Pete Goss and his Spirit of Mystery crew spent 8,000 South African rand (£550) on supplies for the Cape Town – Melbourne leg of their historic journey. The veteran sailor, who with his son, Eliot, brother Andy and brother-in-law Mark Maidment, is endeavouring to sail from Cornwall to Australia in the ‘wake’ of seven Cornishman who made the same 11,800-mile passage 154 years ago, stocked up in Cape Town over Christmas and New Year, before setting off for the 6,500-mile second leg of their journey yesterday.

Melanie Hicks, 39, who greeted Spirit of Mystery when she arrived in Cape Town, told Yachting Monthly that the crew spent an afternoon filling a Transit van with victuals for the passage. However, one product deemed essential to harmony onboard was not available in Cape Town and had to be flown in specially from Cornwall: a case of beer from St Austell Brewery, Goss’s local. The crew were also sent a 2009 calendar from the harbour master at Fowey in Cornwall.

During their break in Cape Town the married members of the crew were able to spend time with their wives, who had flown in from the UK. The crew also enjoyed some Cape Town hospitality. ‘They were dying for a curry so we took them to one of our favourite curry houses, Passage to India,’ said Melanie. ‘We also spent an afternoon at a Cuban bar/restaurant, Cape to Cuba, on the beach at Calk Bay. It’s fantastic, like walking into Old Havana. Pete loved it. He had his first Mojito there. And wanted to go back for breakfast!’

During the stopover, part of the deck on Spirit of Mystery, a 37ft Mounts Bay lugger, had to be recaulked after some of the planks separated in the intense southern hemisphere heat.

More photos from Melanie of Pete Goss and crew aboard Spirit of Mystery in Cape Town.