Who has sailed Cape Town to the Caribbean? I have a question for you

[DMF Sailing]

Originally Posted by Brian Renwick

Good quality, lightweight clothing is the key. Polypropylene or polyester base layer x 2 (one set always dry to change into) = 800g. Beanie or balaclava. Quilted mid layer (or tracksuit if you want to be fashionable). Waterproof outer layer. 2 pairs of lightweight gloves (one fingerless so you have dexterity). 2 pairs woollen socks. If you don’t have quality gear, then it’s time you bought it. It need not be expensive if you shop around. Great to have too, if you decide you want to indulge in some other adventures, like trekking in the mountains. The above is superior to what Shackleton and his team wore for their boat voyage between Elephant Island and South Georgia!

Thanks, Brian. A great list.

My question was which temperatures at sea I'm preparing for on that route, not how to prepare for various temperatures at sea.

However, I always and sincerely appreciate it when Cruising Forum members offer any kind of advice in good faith, and thus I appreciate you compiling this. And I'm starting to understand what people from other English-speaking cultures mean when they say "beanie," which in North American English means something else....

[pictured: me in a "beanie," circa 1973 in Bigelow Bight, off Cape Neddick, Maine.]

[teneicm]

Did this route last Jan. Coldest part will be once you hit the Atlantic side (due to the cold, up-welling Benguela current), but even then it's not terrible. Worst was inshore along the Namibian coast, where temps might drop into the 50s overnight. So light raingear and a fleece are all that's really needed. I wouldn't bother dragging heavy, offshore foulies in my luggage (of course that depends on the type of boat you'll be on- we were on a very dry cat. If you're on a mono with very little freeboard, you might want the foulies as the sea state can get up at times).

[Judyfood]

From Nambia to St Lucia with a St Helena stop was a really good trip. I delivered a boat along this route a couple years ago. We had a full enclosure, never needed found wx gear, temps were mild and broad reach sailing. The RB to CT leg..Can't comment on that leg other than, 'safe travels'

[smacksman]

Thats the 'E to W & S to N' trip I did in 2004. Best sailing of my life. However, Richards Bay to Cape Town can be a pig as others have said, dodging the never ending succession of depressions from the roaring 40's - wind against current. Worst temperature in the graveyard watch into wind and rain in the 50's F. Nothing like winter sailing in the north. Fabulous trip - enjoy.

[DMF Sailing]

Thank you to all of you who've answered. Lots of good tidbits and advice throughout.

The cold-not-frigid gear got packed.

I think I'll resurrect this thread when I'm back with my own answers, should anyone find it useful some day.

So many questions about passagemaking googled lead you to this forum!

See you in 2-3 (???) months!!

[MicHughV]

ya, most "souf efrikens" don't like or are not accustomed to cold weather, this is a well known fact....
me personally, I don't even stick my toe into the water unless it's at least 80 f..

[smacksman]

Slightly offcourse. South Africa ( and most other countries ) are a bit sniffy when you try to enter with a one-way ticket. I faked a letter, on quality paper, from the owner stating the bearer would be leaving RSA aboard his yacht in the near future, blah,blah and I embossed it with my limited company official stamp and added a drop of sealing wax under the fake signature and made a mark in it. Grudgingly it was accepted by immigration. A return ticket is more expensive but less hassle.

[DMF Sailing]

For anyone interested, I’m answering my own question. YMMV

Richards Bay: Jan 8-10: hot, dry, warm water

East London Jan 12-13: I put on my jacket and got rained on. Water temp was 16 until we hit the Agulhas current.

Knysna Jan 16-17 (don’t miss it but be sure to time it; in heavy seas it breaks across the entire channel! a couple of layers, foggy, 16-18 C offshore. Warm in the lagoon until the fog came back (I don’t recommend crossing the bar in the fog)

Cape Agulhas, Jan 18 as in the videos you see on YouTube, the winter hat, coul weather gear,boots and warm socks came on. Cold, fog, wind, you name it.

Cape Town Jan 19-21: fog burned off as we entered the harbor. 20s. Cool evenings. Great city.

[DMF Sailing]

Originally Posted by DMF Sailing

For anyone interested, I’m answering my own question. YMMV

Richards Bay: Jan 8-10: hot, dry, warm water

East London Jan 12-13: I put on my jacket and got rained on. Water temp was 16 until we hit the Agulhas current.

Knysna Jan 16-17 (don’t miss it but be sure to time it; in heavy seas it breaks across the entire channel! a couple of layers, foggy, 16-18 C offshore. Warm in the lagoon until the fog came back (I don’t recommend crossing the bar in the fog)

Cape Agulhas, Jan 18 as in the videos you see on YouTube, the winter hat, coul weather gear,boots and warm socks came on. Cold, fog, wind, you name it.

Cape Town Jan 19-21: fog burned off as we entered the harbor. 20s. Cool evenings. Great city.

Walvis Bay, Namibia: Cool by day, cooler at night, no whales (despite the name, derived from the German for "Whale Bay"), tons of seals.

It didn't get warm and summery until we passed St. Helena, and stayed that way all the way to Grenada. Warm and dry until the ITCZ, whereupon it was frequent downpours, though no squalls, until we were a day into the North Atlantic trades.

The end. Hopefully, down the road, someone looking for the answer to this question finds this thread and packs accordingly.

========================================

[teneicm]

Originally Posted by DMF Sailing

Walvis Bay, Namibia: Cool by day, cooler at night, no whales (despite the name, derived from the German for "Whale Bay"), tons of seals.

It didn't get warm and summery until we passed St. Helena, and stayed that way all the way to Grenada. Warm and dry until the ITCZ, whereupon it was frequent downpours, though no squalls, until we were a day into the North Atlantic trades.

The end. Hopefully, down the road, someone looking for the answer to this question finds this thread and packs accordingly.

========================================

Did Walvis still smell awful? When we were there last year they were having some sort of long term algae bloom that gave a horrendous stink to the entire area. Glad you had a good trip through the ITCZ!

[DMF Sailing]

Originally Posted by teneicm

Did Walvis still smell awful? When we were there last year they were having some sort of long term algae bloom that gave a horrendous stink to the entire area. Glad you had a good trip through the ITCZ!

Didn't notice the smell. The seals don't smell great, and they'll climb right up onto your swim platform if you let them. In Cape Town, twice we had sea otters crawl into the cockpit (and once tickle the captain, who was napping in the salon.)

Those were new ones for me.

Pictured: a seal performs for me and hundreds of his friends off the inaccurately named Pelican Point at the entrance to Walvis Bay.