The Woes of life...

10 Dec. 13

The Oyster rally yachts left yesterday morning at slack tide. The wind was calm and the water was like a mirror so I checked the weather and wondered if we should follow them out. The predicted wind was around 20 knots which already was a problem for me but the sea state was the actual problem. Around 3 metre waves 7 seconds apart, I just couldn’t do it. It made me wonder once again if this was the right thing for us. We are honestly chicken shits and I don’t know why we are even considering this.

 

Anyway I packed my thoughts away and we decided to go for a dingy ride in the lagoon after lunch. During the morning the wind started to pick up and by lunch time it was blowing around 20 knots as predicted. The lagoon was choppy and I wasn’t sure if we should still go but we ate lunch then jumped on the dingy. Our plan was to motor across the lagoon to Brenton on Lake. Through my binoculars I had noticed a yacht on a mooring and wanted to see if we could move over to that side of the lagoon as I believed it would be more protected from the Southerly winds. The wind had stirred up quite a chop and we splashed our way across the lagoon until I decided to cut across between the channel markers and head straight towards our destination. Mistake number one.

 

We had only gone a few metres when the motor churned up mud as we hit the bottom. In my wisdom I decided it was only a short shallow piece so I tried to continue in the same direction instead of turning around. We somehow crossed the shallow headed across some slightly deeper water and hit bottom for a second time. Lola told me to turn around but I looked behind us and noticed a piece of ground so told her we couldn’t go back. Instead of listening to her I jumped off the dingy and started to pull us across the ground. For a while this worked and we slowly moved forwards but then it became even more shallow and we all had to get out the dingy to lift and pull it along. Rauen and I could manage quite well across the muddy ground but Lola and Kyle couldn’t keep up as we yanked the dingy a few metres forwards at a time as they tried to keep their balance while sinking into the mud. Kyle lost one of his crocs and caught it just in time before the current took it away as Lola got stuck in the mud again unable to free herself without losing both her shoes. At this point there was a lot of screaming and confusion as Rauen tried to help her and I held onto the dingy so it would drift away. When Rauen couldn’t get his mother unstuck and she had screamed at him to stop pulling her around I shouted at him to hold the dingy so I could help Lola. I managed to get her unstuck for a few steps before she got stuck again then told her and Kyle to get back in the dingy. The water was slightly deeper again but we were still surrounded by shallows and Rauen and I yanked and jerked the dingy with Lola and Kyle falling about and holding on for dear life.

 

By this time everybody was angry with everybody. We finally managed to reach a narrow channel of deep water and Rauen and I jumped in the dingy. I tried to start the motor but the current and the howling wind quickly blew us across the channel and back onto the ground on the other side. We grabbed our oars and tried to row back to the channel but only managed to move sideways and the channel wasn’t getting any closer. I tried the motor again and for a while we headed towards the channel before the prop hit the ground again so I lifted the motor quickly and grabbed my oar. We eventually reached the channel and I told everyone to continue rowing until I could get the motor running so we didn’t end in the shallows again. The motor started after the fifth pull and we could finally head up the channel. As we motored into the chop I looked around and noticed people on the shore staring at us. I knew they had been watching us the entire time and must be thinking what idiots we are. I just hope they didn’t record it on a cell phone and it is now on U-tube with the tittle “dumb ass idiots.” The trip back to Yrumoar was bouncy and very wet and we arrived back an hour later shivering and pickled in salt water.

Now, looking back, it was quite funny and we all had an experience not soon forgotten. At the time though, not so funny. I wonder if this whole trip will be like that. Funny afterwards.

21 Dec. 13

So many things have happened in the last few weeks I am not even sure where to begin. The discussions about our uncertain future came up again and we debated our available choices. This time however things were slightly different since we had an extra option we never had before. A few weeks ago I finally managed to get a job offer here in Knysna. The job, working in a factory that builds motorhomes. Wow, I find that so ironic. Is it just another sign telling us our choice of transport was wrong? Anyway ignoring the irony the money isn’t quite enough to sustain the lifestyle we want but I suppose half a loaf of bread is better than none. Or is it? With this new option in mind we looked at our choices. Keeping in mind our original plan was to sail across to New Zealand resettle, find work and continue with “normal” life. Our finances were time based and calculated on this option and we even had a small buffer. However things didn’t quite work out as planned so now what?

We have managed to get our oldest child educated at the end of 2012 but still have three kids to educate and anyone with kids will know this is not a cheap hobby so money remains a huge problem. Taking the job here with little money may not be a real solution and may only prolong the final outcome. As every month ticks by we have less and less money since our expenses exceed our income even with the job. Home schooling our kids is not free, as some people believe it is and neither is anything else. Everywhere you stop costs money and this doesn’t include sightseeing, things you want to do or boat repairs, it just costs money to park the boat. With this in mind we have to wonder if the job is even an option.

On a different less traumatising subject our time on the chain mooring ran out and we had to move back on anchor. The club informed us they had it booked for someone else so left us no choice and we moved a few days ago. We are now swinging on our hook and hope it doesn’t decided to drag again. When something goes wrong it takes a while for your confidence to return and we have not had much sleep since we moved.

Rauen flew up to Joey’s to see his dad and Amy arrived in SA on holiday. I didn’t get to see Amy since her time was limited but did speak to her on the phone twice. I miss her and Keagan a lot. It’s been more than a year since I saw Amy and slightly less for Keagan but it feels like a lifetime.

I finally managed to get our second hand water maker installed the day before we moved onto anchor. It is a 12 volt unit and only fills one glass in about 4 minutes so doesn’t make much water but should suffice. We ran it for a half hour to test it but the water still tasted salty. It was second or third of fourth hand when we got it and I don’t know its history or if it actually works but will test it again when it is sunny. It is overcast today and we need the power to run the freezer instead.