I have been messing around in boats almost from the day I landed in South Africa, having been a passenger on the Union Castle liner from Southampton to Cape Town.
Early days in the Cape
My father introduced me to boats when we built a canoe and launched it at Kommetjie in the Cape. I have had many vessels, with different reasons for owning them. Initially they were for use while on holiday. Our family enjoyed becoming part of the great seascape of the Cape of Good Hope — or Storms — and taking fish, crayfish or other bounty. It was a great life.
Swimming and sailing
I was always drawn to the water at school and achieved great success in the pool. When my father purchased a Sprog that Bobby Bongers built for us, that success continued on the water. I won the junior championship cup on every occasion I entered and also won the club championships, except when 464 entered! Back-to-back Western Province wins were the pinnacle of that success. The Nationals eluded me after I broke my mast a month before the event.
Working boats and seamanship
Deep-water sailing continued at the Lipton Cup and aboard various cruising yachts, while SW111 was used for professional abalone collecting and salvage work. Working for Henty at Knysna Dredging was an experience never to be forgotten. The times with Bottie and the sea rescue work with the Major at NSRI taught me real seamanship.
The time on the water in Australia was tame by comparison.
Photographs of my earlier boats
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