Winter in Cape Town

I wrote previously that it was “beginning to feel like winter” in Cape Town, but now it actually is winter. Folks in the southern hemisphere don't stand on ceremony and wait for the solstices and the equinoxes to signal the beginning of the season. Nope, they conveniently jump into it on the first of the month. June 1st … it's winter. December 1st, it's summer. Just as well, I can never remember if summer … I mean winter ... begins on the 20th or 21st of June anyway.

Winter here means rain and cold temperatures and, believe it or not, snow in the mountains a bit further inland. It is definitely cold and raw. We're not talking sub-zero temps and we're not worrying about the water around us freezing or anything. It's just a bone-chilling cold that you can't seem to shake … outside and inside the boat. This morning it was 4ºC (39ºF).  Luckily, with shore power available, our little electric heater does an adequate job of keeping the chill off although it's always a competition to see who will be up first in the morning to turn the heater on. Leaving our warm flannel sheets takes sheer will power.

The weather seems to come in spurts. We watch the GRIBs as high pressure areas overtake lows and the fronts move along quickly. Our view of Table Mountain varies from cold and clear to cold and opaque. The tablecloth seems to be in place more often than not. Foggy, misty mornings are frequent and the deck is always wet in the morning. We rarely leave the boat for any length of time without our rain jackets. The first trip to the clubhouse in the morning is downright painful. I'm into T-necks and warm socks and fleeces and sweatshirts and gloves  … and that's inside the boat!

The days are short – 10 hours of daylight now and still decreasing. When it rains and the skies are grey, it seems the days are even shorter. We find ourselves getting up later and going to bed earlier. With the cold and darkness, we're in bed reading by 9pm. We're definitely sleeping longer hours … kind of like old bears.

We had, of course, no intention of being here this long. We had a schedule … we really did. Originally March was our departure date from South Africa. Then, since we didn't arrive in Cape Town till April, mid-April became the new departure time. Repairs  delayed us significantly, as you know, and here we are “sitting in the dock of the bay watching the tide  (and warm temps and good weather) roll away”.  When we finally do leave Cape Town, at the end of the month, the trip promises to be a cold one … but happily, we'll be heading towards the warm.

Feeling Like Winter in Cape Town

Whenever I think of South Africa, cold and winter do not come to mind. Instead, I think hot, dry deserts or humid, sultry days with a blazing ball of African sun beating down. I don't think cold. So it's with regret I have to tell you that it's starting to feel like winter in Cape Town. Some locals have told us that there is no autumn here. There is no easing into it. But we have felt a gradual change over the past few weeks and it's getting chilly. On our trip to the Cape Winelands, we noticed  the vines and leaves were changing color. Nothing like a Vermont autumn, but beautiful nonetheless.

I've found myself wearing jeans lately and long sleeve shirts. I'm wearing shoes AND socks. I've dug out my fleeces. Even David, who seems to have a built-in furnace, is wearing a sweatshirt. Typical winter temps here reach an average high of 17C (63F ) and dip to 8C ( 45F) on June, July and August nights. I still find it difficult to think of August as the coldest month of the year. Rainy days are more common with as much as 3-4” average rainfall per month in the winter. The prevailing winds change from the southeast Cape Doctor to northwest gales as Atlantic cold fronts move in. We're told the winters are fairly mild with the following caveat: “ … spectacular storms are not uncommon in the winter months, earning the region the nickname Cape of Storms.” I nicked a picture of a Cape Town winter storm to share with you. Wow!

Capetonians call it the “green season”. Winter is the time the Western Cape turns from dry and brown to  lush and verdant. Flowers bloom profusely. Grapevines begin to come alive after a dormant period. Trees blossom and leaf out. We're told it's possible to experience all four seasons in one day … cold and rain in the early morning, warm and dry by afternoon. The drastic weather changes are not so different than what we've experienced in Colorado.

Cape Town proper does not get snow, but hail and sleet have occurred in the past. Capetonians head inland to higher latitudes to experience a bit of snow. That's okay with me … shoveling the deck is not something we look forward to. I remember a snowball fight aboard Cups in Tierra del Fuego … not my idea of a good time when the inside temp was pretty close to the outside temp. Brrrr!

We've dug out the flannel sheets and blankets for the bed. It's downright cold during the nights. The humidity has increased significantly, making mornings raw. We sometimes see our breath on our way to the clubhouse in the mornings. One positive … the fridge isn't working as hard nowadays as it did in Durban. I know a mid-40F temp doesn't sound cold to Wisconsonians or New Englanders, but then you have central heat or fireplaces to keep you warm. Nine of Cups has no heat, other than a tiny electric heater which might take off the chill, but is only usable when we're on shore power or running the engine. Trust me, a raw, cold 40 degree morning chills you to the bone.

The days are getting shorter. The austral winter solstice is June 21st and it's quickly creeping up on us. Our 0430 sunrises in January are closer to 0730 now and the sun sets at 1800 … only 10-1/2  hours of daylight and diminishing by the minute.

Condensation collects on the portlights and hatches. Dew drips off the lifelines. Cups' white deck is wet each morning and collects the dust and grime of the harbor, rendering it a constant dirty grey. The fog has sometimes been intense … the pea soup variety … misting us as we try to work on deck. We've seen more rain in the past few days than in all our time in South Africa combined. It may be the “green” season, but it's also the “grey sky” season for the next few months. On the brighter side, the resulting rainbows are definitely a bonus.

Durban to Boston - Quite the Change

Being in Boston again certainly requires some getting used to. When I left Durban, it was 24ºC (75F) and humid. When I arrived in Boston, it was 1ºC (34F) and spitting snow. It's downright cold … the kind of cold that chills you to the bone and won't let you thaw out. I couldn't get cool enough in Durban on some days. Now, despite wool sweaters, flannel-lined jeans, t-necks and warm socks, I just can't get warm enough.

I looked out the window this morning and a fine snow was falling. Little, tiny flakes that melted on the road as soon as they landed and only served to make it slick. On the deck, however, it had accumulated enough to be seen … covering up the few errant, brown oak leaves that had been missed by the broom. The cat begged to go out, but as soon as her paws touched the cold, wet snow, she made a beeline back into the warmth of the house. It warmed up to just above freezing and torrential rain replaced the falling snow.

In Durban, we were concerned about “sou'westerly busters”, severe winds that whip up gigantic waves when the wind is against the strong south-setting Agulhas Current. At the moment, we're experiencing a “nor'easter” here in Boston, a major storm that is causing havoc with high winds, surge along the shore, heavy rains, flooding and, as it gets colder, icy conditions. It's expected to continue for three days. Today, the rain was so heavy at times that just venturing out for a short time, had me soaked and shivering.

Bright red cardinals are out in New England and winter moths congregate around the doors. Below the equator in summery Durban, doves and herons and warm climate insects abound. Not that it ever gets that cold in Durban, mind you. On fair days, the sun rises close to 0800 in Boston at this time of year and sets by 1600. When the weather is foul, it barely gets light at all during the day. In Durban, where the clocks don't change in the summertime, it's been getting light before 0500 and the sun doesn't set till 1900 or later. Their longest day of the year is coming up versus here in Boston where the short days seem to be never-ending at this time of year.

Lin has put flannel sheets on my bed and heavy quilts. Tuesday, the cat, has been sleeping with me, snuggling down by my feet. She knows I'm missing Jelly. I'm not sure who keeps who warm, but since David isn't around, kitty will have to do.