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 .

Thursday, November 12, 2015

TIGRE . A DIFFERENT WATERWORLD .

The wonderful thing about the cruising life or just travelling in general is all the unplanned places or unexpected experiences that come your way on a day to day basis and when you are not expecting these events to take place you have no high expectations. The golden rule is to try and avoid having high expectations about places you plan to visit , that way you can never be disappointed .

But l digress , our time spent in Tigre is a classic example . We were planning on crossing the Rio de la Plata to visit Uruguay and discussing this with our friend Sarah she suggested that maybe we should think about a visit to the town of Tigre which is situated on an island formed by rivers and streams and lies in the Parana River Delta , which by the way is the only river delta in the world that flows into another river and not directly into the sea .

We took the scenic option and caught the Tren de la Coste Train which runs up the coast from Buenos Aires to the town of Tigre . Our first sight of Tigre was their huge amusement park and casino that stands opposite the train station but as we walked into the town the river came into view and a whole new world appeared .

Vintage motor launches built out of mahogany loaded with passengers cruised up and down the canal and once we had reached the town’s ferry dock we realized how important a means of transport they are as the town is connected to the Parana River Delta System which is a multitude of rivers and streams all finally flowing into the Atlantic Ocean .Further down the canal we discovered some fairly large coasters tied up alongside the wharves so there are obviously deep channels in these rivers .

While walking around the waterway we noticed many English style rowing clubs dotted along the banks with tracks leading from their clubhouses to special slipways fitted with wooden battens to protect their boats from damage on the concrete . The most popular boat is a classic vintage wooden sculling boat complete with sliding seats and these come in various sizes from singles to eight man configurations . Effortless to row with their clear varnished hulls with men and women , young and old getting their daily exercise while having time-out on the water , magic stuff .

We decided to do the tourist thing and went on a river tour on one of the classic boats and discovered a whole new world of riverside communities living alongside these waterways , some in grandiose homes while others living in humble riverside shacks surrounded by lush vegetation . Most of the riverside properties had private jetties as a boat is by far the most effective way of getting about .

Tourism is a big part of Tigre’s economy and there are museums , pubs/restaurants and antique shops alongside the waterways and apparently over the weekends the town is packed with people who travel up from Buenos Aires to unwind and enjoy the beauty of the waterways .


We had never heard of the place a couple of days before visiting it , so it was a wonderful surprise to learn of its existence and then to experience this different waterworld .     

TIGRE . SOMETHING QUITE DIFFERENT .

THE MAIN CANAL THROUGH THE TOWN OF TIGRE .
BROUGHT BACK MEMORIES OF OUR TIME SPENT CRUISING THE BRITISH WATERWAYS .

VINTAGE WOODEN MOTOR LAUNCHES BUILT OUT OF MAHOGANY TRANSPORT LOCALS AND TOURISTS THROUGHOUT THE MAZE OF RIVERS THAT MAKE UP THE DELTA .

CLASSIC VINTAGE ROW ( SCULLING ) BOATS WITH SLIDING SEATS ARE VERY POPULAR AMONGST THE LOCALS .

THE FERRY DOCK IN TIGRE .
WE WERE AMAZED AT HOW BUSY THESE WATERWAYS ARE WITH BOATS COMING AND GOING ALL DAY LOADED WITH PASSENGERS AND GOODS STACKED ON THEIR COACH ROOFS . 

ROWING SEEMS TO BE THE FAVOURITE PASTIME ON THESE WATERS WITH A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT OPTIONS FROM SINGLES TO EIGHT-MAN VERSIONS OF THESE CLASSICS . 

JUST ABOUT EVERY RIVERSIDE HOME HAS A HI-RISE LIFT FOR THEIR BOATS .

BEAUTIFUL HOMES ON THE WATER'S EDGE ALL WITH PRIVATE JETTIES .

THESE MOTOR LAUNCHES PUSH SOME FAIRLY BIG BOW WAVES PARTICULARLY IN THE SHALLOW , NARROW SECTIONS OF THESE CREEKS .

SOME OF THESE HOMES HAD PARK-LIKE GARDENS .

THIS IS NOT A GREAT EXAMPLE BUT SOME OF THE JETTIES HAD ELABORATE WOODEN SHADE HOUSES BUILT ON THE OUTER END ABOVE THE WATER .

I WISH I COULD TELL YOU WHAT THIS IS ALL ABOUT ?
THIS HOUSE IS COMPLETELY ENCAPSULATED IN A GLASS TYPE BOX .

THERE ARE ALSO MANY HUMBLE RIVERSIDE SHACKS .
PITY ABOUT THE CHOCOLATE COLOURED WATER .

THERE ARE MANY ENGLISH STYLE ROWING CLUBS DOTTED ALONG THE BANKS OF THE RIVER .
NOTE ALL THE VINTAGE ROWBOATS WAITING FOR MEMBERS ON THE SLIPWAY .

