Stopover in Cape Town, South Africa

Date: 6 October 2003

Day: 73

Local time: 1200 GMT+2

Leg Number and name: In Cape Town

Focus of leg: Preparing for the Southern ocean
...

Position - Latitude, Longitude: In Cape Town

Distance traveled in last 24hrs: 37 miles

Distance traveled since last port: 5,880 nm

Total distance from Ardmore: 8,000 nm
Notes: here we are. Cape Town. Blimey!


Can one man make a difference? It looks daunting. What larks, Pip!


We slept well after steak and chops in a shopping mall. Here I am again, ten weeks on the sea, then back in the shadow of the shopping mall: everything I have spent my life struggling against.


'Rie' is leaving us here and flying home. She saved our bacon on the trip down from Tenerife to Cape Town. Nick, Marie Christine and I would be exhausted now if she hadn't been steadfastly on Watch, alone, for 8 hours each and every day. But the Southern Ocean is another thing. Nick, Marie Christine and I are like 'Greyhounds in the slips', absolutely at the top of our game. This is the time of our lives.


We have seven pages of jobs to be done. Every page has up to 25 jobs. There's always something to worry about.


I gave a short talk about Saving the Albatross in the Yacht Club. Am I up to this. Samantha Peterson was a great help in getting us on the right road here but we do feel a bit groggy on land just yet.


Into the mist...


John Ridgway

Date: 7 October 2003

Day: 74

Local time: 1200 GMT+2

Leg Number and name: In Cape Town

Focus of leg: Preparing for the Southern ocean - planned departure date 25 October 2003

Position - Latitude, Longitude: In Cape Town

Distance traveled since last port: 5,880 nm

Total distance from Ardmore: 8,000 nm

Headed to: Melbourne, Australia
Notes: Feeling a little more clear headed. Nick, Marie Christine and I are pretty clear from the lists what we each have to achieve in Cape Town between now and our departure for the Southern Ocean route to Melbourne on 25 October.



On a venture of this length it is important that we three pace ourselves. Being a busy fool is not being effective. I yearn for the physical fitness of earlier years, the wonderful state of tirelessness. Accordingly, there is no booze or fags on the boat and we three continue to live on the boat rather than accept hospitality ashore.



I'm writing this at 0530, as the light of a new clear day seeps into the sky. Table Mountain is dark and there is no table cloth. I love the spare existence. Minimalism.



Ever after rowing across the north Atlantic with Chay Blyth in 1966, where we surived and the two fellows in the other boat were drowned, Ihave tried to tap my foot on the ground to reassure myself I'm still alive, 43 years later. Every day is a bonus. I'll make this one count for the Albatross.



Into the mist...


John Ridgway

Date: 8 October 2003

Day: 75

Local time: 1200 GMT+2

Leg Number and name: In Cape Town

Focus of leg: Preparing for the Southern ocean - planned departure date 25 October 2003
...

Position - Latitude, Longitude: In Cape Town

Distance traveled since last port: 5,880 nm

Total distance from Ardmore: 8,000 nm

Headed to: Melbourne, Australia
Notes: 0500 in the Doghouse, waiting for the light to come. After
yesterday's gales all is quiet. It's real. Walking the line. No safety
net. No insurance. Nothing to fall back on. Cold but pure, reality.


This giant harbour, with its many arms, crammed with ranks of fishing
boats in one of the strategic fishing capitals of the Southern
Hemisphere.

All 21 species of Southern hemisphere Albatross are endangered - so are
the fish.


30 metres away, across the dusty wharf, lies a big squid boat, on its
stern is written; No 57 Dae Wong - Pusan, Korea. Uniformly
whitish-rusty, water pulsing out of its side to show it's alive.
Bristling with antenna, lumpy with satellite domes, like the boats we
passed north of the Equator. They're from another harbour, world.


We spent a lot of time in the Eastern Bloc-style Immigration Building,
checking in, checking 'Rie' out, maximum bleak. Body searches going in
and going out. What could we steal in an empty corridor, while looking
hopefully through the grill at heavy Afrikaaner officials?


We see them everywhere in there: crocodiles of young fellows, from I
guess the Far East. We don't smile at each other. There's a huge gulf
between us - I don't know how to communicate with them. Are they
thinking about preventing the needless slaughter of the Albatross. Why
not? It doesn't take much time. Where they're going (and where were
going), the water's cold and the nights are long.


