My hubby had just been asking me what I would like for my birthday..so without thinking I jumped up and asked him if I could have a pelagic trip. Well in about half an hour I had myself booked on Saturday’s trip…..only 4 nights of sleeplessness and worry as opposed to a few weeks. Good move I thought to myself. The weather forecast for Saturday was promising but as I drove over the mountain to Simonstown I noticed huge banks of mist rolling in. Too late I thought..you will get on that boat. I was well prepared for this trip… I had taken preventative sea-sick medication the night before as well as one in morning. I could have done with a tranquiliser though.
Without much ado we had our briefing on shore and within a few minutes our boat sailed into the harbour. Well this is when I nearly said “Toss it…there is just no ways I am going out to sea on that dinky boat !!!! “
Zest II…all 20 m of it entering the harbour.
![Image](http://africawild-forum.com/images/ext/8b5799c2abdc61eb164c322d45525180.jpg)
But I was bustled along and before I knew it I was on that dinky boat listening to the life-jacket drill and I made a huge mental note of where those life-jackets were stored.
We were asked to put our bags into the tiny cabin and told that the best place to be was on the top deck. By now the boat was heading out of the harbour and there was just no going back. I did I was told and stored my bags and with the help of two kind gentlemen I managed to get myself up to the top deck. That was a mission in itself and there and then I decided that that is where I was going to stay the entire day...the fact that my other camera, lens and food were down below in the cabin was just too bad. It was still quite misty and rather chilly and a fair amount of spray was beginning to fall over the boat. Luckily I had a raincoat for my camera which I had stuffed into my jacket pocket. Soon the guides were calling out birds to us. I could barely see the birds never mind try to photograph them. And when I did maybe see a bird trying to photograph it was near impossible
We sailed past Cape Point just after 8.30 am.
![Image](http://africawild-forum.com/images/ext/e813e4655626eff83303bd6b71fab4f2.jpg)
As yet I still didn’t have decent photos and despaired that I ever would. Eventually I managed a photo of a Shy Albatross
![Image](http://africawild-forum.com/images/ext/2377c714d3e4d923c67cea8dc8b01990.jpg)
It was still misty and the light was putrid and I was beginning to think that pelagic trips were a bit of a waste of time. I do think I was beginning to go into sulk mode.
Just before 10 am we picked up a fishing boat in the distance…and my thoughts on pelagic trips were about to change very rapidly.
![Image](http://africawild-forum.com/images/ext/fd832dffe012869a6b32c831495e1ff7.jpg)
To be continued