Pete has been involved in sailing since his school days where he was lucky enough to take it as his summer sport. On leaving school he skippered his father’s keelboat out of the Point Yacht Club in races where they achieved several successes including winning the Ohlsson’s Breweries series on handicap. He has been a member of HMYC, PYC, MAC and he joined the RCYC in 2014

 

Pete’s current emphasis is on cruising and he has cruised extensively in the West Indian Ocean including Mozambique, Seychelles and Madagascar on his Voyage 450 catamaran.

 

He has spent his working life within the South African Film Industry, initially as a crew member and later as the dual owner and Executive Producer of an International Production House, Farm Film, specialising in service work for the international market. His company services for award winning international production Houses such as Ridley Scott Creative Group, Wanda Films France, Prettybird USA and UK, Smuggler USA and UK as well as Rattling Stick.

 

Peter is the South African Sailing Councilor for Cruising and serves on the Royal Cape Yacht Clubs general committee as the Cruising representative.

John has sailed small boats since a child and ocean-going sailing boats as skipper for over 50 years.  Underwent seamanship training as a member to the Royal Navy Reserves. 1996 Sailed as Watch Officer on UK Sail Training Ship Malcolm Miller Scotland to Spitzbergen (Svaalbard). Owned ocean-going cruising boats from 1971 to 2016. Have sailed a total of around 100,000 Nm offshore as skipper. Managed the project for design and construction of my own 42 ft sailing boat 2000/01.From 2002 spent 14 years as a “live aboard” on my own boat sailing in N. Atlantic islands, Caribbean, E Coast USA, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, NW Europe and Baltic Sea. Former Commodore of the Ocean Cruising Club, member of Cruising Club of America, the UK Cruising Association, the Royal Thames YC and the Royal Institute of Navigation.

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UK DoT Yacht Master (Ocean) Certificate

Previously a businesswoman and entrepreneur in the music industry and editing world, I came late to sailing, only starting in my late 50s after I met hubby John! An RYA day skipper course in Cape Town, then a leap of faith to the Caribbean and 14 years of cruising life pretty much full time. We explored Caribbean, W and E coasts USA, Atlantic islands, Europe, and the Baltic, putting some 35 000 nm of offshore sailing under my belt – the area I have not sailed is SA!

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Was pulled into committee work for the OCC (Ocean Cruising Club), developing the worldwide network of port officers and becoming Rear Commodore. I’m an active organiser and great networker, and as part of the OCC annually hosted get-togethers for circumnavigators in Richards Bay, Durban and Cape Town – hence becoming very involved with the cruisers caught in the Indian Ocean with the covid pandemic. This work grew into OSASA, the next and most important step forward.

“The sea, once it casts it’s spell, holds one in it’s net of wonder Forever”  Jacques Yves Cousteau

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Natasha has been a member of Zululand Yacht Club since 2015. she was a landlubber and always refused to sail,  she was just in it for the social side. But then Natasha became the entertainment officer at the ZYC and that is when she met Jenny and through her became the OCC Port Officer.

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Natasha learnt how to sail on a L26 at ZYC, and crewed for many “round the cans” events on Wednesday evenings, as well as sailing to Mozambique from Richards Bay for club events on both monohulls and catamarans. Natasha says that she has been spoilt on catamarans and prefers the “stability”  In 2018 she did a three month yacht delivery to Seychelles on a catamaran from Richards Bay (she absolutely loved it as she does not get sea sick).

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The Covid 19 Pandemics initial frustration, as boats were not allowed in was endless, but the work, “behind the scenes”, of all the South Africans/South African sailors paid off in the end. With a PCR test needed before Port Health and Immigration would clear them in, and the patience needed for this process was overwhelming. Natasha has now welcomed many boats to Richards Bay during this pandemic period. The excitement on the internationals’ faces at the thought of doing game drives to our local wildlife reserves is worth all the work and time spent!