August 2004
Looks just like my golf swing!
That's Table Mountain in the background.
John at Simon's Town
The whale crier rings his bell when a whale is spotted
. . . and poses for pictures with all the tourists.
. . . and poses for pictures with all the tourists.
Gordon's Bay
Sailing with our Delivery Captain, Jan Cluistra
Angelo Lavronos, Admiral designer
I didn't expect them to look so real!
Admiral Staff and Guests at the BBQ
Tee Time Comes Alive!
Naming your boat is one of hardest and most
important parts of the process, because when the
name goes on, she really becomes yours!
We came here with the name Tee Time and an idea of
what we wanted for a logo. What we needed was
someone to translate the concept into a design that
would look good on a boat. That someone’s name is
Glenn and he does design work for Admiral Yachts. It
took Glenn about 5 minutes to come up with the perfect
logo. After a tweak here and there, the logo went on
and she truly came alive.
There are actually three logos: the male golfer on
the port side, the lady golfer on the starboard side, and
a golf flag with Table Mountain in the
background on the stern. After the logo, things
really began to come together. Carpet, tile,
plumbing, electrical, chart table, engines, water
maker, genset, navigation system went in. And
finally the braai (BBQ grill) on the stern.
Another Day, Another Captain!
The first week in August found us making a change in
Delivery Captains. Another long story, but as they say
here, ‘at the end of the day’, we have ended up with two
of the most qualified captains South Africa has to offer.
Both are instructors, so we plan to learn a lot. And most
of all, they are great gentlemen. We’re in good hands
for the Crossing.
More sightseeing!
In between planning for the Crossing and buying
stuff for the boat, we found time to explore some
other areas of Cape Town.
We spent another day at the wineries in Paarl and
Stellenbosh. (Ok, so there are a lot of wineries to
see!)
Cape Town has a wonderful aquarium, which we
found entertaining.
We explored more of the northern coast with visits to
the quiet areas of Langebaan and Port Owen. The
houses in Port Owen are reminiscent of Florida (what’s
left of it), with beautiful homes right on the canal, so you
can park your boat nearby.
Langebaan is as peaceful and quiet a place as you
could ever find and the water is beautiful.
One of our favorite areas is called Simon’s Town.
Our Delivery Captain, John Cluistra, keeps his
catamaran in the marina there. We enjoyed the cute
shops and friendly folks there.
It is the headquarters for the South African Navy.
Although we have seen several whales from our flat, we
traveled to Hermanus, which is on the southeast coast,
where right whales are routinely sighted. Hermanus
was busy with more people than most places we’ve
visited. We had lunch by the water and saw 10-12
whales. Just like any typical tourist, I had my picture
taken with the whale crier.
Small World!
We met another soon- to- be Admiral owner, named
Wayne, whose boat is due to be finished next year. He
invited us to Gordon’s Bay, another beautiful area,
where he has a house. We went out to dinner with his
brother-in-law and a business associate visiting from
Texas. Turns out, this business associate graduated
from, you guessed it, Texas A & M. Small, scary,
world! We spent an interesting evening eating, drinking
and talking politics. It has been refreshing for us to visit
another country where we are not the center of the
universe.
We do try to keep up with the news at home and
were especially sad to hear that Hurricane Charley had
come ashore at Port Charlotte. We had recently visited
our lot there and really liked the area. Although we
sold the lot this summer, we had planned to spend
some time there. I don’t have to mention how fortunate
we feel to have sold when we did.
Sailing Along!
We have had several sailing outings, going out with our
Delivery Captain in his boat in Simon’s Town and also
on our sister ship, No Longer a Dream! With each sail,
the stuff I’ve been reading about becomes a little
clearer. I enjoyed my first time at helm where I met my
new best friend.
His name is Auto (last name Pilot). Sailors call him Fred,
but you'll have to ask them why.
On one of our sails, we had the opportunity to meet
Angelo Lavronos, the designer of the Admiral line. He
seemed as impressed as we are with the changes and
upgrades that David has made in the Admiral 38.
Rugby Fans!
John and I have become great rugby fans. South
Africans are passionate about the game and their
team, the Springboks. They won this year’s Tri
Nation Cup. (Australia, New Zealand, and SA). I
understand what’s happening most of the time, but I’m
still suspect of just what goes on in a scrum.
Celebrate!
At Admiral Yachts on the last Friday of every month,
David provides a BBQ for his entire staff. It is a time to
relax and celebrate all the hard work the workers are
doing.
John and I wanted to provide a special braai for
August, so David helped us find a company that
provided a lamb and springbok, along with side
dishes for the celebration. We invited many of the
people who we had met here and those who have
contributed to the construction of Tee Time.
It was a fun time for all, even though John may have
overdone it in his role of bartender. We made it home
safely and took long naps. Just for your information,
springbok does not taste like chicken.
Launch Date Set!
