Port Elizabeth - Zac
Aaaaah...it is good to be in!
The night before I left East London I went to a BBQ at Will's son in laws' house. It was a great time but a late one. The next morning when I called to check in at home I was informed that the weather window that we had been watching for had opened up in the early hours of the morning but for only 24 hours. That would be just enough time for me to make the 150 miles to Port Elizabeth. I filled out my exit paperwork, started the engine and headed out of the harbour.
When I got out the wind was still shifting around from the south westerly and the seas were a bit confused. I pointed out for the continental shelf that is about 15 miles off shore. The wind shifted around and became steady about an hour later. I sailed steadily through the night dodging ships and regularly changing course to stay parallel with the coast and not head too far out to sea. In the morning the wind started to shift back around to the south west. I then adjusted my course to head into PE and away from the current and I was able to sail in. The coastline was green and lush and then brown with sand dunes.
I entered the harbor about 12pm and moored up at the yacht club. After checking in I met some friends of my great aunt and uncle who had lived in South Africa for many years and they arranged for me to go on a safari with them on Sunday. I also hooked up with Marta briefly. Her boat, Ania, is back in the water and she is planning on heading back to Durban and make that part of her trip again. There has been a lot of talk about what happened but I'll hold off on that because with Marta's broken English and the story passing through many mouths, I have no way of knowing the whole story. Fortunatley, Marta is well and her boat (which missed a reef by centimeters) is in good enough shape to travel.
I cleaned up the boat in the afternoon and met some of the sailors from the club and hung out there for awhile. Now I am getting some sleep. So I'll sign off for now. The weather is looking good for Monday or Tuesday departure all being well.
Cheers,
Zac
The night before I left East London I went to a BBQ at Will's son in laws' house. It was a great time but a late one. The next morning when I called to check in at home I was informed that the weather window that we had been watching for had opened up in the early hours of the morning but for only 24 hours. That would be just enough time for me to make the 150 miles to Port Elizabeth. I filled out my exit paperwork, started the engine and headed out of the harbour.
When I got out the wind was still shifting around from the south westerly and the seas were a bit confused. I pointed out for the continental shelf that is about 15 miles off shore. The wind shifted around and became steady about an hour later. I sailed steadily through the night dodging ships and regularly changing course to stay parallel with the coast and not head too far out to sea. In the morning the wind started to shift back around to the south west. I then adjusted my course to head into PE and away from the current and I was able to sail in. The coastline was green and lush and then brown with sand dunes.
I entered the harbor about 12pm and moored up at the yacht club. After checking in I met some friends of my great aunt and uncle who had lived in South Africa for many years and they arranged for me to go on a safari with them on Sunday. I also hooked up with Marta briefly. Her boat, Ania, is back in the water and she is planning on heading back to Durban and make that part of her trip again. There has been a lot of talk about what happened but I'll hold off on that because with Marta's broken English and the story passing through many mouths, I have no way of knowing the whole story. Fortunatley, Marta is well and her boat (which missed a reef by centimeters) is in good enough shape to travel.
I cleaned up the boat in the afternoon and met some of the sailors from the club and hung out there for awhile. Now I am getting some sleep. So I'll sign off for now. The weather is looking good for Monday or Tuesday departure all being well.
Cheers,
Zac
posted by Zac at
5:31 PM
25 Comments:
Great write-up Zac! You sound so excited. I'm glad things are going well. Enjoy the safari.
KG
Great to hear you made it and got to check on Marta. We are really enjoying following you during this adventure. Thanks for sharing it!
Take care,
Heather, Sydney, and Graysen
Did you get to go toKruger park when you were in Durban, Zac?
Zac, so now that you have done both the longer and shorter legs, which do your prefer?
So a safari..that sounds like a blast.. I'm oh so jealous...Have a great time and take lots of pictures!! Stay safe
Laura Bermuda Dunes Ca
Capt' Zac,
Why a tiller and not a wheel?
Straight Wakes,
Mike S.
Good to hear you made it in!
We haven't heard about the engine lately, so I guess it's working good now.
Zac,
Thanks for the blog! You inspire us all, both young and old. I think of you each day I walk the beach.
The q&a the other day was very interesting and informative including the links to the Panama Canal passage. That alone could be an adventure in itself!
As for the movie when you get back home, forget finding an actor to play your part. Do it yourself! It could be another fantastic voyage for you and the rest of us!!
Godspeed...
r@oxnard shores,ca
Well Zac it sounds this is an awesome adventure! What ever will do when your stuck in a boring stuffy, classroom next year? Its sounds like your doing well, even with the shortage of jerky! Can't wait until you next post!
God bless!
Rebecca Z
Zac.....Let's hope this is a short but sweet stop over.
Thanks for letting us know how things have been going...also your meet with Marta...sensible to keep your counsel.
Gosh, you nearly missed your weather window of opportunity after a great but late BBQ and an uncustomary lie-in! Imagine.
But you got it all together and did the job.
Good job.
UK friend
Thanks for the update Zac!
Sail on!!
Blessings,
Anita
Waterloo, NY
Captain SV "Wombat"
Hi Zac,
It is nice to read that you are getting around the Horn with out much trouble, that is good news.
It is looking like you will be home sooner then you scheduled yourself. Don't go to quickly, experience the adventure that you are on. Take time off for you, don't worry about a record. This may come only once in your life.
Well I need to go. Have fun, take care, be safe.
Until next time
Gary, Houston, Tx
Gary, Houston wrote:
"This may come only once in your life."
