Umtamvuna Views: Ronel finds a genuine message in a bottle

INTRIGUE and speculation abounds about a bottle washed up on the beach. Gauteng visitor Ronel Welman was walking along TO Strand Beach in Leisure Bay last week and saw an old bottle washed up on the sand.

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She then noticed a paper inside, picked up the bottle and took it back to her parents’ home. Their neighbour, Norbert Gintner, who is known for his passion about our local Portuguese shipwreck the Sao Joao that sank in 1552, painstakingly extracted the letter and organised a friend to translate the message.

Written in Spanish, the essence of the message is“We are on board at sea on 13 March 2015 sailing from the Punta Arenas, Chile. We greet you on behalf of the commandant and we ask you to contact us either by email or letter to Madrid, Spain. We have ten cannons per band, stern wind at full sail. God save you for many years.”

Coordinates placed the ship to the west of lower Argentina when the message in the bottle was tossed into the sea. It drifted for almost five years until it washed up on the beach. The Antarctic circumpolar current should have taken the bottle past the tip of Africa on to Australia, yet it went up the east coast and landed on our beach.

An email will be sent to Madrid, where it will surely cause a stir amongst Spanish maritime circles.

Volunteers required

Leisure Bay Conservancy will once again take part in the International Coastal Clean-up organised by The Ocean Conservancy. This event began more than 30 years ago with the aim of cleaning up shorelines of lakes, dams, rivers and, of course, the ocean.

The conservancy appeals for volunteers, so please join the team in the parking area between Kidds and Peter Pan beaches at the bottom of Torquay Avenue in Leisure Bay this Saturday (21st) at 9am.

Spend a sociable hour or more with other like-minded people. The conservancy will supply trash bags and data sheets.

Bring sunscreen, a hat, water and some kind of long hooking tool (like a fishing gaff) if possible. For enquiries, contact Jenny Koen at 082 8573363.

Other coastal clean-up gatherings on Saturday include the Wild Coast Sun beach and Port Edward’s main beach. For further information, contact Shereen at 078 8007247.

Sad farewell

Port Edward resident Rae Wensley-Hardy (77) has relocated to Gauteng to be close to her only daughter Liz Wensley. Rae was a well-known figure at local markets where she sold an array of home grown plants and bric a brac.

She moved to Port Edward from Amanzintoti in 2006 soon after meeting her then-future husband Gilbert Hardy. Gilbert was the manager at Eden Wilds for many years and died in 2017. Rae would like to say goodbye to her many friends and commented how much she loved living in Port Edward.

Caring and sharing

Elderly residents of the Marina Beach Rest Home were thrilled to receive some pampering last week. Tossie Portwig of Port Edward is a retired hairdresser who gives of her time freely to help others. She cuts hair at the monthly Pro Deo morning that offers grooming and health monitoring services for the elderly. Sadly, our elderly folk often feel neglected and unloved and revel in some hands-on TLC.

Danette Stewart of Palm Beach held a very successful mosaic workshop last week. Seven women got stuck into their designated projects and thoroughly enjoyed the camaraderie, delicious lunch and workshop. Danette hopes to hold a gathering every month where women (and men) can explore their creative talents.

All news to Philippa.

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