West Coast of Madagascar
Sunset at Majunga
B: The stalls were groaning under the fresh produce. We splashed out on delicious strawberries, watermelon, naartjies, mango’s, 2 kinds of banana’s, also purple potatoes, purple onions, leeks, pumpkin, cabbages, the best carrots ever and masses of garlic and lemons. I added butter lettuce, tomatoes and fat stripy yellow cucumbers for salad and parsley and coriander for flavour. Amazing fresh produce all put into huge free basket and carried to the taxi. I was delighted to be given a gift of, what looked like, tiny brown apples and a stripy melon. However they were definitely an acquired taste. I’ve received many little “cardous” or gifts when making large purchases, they are usually herbs, spring onions or something little but thoughtful. We ate plenty of fruit here but the surroundings were pretty dismal, it amazing how brown water, millions of flies and silent killer mossies can wreck a place
Rob: On the way back to Shayile, Paul contacted the Port Police and asked if we could check in. The policeman said no as it was Friday afternoon and nothing was open. (From 12pm to 3pm, everything closes for a siesta) Later however, they then changed their minds and informed us we could and that we should go down to the port authorities and clear in.
I grabbed all the necessary documents and set off for Port Control.
And then the fun started! After waiting for about ½ an hour, we were informed that they had no stamp and that we had to go with them to other offices. (Remember, BIG language problem as they speak French!)
Lin (from Jackaroo) and I hopped into a Renault which was held together with press stick and chewing gum, and headed off with the 2 port officials. First stop the garage for petrol, then off again. Second stop at some friends house for a visit, but they were not there. Third stop at the local shop to buy water.
By now it was 5pm. Finally we got to, what looked like a derelict building. It was infact the customs building. Inside we went, only to discover the “chief” was not there. Many calls later, they told us he was on his way.
Then the mosquitoes arrived in their squadrons. I went outside and walked up and down the pavement to stay active and an unlikely mosquito target. (No Tabbard unfortunately!) At about 6.30pm after “walking” some 6km’s, the commissioner arrived on his motorbike and we got started with the necessary documentation.
Once completed, we were given a lift back to the harbour and dropped off. Not before a piece of paper, with a stamp, came out and we were told to pay some 100 000 Franc Malagasy, (fmg) about R85.00. This was certainly not part of the custom fees as Yacht Holm had told us that there was no payments necessary. We haggled a bit and were then told it was for both boats! As they had assisted us and language and haggling became a problem, we paid them some R40.00 each and set off back to Shayile. What a saga!
Next day, we did a diesel trip. Remember, no filling tanks by bowser. We had to take our 4 x 25lt containers and walk to the garage. There we filled them up and caught a taxi back to the harbour. We then had to load them into the duck, and then up onto Shayile! A siphon tube and finally, 100lts in the tank. 400lts to go!
Over the weekend we bought provisions and did little tasks on board. There is always something that needs repairing or fixing. I was getting better at this handyman story as the voyage went on!
We also took a walk to the huge Baobab tree reported to be 1600 years old. It must have been about 5 – 6 meters in diameter and really something to see.
Come Monday morning it was off to Port control to check in. (We had only cleared customs and immigration on the Friday) Again, the haggles started over money and this time I was adamant that we did not have to pay. I tried to ask why yacht Holm paid nothing at all and we have to pay both immigration and port control! Obviously communication was an issue and eventually I walked out without paying, or any stamp!
These countries are notorious for their corrupt officials. At every opportunity they are trying to extort money out of you. It reaches the stage where you are not sure if it is a legitimate transaction or not! It really is sad, but all you have to do is dig in your heels, argue and negotiate, until you are happy with the required transaction. It is also best to speak to others who have been before you and see what came of their visit and their advice.
The day before we left, another monohull joined us in Majunga. It was yacht Tulum3 all the way from America. Bob and Gayle had been sailing for some 12 years and were slowly making their way back home. (Could still take another 6 years to get there, according to Bob) Really an interesting couple and perhaps the first real cruisers we had met so far. They had first sailed for some 6 years with their children. They then “took a break” whilst the kids completed their informative years at school. This time, without the kids, they were out at it again! What interesting people and we had them over to Shayile for a few drinks one evening where we chatted all night and consumer vast quantities of Madagascan rum. It was unfortunate that we only had one day with them as we got on really well and would have loved to spend more time with them.
