We swap shifts all night but at least the weather is settled and we are able to sail the course we want getting an average of 7 or 8 knots out of around 25 knots of wind.
By early morning, the wind has dropped to around 20 knots making for an even more comfortable sail. I see the lights of La Reunion from quite a distance and it confuses me as all the twinkling lights stop me being able to see the lights of any of the other WARC yachts, only the ones behind which I think are Drammer and Voyageur although I can see blobs which I suspect to be other yachts on the radar.
It is starting to get light when I wake Mike and go back down to sleep for about an hour. When he comes to get me I have to wake up quite quickly as I need to get the fenders and the lines on ready to tie up alongside the quay.
We back into a gap barely bigger than Jeannius – I really don’t know how Mike does this so expertly when there are so many things to take note of – like the wind, which always seems to blow in the wrong direction!
Paul and Suzanna are there to take our lines and we are soon tied up behind Wild Tigris and Grand Filou. Right next to our cockpit is a huge hole in the dock where all the electricity outlets are positioned. It is also filled with rubbish – a real rat nest if ever we saw one. We will have to make sure that we keep all our hatches, doors and lockers tightly shut at all times to make sure we don’t take on any stowaways like one of the boats did in Mauritius!
WCC has once again got us a really good deal. Just like in Mauritius, they have negotiated free berthing and services (water and electricity) for the entire duration of our stay. There is no shortage of water in La Reunion (it gets about 8 metres of rain a year) so the first thing I do is hose down the boat again to get the salt crust off. However, before long, two more boats are rafted alongside us, Eowyn then Thor VI, and so I will now have to contend with two sets of crew tramping dirty footprints over the front of Jeannius to get to the dock. We put our mat out to try to catch some of the dirt from the dock and stop it being spread about the boat then I realise the mat is so filthy I have to hose that off too. I then go and catch up on some sleep.
In the afternoon there are representatives from the tourist board on the quay to give us ideas on what to see on the island then in the evening there is a welcome reception for us, with speeches from the mayor and other local dignitaries, a free bar and some finger food, there is a live band and I get dragged out to dance, something I hate when the dance floor is empty but thankfully it fills up quickly as everyone releases a bit of energy. Why is is that whenever you want to get off the dance floor, it’s always the time for the longest record or song? A local school band give us a fantastic display of local drum music too.
As darkness falls, I realise that all the boats have now swapped flies (yes, everyone was inundated when they left the bay in Mauritius) for moths. There are millions of them around. I am far more neurotic about moths than I ever am about flies – I hate their very flutteriness and fat, hairy little bodies.
Mike goes off to bed early, leaving me with the kids, but I only stay a while as I am still off the booze and I think they are settling in for the night. I watch Matt and Sean play pool for a while, but after screwing up a shot which Sean describes as a dead easy shot, I wander off back to the boat. Anyway, with the new dress I am wearing, leaning over a pool table is probably not a good idea as certain attributes are in danger of falling out and I don’t want to add social embarrassment to sportsman’s disgrace! Added to that, the moths are driving me crazy, dive-bombing everywhere. Ugh!
Our position is: 20 deg 32 min S, 56 deg 06 min E
Distance so far: 16473 nautical miles
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