Day’s Run – 7 March 2019

After a nice long stay in Cape Town, the Picton Castle is off again. As per plan some crew had to go home, they will be missed but we have some new crew all keen to join in. Expeditions ashore and work all done, provisions aboard. Customs and immigration all sorted.

Mid-afternoon yesterday we were all ready to sail, engine warmed up, pilot aboard, lines singled up, line handlers standing by but we were waiting for a generator part. It was on its way. We had delayed sailing by three hours once. Still no part. It was on its way. It got here, came aboard, tested out fine.

Let’s go. Drills and exercises were done. Time to sail. Lines off, get away from the big stone wharf, hoist the skiff, get the ship turned around and out of Duncan Dock, Cape Town Harbour we steamed as bigger ships maneuvered to come in, big ships rolling in the swells. The wind laid down to a calm. We steamed between Robben Island and the mainland and headed north northwest, now bound along the “Skeleton Coast” for Luderitz, Namibia. An old German mining town colony at one time. Six-year-old ship’s boy Dawson thinks Africa is an island. A really big island. But he thinks all places are islands. He is not really wrong.

From: Cape Town, South Africa

Towards: Luderitz, Namibia

Date: March 7, 2019

Noon Position: at 31-40’S x 017° 04’E

Course + Speed: NNW at 7 knots

Wind direction + Force: calm

Swell Height + Direction: none

Weather: high overcast

Day’s Run: 150 nautical miles

Distance to Port: 312 nautical miles

Sails Set: none