Monday Day 1
21 October 2013
01h00
leaving Cape Town
34'45,079E 19'14,625E
So we have just passed Gaanbaai. What a crazy last 2 days, I was sitting on my couch last night applying for jobs crawling the net, when I get a message from a mate, hey bru what's your number you wanna help take a boat too India leaving TOMMOROW MORNING, I was like aah okay!
Next thing you know here I am On Solo watch on 86m Palate carrier On her last voyage to India too be scrapped. Russian Captain and Chief both named Sergiv which makes life simple, One other Saffa and a mixed batch of Namibians and Eastern Europeans. I even have officer status, My own cabin and 3 meals a day, well I might miss breakfast seeing I finish my watch at 4am....
Apparently she used to carry potatoes and stuff up too Rwanda and places in Africa. She was built in 1978 in Norway.
First night watch in a while and just sliding back into the groove a bit nervous when seeing lights but all the knowledge is still hidden in this brain of mine feels good. Awesome evening full moon a couple of dolphins round. The sea has calmed down the South Easter is but a light breeze and we cruising along at about 7.5 knots.
Well I'm going too get back too keeping my eye on things and will try keep this as updated as possible, though there is no Wifi aboard.
Wednesday Day 3
Off St Francis
34'18,90S 25'25,20E 14h26
Well it's been pretty uneventfull so far cruising along at around 9 knots, Seeing lots of whales while on watch which is 4 hours and I sit through two of them 12 >16h00 and then 12> 4am and that's pretty much my day in a nutshell. So stoked we have aircon in our rooms cause it is going too get very warm in the next couple of days.
The route we taking is up the coast as far as about East London then we going too head towards Madagascar flip wish we where stopping there.... Then we head up past Reunion onto Port Louis in Mauritius.
If the sea state stays nice to us we should be in Port Louis by around the 2nd.
Well I just finished a movie called The Impossible wow go find it and watch it.
Passing time playing need for speed.
At the end of my watch things got a but busy, I had too dodge some fishing boats.
Well we have officially headed off into the deep blue of the Indian Ocean next bit of land I shall see will probably be Madagascar. So time for lots of reading walking circles around the aft deck for exercise and what ever else I can find to occupy myself....
Monday Day 8
32'07,64 S 34'22,45E
03:07 5.2 kn
Braaivlies on the boat epic dinner chops wors and mash I was stoked ha ha.
Well the weather has been pretty miserable for the last couple of day 3 - 5 m swells and gale force easterlie winds which equals rather uncomfortable sailing...
We have been rocking and rolling all over the show and this also has the negative effect of slowing us down somewhat! Even on a boat this size I sleep with one hand always ready too grab on and braced for the worst. I really hope we do get some calmer seas but the weather reports are not on our side so far but one can only hope.
This language barrier again it gets too me I was speaking with the young Able Seaman ( deckhand ) today and he was saying the same thing communication is a reall problem, for instance the other night I had a alarm go off, know I cannot read what it's for because it's in Russian I think so I phone the engineer on watch all I get is a grunt well I said alarm and he said? Pretty funny but also scary in some ways.
On a another subject that bothers me over the last couple of days being quite far offshore you are allowed to throw 90% of your rubbish of into the ocean there are pretty strick guidelines though, but NOT PLASTIC but do these guys give a damn everything just goes overboard! It makes me wonder how many other boats do this pretty scary thought....
25'24,75 S 048'24,20 E
01:50 8.2 kts
Well first bit of rain a thunderstorm too top it off, such a epic thing too watch as it just slides over and carrys on over this massive ocean....
We are passing Madagascar at the moment, I cannot see it as we are too far offshore. You know lands there as life has returned we've had some tiny little birds that hung out in the mess for a afternoon they where super cute but did not hang out for too long. Then with the rain this evening came dragonflies loads of them.
I took myself outside this evening and sat and watched the show that nature put on and also to enjoy the fresh rain soaked air, seeing as we are getting into the warmer climates these days.
Hopefully we should be in Mauritius by Wednesday woo hoo then another two long weeks too India....
You really know that you have too set the clocks forward when it starts getting light at 03:53 ha ha!
Wednesday Day 24
13 November 2013
06'39,51S 062'58,76E
12:16 8.6kts
So here I sit on the bridge of this vessel watching over a vast empty blue ocean. We have not seen too many other ships over the last couple of days and if we do we are very cautious because we are in pirate prowled waters.... Every night for the last 3 or 4 nights we have sailed black ship, meaning that we have not had any navigational lights on pretty dodgy I reckon.
To tell the truth I cannot wait too get to India boredom is at a maximum, the worst part of it is that when we got too Maurituis we stayed at anchor for 3 days no shore leave nothing.
I was really banking on getting some shore time so I could attend too some online business, like wishing my GRANDFATHER HAPPY BIRTHDAY and paying rent. Would have been epic to just get a bit of change too.
