S/Y New Dawn: Chagos (BIOT)

Thursday 17 May:

We had a very nice dinner last night and as the sun sets for the day most restaurants serve a great buffet dinner. Cost about € 10 for all you can eat and include fresh juices and coffee. These dinners are a treat and many people go there to celebrate the break in the Muslim Ramadan fasting ritual.

This morning K&K went quickly to town to buy the last things we need for the coming 1.5 months, while I prepared New Dawn, cleaned and hoovered inside the boat. At 10:00 we lifted the anchor and motored through the SE pass of the Atoll at the end of the airport runway. So far the weather forecast has been correct with 10 kn from the S, or on the nose, but as we have a 2.9 kn E going current we can almost keep our 194° (T) COG. We have 290 NM to the Salomon Atoll in the Chagos and according to my current calculation we should arrive Sunday 20 May, the date our Chagos Permit start. But, in any case, the weather pattern in this area is for variable winds and loads of squalls as we are still in the Doldrums and anything can be expected. As the Atoll is complicated to sail in and the pass incorrectly charted and there are many Bummies (Coral heads and rocks), we can’t arrive at dark, so we have to plan arriving at day light. In addition most of the charts are based on old surveys done with sextant and the electronic charts are usually 0.3-1.3 NM off.

Friday 18 May:

Last night was beautiful with loads of stars over us and we had good wind. Early morning came some squalls and by 07:00 the wind dropped to almost nothing. We still have the current pushing us to the E, but it seems to be less strong this morning. I expect when we get to about 4° S the current will be more bearable.

The sea is confused with a huge 3 meter swell setting W and thus against the E going current, giving the sails flapping from side to side. This morning the clouds are breaking up a bit and the sun is starting to get through.

We had a couple of big birds flying around us last night at sunset and they tried to land on the solar panels, but in the end choose to land right on top of the mast. They seemed to enjoy the “carouselle” and swing with the wind instruments, but I don’t like them to damage these instruments, but we failed to get rid of them trying with the flash lights, loudspeaker, and anchor light. They did not move and enjoyed the free ride. Finally at 06:30 they flew away to find their breakfast and glided around us all morning. Unfortunately I noted that one of the fins of the instruments is now missing and guess the weight of these big birds were too much for it.

At 10:00 we have been at sea for 24 hours since leaving Gan and have only covered 98 NM. The wind is, as expected, variable and the swell from the East is a pain, but now and then we get good wind and can enjoy it while it last.

Saturday 19 May:

This morning we will have been at sea two days and covered 189 NM, which leaves us 100 NM to go to Salomon Atoll. It is still s slow progress with a huge swell and waves and a strong East going current. All night it has been rough sailing and both sails are well reefed with three reefs in the Genoa and the main sail only about half. The SOG at the moment is 5.4 kn and wind speed 18 kn T from the SSE, which gives an apparent wind speed of 22 kn. As the wind is almost on the nose we can’t keep the course of 174° T to the next WP, but have a COG of 196°-206° T, which is helped with the East going current of 1.9-2.3 kn.

We will have to be extra careful as we are closing in on the on the Speakers Bank which is an shallow bank always submerged and can’t be seen on the radar and looks very dangerous. In any case unless the wind goes more to the East we should be well clear of the Bank, but as there are no navigation lights and we will have to sail along its West coast/reef during the coming night, we will have to be extra alert and I guess I will not get much sleep.

Only seen a few cargo ships out here and they show well on the AIS.

The birds were back last night and as I came on watch, at least one of them was again on top of the mast sitting on his “carouselle” Windex. I noted some discrepancies on the two other wind instruments and perhaps the other birds were sitting on them, or they have damaged them. We could thus not use the Wind Mode on the auto pilot. We might have to go up in the mast to check on them, once we are at anchor.

No sailing boats spotted since we left our Italian friends in Gan, but I believe there should be 10-13 boats in Chagos and six others will soon be on their way.

Monday 21 May:

We arrived the Salomon Atoll, Chagos yesterday at 17:00 and although we did not use the motor all the way south, to get into the atoll passage and anchor before the sun set at 18:00 we had to wake up Volvo and motor the remaining 45 minutes. Most of the 12 boats here had been motoring a big part of their passage. One left today and two will leave Tuesday and another one arrived today. Several others are on their way.

The UK officials came to clear us in and it was all smooth and friendly

Many friends are here and it is good to see them all and get updated on their news since we last met. The anchorage is good and well protected from the E and SE and there is a sand bank with some coral, which we all try to squeeze into. Outside it is rather deep of 25-40 meters.

