A Sailing we will go!

We went to the wharf because we were planning to go out to Robben Island. It is the place where they kept Nelson Mandela for about 25 years during the anti-apartheid struggles. We had been told to get tickets early, but our friends just got up that Saturday and said --Let's go! So we ran out to see if we could get on the boat. No Luck! All the tickets for all day were sold out. We were walking dejectedly along on the wharf and there were many men trying to get us to buy a little trip on their sailboat. I suppose that is the only way they can afford to keep them----if they can get a few passengers once in a while. It was a beautiful sunny afternoon and not too much wind---about 5 knots we were told. One guy said because we were "pensioners" (old people!!!) he would take us for 140 rand per person. Sounds like a lot, but when you divide it by 7 to change it to dollars---that's only about 20 dollars! So we said- why not?

Here I need to introduce you to our dear friends Elder and Sister Mahler (above).  They are from Arlington, Texas, but have lived in lots of places including Santiago, Chile for two years when they were young.  He worked as a free lance oil man and did just about everything from the stories he tells.  They joined the LDS Church after they were married in Texas.  He actually joined first, then they were moved to Chile with his job, and then when they came back, she joined the Church too.  They are two of our Family Search-Records Preservation missionaries who are here photographing the records in the archives so they will be preserved.  They are a really interesting couple---both in their 70's, but very active hikers and kayakers.  They are dying to get me into a kayak!  But not on mission!  This isn't a good picture of her because she is laughing, but she is really cute and they both are just supa people.  Great picture of Vic, though, so I had to include it!

Behind them you can see the busy wharf and over on the left under the little square umbrella is where we bought our tickets.  Then we had to climb down some wooden stairs to get to the boat.

We also had a little Muslim family, Mom, Dad, and a teenage son with earphones who looked really bored.  They were very shy and didn't talk to us a lot, but we sort of got aquainted and visited a little.  The Mahlers moved up to the front of the boat (picture later) and when they came down, we encouraged the Muslim family to go sit up there.  But the Dad said that his wife and son were too afraid!  Yes, especially the son was too afraid to hardly move.  He never walked around at all.  So he wasn't bored (stereotyping!)  he was trying to be brave and look brave.   They were a very cute and loving family.

 

But Gramma Dalene was not afraid to walk around in the boat.  I was so afraid I would miss something.  I even took pictures of the sails so you could see how big they were.  I really loved it when they turned off the motor and pulled up the sails by hand and we began to move with the wind.  It was exhilarating to say the least.

Here are the Mahlers sitting in the bow of the boat.  They both got pretty wet from the spray.  I got pretty wet too---it seemed like no matter where I stood, that was where the waves hit us!

Here is a look back at the Green Point Stadium that was built at huge expense to Cape Town for the World Cup.  Now, of course, everyone is complaining that it will never get used again.  I hope they get some good concerts and other great games to keep the people happy.  They are actually playing a soccer game there this week against a US Soccer team.   It is a very huge structure and really very pretty.  This is before we got very far out.

This is when they started putting up the sails.

The sails seemed so huge.  I never dreamed I would get to ride such a large sailboat for $20! 

There, I think they are all up now---I couldn't get them all in the picture. 

The shore began to look very far away.  Here we were trying to get a picture of some dolphins we saw, but we were just too slow.

We did see the beginning of a sailboat race---it was so beautiful to see all those sailboats together.

I think this boat looked like the one we were in except for the red sails.  Kind of gives you an idea of what

our boat looks like from a distance. 

Here is our captain driving the boat- he was pretty friendly and willing to talk about the area.  He said he goes out sailing about once or twice a week when he can. 

And this is Sheldon - our first mate.  Actually it was just him and the captain.  He said he hadn't been out for a couple of weeks because he is going to school.  He worked hard to keep us safe.

Here is a nice pic of our lovely Table Mountain.  I didn't think that much about it when I first saw it, but now I know that it is an icon that represents the city and that everyone who comes here is inspired by it. 

I am no exception. 

We saw this boat on the way back into shore - it is a boat that travels to Antartica.  You can see the helicopter pad on the end on the right side.

There were lots of boats as we came back into the harbor. 

We had to wait while this boat passed us as we came back in to shore. 

This big guy was built on the wharf around the area where we took off in our boat.  He is made from the cases that the two-liter bottles of coke com in.  I know, it looks like a lego man, but it isn't! 

Gotta quit for a while and get some sleep.  I hope you enjoyed your time on the ocean with us.  We loved taking you with us!