First Sail on Sage and a build update.
Now we can actually say we are Sailing Sage!
On Tuesday 26 July 2022 we took Sage out for her first sail. It was just a short trip to adjust the rigging and check the fit of the sails, so only a couple of hours out on the water. Leaving the North Wharf of the V&A Waterfront requires going out through two drawbridges, and one, the older Bascule bridge, will only open 15 minutes before or after there hour, and only if asked. You have to get ready to go, radio Cape Town port control, and request the bridges open for you. In South Africa it’s important to call Port Control and tell them where you are going and when you’ll be back every time you leave the dock. It’s a little like air travel and ground and air traffic control. It’s very formal and regimented, and sorta fun as an interesting quirk, but seems a little odd to an American who is used to just untying the boat and sailing away. That said, Cape Town is a busy commercial port, with lots of traffic, and it makes sense that they know where all the little boats are as they direct the various tankers, freighters, and fishing vessels.
Motoring out from the V&A Waterfront for the first time.
The weather forecast was for light winds in Table Bay, but it turned out that it was blowing pretty hard out there. Consistent winds over 20 knots and gusts over thirty. That’s a summer day in “the slot” back home, but since we were adjusting the rig I think we were hoping for a slightly lighter day.
We hoisted to the first reef, shut the engines down. The magic moment in sailing when you turn the engines off and the wind takes over is one of my favorite things. The engines on Sage are very modern 40 HP Yanmar diesels. They are very quiet, but there is a big difference between motoring and sailing, and that transition is the reminder of why I love to sail.
First reef is in, whitecaps on Table Bay.
Unfurling the self-tacking jib increased the speed. We saw 11 knots on the speedometer at one point, even while the rig was being adjusted and we weren’t really trying. The wind continued to increase, so we decided not to unfurl the screacher, and the spinnakers where obviously no go, so we will have to have another few test sails soon.
Work continues on the boat getting the finishes done and installing and configuring all of the systems. It’s such a big project and requires constant attention. I go to the boat every day to work with Mark W. from Balance.
In the meantime, I’ve been meeting sailors around town. Wearing my red Mount Gay Rum regatta hat (Delta Ditch 2017) has resulted in a few people coming up and introducing themselves. One cruising couple, from S/V Erie Spirit has been in Cape Town for a while preparing to cross the Atlantic and complete their circumnavigation. Another couple is outfitting a brand new Leopard 50, and will depart shortly after we do. One guy is the captain of a Southern Wind 96 currently under construction in Cape Town, and bound for the Med in a few months. Sailing people are the best!
Yesterday, Sunday, we went for a sail on Sea Life. It’s a great boat too. I’m ready to take Sage out again as soon as she’s ready. But the work continues. You can see some updates in the Build Galleries.
Thanks for stopping by! More to come soon!