Tristan da Cunha ...
Our anchorage is shown on the north coast, just off Edinburgh.
Tristan da Cunha was discovered by Portugese explorer, Tristan da Cunhao in 1506. The anchorage at Edinburgh on the north coast is an open roadstead and weather-dependent. After 2500 miles of sailing, we were fortunate enough to have light southerly breezes when we arrived and had the chance to go ashore for two consecutive days.
The island's population is about 300 people...all hardy and independent souls. The islanders’ primary source of income is the harvest of Tristan lobsters and fish for export. They grow most of their own produce in an area on the east coast called "the patches". They raise their own livestock, mostly sheep and cattle and chickens. They seem keenly aware of nature's fine balance and limit the number of livestock to amount of grazing areas available. They fish, but make sure not to take more lobsters than are sustainable. Our stay there was no less than magical.
We had "met" Andy Repetto, the island's resident HAM, via email from Uruguay and then chatted with him daily en route to Tristan. At right, Andy and his wife, Lorraine, offered us hospitality beyond our wildest dreams. An island tour, lunch at their home, Tristan lobsters, taters, mutton, beef and cider...and most of all, their friendship.
A view from the deck of Nine of Cups of "the
Settlement" as Edinburgh of the Seven Seas is
called. The town is tiny with one main paved
road and a surprisingly large number of vehicles.
The anchorage was deep (75') and open to the wind and swells. For two days we managed nicely, but the wind and weather changed on day 3 and we made a hurried departure.
A lobster boat coming into the little harbor. This boat collects lobsters from all the other boats and returns with the day's catch for processing at the factory.
Tristan lobsters!!! Man, were they ever good. Andy & Lorraine gave us a freezer full and we enjoyed them even after we arrived in South Africa!
The setting is pastoral and tranquil. Sheep graze and people walk along well worn paths to their homes and little businesses in town. Everyone says hello. The main grazing and garden areas are located a few kilometers out of town. Flowers were in bloom and the islanders were all rejoicing over a good year of lobstering which was coming to a close.
Above, the "patches" are the vegetable growing areas which the islanders maintain. They are neatly sectioned off by walls of volcanic rock. Tristan "taters" are a staple crop and we enjoyed them all the way to Cape Town.
A view of Inaccessible Island in the distance. The two rocks sticking up are called "the Hardies".
The island has a small supermarket which is fairly well-stocked on dry and canned goods and predictably low on fresh produce. The islanders rely on infrequent boats from South Africa for items not produced on the island.
The Residency of the British Administrator above had an outstanding view of the Atlantic. We took tea with Administrator Michael Hentley and his wife, Janice and enjoyed a great chat about their life in the Foreign Service.
The island is noted for its birdlife, but we didn't get the chance to spend much time birdwatching, unfortuately. Rockhopper penguins are resident here and the other Tristan islands, but we "borrowed" this photo from the Tristan website because we saw nary a one.
According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Tristan is THE REMOTEST inhabited island in the world.
We spent only two nights at Tristan before the weather changed and we reluctantly needed to move on. We still had 1,500 miles to Cape Town and the days were ticking down quickly towards Christmas.