If I weren't so weeak and ineffectual, I'd find a way to speak to them.
All we need is a willing Captain - on every fishing boat, everywhere.
How could I do it, I wonder? Need to pull some levers. Maybe I'd cut
more ice when we return, next April, after we've sailed round the world.
I'll try and set it up, now. I've seen films about the education of
fisherman I'll find out where it is happening here.


Switch off the headtorch. It's light again- spared for another day. The
thinnest white cloth on Table Mountain. Self reliane, positive thinking,
and leaving things better than you find them. I'll go for a shower, then
clean my lavatory, pick up old soap packets, razor blades. Leave the
place better than I find it. Sanctimonius old git! Hope no-one kicks
sand in my face.


No-one else stirring yet. We lost the mobile phone last night, a spanner
in the works, for today. Can't ring Carol Knutson in New Zealand.


Yesterday was good. Cape Town has the infra-structure to get things done
on board to our specification. The major groupings have been to the
boat: Raymarine electronics, Fischer Panda generators, Mercedes diesel,
Hood mast and rigging. I think they'll do the business.


It's like the front line here in the harbour: massive lumps of steel
preparing to hurl themselves into war. Beyond the habour wall: the
Southern Ocean war.


Into the mist...



John Ridgway

Date: 9 October 2003

Day: 76

Local time: 1200 GMT+2

Leg Number and name: In Cape Town

Focus of leg: Preparing for the Southern ocean - planned departure date 25 October 2003
...

Position - Latitude, Longitude: In Cape Town

Position relative to nearest land: In the Royal Cape Yacht Club marina, about 200 yards from shore via the boardwalk!

Distance traveled since last port: 5,880 nm

Total distance from Ardmore: 8,000 nm

Headed to: Melbourne, Australia departing approx 25 October
Notes: A certain amount of sand was kicked in my face yesterday. And why not? After the euphoria of landing after 10 weeks at sea there has to be the odd shock when the undercarriage hits the tarmac.


Firstly; the excellent Raymarine gear and the Fischer Panda generator are more work than we had hoped.


Secondly, when the cheerful young dentist looked at the x-rays of my lower left jaw, he sucked on his gums for a moment and said "This is a bigger job than I'd hoped".


The upshot is that I'm to have root canal treatment on the abscess and it will take at least one two hour session, next week.


Something to look forward to.


On the plus side, we managed to make a half hour programme with SAFM Radio about the plight of the Albatross. Also, Nick resolved his problem with the computer power supply.


Today will be better. It's getting light.


Into the mist...



John Ridgway

Date: 10 October 2003

Day: 77 (Day 6 in Cape Town)

Local time: 1200 GMT+2

Leg Number and name: In Cape Town

Focus of leg: Preparing for the Southern ocean - planned departure date
25 October 2003
...

Position - Latitude, Longitude: In Cape Town

Position relative to nearest land: In the Royal Cape Yacht Club marina,
about 200 yards from shore via the boardwalk!

Distance traveled since last port: 5,880 nm

Total distance from Ardmore: 8,000 nm

Headed to: Melbourne, Australia departing approx 25 October

Wind Speed: 35 knots (!)
Notes: Toes wriggling quite nicely. Much better day in the fighting
with cotton wool in a foreign land. Repairs looking good - things never
as good or as bad as first reported. But it's now a race to see if
Whitlock and Raymarine can really cut the mustard.


A Uruguayan pirate fishing boat caused a stir out here, a few weeks back
It seems the Australians found the pirate, fishing for Patagonian
Toothfish (whitegold) , in Australian territorial waters. Evading
arrest the pirate fled. The Australians gave chase and called on the
South Africans, who diverted a supply ship. The pirate was faster and
tried to disappear into the pack ice. South Africa sent reinforcements:
the largest ocean-going tug in the world, laden with paratroopers. The
pirate surrendered and was brought to justice.


The publicity from this event helps the poor Albatross. While we are
doing Radio, TV and Newspapers here, I still feel that a great lever
"to prevent the needless slaughter of the Albatross" really lies is the
Education of Fishermen. I must do something about this.


The other great piece of news is Carol Knutson's "Save the Albatross
Global Petition" is up and running on the web at:

Nick is now bending his back to link it round the world. Much more on
this to follow.


