actually came from my ex-girlfriend. We had both been shafted at our jobs (working for the same company) and were at a loss as to what to do with our "retrenchment packages". She had recently started scuba diving and was browsing through an issue of Divestyle (local SA dive rag) when she points to an article and says "Let's try this".
I have a look and, to say the least, was not amused...10,000 South African Rand (about 850 Sterling) to learn how to sail a yacht...I don't think so. I slept on it for a couple of days and couldn't think of anyhting that was keeping us in Jo'burg so we gave the
Ocean Sailing Academy a call to enquire about their next course, which luckily for us was starting in a week's time.
We drove down to my folks, south of Durban, and left my car there for the month...we wouldn't need it.
After registering at the Academy, we were paraded down to the yacht basin to what was to be our home for the next month...Ocean Chinook, was her name. A Levranos26 monohull yacht, gleeming white with red and blue Academy colours and flag, sails furled in anticipation of her next venture onto the briney.
Our sister yacht, Ocean Standfast, was moored next to us and there was an equally-intrigued looking bunch standing on the dock at her nose, also trying to decide whether or not this was a good idea...
We were given a drill of what, and what not, to do while living on a yacht and were allowed to get to know our fellow swabbies. Too much time has passed since I met them, but I remember there was Sean (ex-farmer from Greytown who decided farming wasn't for him and left his family to pursue a life on the ocean - last I heard, he was one of the Academy instuctors), an American, and apart from myself and the ex-, there were three others. I turned out to be the eldest on our boat and in an informal way, ended up being the first mate.
Life was difficult to get used to in the beginning, cramped sleeping quarters in the forepeak, seven bodies to move around and in between, the constant movement of the boat in the harbour with its associated noises and smells. It probably took me a week to get used to it all.
Part 2 to follow...
After registering at the Academy, we were paraded down to the yacht basin to what was to be our home for the next month...Ocean Chinook, was her name. A Levranos26 monohull yacht, gleeming white with red and blue Academy colours and flag, sails furled in anticipation of her next venture onto the briney.
Our sister yacht, Ocean Standfast, was moored next to us and there was an equally-intrigued looking bunch standing on the dock at her nose, also trying to decide whether or not this was a good idea...
We were given a drill of what, and what not, to do while living on a yacht and were allowed to get to know our fellow swabbies. Too much time has passed since I met them, but I remember there was Sean (ex-farmer from Greytown who decided farming wasn't for him and left his family to pursue a life on the ocean - last I heard, he was one of the Academy instuctors), an American, and apart from myself and the ex-, there were three others. I turned out to be the eldest on our boat and in an informal way, ended up being the first mate.
Life was difficult to get used to in the beginning, cramped sleeping quarters in the forepeak, seven bodies to move around and in between, the constant movement of the boat in the harbour with its associated noises and smells. It probably took me a week to get used to it all.
Part 2 to follow...
2 comments:
how is she now your ex??????
Well, that depends on who's asking? :-)
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