Logs

Smoke and Roses - Four Out Of Five.Not Bad

November 20 – 23Richard’s Bay, South AfricaWe were excited to return to the Hluhluwe/ Imfolozi Game Reserve for a walking safari through the bushveld plains and undulating hilly countryside. Imfolozi in the southern section of the reserve is a natural treasure store of fascinating fauna and flora, with species including the Big Five – lion, leopard, elephant buffalo, and black and white rhino as well as many other animals. We left early morning with Hal, Marcia and Haley from “Cayuse” and just before reaching the entrance a large, muscled leopard crossed the road, right in front of “Cayuse’s” car. Having not seen the northern section of the reserve we decided to do a self-drive through Hluhluwe before checking into our camp. We saw all kinds of animals, many of which blocked the roads as. read more...

Smoke and Roses - In To Africa

November 12 – 19Richard’s Bay, South AfricaSince the remarkable transition to democracy under Nelson Mandela, South Africa has become an important force on the yachting scene offering the best facilities for yacht repair and care. It is home to the largest ethnic group in South Africa, the Zulu Tribe. They became a great military power and were the only African tribe that won battles against the British. However the Zulu Tribes suffered greatly under apartheid and were discriminated against.We arrived on the south east coast of Africa at Richard’s Bay in an area called the KZN (Kwa Zulu Natal). A local lady in traditional Zulu attire including bright colors and lots of bead work greeted us with a festive champagne welcome, as well as two ladies from the Zulu Land Yacht Club and Matt a. read more...

Smoke and Roses - Understanding the Indian Oceans' Reputation

Logged 1380 Nautical Miles140 Hours Sailing 62.75 Hours Motoring8 Days 10 Hours 45 MinutesNovember 3 – 11Reunion to Richards Bay, South AfricaI expected this last offshore leg of the Indian Ocean to be the most challenging of our circumnavigation as we will sail nearly 1400 nautical miles from Reunion around the southern tip of Madagascar to Richards Bay, South Africa. We had very inconsistent weather during the 8 ½ day passage with lots of sail changes. From hot and sunny skies with no wind to grey skies, rain, lightening and squalls with 35 knots of wind.The first couple days were hot and sunny with no wind. I baked and cleaned while we were motoring.On the fourth evening while I was doing dishes, I heard Dan say “big wave”, suddenly everything went flying from starboard to port; tea. read more...

Mischief - Mischief Blog Richards Bay to Mossel Bay

Fishing SuccessRough seas greeted us as we left the tranquil waters of Richards Bay, Adam took the helm and had to weave in and out of the huge ships that anchored in Richards Bay.Not an easy task when under sail, you'd think the ships captains would consider the needs of a small yacht governed by the wind and move their huge vessels with each change in wind direction.Perhaps that's a big ask so we thread our way through best we could and managed to miss them all.Sharon cooked us a cracking meal that night spicy chicken with mash and has now secured herself a place in the Mischief, memorable meals menu.Few have this accolade, well done Fanny McGinty.Millpond conditions revealed, a four meter shape which we later identified as a tiger shark.In all on this trip we spotted a total of five. read more...

Mischief - Mossel Bay 26th Nov to 30th Nov 2018

We can confirm sharks do have sharp teeth.Big fires, logs and warm clothes not normally associated Africa, more deserts, jungles and searing heat.Not in Mossel Bay, its too close to the Southern Ocean and Cape Town.Cape Town being the furthest south that World ARC venture, I'm so pleased.However, the former provided a cosy back drop to allow us to remain outside most of the time and still enjoy the culture of Mossel Bay.Sonia the local hairdresser was a big hit with the crew of Mischief.She cut Adams hair for £3.50 and I presume the skippers bill was the same.My hair cut and highlight was £28 and took three hours.Wendy and Sharon were also regroomed but with mixed results, Sharon was shocked when she discovered she'd gone white haired in under an hour and too much of her hair had been. read more...

