After 47 days sailing across the Indian Ocean Guppy and I are in Durban, South-Africa. On my last night at sea I met with intensifying ship traffic and came to feel the strong northern Agulhas Current with its higher and steeper waves coupled with a southerly wind blowing at 25 knots that fortunately slowly faded away. It was the middle of the night when I could hear for the first time an African radio broadcast station and also caught a glimpse of some small lights in the distance before we suddenly were swallowed by fog, a very thick fog. Then came the squalls, one after another carrying plenty of drizzle while my radar system kept reporting on the ships around me, ships that I couldn’t see at all. Ten nautical miles from Durban I couldn’t see anything… Five nautical miles and I still couldn’t see…Three nautical miles and… Yes, I can see it! I sighted softly…I was too sea weary to laugh or do a merry dance. Normally I would bounce of joy coming in harbor and this happiness would stay with me for a couple of days. Oh yes, sure I was happy, but I also had mixed feelings knowing that my peaceful time aboard Guppy and harmony with nature were soon to be disrupted. Slowly one after the other skyscrapers rose out of the mist as we approached the large industrial harbour. There was only one mile left to the breakwaters and I reported to the port authority by radio. I was told that there was a ship now comming out of port so I had to wait for this sea monster to pass me by as it went out. Then it was my turn and I made my way to the opposite end of the harbour where I finally entered the marina. A little later as I went to the port authority’s office I had to be extremely focused if I didn’t want to go walking right into the water as the dock and everything else around me on shore was moving! When I took my first steps on the jetty, my first reaction was to fly right back aboard Guppy to the safety of my natural environment. Then I tried again keeping one hand on the reeling – it felt like I was trying to walk for the very first time. I could not believe how much out of balance I was. I practiced walking up and down the pier and after having done that three times, things went much better. I Cleared Customs without problems, but the Customs’ official almost fainted when I told him that I had sailed non-stop and single-handed from Darwin. He would not believe me so I show him my website, after which muttering to himself he rubber stamped my boat’s papers. Since arrival I have had a lifetime full of activies and impressions. I had my first warm shower in a long time, I enjoyed a nice dinner eating hamburgers and I even slept through my fisrt night in one stretch. Also I desalted and cleaned Guppy and I am slowly getting used to being on land again. Well actually I’d rather be back on the open sea – it’s so stressful here with all the people who want to talk to me! It does take getting used to again. Anyway, with a 35 knots southerly wind blowing in from the sea I can’t even start thinking of sailing out, the wind probably blowing much stronger further out. So, hundreds of other things have happened to me already but in contrast to life at sea so much happens at the same time here that I cannot recall it all. At sea my typical day’s highlights were having dinner, sleeping, sliding over a very high wave, watching a strange cloud, or spotting a ship – small things that made my day and kept me very happy day after day… That has all changed now, eating and sleeping are but minor events. A wave? A strange cloud? Go on living girl! Who could be so odd as to feel happy watching strange clouds?! No, here we keep busy running from pillar to post and back.. and my head whirls with all the questions I am asked… Luckily, I can run back to Guppy, my little hideaway that keeps me from going nuts – or am I really? Hi Hi..

Laura