St. Helena Island: Secret of the South Atlantic

Two of the scruffy crew. I don't think they minded not

shaving every day, but going without showers was asking

a lot of all of us. Things break and your deal with it!

This was one stop of the World ARC where there were no “Yellow Shirts” (WCC staff) to assist in checking in and planning activities. The reason being there is no way to get them on and off the island in a timely manner to take care of their other duties! Not to worry. This is a very enterprising fleet and along with the activities planned by the St. Helena Tourist organization, we had many things to do.

Dennis was constantly trying to repair the Watt & Sea water

generator as the high seas seemed to challenge it.

The St. Helena Yacht Club was the gathering place on the wharf. Of course, like most yacht clubs, it had a bar! And that is about all. Jackie, the St. Helena Yacht Club Commodore and a volunteer, manned the building day and night and helped us all get what we needed, arranged for laundry pick up and drop off and even organized a couple of barbeque dinners. Their showers were a welcome site since we were still without a functioning water maker!
The shower situation was very interesting. It was unisex; there were two shower stalls on one side of the aisle and two dressing rooms on the other side of the aisle. That meant you streaked across the aisle in the company of whomever was present! It should be noted that this wharf is the ONLY way on and off this whole island!

But we caught lots of fish!

Actually, the water maker is just fine! The problem was the CAT pump that makes the water maker work. It had a small oil leak, nothing major. Dennis thought there would be skilled people in Cape Town who could look at it and stop the leak. The pump was removed right after we arrived. It was sent to a special engineering operation that could check it out.

Well, after four attempts to install it and get it to run the water maker, they finally admitted that they had destroyed a piston inside the pump. That really means they did not know what they were doing and they used up about $800 of our spare parts trying to make it work before they ruined it. Generously, they took the labor charges off the bill! We should have charged them for parts and replacement. Our Chicago crew would be bringing a new $1500 CAT pump to Brazil! So no fresh water until then!

Dennis is excellent at filleting them. He just takes the meat

off both sides, leaving the head and guts intact. This reduces

the mess on the deck and we always have enough flesh.

What is that saying? Cruising is boat repairs in exotic places! That is right! I guess it is like your furnace dying in the midst of winter or your hot water heater needing to be replaced the day before Christmas. After all, Trillium is our home! Home, Sweet Home.

To have enough water for the crossing, the crew (guys only) grew beards, went without showers (all of us – YUCK) and were very manly about it all! Me? Not so much. We were very good at conserving water and only used a half of the tank. See! I could have washed my hair!

That turned out to be a blessing because the only way to bring water on board in St. Helena was to taxi it back and forth  from the wharf in jerry cans. There is no way to bring a yacht or even a dinghy to the side of the wharf safely. Shuttling water reminded us of Christmas Island without the rain! It is hard work, too. Fortunately, one of the local businessmen loaned us eight jerry cans and the water taxi was willing to make multiple trips. It was an exhausting exercise for the men.

The  St. Helena Yacht Club is right on the wharf.

Once that was done, it was time for fun and exploration of St. Helena. The yachties gathering places were the yacht club and Anne’s Place, which has been a yachtie-friendly place for years. There was regular food service day and evening. One night they held a pig roast that was delicious. And it was topped off with a cobbler and ice cream. We were like a bunch of kids attacking the ice cream. A rare treat for sailors at sea! A dream come true!

Provisioning was rather challenging in St. Helena. First of all, most of their supplies come in by the supply ship that also brings passengers to and from Cape Town once a month. The ship was due the following week so the market store shelves were somewhat empty. There was local bread and eggs and some produce. You had to go shopping multiple times to get the fresh stuff as it was gone as soon as it was put out.

The Town Gates were originally built in 1708 as they

were to protect Jamestown from invaders.

While the guys went to the bank to change US dollars into St. Helena dollars, which, by the way, cannot be used in any other place in the world, I went to the grocery store. At least things were in English – that’s a good start. I checked out with a couple of bags of groceries only to find out using a credit card is a challenging situation.

It was challenging enough that I was told I could leave my bags there and go to the bank for cash. Apparently, as experienced by another boat, there is a lot of paperwork to complete at the store, then you take the paperwork to the bank where they process it. Next you return to the store with the bank’s paperwork and collect your goods! Fortunately, Dennis showed up with cash just as I was leaving the store!