Unfortunately Majunga was where Paul and Tams were planning to fly back to SA. I had a chat to both of them about how we had enjoyed having them along with us. The kids loved Paul to bits and he was great with them. Tam’s was so easy to get on with and we enjoyed having her on board. I offered them the opportunity to stay on until Shayile reached Nosy Bay, this time however, as passengers! Paul sadly declined as he had to get back to SA for another potential delivery from the Seychelles back to South Africa. Tams accepted the offer and we gladly had her back on board for the sail up to Nosy Be.
I organized Paul’s air tickets home and he was all set to depart.
On the afternoon of the day Paul was to depart, we all went out to a restaurant for lunch. The kids tucked into pizza and meat, a much missed food on board Shayile! We had a great meal of meat, chicken, pizza and bread and, oh yes, lots of the local beer!
Eventually we said our goodbyes and Paul headed off for the airport.
It was now time to leave Majunga. Shayile was in a mess! She was filthy! She was in desperate need of clean water and a good scrub! With a large river flowing past Majunga, there was no clean or even part clean water. It was a red chocolate colour all day every day, the result of top soil being swept down from inland. What a sorry sight! You just have no idea how sad it is to see so much silt and top soil being washed out to sea. Gayle told us how, on of the space shuttle missions, astronauts had commented on how they could identify Madagascar by the large amounts of silt being carried out to sea by the rivers. Where or when, will it end? Hence the mess on Shayile’s hulls!
B: Although Majunga was hot, dirty and the sewers were often open or full to street level, it was a great place. The kids and I walked all over and I never felt threatened at all, not like home. Dan, Jens and I would agree that the best thing was the pousse-pousse taxis. Think rickshaw with no tourist tackiness. These brightly-coloured man-powered two wheel vehicles merged into busy traffic and took us wherever we needed to be for about R3.00 a time. The locals used them and Jenna developed very sore legs on every street corner in an attempt for another ride. One evening we stayed late in town and did some grocery shopping. It was too heavy to carry back to Shayile so we called a tiny Renault taxi. Only once inside did we realize that it was full of mossies, there was a huge ball of mossies flying in front of Dan’s head, quite terrifying. Luckily it was a short trip and we waved our hands and stamped our feet the whole way to the docks, pretty effective as I only had one bite on my butt. Our boat has mosquito screens over all the hatches and so far so good, no malaria yet, but we were very careful. Most evenings there was a breeze and as we were anchored quite far from land, it was a long fly for a mosquito! The female Anopheles mosquito is silent, creates no itchy bite and fly’s at dawn and dusk. These creatures upset sundowners a bit. Let’s not forget, it’s a crucial part of each day, cool with dramatic skyscapes and sunsets.
In Majunga
25th – 31st AUGUST 2005
We were ready to leave Majunga. I listened to Peri-Peri for a weather update and by 8am, we were lifting anchor and heading out of Majunga Bay. As we were within cell phone reception, B and I phoned our parents and had a quick chat to them, updating them on our plans, the kids, and getting news from home. All was well both sides.
With a fresh south easterly, we put up full main and Genoa and headed north for Moramba Bay, some 80nm up the coast.
For the first 3 hours or so, we had great wind and Shayile was touching on 8 – 9 kts through the water. Although on a close haul / beam reach, this was great sailing!
For the first 3 hours or so, we had great wind and Shayile was touching on 8 – 9 kts through the water. Although on a close haul / beam reach, this was great sailing!
Slowly the wind changed direction and we were soon sailing close haul (close to the wind but enough to move us forward) Unfortunatley the wave action was now from the front, on the bow and the “slamming” started. I hated it! It sounded as if the poor Shayile was being slapped apart!
Eventually we had to fire up the engines as the wind went onto our bow, back on the nose.
It remained there for the next 15 hours! (Remembering we left in the morning to enjoy the off shore winds in the morning and, come afternoon, we would pick up the onshore winds.) No such luck and it remained NE for the rest of the trip. I was starting to get a feeling that slamming into wind and sea was going to be the story of our lives, and I was not wrong! (Jon on board Tui Tai would later define this condition as the Bentley breeze!)