I doubt this, Zac migth as well "organize" circumnavigation trips with selected people in the future! Eventually he will have to work for a living or start a business....and what better to do then something that he loves to do??
The future will tell us !
:)
Will/East London...
note for Zacpackers: don't hear me out on this one, asd Zac :) ;)
Doing great Zac. We are all rooting for you as you get ready to do what very few people have done. Round the Cape of Good Hope all by yourself.
What an accomplishment for a 17 year old. I joke alot about me being 17 for the 50th time. You have the maturity of a 67 year old at 17.
The auction to help Zac closes at 6:00 PM Pacific Time on Monday the 19th. We have some nice bids and I want to thank everyone who has placed a bid. If you have not yet visited the auction site, please do so. www.barstools4u.com/zac.htm
Looking forward to your thoughts on rounding the Cape.
Bill Mann
bill@barstools4u.com
Hello Zac,
It's great to receive all your updates. It seems like I'm sailing along with you when you're constantly posting blogs, great job dude. It's a great feeling to be part of your every day life.
What a sailor you really are mate. Getting around Africa and doing it like a seasoned veteran at the age of seventeen. I'll tip my hat at you, a job well done.
Thanks for the Marta update. You handled the blog entry like a mature man saying just enough but not getting far into any stories that your not 100% sure of. Are you really seventeen years old? If I didn't know better you sound like a mature educated man in your most recent writings. You never cease to amaze me Zac!!!
Sail On,
Douglas Pistone
MDR, California
Keep up the good work, keep your head about you, and as always think before you do.
It's great that the weather has been cooperating as much as it has.
Closer and closer to home!
Ah, safe in port again. Nice job Zac. Carry On !
Zac:
Good post! Good news! Good sailing!
Let's hope that things continue to go so well.
Thanks for the slight update on Marta and we'll be looking forward to more details when you are confident of your facts.
Fellow bloggers keep marveling at your maturity and rightly so; however, as I have said a couple of times, and it bears repeating: Think of those you know or have known, the good, the bad, and the ugly and you'll become aware that there are some 15 year old men out there. On the other side, there are also some 50(+) year old boys. It's probably a combination of nature and nuture. Still, there's only one Zac for the zac-Packers. This may be a solitary adventure but I think we're witnessing leadership blooming.
Keep it up!
The Croaker
Gary in Houston makes a great point about not rushing just to beat a record. Enjoy this trip and go at your own pace. There's an old saying:
The Destination is Nothing.
The Journey is Everything.
And, also an interesting idea from Willvp -- that perhaps you could make a living taking others on circumnavigations. Or enabling people to fly in and pay $10,000 or so to accompany you from Cape of Good Horn to the Canal or such.
If you carried 3 passengers at $10,000 each, you could earn some money while helping others have the adventure of their life.
Or . . . you could just do this with friends, with everyone chipping in for food and boat maintenance.
One way or another there are plenty of ways to go to sea. Although some solo sailors come to love being alone, seems like it could also be a blast -- and considerably safer -- taking along some extra hands.
-- Grant Fjermedal, Seattle
Hey Zac-
You da man!
-Craig in Honolulu
Zac
Congrats on one more safe leg. Enjoy the safari. I am still in awe of the generosity of people you have met along the way.
You inspire us all.
Sherna T
Route plot is a bit off. It has you at sea east of Port Elizabeth.
Dear Zac,
The "Extreme Home Makeover" set was AWESOME! They let me come on the set as much as I wanted. They gave my family t-shirts and always let us stand down in front. We got to see them smash the house when it was closed to the rest of the public. On the last day, they gave us a tour of the house and even let my brother and I go on the bus!!! How cool is that?!! Check out the pictures on my website; caringbridge.org/ca/parkerfritsch
I hope you are doing well. You sound tired, so get lots of sleep while you can! Can't wait to hear all about your next adventure!!!
The school district also wrote a very nice article on me this month. It talked all about the fundraising that we have been involved in, and through my illness…..the good things that have come my way.
You can read it at; http://notes.clovisusd.k12.ca.us/news/cusdtoday.nsf
Wishing you all well!
Your buddy,
Parker
P.S. I fly to Duke for a bunch of medical stuff next week, so it might be awhile till I write again. I'll be thinking about you dude!
Dear Zac
After reading about you in our Oregon newspaper, I look at your blog daily to read how you are doing. You mentioned yesterday you are reading "The Chronicles of the schooner Lusty" by Mike Williams. Well I enjoy ocean adventure books so I have been looking to buy one for myself but I am thinking you may have a rare find with it. There are no books out there with that title. Just thought you might like to know that. So I will wait for yours to come out.
Safe Travels young man.
Sincerely, Rooney
Just saw some OmniMax flick about called, 'Wild Ocean' All shot around Port Elizabeth. Kinda kool since it lends a taste and feel to where Intrepid is.
@Rooney
Here's a short review of
The Chronicles of the Schooner Lusty
By Mike Williams
440 pages, $24.95
http://lusty1.com
What a joy! This book is a pure delight. Three decades ago, when the world was a different place, author Mike Williams skippered an old Alden schooner on a voyage that eventually became a six-year circumnavigation. He relates the trials, tribulations, and jubilations aboard Lusty, an aptly named vessel, it seems, given the penchant of the crew—five young guys from Seattle—for picking up ladies along the way. Part of the appeal for me, aside from the sailing adventures, is Williams’s descriptions of places I too have visited over the years. Privately published and available directly from the author, this book comes highly recommended.
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