Click to see current location and track.

January 24, 2024

St. Helena

St. Helena is a tiny island in the South Atlantic between Africa and Brazil. It was discovered by the Portuguese and became an important stopover for ships on long ocean passages due to the availability of fresh water. Initially uninhabited, the island was eventually colonized by the British, and it remains a dependency of Great Britain. St. Helena is most famous as the second site of exile of Napoleon Bonaparte and the site of his death. Oddly enough, it is one of the locations on our trip that I have been most excited to visit.

After a smooth sail from Walvis Bay, we arrived in James Bay in the evening and anchored next to fellow rally boat Renegade who serenaded us with rock and roll as we found a secure spot next to a steep cliff. The following morning, we took the local water taxi to shore to complete entry formalities. The Jamestown dock is unprotected and subject to a vicious surge; hence, use of our own dinghies is discouraged. Fortunately, the taxi is available and cheap.

Jamestown is a small town full of pubs, shops, and restaurants. It is built in a rocky, steep-walled valley, and the most striking feature of the skyline is Jacob’s Ladder, a staircase of 699 steps leading to the firmament. I had read about these steps and was anxious to give them a try.

First, we took a taxi tour of the island. Although our initial impression of St. Helena is that of a rocky wasteland, once we ascend out of the valley, we enter a lush tropical ecosystem. Our first stop was Longwood. This was the residence of Napoleon to which he was banished by the British following his loss at Waterloo. He lived here from 1815 until his death in 1821. Interestingly, the French government subsequently bought the property and continue to manage it under consular authority. The accommodations were quite luxurious and included a billiard table in the main salon.

We then visited the tomb of Napoleon which is located in a particularly verdant and scenic nearby valley. As per his wishes, Napoleon’s remains were later relocated to Paris in 1840.

Our next stop was the Governor’s mansion, where we had the opportunity to meet Jonathan. No, that is not the governor. Jonathan is the world’s oldest land animal, a Seychelles tortoise that was hatched in 1832 and brought to the island with three other tortoises in 1882. He lives with his colleagues on the grounds of the governor’s mansion. He looks pretty good for 192 years of age. The tour finished at the top of Jacob’s Ladder, and I had my first opportunity to walk down. Not too bad.

The following day, we refilled our diesel tanks, and then had lunch in town. This gave me an opportunity to tackle Jacob’s Ladder again; this time, a full round trip. I’m sure I will feel the pain tomorrow. You definitely don’t want to stumble. It is a long way down.

On Wednesday, I took a tour boat to swim with whale sharks which frequent the area. Unfortunately, they did not make an appearance for us. A member of the royal family, the Duke of Edinburgh made an official visit to the island at this time, and Yong was in town to hear his speech. Reportedly, he also went for a whale shark tour the following day (the day we left the island), and we heard radio reports that his boat’s engine stalled, and he had to be towed back to town!

St. Helena was a unique place to visit. Until recently, the only way to visit was by boat. An airport has been constructed, but it sees very little traffic, and due to weather conditions, flights are often canceled. We are very happy to have stopped here. The residents could not have been friendlier. We must be moving on, however. Our next stop: Ascension Island.

January 19, 2024

Another Milestone

We achieved another milestone this morning: we crossed the earth’s Prime Meridian and re-entered the West! This should come as quite a blow to all the flat-earthers out there. We encircled the globe and failed to encounter any cliffs, edges, or waterfalls. Of course, the instrument and navigational companies may be in on the conspiracy. I will have to look into that. For now, I am confident that we live on a spherical orb.

January 16, 2024

An Exclusive Club

An extraordinary thing happened late last night. We became circumnavigators. Simply stated, we have sailed across all 360 degrees of longitude from 9 degrees east in Corsica in the Mediterranean to 9 degrees east in the South Atlantic between Namibia and St. Helena. I have heard that more people have summited Mt. Everest than have performed a sailing circumnavigation. There are some rules for the club. You can’t simply stand at one of the poles and in a few steps cross all the lines of longitude. Technically, you must sail in a rough approximation of a great circle (a circle around the earth whose center includes the center of the earth) and you must cross the equator. Check, and check. Pretty cool. Next stop: St. Helena.

