Open ocean

Eelco has left the piracy infested and ultra corrupted coastline of West Africa and is on his way to Houston in Texas. He thoroughly enjoys the peace and 'normal' life out there in the blue yonder. Isn't this copper plate artwork a masterpiece? We came across it on a street corner in one of the villages on Cocos Keeling in the Indian Ocean during our voyage. 

INDIAN OCEAN CROSSING 2015

From Cocos Keeling to north Madagascar was a hard, looooooong sail. Uncomfortable. Heavy, huge seas and swell which ran in no co-herent fashion - all the time. 30-40 kn winds were a constant. Two days - out of the twenty four days - were ideal blue water sailing. The windvane steering sometimes could not keep up with the repetitive onslaught of the seas. In due course the steering line snapped. Eelco dressed up in his safety harness and clipped himself to the pushpit then clambered over board down the stern while the liquid mountains charged onto us. He retrieved the broken line and strung the replacement line successfully. I was so uptight and worried, I forgot to take pictures. The heavy seas took its toll on the steering gear too. A couple of times there were a big 'bang!'. One of the 'bangs' was the starboard main stay snapped off a 12mm rod. We also discovered with dismay that the weight of the danbuoy has rusted off. Hooray for life on the saltwater.... Two good things about the Indian Ocean. 1) The current is a true plus. 2) The weather was mostly sunny, warm and dry. 

Cocos Keeling

An Oasis in the Indian Ocean. Be sure to stop there if you go direction West. Al you need is an Australian visa. The local police are the best ambassadors Australia could wish for. 
Around the boat fish, squid, turtles, dolphins, and sharks abound. Crystal clear water present the coral frightning close - even though it is deep. All the variations of turquoise colour are spread out in the panorama and in the 'RIB' dance plenty green parrot fish close to the rocky edge. 
Regularly many kite surfers glide across the big beautiful lagoon. Anchor holding is rock solid in pure white sand. 
Directions Island has a rich history and the hermit crab population florishes. Lots of signatures are left by visiting yachts. 
On the day of our departure, an out-of-this-world big cutoms ship filled the entrance to the bay. They checked us out and kindly wished us a good voyage. MORE..