Finally ready to cross the Atlantic…here are some of the things we had to do before we could leave…and one thing almost completely stopped us!
Finally ready to cross the Atlantic…here are some of the things we had to do before we could leave…and one thing almost completely stopped us!
Three Bits of News:
One video is underway now showing you both the sailing and personal challenges we both encountered preparing for this new chapter! Not easy to pluck a man from land, give him a much more complicated boat than his own to run, have him sell up and prepare to depart in a few short months. This story will be a video next month, likely while we are at sea, since there is no affordable internet after this stop, til we arrive on the other side…
We arrived after a rambunctious 7 day sail that Michael will detail in his debut video in a month or so, also while we are at se.. We cleaned up the boat and rented a car to do our first reconnoiter, after clearing in which was easy and pleasant. No covid test was even asked for and no quarantine. Maybe they forgot as other cruisers had a bit of a run around. Namibia is proving a beautiful country with very nice people, already. I think we will take another trip soon, maybe to Etosha National Park one more time, so I can see my African animal friends once more, and Michael can see the beauty in he countries on his own continent.
As you can well imagine, Michael is struggling getting used to this small space and radically different lifestyle with me; a crazy emotional lady … and me…getting used to a new Captain on a boat I spent so many years with Patrick on…still grieving in many ways, and still struggling to maintain happiness, and the sailing life I so badly want to continue with. Handing control over to a new Captain with not that much experience…not knowing if we will stay together long term… struggling with knowing when to point things out that must be done a certain way, and when to stay quiet and let him do it his own way. There are after all, many ways to do the sam thing, correctly! Not without struggles, to say the least. But we are both trying hard to adapt and make this all work in already trying covid times, so we can pursue a common goal.
Cross your fingers for us! We need lots of fingers!
Coronavirus Update on Brick House -How did we catch it? and More
Blue Water Sailing Magazine just published my article yesterday. Usually Patrick writes this one, but this year, it fell to me. Special thanks to Jeff Carlile for helping with editing, back in July, when an article deadline was just one of many problems in my life 🙂
This article talks about the many things we added to the boat in Richards Bay, at the Zululand Yacht Club, as well as at the Hout Bay Yacht Club in Cape Town, just before Patrick passed from Covid 19.
It includes a review of our GOST security system, our Torrid Hot Water Heater, Coppercoat, Hypervent from Defender Industries, our Manson Supreme and Manson BOSS anchor, our Raymarine Autopilot, and Raymarine Chartplotter with Predictwind, Our Victron Battery Monitor, our Freedom Won Lithium Iron Phosphate battery upgrade, our Balmar Alternator, Regulator and serpentine belt kit, as well as Propspeed, and our Cubic Mini woodstove, as well as our Avon Dinghy/RIB.
Link to Original Article for Easier Reading..(the below may be too small to read here…plus there are other great articles in this issue of Blue Water Sailing Magazine!
Communication Evolution on Brick House : Iridium GO! Predictwind!
Predictwind & The Stormy Weather of Cape of Good Hope/Cape Aghullas!