Training Journal - Part 4 - Returning to Durban and the Academy,...

we spent a great deal of time sailing around Durban harbour, refining yacht-handling skills, each of us, in turn, acting as skipper and getting the rest of the crew to tack and jibe the boat in different directions depending on the wind direction and shipping in the channel. It was great fun. The crew was a great bunch, mostly youngsters ten to fifteen years younger than myself. We had varsity dropouts, a farmer, an American (specially out to do the course as the Rand/Dollar exchange rate made it cheaper to fly out here and do the course than just do the course over there), a cruise-ship dive instructor on holiday, and of course my ex- and myself...a real melting pot. But we all had something in common...a love for the ocean and the desire to increase our chances of survival on it. We spent a good few nights braai-ing (barbecue, in the rest of the world) and getting pissed. A few of us would have a joint...myself excluded from that as I never head much of a desire to try it. We learned a lot about each other and made up our minds as to who we would treat as closer friends, and those we would just remain on terms with. Generally, though, we had a great time together. At the end of the month's training, we had to sit exams, both practical and theory. The theory exams revolved around what we'd learned from the books, while the practical revolved around tieing of knots (within time limits for each) and plotting routes on charts (not maps, as some call them). There were only one or two failures in the class, from what I can remember, but the main thing was that I passed quite well. As a result of that, and my handling of situations on the yacht (perhaps my age had something to do with it as well), I was told that if I ever wanted a career in sailing, that I would be welcome to join the Academy on the staff. I would have to continue with the studies that enabled me to become an instructor, but after that, I would become one of them. The temptation was great, but at the time I had other things on my mind, including the opportunity to take a brand-new 37ft Catamaran, Ocean Trader, out on sea trials to Richards Bay with the possibility of crewing her to Zanzibar on the adventure of a lifetime. My next few entries will relate the sea-trials and the problems we encountered, and the entire journey to Zanzibar, straight from the journal that I kept on the way up, including some photos and drawings...