Mischief - Mossel Bay to Cape Town 30th Nov to 2nd Dec 2018

See my big sad faceIt is with a heavy heart that I write my last passage report, the last two days passage has been great, the sea is littered with seals, fins in the air sleeping and chillin', breaching the waves in pairs or more and then of course the infamous CAPE OF GOOD HOPE.Great skippering means we rounded it in easy conditions making it an exciting passage with magnificent views of Table Mountain with its cloth waiting to fall neatly over the side.Africa here we come.This is my last blog, I thank the Skipper and Commander for making it all happen, its been an awesome ride, Skipper I salute you for keeping us all safe again and the commander for make sure we have have the right papers etc and that the "tissue" comes down when the wind gets up.A special female to female salute to. read more...

Blue Pearl - South Africa

Blue Pearl arrived in Cape Town, South Africa on Tuesday, November 27th after an exhilarating 900nm, 4.5 day sail from the town of Richards Bay. I should have written about this earlier..!Of course you can always check my face book page (Ruud Bosman) which will keep you much more current and you get to see some nice pictures too.In any case, we arrived in Richards Bay Australia from the French island of Reunion which I wrote about before. The sail from Reunion around Madagascar to Richards Bay and then to Cape Town is notorious for its challenging and variable weather and strong and somewhat unpredictable ocean currents.We found out about those currents...! Going around the south coast of Madagascar we werequite a bit ahead of the fleet but had decided to stay a good distance off-shore.. read more...

Misto - November 23-30, 2018: From Richards Bay to Cape Town

At last we are here in the beautiful Mother City of Cape Town, with the mountain towering over us and every shop and restaurant that you could wish for right on our doorstep at the V&A Waterfront.The getting here was challenging and one of the more difficult passages we have completed.Departing Richards Bay in the early morning we did encounter some big swells and confused seas.For some reason the stretch of water between Richards Bay and Durban is one of the most nauseating, creating a strange motion, however a few hours out it all settled down.The conditions were favorable and we reluctantly decided to bypass East London and keep on sailing.Our reluctance was due to the fact that we have good friends who live at Kidd’s Beach close to EL, but decided we would make a plan to come. read more...

Misto - November 14-22 2018: Enjoying the delights of Zululand

Over a week has flown by here in Richards Bay.We are delighting in being back in South Africa and seem to have slipped easily into the way of life again.We have enjoyed visits to Umfolozi and St Lucia.On a game drive in Umfolozi we saw elephants, 11 white rhino around a water hole, giraffes, zebra, warthogs, impala, kudu and Nyala all in one short day!Our first visit to St Lucia did not yield so much game and we went back a second time to do a river cruise and were rewarded with many sightings of hippos and a few crocodiles.We also visited a sanctuary for Africa cats and got up close and personal with Cheetahs, servals, African wild cats and karakuls.On the boat front we have had Misto waxed and polished and measured for new sails and rigging.The latter two will be delivered and the work. read more...

Smoke and Roses - The Sporty Indian Ocean

Logged 2350 Nautical Miles 14 days, 7 hours and 45 minutes314.75 hours sailing, 29 hours motoring  October 1 – 24Cocos Keeling to MauritiusOur next two legs include the second longest and the shortest sailing distances of our circumnavigation. Both are on the Indian Ocean which has a reputation of high winds, big seas and strong currents. Today is the start of Leg 11; we will 2350 nautical miles west to Mauritius for the next two weeks. To my surprise the first couple days had light wind and we were motoring. The clouds were unusual looking, like a thin veil on the horizon. Over the next several days the wind increased to 25 + knots, we had stormy grey skies, there were 10 foot waves sometimes breaking alongside the boat and we sailed fat. One afternoon while I was napping a large. read more...