That night was terrible. We slammed the whole night with poor Shayile taking a pounding. (or so it felt!) At one stage we were doing 1.5kts over ground and between 11pm and 3am that morning, we only covered some 8nm, averaging 2kts! I did consider turning around but one is never too sure how long it is going to last. On we went. I did the 9-12pm shift. Tams did the 12-3 shift. I could not sleep and lay in the saloon watching proceedings. (Again I just could not get to sleep in our cabin due to the slamming)
At 3am, Belinda came on watch and again, I remained in the saloon, dosing off when I could. At 5am, I took over and hand steered, not because I needed to, but to remain awake and try reduce the slamming a bit. Nearing Moramba bay, we then encountered the outgoing tide. We battled our way into the bay, tired and sore. I always felt for Shayile and the pounding; not though big sea but by the slamming. This was a definite disadvantage on a catamaran when sailing into the wind.
We entered Moramba Bay and, with the wind now out of the east, we headed across the bay to a small island, where we dropped anchor. Jackaroo anchored up next to us and immediately we all went to sleep. Lyn was not feeling too well on the way up and Willie had hand steered virtually the whole way. They were exhausted.
It was a ghastly stretch of coastline, one we did not enjoy!We spent 2 days in Moromba Bay and thoroughly enjoyed it. The exploring of the islands and bays was fantastic. Highlights were the many baobabs trees and caves!
On a small island in the bay, we visited a huge old baobab tree, reputed to be 1800 years old?!? On arrival, we obeyed the local custom when visiting the tree. 1. Walk around the tree anti-clockwise, 2. Never visit the tree on a Thursday and 3. No toilet activities on the island! The tree was really humbling and to think it was around since the middle ages, if not older, is quite something.
Morombe Bay is full of old Baobab trees and gives it that “Lord of the rings” feel.
Further to this the bay is littered with tiny bommie islands protruding out of the sea! Amazing to paddle amongst them and even go under a few overhangs.
On one of our explorations, we came to a cave where the sea washed into it. We anchored and swam into the entrance of the cave. It opened up into a small hole in the ground, with Baobab trees and other vegetation high above. Really something!
We also discovered caves perched high up in the rock faces. In a few of these caves were burial places, with small model pirogues and other burial material still present in these caves. Quite spooky, but very interesting.
Morombe Bay
Baobab trees at Mormobe Bay
B: We met a skipper on a hotel boat who lives less than a kilometer from our home in Kloof, how weird. Sadly we can’t remember his name.
We said goodbye to Morombe Bay, but what an interesting place and well worth a visit.
We then set sail for Nosy Saba and what a sail it was. Nosy Saba was some 30 miles up the coast and soon we had 25kts of wind on our beam. Shayile rose to the wind and we clocked 10 to 12 kts in speed! A great days sail.
On the way, we passed Nosy Lava, (there are a number of Nosy Lava’s in Madagascar) It was the site of a penal colony some years ago where the worst criminals were sent. About 10 years back a few inmates escaped and boarded a yacht. The crew was unfortunately murdered and the inmates made off on the yacht. They were recaptured but the damage was done and the area was declared a “no go” area.
We flew passed and on to Nosy Saba.
Although recommended as an island to visit our stay was rather windy and not that enjoyable. Although stunning, the wind pumped and our anchorage was uncomfortable to say the least. Another night of anchor watching and not much sleep. After 2 nights we decided to head on!
B: Sadly I spent 2 days on board with a crampy tummy bug which was very uncomfortable and made an irregular reappearance for the next 3 weeks until I took a course of anti-biotics to kill whichever bug I had picked up. Amazingly none of us have been at all ill since we left home, no school minefield of germs.
Locals at Morombe Bay
As we headed north up the Madagascan west coast, the passages were becoming shorter in distance. Overnight anchorages were becoming more frequent and we were now entering the cruising zone of Madagascar!
Next stop was the Radama Islands, a group of 4 large islands and apparently one of the best diving spots in Madagascar..
As we rounded the first of the islands, we had a take on one of the rods. Tams was up began to battle with what appeared to be a large fish. (Initially we thought it was part of Madagascar she had hooked!) After a great fight, she landed a huge Giant Kingfish. It was close to 1 meter in length. I pulled it onboard, removed the hook and then held it in the water to revive it. After a few minutes or so, it got its “breath” back and slowly swam away to safety.
Tams and her Kingy!
