terça-feira, 1 de dezembro de 2009

NOVAS MENSAGENS


Nova mensagem acaba de nos chegar do Oceano Índico. Desta vez, com fotos.


29th November 2009
09 54.7S, 60.48E
Blog 18 and a couple of Photographs!


They say you know when you get to the south east trade winds when you get there. Well we have certainly arrived and for the last three days have averaged just under a hundred miles a day, as we continue to head southwest towards even better and more consistent winds predicted at around 11 degrees south.Meanwhile the piracy situation remains much as before with new incidents to the west and south west of us between Seychelles and Dar Es Salaam. Having come rather too close to comfort to a group of pirates to the north east of the Seychelles, we have taken the decision to divert to the Comoros Islands and Mayotte in particular. Although as our security advisers Drum Cussac point out, there are pirates in many areas of the world and pirates have operated not that far away from the Comoros islands, by diverting to Mayotte we will at least be reducing our chances of being hijacked. And with some 900 miles to run we hope to be there around the 8th or 9th December assuming the south easterly trade winds continue to blow.Meanwhile the end of our sugar supplies hasn't caused too much discomfort. That may not be true when our rice and pasta run out over the next week! However we have large stocks of lentils, red beans, buck wheat, corned beef, sausages, sweet corn, tinned fruit, porridge oats, raisins, tea and coffee. Water supplies are holding up especially as we have been collecting rain water to augment our supplies. So whilst the last days of our voyage may not be as comfortable as some would like, we are unlikely to starve or go thirsty. At the moment we are just crossing the Malha bank to the south east of the Seychelles where the water is just 20 meters deep and this morning Dirman hauled in a large 20lb groupa which has provided an excellent meal for lunch. No wonder he looks happy in the picture with the prized garoupa and Rashid. The other picture is of Phoenicia early last week when we were becalmed and taken by Aziz from the inflatable.







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