Unfortunately, Mike is now feeling rough. He seems to have caught my bugs but has mutated them so that his symptoms are ear ache, throat ache, generally aching all over and upset tummy. I start him on some antibiotics just in case he has an ear infection.
I go out to buy some pashminas for Johanne, going back to the craft market where I bought mine. She wants fuchsia pink, red and purple. The first two are no problem but they don’t have plain purple. First, they pull out every patterned pashmina that has a hint of purple in it. I say no, I want plain. I explain that she doesn’t want purple and black zebra stripes, or multi coloured paisley with a purple fringe or even the rather disgusting flowery purple one with white flowers embroidered on it. They insist my friend might like a patterned one. I say she asked for plain so patterned just doesn’t enter into it. When it’s clear they don’t have plain purple, they start pulling out every plain pashmina that they have, regardless of the colour. I explain I want PLAIN PURPLE, so I get the patterned purples shown to me again. In the end I tell them I just want the two and not to show me any more, and no I don’t want a sarong, or a wood carved dodo, or a table cloth, just these TWO BLOODY PASHMINAS. It’s like talking to a bunch of two year olds. I think their philosophy is that if they keep at it for long enough they will wear you down. I just get pissed off. Then we get to the price. I paid 400 rupees for mine, so buying two, they offer them as a real bargain for 600 each. I laugh and hand them back. 500 rupees? No thanks. I was going to go for 350 each as I was buying two but by now I just want to get out and settle for the 400 each. Jeez!
I rush back to the boat as we are about to have the boat blessing – a ceremony where all the religions on the island – Catholic, Jewish, Buddhist, Anglican, Hindu and Muslim – are represented and will offer their blessing to the fleet for a safe onward journey. The self appointed leader, a rather rude and bossy Roman Catholic bishop, presides over the proceedings, cutting any of the religious leaders off in their prime if they dare to go over their allotted two minutes of prayers. At the end, I nearly jump out of my skin when a load of fire crackers are let off.
Photos: The boat blessing
I go back to the change office to swap my remaining rupees for Euros and am told that they cannot be changed, so I decide to spend them instead, and end up with a nice sarong (not from the craft market – I couldn’t go all through that again) and some nice face cream.
Before we leave I give the boat a last hosing down as it is now covered with dust and slightly greasy bits of what looks like fibres but turns out to be bits of stuff from the burning sugar cane. All that seems to happen though is that I chase the dirt from one part of the boat to another. It only looks marginally cleaner afterwards. Oh well, at least I tried.
The start is at 11.30 am but we are in no hurry to get out into the bay as we have every intention of being last over the start line. I’m sure that some people find this exciting but I am always terrified that we will get hit by another boat and am really pleased that a) Mike doesn’t take the racing seriously and has no intention of getting involved with the jostling and that b) he understands the racing rules so doesn’t do anything wrong.
For the first time, we are absolutely and definitely last over the start line and Mike is pleased with himself.
Photo: Hurray – at the back of the pack – for the start at least
Out in the bay, there is virtually no wind, and what there is is all over the place. Although you have to sail over the start line with your engines turned off, after an hour or so most boats have taken their sails in and are motoring. We keep our main up but put the engine on too for a while. As we sail away from Mauritius, we are inundated with flies. I do not know where they have come from as there were no flies around all the time we were at the dock. I am just about to spray around with noxious chemicals when I remember the sly swatter I bought recently. Within minutes, about nine of the buggers are lying on their backs, squished, although one continues to elude me and buzzes around annoyingly. I’ll get him eventually.
Photo: Leaving Port Louis, Mauritius
Mike tries to sleep but mid afternoon the sea becomes very confused, waves start to pound us and the wind picks up to 25 to 30 knots – here we go again. I have to get him up so that he can attend to the sails. In the meantime, I swallow sea sick tablets, check where the bucket is and take to the sofa.
By the early evening the wind has settled down to around 25 knots and we are making good progress. We decide to abandon our normal 5 hours on 5 hours off as it is only for one night.
Our position is: 20 deg 32 min S, 56 deg 06 min E
Distance so far: 16422 nautical miles
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