Smoke and Roses - Romping Around Reunion

Logged 132 Nautical Miles18.25 Hours Sailing, 1.75 Hours Motoring October 25 to November 2          Mauritius to ReunionReunion Island is a bit of Europe transplanted to the Indian Ocean and the sophistication is welcome. It is a French overseas territory with great diversity in landscape and culture. It is said there are a thousand different landscapes on this mountainous volcanic island from clear Blue Lagoons to magnificent mountain views and enchanting volcanic lunar scenery. At 132 nautical miles, the leg from Mauritius to Reunion was our shortest. The beginning started with 20 knots of wind from the North West, we were close hauled and reefed for this sporty overnight sail. Berthed alongside a wall in a commercial port, at Le Port. read more...

Smoke and Roses - The Sporty Indian Ocean

Logged 2350 Nautical Miles14 days, 7 hours and 45 minutes314.75 hours sailing, 29 hours motoringOctober 1 – 24Cocos Keeling to MauritiusOur next two legs include the second longest and the shortest sailing distances of our circumnavigation. Both are on the Indian Ocean which has a reputation of high winds, big seas and strong currents. Today is the start of Leg 11; we will 2350 nautical miles west to Mauritius for the next two weeks. To my surprise the first couple days had light wind and we were motoring. The clouds were unusual looking, like a thin veil on the horizon. Over the next several days the wind increased to 25 + knots, we had stormy grey skies, there were 10 foot waves sometimes breaking alongside the boat and we sailed fat. One afternoon while I was napping a large wave. read more...

Misto - November 4-13: Completing the Indian Ocean Passage

This technically challenging passage was full of sail changes as we adjusted course and the weather rolled in from different directions and the currents in this part of the ocean ebbed and flowed with and against us.  However with our great crew, Misto again showed what she can do.  We completed the 1370 nm in 8 daysand 8 hours with an average speed of around 6.7 kn.  Along the way we encountered pretty much every imaginable sailing condition - squalls full of lightening lasting hours, huge swells of well over 12’, lumpy, bumpy seas that threw us around like a monohull, and a lot of close hauled sailing which is not a catamaran’s strong suit, but also beautiful sailing days where we flew the gennaker and romped along at 8-10 kn. Our timing for arrival in. read more...

Timshel - Reunion to SA Day10

Making progress towards Africa,less than 200nm to go now to Richards Bay, so hope to get there tomorrow, the wind should be stronger then but both it and the current should be with us.We are aiming to cross the Aghulhas current where it is quite narrow.The entrance is clear and well marked and the rally will have a boat meet us for the final approach to the marina, so a night entry while not ideal should be OK.Yesterday morning we were visited by a pod of at least 20 small and very energetic dolphins that stayed with us for a short while.We set the cruising chute yesterday afternoon, a slightly incongruous sail plan with the triple reefed main, but we made good speed until evening when we took it down a bit before sunset as the wind was getting up, without the mainsail to blanket it the. read more...

Aurora Polaris - World ARC - Nesten fremme i Sør Afrika

10. november 2018I kveld så jeg det! Det syregrønne flashet idet solen gikk ned. Nå har jegstudert utallige solnedganger, og var i ferd med å si at det bare er noetull. Det er det ikke, for jeg har nå sett det med mine egne øyne!Dette har vært en utrolig vakker dag! Vi har måttet gå med motor nesten heledagen, men himmelen har vært blå, og nesten skyfri. Da solnedgangen nærmetseg, dukket det plutselig små skydotter opp rundt omkring horisonten. Solengikk ned, og etterlot seg alle regnbuens farger, først i et lyst slør. Sidenble fargene klarere, og med mer kontrast. Jeg måtte sitte lenge og beundrefargespillet. Lurte på om jeg skulle fotografere, men tenkte etterpå hvorforjeg skulle det? Nyt det her og nå! Det er ingen andre som behøver å se det!Jeg sitter og ser på den vannrette. read more...

Timshel - Reunion to SA Day 9

Reasonable sailing but as wind dropped we are restricted by only having the equivalent of a triple reefed main sail available - our wings are clipped.Such a shame as this sort of reach is Timshel's best point of sail and we would have been flying along.We are now running wing and wing (with what sail we have) as the wind has backed to the East.It is forecast to get up again before we get there - 324 miles to go.The revenge of the small squid continues as the waves and rain the night before last did not wash away any of the ink, hopefully it will scrub off eventually.They must have been airborne as there is ink on the boom and the mainsail, and the dead ones were distributed over the deck from Bow to Stern including on the cabin top around the base of the mast.. read more...

