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Exody - Days 294/295 - Au Revoir La Reunion, Farewell Fay



The last baguette was delivered early by ARC yellowshirt Victor on his rented scooter - home territory for him, albeit a displaced part of France amid the Indian Ocean. Elder daughter Fay sadly left Saturday after two weeks on board taking in the contrasts of multicultural Mauritius and european outpost La Reunion. We were happy that she was able to spend the day before her flight home with departing crew from Allegro as we set sail simultaneously from Le Port.

For a full fortnight we had an excuse for a holiday from boat tasks, and astute readers will note that I also took a holiday from logging days 276 to 293 - the Mauritius and Reunion stopovers and the short 130 mile passage between. At both places we were moored against walls in busy ports so quite a contrast to the turquoise remote anchorage of Cocos Keeling. But access to the bustling city of Port Louis in Mauritius was easy and in both places we hired cars to see the many sights with memorable multi-hairpin drives to the 'cirques' of La Reunion - villages at over 1000 metres above sea level within former volcanoes.

The 1350 mile Leg 14 to South Africa started Saturday 31st, recently rendered non-competitive by World ARC so as to facilitate our individual decision-making on departure and engine use in respect of the tricky weather systems ahead. In the event all but two of the fleet left within a few hours of each other. Once out of the lee of the vertiginous volcanic island, the tradewinds resumed allowing us to reach southwestwards toward a waypoint well south of Madagascar. This to avoid generally disturbed winds and currents there before the next challenge of crossing the Agulhas Current in the last 50-100 miles of our approach to Richards Bay on the east coast of South Africa. This we must achieve in between the southwesterly blows that regularly march around the Cape of Good Hope (originally named Cape of Storms - the renaming an early example of 'positive re-framing' - ask a psychologist!!)

By night time the winds had eased and today, Sunday 1st, we have rarely made above 5 knots, though in pleasant quiet sea conditions. Some of the fleet are close, but as we left later than most, we are further back than usual and can see more engine use ahead to keep up the pace!

Following some initiation by Exody in Mauritius and energetic support from Makena and Ayama in La Reunion, several of the fleet are now up and running with enhanced use of their Single Side Band Radios for 1-2-1 ship to ship 'telephone calls' and other clever functions, previously hidden within the user manuals. Interesting how 100-year old radio technology still has its place! Core to this is the realisation that listening out for each other 24/7 is our best chance of prompt response in the event of any emergency in these remote parts.

The paradox here is that the SSB, or rather the shoreside infrastructure, let us down for reliably receiving emails and weather forecasts for free by radio whilst crossing the Indian Ocean. We have thus succumbed (as the only non-satellite connected boat on the fleet up until now) to a satellite hotspot for Exody. The ease and speed of email and grib download is a treat with the capacity for texts and short calls via linked iphone reassuring, albeit all at airtime cost!

Chinese stir fried beef and noodles beckon now and the full-ish moon will be up to reward the chef on her watch later tonight.

Peter (Skipper)





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