Later, we dropped anchor in the shelter of oe of the islands and went off to explore on the rubber duck. No sooner had we left Shayile, we saw Willie fighting a fish as well. We motored across to him and watched him fight another big fish. After a hectic fight, I managed to get another huge Giant Kingfish onto the duck. Again I managed to revive it, but this one was really tired and it took some time to get it going again. To our relief, we watched it swim away slowly.
After a quick swim, we upped anchor and slowly motored onwards towards our destination, Nosy Kalakajora.
We arrived at the islnd of Nosy Kalakajora to find about 15 tents on the beach and a beautiful big ketch anchored off. It was a group of Italian tourists and our first real contact with tourists out of Nosy Be. We anchored in 23 meters of water, about 80 meters off the beach. For me, it was just a bit too close for comfort, as the SE wind could easily blow us onto a lee shore.
(To put readers in the picture, a lee shore is when a boat is anchored off, with the wind blowing your vessel onto the beach. It is not an ideal position to be in and can get quite dangerous if the wind picks up and the anchor drags.)
That night, with not much sea between us and the beach, I was anxious and stayed awake on anchor watch. At 12am, Belinda came up watch and when I took over from her in the early hours of the morning, she kindly stayed awake with me until the sun finally poked its head out from below the horizon. Another night with not too much sleep!
Next day Daniel, Tams and I hiked up to the highest point on the island and certainly the highest point in the area. It was unreal to be able to look out over the neighboring islands and the mainland. Way down below us, we could see Shayile and Jackaroo anchored off the island.
We enjoyed Kalakajora and the beach, but unfortunately we encountered the dreaded Sand fleas!
Kalakajora, looking down onto Shayile & Jackaroo
Daniel & Rob - Kalakajora
B: There should be huge signs on beaches infested with sand fleas. They are mildly irritating while sucking your blood but the effect is so long lasting. Two days later I was covered in about a hundred hard red dots which itched unbelievably badly. Tams ones all faded to little red dots and Rob had no bites. For 3 weeks these bites itched, first forming little vesicles, and then popped into sore red scabs then hard white scars which are STILL itchy. Germ warfare material. The trick is to keep your clothes on, stay off the dry sand, do not scratch, apply lemon juice and never gets bitten again!
Early next morning we upped anchor and headed up the coast with our destination a bay on the mainland.
31st – 9th September 2005
The sailing was becoming better and better and we were hardly using our engines, unless of course there was no wind at all.
From Kalakajora we sailed on up towards Baramahamay Bay, otherwise known as Honey Pot Bay to the sailing fraternity. It is a stunning, well sheltered bay with great anchorages and a fantastic feel to it! It’s picturesque with local villages scattered along its white shores. We entered the bay and finally dropped anchor off a small village. Immediately Dan, Jenna and I jumped into the rubber duck and started to explore the bay, visiting villages and any small beach where we could safely land.
We spend 2 nights in Honey Pot Bay and loved it. We traded with the locals for honey and crabs, fished a bit and played soccer with the local kids, - all great fun.
B: This was the most beautiful, peaceful anchorage yet. Linn said it was like sitting on cream, soft and smooth but with a million stars reflected off the river surface at night. I love it when the shopping comes to you and we bought 3 liters of wild honey and huge brown muddy crabs. I turned down the scared looking little black hen because she looked so scared and I like my meat cling-wrapped with no personality. The crabs were great entertainment for the kids and we always learn so much about anatomy etc when preparing food. They are totally un-squeamish about killing and cleaning sea-food but Dan still doesn’t eat fish. Rob claimed he wouldn’t eat crab but loved it with spring onions, mayo and hard-boiled egg yolk on a slice of freshly baked bread. Big work though.
Anchor up and off to Nosy Iranja.
Nosy Iranja is known for its turtle population and nests. The island has 2 parts to it, both joined by a small sand spit. The northern island is where the locals live and the southern island is home to a beautiful resort. We walked around the resort, met the manager and took in the sites. After almost 6 weeks of cruising, it was great to be nearing “civilization” at last!
We were all so excited with what we saw and decided it was time for a sit down meal. I went ahead and booked us in for lunch at the resort next day.
However there was more excitement! The manager saw us on the beach and told us there were some turtle eggs hatching on the other side of the island. Immediately we grabbed cameras and set off.
