We get Gas!

Another day another island, but first breakfast!

Water boiled for coffee and porridge in the pan.. then with no warning.. no gas!!

Fortunately we have peanut butter and a brand new jar of strawberry jam

Phew! That was a close one !!!

I may have alluded to the toilets on the islands with some trepidation but I can now report that they’re actually ok. Clean and about as nice as they could be

And here’s Lynn giving a demonstration of how to use one for your education and enlightenment.

So we left the deer infested island and headed to the Oranjeplaat marina in search of camping gaz. It was all locked up but then I spied a huge warehouse style chandlery next to the marina office. Very good for all sorts of things.. including gas. So the half cooked porridge was warmed up and we were off again headed for the island of schalphoek. However when we got there we started running out of water on the approach.

It shelves off very quickly away from the channel and if you go aground with no tide to lift you it’s quite a problem. Yesterday we touched very gently but it took a surprising amount of rocking and hard astern to get us free. The bottom in many places is thick with oysters so that might be a factor. Perhaps they just hang on or perhaps they’re out for revenge!

Here they are on a worryingly close bottom.

So no luck there but there are so many places to stay here we just found another jetty and that’s where we are now.. Another free and quiet night 😎

Jetties have mooring rings which are a real pain when you’re shorthanded and being blown off 😱

So I’ve made up a hook to fix amidships and that gives time to get a line through the ring and back on board. Don’t leave home without one!

There is a swimming area here which was quite tempting until we saw this sign

It’s the clinging bit that worried me. Also you need shoes because of the sharp oysters

So sitting and watching seems the best option

Tomorrow back to civilisation (and showers) in Goes!