<%@LANGUAGE="JAVASCRIPT" CODEPAGE="1252"%> Lancaster and District Birdwatching Society Newsletter A Cape of Good Hope Pelagic
Newsletter of the Lancaster and District Birdwatching Society
A Cape of Good Hope Pelagic
Sept 2003
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Four members of the LDBWS, Meg Griffiths, Eileen Pilling, Phil Holland and the writer sat down to an early breakfast at the Hout Bay Manor on Friday 26 September 2003 before setting out for a full day's sea trip off Cape Point. The remainder of our party had opted for a day in the Cape Winelands.

Hout Bay means "Wood Bay" and lies about 20 miles south of Cape Town. In the old days ships were hauled ashore there while the crew gathered timber in order to repair planking and spars. Nowadays it is a thriving small port and marina for fishing vessels and pleasure craft.

There we found Osprey waiting for us to board. She is a trim little launch, built and equipped for offshore game fishing, in the style of the boats designed for seeking tuna and marlin off the coast of Florida and elsewhere. Having expected that we would be part of a much larger group aboard something like a trawler, I was delighted with Osprey and with the fact that we were to be the only pasengers.

We were introduced to Rob, the captain and owner, to Michael the mate and to Alvin, a naturalist and our mentor for the day. We cast off at about 0700 and headed smartly out of the bay for the open sea in search of the fishing vessels that attract such large numbers of sea birds.

Privately I noted that we were not issued with life jackets, which no doubt reflected Rob's total confidence in being able to return us to Hout Bay in full working order.

On two previous days we had been rewarded with views from the shore of African (Jackass) Penguins; Cape Gannets; Whitebreasted, Cape and Crowned Cormorants; African Black Oystercatchers; Kelp, Hartlaub's and Greyheaded Gulls; Sandwich and Swift Terns, as well as Southern Right Whales. Now we scarcely gave them a second glance. We were eager for more seabirds.

Alvin pointed out the first - a Sooty Shearwater. Then some 35 miles south of the Cape we caught up with a trawler and its attendant cloud of birds, a truly breathtaking sight. They were too close for binoculars to be of any use. Birds were all around us, in the air, on the water and passing within a few feet of our bows.

With Alvin's help we were able to identify three species of Albatross, Shy, Blackbrowed and Yellownosed (both the Atlantic and Indian Ocean forms) as well as Southern and Northern Giant Petrels. Other petrels included Softplumaged, Whitechinned and the dainty Pintardo. In addition to the Sooty we also had Great Shearwaters. Wilson's Stormpetrels flitted across the wavetops undaunted by piratical Subantarctic Skuas and Cape Fur Seals also competed for a share in the feast.

Also following the trawler was the pelagic boat from Simonstown, larger than us, with some of her superstructure replaced by two rows of seats facing outwards and unprotected from wind and weather, which was more or less what we had been led to expect. I then saw that she had the hull of a Fairmile B Class Motor Launch - a maid of all work in WW2 and which Rob said were also built in South Africa as Air Sea Rescue vessels.

On the way out to the fishing grounds I had the opportunity to learn from Rob something of Osprey, his pride and joy. About 45ft overall, powered by twin diesels and capable of 25 knots in suitable conditions. She was equipped with all the latest electronic gear, including Radar, GPS, VHF R/T and a form of Sonar enabling one to identify species fish many feet below the hull. A truly remarkable piece of equipment.

As the morning progressed Rob became increasingly concerned about the approach of a front promising strong winds from the North West. At about noon he decided to turn for home and shortly afterwards we closed a Longliner sorting her catch. There are strong views on this method of fishing.

As the wind strength increased we were asked to leave the flying bridge for the shelter of the comfortable little saloon. Gradually Rob had to reduce speed as Osprey met the steepening waves head on and soon spray was bursting right over the vessel. It was an exhilarating progress and any unsecured objects began to fly about as our bows pounded into the waves.

Clearly it was time for lunch and so we broke out the Marmite sandwiches, followed by smoked salmon sandwiches - no less! For drinks we had the choice of bottled water or fruit juice. Alvin opted for Coca-Cola, strict adherence to which he claimed kept every kind of illness at bay.

Even though we were now only making way at slow speed, the spray just about ruled out any visibility ahead and on either side. In our snug cabin I gave a thought to the other pelagic vessel battling its way back to Simonstown. Our South African tour leader had given us an account of an earlier trip on that boat from which he returned soaked and seasick, despite relatively calm conditions. No wonder we had been advised to bring full winter clothing and how fortunate we were that places had been reserved for us in such a staunch little craft.

Eventually we reached the shelter of Hout Bay and the time had come to take our leave of Osprey and of our hosts who told us that if the front had arrived a few hours earlier the trip would have been called off. We had been promised a truly memorable experience and we were lucky to have had just that - with the unexpected bonus of a roller coaster ride thrown in for good measure.

24.11 .03                                                                                 Peter Lowndes




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