Well, like the whale experience in the Barren Islands, we were about to witness another memorable event?
After a long walk across the island, we got to the beach and immediately spotted a ranger next to a hole in the sand. Walking across to it, we peered into the hole and there they were. Little turtles clawing their way out of the sand and up onto the beach. An amazing sight! The hole was really deep and I would say the eggs are buried some 50-80cm under the sand. These little creatures have to dig quite some way to get out. Apparently this is all part of their strengthening process. Once the little tykes surfaced, the ranger in charge did assist them out, however he did not dig down as it would affect their ability to strengthen. Once the baby turtles were out, they were put into a basin. Initially I thought they would now be carried down to the sea but, again, they had to be released at the hole they came out of. And this is where Mother Nature kicks in with another of her mysteries. The journey down to the sea from the hole is important, as the surviving turtles will return to this exact beach to lay their eggs one day. The “walk” down to the water is a process where they register the position and location of the island in order to return one day! Fascinating!
Once the ranger had enough turtles in the basin, they were released at the hole. Now, how do they know which way to go as there is only beach sand all around them? Again Mother Nature kicks in and these little turtles spin on their heels and head straight for the sea! We all followed our “favorites” down to the water, hoping it would be the winner. On reaching the sea, they took a few waves on the head and then headed out to sea. Really amazing and to think that only 1-3 out of every 1000 will return one day to lay eggs is both sad and incredible.
A wonderful experience with Daniel and Jenna etching that one down in the memory stick for years to come!
Baby turtles on Nosy Iranja
A day on the beach with the family
B: The baby green turtles were an absolute highlight, we felt as if we were on the National Geographic channel. They were strong, feisty and perfectly formed but their absolute determination to get to that sea was inspiring. They positively ran across the sand and looked as if they were flying once into the sea. We were all really moved, but secretly wished we could have held them for a little longer.
Next day we had a fine lunch and then took a walk up to an old lighthouse on the highest point on the island. A wonderful old thing made of metal and held together with huge rivets. It must have been about 100 years old.
From Nosi Iranja, we headed north towards Russian Bay. We had been in contact with the yacht Cape Smoke whom we had met in Durban. On board were Kevin and Tiffany and little Tristan who was 7 years old. Daniel could not wait to be reunited with his mate from Durban Marina and his first “kid contact” since leaving Durban! All we kept on hearing was “when do we see Cape Smoke?”
Also in the area was Yacht Sometime”. Shayile and Sometime had a bit of history together. When Andrew and Sue Walker owned Shayile, they spend quite a bit of time sailing with Yacht Sometime in Madagascar and Tanzania. Now Sometime was back in the area and so was Shayile. On board Sometime were Ryan, Jill and children Liam (9) and Erin (7). More children and our 2 were eager to meet up.
As we left Iranja, Sometime sailed past on their way to dive the Radama Islands. They would return to Nosy Be a few days later. (We had yet to meet them, although I had bumped into Ryan just before they left Durban.)
7th - 9th September 2005
We sailed up the coast, passed an island called Sugarloaf and approached Russian Bay. The trip was some 15nm, with just enough wind to sail.
We entered Russian Bay and spotted 2 yachts anchored off a small beach. We dropped anchor close by and I paddled across to introduce myself. One was a charter cat called “Bossi” and the other was a monohull from Belgium. The Belgium yacht was back visiting Russian Bay after having their outboard engine stolen on their first visit. Why return? Theft is an ongoing problem in these parts of Africa. During the night, unwanted guests paddle up to yachts and quietly get to work, removing outboards and any other items of importance. To reduce this risk, we had 2 chain locks on our outboard and we would haul our rubber duck on board every night. We also have “2 passive eyes”, an alarm system, looking at the duck and cockpit each night. Hopefully this would do the trick whilst we sailed the area.
Next morning, much to Daniels delight, we saw Cape Smoke sail into Russian Bay and anchor up next to us. Immediately Dan, Jenna and young Tristan got together and for the next 2 days, we could not separate them. It was great to see the kids meeting up and interacting after 2 months of being with the parents.
Over the next 2 days we spent time on the beach, explored the bay and dived. I even managed to get 2 small crayfish which I gave to Jackaroo as a snack.