Once we had St. Helena dollars we headed to Anne’s Place restaurant! In fact, we ate a lot of meals there. It was also the Internet hot spot so many of us hung out there to catch up with family, friends and world news. Chocolate milkshakes were the first items ordered!

Dennis walking through Castle Gardens toward Anne's Place

Anne's Place is very much a yachties hang out. The ceiling is covered with flags from various countries and rallies including several World ARCs. There is no pressure to give up your table as there seems to be enough room for all to linger. And it is cool and breezy, which is always welcomed.

After catching up on emails, blogs and FaceBook, we decided to explore Jamestown. I was interested in the quaint shops and pubs. It looks like time has stood still here. Life is lived at a very relaxed pace. After all, there is no rush to meet a boat or catch a plane. It will be days and even months before that can occur! So what's rush?

This is the ceiling of Anne's Place.

What a delicious pig roast dinner!

We had some many wonder and fun meals with the

2016-17 World ARC fleet!

The WARC had set up an all-day tour through the Tourist organization. Since they don’t have many large groups stopping, there were no tour buses. We went in private vehicles with knowledgeable local guides (i.e. citizens with cars who knew the places to visit). The four of us were in one car with a driver who was willing to take us to see the airport as it wasn’t part of the tour.

We stopped to see Napoleon’s grave as he had been held prisoner there for years. We saw where he lived at Longwood – not exactly a punishing situation. In fact, it was rather posh. And there were a number of his military people retained there as well.

Longwood House

The terrain is very mountainous with the roads cut into the side of the earth. Cars must pull over in designated spots to let the uphill traffic pass. It is much easier to go down the steep inclines than to try to stop and start on the uphill side. Uphill has the right-of-way.

The tour took us to the Governor’s home where we were invited in for a tour. They have a newly appointed lady Governor who is very open to having people see the official residence, including her personal spaces. On the grounds, we saw the huge tortoises that have been residents there for years.

Part of the time Napoleon was held in the buildings in this

location below the heart-shaped waterfall. It was dry when

we were there so we didn't see the waterfall in action.

There are several forts on the island making for an interesting climb among the ruins. St. Helena is a small British Overseas Territory in one of the most remote places on earth: the South Atlantic Ocean.

There is an incredible range of wild life, flora and fauna. This 47 square mile island holds about 30% of all endemic species found in the United Kingdom and the British Overseas Territories. The Saint Helena Trust is dedicated to the preservation of the natural, cultural and built heritage of the island. There is much to do there: hiking, diving, birding, wildlife, whalesharks, dolphin and whale tours, astronomy and photography. Too bad it is so difficult to get there. We are the lucky ones!

We also stopped at the top of Jacob’s Ladder which is a 699 step climb straight up to the top from the city. And it is the source of the lights we saw as we approached the harbor on our first night. It was built in 1829 and was originally used as a sort of tram to carry down what is produced in the valleys of the mountain and carry materials up the steep incline to the military fort high above the harbor. Since it was at the end of our tour, John decided to get out and walk down! Many of the sailors in the fleet actually climbed up from the bottom and back down again. I did not risk irritating the bursitis in my hip again and passed on the opportunity to say I had done it.

The Governor,s house

Joined by three other boat crews, we had a pleasant evening and dinner up on the mountain one evening. We booked a trip in a 1920’s open-air vehicle that carried 14 of us up the hill to the Sunshine Café for a homemade St. Helena dinner of wahoo, rice, vegetables salad and desserts served with ice cream! I think you are getting the picture that ice cream is a very special treat on the ocean!


On the way up while it was still daylight, we stopped at the St. Helena distillery. This is a relatively new business adventure one couple started when the news of an airport was announced.

Planning to hit the ground running when the first visitors arrived, he has a major investment in equipment and 20,000 glass bottles shaped like the Jacob’s Ladder stairway. Unfortunately for him, he has yet to see those promised visitors. But as they say: build it and they will come. He is ready with a selection of liquors distilled and flavored from local plants. I found most of it disgusting, but did buy the coffee liquor. Even though I am not a coffee lover, I did enjoy the taste and I really just wanted the bottle as a souvenir from St. Helena!

The mooring field for the locals.

The trip back down the mountain was beautiful under the starlit sky with the city lights below. It is the only city on the island, although people live throughout the hills and valleys. Since our 72 hours we coming to a close and we didn’t want to waste any of our precious water supply by living in the anchorage any longer, we went straight back to the boat and prepared for our departure.

