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| The mournful sound of the Vaal Dam. | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: 30 Mar 2009, 02:28 PM (63 Views) | |
| Deleted User | 30 Mar 2009, 02:28 PM Post #1 |
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I was fortunate when in South Africa that an opportunity presented itself for me to indulge in my favourite pastime at that time - which was sailing. I had a little 1400cc FIAT car which was very reliable and I travelled as much as I could - drinking in the sights ,sounds and pleasures of a fascinating and new country to me and my wife Pauline. We worked hard in the nursing home where we were contracted and we played hard.We visited all the better known sights and places like Kruger National Park ,Cape Town and the Kimberley Diamond mine. I was a skilled sailor at this time having sailed around Bermuda and off the West Coast of Scotland. I learnt my sailing on the Norfolk Broads and sailed whenever I could but the opportunity did not present itself in many places that I had visited and other sights always seemed to take precedence. This particular day we were travelling well South of Joh`burg and hit a small Dorp on the banks of the Vaal Dam and for the life of me I fail to recollect the name of it , Ah ! I remember - - It was Denysville ! and it was quite delightful and opened out into a large bay with myriads of small boats moored up . We were hailed by quite a cheery Dutch chap who was named Joe and he invited us down for a coffee and we got to talking and he offered me the hire of a Mistral 4 berth yacht for the weekend whenever I wanted for R10 which was a real snip and I snatched his arm off. We had some wonderful week ends with friends sailing across the Vaal Dam (about 10miles )to an uninhabited island and making a barbeque in the sand - there were eucalyptus trees and Baob trees and all sorts of birtds including the odd Flamingo which soared away from us on pink wings. One w/e Pauline and I went on our own and we arrived late and when we got to the middle of the Vaal the wind dropped away completely and we were becalmed miles from land with no motor .The sun was past its zenith but the heat and humidity were high but I had no other option than to take the Mistral in tow by the small dinghy which I hitched up to the bow and commenced rowing to the distant shore. Pauline went below to get her head down as the heat of the sun was unbearable and I bent to the oars with a will stripped to my swimming trunks and soon the perspiration rolled non-stop from my nose and chin and the boat just about kept moving despite my fiercest efforts. I paused several times in my labours and the oily smooth waters just popped and rippled as huge cat fish surfaced for tit bits and I gazed below the surface to see if I could catch sight of these huge fish which I had heard could tear your arm from your body and I thought that I could see movememnt but above all I could hear a distant and plaintiff wailing sound emanating from the depths - it was mournful and resembled what I thought a tormented soul might sound like . The labour of rowing and towing this huge yacht which displaced a vast weight of water commanded me to get on with my task as the sun sank in the West but now the flies started to circle as the far shore came closer .Pauline was in the cockpit now steering by rudder and we were making better headway and eventually I reached the shore just as a breeze commenced (Wouldn`t you know it.) We ate and had beers and I swam to get the perspiration from my body and then the storm broke and a torrential rain hit us with the Eucalyptus trees bending over at 90* . I stood still and shook from head to foot with heat stroke and Pauline lead me aboard and I slept in my bunk till daybreak with the wind howling and the rain lashing. When I awoke I felt fit and strong and glanced over the side and the boat was high on the sandy beach and I got down and with super human effort managed to move it with my back , back into the shallows and thence into deeper water . The one thing that I will never forget is the weird ,mournful sound coming from the Vaal Dam during our flat , still becalming before the storm. The next day following our return to Joh`burg I started to itch and Pauline scratched the skin at the bottom of my back and took the ends and peeled it over my head like a pullover. I had really got burnt rowing for hours in the blistering sun and my mouth and face came out in the most tremendous crops of Herpes that I have ever suffered. I would go back if I was young and strong again as then and I would take SCUBA tank and mask and flippers and try to find the source of the `Mournful Sound of the Vaal Dam. Cliff/Bunky i |
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| High Priestess | 30 Mar 2009, 07:43 PM Post #2 |
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One word, Bunky, my friend... OUCH! But thanks for relating another great episode of your interesting life. I know how punishing the heat of Singapore was when we lived there in the 70's but that said, I have been burnt badly out on the fishing boats but of course one never really notices because there is a constant wind off shore. It's only comr the evening you start to look like an over-ripe tomatoe!
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| Cajunbug | 6 Apr 2009, 01:58 AM Post #3 |
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Bunky thank you for another post about another wonderful part of your life. I went sailing with a friend in Canada and I completely loved it. I even got to hold the wheel which was thrilling to feel all that power in my hands. To see the wind blow the sails out is awesome. I would love to have the oppertunity to go sailing again. Edited by Cajunbug, 6 Apr 2009, 02:00 AM.
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