| The passage from Cape Point to Cape Agulhas
is known throughout the seafaring world as the Cape of Storms; it is reputedly
the second roughest passage on the planet, after South America’s Cape Horn.
Alas, we were becalmed for virtually the entire voyage, forced to use the
smelly, noisy diesel engine to make any headway.
In 1976-77, I joined the newly opened Mission Bay Aquatic
Center, a facility of SDSU, where I sailed 13-1/2-foot Lasers and 16-foot
Hobie Cats. Both are fun, fast and inevitably wet.
| A cruise in the British Virgin Islands in
the Caribbean in 1997 reawakened my long-dormant marine desires. A week
on the 48-foot Beneteau ‘Raffles’ in arguably the finest cruising area
of the world renewed my passion for the adventure and exercise.
By 1999, I was ready to become officially certified as
a skipper. |
Getting ready to drop anchor aboard Raffles in the
British Virgin Islands, December 1997 |
Having the paperwork makes chartering and sailing so much
less trouble. I review the material of the American Sailing Association,
realizing I already had virtually all the skills to reach level ASA 104
certification (Intermediate Coastal Cruising) which was all I needed. So,
I bought their two text books, brushed up on my on-the-water skills and
challenged their tests.
Passed ASA 101, Basic Keelboat Sailing, was a breeze in
a Merit 25 in Marina Del Rey harbor. The test for ASA 103, Basic Coastal
Cruising, was a bit more challenging in a Soling 27, but absolutely no
sweat. I successfully challenged both in June 1999.
To get ASA 104 required some on-the-water time. So on
five occasions I chartered different yachts from Seamist Skippers of Marina
Del Rey, each larger than the previous one. First was the 32-foot ‘San
Juan,’ then the 34-foot ‘Seamist’ followed by a Cal 36, ‘No Ka Oi.’ Read
the Captain’s Log of each cruise by clicking on the name of the yacht.
With a crew of three in early August, I did a three-day
voyage to Catalina Island, about 20 miles due south of Marina Del Rey.
It was a marvelous, memorable experience for all aboard. Read the details
in the Captain’s Log.
On Halloween 1999, I challenged the ASA 104 test in ‘Alouette,’
a fantastic Beneteau 38s5. This was the most responsive yacht I skippered
all season, and therefore relatively easy to put through her paces in some
of the most complicated maneuvering I have done. Read all about it in the
test log.
In July 2000, my first mate Jim and I have already reserved
tickets to Hamilton Island, the base for Sunsail in the Whitsundays – the
center of the Great Barrier Reef National Park in Queensland, Australia.
We’ll spend a week aboard a brand-new Beneteau Oceanis 320. Check back
here in August for the Captain’s Log.
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