December 11, 2011-Setting Sail from Mossel Bay
wingssail images-fredrick roswold
Waves at Cape Blaise
The back wash slammed us against the side of the fish boat Mary Ann. Our fenders took the load and took it badly; another one blew. That is three out of five down. Mossel Bay surge is tough. Then the next surge threw us forward and the spring lines shrieked and jerked us to a stop. Down below we were both almost thrown from our seats.
“That’s enough”, I said, “let’s go try the anchorage.”
So we anchored out. It’s not calm out here but at least the motion is normal boat movement. We like it better.
And the other thing? We think we’ll quit Mossel Bay tomorrow anyhow.
It’s time to head for the cape.
We’ve got a short window to head west: 36 hours. Not enough to get to Cape Town but maybe enough to get to another anchorage 120 miles closer.
We set sail at 05:00 Monday.
We’ll let you know how it goes.
Fred & Judy, SV Wings, Mossel Bay
Click here to see some shots of our hike to Cape Blaise.
Click here to see some more shots of waves.
posted by wingssail at 11:13 AM
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2 Comments:
Nice wave photos Fred ... not so nice boat motion tho. On a secondary note, have you found any particular fenders a better option then others? I like the round orange to leave on the dock, but don't know what is best for cruising since they all take space?
RichC asked about fenders: We have carried four Polyform F4 (36" tall) fenders for 20 years which protect us from both high and low docks even when rolling. We have fender covers which we make to protect the Awlgrip and we have a 8 foot fenderboard. We have one spare, smaller, fender which we use as an anchor bouy if needed. We are lucky to have a locker forward big enough to hold these fenders and a storm jib and the dingy wheels.
These Polyform F4's are great AND made by a hometown (Kent, Wa.) company. We will replace the three 20 year old ones which blew out in Mossel Bay from a supplier who carries them in Cape Town. One new one (replacing one which was lost in Thailand) is still good.
Fred
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