Into the mist .......John

Date: 11 October 2003

Day: 78 (Day 7 in Cape Town)

Local time: 1200 GMT+2

Leg Number and name: In Cape Town

Focus of leg: Preparing for the Southern ocean - planned departure date 25 October 2003
...

Position - Latitude, Longitude: In Cape Town

Position relative to nearest land: In the Royal Cape Yacht Club marina, about 200 yards from shore via the boardwalk

Distance traveled since last port: 5,880 nm

Total distance from Ardmore: 8,000 nm

Headed to: Melbourne, Australia departing approx 25 October

Wind Speed: 35 knots (!)
Notes: They say that Napoleon, when considering the promotion of one of his generals, would listen to all the recommendations and then say "very good, very good - all of that - but is he lucky?"


I've always been lucky.


Today we saw another side of Cape Town, one that's not represented in the beautiful postcards. A cruel wind has blown for 36 hours now. The relentless fine black dust I remember from 25 years ago, is back. All the masts and wind generators howl like banshees. The boat bucks and rears on ten mooring ropes. Footsteps make black puddles on the deck We're at the front door of the Southern Ocean.


I've always been lucky. This would have been no time to approach Cape Town with five of the nineteen strands broken on one cap shroud. But even being lucky can be tiring.


This is our seventh day in Cape Town. We have achieved much. The one bleak area is the Autopilot: Raymarine have been outstanding but the Whitlock Autopilot may bring them down, for they are linked. This is the area the salesman calls "After Service". It is a proving test at which Hood Yacht Spars Ltd.has made a real effort. John Boyce, their President, has flown out and looks like sending us into the Southern Ocean with top-line rigging. I was always lucky.


Samantha Petersen has brought further news of the "Save the Albatross" Petition. Nick is toiling at the computer but is shocked at just how slow the link can be. We have asked Tireless Sam Semple at BBC Bush House in London if he can put the Petition at the head of every page of our website. Nick doubts if Sam will believe how slowly his Cape Town computer can compute.


Into the mist...


John Ridgway

Date: 12 October 2003

Day: 79 (Day 7 in Cape Town)

Local time: 1200 GMT+2

Leg Number and name: In Cape Town

Focus of leg: Preparing for the Southern ocean - planned departure date 25 October 2003


Position - Latitude, Longitude: In Cape Town

Position relative to nearest land: In the Royal Cape Yacht Club marina, about 200 yards from shore via the boardwalk

Distance traveled since last port: 5,880 nm

Total distance from Ardmore: 8,000 nm

Headed to: Melbourne, Australia departing approx 25 October

Wind Speed: 35 knots
Notes: An attempt at relaxation. Not something I'm very good at and not something developed by 35 years of self-employment. Relaxation is falling asleep.



Hood Yachtspar's President John Boyce is similar. He flew the small plane he has built himself, from Burnham-on-Crouch to Denham and caught the BA flight to Cape Town from Heathrow. We spent the morning on the rigging. Living on the NW corner of Scotland, we see perhaps ten sailing boats a year at Ardmore, which is accessible only by boat or on foot. Working on the basis that "there is always a better way", I approached John with a view to learning some better way to handle our own boat. I was not disappointed. I made copious notes.



We decided to take half a day off. We had scarcely been out of the marina in daylight, except to Immigration, Customs and the Dentist.



My knowledge of present day Cape Town is limited to J. M. Coetzee's novel "Disgrace". We drove to Stellenbosch and then on, via Somerset West, to make a circuit of a section of the forbidding, wreck strewn, coastline. By the time we returned to the boat, in early evening, I was thinking sombre thoughts. There are no flip solutions to such intractable problems as you see here.



You might think, what chance has the lonely Albatross, out there, over the far horizon? But the majestic bird is a symbol, and that is it's fighting chance. Save the Albatross and you might save so much else.




Into the mist......John

Date: 13 October 2003

Day: 80 (Day 9 in Cape Town)

Local time: 1200 GMT+2

Leg Number and name: In Cape Town

Focus of leg: Preparing for the Southern ocean - planned departure date 25

October 2003

Position - Latitude, Longitude: In Cape Town

Position relative to nearest land: In the Royal Cape Yacht Club marina, about 200 yards from shore via the boardwalk

Distance traveled since last port: 5,880 nm

Total distance from Ardmore: 8,000 nm

Headed to: Melbourne, Australia departing approx 25 October
Notes: Everything closed here today, so we three were able to get on with work we have to do on the boat. Doing it yourself is more fun than worrying and organising others, but sadly, less effective.



