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.