Mischief - La reuinion to Richards Bay

Reunion was insight andRally control had allocated Mischief a mooring against Influensa, this worried the skipper as he wasn't sure all of the crew had been inoculated against this sometimes deadly virus.......This French Island set between Mauritius and South Africa had so much to offer, from the moment we were greeted by traditional dancing on the first evening.After completing the jobs on the boat, including a creative repair to the freezer by Dan from Smoke and Roses (Thank you so much Dan, good job) the crew were ready for Josh's party at the nearby resort.Partying that night was enjoyed to the full, some of the crew not arriving back at the boat until the small hours despite the early start the next day.Ouch!!!!!The coach arrived a few hours later to take a less than functioning. read more...

Timshel - Reunion to SA Day 7-8

We have had some good sailing, wind getting stronger and backing so that we can lay the course to Richards Bay almost on a beam reach now. We have also had soem squalls and rain.Yesterday we had a Communications failure as the lap top decided to do a Windows Update which put it out action for the morning and when it wasdone we found it had somehow deleted the modem to communicate via the satphone.Thankfully we managed to reinstall it with the very patient assistance from Martin on Misto with home issuing instructions for dummies over the SSB (our backups with the old computer and th redbox couldn't communicate either).We also suffered the plague of the small squid yesterday, found at least 20 little squid maybe 4 to 6 in all over the deck - people keep saying Calamari, but what a mess. read more...

Timshel - Reunion to SA Day 6

Alasour lovely wind deserted us yesterday evening and we had to motor then motorsail for a bit.The wind then backed to west and then to SW and nearly to S and we are sailing closehauled on port tack off the south end of Madagascar.Its a bit bumpy but if it comes round just a little more we can almost lay our destination of Richards Bay, still 6 days away though.Its just nice to be sailing.Our weather router, Chris Tibbs, seems to be getting it right so far.There are a lot of big ships on the route, most of them politely go round you.Not sure if it was proximity to the coast though still over 40 nm off but we were assailed by huge and brightly coloured moths and bugs last night.. read more...

Timshel - Reunion to SA Day 5

Wind at last! Hooray!We stopped the engine yesterday to transfer fuel and check levels and spread the sails wing and wing to catch what zephyrs there were - so we made maybe 2 knots in 5 knots of wind for a couple of hours, then it arrived, 13-17 knots from NE so lovely sailing wing and wing all night making 6 knots or more, and so far today too.We switched the sails to the same side to come to the north a bit as there have been reports of an adverse current by a boat that took a more southerly course.. read more...

Timshel - Reunion to SA Day 4

No wind since the early hours so we are motoring slowly, nice and sunny of course, but would prefer less calm.All the forecasts promise some wind .... we just seem to be in a hole.We are passed by quite a few cargo ships and we also came apon a load of fishing buoys, at least I assume thats what they are, seems a long way out and in 1000s of metres of water.This passage may take us a long time!. read more...

Misto - November 4-5 2018: ".... and here is the weather forecast"

How often have we heard the weather introduced on the TV or radio with ".... and here is the weather forecast"? We take it for granted that when on land it is easy to obtain up to the minute weather information. When at sea, where weather information is crucial, it's a bit different and there are various ways of obtaining weather information - either via the SSB radio or satellite communications with VHF and mobile phones only useful close inshore.In the Atlantic and Pacific we were very successful with the SSB radio but here in the Indian Ocean it has become increasingly difficult to get a good enough connection to download any files of significant size and so, with Martin's help, we have now connected the sat phone to the system and are using that as well. In addition to what we can. read more...

