Ignore the K, pronounced nyz-na. Another quick trip along the South African coast where a suitable weather window for a passage consists of gale force winds blowing in the right direction. Rough but quick. However, it was not quite quick enough to get me to Knysna before dark on Wednesday after leaving East London early Tuesday morning. Knysna has a well-known tricky entrance through the heads to the estuary which shouldn’t be attempted at night or with the wrong tide, especially for someone like me who’s never done it
So I had to lay up at an anchorage in Plettenberg Bay, along the Robberg peninsula, about 20 nm east of Knysna. I was initially indecisive about anchoring there, thinking I could lie ahull or heave-to and wait for daylight to enter Knysna. I sailed slow for some hours with that strategy in mind. But I finally decided the anchorage would be better, especially if the wind kicked up overnight (which it did). With that decision made, I motored through calm winds to the anchorage, arriving at 11 pm. It’s been a long time since I anchored in the dark of night in a strange place. The e-charts on my chartplotter provided horizontal guidance and with the depth finder I was looking for a depth less than 8 meters. Once found, I slowed the boat to zero knots, dropped the anchor, and put out about 40 meters of chain (5:1 slope). With that done, I went to bed and actually got 5 hours solid sleep.
Leaving for Kynsna early the next day I knew I would be bashing into 15-20 kt headwinds and waves all the way. Nothing for it but to motor fast enough to hit the best time around 1200 to pass through the narrow entrance. Mike Jacobs of the Knysna Yacht Club (KYC) is there via Whatsapp and radio to help newcomers get safely through. It was straightforward, except for crabbing into the 20 kt westerly crosswind. It’s a little unnerving to steer the boat so the course-over-ground (COG) track is through the passage but the bow is pointed at the rocks.
KYC is a very welcoming place. They let me stay tied to the reception dock instead of putting me out on a swing mooring where I would need to unload the dinghy, attach the outboard motor, and use that to get to shore. KYC has a great restaurant and bar a few meters from where I’m tied up. From what I can tell, Kynsna is a sort of a resort, second home, tourist town. 50 meters from the yacht club there is a small shopping complex with many restaurants and few nearby hotels. There are charter boats that take people out on the water for sailing excursions. It’s by far the most comfortable stop I’ve made since Darwin.
However, always onward. A good weather window is opening Sunday/Monday that will get me to Hout Bay, just 10 miles south of Cape Town. I plan to jump on that window to complete my passage along the coast of South Africa.
