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Kasuje - Log Cocos to Rodriquez



Hi from Skipper Steve,

We are back at sea rocking and rolling across the Indian Ocean to Rodriquez then Mauritius, Reunion Island and on to South Africa. We are two days into the next stage of the passages to South Africa a leg of 2000 nm to the Island of Rodriquez just to the west of Mauritius. We have settled into our ocean routine with the regular watch systems, cooking duties, helming and the occasional sleep. The SE trade winds are currently quite boisterous and we are creaming along burning up the miles at a rate of near 200 nm per day. The wind and current however has an adverse effect on the sea state and it is quite bumpy!!!

From the inception of this circumnavigation I have considered this part to South Africa the section which would test our mental endurance and physical stamina the most. The initial euphoria is over, the wonders of the Galapagos are a fading memory, the beauty of the South Pacific Islands are behind us and the Wonderful Australian continent is now disappearing over the horizon. We have not yet reached the point where we can start to consider we are on the homeward leg, that will be somewhere in the South Atlantic Ocean. So it is time to knuckle down, gird up ones loins and knock off the miles.


The last few weeks have proved at times for me rather difficult. You would think that surrounded by all the trappings of humanity, a great group of folks having a wonderful time that it would be impossible to feel melancholy. But alone without the ones you love and love you, a paradise island can be just another stretch of sand and a turquoise lagoon another obstacle to cross. Whilst at sea all feels fine as my body and mind are occupied with all things boaty, but on land with time to kill it can become very trying and inevitably ends exploring the bottom of a glass. The stopovers are certainly better for me when there is a culture to observe, gods landscape to walk through and local people to befriend, but in our big groups this is just impossible.

So enough of all this dribble I must go back on watch.
 
Log Continued by Val 0300
Change of watch! And change of log writer!

Steve said he might delete the last paragraph, but I think it should stay - the lows as well as the highs are all part of his adventure and should be included in the story. It must be annoying when new crew turn up, enthusiastic about seeing their first atoll, while Steve mutters "Not another bloody paradise island!!" I do understand......if I thought 3 months was a long time to leave loved ones at home, then 2 years is a tough call. Sailing round the world sounds glamorous but for the skipper, there's the constant niggling worry about the boat (what will go wrong next?), the crew (are they eating enough? too much? seasick? asking too many questions?) and what's going on at home in your absence.

The crews from the other WARC boats are a wonderful group of like-minded people, terrific fun and supportive, but there is also now a slight peer pressure to join in in port, requiring a measure of assertiveness if all you want is a flat bed, and some time away from boat-talk....but after 2 days or so on paradise beach on your own, you want to come back to the crowd. The good thing is that they will be there.
 
Now, about that atoll...... in 1991 I traveled round Australia and went to some pretty remote outback spots, but never met the Monty Python stereotypical Aussie, who called me Sheila and asked me (and all the other women, incidentally) for a quick s**g! Well, he's on Cocos Keeling! But what a beautiful place. A real Castaway island of fine, white sandy beaches, vivid green coconut trees, swaying palms, a turquoise lagoon on the one side, pounding surf from the Indian Ocean on the other. It's hard to believe that this horseshoe-shaped string of islands were formed by millions of tiny coral creatures, millions of years ago.

Only two islands are inhabited: Home Island by 400 mostly unemployed Malay people, of Muslim faith and who were originally brought to Cocos to farm the coconut plantations; and West Island, a community of 120 Australians and holiday villas. The people on West Island seem to have multiple jobs (mmm.....) and the hotel receptionist will pop up as a tour representative a few hours later. Thus you can't work out when a shop or cafe will be open! Much was closed at the weekend, partly because it was the end of Ramadan, or as the sign said in the window of Dory's Cafe, "Gone Windsurfing"!  The airport doubles up as a 9-hole golf course, the only motel provides the only restaurant.
 
We were anchored off Direction Island, populated by elusive hermit crabs and scurrying rats! When we arrived on Friday, we had to stay on the boat and await customs clearance but there are worse places to hang around. The customs officials had been sent to Cocos on a special 6-week secondment to cover our time there and they were in their element! They were later to be seen at our beach barbecue, stripped to the waist and dancing on the tables! That is until the policeman's attractive blonde girlfriend started dancing with some of the crew, when he brought the Barbie to an abrupt end!
 
On Saturday morning, we decided to spend a couple of days on West Island. This involved a hairy 40 minute over-laden dinghy ride to Home Island, weaving through sharp coral and going aground at one point on the sand. Although shallow all the way, the undertow was very strong and it would have been almost impossible to swim far. (I promise we'll take life jackets next time). We made the one and only 0900 ferry - just!! 
 
The one restaurant, although looking like a work canteen, actually turned out to be very good, with local Malay cuisine. The one motel was clean (hey, the giant ants in my room were at least dead!) and adequate (flat bed!) but the view from the back of my room on waking was stunning, on the ocean side of the island. We were invited to join in the annual wine and beer festival which was a lovely way to spend Sunday afternoon, dancing under a shady canopy of coconut palms to the band and mixing with the locals (good old police and customs guys again!), or strolling on the perfect desert island beach. It reminded me of our allotment barbecues at home, apart from the setting and the weather!
 
After collecting our pre-ordered produce from the supermarket, we were dispatched back to Direction Island on a ferry which one of the other skippers had arranged for 1,000 GBP (not so bad when split between 25+ people) - getting from island to island on Cocos is not all that easy. The only disappointment for me was the lack of mobile 'phone signal and internet, so I apologize for not getting in touch. We spent Monday afternoon in Steve's camp in the shade, with hammock and deckchairs, walking around Direction Island dodging the rats, swimming off the beach (dodging the reef sharks) or reading a book under a palm tree. We left at first light on Tuesday, escorted out by a pod (?) of rather large dolphins, and said goodbye to a unique and beautiful place which I am privileged to have seen.
 
Val's Tips for Ocean Sailing
Many of you have been copied on Steve's logs from the start, but some of my friends and colleague are new to this ocean sailing malarkey. So I am going to write a series of tips, should they be inspired to take it up.
 
Val's TIP 1: Eating a Bowl of Rice Crispies
1. Open cereal cupboard door. Try to catch box of apples that flies out. Fail. Dodge flying apples.
2. Scrabble around on rolling floor, chasing runaway apples. Put apples back in cupboard. Open cupboard door HALFWAY. Locate cereal box 2nd from right.
3. Pour rice crispies into bowl with one hand, while hanging on to something with the other. Put bowl down on non-slip mat on side. Turn to fridge for milk.
4. Brace - boat is struck by side-on wave. Go back to bowl to find it on its side,  rice crispies everywhere. Pick up rice cripsies and put in 'chuck overboard' container. Return to cereal cupboard.....be aware of apples...
5. Top up few rice crispies left in bowl. Put bowl down on gimballed stove (not alight, obviously!)
6. Unload most of fridge contents to hunt for milk; throw left arm across things removed from fridge so they don't fly about while standing on tiptoe to reach milk at the bottom of fridge with right arm. Hold on to milk while returning other items.
7. Pour milk onto rice crispies. Leave on gimbaled stove while putting milk back.
8. Inch your way from galley to steps, hanging on to rice crispies and handles en route.
9. Settle on deck to eat rice crispies. Realize that they float - and blow away in the wind.....
10. Go back to galley. Hunt for muesli bar.
 
Tomorrow's Tip: Having a Shower.
 
All well on the good ship Kasuje
Val and Skipper Steve.


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