Wednesday, November 11, 2015

BUENOS AIRES . CITY OF TANGO .

Sometime ago cruising friends of ours had spoken of these fancy buses in South America with special chairs that fold down flat to a decent bed in which you can sleep . This sounded quite appealing so we made enquiries about travelling in one to Buenos Aires from Puerto Iguazu which is an 18 hour trip . It turned out that these particular buses are super luxury and are called Super Cama’s and with only around 25 seats available on two decks they are about as spacious as a bus can get . We booked on the upper deck to improve our view of the surrounding countryside and were really impressed with how comfortable these chairs/beds are and with meals and drinks served on route and an entertainment system on each chair which included music and movies , this was neat . I managed to catch up on some 70’s rock while reclining in this comfy chair and there is something quite cool about listening to Pink Floyd while Argentina flashes by at 100kph .The following morning after a good night’s sleep we arrived at the Retiro Bus Terminus in Buenos Aires and caught a taxi to our hotel.

With this post being written now at the end of our two week stay in this city , let me say up-front that we have enjoyed every minute of our time spent in Buenos Aires . What is different about this city is that the pace is much slower on the streets , meaning there is not that frenetic scurrying around with people rushing about with stern looks on their faces . For a country with a failed economy people look remarkably happy under these circumstances and being social is a big part of their city life with the many plazas ( parks ) full of people chatting and enjoying themselves .

Buenos Aires is often referred to as the “ Paris “ of Latin America and with the city being the birthplace of the Tango there is a nightlife second to none with dance clubs referred to as “ Milongas “ where our good friend Sarah introduced us to the world of Tango . I have always wanted to go to a proper dance venue , not one where tourists are taken to watch shows but one where the locals dance. We met Sarah in Salvador and being an avid dancer herself she promised to take us to these places and she did not disappoint starting out with an evening in Plaza Dorrego , the second oldest plaza in Buenos Aires . This milonga is set up and staged in the square . We have discovered that Tango is not just a dance but a complete lifestyle and those who love it refer to it as being almost like an addiction in that your life revolves around visiting milongas and dancing at every opportunity . We have met people who have given up their jobs to enable them to focus fully on their dancing , one lady even packed up lock , stock and barrel to move here from the States to devote her life to her dancing . Tango culture has a unique etiquette and specific social rules are applied at the milongas something that intrigued us at every milonga we visited. Watching the Tango being danced particularly when the dancers are good is quite something and the Buenos Aires Club , the only milonga in the city with its own orchestra is what l had in mind when l first asked Sarah to show us around.

One of the many places that we visited was the famous cemetery La Recoleta which is listed among the top ten most beautiful cemeteries in the world . It is the top attraction for tourists visiting the city as it holds almost 5000 tombs (mausoleums) with the who’s who of notable deceased Argentinians . Past presidents including their late beloved First Lady Eva Peron , Nobel Prize winners and even Napoleon’s illegitimate granddaughter Isabel Colonna are buried here . The scale of some of these tombs are enormous with statues and features that must have cost those families a fortune . What is sad is that amongst these grandiose memorials are some that have been long forgotten by the family of the deceased and are in serious need of repair .    

Live music venues are also in abundance and one in particular that we really enjoyed was the Bebop Club which has featured bands playing every night until the early hours of the morning although things rarely don't start happening before midnight . Whatever your taste in music be it Jazz , Blues , Rock or Latin American you will find the venue in and around the city . We had many mornings where getting up early was not an option . Fortunately the hotel we stayed in served breakfast until late in the morning .

We also had an opportunity to learn about Argentina’s dark side , when the military ruled the land . We visited the ESMA campus , originally used as a housing and training facility for junior officers in the Navy , but while the Military Dictatorship governed the country it became the biggest centre of detention and torture in the country and thousands of Argentinians lost their lives in this “ House of Horrors “ as l would like to call it . For me it was a stark reminder of how brutal mankind can be against his own and my poor little wife who is particularly sensitive about issues like this eventually had to sit outside the facility to regain her composure . The atrocities that these so-called leaders of the land committed against their own people is absolutely shocking and l have no doubt that many of them still justify their cause .
The campus also houses the Memorial Museum of the Falklands War which was really interesting especially that right now the current government is promoting the call to take these islands as their own . Reading the finer details of this war and what went on is fascinating stuff although in the museum it is very much an Argentinian perspective .

Moving on to far more pleasant subjects like boats , my little wife was subjected to our usual tour of marinas and harbours where even she enjoyed going onboard the Corbeta Uruguay and the Fragata Sarmiento , two historic vessels now berthed at the recently restored old harbour named Puerto Madero . Both vessels are well maintained and really interesting depicting a time when true seamanship was the order of the day .

