The Cosmos Adventure - News

Joe Dorr Report From Knysna, South Africa

Cosmos

12 December 2002

It is Thursday morning, the boat is on the hard and it is raining. Time to catch up on the log reports.

When we left East London, we were bound for Knysna. We didn't get that far. The weather reports changed to indicate the earlier arrival of unfavorable wind from the southwest, so we set our course for Port Elizabeth. Even though we entered the port at night, our approach was ahead of the southwesterly, and uneventful. The leading lights were easy to spot and at the last minute, a fishing boat passed us on the way in, so we followed. Nighttime entries into unknown harbors don't get much easier than this.

Does a tough environment sometimes make extra-friendly people? Such seems to be the case in Port Elizabeth. We arrived at 2200 hours. We called ahead on the VHF radio and a customer at the Algoa Bay Yacht Club bar came down to the wharf to meet us. We tied up and went into the club to be greeted by the three customers and free drinks at the bar. We hadn't eaten an evening meal. We asked if we could get something to eat. The restaurant was closed, for a private function that was well progressed. The barman called over the caterer. When we asked about getting something to eat, the caterer cheerfully fixed us three excellent meals from the banquet table next door. We experienced nothing but excellent welcomes and hospitality from all of the people in Port Elizabeth.

Conditions in the harbor were considerably less welcoming. Port Elizabeth is called "The Windy City" and has a reputation for heaving seas, even well inside the harbor at the yacht club. It also has a reputation for powerful winds that break dock lines. When we came in at night, we tied up to "The Wall," a concrete bulkhead with huge truck tires hanging on the side to fend off plastic boats, such as Cosmos. The wall is not straight-lined, except at the top. When the tide drops eight or ten feet, as it does two times every day, the boat is lowered to the under-ledge of The Wall where the concrete is constructed in one-foot corrugations. We used every fender on the boat. We also searched the yard for boards to protect the fenders. Everything that pressed against the wall as the seas rose and fell one to two feet every ten seconds was chafed to trash. Fenders were scarred, lines were chafed through and everything was blackened by the dirt and the rubber truck tires. At least we didn't scratch this plastic boat.

The morning of our second day in port, Tony, the mooring and yard supervisor, told me that we could move Cosmos to a slip on the floating dock for a couple of days (until the occupant's boat that was on the hard was put back in the water). We moved immediately.

When we are in a slip we meet many people. The local, long-term renters get the preferred slips that are a short walk from shore. Visitors get slips at the end of the pier, so we must pass all the other boats and occupants on the way out. One of the people we met here is Heinz, the German fellow who was caught in a freak wave with additional powerful waves that rolled his boat completely over six times. During our long conversation, he described his experience. When he left Richards Bay headed for Cape Town, the seven-day weather forecast was good to make it the full one thousand miles. He evidently had made it about half way. He said right before the first big wave hit, he had been outside taking pictures of the wind and sea, but at that point he wasn't even getting wet. He went below and very soon after that, the boat rolled completely over. The first time this occurred the mast stayed up, he said, but the second time the mast and rigging broke.

Of course all of his ship's communications were waterlogged. He was fortunate to have a handheld, waterproof VHF radio and was able to contact a passing freighter, and they contacted Sea Rescue. Heinz said he was told Sea Rescue would arrive in two hours, a feat he said he could scarcely believe possible considering they had to travel 50 miles in roaring seas.

Within two hours, the Sea Rescue boat was along side. He said the volunteers were absolutely amazing. To save his boat from the heaving seas, they cut loose all of the rigging and freed the mast to sink to the bottom. They then towed his boat into Port Elizabeth.

Since he had no place to stay, the Sea Rescue people told him the Buxton Hotel (the nicest high rise hotel in view of the harbor) had a nice room ready for him to use free of charge for a few days. That night, as he lay in the beautiful, hot bath, he said he wondered when he would wake up from his dream; he added that he didn't know what dream he might wake from. Was the bath a dream and he would wake up on his broken boat, or was the whole wreck a nightmare?

While we were in East London, I called ahead to St. Francis and to Knysna (both small ports) to see if they could get Cosmos out of the water for some maintenance. There were no facilities in St. Francis, except those owned by the St. Francis catamaran boat builders, and they were about to close for the holiday season. Next I called Roger Clancey in Knysna. He said that he had the facilities to get the boat up the slipway, but it might be two weeks before the slip-way would be open. He gave me a tentative reservation. I accepted, and we planned to head to Knysna in the hope of getting the work done.