The Sail-mail and Wind-link SSB/HAM radios are almost impossible to use as the two stations in Brunei and SA just can’t be reached. My account must have a good 15 emails piling up and I can’t get them. I have managed to upload, but not yet to download.

Tonight there will be a sun-downer and a bonfire at the beach next to a wracked big catamaran and I plan to go.

Wednesday 23 May:

We are starting to settle into Chagos relaxed life, with sun-downers on the beach, fishing, snorkelling and just to relax, when possible…. All of the sailors here at the anchorage are very nice people and as nationalities we have Italians, French, Swiss, Americas, Australians, NZ, German, Danish and Norwegians. At present we are 11 yachts and two left today and and one will leave tomorrow. More are on the way south.

The wildlife here is absolutely amazing with including Frigates birds, Manta rays, sharks, loads of different fish, Turtles, dolphins all around us. All we have to do is to drop a fishing line over the stern and we have a fish on the hook. But I am told that K&K don’t cook fish so I wonder why we still try to catch fish if it is only to drop them back at sea after a few days?

A big fish.

Same kind of fish, but a shark was quicker that us and only left us the head.

Thursday 24 May:

It has been blowing all night and day, but we went by tender to Boddam Island located on the SW of the Atoll to see an abandoned village and for me to do the laundry, as there is a plus and minus fresh water well.

I was with Fabio of S/Y Amandala and Sandro of S/Y Refola and we went to the jungle behind the beach to catch Coconut Crabs and we came home with five. One can only eat the legs and claws and Fabio invited me and Refola for dinner and we had the Crabs with some of my red and white wine. We were six in total and had a great evening.

Friday 25 May:

Yesterday we took the dinghy to the Potdam island on the south side of the Atoll, where there once was a settlement, but most of the buildings are now ruins and the jungle (and rats) have taken over the place. One building close to the beach now serve as the “Yacht Club” and sailors has placed a log book inside where I left a brief message to record I had been here. It is funny to see the many friends that have also passed the Club and left messages.

All the beaches are home for thousand of Hermit Crabs that use empty shelves and coconuts for its housing and crawl slowly all over the place, like if the sand is moving. The Hermit Crabs grow to be Coconut Crabs and have just one very powerful claw, which are strong enough to break the Coconuts, which is its main food. They dig themselves into holes and can be difficult to extract without a good hock Hervé from S/Y Max tried to get one with his bare hands and regretted it as the Crab got hold of one of his fingers. He is lucky he still has the finger left.

There is also a well with, supposedly, fresh water and I did some laundry, which was needed, but K&K did not. In any case most of the sailors here does the laundry at Potdam to save water on board the boats.

It was a good two NM ride to Potdam and going there was fast as we had the waves from the aft side, but coming back was against the wind and waves and took a long time, where we all four (we gave Angus from Scotland a lift) got very wet.

We caught a snapper on the way home and had two other bites. One we landed into the tender, but a shark was faster than us and had partly cut the tail off the fish, so we put it back into the sea and assume the shark would do the final kill. The other one got away before we could get it on board.

Monday 28 May:

The wildlife in Chagos is extraordinary with loads of birds and fish everywhere. As they don’t have any predators the birds are almost tame and one can get very close to them. Yesterday I took photos and videos of the Red-footed Boobies birds sitting on their nests and feeding their chicks and also the Brown Noddy’s sitting on the pulpits of the boats. There are four Manta Rays at the anchorage and they come a couple of times a day and are tame. Knut took a video of them yesterday and came within one meter and others were able to touch them. Beautiful rays.

Today it is raining a lot and we have 14-25 kn wind from S-SE, so we are hibernating and an AUS boat S/Y PaSeaffic made a 20 question quiz over the VHF which was fun and New Dawn won the first price, which was a Coconut - and that is all we need…….

Wednesday 30 May:

Yesterday was a beautiful full moon and we arranged a Full Moon Party and BBQ on the beach. As always people brings good food and the Dutch boat “Unwind” had made a bowl of Pina Colada, which was great. We came with 19 portions of fish in foil which was put on the fire, so that each of the party could get a piece. Knut has been fishing a lot the last days and had caught many fish, which came handy for the Party. Very nice evening and I went home around 23:00, which was the latest I have been up for months.

Thursday 31 May:

This morning we took the dinghy to the island on the other side of the Atoll. The beach was very nice for a walk and there were loads of Hermit Crabs everywhere and it looked like the beach was on a move. I flew the Drone and seems to improve a bit for the recording and press the right keys, but it is not easy, as with the strong sun, I can hardly see the smart phone screen and I keep loosing the Drone, but thanks for the Home Mode it can find me back.

On the beach was a big weather devise that belong to NASA and had washed ashore. Most of the electronics and other parts has been taken away and only the body was still left.