During our two week stay in Buenos Aires we walked this city flat . The historic buildings and huge plazas dotted all over the city make it one of the most beautiful cities that we have ever visited and with its numerous museums and entertainment venues we could have been kept busy for a long time .


But it is time to pack and head home to our family and friends and that we are really excited about . It has been one amazing year of great sailing and great experiences all along the Brazilian Coast right up to Cabedelo where our faithful little ship lies waiting for our return to sail for the Caribbean .  

BUENOS AIRES . THE PARIS OF LATIN AMERICA .

IF YOU ARE INTO HISTORIC BUILDINGS , BUENOS AIRES IS HARD TO BEAT .

CLASSIC OLD KOMBI PARKED IN FRONT OF A CLASSIC OLD CHURCH .
THE REAL ARTWORK WAS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THIS OLD SURF WAGON .

LA RECOLETA CEMETERY .
BUENOS AIRES NO.1 ATTRACTION WHERE PRESIDENTS AND NOTED ARGENTINIANS ARE LAID TO REST .

LISTED AMONGST THE WORLD'S 10 MOST BEAUTIFUL CEMETERIES .
FUNNY , UNTIL NOW I HAD NEVER THOUGHT OF A CEMETERY AS BEING A BEAUTIFUL PLACE .

STREET DRUMMERS AND DANCERS IN DOWNTOWN SAN TELMO .

OUTDOOR MILONGA IN PLAZA DORREGO .

THE ICONIC OBELISK .

THE CORBETA URUGUAY NOW BERTHED IN PUERTO MADERO .

POLISHING THE BRASS ON THIS SHIP MUST HAVE KEPT HER CREW BUSY FULL TIME .
 EVEN TODAY IT STILL SHINES LIKE A MIRROR . 

THE DETAIL ON THIS SHIP IS BEAUTIFUL .
NOTE THE SPARE WHEEL POSITIONED AHEAD OF THE HELM .

MY IMAGINATION WAS RUNNING WILD .
I WOULD LOVE TO TELL YOU THAT THIS PIC WAS TAKEN AT SEA WHILE UNDERWAY WITH 25 KNOTS OF WIND UP THE TAIL , BUT UNFORTUNATELY SHE WAS SNUG IN HER BERTH AT PUERTO MADERO .

THE THREE WHEEL HELM OF THE FRAGATA SARMIENTO .
SHE MUST HAVE BEEN A BITCH TO STEER AS THE PIC ABOVE THE HELM SHOWS THREE HELMSMAN , ONE ON EACH WHEEL .

THE RECENTLY LAUNCHED 172FT DONA FRANCISCA .
A COMBINATION OF CLASSIC BEAUTY AND MODERN TECHNOLOGY .

THE CITY'S BUILDINGS ARE ALSO A COMBINATION OF THE OLD AND NEW.

THE EL BESO MILONGA ( TANGO DANCE CLUB ).
WHAT WAS INTERESTING IS THAT THERE ARE NO AGE LIMITS TO TANGO DANCING AS THERE WERE YOUNG AND OLD SWAPPING DANCE PARTNERS THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT .

CHILLING IN THE PARK .

I HAVE NEVER SEEN SO MANY STATUES IN ONE CITY .

PALACIO SAN MARTIN .
THIS PIC DOES NOT DO THIS BUILDING JUSTICE .

ONE OF THE MANY PLAZAS THROUGHOUT THE CITY .

THE OUTDOOR MEMORIAL TO COMMEMORATE THOSE ARGENTINIANS WHO LOST THEIR LIVES IN THE FALKLANDS WAR .

TOM WESO AND HIS BLUES BAND LIVE AT THE BEBOP CLUB .

GOOD TIMES WITH GOOD FRIENDS .
SARAH & GRIT ( TANGO ADDICTS ) WITH US IN CHINATOWN . 


Friday, November 6, 2015

THE IGUAZU FALLS . ONE OF NATURE'S SEVEN WONDERS OF THE WORLD .

After flying from the north east corner of Brazil to its southern border with Argentina via Sao Paulo and then finally arriving in Puerto Iguazu in Argentina we had lost a night’s sleep . By the time we stepped into the reception area of La Cantera Jungle Lodge we were feeling as rough as a warthog’s knee partly caused by the fact that our luggage weighed a ton with yacht parts and all our kit . It was quite amusing watching volunteers offering to carry our luggage until they discovered how heavy it was . What was not amusing was my little wife telling any potential carrier “ please don’t worry , it is very heavy , my husband will carry it “. The only thing in my favour was that most of them did not understand her English although she quickly tried to sort out the problem by using sign language . I had been carrying all these bags since leaving our boat .

The following morning after a solid night’s sleep and a hearty breakfast we set off to see the mighty Iguazu Falls , and how mighty they are . Taller than Niagara and wider than Victoria these raging falls are one of nature’s most awe-inspiring sights . Apparently when Eleanor Roosevelt saw the Falls for the first time she muttered “ poor Niagara “.

