Second Vanderkloof Dam Adventure.

 

March the 3rd, 2022.

 "The past is behind, learn from it. The future is ahead, prepare for it. The present is here, live it."

- Thomas S. Monson.

Vanderkloof Dam, at 108meters, it is the highest dam wall in South Africa. 🇿🇦. 

The three boats that participated in the expedition, from left, Kaptein III with Cobus and Marriette, Carletta II with Wentzel and Mariana and Solar Powered Boat "Luné" with Phillip and Ronél.

Our boat's previous solar setup.

Verbeteringe.

Met elke trip vind ons dinge wat verbeter kan word sodat die volgende trip net beter en gemakliker kan verloop. Ons het die agter "wet deck" verwyder en die gat met plywood toegemaak. Die dek is dus nou n gelyk oopervlak en is gemaklik om op rond te beweeg en te sit. Die verwyderde bad gedeelte het onder in die slaapplek ingewig en die beenspasie beperk. Die slaapplek is nou aansienlik ruimer en gemaklik.😴

Die twee solarpanele wat voor gemonteer was is verwyder. Twee A-raam staalbene is gemaak en bo-op die romp vasgebout. n Reghoekige raam wat vier solarpanele huisves is gebou en op die A-raam gemonteer. Dit is op skarniere geplaas sodat die hele solarpaneelraam horisontaal, of na lings of na regs beweeg kan word om die sonlig op n beter hoek te kan gebruik. 

Totale potensiale sonkrag  wat opgewek kan word is 1500watt (1,5kw).

Die boot se sonkrag is gedeel in twee aparte stelsels. Die agterste afdak solarpanele en die voorste verstelbare solarpanele het elk hul eie kragreguleerders. Dit verseker dat indien een stelsel probleme sou ondervind ons die ander stelsel sal kan gebruik. 🤔

Aandrywing geskied deurmiddel van  n 24V, 95lbs druk elektriese motor. Twee 12V 100A/H batterye in series gekoppel voltooi die elektriese sisteem.⚡️

Twee afgeseëlde kompartemente, voor en agter in die boot, huisves (HDPE) leë geseëlde houers wat verseker dat die boot nie kan sink indien dit water sou inneem nie.(Buoyancy)

Improvements done to the boat

1) We removed the wet deck basin and made the deck surface flat. This improved the seating area on deck and on the inside the sleeping compartment's leg room increased significantly, turning it into a comfortable semi double bed. 

2) The two solar panels that were mounted on the front of the boat were removed. Two A-frame pedestals were made and bolted onto the boat in front of the existing rear solar panel roof. A rectangular frame, housing four solar panels were manufactured and fitted on top of the A- frames. This frame were made to swivel on centre beaings lengthwise so that the angle to the sunrays can easily be adjusted for best efficiency by using the original jib lines and cleaves.

With this new solar panel setup the total potential power increased to 1500watt.(1.5kw)

3) For redundancy the swivel solar panel array(1kw) was conected to a MPPT charge controller and the rear two solar panels(500watt) to a PWM charge controller. Both supply power to two 12V, 100A/h lead acid batteries, connected in series for the 24V system. 

4) To prevent Electrical components from getting wet, either from rain or water spray, they were mounted inside the cab, with only the  switches and guages on the outside.  The Batteries were mounted on the deck in containers.

5) The main propulsion comes from a single centre rear monted 24V , 95lbs thrust electric brushless trolling motor. For backup two identical 12V, 40lbs trolling motors are mounted on the outside ends of the transom. 

6) Buoyancy was improved by placing "(HDPE) grade 2" containers inside at the front and the rear of the boat. Installed  buoyancy is rated at more than 50%.

Testing 👈 Video of taking the Solar Powered boat out on Vanderkloof Dam to check all systems.

The new set-up after improvements.

Kitchen.

Groceries 

Living room.

Front buoyancy and clothing drawers.

View from the rear.

Wat n voorreg om met hierdie trip vriende saam kon neem om ons unieke ervaringe te deel. Twee pare met hul eie klein seilbote het ons vergesel om die onvergeetlike ekspedisie te deel. ⛵️Hulle bote is toegerus met klein petrol enjins sodat hulle kon vaar indien die wind ongunstig sou wees. Hul bote het ook kiels wat kan onttrek wat hulle in staat stel om in vlak waters te kan vaar en tot naby of teen die wal te  kan strand. 

⛵️Friends with sailing boats joined us on this years expedition. Their sailboats have retractable keels and also have small gas/petrol engines for propulsion. We are very excited to have some friends joining us as most all of our previous trips were done alone. 

Planned date was from the 16th of April 2022.

As planned we arrived at Vanderkloof 🏞Dam late afternoon. A violent thunderstorm🌩 greeted us as we waited for the other two teams to arrive. 

We slept in our boat as camping is not allowed at the boat club grounds.

In the following days we had perfect weather at Vanderkloof Dam.

Rigging the sailboats were done quickly and off we went!

Here we go! 👈 Video of our departure from the boat club into the first basin near the dam wall.

On the 1st day a light wind ensured good sailing, but for the other days of the expedition there were hardly any wind blowing, petrol motors had to be used for propulsion.

