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With Nandji 2 safely tied up to a mooring in the protection of the all weather anchorage of the Knysna lagoon, we have utilised our time to explore the Garden route by land. Hiring a car we drove backwards from where we had just sailed from, to go on safari at the Scotia Safaris private reserve near Port Elizabeth. We came face to face with wild lions and it was one of the most craziest experiences here in South Africa! Conveniently the game reserve happens to be close by to the world famous surf destination of Jeffreys bay… Just a coincidence of course… With the potential opportunity to surf a wave I have dreamed of and watched for years, the temptation is too much to drive past this iconic place.
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AFRICA is CRAZY! I can't believe we were that close to wild Lions and survived! After successfully navigating through the notoriously challenging Knysna heads, we have found ourselves tied up to a mooring in the stunningly beautiful Knysna lagoon. A great all weather anchorage and after marina hopping around the South African coastline, it is nice to be at anchor once again. With the boat safe and secure, we set off on a road trip to the Scotia Safari private Game reserve near Port Elizabeth. Spending 2 nights nestled in the wilderness amongst Africa's wild animals. WHAT AN EXPERIENCE! This was hands down the BEST safari we have now been on in Africa. For more information on Scotia Safari's, check them out here - https://www.schotiasafaris.co.za With the Wild coast firmly in our wake, we dropped anchor in Plettenberg bay next to a huge Furr seal colony whilst we waited for weather to enter the notoriously challenging Knysna heads. With a safe pass through the heads and this milestone ticked off the list, we have found ourselves tied up to a morning in the flat water lagoon, all organised by the friendly yacht club here in Knysna. We have felt so welcomed at every port we have stopped at here in South Africa, but none more than here in Knysna. The friendly welcoming faces, the beautiful old yacht club on the water and the playground conveniently right there, we have already fallen in love with this town. and can’t wait to explore this area a little further Passing through the heads was once rated as the most difficult harbor entrance in the world by the British Navy and it is described as that gnarly, that insurance companies won’t insure your vessel fro the trip. Leaving the city of East London and the Wild coast now officially behind us, we set off for a new destination that we have been excited to reach for a long time, a little lagoon based town called Knysna. To enter into this harbour we must pass over a sand bar, through potentially breaking waves, between 2x 200 ft high cliffs with rocks either side and then to make it more challenging, a reef in the middle of the channel… of course there is… This challenging entrance has proven too difficult for thousands of other vessels over the years as their remains are littered across the seabed floor. With all this information firmly in our heads, we still decided to try and enter as the reward for our efforts will be well worth it. A calm all weather clear water lagoon and after marina hopping our way around this treacherous coastline, being at anchor in the lagoon sounds like exactly what we need. Sailing the south coast of South Africa where the current runs at 6 knots, the waves are huge, the fish are ON and the boat is flying!!! The South African coastline is not your average cruisers idea of fun sailing. The coast being too wild and rugged for anchoring, exploring by land is the next best thing. It is crazy for us to think that people rush through this area and not explore what it has on offer. If we remained in the marina then we may have been put off of this area, but hiring a car and exploring a little further made our stop over in East London our favorite so far in South Africa. After a couple of weeks of enjoying the wild coast by land, we have a great weather window to set sail to a destination we have wanted to visit for a long time. A beautiful coastal town called Knysna. This place looks stunning but it is no easy entrance into the lagoon, with thousands of ship wrecks littering the coast and entrance. It is has been nominated as one of the most dangerous harbour entrances in the world where one small mistake could leave us a wreck like the thousands of others… After successfully navigating the Wild coast of South Africa and having the tee shirts to prove it… This area by land is what excites us next. So many international sailors are always in a rush to sail the coast of South Africa and get as fast as they can to Cape Town, where people hang and spend their time. For us, we see every place as a destination and arriving into East London, we then wanted to check out the wild coast by land. South Africa is not a friendly coastline for cruisers, With the Wild coast too rugged, raw and extreme to anchor, to me that means cliffs, surf beaches, waves and exposed coastline to the southern ocean. All magnificent in their own right and worth the effort to go search! For us, We really enjoy the smaller coastal towns than the big city life, and not being able to explore these places on Nandji, a hire car is the next best thing.. Arriving to East London is a HUGE achievement for any around the world having conquered the WILD COAST!... We had an amazing stop over in the city of Durban where we were lucky to meet so many Nandji fans, it is so cool to mingle with people that have been following our journey for years. With Christmas now behind us, we tackled the infamous Wild coast sailing 250 miles from Durban to the city of East London. This passage is infamous for being one of the most challenging sails for around the world sailors. With a rough and rugged coastline meaning there is no where to stop and hide if needed, then the Aghullus current running at speeds up to 6 knots, it is a fast and exciting ride south. The wind is known to rip through this area and change directions within an hour. The South west fronts known as busters, move up the coast and create dangerous wind against current conditions, resulting in wave heights recorded off this coast at over 10 meters. Not a place we want to be! Therefore, we had waited for the perfect weather window to depart the port of Durban and begin this trip. Lucky for us, the Wild coast was gentle on us and we had a terrific sail arriving in the early morning hours to the city of East London, amped and ready to explore this new destination. Sailing the Wild coast of South Africa. This passage is known to be one of the hardest passages on a circumnavigating sailor. With a strong current that can run up to 6 knots, it is a fast and wild roller coaster ride south. With a rugged coastline littered with ship wrecks, you are committed to sailing the 250 nautical miles to reach the next safe port. Timing is everything... |
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