Timshel - Reunion to South Africa Day 2

We got a little wind and sailed for a couple of hours in the afternoon yesterday, then it went away.We managed some effective motorsailing overnight too but so far this morning it has been calm with less than 5 knots from behind.Madrigal (Farr 50) is now quite close, they must have sailed more overnight.Everyone reported in at the morning SSB roll call, and nobody has much wind, but Influencer (a racy new Dufour 56) has managed to sail all the way from the harbour.Steve saw a whale (he said) then there were big dolphins playing all round the boat for a while. Misto also reported whales.We ran the watermaker and are just chugging on - where is the wind??. read more...

Blue Pearl - Overdue

We just departed Le Port de Plaisance on the French Island ofLa Reunion in the Indian Ocean. It has been much too long since I last updated you but here we go. La Reunion is an absolutely beautiful place. If you are still working on your retirement plans, take some French lessons and move to this little Island. I know you will like it.Hats off to the French, in contrast to some other countries I know,they treat their overseas territories in exactly the same way as the "departments" in mainland France and the results are there to prove the point. A very well functioning infra-structure, an economy that seems the work, excellent shopping and all the services that are typically available in first world countries. We spent just over a week here and enjoyed every minute of it.Of course we. read more...

Timshel - Reunion to South Africa Day 1

We were 4 th from last to set off from Le Port, and we were 2 min early at the start Gate.The Oyster Elise and AirPower are following - well Elise is overtaking.I guess John and Madrigal will start at exactly the correct time as he is a racing man.Tanya and Thomas on Adrienne are taking it easy and getting more fuel before they set off.Another hot sunny day, but unfortunately very little wind and what there is from ahead.The main thing about this passage is weather and avoiding being in the Agulhas current in bad stuff.We are getting weatherman Chris Tibbs who sailed in Taistealai in the 2017 Rally last year to do routeing for us.. read more...

Timshel - Mauritius to Reunion

Forgot to post for the short 130 mile leg.Not totally uneventful, a tight start that we stayed back from, then a few port and starboard incidents in the first 1/2 hour - nothing that we were involved in of course.A bit after the start the wind died, than came up so strongly that we had to reef immediately.So we had every wind strength from flat calm to F6 or so, every point of sail from dead downwind to a beat, so many sail changes.We arrived after 24 hours off Reunion, watched Adrienne ahead and inshore of us take her sails in and motor on so we did likewise - the cruising chute was hanging limp anyway.Berthed in the Harbour alongside Dave and Jill in AirPower.Then we had over a week of French bread and croissants, good food and wine, and interesting trips to the mountainous interior of. read more...

Misto - November 2-3 2018: Departure from Reunion

Well we have said au revoir to Reunion with its French bread and pain au chocolat!Yesterday was a day of preparation ending with a great meal in the local restaurant. The weather is still changeable but we have departed in light winds and are having to motor - probably for 2-3 days. Just out of Le Port we landed a 30 lb tuna which solves the question of what we will be eating tonight!. read more...

Misto - October 25-November 1, 2018: Reunion

The sail across to Reunion was fast and easy compared to the passage from Cocos Keeling. We did multiple sail changes as the wind came from several different directions during the trip and varied in strength. Arriving in Reunion, we berthed at Le Port with Aranui alongside us. It was all worthwhile as Misto for first place in the catamaran division for this leg. Sunday was an all day tour of the island. Piton de la Fournaise, the volcano was the main destination. This is one of the most active volcanos in the world but all the activity is currently underground in larva tunnels. Lunch, a local market and some viewpoints completed the day. Monday and Tuesday we buddied up with Steve and Anita from Timshel and set off in a rental car to explore Cirque de Cilaos, one of three Cirques creates. read more...

Misto - October 19-24, 2018: Mauritius

The last few days of the passage were uneventful and we motor-sailed and finally motored the last 12 hours or so.  We could have arrived around midnight on October 20, but decided to slow down and arrive at first light.  Port Louis is a surprisingly large and bustling port and after gaining permission to enter we motored in and were moored on the outer wall of the Caudan Basin. We were greeted by a number of our fellow WARC sailors and Galen with shots of a local rum - Pink Pigeon - a surprisingly smooth local rum.Monday brought the tour of the island and we enjoyed visiting the chateau Labordonnais and tasting their rum offerings, the Sugar Museum with their rums, and the botanical gardens.  It gave us a nice overview of the island's history and we saw a little of the. read more...