Just to give you some idea about how spectacular these falls are , they are made up of around 276 individual drops that stretch along 2,7km of cliff-face and they consist of beautiful cascades to immense cataracts . It is this variety that makes Iguazu so special and whether you are standing in the Devil’s Throat on the Brazilian side or 270 feet up on top of the Garganta do Diablo on the Argentinian side with the water thundering alongside you and getting soaked in the process this is one time in your life that you can truly say “ feel the power “. When the Iguazu River is at its peak 1,8 million gallons of water per second not litres plummet over these falls and they have been around for about 150 million years .
The Brazilians and Argentinians can argue all day about which side is the best but both sides give you such different perspectives that you have to see both .
Both sides of the falls are National Parks and the area is listed as a World Heritage Site and also one of the seven Natural Wonders of the World . Much of the park area is protected rain forest and also home to species of rare flora . The last populations of panthers also reside in these forests and the birdlife is incredible . A large flock of swifts actually roost under the falls , behind the curtain and watching them appear and disappear behind these thundering cascades is fascinating . Both sides of the Falls are immaculately maintained and well organised with even a small train on the Argentinian side to cart visitors to different sections of the falls .


We both feel very privileged to have visited these falls and if you don’t have enough cash to visit them , sell the car it’s worth it .  

THE MIGHTY IGUAZU FALLS .

WE FELT PRIVILEGED TO BEING ABLE TO VISIT ONE OF NATURE'S 7 WONDERS OF THE WORLD.

WITH THE SCALE OF IGUAZU YOU CAN ONLY PHOTOGRAPH SECTIONS OF THE FALLS AT A TIME.

BRAZILIANS AND ARGENTINIANS ARGUE ALL THE TIME ABOUT WHO'S SIDE OF THE FALLS ARE THE BEST . THE TRUTH IS BOTH SIDES GIVE DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES AND BOTH ARE BEAUTIFUL AND NEED TO BE SEEN .

THIS LITTLE FELLA HAS TWO NAMES DEPENDING ON WHICH SIDE OF THE FALLS YOU ARE ON .
IN BRAZIL THEY ARE CALLED A QUATIS AND IN ARGENTINA A COATI .

THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY 276 INDIVIDUAL DROPS OVERALL AND IN THE PEAK RAINY SEASON OVER 300 .

ON THE BRAZILIAN SIDE YOU CAN ENTER THE DEVIL'S THROAT ALONG THIS CATWALK AND EXPERIENCE NATURE AT IT'S AWE-INSPIRING BEST AND GET SOAKED AT THE SAME TIME.

ON THE TRAIN TO VISIT THE IMPRESSIVE GARGANTA DEL DIABLO .

THIS SIGN STANDS JUST BEFORE THE AWESOME SIGHT OF DEVIL'S THROAT .
ALTHOUGH IT IS OBVIOUS THAT THE ENGLISH IS TRANSLATED , I THOUGHT IT WAS VERY APT.

STANDING ON THE EDGE , A DIFFERENT VIEW .
THESE FALLS STRETCH FOR 2,7 KMS .

FEELING THE POWER .
WHEN THE WATER IS FLOWING LIKE THIS THE CURRENTS IN THE RIVER ARE VERY STRONG AND YOU CAN'T HELP WANDERING ABOUT HOW MANY CREATURES HAVE BEEN SWEPT OVER THESE FALLS OVER THE MILLIONS OF YEARS OF THEIR EXISTENCE .

THOSE TINY SPECS AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PIC ARE SOME OF THE LARGE GROUP OF SWIFTS THAT ROOST BEHIND THESE THUNDERING CASCADES .

OVER 270 FEET UP, STANDING ON THE EDGE OVERLOOKING GARGANTA DEL DIABLO .
ONE SPECIAL OCCASION IN OUR LIVES .

THE INCREDIBLE SOUND OF THE WATER ROARING OVER THESE CLIFFS AND GETTING SOAKED BY THE SPRAY IS ALL PART OF THE EXPERIENCE .

WHEN IT CAME TO THE BUTTERFLIES , URS WAS LIKE A MAGNET TO THEM .

THE ARGENTINIAN SIDE ,CALENDAR SHOTS AROUND EACH CORNER .

I HAVE NEVER SEEN SO MANY RAINBOWS IN A SINGLE DAY .

STANDING AT THE END OF THIS CATWALK PUTS YOU A FEW METRES AWAY FROM THE DROP .
THOSE PEOPLE ARE SOAKED TO THE SKIN . I KNOW , I WAS ONE OF THEM .

THESE LITTLE GUYS ARE CRAFTY . THIS ONE'S COUSIN SNUCK UP BEHIND ME AND SNATCHED MY CHOW OUT OF MY HAND .