The sky cleared somewhat and the sea slowly turned a dark green colour, sure sign we are entering shallow water. Flocks of South African gannets soon appeared and we say diving birds, shag and a seal.
The morning sight put us 25 miles NW of Saldanha Bay. At 10.30h it was "Land HO"! as we say at last the long low coastline of Africa stretched out in the uncertain visibility ahead.
Decided to run the engine again and to put into this excellent anchorage to re-fuel and re-water, rather than run the risk of being blown out again into the deadly currents and land up at Port Nolloth, not recommended anchorage, or in the last analysis, Luderitz Bay! We soon identified North Head Lighthouse and Schooner Rock and at 13.30h - shortly after logging 4,000 miles from Rio, passed between the heads of the Guano Islands and entered Saldanha Bay.
This bay, about 60 miles north of Cape Town, discovered originally by the Portuguese Admiral Saldanha da Gama is the "natural" for the cape and Cape Town would undoubtedly have been built there had there been at that time, fresh water in the vicinity.
During World War II the Bay was used as a convoy assembly station and on one occasion no less than 104 ships were anchored in the harbour including the "Queen Mary".
We Lowered sail and approached the jetty in Houtjes Bay where some types were fishing, whom we hailed on the megaphone. The fact that our last port was Rio seemed to shake them a trifle.
We were soon tied up alongside and then fell, almost miraculously into the kindest possible hands of the South African Navy, who maintain a training school at Saldanha.
We were invited immediately to the Commander's house and, lolling back in deep armchairs absorbed quantities of iced beer from pewter tankards. We find it difficult to walk straight on "terra firme" after 39 days at sea.
Afterwards, we pulled off to a mooring buoy and were allocated accommodation in the officers quarters ashore, whence we repaired immediately. The joy of a big hot bath, in these circumstances, defies description.
The welcome given us by the South African Navy was stupendous and, whether or not this can be taken as an example of S.African hospitality, to us it was manna from heaven. The officers are one and all charming and most helpful and they seemed to think we had done something rather exceptional in sailing "Penelope" over from Rio.
Some S.African Sherry, an excellent dinner, and a night-cap completed the evening. How good it is to sleep in a real bed, which doesn't try to pitch you out every half minute!!
Slept like a log.