Misto - October 15-18, 2018: Onward to Mauritius

We have done really well over the last three days with great winds in the hi teens and low 20's and seas that have been reasonable and not so confused as in the early part of the passage.The presence of the moon at night has made the night watches much more pleasurable than earlier in the trip when the moon was not showing itself at night. All the other WARC boats are now in Port Louis, but Timshel have kindly agreed to continue talking with us on the SSB each morning, which is greatly appreciated as it is wonderful to have that connection with others.I think we have seen the best that the Indian Ocean has to offer - great sailing in brisk winds and rolling swells - but also a taste of what it can be like when it blows up, whipping the seas into confusion and blowing hard.It's another. read more...

Timshel - Cocos to Mauritius Day 16

More wind overnight so good progress, sunny day again.The morning radio net is much reduced, as most boats have arrived in port.There seems to be a shipping rout between Mauritius and Rodrigues, several tankers going past though only one coming close - they did eventually respond on VHF and agreed to deviate around us.The wind came more from NE so gybed onto stbd at 2330 at watch change.It does take a while to get the pole and everything changed over.We should be in on Wednesday 17 well before dark, at the moment the ETA to the waypoint is around lunchtime, then we have to motor into the port and clear customs.So this shold be the last night at sea and there is a nice half moon and stars, just about enough wind.As it is neap tides at least there should be no strong currents we make our. read more...

Smoke and Roses - It Is Good To Be Back With The Fleet

Logged 525 Nautical Miles75 Hours SailingSeptember 23 – 30         Christmas Island to Cocos Keeling Island South Cocos Keeling is a remote group of 25 islands that form an atoll encircling a beautiful lagoon in the middle of the Indian Ocean. 2000 nautical miles West of Darwin, it is an Australian Indian Ocean Territory. Just two islands are inhabited and Port Refuge, the only anchorage, is on the uninhabited Direction Island. Every time I look out, I am awed with the beauty of this place. The stunning colors of clear water over the shallow reef, the pristine sand beaches lined with swaying palm trees and the tiny glistening white birds are all breathtaking.After months of trying to confirm a crew person who was going to meet us in. read more...

Timshel - Cocos to Mauritius Day 15

Another quiet day sailing, mostly in sunshine apart from a squall this morning that had us bowling along at top speed - unfortunately only for half an hour or so.The wind has varied from ESE to ENE so we've gybed a couple of times, Mauritius is now dead downwind, about 240 miles to go.We have seen a few ships - either visually or just on IS, I think they are en route from South Africa to Singapore or China.We are now managing to connect with the SSB to the server in Africa rather than Brunei.Our radio roll call is much truncated as boats have arrived in port.. read more...

Mischief - Mischief Blog International cuisine meets Come Dine with Mischief

Despite the Indian Oceans weather systems that bring giftsof strong winds interspersed with squalls that deliver more wind, torrential rain and 7 meter waves, Mischief's crew were determined to eat well led by skipper "Dave the Belly"!Mark and Wendy also stepped up to the challenge with alacrity and tenacious determination.The boat was thrashing around, waves pouring into the cockpit but still the meals kept coming from all corners of the earth.Ads bring your pinny.Saussisson Surprise or Sausage Casserole - UK and our continental friends FrenchCroissants - FrenchBeef Masala - IndianBeef Pie and pots - BritBar-b-q - AustraliaTim Tams Sweet - AustraliaSpag Bog - ItalianIrish Stew Cabbage and Pots (Potato famine over) - IrelandGreen Tea - ChinaSpanish Omelette - Surprise SpainSlaw - US of. read more...

