Capetown

A couple days after arriving in Capetown,we found fellow Americans. It is odd to see other American sailors on this side of the world. These guys (www.carina2011.com) are the real deal and moving fast to compete in each major sailing race around the world.. Good luck Carina!

The most enjoyable part our journey is exploring new countries with new and old friends. We were blessed with more visitors in Capetown. Together we explored the city limits and beyond. South of cape town lies cold water and penguins. Table Mountain and Lions Head are two hikes both looking over the ocean and city of Capetown.

We sailed over to Clifton beach with JMU friends to spear some fish. Successfully procuring dinner by spear is still one of the most satisfying activities. Stellenbosch is the vineyard capital of S.A. about an hour outside the city. The best grapes are tucked between two mountain ranges identical to Napa valley. Similarly, they produce some pretty nice wines. We worked our way down the Garden Route to Oudtshoorn and Knysna. Oudtshoorn maintains the largest ostrich farms in the world. The ostrich is not the brightest bird in the tree, but an amazing animal. They are so big an average sized human (under 165lbs) can actually ride them. We each took a couple laps and man they can move. Our father took a seat on one of the larger males:

We tested our safari knowledge on a game reserve nearby meeting more animals. We captured a picture of one animal we did not see in Kruger...
Knysna is a laid back coastal town and a hidden treasure for most South Africans. The Knysna heads boast some spectacular ocean views.

In general, Capetown was a vacation from sailing. Berthed in the middle of the V&A Waterfront, the Broken Compass blended into all the other tourist attractions. Makai took an interest in the Cape Fur Seals that lie on the docks next to the boat. In the height of mating season, they were quite vocal throughout the nights. Exhausting the bar hit list and South African checklist, we are back to business and ready to lift the well used sails. The trial and error aspect of sailing has transformed to systematic execution. After one last milk and honey ale at Mitchell's Scottish pub, the Atlantic awaits and we are prepared.