Ons het die uit die hoofdam gevaar en noord in die Bergrivier ingedraai. Die Bergrivier vorm n groot damgedeelte naby die Oranjerivier se aansluiting met n enorme  rotsformasie wat regop uit die water staan. Ons het naby die kranse beweeg en dit was besonders mooi. Verder noord was die omgewing bergagtig met mooi natuurskoon. Met ons terugkeer het ons die Oranjerivier se oorspronklike rivierloop gevolg en in die 2de en grootste damgedeelte wat Vanderkloofdam vorm op n eiland gestrand. Daar het ons kamp opgeslaan, kosgemaak en ons eerste nag deurgebring.

Ons roete die eerste dag, vanaf die bootklub deur die Bergrivier en tot op n eiland in die grootste dam.

Die Bergrivier vloei in vanuit die noorde. 

We entered the Bergrivier and spend some time next to the majestic cliffs on smooth mirror like water.

On the 1st day the sailing boats could sail successfully due to a light wind blowing.

We decided to explore the incoming Bergrivier first. We then carried on in the upstream direction on the Orange River and late afternoon found a nice spot to safely dock our boats and spend the night.

Our Solar boat's tiltable solar panel array proved to work excellent by capturing the suns rays squarely, significantly enhancing power generation. Early mornings and late afternoons can now also be cruised faster.

Kaptein III, Downwind sailing.
Op die Bergrivier kon die seilbote hul seile span want die wind was gunstig.

Sailing on the Berg river.

The sailors enjoying the large main basin's water in Vanderkloofdam.

Our first camping spot in the second and largest basin. This stretch of water is about 25km's wide.

Close-up Satellite view of our camping spot. With the dam at 105% full at the time this formed an Island isolated from the mainland.

Prepairing supper and getting sleeping gear and tents sorted out before darkness sets in. 

The expedition boats safely moored on a remote island.

Relaxing after the day's cruising.

The vastness of the second and largest Basin. 

Magnificent rock outcrops.

Wentzel controlling their boat.

Mariana's turn to pilot their boat whilst enjoying the scenery.

Marriette acting as pilot and navigator.

Our second camping place in the first and and furthest away basin from our starting point. (= 65km's)
Note the sunray's reflection on our solar boat! 

This ☝️ 40km route took us to a nice campsite in the very first basin that the Vanderkloofdam forms.

Late afternoon at our camping spot. This was our second evening out on the dam.

Due to the overfull dam the nice places to dock were very scarce  but thanks to Wentzel using his binoculars  he could identify them successfully from a far distance away. Here we are enjoying a cold drink and relaxing after a long and interesting trip.

On our previous trip we met a  gentleman from the Department of Water Affairs. He told us that there is a magnificent waterfall in a gorge in the incoming Orange river near Vanderkloof Dam. We could not itentify it on google earth's imagery but decided that we would explore the incoming river and hope to find it. 

 

The route from the camp to the waterfall.

 The next morning we cruised out into the incoming Orange river. This proved to be the highlight of our trip as it was very, very beautiful. Kaptein III vanished into a gorge and we followed keenly.  The gorge formed a S - curve and were very narrow at places but safely deep. To our surprise it ended abruptly into a magnificent waterfall! We spend quite some time there taking pictures and just trying to let the awesome scenery sink in.

 Searching for the waterfall. 👈 video of the Solar boat cruising out into the Orange River.

The gorge leading to the hidden water fall.

Thanks to the man from Water Affairs 

we found this unknown gem!

There and then we decided that on our next trip we will spend more time there and camp nearby.

Solar powered boat Luné in the gorge near the waterfall.

The incoming Orange river, largest river in South Africa.

Waterfall 👈 Video of the boats gathered at the waterfall.

Through the narrow gorge. 👈Video of us cruising back to the Orange river from the waterfall.

We then proceeded back into Vanderkloof dam and followed it on the original flow of the Orange river downstream, winding through mountanous terrain. With a good average speed we reached the large basin at 16H00. Unfortunately we lost contact with Kaptein III, they were far ahead and reached the boat club that afternoon. On the other hand, we, the Solar powered boat, are depended on daylight for propulsion, so we had to find a suitable place to camp for the night. Again, thanks to Wenzel, we found a nice place between a thicket of Acacia thorn trees(Soetdooring) to dock safely. Camp were set up and in no time we had a fire going and the smell of coffy and a braai filled the air! 

We had to move the boats in between the trees, this was a nice sheltered bay to camp in. This site is in the far north east in the large basin. Weather was just perfect.

Campsite on the water's edge.

Ronél and Phillip. 

Mariana and Wentzel.

The next morning we cruised the 25km's back to the boat club. 

Planning for the next trip includes exploring the large basin fully, visiting islands and incoming streams.  There is another incoming river to the south and near the large basin, the Hondeblafrivier, as well as the Seekoeirivier upstream nearer to the first basin to be explored. Then the Orange River can aldo be navigated upstream for at least 25km's up from the very 1st basin that forms the Vanderkloof Dam.

Click here

👇  for info on the 

"3rd Vanderkloof Dam Expedition."