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   We left the port of Cochin early yesterday morning with light SSE winds in the company of our friends on Windbird. We enjoyed our time in India but are looking forward to seeing white sandy beaches and swaying coconut palms. As the day progressed the winds clocked to the West, then NW so we tacked and laid a course for the northern Maldives. Our destination is the islet of Uligam in the most northern atoll. The winds have continued light and we have had an adverse current so our progress has been slow. What normally could be a 2 day trip now looks like it may take 3 days.

March 14, 2010 – Sunday 2030hrs. (Location of Maldives)

   We arrived in Uligam this morning at 0800 after motor/sailing for some 18hrs. The village here is small and very picturesque with white sandy roads and homes which are all painted white. The skies are blue, the air fresh and clean, the water crystal clear and lots of greenery; quite a contrast to what we left back in India. Our check in was easy and the 7 young officials who boarded our boat were pleasant and each received a piece of Lynne’s freshly baked banana bread for their efforts. The water was too inviting so off we went to explore a near by reef. The Maldives are renowned for their world class scuba diving but no time for that right now.

   Yesterday, while making breakfast, our generator stopped producing electricity. I plan to call the Fisher Panda people tomorrow night and get someone to help me troubleshoot.

March 16, 2010 – Tuesday 2015hrs.

   Yesterday was a busy day. We were able to get on the internet and then take a tour of the island, past the school, some government buildings and the wind farm. This is a tiny island with few facilities for yachts. It has become a popular stopping place for boats going to the Red Sea from SE Asia and boats coming from Africa and the Red Sea going east. Fortunately, they do have diesel fuel so I was able to take on 15 gallons to replace some of what we used getting here.

   The wind farm! Seventeen large wind generators sitting idle at the tip of the island as the trade winds blow. A project paid for by US taxpayers at a cost of some 30 million dollars. Installed but not used. Our guide said that they could not store or manage the output so they are not being utilized.

   We checked out this afternoon and will sail south to the southern most atoll of the Maldives to see if I can find a capacitor which should get the genset working. This posed a bit of a problem, as you generally can not check back into the same country after you have checked out but my genset problem may qualify as an emergency. We leave for Gan tomorrow morning.

March 21, 2010 – Sunday 2100hrs.

   Well we’re here, anchored in a tiny harbor on the island of Gan in the atoll of Addu. We arrived at 1400hrs after a 500nm motor/sail. By 1600hrs we were checked in, this time by 8 very nice officials who understood that I can not continue to Chagos and be there for 2 months without a generator.

March 26, 2010 – Friday 1630 hrs.

   Busy, busy, busy! We haven’t stopped working since we arrived. On Monday morning as we were walking off to the next atoll to get to a bank, a man stopped in a van and asked where we were heading.  At first I thought he was a taxi driver but as it turned out he was a Sri Lankan chap working on the island. He offered to drive us to the local bank and once in the van I explained that I need to source a capacitor for my generator. He was running some errands himself so he wound up driving us (and the Windbirds) to a number of different places. His English was good and he also spoke the local language. He gave us his phone # and over the last few days he has been a great help. He found a shop that stocked the part I needed and now the genset is working fine. He would not take any compensation but was delighted to come aboard and enjoy a can of beer at the end of the day. This being a Muslim country, alcohol is hard to find and expensive. It was a small price to pay for all his help.

   We have also been shopping for the last few things we can find to take with us for our 2 months in Chagos. I’ve changed fuel filters on the engines, water filters for our fresh water system and lots of other projects that need to be done before we’re off, including fixing the head. Lynne’s been baking lots of passage goodies as well as stowing all the supplies. We did take a break and went on a local boat to a remote reef to do some snorkeling. We saw lots of fish, an octopus and some very nice coral.

