I'm a sailor. I grew up in Maidstone, a little village in Tongaat which is situated about 25 miles North of the Umgeni river in Durban, Kwa Zulu Natal, South Africa. The village was then one of those unique places where time stood still. It was built with a golf course and sports club to house the employees of the Tongaat Sugar Company. When Tongaat merged with Huletts the houses were sold off to any interested buyer.

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Besides the many social and sporting activities offered to the inhabitants, many employees took an interest in sailing. The influence of men, sailors, who had taken land based employment in order to raise their families in the village extended the lure of the sea to all and sundry to the extent that many boats were built , bought and sailed to distant lands.

 

It was in this atmosphere that I was raised by the villagers while my parents worked long and hard hours to fill their coffers. My mother, now retired, was a primary school teacher for 43 years. Her influence ensured that I received an excellent education at Northlands' Boys high school where I met many young men with a similar interest in the sea. My late father ensured that our finances were well looked after while he worked as an accounting officer, retiring as  a salaries control accountant.