We left the Maldives, heading for the Chagos. Imagine yourself on the ferry crossing from mainland France to Corsica in a Force 9 mistral. You look at the sea and say to yourself: ‘I wouldn’t like to be there in a sailing boat.’ But we were. This 1500-mile passage was the most difficult since our departure from France. At the start, we thought we would stop in the Chagos archipelago, for which we had obtained a visitor’s permit (it appears that only ten permits have been granted this year, as opposed to around fifty in previous years). Once out of the lagoon, we hit a first squall. Then we had our first stormy night, with winds of over 40 knots. The conditions improved the next day, but it was clear that we wouldn’t be able to reach the Chagos, so we aimed for Rodriguez. The trade winds finally started to blow, soon to be interrupted by another gale. Dreamweaver handles well with 3 reefs and a little bit of genoa. The Grib files didn’t show anything more than 20 knots, leaving us to expect 30 – 35 knots. Fortunately, the direction of the wind was still accurate. The stopover at Rodriguez left us the taste of a timeless little corner of Creole paradise. Then Mauritius welcomed us. After having carried out the formalities, we didn’t hesitate to go to the Caudan basin, in the south. In the middle of the town, cheap (15 euros for Dreamweaver), water, electricity, wi-fi, showers. The only disadvantage: the number of berths is very limited (5 or 6!). There is also the possibility of hauling out at Taylor Smith, in Port Louis, which has an 8.75 meter travel lift! We then went to the new La Balise marina at Rivière Noire, 15 miles south of Port Louis, which is more expensive (700 euros/month for Dreamweaver), but a perfect place to leave the boat. Reserved for catamarans and lifting keels.
Who: Domie & Vincent
Where: Indian Ocean, between Thailand and Mauritius
Boat: Catana 471
Blog: www.dreamweaver-catana471.blogspot.com
