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We sailed into our entrance port of Richards bay with a boat in desperate need of repairs. But with such a warm and friendly welcome from the zululand yacht club, they had us in high spirits. We had a snapped dinghy davits, no charger inverter meaning no AC power onboard and a wind vang that was ripped off the mast… You could say there has been some challenging sailing conditions to reach South Africa but here we are! Excited and in love with this new country! South Africa is truly something else and we are excited to see what the coming months bring in this fascinating country. We have only been here a week yet experienced, 60 knots at sea, been given more tequila shots then I ever drank in my youth, got up close and personal with some of the most dangerous animals on the planet and experienced a rhino road block where a herd of rhinos wouldn’t let us pass. Now I told you this place was wild hey! But we are here in harbour and need to begin repairs so we can continue on down the coast, the most important thing is to make the boat strong again. This means repairing the broken davits.
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Wild, Raw, Rugged and SCARY. Up close and personal with a Rhino... South Africa you are special. Let's go on SAFARI! We have been in South Africa for a week and already going on safari! Together with another sailing family, we hire a car and self drive safari through the Hluhluwe Imfolozi game reserve in hope to spy the big 5. Lion, Leopard, Elephant, Rhino and Buffalo. We get up close and personal with so many wild African animals, it was a truly magical day full of excitement and astonishment with the magnificent and terrifying wild animals. South Africa! Let's Go! Here we are in a place we have dreamed of sailing to for years. Let's go on SAFARI! We have arrived into South Africa and made our way around to the marina from the quarantine dock. We waved good bye to the crew members that helped us sail from Madagascar and ate our first Bunny chow. the South African dish that all sailors must try. After a few days in South Africa we knew the first thing we wanted to do was go on Safari! We hired a car with another sailing family and set out to a small town in a swamp called St Lucia. This small town is known for its Hippopotamus and the fact that in the might they can walk through the streets.... Hippopotamus may be made out to be cute and cuddly but they are responsible for more human deaths than any other animal.... Sailing into a storm. No where to run, no where to hide... Just cop it!! After a week of hiding out from bad weather, the frontal low had passed through and the sun had begin to shine once again. The forecast although short, looks good enough to sail to Richards Bay, South Africa, before the next southerly blow is forecast. This coastline must be navigated carefully as the Aghulus current rips south bound. This can be our friend or our worst enemy. When the strong low pressure systems pass through, they create a wind against current scenario which can build giant waves and are extremely dangerous condiotions for a small craft like us to be at sea. This is why we first made the decision to stop off here in Mozambique. We had an unexpected amazing week at Ling Linga whilst waiting for the weather to pass. What would have normally been a boring and mundane week, was made into a fun and enjoyable destination due to the hospitality of Costello resort where we were anchored out front. Waking to blue skies, there was still reminisce of the southerly wind blowing, but steadily we prepared Nandji for the miles ahead. Stowing the outboard and hauling the dinghy on deck to help look after our cracked dinghy davits. We are expecting a Rolly stirred up ocean to begin with until the northerly wind settles in and calms the sea state. But there is no time like the present to get the ball rolling and finally make way towards a destination we have been planing to visit for a long time. South Africa, here we come… We departed Madagascar with the hopes of sailing all the way to South Africa, instead whilst at sea a BIG southerly front was making its way towards us. We decided we needed to hide away from the weather and let it pass before continuing on. The problem is that the people of Mozambique were currently in the middle of mass riots in the capital and foreigners were advised to stay away! Do we stop in or take our chances with the rough ocean... Madagascar is amazing in so many ways but we have never experienced anything more serene, picturesque and magical as the Avenue of Baobabs www.sailingnandji.com Sailing around Madagascar has been a unique experience. It is full of the unknown and a place that every day surprises you, challenges you and makes you sit back and appreciate either what we have or the sights around us. Our last stop off in Madagascar was the town of Morondova, where we depart across the Mozambique channel to mainland Africa. We pick up 2 crew members for the journey, as there is the potential to be at sea for at least a week. What makes Morondova so unique, is that inland just an hours drive lays the Avenue of Baobabs. This world heritage traveller destination was the most magical sight we have expereinced maybe ever. We got up early in the morning to watch the sunrise here amongst the Baobab trees, some of which are over a thousand years old. The Barren islands are a series of tiny sandy quay islands that lay in the Mozambique channel, 50 miles from mainland... www.sailingnandji.com How do people survive out here? It was a question we continually asked ourselves as we explored this remote archipelago. Our sailboat is fully equipped to live off grid. We have heaps of solar power, a huge water maker and a comfortable bed. Yet, the Vezo tribe known as nomadic sea people sail tiny outrigger canoes to these islands and live for months at a time off the land. There is no fresh water, only what they can carry, a few trees for shelter and a hot raw sun... WILD Madagascar is one of the last countries that use sailing boats for commercial use. As the roads are so bad through out the country, the main way that the north is connected to the south is via sailing boats. These huge gaff rigged schooners sail up and down the west coast transporting merchandise. We were lucky enough to film one of these "pirate ships" (suitably named by Tallula) and had the opportunity to go onboard and have a look around. This boat is used for tourism and is owned and run by a beautiful french expat couple who have made Madagascar home for the last 20+ years. To learn more about the sailing project and the documentary being created, be sure to follow the following link... facebook: facebook.com/share/rYNNuA16tT3rkoeW/?mibextid=LQQJ4d Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheTraditionalSailingFleet-b4t To go sailing on the schooner Nofy Be contact details: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/161nzTUBFP/?mibextid=wwXlfr website: https://www.nofy-be.com/ |
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