New Years Eve in Richards Bay

NYE is the Big Party night. People had been gathering, claiming the best vantage point for the evening fireworks from mid morning. The causeway out to Naval Island was filling up with cars and picnickers. The car park next to the Small Craft Harbour started to fill from mid afternoon; families, cars, open trucks with the flat beds packed with coolers of beer, more gazebos, tables, chairs and a stack of personal fireworks.

All the quayside restaurants were open and doing brisk business. We enjoyed dinner with four other cruising boats at Dros, a few steps from Jackster's bow, and were home before midnight sitting in our deck chairs on the fore deck.

There was no official countdown, people were letting off their fireworks next to the boats, often holding then in their hands while lighting, but when the Zululand fireworks we began we took that as the first moment of the new year. More fireworks from the people on the causeway, more from Naval island and the from the car park next to us.

2017 the year we sailed from Asia to Africa. 2018 the year we plan to sail from Africa to the Americas.