Misto - October 14, 2018: Calm and Serene (well, comparatively speaking)

For now the rambunctious winds and rough seas have given way to a calmer view of the Indian Ocean.Today the winds have dropped to an enjoyable 16 knots or so and the seas have dropped considerably, even if they can't quite make up their minds which direction to come from.It was a day when you are pleased to be out sailing, in comparison to the previous few when I wondered why on earth I was doing this! Tonight the small sliver of moon is also shining - through clouds it must be admitted - but when it does shine through it lights up the water with a ghostly, silvery sheen rather appropriate for approaching Halloween.-----At 10/14/2018 12:38 PM (utc) our position was 17°46.23'S 075°56.30'EOur course and speed are 251T at 6.2kts. read more...

Aurora Polaris - World ARC - Oppdatering på seilasen til Mauritsius

12. oktoberVi har vært inne i et område med 35 knops vind en stund. Noen i flåten rapporterte at de hadde kast opp i 55 knop. 40 knops vind er grensen opp mot storms styrke. Vi venter på at vinden skal legge seg og dreie i mer østlig retning. Det er en stor fordel for oss, som seiler veldig godt med fokken og genoaen ute samtidig.Ved ni-tiden i dag, lyktes de endelig å føre over pasienten fra seilbåten til losbåten, og nå er de på vei med henne med legeteam om bord. Det har vært litt dramatisk, men veldig godt å se og oppleve den store omsorgen og velvilligheten til å hjelpe hverandre når noe står på.Vi seiler fortsatt i kompaniskap med den andre seilbåten vi har nevnt tidligere. Nå har vi oppe litt mer seil. Da det stod på som «verst», hadde vi over 11 knops hastighet med bare et par. read more...

Timshel - Cocos to Mauritius Day 14

Unfortunately our wind died this morning - but not completely, we have been sailing along on what would be a beautiful day in the sunshine - if we were just cruising about the Clyde, just a bit slow at 3-4 knots in 9 knots of true wind when you are trying to make a passage.But the wind has come up in the last half hour and we are making progress again, just hope it lasts.We may be arriving in Mauritius on Wednesday rather than Tuesday though.We now have land in sight - the island of Rodrigues, another 350 miles to Mauritius.. read more...

Timshel - Cocos to Mauritius Day 13

Another sparkling day sailing.Just before dark last night we set the (reefed) yankee with the pole wing and wing with reefed main turning more downwind as it was more east.Timshel runs very well like this albeit with some rolling - there is still a big swell.As the sun came up we could let out the reefs and have been going nicely all day.Now if it would just stay like this until we get there! With the calmer weather we were able to tidy up some things and run the watermaker, pizza for tea tonight.Our time is slightly skewed as we go west as we are still on Cocos time - as this is the time for the SSB net and the finish no point changing - but it now stays light in the evening, but sunrise is later in the morning.Of course we are also further south.. read more...

Misto - October 8-13, 2018: Speeding Towards Mauritius

The first 2-3 days of this epic Indian Ocean passage were gentle to us.We sailed some and motor-sailed some, in sunny and relatively calm conditions.We had coconuts on board and at Howard's request to find a use or them, Ros found a coconut macaroon recipe and had fun baking up these delicious, sweet and gooey treats. Then things changed and we have been encountering winds up to 32 knots, with large and confused seas that have really been pushing us around.But it does mean that we are making fast progress towards Mauritius.Although we are behind the fleet due to our delayed departure, we have been able to hear most of the radio nets and participate in some.The propagation in the morning is better than the evenings, when we are lucky if we can make out a few words. Also some boats are. read more...

Timshel - Cocos to Mauritius Day12

Good news first thing this morning that the injured lady was transferred to the Mauritius coast guard vessel Barracuda with medical back up on board and speeding off to Mauritius.So she will have immediately been given the treatment she needs, and we are all hoping for a quick recovery.They had declared the seas too rough the previous evening.It has all moderated today, less wind, less waves, but there are still a few spiteful ones about so we still have all hatches and windows fastened, one board in the companionway and the companionway hatch closed.A few boats did have torrents of the water below over the chart table damaging their instruments.We are probably fortunate that our chart table is on the port side, with the boat on port tack any water getting in sprayed the galley and. read more...