Looking straight down Jacob's Ladder at Jamestown.

Looking up the valley

Jamestown from the top of fort.

John and Colt had flights which had been scheduled based on the WARC calendar. However, when we looked at it closely, it appears that the schedule wasn’t humanly possible to maintain. If we stayed longer in St. Helena with the predicted light winds, they would have missed their flights. Having given them the opportunity to stay or go, the decision was to head to Salvador and make the flights.

Sticking to our plan of not motoring, we prepare the boat for departure while still on the mooring buoy. Then we released the lines and sailed away from the buoy in the dark at 0100. There was no wind! It probably took us two hours to get far enough offshore to pick up some wind. But we stuck to the plan and did not start the engine! So long, St. Helena. We slipped in during darkness and we sailed out in darkness.

Corker's 1929 Chaeabanc

St. Helena is a most interesting place to visit and well worth the stop if you happen to find yourself in the middle of the South Atlantic Ocean. The lifestyle is laidback British - if there is such a thing. The small town atmosphere and welcoming residents made for a delightful visit. Thank you to all who welcomed us and made sure we had a wonderful time in their secret island.

Ready to Sail West Again!

Farewell Cape Town! It was a grand time!

Our time in Cape Town and Africa was coming to a close as the World ARC Start for the Cape Town to Salvador, Brazil leg was scheduled for January 7, 2017. We had had a wonderful time in all of the places we visited – especially on our safari. Ringing in the New Year with the WARC family and our friends Ann, John and Johnnie Walton from home was fun. John was there to crew with us and his friend, Colt Weatherston, was arriving a few days before the start.

Ann, Johnny and John

This leg was a very long one. In fact, I think it was the longest of the whole around the world rally. It took us 21 days to sail across the Pacific Ocean from the Galapagos Islands to the Marquesas Islands in French Polynesia. This will take even longer not counting the 72 hour break in Saint Helena.

John had crewed with us on the WARC New Zealand Rally a couple of years prior and we welcomed him back. He and Colt race in the Mackinaw Races and have been on the podium something like nine out of eleven times! If there is a leg where we might stand a good chance of winning, we figured this was it and we wanted crew who knew a lot about sailing and sail plans! And Dennis turned the navigation and sail planning over to John and his technology.

Dennis made the decision that we were not going to motor at all on this leg. I wasn’t sure he would stick to it if the wind died and we were bobbing about the ocean. We had done so much motoring from Australia to Cape Town and we just wanted to sail! It seemed like we were always racing against weather or catching up due to various delays in departing with the fleet. So this was to be our big sail!

We actually missed the Start by one hour and 15 minutes due to the holiday work stoppage. Our relatively new B&G broadband radar had had a lightening hit, probably when it was on the hard in Mackay, AU last summer. It had not been working properly, but with AIS (Automatic Identification System) and regular weather reports, we felt comfortable not having a functioning radar. However, it was worth the time penalty to have it replaced where we had a good B&G dealer.

These photos show the approach to St. Helena.

The B&G representative was very good. Unfortunately, the holidays delayed the shipping of our radar so it did not arrive until the day we were leaving. We waited for the installation, stopped at the fuel dock as we were heading to the Start Line – albeit a bit late, but still there! We motored to the Start while raising the sails. Once we neared the Start Line, the engine went off and we  planned to never used it for propulsion during the leg! Even I was amazed!

We had perfect weather and sea conditions after the first two days, which were relatively rough and mal de mar got a couple of us. I won’t say who besides me, but it wasn’t the Captain. Once the swells off the coast of Africa settled down, it was the most beautiful crossing yet. We used every sail we have in some capacity. When sailing with racers, they think nothing of changing the sail plan often. When we are alone, we stick to an easy, but not most effective one.

A minefield of unlit boats at night makes entry tricky!

Unfortunately, the wind died about eight hours out of St. Helena which meant we were going to arrive at the anchorage in the dark. Our plan was to arrive right around sunset. In reality, we arrived near midnight! Once we had crossed the intermediary finish line at the northwest corner of the island, we were allowed to motor to the anchorage area without penalty.

Not a place to land a dinghy!