Russian Bay is a beautiful, large bay. The bay provides good shelter for yachts and is one of a few hurricane holes in the area which offers some form of protection to vessels during the hurricane season in Madagascar.
It got its name when the crew of the Russian warship named Vlotny. They had been sent to fight in the Russo-Japanese war but decided Madagascar looked a lot more appealing than fighting a war. The year was 1905 and the crew was mostly Uralian. They organized a mutiny and the officers gave in. The challenge was now the beautiful Madagascan girls!
The Russians built a fort, which is still very visible today, and took on the Madagascan way of life. Unfortunately Malaria and other tropical diseases took their toll on the Russians. The last crew member died around 1940.
So, with Daniel and Jenna entertained and sundowners on the beach each night, we all had an enjoyable stay in Russian Bay.
Sadly we had to say goodbye to Cape Smoke as they were heading off down the Madagascan coast, slowly making their way back to South Africa.
We upped anchor and set off for Nosy Be, 15 miles north and our ultimate destination on Madagascar.
Jenna and Dan fixed to the computer!
B: On entering Russian Bay I felt quite disappointed as it appeared very barren and the guide book had described it as “pregnant” with sea life. We soon had our first marine pets… 3 large remora’s took up residence under the boat and were a constant, ravenous presence until we left. Fishing was out of the question as these hungry ‘dogs’ rushed out whenever anything went over board, veggie peelings, stale bread and even eggshells were fought over and devoured. The kids even fed them by hand with elderly calamari bait. Initially we weren’t that keen to swim but Tiffany said she and Tristan used to visit their remoras on a regular basis. It wasn’t until night-time that I saw how the bay was pregnant, while shining our powerful torch into the water I saw a huge variety of marine life in its early stages. Tiny fish, prawns, plankton, baby jellyfish and things I couldn’t identify made the water thick with new life. I was fascinated by a tiny little orange prawn as he pottered around just off our back step and watching bright green phosphorescence wash down the heads in the dark always makes me smile.
SugarLoaf – on way to Russian Bay
Russian Bay
10th – 16th SEPTEMBER 2005
We sailed north across the bay heading for Nosy Be. On route we made a small change to our plan and decided to head for Nosy Sakatia, an island to the west of Nosy Be. It was Friday and clearing in on a Friday afternoon did not sound like a good idea. Clearing in would wait until Monday!
On approaching Sakatia, we spotted a few yachts anchored up off a beach, and decided to head in that direction. We anchored off the Sakatia Passions beach. Passions is a restaurant which welcomes yachties and served a great Sunday feast.
Saturday morning was more excitement for Daniel and Jenna. Yacht Sometime sailed up and anchored next to us. Again, within minutes, the kids were together and remained so for the next 6 days! Yacht Sometime was a Leopard 47 catamaran, and had been equipped with excellent kid facilities – A TV and play station! Dan was in 7th heaven and he and Liam were up against each other with games on the TV.
Sunday at Passions was lunch day. After chores on Shayile, we dressed in our Sunday best and pulled up outside the Passions restaurant. A Malagasy band was stringing up some island tunes which are very conducive to beer and rum! We were served a fantastic 3 course meal and had an excellent afternoon of socializing with other yachties and just relaxing! Out came the Madagascan rum which is about 1870% proof! Whilst the adults got louder, the kids ran amok. At 6pm, we all retired to our respective water homes and slept off a great Sunday lunch!
B: Now for all of you, who are envious of all the fresh seafood we eat, bear in mind that too much of a good thing is boring! The buffet started with samoosa’s, peanuts deep fried with garlic and zebu brochettes. (slim beef kebabs) Dan was full before the oysters, smoked line fish, brinjal fritters and green salad was even served. Main course was meaty, to our delight. We feasted on zebu nuggets, tender duck portions, and very tasty roasted goat… giving the fried fish a big miss. We then went and lay on the sand while the kids raced around. Bliss!
Sunday lunch at Passions Restaurant
Monday was Hell day! The main town on Nosy Be is Hellville. It did have a hot, devilish feel to it, but was infact named after the French admiral Hell. It certainly was a lively town, with bars, restaurants, night life and shops to keep one entertained for weeks.
We decided to leave Shayile at Sakatia and catch a taxi into Hellville. We all bailed into an old Renault and headed for the Port Captain to take care of the checking in formalities.
