Crossing the Indian Ocean from Seychelles to Madagascar 26/9-01/10 2019
Time used 4 days 21h 42 min, distant 668.3 NM, average distant per day 111.4 NM, best distance per day163 NM, average SOG 5.7 knots, max SOG 8.9 knots, TWA 295, average TWS in knots 9.6, max TWS in knots 10.6.
Day 1 26/9. Last shopping a jerry can diesel, a bottle of gin, posted postcard to grandchildren, and getting drinking water. Maria up the mast to pic up lacy jack rope and the dingy up the davider. Finally we sailed out of the bay after Lars had shunted two cable to the anchor winch.
We went for motor around the north tip of the island. At 16 hour we stopped the motor and sat sail. Now we can hold the coarse towards Madagascar. We sail 5.6 and up to 6.7 knots with easterly wind of 13 knots.
Day 2 27/9. During night we had a couple of squalls with wind up to 20 knots and a lot of rain and sailing to fast compared with Bonnie made the second day eventful. Up and down with sails and in and out reefing a lot for to slow down. Now we sail 6.3 knots. Tagliatelle with minced meat and vegetables for dinner. A leek of cooling water at the compressor had to be fixed. Finally Lars can take a nap.
Day 3 28/9. Nice down wind sailing, for main with one reef and jib, during night, in12 knots of wind and SOG 6.1. There were a lot of stars. Maria slept 04-07 while Lars had a lot of Dolphin visiting Alexandra. At 08 Lars had Tommy on SSB. They were 40 NM behind us. Sunny morning so very hot in the cockpit. At 10:20 we took another reef and sailed 7.0 knots as before 7.5 but much more comfortable. I read and rested in the sofa. Afternoon tea at 15 hour, sundowner at 16 hour and dinner at 18 hour. A very nice day on the Indian ocean. We passed a Seychelles atoll but no life there and at least no internet. Lars is on SSB at 20:00 talking to Tommy. Rolled in the jib and sat staysail because there were a lot of wind for the night. Unfortunately Lars woke up on my watch because a big wave hit Alexandra with great power. We changed course 10 degrees and Lars could continue sleeping.
Day 4 29/9 After a pleasant night and morning, for both of us, I woke up at 15 hour by the noise of 24 knots of wind. We were sailing 7-8 knots with to reef in the main and staysail. At 15:30 the sky cleared up and we could see the Lighthouse on the Cape of Madagascar. At 17 hour we could have a chicken leg and a glass of cola. We sailed full speed ahead to get around the cape and in to the Mozambique channel for lighter winds. Because of 4 knots of current against we sailed only 4 knots so it took some time to get in. The current shifted from 4 to 2 and 1 (SOG6.6 STW7.0). We had overcast and heavy squalls at 22:30 with a lot of rain, 30 knots of wind and 4 knots current against, during the evening, inside the Mozambique channel.
Day 5 30/9 I wake up Lars, in the early morning, so we could hoist the mainsail without any reef.
Day 6 1/10 We sailed, In the early morning, into the bay at the island Nosy Mitsio. There were three boats for anchor. Magrethe from Denmark, Zoa from Australia and Harmony from Mauricio. The three boats had been together in Tanzania. Bonnie came in during night but had no orientation problem because the moon was up.