Durban

Left Richards Bay at 8.00pm on Fri and bashed into very lumpy seas until we latched onto the southerly current a considerable way offshore and got a free ride at 12 knots over the ground with only a headsail rolled out.
At dawn we closed the coast, and got the shock of our lives when a 40ft whale lept clean out of the water only 100ft off our port bow, followed by a slightly smaller one which also lept clean out of the water! We watched spellbound as they made their way up the coast, too stunned to even grab a camera, sorry guys!
Top priority in Durbs was to check out Marine Lift Services on the trusty rustys and arrange to haul Destiny out of the water. We missed our loyal helpers from Sydney, but had the assistance of Vossie
[A$10 / day] who I gave till lunchtime, but turned out to be a good worker and was Duck's offsider for a couple of days!!!

They raised the waterline [again] gave her a coat of antifoul and cleaned and buffed the topsides.
We think she looks smart with her pink bottom [you can't get this stuff in Australia any more]
Here Duck is using up the last of the paint under the keel before we put her back in the water.

When we arrived in Durban, Jude tracked down a good golfing mate she lost contact with 15 years ago! The blast from the past call found Barbara and Martin Rotteveel happy, well, and still mad golfers with a beautiful golf retreat on an exclusive golf development an hours drive North of Durban called Prince's Grant

We'd found a super mooring at The Bluff Yacht Club, with friendly helpful locals and great facilities, so we left Destiny for the weekend, while we were golfed off our feet by the Rotteveels. Fabulous time, good red wine, super people.
Jude teamed up with Martin and beat Duck and Barbara 2:0