John Boyce, President of Hood Yachtspars flew home to UK today. The physical presence of someone who can make things happen is most reassuring.



Tomorrow we are giving a "Save the Albatross" talk at Two Oceans Aquarium. I think our best plan is to follow the format we used in the Tenerife talk: all three of us outline our various tasks but this time we will ask the scientific audience for their own ideas for the most effective means of "Saving the
Albatross".



The communications are not easy from here. Nick longs for his own computer inhis own home, in Melbourne.



We keep looking across at the Japanese boat opposite us, he has been beaten back here twice. I look hopefully at our own past tracks on the chart.
.


Into the mist......John

Date: 14 October 2003

Day: 81 (Day 10 in Cape Town)

Local time: 1200 GMT+2

Leg Number and name: In Cape Town

Focus of leg: Preparing for the Southern ocean - planned departure date
25 October 2003
...

Position - Latitude, Longitude: In Cape Town

Position relative to nearest land: In the Royal Cape Yacht Club marina,
about 200 yards from shore via the boardwalk

Distance traveled since last port: 5,880 nm

Total distance from Ardmore: 8,000 nm
Notes: Hello Marje (pronounced "Margie")


You were sitting with your husband John in the front row at our first
public engagement last night. It was in the impressive modern Two
Oceans Aquarium, on the Cape Town Waterfront.


Understandably, I was nervous. You looked to me like a bright,
intelligent, professional, modern couple. Perhaps you are bombarded
with requests, from good causes, which make you feel guilty, just like
Marie Christine and me.


That's all I know about you.


I'd better try and engage your interest in the old Albatross, which is
flying around out there just over the horizon. So from now on, each
day, I will imagine I am talking to you both when I am writing this log.


Well, the talk went alright. When I was standing in front of the
mirror, shaving, yesterday, I invented this wise saying "Remember - when
someone says to you 'that was fantastic!' Fantastic is derived from the
word Fantasy"


Things are going very badly wrong for the Albatross. The John Ridgway
Save the Albatross Voyage needs to do something pretty effective, pretty
quickly. Here goes:


From the list of names at the talk last night, Samantha Petersen, Head
of Seabirds for Birdlife International in South Africa, will expedite
signing of the "Save the Albatross Petition".


Dr. Marek Lipinski, Senior Specialist Scientist in the South African
Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism suggested I ring him and
he will help me create "Willing Fishing Boat Captains" in the truly huge
Southern Ocean Fishing Port of Cape Town. I will phone him today.


Dr. Patrick Garratt M.D. of the Two Oceans Aquarium, suggested we
mobilise the World's Aquariums to Save the Albatross. Very
encouragingly he mentioned a sea change in Japan's interest in
Conservation since his visit to Japanese Aquariums in 1996 (there are
100 Aquariums in Japan). I will phone Patrick Garratt today.


Save the Albatross and you will save so much else besides!


Well, Marje and John I'm boring you. I'll shut up and do something.


I'll write more tomorrow.


Please sign the Petition.




Into the mist......John

Date: 15 October 2003

Day: 82 (Day 11 in Cape Town)

Local time: 1200 GMT+2

Leg Number and name: In Cape Town

Focus of leg: Preparing for the Southern ocean - planned departure date 25 October 2003

Position - Latitude, Longitude: In Cape Town

Position relative to nearest land: In the Royal Cape Yacht Club marina, about 200 yards from shore via the boardwalk

Distance traveled since last port: 5,880 nm

Total distance from Ardmore: 8,000 nm

Headed to: Melbourne, Australia departing approx 25 October Distance to next port:
Notes: Good Morning Marje and John,



I phoned Dr. Marek Lipinski in the morning and he arranged for me to see himself and three other Scientists later in the day. It was very good of them to interrupt their own schedule at such short notice.



They showed me the draft "South African Plan of Action for Reducing the Incidental Catch of Seabirds in Longline Fisheries".