January 13, 2024

Walvis Bay, Namibia

We enjoyed a pleasant sail from Cape Town to Walvis Bay. With Scott on board, our night shifts are much more tolerable. The passage was around 800 nautical miles and we anchored in Walvis Bay on the fourth day. As we sailed along the coast, we were entranced by the endless sand dunes and numerous seals. Namibia is home to the oldest desert in the world, and one of the driest. Namibia was originally colonized by the Germans. It came under the administration of South Africa following World War I and achieved independence in 1990. Nonetheless, Namibia retains much German culture as reflected in the language, architecture, and food. Namibia is an excellent place to visit as it is one of the most stable of the sub-Saharan nations and is very safe.

Following entry formalities, we toured the nearby sand dunes with a guide in a Toyota 4Runner. The giant dunes embrace the coast and our vehicle rode the terrain like a squishy roller coaster.

Scott rented a car, and we visited the nearby town of Swakopmund where we shopped and dined at a local German restaurant (schnitzel, sauerkraut, and strudel, of course). The architecture in the area is surprisingly modern and upscale. The local economy seems primarily driven by tourism, but clearly someone is building (and buying) expensive beach homes. Aside from tourism, the Namibian economy is driven by fishing, sea salt production, and mining (copper, gold, uranium, sulfur, etc.).

Our stay in Namibia is short, and we are starting to plan our next big passage: crossing the South Atlantic to Brazil, with a stopover on the island of St. Helena. We bid adieu to Scott, and hope to see him again in the Caribbean.

January 5, 2024

Cape Town Wrap-up

Yes, I know. I have been slacking on the blog. I took a little break, but I am back at it now! Before I proceed, I should present a disclaimer: we loved Cape Town, and we believe it should be on everyone’s bucket list for travel. Although Yong returned to the States for a month to see family, I stayed on Leviathan with the dogs and spent a total of about 7 weeks in Cape Town. The first two weeks were occupied with various boat chores. I had a long list of to-dos, and I accomplished everything that was under my control. After that, I was able to enjoy most of the activities of the Western Cape.

Here is a list of my favorite things in Cape Town:

1) Hiking up Table Mountain. Walter (Fat Kat II) and I made our way up the Platteklip Gorge trail from the lower cable car base station to the top of Table Mountain. This was a challenging hike, and we were rewarded by spectacular 360-degree views.

2) The double-decker red tour bus. This is an easy way to see the city and its environs. You pay a low fee for the day and can hop on and hop off carte blanche.

3) The V&A Waterfront Area. A short walk from our marina allows access to some 80 restaurants, a large shopping mall, and innumerable bars and shops in the V&A Waterfront. There is excellent security, so it is very safe, even at night. The place is usually packed, but it is always easy to walk into nearly any restaurant without reservations.

4) The wine country. The Western Cape is blessed with a Mediterranean climate that is conducive to the cultivation of many varietals of grapes. The region is best known for its Pinotage which is a hybrid of Pinot Noir and Hermitage. There are scores of excellent wineries producing vintages which rival the best of California and Europe. Even if you are not a big wine drinker, a tour of the wine country makes for great sight-seeing.

5) The Groote Schuur Hospital Museum. Many of you may know that native South African Christian Barnard performed the first human-to-human heart transplant in 1967 at Groote Schuur Hospital. We toured the museum which celebrates the technical accomplishment and recognizes the sacrifice of the family of the young donor. We were particularly lucky to have the actual perfusionist from that landmark case as our tour guide.

6) Cape Point Tour. Most people have heard of the Cape of Good Hope and assume that it is the southern tip of the African continent. This is incorrect. That distinction belongs to Cape Agulhas. Nonetheless, the Cape of Good Hope is a major seafaring landmark and represents the tip of the peninsula upon which Cape Town rests. The Cape is the home for baboons, ostriches, and a colony of penguins. Most importantly for SpongeBob fans, the Cape of Good Hope is the home of the Flying Dutchman, the famous ghost ship.

7) Rugby. In early December, an international rugby-sevens tournament was held at the stadium next to the waterfront. We had a great time attending the games. I am still a little unsure of the rules, but the general flow of the game is easy to follow. The game is fast-moving and quick, with two seven-minute halves per game.

8) The Oranjezicht City Farm Market. This is one of the best markets we have seen in our travels. It is open on weekend days and Wednesday nights, and it is located next to the stadium. They have a little bit of everything, and best of all, it is very dog friendly.

I realize this sounds like a travel brochure, but I encourage everyone to consider Cape Town. Moreover, the best time to visit is probably December, which is summer in the Southern Hemisphere. Anyway, all good things must come to an end, and we must depart Cape Town for Namibia. Fortunately for us, our friend and frequent transient crew Scott will be joining us on the next leg!

Older Posts