Sailing To Lamberts Bay

We did our first overnight sail on Anchored in Hope when we sailed from Port Owen to Lamberts Bay.

Sailing to Lamberts Bay has been a long-time goal for us. An important stop on the route to our ultimate destination. We don’t know where that may be right now, but we do know that we are sailing to places where we can spread the gospel but also enjoy the planet God has given us.

Lamberts Bay on the West Coast of South Africa conjures up images of fishing boats and whitewashed cottages lining the shore and we have always wanted to visit Lamberts Bay in a sailboat. Our journey started a year before when we got as far as Port Owen. Gwennie injured herself – first by stabbing herself in the hand with a knife while we were in Paternoster and then when she fell, tearing the ligaments in her foot while we were trying to dock the boat in Port Owen.

This time around and with another year’s experience under our belt we got in and out of Port Owen without incident. Our trip to Lamberts Bay started at the Holding Jetty in Port Owen. John, the marina manager from POMA, was kind enough to let us tie on at the jetty overnight, while we got ourselves ready to sail the next day.

One thing about sailing is that you travel very slowly compared to other modes of transportation. This means that you must sometimes sail for days at a time to get to a destination. This also means that someone must always be awake to keep the boat going in the right direction and obviously to make sure you don’t crash into something.

Until now, we planned all our trips in such a way that we would reach our destination on the same day as our departure, but we have been very conscious of the fact that if we wanted to cross oceans we would have to take turns to look after the helm for weeks at a time.

So even though we could reach Lamberts Bay within a day, we did not want to arrive at night and enter a harbour we do not know in the dark. So with this passage, we decided to sail overnight so that we may arrive in Lamberts Bay after sunrise.

It was late afternoon when we set sail. We had a southerly wind with a following sea pushing us towards Lamberts Bay. We were relatively comfortable and looking forward to an easy sail. From the onset our GPS reported that our ETA was going to be too early – we were going to be there before sunrise whether we liked it or not. We had to slow down. We ended up putting away the mainsail and sailed the entire trip with a reefed genoa. Even with a boat speed of 4 knots, our ETA was still too early, but we resigned ourselves to the fact that what must be, will be.

We enjoyed the spectacular sunset that you only see when the sun sets over the ocean. Anchored in Hope settled into a steady rhythm as the waves lifted her and set her down again. Soon it was dark, and we realised that we had chosen a night that had no moon to light the way.

When the last light of the sun disappeared over the horizon it was pitch black around us. We could see some lights on the shore as we approached Elands Bay, but we were basically sailing blind – only relying on our instruments. This was nerve-wracking, but at least we knew where we were going. We had something to eat and then we settled down for the night.

We agreed that we were not going to have a watch schedule. It’s just the two of us. Gwennie is a night owl and I usually wake up early (my grandkids tell me it’s because their Grandad is so old. Who am I to argue?). We thought that because of this if one of us would get tired the other one would probably be wide awake.

As it turns out on this night’s sail, we both ended up sitting in the cockpit for the entire trip. I didn’t mind because we shared a blanket and kept each other warm while we kept an eye on our progress on the GPS. We would take turns nodding off for a couple of seconds, but both of us would be wide awake if there was a strange sound or if the boat made a peculiar movement.  So, between the two of us, we managed to get through the night without any incident.

Well, except for when we heard (and smelled) a whale come up for air right behind the boat! We heard the blow and the rumbling sound that they make.  You know that sound they make that is almost like a big sigh? In fact, we now heard whales all around us! We jumped up, grabbed some flashlights and pointed them in the direction of the sounds we heard. The last thing you want is to have a collision with a whale.

We couldn’t see squat!

There was no way for us to avoid a whale if one popped up in front of us because we won’t know it was there! There was no way for us to try and figure out where they were or in which direction they were moving! How on earth do you avoid a whale that you can’t see? Especially when surrounded by a pod blowing around you.

With the wind coming from behind the boat we couldn’t rely on our sense of smell to warn us either. We did our best to try and figure out where they were, but it was impossible. All we could do was pray that they would try to avoid us. I believe that they are very intelligent and that they will not swim into a boat on purpose.

– 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 ESV
We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.

Soon enough we couldn’t hear any whales around us anymore, but we were now hyper-alert and would jump at anything that sounded out of the ordinary. We also realised that our flashlights don’t mean much and that we should be looking out for some technology that we can use to spot hidden dangers in the water. We’ve heard many scary stories about sailboats crashing into whales and containers floating half-submerged in the ocean.

All too soon, we were approaching Lamberts Bay. It was still dark of course. We furled the genoa a short distance from the harbour entrance and followed the GPS and harbour lights into the harbour. The waves subsided the moment we rounded the southern breakwater and we steamed into the harbour at a snail’s pace.

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

– Joshua 1:9

Good thing too because we were just able to make out a big tyre floating in the water right there at the harbour entrance. I guess it must have been a tyre that was dislodged from the harbour wall. Once in the harbour, the dim lights allowed us to see fishing boats moored on the harbour wall.

While we planned the trip, I phoned around to get information about the harbour, but no one could give me the information I needed until I spoke to Riaan who runs the only boat charter in Lamberts Bay. He has his boat moored in the harbour. (Be sure to look him up if you ever visit Lamberts Bay) He was very kind and told me I can even tie onto his boat if we can’t find a good spot in the harbour.

It was dark and we were wary of trying to tie onto the harbour wall not being able to see much so we decided to exit the harbour and put out our anchor just outside the random mole where we were still behind the protection of the southern breakwater.

When the sun finally came up, we realised that the bay actually surrounded the harbour in such a way that we were protected in every direction. We were so happy with our anchorage that we stayed right there for the week.

Our first overnight sail was behind us, and we were of course dead tired. We were happy and relieved to be safe. we learned that sailing at night comes with its own set of challenges. We have done more passages and overnight sailing since then and it becomes easier.

Lamberts Bay proved to be a great place to anchor our boat and we enjoyed our stay, but more about that in another article.