South Africa · August - October
ST HELENA
An unforgettable, 4000mile adventure half way across the Atlantic from Cape Town to the mysterious, sub-tropical paradise of St Helena.
VIEW DATES
Overview
The trip includes “Prep week” in Cape Town when you will be fully involved in preparing the boat for a big Ocean crossing (Food, route planning etc) - The crossing to St Helena takes about 2weeks , learn to helm, navigate and trim from our expert and experienced Skipper, including the possibility of learning Celestial Navigation. We will stop for several days on St Helena island, exploring this isolated Atlantic paradise as a crew or alone in between re-supplying the boat before a fabulous return leg, routing south towards the island of Tristan Da Cunha. A true "Trip of a lifetime" which will live forever in your memories. - Only 6 places per boat - small group, personalised to your needs - we will contact you in advance to adapt the trip to your level of experience and needs. - Great for mile-building OR anyone wanting to experience a "Real" Ocean adventure. - Full Covid refund Guarantee, book with confidence You will be guided by Wavy Immelman, who has over 500,000 miles of Ocean sailing experience including Skippering the Clipper Round the World Race 19/20 edition. Aurora is a comfortable 49Foot cruising yacht, well equipped for even the biggest Ocean adventures.
Highlights
Our Vessel
Aurora is a beautiful Atlantic ’49. She’s comfortable and beautifully kitted out with 8 berths, so there’ll be plenty of space on board. She’s perfect for long trips. You’ll have your own berth.
Your Skipper
Wavy Immelman will be your Skipper for the duration of the trip. He grew up in Cape Town and has been sailing these waters for many years. A RYA Qualified instructor, he has over 500,000 miles of professional sailing experience,. He was Skipper of the prestigious Clipper Round the World Yacht Race (‘19/20 edition).
The Route
The tour is split into 2 ‘legs’ - the first leg consists of a "Preparation week" when you will be fully involved in prepping Aurora for the passage, then approximately two weeks sailing to St Helena Island. The 2nd Leg is the return. We route south to Tristan Da Cunha, one of the most isolated islands in the world before heading East to Cape Town - a total of approximately 3 weeks.
Skippers
Rest assured you are always in the hands of complete professionals on the Wavysail adventures. We pride ourselves on the quality and experience of every one of our skippers.
Wavy Immelman
Wavy Immelman will be your Skipper for the duration of the trip. He grew up in Cape Town and has been sailing these waters for many years, including sailing this route nearly 20 times.
His sailing experience is vast, having amassed over 500,000miles of Ocean sailing experience. He won the Govenor's cup and was Skipper on the 19/20 Clipper Round the World Yacht Race. He has also solo rowed the Atlantic and spent many years sailing the world on his own yacht.
He is an RYA qualified instructor, known for his patience as well as exceptional standards of seamanship.
Itinerary
Join us on board “Aurora” for an unforgettable, 4000 NM sailing adventure from our base in Cape Town, half way across the South Atlantic to the mysterious, island fortress of St Helena, where Napoleon was incarcerated during his final years – a true Ocean adventure coupled with a fantastic destination!
Previous
Next
Cape Town
Prep Week (Cape Town, with accommodation on board Aurora)
- You will be involved in victualling and all aspects of preparing for a long Ocean voyage – what to think about, what to organise in order to be both safe and comfortable – it’s all in the preparation!
- Get to know fellow crew
- Local area sailing to get used to life on board before the big trip
Atlantic Ocean
Leg 1 - Cape Town to St Helena (Two Weeks)
- After a full safety briefing, we will head out into the mid-Atlantic, leaving the African coast far behind us.
- Dolphins and Whales will often accompany us, at least at the start as we transition into 'boat-life'
- We'll move into a watch-system, taking turns to helm and sail with full supervision from the Skipper or first mate, with time in between for learning new skills, such as celestial navigation
- After two weeks (approx.), the mysterious, sub-tropical island of St Helena will appear on the horizon
- A warm welcome awaits us, with lots of interesting activities, supported by our friends at St Helena Tourism and the local Yacht Club.
St. Helena
St Helena Island (approx 3 days)
- A welcoming, sub-tropical island that packs a lot to see into just 43 Square miles!
- We will connect you to local guides who can show you around this amazing place, including Napoleons final resting place
- We will also be preparing for the journey back
Cape Town
Leg 2 St Helena to Cape Town (Three weeks)
- The route back will take us South towards Tristan da Cunha – this is a truly isolated spot, with a population of just 4,500 people
- We may stop off there if weather allows, but it is often impossible due to the conditions.
