When I saw the opportunity to get to Zanzibar on CQ with Paul and his crew and a handful of others, I leapt at the chance. I hadn’t been out of Dar in months and I was going stir crazy.
For $120 it was a cheap option and to be even on the periphery of the annual TANZACAT Zanzibar raid was great. I definitely couldn’t not sail a small catamaran for four or five days like the crew of the 12 cats in the race.
I am full of admiration for anyone that can hold on that tight as the things skip along the water and cut through the waves at crazy speeds, ripping past us on CQ throwing up spray and their crew hanging on tight. Sailing on the edge, for me, is exciting for about 10 minutes then a bit scary.
I was happy to be on CQ. It is a big boat which is chartered mostly by groups of tourists. However, with the lack of visitors to Tanzania in recent months it has been standing idle, serving only to accommodate Paul.
Although the race had started about 4 days earlier, the plan was to leave Dar Yacht Club (DYC) early Saturday morning and meet them on Kwale Island. The wind was light and it made for a slow journey. We were hopig to stop on a sandbank for a spot of snorkelling but in the end our progress was too slow and we headed to Kwale where a buffet seafood lunch awaited us.
