14 Jun. 12


I am still busy trying to close the hole that I created in the water tank. The job is just not as simple as I originally thought it would be and I have landed up cutting grinding and fitting more times than expected. I should have known anyway, with this being the norm on a boat. Nothing is ever as simple as it seems.

I watched some guys fishing earlier today. The water behind our boat was alive with small silvery coloured fish jumping around. They cast a line with about six hooks and a sinker on it into the bubbling water where the school of small fish are jumping. Then they try to hook one of the fish. After a few attempts they managed to hook one and then transferred it to another fishing rod by removing the hook and forcing another hook into its mouth. Then they threw the line with the small fish attached back into the middle of the school. Wow I am so glad I am not a fish. Imagine, first you get a huge hook stuck in your throat. Then you get surf skied through the water, dragged by this hook in your throat. Next you get half drowned in the air whilst being manhandled by some huge land creatures ie man. Now they tear the hook out of your throat and pierce another one straight through your cheek. To your surprise you get flung though the air suspended from the hook in your cheek and land back in the water. Just when you think you have escaped you again get dragged by your cheek through the water and after a moment’s suffocation in the air get flung back again. This process will be repeated until some or other giant fish decides that you are lunch and you try to escape but keep getting pulled past his open mouth with no escape possible.

18 Jun. 12

In summer the dolphins don’t seem to come up the estuary very often, they seem to come more in winter. Last night at about eight they arrived here in full force. I am not sure how many of them, but it was more than one. Unfortunately it was dark so we couldn’t get any camera footage but Lola and I stood in the cockpit for at least an hour as they entertained us swimming around trying to catch some late supper for themselves. We stood watching trying to spot where they would surface next, their distinctive breathing sounds leading us to them. Lola commented a few times how they manage to fascinate us every time and that it seems we never get tired of seeing them.

We have quite a planned week ahead which is unusual for us now since we don’t have anything planned anymore. Yesterday Lola and I discussed just how different our lives had become. Early in the morning we took the dingy and dropped Kyle at the scout camp that was taking place this weekend. Then we returned to the boat and sat around having coffee for about an hour. At some point we walked up to the bathrooms and on our way back stood watching a plate floating in the water for about an half hour. In normal life standing watching a plate floating in the water would have rated level with watching paint dry on a wall. Now however we find that we have enough time and get fascinated by trivial things, discussing various options about how the plate got into the water and why we are studying it. The subject about our different interests came up again last night before the dolphins arrived as we were just walking around in the boatyard with no particular destination in mind. As we were walking I grabbed Lola and gave her a huge smooch. Then we walked a bit further and noticed a motorcycle driving towards the gate. The motorcycle noticed us and turned around coming in our direction. It stopped a few feet away and the rider got off and started speaking to us. We stood about chatting, about nothing in particular, for a half hour or so and he was on his way again. Then we made our way back towards the boat and found two other yachties just hanging around. We stood talking to them for another half hour. A short while after we got back to the boat, the dolphins arrived. Then we went to sleep without having to set an alarm clock for this morning.

I suppose I had better get back to my original topic, our fully planned week ahead. This morning I have a doctor’s appointment to find out what is wrong with my still painful arms. Next we have to find a way to get to Amamzimtoti on Wednesday to visit my Mom and Stepfather. On Friday we will drive them back here to the boat in their car to visit us for the weekend. They haven’t been before so we are excited to show them our boat. My son Keagan is also arriving on the bus on Friday for a visit of about three weeks. So the week ahead is fully booked with appointment after appointment, almost as busy as if we went back to work. Okay so perhaps not quite as busy as that but busy for our new life.