Timshel - Cocos to Mauritius Day 11

Be careful what you wish for!Certainly plenty of wind today and a big rather confused sea.We have gradually reefed right down, now have at least 2 reefs worth of main rolled in and just the staysail.Timshel was handling the conditions Ok but every so often a big sea would hit us broadside with a huge crash and it was getting very wet, so we have slowed down and are sailing more downwind.We are probably missing an opportunity for great speeds and progress (I am sure the bigger boats are enjoying it more) but better not to break things.  . read more...

Aurora Polaris - World ARC - Vi nærmer oss, siste del av seilasen til Mauritsius

Etter å ha seilt over halvvegs, kom vi til det området hvor vi kom til å ha en del vind. Pål, sønnen vår, informerte om at dersom vi fortsatte med samme kurs og fart, ville vi ankomme dette området innen tre dager. Nå er vi altså her, og vi har vind fra 25-30 knop og ganske høye bølger. Jeg har ikke før tørket opp sjøvannet hvor jeg sitter i cockpiten, før jeg får meg en ny dusj. Vinden ventes å øke på, og vil være på det sterkeste i ettermiddag. Etter det skal den dreie mot øst, og vi vil få den bakfra. Vi har gitt opp å ligge i teten denne gangen. Det er forskjellige grunner til det. Vi har bevist at vi kan seile fort, og nå dreier det seg mer om komfort og gjensidig støtte fra våre medseilere. Slik situasjonen er nå, har vi avtalt med naboen vår, Mischief, om å dreie litt nordover,. read more...

Timshel - Cocos to Mauritius Day 10

Another sparkling day sailing, it is always much better in sunshine.We are making good progress in 11-24 knots of true wind on the beam.We could go faster with a bit more wind, but its OK.Another celebration today as we got to 1000 miles to go, but that was directly to the way point at the finish (and through the island) and we just now plotted intermediate waypoints round the north end of Mauritius which added 9 miles, but we have passed 1000 miles on this route as well now.Spoke to Misto again this morning on the long range channel, they are making steady progress and no doubt getting closer as they are faster.. read more...

Timshel - Cocos to Mauritius Day 9

Pleasant sailing in sunshine, beam reach with all white sails and going quite fast at times.And we passed halfway at 12.21 this afternoon! 1159 miles to go.Some of the big boats in front are celebrating 3 figures to the finish (i.e. 999).We have got quite spread out which makes the choice of frequency for the radio net a little contentious and some boats just don't like certain frequencies.Some boats have had a few issues; Adrienne's gear box has become detached from the engine so they will need a tow in, Aurora Polaris exploded a block on the main outhaul during a squall (they have spares), Mischief's wind speed reading has disappeared so for the daily reports we are getting the Wind scale according to Dave - not sure how it relates to the one devised by Admiral Beaufort, and is "old. read more...

Aurora Polaris - World ARC - Seilasen til Mauritius

Vi fikk vite at vi kom til å ha plenty med vind over Indiahavet. De to første dagene hadde vi tilnærmet vindstille. Seilte de første 4 timene, men da gadd ikke kapteinen mer! Motoren i gang, og vi kom oss fort av gårde – helt til vi traff på vinden. Da var vi i et rotete område med vind, strømmer og bølger i disharmoni. Alle rapporterte om ubehagelige bevegelser i båtene sine, og vi var ikke noe unntak. Likevel er her noen i flåten som fortsatt har 0 motortimer, og en av dem er flere timer lengre kommet enn oss. Forstå det de som kan! (De har mannskap om bord, da!)Min kaptein er trøtt, og han klarer dårlig å bevege seg rundt i båten under fart. Han sier han blir kvalm. Dermed blir forflytningsoppgaver lagt på kaptinnen. Oppgavene er stort sett matlaging og oppvask – samt. read more...