Buying a boat and braving the seas sounds like a pleasant escape from the realities of South Africa, but for now the Joburg summer is keeping Hagen Engler right here.
Sailors participate in the annual long-distance dhow sailing race, known as al-Gaffal, near Sir Abu Nuair island towards Dubai, on June 4, 2021.
I wandered back inside to start defrosting some bacon for breakfast. I would not be emigrating today.Like a middle-aged lady once told me at a body-corporate meeting about her prospects of having a child, “I’m past the time”.But I would be lying if I denied that there are times when you wish you had a little escape hatch; a Plan B.
Driving around the suburbs of coastal towns, you can sometimes spot the hull of a half-built yacht poking over the wall of a home. It might be the owner’s maritime insurance policy, his dream of freedom, and perhaps escape, being readied for deployment to the harbour once he or she finally finishes upholstering the cabin and perhaps received a retrenchment package.
Thanks to modern technology, many of these icons of maritime self-determination run video blogs on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. These sailing accounts allow you to vicariously sail the Mediterranean, follow the coast of East Africa, or go island-hopping through Micronesia. Virtual sailing will remain my outlet for now. It’s exciting, safe, and Martin’s beard – and the developing depth of his suntan – are fascinating subplots. Also it’s becoming summer so it’s nice here in Johannesburg. The Knysna Loeries are back, I’m blessed with a job, and I’ve just put the bacon on.
I’m a bit German, so I suppose I could investigate that aspect of my heritage. But frankly, as someone who almost had a stress embolism from renewing his driver’s licence during the pandemic, I don’t think I’m really made for the complexities of emigration. At harbours around our same country, you might encounter men in the yacht-club bars, who are studying courses at the sailing school, or even “doing my skippers ticket”. These people are essentially gaining their passport to the world, accessing an opportunity to travel the planet unencumbered by borders and governments.
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