We were first greeted by a row of bright lights reaching from the ground up toward the sky. While impressive, it made getting a fix on any land objects difficult. Finding a mooring buoy was challenging as there were so many lights on shore that we couldn’t see the buoys on the black water. Just as we were deciding to spend the night holding off shore, the water taxi guy called us to say he would guide us in. Amen!

This is Jacob's Ladder in daylight. At night

it is a long row of lights and confusing. 

He was so helpful once we finally spotted him and could follow his light. He helped us tie up to the buoy and get everything shipshape so we could get some shuteye. It had been a 1700 nm passage and we were ready for a break in night watches. In the morning, we could see the mooring field and were so glad that help was waiting as one could have easily gotten tangled. There were at least fifty unlit boats moored on connecting lines. That could have been a real mess!


The first unique experience in St. Helena was the water taxi! It is too dangerous to take your dinghy to the break wall and there is no beach on which to land. So the procedure is to call for a water taxi on the VHF and it comes when it comes.

Actually, they were pretty good about coming to get you. Getting back to the boat was a different story. Instead of running a group out as we congregated, the skipper stuck to his schedule of 8 PM and 10 PM and midnight. As a result, there were a lot of us on the pier hoping to get on the boat first. Otherwise, we had to wait a couple of hours. He finally started taking a second and third boat loads after realizing we were not all night owls.

The biggest challenge was landing on the ferry dock and disembarking the boat! The surf kept the ferry bouncing up and down and into the quay. The trick was to grab one of the large ropes hanging at the edge of the wharf and swing upon onto the landing area! Not my favorite move. Getting off was somewhat the reverse, except this time you had to step down into the bouncing ferry and let go before you got jerked back. You just never know what skills you can develop out of necessity! Usually there were others on board to grab you as you landed.

The worst ride was when he loaded twenty of us into the ferry after a night of partying on shore. It was dark and one of the guys was ridiculously drunk. When some of the people realized his condition and they had experienced his actions before, they hopped back off onto the quay. We were on the far side of the boat so we had to ride with him! He kept leaning over the side as people were trying to keep him onboard. Fortunately, the ferry captain took him to his boat first and then went back to the quay to get the others. That made for a much safer ride even though we were still overloaded.

A beautiful airport sitting unused. Hopefully it will open soon.

The crossing from Cape Town to Brazil was nearly 3700 nautical miles as the seagull flies. We were allowed a 72 hour stop in the little British island of St. Helena near the mid-point of the crossing. Not many people get to St. Helena as the only way to get there is by boat! Twice a year one sails between England and St. Helena. Or you take a four-day cruise on the HMS St. Helena to Cape Town and fly out of there. This makes it very challenging for anyone needing medical treatments not available on the island. Even then, it would be a rough ride on the boats to get to hospitals in the UK or South Africa!

Last year they completed the airport so people could get onto and off the island more easily. However, there is some challenging issues regarding wind shear and landing there. After the first several flights, they stopped all arrivals and departures. We took a ride way up the mountain to see the beautiful new airport and caught up on the local commentary as to the situation. It looks like it will become operational again within the next year or so. I am betting there will be times when it will shut down due to the wind.

This is the beginning of the walk to the grave. Note the

elevation and that the gravesite is at the bottom of the

valley to the left. It was a long way down and back up.

Now for some more adventures on this quaint little British island. Located in the South Atlantic, we had sailed approximately 1700nm from Cape Town, South Africa to reach this remote British colony. It is a little like going back in time. Santa Helena is an island of volcanic origin, 14 million years old in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean and has an interesting history.

Napoleon Bonaparte selected a beautiful spot that is in a

valley with a view of the ocean - not that he could see it!

Originally discovered in 1502 by the Portuguese navigator João da Nova, St Helena is Britain’s second oldest colony which held strategic importance for ships sailing from the Far East to Europe. It was seen as a place of refuge for liberated African slaves and since 1815 was used as a location of exiles, most notably for Napoleon Bonaparte where he died in 1821.


Stay tuned for more of the island tour. We only have 72 hours to see everything. Then it is off to Brazil!

Wine Country & Dinner in "The Township"

We continued our journey with a trip back up the coast on the inside along the coast of False Bay and into wine country. Since time was flying and we wanted time to look for some good wine, we picked up sandwiches at a little shop in a town along the highway and ate in the parking lot of the first winery.