Watching....
We are know sailing to Alang which is north of Mumbai as this is where the break up yards are. I suppose it's not too far too go know, we have done over 3000Nm and only have about 1800Nm to go hopefully about another 10 days. We should arrive around the 23 of November....
Okay I shall return too staring over this great Indian Ocean watching the flying fish, we should cross the equator later today or early tomorrow.
Oh ya some where is getting some cracking surf as we have been rolling around in some good clean long range swell for the last couple of days aaaaah wish I was getting barreled!
Okay we'll wish me luck.
Friday Day 27
15 November 2013
01'35,15N 065'33,26E
03:10 8.4kts
We crossed the equator this afternoon at about 14h30 yeew!
We even had a ceremony was good fun, we all got sprayed down with the fire hose and drank some wine around the braai. We even got Diplomas's to mark the occasion, it was an epic change in the routine and probably the first time the whole crew has been on deck this trip.
Well 8 days to go too India not long know then home too plan the next adventure, I reckon that's the plan.
Almost full moon out here on the vast Indian Ocean and the sea she is like a millpond this morning really beautiful.
It's amazing how empty this part of the ocean is we have only seen maybe 3 ships since we left Maurituis pretty crazy.
I won't lie I can't wait to get too India it's been a long journey....
Day 29
Sunday 17 November 2013
05'35,64N 066'48,01E
12:44 7.0kts
6 days to go yeeeew...
Day 50!!!!!!
Sunday 8 December 2013
At Anchor
23:03
Oh my we are in India but this is crazy and in humane we have been stuck at anchor for over a week we wait with no news and no definite time or date that we shall be going home.
Our water runs low. We are off Alaing were ships drive up on to the beach too die there are about 20 or so ships along the beach in various states of being broken apart.
This is getting ridiculous no news it is crazy that they can do this just leave us here aaaah going slightly crazy!
Day 67!!!!!!
Wednesday 25 December
At Anchor off Alang
21'25,12N. 072'15,15
MERRY CHRISTMAS TOO ALL.
Yes so we are still stranded at anchor off Alang it's hard to believe that we have been at sea for 67 days when this was supposed to take just a month. It's crazy sitting here with pretty much no contact with the outside world, everyday hoping that they will finish this process and that we can go home.
Living on a diet of pasta, some kind of pork which I don't eat and eggs, i cannot wait to eat one of my Grans home cooked meals...
We have also managed to get our hands on some whiskey by trading with the local Indian fisherman who come and holler at us almost every day, at least that helps some days go by a little faster!
There may be some respite we have word that we should be home before New Years know that would be epic.
Today I'm really missing home Christmas lunch with the family would have been awesome, alas I'm sitting on anchor watch on the bridge listening to Xmas carols on my laptop staring out at this brown ocean....
Christmas cards I made for the crew, trying to lift our spirits...
Day 75
Thursday 2 January 2014
Ahmedabad Airport
FREEDOM YEEEW
Wow we free and know it's all a fond memory. We disembarked this morning at about 04:30 am!
I had the honor of steering her onto the beach what an experience not something I shall quickly forget thanks so much Sergey Moroz for giving me the helm....
Okay we'll know its travelling time it's going to be a adventure too say the least we boarded the bus this morning early at Alang went through customs bleary eyed since I had been up since 11am on Wednesday the 1st then onto a hotel in Bhavangar. We got a room, got som breakfast and lunch while we awaited our flights and passports to arrive...
From there into Good by to the Ukranian crew and into a taxi for about 180 km drive to Ahmedabad and know ahead of us airports and aeroplanes....
- Ahmedabad to Mumbai 21:25 > 22:50 2nd January
- Mumbai to Nairobi 03:10 > 06:35 3rd January
- Nairobi to Johannesburg 20:35 > 23:50 3rd January
- Johannesburg to Cape Town 07:00 > 09:10 4th January
Okay well we about too check into our first leg cannot wait to get onto that plane and sneak in some shut eye! Almost home time for that new leaf....
Friday 3 January
35000 feet Above Kenya
Drinking Amurula at 6am in the morning that's a first for me and at 35000 feet ha ha....
We just flew past Mnt Kenya pretty awesome!
Getting thru the day at Nairobi airport with some help from Tusker beer.
Saturday 4th January
On the home stretch, and it looks like there should be surf stoked for that.
Managed too get some sleep in last night at OR Tambo airport we found a patch of fake grass opposite Woolworths stretched out my sarong and passed out, I was broken from the last couple of days travel.
Well amped too see my friends and family this has been a cool adventure one I shall surely tell my kids one day.
Know it's time to get started on 2014, have too find a new place to live, get back to gym and get on my bike and into the water oh ya don't forget it's time to find a job....
I hope u enjoyed this little story.
Till Next time...
