Harry's sailing experience

I have been messing around in boat almost from the day I landed in South Africa having been a passenger on the Union Castle liner from Southampton to Cape Town.

My father introduced me to boats when we built a canoe and launched it at Kommetjie in the Cape.   I have had many vessels with different reasons for owning them.  Initially it was for use while on holiday.  Our family enjoyed them to become part of the great seascape of the Cape of Good Hope (Storms) and to take fish, crayfish or bounty.  It was a great life.  I was always drawn to the water at school and achieved great success in the pool and when my father purchased a Sprog that Bobby Bongers built for us that success continued on the water.  I won the junior championship cup on every occasion I entered and also won the club championships (except when 464 entered!)  The Western Province back to back wins where the pinnacle of that success while the Nationals alluded me after I broke my mast a month before the event.

Deep water sailing continued at the Lipton Cup and various cruising yachts while SW111 was used for professional abalone collecting and salvage work.  Working for Henty at Knysna Dredging was a experience never to be forgotten while the times with Bottie and the sea rescue work  with the Major at NSRI taught me real seamanship.

The time on the water in Australia was tame by comparison.

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