13 November 2010

Day 311: Richards Bay, South Africa – 13/11/10

What a miserable day.  Yesterday evening (US late morning) Jim set his secretary back in the US on the job of trying to find out the shipping number for our generator part that is coming direct from the manufacturers.  This morning he turns up with a tracking number but this only tracks it from the factory to a distribution depot in Boston.  This depot is near Logan International airport … and the sea port, and we have no idea which one of these two our part has gone to.

When Mike contacts the freight company handling the first delivery he is given the name of the company handling the second part.  He speaks to several people, none of whom can track it down as they are just weekend cover.  Given the time difference it will now be late on Monday at the earliest before we can find anything out now.  This is so frustrating and Mike and I are stressed beyond belief.

Seven boats leave today, trying to start their journey to Cape Town by getting 90 miles down the coast to Durban.  We heard that Destiny, who left a couple of days ago had winds of 45 knots right on the nose – exceedingly unpleasant.

Grand Filou who left in the late morning is back in the afternoon.  The temporary fix of a hole in the hull where a light fitting fell out, has not held and started leaking water.  They will now have to be hauled out and fixed properly.

Although more than half the fleet is still here, it feels extremely quiet in the marina.  At least four boats are leaving tomorrow as well as long as the weather window remains.  I wish we were leaving too.  All the hanging around is driving us nuts.

There is a party all afternoon and evening at the Zululand Yacht Club to commemorate its age, and we go along in the evening for a drink and something to eat.  Unusually, the food is not good and we leave early as I have a headache.

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