St Helena Island

Half way across the Atlantic, between South Africa and Brazil, is a little island called St. Helena. It’s a popular stop fo
r yachts doing a crossing (it is only accessible by boat). After 14 days at sea we could almost taste the beers and burgers waiting for us on land. We were beyond excited (and relieved) to arrive at our first international port.
 
Rufus was the only one who had visited the island 10 years before so the rest of us didn’t quite know what to expect. From the sea it definitely doesn’t look like your typical “island getaway”. There is an almost constant cap of cloud over the dull rock face that surrounds it and the (only) anchorage in James Bay is notorious for mooring issues and anchor trouble.
 
The first thing we did was take a FRESH WATER SHOWER!! After two weeks of only being able to wash in freezing salt water the shower (even though it was also cold – solar heating doesn’t work so well when there is so much cloud cover…) was heaven sent! Next stop was Anne’s place for a beer and a burger.
 
Anne’s Place is well known amongst yachties and the locals, especially around the time of the Governor’s Cup. It’s in a great spot and the décor is festive but if you are looking for good food, reasonable prices and friendly efficient service The Consulate Hotel/La Concorde deli is the place to go. This place became a regular haunt for us. Hazel, the owner and a fellow South African, was one of the kindest, friendliest and most generous people we met on the island.
 
We spent a week in St. Helena and we used the time to tour  the Napoleonic sites, visited the oldest living tortoise on earth, learned about the island’s history at the local museum, explored the coastline’s Naval defence ruins and, of course climbed the 699 steps of Jacobs Ladder - a must for everyone who visits the island.
 
The locals are very friendly and the island is so safe that you can leave your shopping in one grocery store while you go about the rest of your business around town and then collect it again afterwards. The town itself is very quiet during the week and the “Saints”, as the locals call themselves, only really venture out on weekends, to socialise and dance the nights away at local bars & pubs, or when the RMS St. Helena visits the island with supplies from South Africa and tourists from the UK & S.A.
 
St. Helena was a great experience. We are all glad we got the chance to visit this extraordinary community, rich in history and hospitality. The friendly relaxed pace of this island's life was just what we needed to rest up after a taxing two weeks at sea. We can’t wait to see how the business & tourism develops once the airport is completed in 2016.
 
Kate

First published on offtheline.co.za

Atlantic Days

We have just finished our first leg of the Atlantic! Aftertwo weeks at seathat cold beer(s) is sure gonnago down well! With regards to the crossing, let me begin with : what an incredible experience. After I've said  that,  I must admit that I had envisioned it rather differently. Something more like blue skies, calm warm water and copious amounts of sea life. It was almost like that, except for the blue skies and calms seas bit. I hadn't realised how much the boat would actually be moving.  I mean obviously I knew, but IT MOVES ALL THE TIME. Sleeping, cooking and doing pretty much anything, is a challenging task. I was on the verge of throwing the dishes across the saloon on anumber of occasions in pure frustration. Everything ends up on the floor anyway.

Being outin the middle of the Atlantic makes up for all these things. There is nothing more peaceful then the sound of a boat gliding through the water while being pushed by the wind. There is a vast expanse of nothingness but in that emptiness is an abundance of life. I couldn't believe how many birds we saw and how they have been with us for the entirety of the journey. Travelling by sail boat is travelling in slow motion. It gives you time to think, to enjoy and embrace all that is happening around you.

The cold weather and rough seas have made the journey a challenging one but one that I would do again in a second. We plan on staying on St Helena Island for about a week and I hope in that time the Atlantic chills out so that the next leg of the crossing consists of all those wonderful things that filled me dreams. 

Viv

First published on offtheline.co.za

The Tuna & The Seal

Two days into our Atlantic crossing Ruf caught the first fish of the trip! We had to battle it out with a gutsy seal first though – he claimed the tuna just as Ruf started reeling it in. He was rather chuffed with “his” catch and took joy in parading it in front of us. After a lot of shouting and banging and blowing of fog horns we managed to bring it in close enough to the boat to pry our tuna out of the seal’s jaws. He was rather upset with us but it was ours first!
There is nothing quite like enjoying sashimi and tuna steaks on the braai that you caught and prepared yourself. We want to say a BIG thank you to Bernard & Hilda for their generous gift of fishing gear, as well as Bernard’s expert fishing tips.

Kate

First published on offtheline.co.za

The Journey Begins

The day has arrived - we're leaving today. The past few days have been filled with a mixture of nerves and excitement and the added visits from all of our families have made them an emotional few too. Two years after deciding to take on this journey we are finally ready to leave. The feelings are difficult to convey. Let the exciting times begin!

We plan on heading slightly north for a the first few days and then we'll veer off into the trade winds. We expect to arrive in St Helena in about two weeks. We are fortunate enough to have a Sat phone for emergencies and for weather updates. The added bonus is that you can send us 160 characters sms/text messages from the Inmarsat website (http://www.isatphonelive.com/), free of charge. Click on the button that says "send free message" on the top right hand side of the page, insert our number +870776411804, write a message and press send. It will be great to hear from you. We plan on doing updates to our twitter account during the crossing, so please follow us @off_the_line

Viv

First published on offtheline.co.za

Family Farewell

This is our final week in South Africa (for serious!) and so our families have been visiting to say their farewells. I cannot tell a lie: this whole goodbye thing is quite emotional. I'm not a big crier but man have I balled my eyes out, not just when my family said goodbye but for Rufus and Vivian's family too.

You have to remember that with a project like this it's not just us four team members that work hard to realise the dream, our families play such a huge role; with emotional support, guidance, supplies etc, and saying goodbye is like leaving part of our team behind.

On Saturday Rufus' mom, dad and sister Cherie came to the yacht club and, as always, Mamma Brand dazzled us with her spread. Rufus' parents (Boris & Rynette) are legendary for their entertaining (some people would call them "feeders") and you can always be guaranteed exceptionally good food and a lot of it, cheesy jokes and alot of laughs when you kuier with them!

xxx

Kate

First published on offtheline.co.za