Allan & Ursula Ward: Port Owen, Cape West Coast, South Africa.

Shearwater 39:
- L.O.A. 43ft (13.22m)
- L.O.D. 39ft (12m)
- L.W.L. 34ft (10.3m)
- BEAM 13ft(3.9m)
- DRAFT 6ft(1.8m)



HOW IT ALL BEGAN .

I placed my order on Nebe Boats on the 19/10/1992 for what was initially planned to be a complete factory built yacht that l would sail home to Durban from Capetown once she was completed. Unfortunately due to the demise of Nebe Boats in the early days of her construction it did not turn out that way, so l decided to truck her home to Ramsgate on the KZN South Coast to finish building her in our garden at home.

For many years we could proudly boast that we had the most expensive piece of garden furniture in town, but at the time l had no idea of how massive this project would turn out to be. As anyone who has built a blue water cruiser will tell you, particularly if she is kitted out with all the systems and the equipment that a modern cruiser has onboard these days, it is a daunting task . Looking at the positive aspects of this project, l know the boat intimately in that l designed and installed the systems, so from a repair and maintenance perspective l have no issues carrying out the work that is necessary from time to time.



The big day arrived on the 29/8/2008 when we craned her out of the garden onto a rig to truck her through to Durban for launching . What followed was three months of preparations to ready her for the maiden voyage to our home port in Port Owen on the Cape West Coast.

We had a fast passage down the South African East Coast including a storm off the notorious Wild Coast and arrived in Port Owen in dense fog. Windward had passed her first test with flying colours and since then we have enjoyed some great sailing on the West Coast.


The master plan has always been to go cruising, so our plans are to leave for Brazil via Luderitz and St Helena Island at the end of February 2014. So far everything is on track although the “To Do“ list still grows each day.

The purpose of this blog is to record our adventure for ourselves, family and friends. Although it will probably end up being a brief summary of events while we are cruising, we hope you will enjoy and share some of our experiences with us.

LIVING THE DREAM .

Sunday, May 28, 2017

BEAUTIFUL BARBADOS .

GREEN ISLAND FROM WHERE WE SET SAIL FOR BARBADOS GIVING US A TIGHT BUT DOABLE WIND ANGLE FOR OUR WAYPOINT EAST OF LA DESIRADE .

POWERING ALONG WITH ANTIGUA BECOMING A DISTANT MEMORY . 

OUR FIRST LEG OF 70NM WAS A LITTLE BOISTEROUS BUT WE HELD ONE TACK TO OUR WAYPOINT .

BUT ONCE WE TURNED THE CORNER AND AIMED FOR BARBADOS WE HAD AN EXHILARATING SAIL ALL THE WAY SOUTH .

IN A LITTLE CHURCH IN SPEIGHTSTOWN WE FOUND THIS STONE IN REMEMBRANCE OF A YOUNG SOLDIER WHO DIED IN ACTION IN SOUTH AFRICA . 

THIS STONE IS SO UNUSUAL IN THE WORDS USED TO REMEMBER THIS POOR WOMAN .
ZOOM IN AND SEE IF YOU CAN READ IT .

THE EMBANKMENT OF THIS ROAD HAS ANIMALS CARVED OUT OF THE LIMESTONE .
THIS IS ONLY PART OF IT .

COMMON IN BARBADOS IS THE PRACTICE OF BUILDING A HOUSE WHILE LIVING IN A SMALL WOODEN ABODE INSIDE IT . ONCE THE MAIN HOUSE IS COMPLETE YOU SIMPLY DISMANTLE THE WOODEN ONE AND MOVE IN .

A PRETTY EFFECTIVE HOME SECURITY SYSTEM .

CAUGHT IN THE ACT , THIS LITTLE FELLA HAD PLANS OF WEARING MY SHADES .

A WEATHERED ROCK , ONE OF MANY OFF BATHSHEBA BEACH .
NOTE HOW THE WAVE ACTION HAS ERODED IT'S BASE .

BATHSHEBA'S FAMOUS SURF SPOT IN THE DISTANCE KNOWN AS THE " SOUP BOWL ".
NOTHING MUCH WAS HAPPENING WHILE WE WERE THERE WITH ONLY A COUPLE OF SURFERS OUT ON BACKLINE , BUT APPARENTLY IT " COOKS " ON A REGULAR BASIS .

EVEN BARBADOS HAS A WINDMILL WHICH IS NOW A HISTORIC MONUMENT .

WHAT IS INTERESTING ABOUT THIS PIC IS THAT ALTHOUGH THIS ROCK IS APPROXIMATELY ONE MILE FROM THE SEA , IT HAS THE SAME WEAR PATTERN AROUND IT'S BASE CAUSED BY WAVE ACTION AS THOSE CURRENTLY IN THE SURF .
GO BACK MANY MOONS AND THIS COW WOULD BE SWIMMING . 

THE CRAGGY COASTLINE ON THE WINDWARD SIDE OF BARBADOS .

WE SURVIVED OUR ISLAND TOUR WITH LOU (BARBADOS'S OWN AYTON SENNA)AT THE WHEEL.
I HAD NO IDEA THAT A TOYOTA LANDCRUISER WAS SO QUICK. NOTE THE EVIL GRIN ON HIS FACE .

THE ANCHORAGE IN CARLISLE BAY OFF BRIDGETOWN .

THE ROYAL BARBADOS YACHT CLUB IN BRIDGETOWN .

HORSE RACING IS VERY POPULAR IN BARBADOS .

WINDWARD HOBNOBBING WITH THE GIN PALACES IN THE PORT ST CHARLES MARINA .

THE LITTLE BEACH THAT FORMS PART OF THE PORT ST CHARLES MARINA .

TURTLES ALWAYS RETURN TO THE SAME BEACH WHERE THEY WERE HATCHED TO LAY THEIR EGGS .THEIR OFFSPRING REPEAT THAT CYCLE OVER AND OVER AGAIN .
I WOULD PRESUME THAT ONCE UPON A TIME THE BEACH WAS MUCH CLOSER TO THE WATER ALLEVIATING THE PROBLEM OF HAVING TO CROSS THE MAIN ROAD TO LAY YOUR EGGS . 

ANOTHER BEAUTIFUL BARBADOS BEACH ON THE WEST COAST .

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