We have just received this email from Stuart in South Africa;


I arrived here in Richards bay, which is about 100 miles North of Durban,
last Friday night after 15 day passage from Mauritius. Some great sailing
but some tough bits as well, and one very tough gale, 45 kts and so for about
ten hours, with massive seas.
Took some solid water, which tore off the spray hood! I was sitting
in the hatch at the time and ended up wearing the hood as a hat!
Quite a bit of water went down below, I am extremely stiff and tired, I have a
knackered and swollen left knee, and various other aches and pains but
can take a few weeks to recover here, I am not as young as I was when I
set out! The boat is in better shape than I am!

Thats it for this year as far as Ocean sailing goes....I have had enough for
a while.

Its been a hard road, 7500 miles solo from NZ, via, New Caledonia, Vanuatu,
Australia, Cocos, Rodriguez, and Mauritius but I am really proud of the
boat, which has been sailing like a dream, and handled the bad bits very
well, with three reefs in the main and no headsail, I just let her sail
slowly upwind at about 50 degrees off, and she kept going right through the
worst of it with the Monitor steering, or at times with the wheel lashed,
whilst other boats in the vicinity were hove to or lying a hull. I feel as
if I am almost home!

Now for some serious R&R, cold beers and steaks...I will be making my way
round the coast to Capetown for mid january.

Best regards to all at FYC,

Stuart