavy and wind increased to the low 30s, due west. I rolled in the twins, then rolled in more. Then more.
Overnight I ran with just a scratch of a working jib, and we flew.
And in the morning, on day 26 of our departure from Ushuaia, we passed under Africa, or, to be more specific, under the longitude for Cape Town, after 3,567 miles of easting.
This circumnavigation around the south is variously known as a “passage via the three great capes” or “the five great capes” or just “the great capes passage.” But however it is called, Cape of Good Hope, at the southern end of the continent of Africa in longitude 18E, is one of the biggies. In our case, though, the title is appropriate in name only as said cape is a full 800 miles north.
For me its a first big step. If the the story of our time in the south has three chapters, this concludes chapter one (Cape Horn to Cape Good Hope) and will see us, in a few days, pass from the South Atlantic Ocean into the Indian. The next chapter will conclude when we pass under Cape Leeuwin in longitude 116E, which defines the southwestern tip of Australia and is just over 4,000 miles further on. The last will be the return to Cape Horn.
Mesmerizing video. Thank you!!!!
Watching your every move with intrigue and inspiration. Gorgeous video of the open Atlantic/ Indian ocean soup. Push on! Cheers.
Very cool video! Thank you!
Good to see your smiling face – we have followed your every move – take care!
Nice to finally see your grin and those magical twins doing such a good job! Likewise the Monitor wind vane steering a pretty straight course for you. Cheers. Welcome to the Indian Ocean. Following from Airlie beach, Queensland, Australia.
Awesome! Looks like a day on the Pacific except that you’re not in bikini briefs! Still trying to figure out how you’re operating that camera! Aloha