We had an early morning wake up in readiness for disembarkation. Following our departure from the ship we started our tour of the Cape Region and the Cape of Good Hope. En route we passed the jackass penguin colony which is only here because of the cold waters from the Antarctic. It is summer here, …
At 08:30 and on a much smoother sea we had 86 miles to go to reach Cape Town. Overnight the improved sea conditions had allowed us to make up 1.5 hours of the anticipated delay. After breakfast we sited South Africa for the first time at St. Helena Bay with 62 miles to go. Having …
Our day started at 08:50 with a moderate chop, bright sunshine and light cloud as we made good progress towards Cape Town at 26S 14E. By noon, still travelling in a south south-easterly direction, we had reached 27S 15E. We were travelling at 15 knots against a 35mph headwind and 9ft waves which may mean …
At the opening of the curtains at 07:30 we were approaching Pelican Point on the sand spit that provided the original safe anchorage at Walvis Bay. We are at 22S 14E and will dock in about an hour. Many ships are at anchor, waiting on the tide and spaces in the port which handles Namibia’s …
At 17S 11E it was 17⁰C, bright and cloudy with white topped waves during breakfast. We are nearer to the coast than anticipated, either because of the weather or the events during the early hours. Sleep for everyone was interrupted by a medical call for help. A passenger needed an emergency blood transfusion, and the …
At 08:30, from our cabin window on the starboard side of the ship, it appeared to be an overcast day. However, whilst we ate breakfast the sun was beginning to appear. We were making good progress southwards and it was a little cooler at 24⁰C. At noon the Captain updated us on our progress. We …
This was our first full day, on this voyage, in the Southern Hemisphere. At 08:45 we were experiencing a moderate breeze, a slight chop with 2m waves, a temperature of 27⁰C and a position of 3S 7E and making good progress towards Walvis Bay, Namibia. The ocean is 30,000ft deep here and we are 170 …
At 08:00 we were anchored off the port of São Tomé which is the capital of the island with the same name. The Portuguese discovered the island in the 15th century and the remains of their long ownership are to be found in colonial buildings along and behind a broad curving bay and promenade. Unfortunately, …
At 08:30 we were at 3N 3E heading southeasterly across the Gulf of Guinea. The eastern end of the Gulf was known as the Slave Coast. To our east is Nigeria and what is left of Benin, a civilisation from 900 – 1897AD that stretched along the coastline of the Gulf and was known as …
We had an early start today because of a morning tour. Just before breakfast we were on approach to the port of Lomé in Togo, just east of the Greenwich Meridian and still a little short of the Equator. We docked in the modern container terminal and because of its deep water is capable of …