RCYC, Capetown, SA

The Admiral and I are back on the boat in sunny but incredibly breezy Capetown. The southeasterly is in full force with winds at the dock in the 20-30 range with gusts to the mid 40's. Fortunately, there is no swell or surge but quite noisy and not really conducive to sitting out on deck and enjoying the sunshine and the amazing view of the table mountain.
We have been spending our time cleaning up. It would appear that Callisto was man clean but not Admiral clean, so everything has been pulled from almost every locker, cleaned and replaced.
I'm making progress with my boat chores. I have my sails back from North Sails but it's been too blowy to put them on the furlers. Perhaps this weekend I'll be able to see if the modifications made to the mainsail has made any difference in how the main sets and how well it furls.
My Furuno Chart plotters are back and they are working well  after a software update and a general checkover.One of the GPS units is still having a problem and may need to be replaced.
The B and G Hydra 3000 computer is still not putting out and boat speed info but the wind speed and direction are now good. The tech is confident that he can get the speed log going too.
The cam belt will be replaced and the cooling system will get service in December once the parts arrive from Sweden.
We have been to the V and A waterfront area in Capetown to wander about and to see the 7 open 65 boats in the Volvo Round the World Race. The arrived last week on the first leg from Alicante, Spain and they left again for Abu Dhabi, yesterday.
Rather them than me, those boats look brutal. I'm still trying to get into the marina at the V and A waterfront but they say they are all booked up until January 10 when the world ARC boats have departed. We have encountered the world ARC boats in various places over the past 5 years and they book up space years in advance wherever they go so that we solo cruisers don't get a look in.
In the mean time we have planned some road trips. Next we are going to spend a week on the Garden route back to the East Cape and we will visit Mossel Bay, Knysna again and various wineries and parks go back through the mountains of Route 62.
Our daughter Jennifer arrives a few days after we get back and a trip is planned to Robbens Island where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned and the wine country of Stellenbosch and Franschhoek.
We are going to do our Namibian safari experience over the holidays and we look forward to seeing the local fauna.
It's good to see the sun again after grey and dreary England. The weather was quite mild for November but often wet, which is to be expected. The Admiral's mother is recovering well from her hip surgery and should be back to her normal activities in a few more weeks. I did get to see my family in London and Rochester and spend some time with baby Sydney. I did a full day while Jessica was at work and I had forgotten how exhausting looking after a busy two year old can be.
Unfortunately, I did not get to see my old London pals but there will be plenty of time for that next year when we plan to spend a year in the UK.
Some photos of the Volvo Open 65's and the poppies at the Tower of London.

The SCA all female team leaving Capetown for leg 2 of the Volvo Ocean Race. Very tough looking ladies aboard

the start of leg 2. Capetown to Abu Dhabi

Baby Sydney with tiara and beads building a lego castle

dinner time

panograph of the Volvo boats at the waterfront

Our very smart, new blue Ensign defaced with the Little Ship Club logo

Some of the ceramic poppies planted in the moat at the Tower of London in October. By Remembrance Day on November 6th. 880,000 poppies had been placed, one for all the Commonwealth servicemen who died in the Great War. A very impressive sight.