Moxley "rescued", not Mousley

There's a scurrilous rumour going around in Cape Town that Rob Mousley was rescued by the NSRI near Cape Point on Saturday 3rd November...

Not true!

I and about 15 others did an awesome paddle from Soetwater around Cape Point to Buffels Bay...

The first 25km were great - downwind in about 25-30kt NW. The next 4 or so km from Cape Maclear to the Point were side on to the wind which was gusting down between the two peaks, giving us a hint of what we'd be faced with going back up to Buffels.

The 5.5km from the Point to Buffels was very hard work. Three foot breaking waves and 30kt plus wind. The gym training really paid off and I felt quite comfortable, just grinding along.

At times my speed fell to 4.5kph though. I started counting strokes - the first km took 300 strokes. I started counting again, at 400 I'd only covered another 700m! I stopped counting!

It took me 50min to get to Buffels at an average speed of just over 6kph... The worst part of the trip was after I'd changed, and gone back to the slipway to help carry skis up. I trod on a slippery section and fell flat on my back, totally winded. I lay there in the slime for a minute or two before I was able to get up...

So who was it who was "rescued"? Answer: Paul "the Cape Point Hermit" Moxley... After a couple of km of headbashing into the wind he says he started getting tendonitis in his arm and decided to head for a small cove to the east of the Cape Point restaurant... There's a path along the cliffs there and I have to confess that I was also vaguely thinking of a plan B in that direction.

At any rate he got out of the water to the cheery farewell from Mark Torrington who told him he was stuck there until a) the wind changed to a southeaster or b) the NSRI came past...

Meanwhile Andrew Hardie paddled on to the ramp & called the NSRI. By a fortuitous coincidence, the new Simonstown NSRI station's boat was being delivered and was in the vicinity... They found Paul & he paddled out to them, got on the boat & was delivered safe & sound to Buffels.

Lesson for the day:

Even though I've been told time & time again that in a NW wind, you can get some shelter from the wind by sticking close to the shore, I didn't think it would work & took a line direct from the Point to Buffels.

Not true! As Pete Cole said, "didn't you learn something from the way Oscar won the ARB World Cup?" Check out Pete's GPS track - he took about 34 minutes to get from the Point to Buffels, creeping along right on the edge of the bay.

So - if it's a northwester on 22 December, you now know what to do - stick as close to the rocks as possible, all the way to Fish Hoek!

(We shot Diaz Rock - so did Pete as you can clearly see. But this would not be advisable in a southeaster!)

I'm not sure Rob's ego would have withstood the injustice of the false rumour - lucky he moderates a public forum and can easily set the record straight.

Thanks for dropping me at the Point btw.



Dean

I really think all paddlers should support the NSRI financially. They have an option to set up a small monthly debit order. If we aren't going to support them, then who the hell is?

I really think all paddlers should support the NSRI financially. They have an option to set up a small monthly debit order. If we aren't going to support them, then who the hell is?

You clearly haven't been caught up in their fundraising net! I'll pass on your number immediately... They also have an annual raffle for two 4x4s and they invite you to nominate people to call.