Drakensburg & beyond
After an exchange of emails with the next hotel that worried me we might have booked into Fawlty Towers (SA), it was a case of a long drive or long … Continue reading
Together at last, and time to explore!
Having been apart for 5 weeks, Annemarie at last arrived in Johannesburg On Sunday. She could have come Saturday, but thought better of it when she learned that I was … Continue reading
Springboks and a brush with The Law
For rugby fans everywhere, the name of Ellis Park is synonymous with some of the world’s best teams and matches. Let’s face it, the games do not get any bigger … Continue reading
Chickens on Steroids…or the journey back
After a few days in Windhoek, it was time to head back. Out at 4.30am, fill up with fuel and wend our way out on the road through the surrounding … Continue reading
Are You a Vegetarian?
If you are, please exit this page IMMEDIATELY! You have been warned… The peoples of southern Africa are carnivorous, beyond all doubt. Meat is very dear to their heart, possibly … Continue reading
Windhoek
For those with only a vague sense of geography, Windhoek is the capital of Namibia. In turn, the country is a former provice of South Africa, to the north and fronting … Continue reading
And in-between……..
Readers will be aware by now of our somewhat nomadic lifestyle, whether sailing or not. Being involved in a project in South Africa has been an immensely interesting challenge, both … Continue reading
Fins & Feathers
We filled our fuel tanks and jerry cans before leaving Agadir, not least as it was only 65p a litre! Heading off on another 250nm passage, it was a case … Continue reading
Marrakesh
The very name raises all sorts of images, probably most of aging hippies with hash-addled bodies and minds. One can imagine how it might have been in the 1960s, but … Continue reading
Across Morocco
The plan was to catch a bus to Marrakesh, spend a couple of days there before Suky and Max flew back to the UK and we sailed for the Canaries. … Continue reading
Agadir
Sailing the 200nm down to Agadir was further than we had intended to do for the next hop. However we had heard that Safi and Essaouira were both small and … Continue reading
El Jadida
Our second port of call was El Jadida. This is very different to Mohammedia, being a seaside resort as well as a fishing harbour. There was no response on the … Continue reading
Mohammedia
Our first port of call on a different continent! Mohammedia is effectively North Casablanca, and is commercial port. The facilities there are confined to a yacht club with 2 small … Continue reading
Challenges!
After our experience with the suicidal cruising chute off Portugal, one lesson learnt was that having a sewing machine on board could be really handy. Having duly bought one of ebay, … Continue reading
Morocco!
After setting off, within a few hours we encountered a huge pod of dolphins, a great omen. Africa is just over 200 miles from Portugal, but what a difference it … Continue reading
Heading back to the boat
Since leaving Freebooter ashore at the end of June, life became very hectic. After less than a day at home, it was off to South Africa for another … Continue reading
27th June – Lagos
After the early start on Tuesday, we ended up motoring almost all the 75nm to Lagos. The highlight of the trip was a very keen pod of dolphins playing by … Continue reading
24th June – Sines
A nice but slow sail from Oeiras (Lisbon) to Sines, again just about 50nm. For the non-sailors, ‘nm’ is the abbreviation for nautical miles, about 1.15 times the normal mile. … Continue reading
22nd June – Good and Bad Fortune and Lisbon!
As the 2nd boat to leave the port, we set off with a modest northerly wind. There was noticeable swell, but not so much as prevent us trying out the … Continue reading
19th June – A Windy Run to Peniche
The winds abated enough to make the run after the days delay. However there was still a substantial swell, as can be seen from the photo of the disappearing boat. … Continue reading
16th June – Figuera da Foz plus minor disaster!
Just to impress the natives, the rally had a racing start in the river. As with all great ideas, this was affected by the light wind. We had the bright … Continue reading
14th June – Porto
We had a really lazy short downwind sail from Povoa. The surprising element was the occasional large swell (3 metre’ish) that blotted out everything around us. Anyway, it was something … Continue reading
13th June – Povoa de Vazim
After saying goodbye to Claire and William, we left Bayona after the best part of a week there. The wind was against us, but the first indication of what was … Continue reading
9th june – Friends & the Monte Real Yacht Club
We were delighted to get an email from fellow MOA (Moody Owners Association) members Claire and William Philpot a couple of days ago. They had spotted us on AIS, and … Continue reading
8th June – Santiago de Compostella
Santiago is a place many people have heard of, and is visited by thousands every year. It is held to be the place of burial of St James, and is … Continue reading
Freebooter 