It was then that I realised we may have a small problem on our hands! When we cleared customs in Majunga, I had a disagreement with the Port Captain. He was trying to get some bribe money off me and I was not keen to pay. This lead to words and I left without any port papers. When port control in Hellville asked me for my port papers from Majunga, I then realised that I did not have any! After muttering a few words in English I told them that I had lost them on the passage up from Majunga. He finally accepted and we cleared Hellville!!
As the taxi was ours for the day, we shopped Hellville for provisions. As we bought goods, the taxi driver was there for us, and all provisions were loaded into the taxi immediately. We even had a great pizza at a small French restaurant before heading back to Sakatia.
Sadly it was also to say farewell to Tams who was now heading back to South Africa. She had spent a further 3 weeks cruising up the Madagascan coast with us. We said our goodbyes and off she went.
After dropping off Tams, Ryan and Jacques, a South African working at Passions Dive Centre, met up at a sleazy bar in Hellville. Jacques referred to it as his office and we had a few beers. For lunch we had more beer and a few meat sticks and mango sauce. We then had a few more beers and finally left Jacques office and returned peacefully to our boats at Sakatia.
B: Let me correct Rob! He arrived back by ferry in the dark, unrecognizable because he had swapped his shirt with some smoky, sweaty fellow in a bar and because he had half the bar inside him! Stories vary, but apparently he climbed on top of a huge petrol tanker, stationary thank God, and assisted the driver with the offloading of fuel! A while later at a road side stop, he found his way into a paddock and played matador with a bull in a field! Next stop was chewing narcotic herbs with some local guys at the next pub!
Imagine if I did that on a market trip! To his credit he came home with some shopping and even liberated 2 baguettes from one of his drunken companions, so we had bread with new chocolate spread for supper. Quick, child friendly, and zero washing up…brilliant meal.
Wednesday was boat day and in particular, water maker day. We had a great water maker on board which should make fresh water from salt water. Unfortunately we had been having hassles with it on and off for the whole trip. Now it was making clean salt water from… salt water!! It had finally stopped making water all together and we were getting desperate. Again I knew nothing about the devise, but tried my best. I cleaned, tightened, stripped motors, and still no fresh water. Most of the day was spend on this, all to no avail.
That afternoon we sailed around the corner to the next small bay on Sakatia. This was John’s home. John, another South African, had sailed to Madagascar some years earlier. Liking the place he decided to stay and built himself a fantastic house perched up on a hill overlooking a small cove and beach. John had sold his pharmaceutical business in the Eastern Cape and was now running a small B&B on Sakatia. What a fantastic place to live and one really has to see it to appreciate his view each morning.
Anchored at Johns place, and the view.
We arrived at high tide and sailed right up to his beach. John had a few water wells and we were seeking that now sought after liquid that used to come out of our water maker! We filled our tanks and anchored just off his cove. Yacht Sometime and Yacht Aliica joined us.
That evening we all went to Johns place for dinner. There we met up with a few other yachties. Yacht Aliisa with Lorri & Paula aboard, had sailed their 36ft yacht from Australia and were heading for Finland, Lorri’s home. Also there was Yacht Namir with Bob, Jody, their son Ryan (19) and their daughter Lisa. (14) They were American, now living in New Zealand. They had been cruising for a number of years and were very fortunate to escape the tsunami that hit Thailand in December 2004. Their dingy was ripped apart but Namir was fine, escaping the violent waves that struck Thailand. Yacht Odyssey was there with Barry, Estelle and their son Ryan (19) on board. They are an amazing couple and cruising is their life. Barry built his 60ft yacht from scratch. Odyssey is one amongst a number of yachts that Barry and Estelle have owned. They have sailed around the world a few times and certainly have a few stories to tell! Real yachtie folk! That evening, we all had a great dinner and exchanged stories about travel and adventure.
At midnight we all set off, just in time to get caught in a thunderstorm of note and got drenched through! Worse was to come as we had left all our hatches on Shayile wide open. We got back to Shayile to find our beds sopping wet! We quickly made a few arrangements and went to sleep, dreading next morning.
To be expected, next morning was “drying out day”. Everything was out to dry which included 3 beds, linen, cushions, pillows and a lot of clothes! What a day with Belinda taking care of most of the laundry whilst I tackled other chores on the boat including the dreaded water maker. Still no luck!!