- Past Tristan Da Cunha we will head West and back towards Cape Town
- Arrival back in Cape Town by DATE HERE after an educational, memorable trip with new friends for life!
What's Included
What's Included
All food and drink (non-alcoholic) on board of ‘Aurora’.
Safety equipment including life-jackets.
Overnight accommodation on board of ‘Aurora’ including while in Port at St Helena. (you may also elect to find accommodation on St Helena and during prep week in Cape Town at your charge, if desired)
All mooring and port entry fees for the boat.
Sailing tips and learnings from Wavy.
Small group – maximum of 8 places.
What's Not Included
Flights to Cape Town
Transport to the boat
Insurance
Gallery
You'll Be Staying Here
Aurora
Aurora is an "Atlantic 49" - a beautifully kitted out cruising vessel, based in Cape Town. She will be your accommodation for the entire trip, including while on the island.
Related Blog Posts
Our Skipper will write a daily blog from the boat each day so Friends and Family can also track progress of the yacht and hear about life on board. They can also send messages for crew to our shore support staff, who will forward to the Aurora via Satellite link once per day.
Arrival at St Helena
Daily Blog of the Cape Town to St Helena adventure sail - October 2021
On our way home (just 20 days to go!)
Island adventure on St Helena and prepping for home
Calm winds, chocolate brownies and a bit of food safety
The crew discover why food rotation is important
FAQs
Do I need to be experienced in sailing?
- We design the trips for a wide range of experience which that means that even if you’ve not sailed, our experienced Skippers will ensure you have a fantastic time
- Longer legs will suit “mile builders” who already have some sailing qualifications, and we can spend time supporting you with everything from helming to celestial navigation!
- Before you join, we’ll ask you about your previous sailing experience and what you want to get out of the trip. That way, we’ll tailor the tour to your specific needs
What's the cancellation policy?
- The group size is kept very small on our trips which gives you a real ‘masterclass’ with our highly experienced Skippers However, that means each place is valuable and we need full groups
- We ask for a 10% deposit to secure your berth, with the balance being due 6 weeks before departure
- If you cancel your place over 6 weeks out, we’ll retain the deposit, but no other fees will be due
- If you cancel 6 weeks or less, the full price will be payable (unless the cancellation is covered by our Covid policy)
What is your COVID policy?
- We require everyone to either be fully vaccinated against Covid, OR to have taken a negative Covid test within 72 hours of joining the boat
- Our Covid-guarantee means:
- You’ll be offered a full refund if the trip is either cancelled or dates need to be adjusted by us due to Covid-19
- You’ll be entitled to a refund if you’re unable to join the trip due to a positive Covid test or are unable to join the boat due to Covid related travel restrictions
What should I bring?
- We’ll share with you a kit-list which will be adapted to the trip you’re taking
- A good sleeping bag and some decent deck shoes (or sailing boots) are the main things to organise, otherwise it’s layers of clothing adapted to the conditions you’re likely to encounter
- Bring a camera – if you want to bring a drone, let us know beforehand and bear in mind drones tend not to be waterproof and are carried / used at your own risk!
How adventurous is it?
- We want everyone to get the most out of their time on board – so we’ll work around your wants
- However, our trips are designed for you to take an active role – that means, for example, we’ll take turns in cooking (all the menus are planned already and step by step instructions given, so you don’t need to be a masterchef!)
- You can get tips and instruction on all aspects of sailing from our Skippers and get as involved as you want, grinding, trimming, helming and learning – on the other hand, there’s also plenty of time to relax and just take in the beautiful Ocean scenery. It’s your trip!
- On some trips, we’ll be sailing at night and run a ‘watch system’ – on the Africa trip, for example but otherwise we’ll anchor at night – ask us about your specific trip
What's included, and what's not included?
Included:
- Our trips include all food and drink (non-alcoholic) on board
- Safety equipment including a full safety briefing (of course)
- Your own cabin (unless otherwise stated)
- You’ll need travel insurance – this is a condition of joining – we’ll advise on the specific cover you need, but it’s essentially to ensure you’re covered if you fall ill on board
- Meals and activities ashore if we dock during the trip are not included, so you’ll want some “pocket money”
- Immigration and custom fees are not included if we travel to another country, you’ll need to ensure you’re eligible to enter that country, with the necessary documentation