Our launch date is set for Sept. 6th, after which we will
stay in the Cape Town till Tee Time has her sea trials
and our Captain determines she is ready to go. Then
whenever weather looks good, off we go.
The real adventure begins . . .
John and Juanita
Naming your boat is one of hardest and most
important parts of the process, because when the
name goes on, she really becomes yours!
We came here with the name Tee Time and an idea of
what we wanted for a logo. What we needed was
someone to translate the concept into a design that
would look good on a boat. That someone’s name is
Glenn and he does design work for Admiral Yachts. It
took Glenn about 5 minutes to come up with the perfect
logo. After a tweak here and there, the logo went on
and she truly came alive.
There are actually three logos: the male golfer on
the port side, the lady golfer on the starboard side, and
a golf flag with Table Mountain in the
background on the stern. After the logo, things
really began to come together. Carpet, tile,
plumbing, electrical, chart table, engines, water
maker, genset, navigation system went in. And
finally the braai (BBQ grill) on the stern.
Another Day, Another Captain!
The first week in August found us making a change in
Delivery Captains. Another long story, but as they say
here, ‘at the end of the day’, we have ended up with two
of the most qualified captains South Africa has to offer.
Both are instructors, so we plan to learn a lot. And most
of all, they are great gentlemen. We’re in good hands
for the Crossing.
More sightseeing!
In between planning for the Crossing and buying
stuff for the boat, we found time to explore some
other areas of Cape Town.
We spent another day at the wineries in Paarl and
Stellenbosh. (Ok, so there are a lot of wineries to
see!)
Cape Town has a wonderful aquarium, which we
found entertaining.
We explored more of the northern coast with visits to
the quiet areas of Langebaan and Port Owen. The
houses in Port Owen are reminiscent of Florida (what’s
left of it), with beautiful homes right on the canal, so you
can park your boat nearby.
Langebaan is as peaceful and quiet a place as you
could ever find and the water is beautiful.
One of our favorite areas is called Simon’s Town.
Our Delivery Captain, John Cluistra, keeps his
catamaran in the marina there. We enjoyed the cute
shops and friendly folks there.
It is the headquarters for the South African Navy.
Although we have seen several whales from our flat, we
traveled to Hermanus, which is on the southeast coast,
where right whales are routinely sighted. Hermanus
was busy with more people than most places we’ve
visited. We had lunch by the water and saw 10-12
whales. Just like any typical tourist, I had my picture
taken with the whale crier.
Small World!
We met another soon- to- be Admiral owner, named
Wayne, whose boat is due to be finished next year. He
invited us to Gordon’s Bay, another beautiful area,
where he has a house. We went out to dinner with his
brother-in-law and a business associate visiting from
Texas. Turns out, this business associate graduated
from, you guessed it, Texas A & M. Small, scary,
world! We spent an interesting evening eating, drinking
and talking politics. It has been refreshing for us to visit
another country where we are not the center of the
universe.
We do try to keep up with the news at home and
were especially sad to hear that Hurricane Charley had
come ashore at Port Charlotte. We had recently visited
our lot there and really liked the area. Although we
sold the lot this summer, we had planned to spend
some time there. I don’t have to mention how fortunate
we feel to have sold when we did.
Sailing Along!
We have had several sailing outings, going out with our
Delivery Captain in his boat in Simon’s Town and also
on our sister ship, No Longer a Dream! With each sail,
the stuff I’ve been reading about becomes a little
clearer. I enjoyed my first time at helm where I met my
new best friend.
His name is Auto (last name Pilot). Sailors call him Fred,
but you'll have to ask them why.
On one of our sails, we had the opportunity to meet
Angelo Lavronos, the designer of the Admiral line. He
seemed as impressed as we are with the changes and
upgrades that David has made in the Admiral 38.
Rugby Fans!
John and I have become great rugby fans. South
Africans are passionate about the game and their
team, the Springboks. They won this year’s Tri
Nation Cup. (Australia, New Zealand, and SA). I
understand what’s happening most of the time, but I’m
still suspect of just what goes on in a scrum.
Celebrate!
At Admiral Yachts on the last Friday of every month,
David provides a BBQ for his entire staff. It is a time to
relax and celebrate all the hard work the workers are
doing.
John and I wanted to provide a special braai for
August, so David helped us find a company that
provided a lamb and springbok, along with side
dishes for the celebration. We invited many of the
people who we had met here and those who have
contributed to the construction of Tee Time.
It was a fun time for all, even though John may have
overdone it in his role of bartender. We made it home
safely and took long naps. Just for your information,
springbok does not taste like chicken.
Launch Date Set!
Our launch date is set for Sept. 6th, after which we will
stay in the Cape Town till Tee Time has her sea trials
and our Captain determines she is ready to go. Then
whenever weather looks good, off we go.
The real adventure begins . . .
John and Juanita