South Africa has three kinds of Longline Fishery: Patagonian Toothfish on the seabed, Hake on the seabed and Tuna on the surface. The Albatross will benefit greatly from this plan of action.



It seems to me, that countries which have historical interests in islands in the Southern Ocean are empowered to enforce a 200 mile economic exclusion zone around those islands as well as around their own homelands.



Other nations from the Northern Hemisphere, with these EEZ's in the Southern Ocean suddenly find there are very few places left for them to fish. Of course they would prefer 25 miles limits. A case in point is the ajoining French EEZ around Kerguelen and the Australian EEZ around Heard Island.



I shuffled back to the boat, crossing the same dusty railway lines I crossed 47 years ago. Have I really changed anything? Cape Town can seem bleak to the visitor.



On Thursday we'll be seeing Dr. Patrick Garratt about the possible involvement of Aquaria in the "Save the Albatross Petition".



Now I must summon up the blood and cut away to the dentist for the 2hr root canal treatment. Very jolly.




Into the mist......John

Date: 16 October 2003

Day: 83 (Day 12 in Cape Town)

Local time: 1200 GMT+2

Leg Number and name: In Cape Town

Focus of leg: Preparing for the Southern ocean - planned departure date 25 October 2003

Position - Latitude, Longitude: In Cape Town

Position relative to nearest land: In the Royal Cape Yacht Club marina, about 200 yards from shore via the boardwalk

Distance traveled since last port: 5,880 nm


Total distance from Ardmore: 8,000 nm
Headed to: Melbourne, Australia departing approx 25 October
Notes: Hello Marje and John,



Yesterday was dominated by the two hours 0f root canal treatment on my left lower jaw out at Seapoint Dental Practice. Dr Benjamine Laurie turned out to be a genius. I practiced the yoga breathing and managed to be half asleep most of the time. Anyway, thank goodness it's done.



Christina Barwin is a tower of strength with transport and local knowledge.



While I'm groggy with the tooth, Nick battles on with the computer, grey with concern at managing barely 10% of output on a fast link.



Tremendous news from Euan Dunn at RSPB and Carol Knutson in New Zealand. They are rolling out the petition across the world. We must focus on getting the boat round the world.



Another day is just coming up from the east. So far we have managed a fair bit of publicity for the Albatross in South Africa: A piece on SABC TV News, a half hour radio programme on SA FM and some pieces in newspapers and magazines. But we should now focus on getting the boat safely to Melbourne.




Into the mist...




John Ridgway

Date: 17 October 2003

Day: 85 (Day 14 in Cape Town)

Local time: 1200 GMT+2

Leg Number and name: In Cape Town

Focus of leg: Preparing for the Southern ocean - planned departure date 25 October 2003

Position - Latitude, Longitude: In Cape Town

Position relative to nearest land: In the Royal Cape Yacht Club marina, about 200 yards from shore via the boardwalk

Distance traveled since last port: 5,880 nm

Total distance from Ardmore: 8,000 nm

Headed to: Melbourne, Australia departing approx 25 October
Notes: Good morning Marge and John,



Christina Barlow, Marie Christine and Nick at full tick.



I have been feeling pretty ropy for a year or more. Yesterday I felt very much better. Is there anyway it could be a result of the Root Canal treatment?



Or is it the very good news from Euan Dunn at RSPB in UK, about the 'Save the Albatross Petition'? He says 'As we all know (As Quentin [Hanich of Greenpeace] said, the nice thing abouit this Petition is that no-one 'owns' it, since John's initiative is independent and not sponsored, so everyone should hopefully feel able to support it and try to post it on their own Websites".



This description captures the essence of what Nick, Marie Christine and I are trying to achieve. The whole ridiculous struggle to avoid financial support from anywhere, not BBC, nor any newspaper, not any company, nor any individiual, not any charity. This enable the Petition to work freely through the big international organisations like Birdlife, WWF, British Antarctic Survey, GreenPeace etc. I'm sorry I can't explain better what I'm trying to do.



Euan goes on to say 'I can tell you that the online petition is going down a storm here, has really captured everyone's imagination. Carol just emailed to say that 2 days ago there were 150 signatures but today there are over 750. In the last 24 hrs, people have emailed me from all over - Norway, Canada etc to pledge their support, including wanting to add the petition to their own websites. A couple emailed to ask what they could do beyond the petition - they want to set up a stand in Coventry city centre to raise awareness and money - I've sent them brochures and posters straight away.



