Day 278: Cocos Keeling Islands to Mauritius – 11/10/10

I eventually get some sleep during the night but not enough as it’s so noisy and I can’t use my ear plugs.  When I go on watch though and Mike goes down to sleep, the sea calms down again and the winds drop so he has a much more comfortable time.

Actually the wind drops so much that I have to put the engine on otherwise we’d still be flopping around this time tomorrow and I have no intention of hanging around in this bloody ocean for any longer than I have to!

Naturally, when it’s my time to sleep, the sea state changes and I can’t get to sleep so I give up.  The crashing and banging is so bad that I just lie on the sofa (what’s new) counting down every minute.

Mauritius gradually appears in the distance, hazy and mountainous under a circle of cloud.  As we get nearer we can see numerous fires on the hills but have no idea whether this is sugar cane factories or what.  Little fishing junks start to appear as well as huge cargo ships and tankers.

Photo:  Mauritius with St Louis in the middle

If I think the bumping around is bad when we are going west, turning south makes it feel like we had just been floating on a mill pond.  We head straight into the wind and waves – it’s just like going to St Martin from the BVIs.  Ghastly.  I curl up on the sofa whingeing like mad, eventually calling for a sea sick tablet.  Mike tells me we only have half an hour to go and gives me a ginger drink instead which actually does the trick.

Mauritius looks quite cosmopolitan as we get closer.  We call rally control and get our berthing instructions and head in.

Photo:  Heading into Caudan Marina, St Louis, Mauritius

As we enter the marina, most of the rally boats are already there and we feel like we receive a royal welcome (although I am sure everyone got one of these).  All the crews from the boats are shouting to us and horns are blown (Tucanon) and conch shells are blown (Brown Eyed Girl).  Suzanna and Paul from WCC are there to greet us and Matt and Jim take our lines and pull us into place at the head of the basin.  To cap it all, the hotel just in front of us has the president visiting and as we finish tying up his cavalcade draws out in front of us.  I wave at him.  It was nice of him to make the trouble to come and see us!!!

I have never been so happy to see terra firma.  I could kiss the ground but there are too many people around and the road looks a bit dirty so I don’t.  Standing on the quay, I feel wobbly and slightly disorientated for the first time getting off the boat since we left St Lucia, a testimony to how rough the passage was.

Suzanna presents us with a welcome basket of fruit and a shot each of the local rum.  I take a sip for the photo then pass it to Mike.  I hate most spirits, especially neat.

Maggie invites us for dinner on Ocean Jasper which we gratefully accept as I haven’t thought of what to prepare for the evening.  We have a lovely time on board with all the usual suspects but Mike and I cop out early as we can only think of bed!

Photo:  Aboard Ocean Jasper (having eaten dinner)

Bed is wonderful (although very damp due to not being able to use the air conditioning).  It doesn’t move and there are no nasty crashing noises.  Bliss!

 

Our position is:  20 deg 09 min S, 57 deg 29 min E

Distance so far:  16334 nautical miles