   There is really nothing about the early history of this island chain which extends some 500nms.north and south just below India. It is reasonably assumed that the inhabitants of these atolls were of the Arian lineage coming from the south of India or from Sri Lanka sometime in the 4th or 5th century BC. Subsequently, ships coming from East Africa and from the Arabian countries, who were journeying to other destinations found the Maldives a convenient port of call. Attracted by beauty and tranquility they stayed on to populate many of the atolls, accounting for the varied mix of features and skin color. There are some 2000 islands of which only 200 are now inhabited. The 1st indication of the existence of the Maldives dates back to 150AD and is found in Sanskrit noted as the ‘Islands west of Ceylon’. In 535AD, reference is made by an Egyptian merchant who speaks of them as ‘a multitude of islands’ all with fresh water and coconut trees. A fundamental date for the Maldives is 1153 AD, at which time the country embraced Islam. Up until that time the prevailing belief had been Buddhism. In 1558 the Portuguese launched a massive invasion and overthrew the then reigning sultan. They tried to install Christianity as the dominant religion but with little success. The Maldivians fought back and were continually attacking the Portuguese garrisons. Finally, after 15 years of occupation, a Maldivian force, along with the help from islanders on the nearby Indian islands of the Malabars, overran the Portuguese.

   The British arrived on the scene in 1887 and the islands became a protectorate (like the Chagos Archipelago which is some 300nms south of here). In exchange for military protection, the Brits got a life interest on Gan, which up to 1976 was a base for their Royal Air Force. In July of 1965 the Maldives became independent and 3 years later in November became a Republic governed by a President and a 48 member parliament.

March 28, 2010 – Sunday 1530hrs.

   We’ve managed to lower the water line significantly in the last few days. I’ve taken on some 300 liters of diesel which should be enough fuel for our stay in Chagos and on to Madagascar and also refilled our propane supply. We picked up a large stalk of bananas and also some supplies and medicine for our friends who are already in Chagos. Lynne and Judy from ‘Windbird’ have hit all 3 (not so big) supermarkets for anything they may have missed the last few times around. We are checked out and will leave tomorrow for our 300nm passage to the atoll of Peros Bonhos.

April 2, 2010 – Friday 2015hrs.

   What should have been a 2 day passage wound up taking 4 days to complete! I must say, it was less than pleasant with an adverse current of up to 2 knots and lots of squalls, followed by long periods of no wind and motoring. To add insult to injury, as we came through the northern pass at Peros Bahnos about noon, we hooked a fish and got on the radio to warn the ‘Windbirds’ we were slowing down. By the time we got back to the line, we thought we had lost the fish as the line was slack, but when we pulled it in, we found a shark had had a go at it and had taken most of it. Fortunately it was a good size job fish and we were able to get a couple of meals out of what was left.

   We’ve anchored in the NW corner of Peros, off Ile Diamont and plan to head south tomorrow to Ile Le Coin were our friends on Mirage and Nepenthe are anchored, along with some 5 other boats. An early night for me as I am exhausted even after a 2 hour nap this afternoon!

April 4, 2010 – Sunday 2130hrs.

   What a great 2 days! We left Ile Diamont yesterday morning and motor/sailed south inside the lagoon some 12nms to Ile le Coin.  On the way we hooked another job fish (15lbs.) and got the whole thing on board; no sharing this time!  Our stalk of bananas (all 200 of them) had ripened quickly so I made a general announcement to the 7 boats that were anchored here, to come on over and grab a hand; which they all did. It was great to see Jeff and Cathy on Mirage and we wound up having cocktails with our friends on ‘Nepenthe’.

   I managed to catch 2 nice sized squid from the boat this morning. They can be messy little devils if you let them squirt their ink but we’ve got a routine down to minimize the damage. We’ll have them for dinner tomorrow night with pasta. Tonight we had the Mirages over for what has become somewhat of a tradition and that is ‘Mexican food and Margaritas’! Lynne makes the floured tortillas, refried beans, rice, peppers, onions, garlic, yogurt, jalapeños and chicken fajitas. I make my delicious but deadly margaritas. Always a great party when we get together. 

April 12, 2010 – Monday 1530hrs.

   Another week has passed filled with lots of boat projects ticked off the endless list. Lynne’s been baking up a storm and why I am not fat is a mystery to everyone. We made our first attempt at fishing with no success. Using Mark’s dinghy, Mark, Jeff and I confidently jumped in and off we went out the eastern pass. Jeff, who has been at Peros for the last month assured us that there were lots of yellow fin tuna and wahoo around. He had regaled us with stories of all the fish being caught so we were sure to be packing the freezer with our catch. Yeh, right! It was like a scene from the 3 Stooges, Moe, Larry and Curly, sitting there scratching our heads. We had better success on land as we wandered the island and found some orange and lemon trees along with bilimbi trees (which Judy turned into the most delicious chutney).

