Cape Town

Cape Town has been a great stop so far with lots of interesting to do. We tried to rent a car but none were available until after New Years.
We climbed the Lions Head which is a steep rock mountain and is about a 50 minute hike to top from parking lot. Spectacular views from top and our favorite hike here, done it twice. The last bit is bit of a climb to top using man made hand holds and chains, nothing too difficult. Table Mountain was next on our agenda now that our legs were getting back in shape. We unwittingly choose a very hot day to climb the mountain and found it difficult in the heat and should have started earlier, and hiking down was even hotter. A few days later we climbed the Table mountain again, but with the Cats Paw crew this time. This was a cloudy day and the peak never came out of the clouds but it was much easier to climb. This time taking only about an hour and 15 minutes to top. We rode the cable car down this time.

We did an hour and ten minute train ride into Simonstown for a look see and to see the marina there and visit friends there. Cats paw took us down to the beach where there is lots of penguins. Most of the people we know are down here has they could not get into the RCYC marina as it was booked full. The smaller yachts like us seemed to get in easier.

New Years eve another big blow came through with winds in the 40's and 50 plus knot range. The blow lasted for 2 full days. The Yacht club has put on a function for New Years eve, we went up there for a couple of ours with Sal Darago's crew. The music was too loud so we did not stay too long. Later that evening we went over to Sal Darago's boat and brought in the new year there with Dorothy's nanaimo bars, Cathy's mince meat tarts and Baileys. The fire works started at midnight and we had a good view from the back of their boat.

We got our rental car finally on Jan 2. Doing running around getting a few things we need and some provisioning, as we have 2 months of sailing ahead of us and don't expect to get a whole lot at St Helena. The only things the boat needed was some new reefing lines, a solar panel voltage regular which died awhile ago and a Caribbean Navionics chip which is really a luxury.  We climbed  Devils Peak  a few days later, its beside Table Mountain.  It took us about 2 hours 15 min round trip and has a nice trail to top. Trail starts near table mountain Platteklip gorge trail, which is same trail we used for table mountain. 
     We did a drive out to Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope which is also called the cape of storms if your a pessimist.  They is a very worth while drive with great scenery and also a stunning  walk out the actual Capes.   A couple days later we took a drive through the wine country and Stellenbosch with its scenic mountain scenery.
We are planning to leave very soon and head North to Namibia.  After a short visit  there we will head out to St Helena then Ascension Island  and then to the Caribbean.  So we have a lot of sailing ahead of us and long passages.  We are now over half way on our circumnavigation and now feel we are on our way home.



INFO

-Its a 35 minute walk to the train station and, or downtown, and a 50 minute walk to the V and A waterfront a large mall and theaters. The train into Simonstown is about 1 hour 10 minutes and cost us 28 rand for first class. Apparently the yachts in False Bay Simonstown have to take a short train ride to get to a descent grocery store.

-Apparently yachts checking out of country must now all go to the RCYC yacht club in Cape Town harbor. If your in Simons Town your suppose to stop at the RCYC on the way out of country to check out here with your boat. African bureaucracy at it's finest. If you have already checked into country at Richards Bay or Durban you do not need to goto RCYC to check in, but if you come into the country here in Cape area apparently you are suppose to bring boat to the RCYC.

The club charges 1000 rand for this. If you are staying in the RCYC already, for ex 3 weeks, you will not be charged the fee. If you go in for just a couple of nights you will be charged the fee. This is a brand new policy and when we asked well how long would you have to stay in the yacht club to not be charged fee? She said this is a gray area and not sure yet, probably would have to stay  a week at least. There is 2 slips reserved for boats checking out, located at 33 55.132S 18 26.612E This whole policy still sounds a bit vague and I can see changes being made.  Note there is actually quite a few empty slips here now ( Jan 8).      I here that you can also check out of country, with your yacht at the V and A marina since it is also in Cape Town and close to customs.  It is more expensive to stay there than the RCYC but they are not charging the 1000 Rand  the RCYC is.

-There is propane tank filling done here at the RCYC, just take tank up to the chandlry in the yard here. Diesel here at RCYC as well at their fuel dock. 11 something rand a liter. Just about anything can be got or done for a yacht in Cape Town.