After an amazing trip to South Africa, visiting Current Marine, equipment suppliers and spending a few days at a safari game park we feel such a relief to have been able to get back out into the world again - and very fortunate.  The situation in Ukraine, which developed while we were away, and the hardship that many people are enduring makes it seem wrong to talk about our pleasure trip. But, it’s also the case that people in South Africa are very happy to have international visitors once again and they welcomed us. Many have struggled over the last couple of years. Furlough didn’t exist. This blog will form our lasting record of travels, thoughts and experiences and sadly, withholding our memories won’t help those suffering in Ukraine right now, so we’d like to write them up while they’re fresh. While we’ve been holed-up in the New Forest for the last two years some deeply sad Covid events impacted our family yet, on the other hand, we also enjoyed unexpected upsides. We live in a beautiful area with beach and countryside playgrounds on our doorstep. We couldn’t complain. Having been perpetually on the move, we metaphorically drew breath – spent time with local mates, worked on the house and even, courtesy of the previous Rush’s lovely new owners, escaped for a few weeks of UK south coast cruising each summer! So, even when travel restrictions were eased, we’d not been outside the UK. This trip to South Africa to see our new boat in build and a bit more of the country was, in every respect, a BIG deal! South Africa is simply stunning. Our only other visit to the African continent was when we went to Current Marine during our catamaran research process. Following that, the prospect of spending more time there during a boat build was a major upside. There’s always a risk when you wait ages and build something up in your mind, that it disappoints. It didn’t. Never thought we’d be happy to remove belts and shoes, dig out devices and schlep through security… but even that felt part of getting our old lives back - pressing Play again. Much of the world isn’t vaccinated or out of Covid the woods yet. Recent years have taught us all to appreciate things in a way we didn’t necessarily before.  After flying into Cape Town, we picked up a car, loaded it to the gunwales with stuff for the boat and headed for Kynsna. The nav’s not taxing… leave the airport - join the N2 - drive for five hours along the well-known Garden Route – arrive (still on the N2) in Knysna, home of CM.    Knysna is like the Salcombe of South Africa – a holiday town on a pretty estuary, surrounded by hills and with a sometimes seriously iffy entrance. It’s a great place to hang out. Several catamaran builders are based there. We’re not experienced SA travellers but, after initial trepidation on our first…