Sorting Out the Problems

We returned to Royal Cape YC with three problems: 1) tear in the yankee, 2) alternator not charging and 3) cockpit GPS not working. You'd think with all the work we'd just done and the systems checks we'd made before departure, we'd have discovered all the problems in advance. That's not the way it works on a sailboat though. When she hasn't been sailing in a while, rigor mortis sets in, and things just stop working. Connectors corrode, wires get brittle, parts seize … mainly from lack of use in a salt-water environment. The malfunctions are usually discovered once we're at sea. We were aware of a small tear in the yankee sail caused by the break in the furler foil. We'd gotten a quote from the local sailmaker, but he was backed up and couldn't make the repair before our visas expired. We didn't have time to wait, so we repaired it ourselves with the thought of getting a more permanent repair in Luderitz. We obviously thought we'd done a good job, but evidently not and now we were paying the price. We were in touch with the sailmaker again. He took a look at it, now in worse condition than he'd originally seen it. Though he could repair it, he recommended a whole new sail … 4-6 weeks. We've had so many problems with this yankee, we've decided a new sail is probably the most prudent course. We ordered it from Ullman Sails (formerly Quantum) with the condition that they complete it in less than three weeks … not longer. They agreed to put our sail on the fast track. They've already picked up the old sail, as well as taken measurements. One problem handled.

David is sorting out the alternator problem. It's nothing obvious … not a loose wire nor a pulley belt issue. We only know that the batteries aren't being charged when the engine is running. More investigation is required. You'll be hearing more about that in the next day as he troubleshoots the alternator.

The GPS problem is probably due to a corroded connector since it sits in the cockpit all the time. It also requires more investigation. We have several other GPSs aboard, but this is our back-up and we want it functioning when we leave.

In the meantime, we're tied up once again in Berth B25 at the Royal Cape Yacht Club, whinging and moaning and trying to get our heads around being back in port instead of en route to Lüderitz. Updates to follow.

Out and Back Again

We slipped out of our berth at oh-dark-thirty into a cold, inky, wet, windy morning. It doesn't get light here till 0730 now and we wanted to be on our way early. We didn't sleep well in anticipation of our new passage. We were all bundled up in layer upon layer of warm clothing with a topper of offshore foul weather gear and we could still feel the chill. I coiled the lines and stowed them in the forepeak locker along with the fenders as David wended our way out of the marina. We wouldn't need fenders and lines for awhile. I had the bottle of rum handy to offer a tot to Neptune as soon as we were under way.

We hoisted a double-reefed mainsail in the calmer, protected waters of Duncan Docks and headed out the channel into Table Bay. As we let out the yankee and a gust caught it, I noticed that the tear in the luff I had recently repaired had torn out again. We cranked in the headsail, started the iron jenny and headed back in. Sailing across the Atlantic without a useable headsail obviously didn't make sense and Cape Town is the best place to make repairs. It was then, as we were motoring back in, that David noticed we were not getting a charge current out of the alternator. Then, the cockpit GPS just stopped working. Yet more problems  to investigate. I rigged up the just-stowed fenders and lines and we reluctantly headed back into our very same berth at Royal Cape. The increasing wind made tying up in the dark a challenge. Not an auspicious start to our passage.

Cancelling our departure meant we needed to recheck in with Customs and Immigration … not a pleasant thought since our visas are expiring within a couple of days. We waited till the staff at Royal Cape arrived and explained our plight. They immediately wrote a letter for us describing our problem and sent us on our way to see the officials assuring us that there had never been a problem in the past extending visas for unforeseen boat problems. We had no idea what the officials would say, but we were hoping for a reprieve that would allow us to make the necessary repairs. Maritime law allows the boat to stay in port if it is not seaworthy. In other words, we can't be forced to leave port with a problem such as ours, but how understanding the officials would be and how much time would be allowed was another issue.

Well … the officials weren't very understanding at all. We trudged the mile back to the Immigration office and were told: “The boat can stay. You must leave.” Really? Our choices: 1) leave on the boat immediately; 2) extend our visas for a total of 7 days to complete repairs and then leave (not enough time); 3) leave Nine of Cups at RCYC and fly back to the USA (our country of residence) to extend our visas.

Now what to do? We returned in the evening to speak to a supervisor. He listened to our story and pondered his alternatives. Our stomachs were in knots as we waited for his final decision. Finally, with some reluctance, he stamped our passports and allowed us another 30 days. We sighed with relief as we headed back to the yacht club. Whew!

Cape Town Check-Out & Claiming the VAT

We checked out with Customs, Immigration and Port Authority today for departure tomorrow morning.  The Royal Cape YC is located within a Customs-controlled, gated industrial area. We walked about a mile down heavily-traveled, slightly dangerous Duncan Road to the three offices we needed to visit for checkout. Sometimes there's a sidewalk, sometimes not. The fences are lined with concertina razor wire and the views are not particularly appealing. The acrid smell of diesel mingled with fish meal and industrial pollution make this an unpleasant walk.

In order to proceed this far, we had to have clearance from the yacht club that confirmed we'd paid our mooring fees and we had to complete a float plan (which they call a flight plan for some reason) describing the boat, safety equipment aboard, crew, our next port of call, etc. Paperwork rules! We needed to call in at Customs, Immigration and finally Port Authority, in that order, to secure proper departure clearance.

Because we're parsimonious sailors, we've saved all of our eligible VAT  receipts in hopes of claiming a refund. The VAT, value-added tax, is a hefty 14% nationwide tax that's assessed on everything … products, as  well as services. If you go to the dentist, you pay the VAT. If you buy corn flakes, you pay the VAT. It's a fact of life in many countries including South Africa. Compared to the usual 6-9% state sales taxes in the USA, this is definitely a bit more substantial and it's levied on everything. Visitors can claim the VAT they've paid on specific purchases and receive a refund when they leave the country.

There are strict rules regarding a VAT refund, in fact a whole booklet of rules in several languages, which I studied carefully. VAT cannot be claimed on services or items consumed in South Africa. Eligible purchases must have been made within three months of departure and they must be taken out of the country. Each receipt must be marked as a Tax Invoice with specific information included and must be greater than R250 (~$25US). We'd been pretty fastidious about keeping all receipts. Actually, I just pinned up a big envelope inside a locker and  we stuffed all the receipts inside. I just sorted through them yesterday to see what we could claim. It's the Customs officer who completes the form and verifies the receipts.The total refund ended up being a  whopping R9431 … definitely worth the effort. Customs told us we could expect a check in US$ to arrive in 4-6 weeks. Hopefully, it'll all work out. That equates to quite a few dinners out or boat parts down the road.

Next stop was Immigration. The officer was cordial. We filled out departure forms and our passports were stamped in a jiffy. The final stop was Port Authority where, after review of our passports and Customs forms, we were issued the necessary clearance paperwork to leave South Africa. Phew!

So we're cleared out and ready to go. We've said our goodbyes. The sails are back on. We've topped up the water tanks and overnight we'll charge every electronic instrument we can think of while we still have power. South Africa has been wonderful and exasperating at the same time. As always, we're a bit sad to go, but happy to be on our way.

Follow us into the Atlantic as we head north. You know we enjoy your company and you never know where we'll all end up.