Since I left Durban, my onboard email facility had not worked. The service provider is an organization by the name of sail mail and it “connects” via the SSB (HF) radio. When working, subscribers can obtain weather updates via fax and data, and get emails to and from friends and family. Lorri on Aliica knew quite a bit about the facility, so he came over to Shayile and helped me out. We discovered my computer was loaded with an old sail mail version and the frequencies were incorrect! We upgraded the sail mail and modem and, bingo, sail mail was up and running! We now had email on board and all I had to do was work out how the weather faxes work!? My sincere appreciation went out Lorri for his assistance.
It was now time to head on again. We had spent virtually a week at Sakatia, playing hard and we needed to get out again and cruise the islands. The plan was to go to Crater Bay, buy a few provisions and then go visit the neighbouring islands.
At lunch time we upped anchor and headed out towards Crater Bay on Nosy Be.
B: As much as the kids love having us around, we just can’t play like other kids. They loved being with Liam and Erin and being on another boat, especially one with so many DVD’s. However, they also swam, slid down banks and chased each other for hours. It was great to sit and chat with Gill, a lovely lady who knows my super sister-in-law Dawn Pickering in Joburg and we all look forward to spending more time together. We are meeting lots of nationalities but South Africans are really friendly and so popular….. it makes me really proud. Ok, the Kiwi’s are also really nice but we certainly can’t say that about the pompous French people who will only talk if you can speak French, they just can’t be bothered to try. There is a wonderful camaraderie and everyone seems willing to help with whatever they can. Eg. fixing water makers; upgrading sail mail software; sharing popcorn and peanut butter which aren’t available here, but also just popping over for a beer and a chat. Finally we are really cruising!!
17th – 19th SEPTEMBER 2005
The Nosy Be area is a sailor’s paradise! Within a 30nm radius there are a number of beautiful islands, each having its own special attraction. The winds are very consistent with the on-shore / off-shore conditions still prevalent in this part of Madagascar most days. The sea is relatively flat and sailing this coastal strip is an ideal learning ground. All in all a great place to spend a sailing holiday!
Sailing these tropical waters, does come with a few obstacles that sailors need to be aware of. Besides keeping the normal lookout whilst sailing, yachts need to be careful not to run into coral “bommies”. These are clumps of coral that are situated just below the water surface around the islands and in the channels. Being on a cat has its advantages as we only draw 1 meter and we can avoid these bommies if we keep a careful watch. Often difficult to see, and sometimes not clearly marked on the charts, many a yacht have come to grief not keeping a vigilant lookout for these bommies.
After leaving Sakatia, we sailed into Crater Bay on Nosi Be, and anchored up next to Jackaroo, who had been there for a few days buying provisions in Hellville. There is an enormous bommie in the middle of the anchorage and we made sure we steered well away from it.
We were in Crater Bay to buy a few provisions for the next 2 weeks of cruising. I also needed to get the zip on sail stack pack replaced as it had ripped. We were given the name of a South African, Andrew, who lived on Nosy Be. He worked on yachts and could do the necessary repairs.
With provisioning on the cards, Jenna and I went through to Hellville to get petrol for the duck and buy the food.
At the local supermarket, I bought a few chickens and a huge piece of smoked bacon.Down at the market, we bought a few fruits and vegetables. What a site! Everything revolves around the market and, although not too savory, it really is an interesting place.
From there it was into the oldest taxi Hellville could find us and, with white knuckles and a few prays, we later found ourselves back in Crater Bay!
Getting water for Shayile is always a saga! However, without a water maker, we need to fill the tanks every so often. Living up on the hill overlooking Crater Bay, lived an old retired yachtie.
Mike, a Brit, married to a local and, at although 75 years old, had two small children. Besides his hardware business, Mike also supplies boats with drinking water. We paid Mike for 500litres and headed back to Shayile. In order to get the water on board Shayile, we needed to steer Shayile towards a tyre floating in the bay. Tied to the tyre, was a hose pipe, and I positioned Shayile up next to the tyre. Once we were ready, I signaled to Mike up on the hill and he turned on the water. With Mike’s ingenuity and gravity to assist, we soon had full tanks!
With food, water and petrol, it was time to set off on a week or 2 exploring the local islands around Nosy Be.
Nosy B
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