I have taken quite a liking to a wine known here as Pinotage. In fact, I have sampled it in every restaurant in the area! It is a little heartier than a Pinot Noir, but not as heavy as a Cabernet Sauvignon. And it has a nice price range.

My mission was to go to a winery whose Pinotage I particularly liked and buy a few cases. Mission accomplished at Rickety Bridge! Our driver stopped at several other vineyards and we sampled the wines, but I knew what I wanted. We found a few bottles at each to take with us, of course.

The wine country is beautiful with lush rolling hills of grape vines that go on for miles and miles. It is no wonder wine is relatively inexpensive in South Africa. And there are hundreds of wineries throughout the country. There were some eighty vineyards within a two-hour drive of Cape Town alone! All in all, it was a good day.

Our driver, Jimmy, was wonderful and made sure we got to see all of the places we want to see. And find the Pinotage at Rickety Ridge!

It was a beautiful drive through the mountains and vineyards. Many of them are tucked back from the main highway so the approach to the tasting rooms offered a view of the scenery behind the gates. 

Of course, I was happy when we finally reached the gate of Rickety Bridge. Having been in South Africa for five weeks, we had many opportunities to sample wines at dinners and gatherings on other boats. I was even lucky enough to be able to compare the different labels of Pinotage so I knew what I was after.

We purchased several cases from Rickety Bridge and stashed them in the bilge lockers on the boat. Since we rarely drink at sea, it looks like we will have to indulge heavily at each of our next landings - and there are not that many left. Too few landings, too much wine! Taking it back to the USA on a plane is a hassle and shipping it is expensive, so we will have to drink up!

 

Jimmy was very knowledgeable of the area and the winery tasting rooms so we covered a lot of miles in a short afternoon. We needed to be back at the marina in time to freshen up and join the rest of the WARC fleet for dinner. Jimmy was very pleased to learn that we were having dinner in Langa that night as that is where he lives. He said most of the workers in Cape Town live in this area and take buses to and from work each day.

To cap off a great day, the World ARC fleet had organized a dinner in Langa, the local “township.” The word “Langa” means “sun” in Xhosa, but the name of the area is derived from Langalibalele, who was a famous local chief who had been imprisoned on Robben Island for rebelling against the government.

Townships are the areas outside of the city where the black population was moved during apartheid times. Some of the townships are very poor and the housing is sheets of metal somehow holding together to create a one room structure. Others have managed to create a community and become nicer areas. Following apartheid, the black African people were given the buildings, but not the land. It was the first time they were allowed to own anything.

Langa was established in 1927 as part of the Urban Areas Act which designated certain land areas for black Africans before Apartheid. They were required to carry passes as part of an internal passport system designed to segregate the population, manage urbanization and allocate migrant labor. Several people were killed there on March 21, 1960 which was the same day as the Sharpeville massacre where 50,000 people burnt their passes in defiance of the Apartheid laws.

We had a wonderful native meal in the home of a family who has made their house into a restaurant. The lady told the story of how her restaurant came to be: her mother saw a lot of tourists coming to Langa to see “the Township.” She knew they would need a place to eat! So she convinced her daughter to make it a reality.

Then some young American worked with her son and got the restaurant listed on Trip Advisor. And now she is the #1 restaurant in Langa! It is fun to see her check her phone regularly to make sure she is still listed as #1. Her mother has passed away, but the family is dedicated to keeping the place going. The buffet of local cuisine was delicious!

After the meal and history lesson, we were entertained by musicians and we all got involved with the instruments and dancing! What fun! This is a great WARC fleet.

Her story and many of the other sites we have seen in South Africa are constant reminders of the era of Apartheid. Apartheid policies started in 1948 when the Nationalist Party won elections. Anti-apartheid structures both within and outside of South Africa began to gather momentum and finally reached a peak in the 1980’s and early 1990’s. Nelson Mandela had been imprisoned for 27 before his release and when the first truly democratic elections were held in 1994.

Today, the ANC party still rules and was 65% of the vote at the time of that first election. There are still tensions between the races, which may be caused as much by the difference of the haves and the have-nots as in many areas of the world. You can see the many attempts to keep peace and put forth a united country.

All in all, we found Cape Town to be a nice place to visit and felt quite safe. Of course, we did not walk outside of the Waterfront area at night. The police presence was very obvious as they are on every corner. I was comfortable going to the Waterfront area by myself to shop.