   This was our 3 trip to Chagos along with Mirage but only our 2nd time to the atoll of Peros Banhos. Our first time was back in 04 when I wrote a long journal which had included a history of the islands. We had sailed directly to Salomon Atoll and stayed there for 3 months. When we returned in 08, we spent the 1st of 3 months in Peros. This atoll is the largest in the Chagos Archipelago and as a result, is open to weather as the lagoon extends some 14nms east/west and 12nms north/south. The surrounding islands are scattered around the perimeter with lots of large passes so big swells from the Indian Ocean can come rolling in if the wind changes direction. The anchoring areas are restricted by the Brits so while the westerly still prevails the anchorages are fine but as soon as the southeasterly trades set in, it will be time to move to Salomon. Ile de Coin was the major staging area for the copra plantation on Peros and like Boddum Island at Salomon atoll it contains the ruins of the old operation including the cemetery. But one of the items that still remains on Ile de Coin is a donkey. He is the last descendant of the family that was left here when all the workers were moved off in 1965. We never saw him in 08 but can hear him braying and the other cruisers say that he comes around quite frequently now. Hopefully we will get a chance to see him.

April 19, 2010 – Monday 1130hrs.

   Well the ladies are off walking the reef and Mark and I have just gotten back from Ile de Coin where we collected some more citrus and got some water from the well. We are currently anchored off a sand spit next to Ile Fouquet, which is a lovely anchorage in light southeasterly winds. We are having full moon tides so the reefs are out of the water at the low tides. Yesterday we all walked the reef and saw 2 turtles waiting in small pools for the tide to come in (gentle creatures with no fear of humans). We spotted a bright yellow box fish, lots of colorful coral and a few bishop’s caps (starfish).

   A few days ago Lynne was on deck hanging up some laundry when she spotted squid around the boat. She grabbed the fishing pole and with in 3 minutes she had 5 of them in a bucket. This is no small feat as we have found that there is generally a pack leader and a second in command who are the more aggressive ones. Once they are caught, the rest of the group become extremely cautious and won’t go near the lure, but Lynne did something to change their minds. She said ‘it’s all in the wrist action’. I’ve always thought it had more to do with the hips, but what do I know.

   While hiking on Ile de Coin in our last attempt to get more citrus, we came face to mussel with the donkey. He brayed and brayed as if to say ‘this is my territory so beat it’ but we stayed and took lots of photos.

April 23, 2010 – Friday 2015hrs.

   We are now anchored off the island of Ile Fouquet but this time it’s the one in Salomon atoll. Over the last few days, the wind had turned easterly and increased to 10/15kts. This morning at 0430 we were awaken by the awning flapping. Looking out we saw that the wind had picked up to 15/20 from the ESE. We decided to take down the awning, get the dinghy engine on board and bring the dinghy up on deck; it was time to head for Salomon atoll. We waited until 0930 for the wind to ease or maybe clock more to the south but no luck. Our problem was that we had to go due east for 7 miles before we could fall off and sail a bit NE with the wind at a better angle. From anchorage to anchorage it was 31nms and we knew if we didn’t leave by 0930, we might not make Salomon before dark. With the winds forecasted to stay strong for the next few days, we decided to leave. It was very tough going as we could only make 1 to 2 kts an hour as we pounded into the waves and headwinds, even with the engine on. In addition we had up to 2kts of current pushing us back. It took 3 hours to do the 7 nms.. and just as we were about to turn back, the wind eased a bit and clocked a few degrees, just enough to let us through. Squall after squall came through but they were all helpful as they moved the wind further south. We and the Windbirds dropped the anchor at 1715 in flat calm water with about 45 minutes to go before sunset and a well earned cocktail.

May 1, 2010 – Saturday 2030hrs.

   Another great week but this time we have fish in the freezer. Last Saturday, Mark and I headed out the pass and caught a nice yellow fin tuna and a skipjack so it was sashimi for dinner. Then on Sunday there was a book swap being held down at Boddum Atoll where 10 boats were anchored (there were 5 boats with us at Fouquet and Takamaka). We took the dinghies down and had a good time, chatting with old friend (5 of the boats there had been with us in past years), swapping books and stories. Everyone brings cookies, cakes or other goodies which are laid out on a make-shift table and the books and dvds are on put out on other tables. All the people who know me, know where to find me.