We left Port Elizabeth on the 4th of December with favorable winds at 19 knots. We sailed and ran one engine to recharge our batteries that we had depleted while in Port Elizabeth. We made good time to Knysna until we purposefully slowed down in order to enter through the Knysna Heads at the correct time.

The entry into Knysna Lagoon is famous. The Knysna Yacht Club posts the following, often-reprinted notice: "Knysna is considered to be one of the most relaxing and beautiful ports of call on the Southern Cape coast. The entry is made between the Eastern and Western heads, two steep and rocky headlands. Emu Rock with a depth of 1.2 meters over it and over which the sea does not always break lies near the center of the entrance. The chart is essential. Favor the south side of the entrance. Do not attempt to enter Knysna heads in flood or ebb tide, as the current can run up to 7 knots. One hour before high tide is the best time. Do not attempt to enter after a strong southwesterly blow, when heavy ground swells will break across the entrance. Whilst in Port Elizabeth, phone the National Sea Rescue Institute to assess conditions. The leading line takes a yacht on a course of 006 degrees true, and it is important not to deviate from this line, even when in close proximity of rocks to portside."

To interpret that into practical terms, they recommend passing through the heads at only two specific times each twenty-four hour period; however, one of those two times will be at night, so that period is out. Additionally, since the swells come from the southwest on most days, those days are also completely unacceptable for entry. Oh yes. It's also vital not to forget that slightly submerged rock in the middle of the channel.

Sounds like a plan is needed. I planned to leave Port Elizabeth to arrive three hours ahead of the high tide. As we approach, and my confidence increased that we could easily make the short, final distance, we slowed down to arrive at exactly one hour before the end of the flood tide. We also left expecting to arrive with the winds blowing from the northeast. It worked, and we had a beautiful pass through the Knysna Heads.

I don't know the dictionary definition of a lagoon, but Knysna is not what we came to know as a lagoon in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Knysna is a large body of relatively shallow water whose tides must pass through a narrow and shallow channel with each rise and fall. (So far, so good.) But Knysna is surrounded by the hills of mainland South Africa, so it looks totally different than those open ocean lagoons surrounded by islands that rise only a few feet above high tide.

The town of Knysa is a small, upscale, resort town. The peak summer holiday season is approaching and already the place is jumping, and Cosmos is part of the entertainment. All of the marina slips are full, but I spoke to Herbie, the Harbor Master, and got permission to tie up in front of the restaurants and shops. I think Herbie gave us the spot to give the vacationers something to gawk at.

People line up in front of the boat to get their pictures taken. They stand and stare to make eye contact with us so that they can ask questions. George was rearranging the lazy jacks at the mast today, and a lady pointed with her camera until he was in exactly the right position for her picture. Sometimes, we go below just to get away from all the questions of passersby, but usually it is exciting and just a lot of fun to meet so many friendly vacationers.

We pretty quickly got hauled out and put back in the water. Roger did excellent work getting Cosmos in and out safely. His crew cleaned and painted the bottom and did some other necessary repairs. George performed a number of maintenance and upgrade tasks with his usual aplomb. Ten minutes after Eugene and Charlton finished applying anti-fouling paint to the bottom, the rain started. We kept the boat out for another day to let the paint dry a little longer and the extra time allowed us to make some refinements to the work we had rushed, trying the get ahead of the rain. I was very pleased with all that we got done.

Now it is the 15th of December. We have been told by Fred (Peri Peri weather radio) that we will be safe to leave Knysna and for a run to Mossel Bay, about 100 miles closer to Cape Town. After that, the next time to go out will not be before the 20th, if then. My flight home for Christmas is on the 20th. There is no way that we will make Cape Town before I have to leave. Therefore, Cosmos and George will stay in Knysna for the holiday.

In the forty-five days in South Africa, we have required six days to work on the boat. We have been hiding in the ports along the way, listening to weather forecasts for thirty-seven days and we have spent four days at sea. Four days at sea out of forty-five. And we are still 400 miles from our planned destination - Cape Town.

Cape Town was our first choice for this layover, but Knysna is lovely. Not as much to offer as Cape Town, but quieter, and just as safe. And this adventure will continue after Christmas.

Enjoying the charm of Knysna while looking forward to seeing Elke and the family later this week.

Best regards,
Joe Dorr, Captain of the Cosmos