Did you hear about the new (IUCN) red-listings of the albatrosses? A significant deterioration in their status, just in the last couple of years. There are 21 species, of which 19 are now globally threatened (including one
- that wasn't even thought of as being in trouble before) and the other 2 are 'near-threatened'. It's desperately sad but makes your initiative utterly timely and significant. All strength to your collective elbows."



This is the power of the people - as Nick dreamt it with the Internet.



Save the Albatross and you'll save so much else besides.



The Petition is at http://www.forestandbird.org.nz/petition/index.asp



Into the mist...

Date: 18 October 2003

Day: 85 (Day 14 in Cape Town)

Local time: 1200 GMT+2

Leg Number and name: In Cape Town

Focus of leg: Preparing for the Southern ocean - planned departure date 25 October 2003

Position - Latitude, Longitude: In Cape Town

Position relative to nearest land: In the Royal Cape Yacht Club marina, about 200 yards from shore via the boardwalk

Distance traveled since last port: 5,880 nm

Total distance from Ardmore: 8,000 nm

Headed to: Melbourne, Australia departing approx 25 October
Notes: Hello Marje and John, and Everyone



The crew for the voyage to Melbourne are beginning to arrive. This involves meeting individuals at the airport and the consequent struggle to convince Immigration that they do have a valid exit from South Africa. That and meeting Rob Duncan and Pat Callasse off the plane from Zimbabwe took all day. Such are controls on movement today, I believe it would be the case anywhere in the world. It was really cheering to meet our old chum Igor Asheshov from Peru.



Marie Christine has completed the purchase and stowage of rations. All that remains is fresh fruit and veg. which will be bought at the last minute. Planning our route to Australia, my faint pencil lines on the chart of the Southern Ocean show that we will be sailing 25 years to the day, from our start from here on the second leg of the 1977/8 Whitbread Round World Yacht Race. Hopefully, a good omen!



We are well on course with preparations on the boat now. Raymarine Electronics and Whitlock Steering seems complete. The Hood rigging needs only a sea trial.



There is very much bustle in ultra-modern Cape Town. Sadly, the Albatross is out of sight, over the horizon and low on priorities. We are so encouraged by news of the petition.




Into the mist... John.

Date: 19 October 2003

Day: 87 (Day 15 in Cape Town)

Local time: 1200 GMT+2

Leg Number and name: In Cape Town

Focus of leg: Preparing for the Southern ocean - planned departure date 25 October 2003

Position - Latitude, Longitude: In Cape Town

Position relative to nearest land: In the Royal Cape Yacht Club marina, about 200 yards from shore via the boardwalk

Distance traveled since last port: 5,880 nm

Total distance from Ardmore: 8,000 nm

Headed to: Melbourne, Australia departing approx 25 October

Notes: Good Morning Marje, John and Everyone.



South Africa stopped for the World Cup Rugby match versus England which was played in Australia today. We watched the match on a big screen in a long room in the Yacht Club. Keeping quiet. It was the Opening Day of the Season at the Royal Cape Yacht CLub. The band played. England won and we crept away. South Africans are awfully big.



Amidst all this, we must try to balance the reality of our position beyond the harbour wall, a week from today, with the need to unwind and get a reserve of sleep in the bank. In fact, we gave a supper party for the two visiting Zimbabweans, Rob and Pat, and got to bed at midnight.



"We've got to focus on what's in store for us and we've got to protect ourselves" said Marie Christine wearily. I had a nightmare: I was being
followed by assassins, every footfall might be them. A loose interpretation might bave been my concern for the moorings on another wild and windy night and my worrying if Igor would return safely to the boat - and how effective he might be in the morning. Nothing new.



Everyone we meet is keen to save the Albatross. "What can we do?" They all ask. We urge them to sign the Petition. Others suggest the world will have to stop fishing for twenty years - if not the story of the Grand Banks of Newfoundland will be repeated on a global scale as sure as night follows day. Others feel that this time world fishing can be regulated effectively but I am a pessimistic realist.



Save the Albatross and you will save so much else besides.



Into the mist... John Ridgway

Now go on to the remainder of the Cape Town Stopover 20-24 October 2003

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