   We have met some delightful and interesting people, some of which will be going our way and some returning to SE Asia. Along with the normal boat chores we have been snorkeling and fishing, with good success but I must say we have not hooked into any wahoo yet.

May 6, 2010 – Thursday 1430hrs.

   A quiet day today. We slept in a bit this morning after our traditional celebration of ‘Cinco de Mayo’. No one here is Mexican but it doesn’t matter, just another excuse to get together for great Mexican food and margaritas! Present for the occasion, were the Mirages and the Windbirds. A fun loving, but thirsty group were we! I wasn’t sure what would happen first, run out of alcohol or burn up the blender. Fortunately, neither event occurred, so there will be a next time.

   Jeff and Cathy left this morning to sail back to Malaysia. Once back, they will put the boat away and fly back to the states for the summer. We’ll surly miss them!

May 16, 2010 – Sunday 2015hrs.

   Bingo! Yesterday Mark and I were out fishing and finely caught a 3 ½ ft wahoo. We did some fishing earlier in the week and caught a big travelly but we’ve broken the dry spell for one of our most favorite fish. Tonight we were on Windbird with John and Sue from ‘Susan Margaret’ for BBQed wahoo and a beer tasting from John’s home made brew. A few of the boats who stay here at Chagos for as much as 6 months often will brew their own beer. If you like beer, and unless your boat is big enough, you cannot carry all you’ll need for a long stay. Well needless to say, John’s beer was good enough to make me get up a couple of times during the night.

   Lynne spoke to her sister Francine last night and all is well with her Mom. Having a satellite phone has been great and has allowed us to talk to the family and especially Lynne’s Mom. We have a HAM radio email system which also allows us to keep in touch but there is nothing like hearing her voice.  Speaking of hearing voices, in the background I hear someone saying ‘it’s time to go to bed’.

May 20, 2010 – Thursday 1820hrs.

   Today we held a pot luck luncheon on the beach of the small Island of Ile de Passe. What a great time. There were 14 of us in total from the 7 boats that are anchored off Fouquet and Takamaka. I really enjoy these get-togethers, not only because of the different variety of food but more of the people. There were people from France, England, South Africa, Belgium, Australia, Canada and the USA. Always fun and very interesting conversations.

   Yesterday Mark and I caught a yellow fin tuna and a wahoo. So it was sashimi for dinner last night.

May 23, 2010 – Sunday 2015hrs.

   Yesterday Mark, Judy and I spent part of the afternoon cleaning up and organizing the campsite at Takamaka for the book swap which took place this morning. Again, anybody looking for me, head for the table with the cookies and cakes. During the new moon low tides, we had walked around the Takamaka. It is really a lovely island. On the ocean side the reef is quite big but there is not much beach so circumnavigating at high tide is not possible as the vegetation is dense. As we walked the ocean side we were astounded with the number of birds (mostly red footed Boobies) we saw nesting in the trees. They are not visible from the anchorage and are not often seen in the lagoon. 

   The past few days have been filled with last minute boat projects as we prepare for our passage to Madagascar. Yesterday morning we were out fishing and caught a big yellow fin tuna weighing well over 30 lbs. Later that afternoon all the cruisers met on the southern tip of Fouquet for a ‘Full Moon’

party. Lots of good finger food and Lynne’s pizza was a big hit. As the sun went down and the moon

came up in a cloudless sky, we started a fire with the driftwood which was scattered around. Wolfgang (a single hander from Germany) brought his guitar and about 20 of us sat around singing songs. Being the old folks that we are, we left many of them still going strong at 2230hrs and headed back to the boat. A fun evening!

June 2, 2010 – Wednesday 1930hrs.

   The dinghy engine is stowed, the dinghy is lashed on deck, all equipment is put away and we are ready to head out to sea in the morning. We have had a really wonderful time over the last 2 months here in Chagos. It truly is a unique place and we understand the British have passed a bill making Chagos a marine reserve, thereby precluding any possible development. Whether or not that may now prohibit cruisers from stopping I do not know. It is sad to think we may never be back here again but there are other places to explore and so with a bit of melancholy we say goodbye.