"We will only truly protect those things that we love."
- Jacques Cousteau
Cruising the Nosi Be area
Early morning start again as we upped anchor and motored out of Crater Bay, heading down to the island of Nosy Komba. As we left, up went the spinnaker and we settled into a great sail heading east towards Komba.
Navigation: The ability to get from one destination to another, avoiding all obstacles and knowing where you are at any one point in time!
On board Shayile, we primarily used 3 means of navigating:
1. Charts
Non sailors would refer to these as maps! However maps give directions, charts display the topography of land and waters. Unfortunately charts can be extremely old at times but, mostly, they are correct and a must when navigating any where in the world. I had all the charts required for the areas in which we sailed. Amongst the sailing fraternity, there is quiet a bit of “chart swopping” as one enters new waters and leaves old ones behind.
2. Chart plotter
This device consists of electronic charts of an area and works off memory cards and the onboard GPS. Many have a radar facility incorporated in the unit. As soon as Shayile got moving, the chart plotter went on and I used it in conjunction with the charts.
3. Laptop software
On my laptop I had a software package called Maxsea. It’s basically a chart plotter on computer with easy to navigate tools. I used this, particularly around the islands and in tight spots. Initially it was linked to my hand held GPS and worked totally independent from the on board chart plotter. (In Thailand I had it linked to the boats GPS)
Should we ever loose all onboard electrics, Shayile could still navigate using Maxsea and my trusty hand held GPS.
We arrived at Nosy Komba late that afternoon. Again, a tricky little entrance with a lot of reef situated just off the beach. The key attractions on Komba are the Lemurs and the craft stalls in the village. We were amped to see both!
Daniel diving under Shayile
Next morning, armed with old bananas, we went ashore and made our way up to the “open air zoo” following a path through the forests above the small village. Arriving at the zoo, it appeared to be a kind of park for small reptiles. Unfortunately, and true to Madagascar
Komba Island with the Lemurs…
......And the Giant Chameleons
Later that day and back at the village, we did some “window shopping”. There were some amazing curios, all at reasonable prices, but some serious bargaining had to be done. Belinda found a women in the village who braided hair and was tempted into having hers done. I told her that if she was keen, to go for it! It was not long before she was seated and her hair was being braided!
After about an hour, B came back looking like a local! Her hair had been beautifully braided and she looked great! She then dared me to have mine done. (By this stage, having not cut my hair since leaving South Africa, my hair was now longer then hers!)
I was tempted!
B and her braids, along with Jenna – Nosy Komba
We returned to Shayile where Belinda set about preparing a roast chicken. Willie and Lin arrived for dinner and we started with rum sundowners, an exotic cocktail that both B and Lin had put together. Great stuff!! Dinner was superb with roast chicken, roast potatoes, veggies and more! Better than restaurant food as only B can put together! A great evening was had with our sailing companions, and then it was off to bed.
Next day was the 21st September, my birthday! I awoke and went up to the cockpit where coffee and a huge present were waiting for me. The kids had made birthday cards and, over that cup of coffee, I opened the presents. 3 locally sculptured masks to hang up at home! They were great pieces of art. B had also managed to smuggle me a bar of Cadbury’s whole nut chocolate, which I stashed away for another occasion! (We had to fight the kids off such stuff, so better to hide it and eat it on the quiet!!
Whilst the kids went back to the Lemurs and B went shopping, Willie and I got busy on the water maker. It was time to tackle this thing once and for all! We took out the membrane and deciding this was the problem area, tried fixing it. Well, it was not to be and soon we had the whole thing in the dust bin! (It was going to prove expensive exercise!)
Later that day, I got onto the email and asked Donald to have a new one sent to Hellville. We really need that water maker.
Back at Komba, with B and Lin pushing me, I decided to have my hair braided. I to, needed a change of scenery above.
At the “salon”, the lady got busy and within an hour, I had a new hair do! Must say, it was great. No more hair in my eyes all day! B loved it, so off we went to Yolanda’s for a celebratory sundowner. There we met 2 other couples who have been cruising for about 8 years. At this early stage of our cruising life, it’s very interesting to chat to these people, see what makes them tick, and where they have been. All very inspiring and we felt like real beginners at the game!
B: Rob covered everything except the beautiful tablecloths these ladies make at Nosi Komba. Some are amazing pictorial works of art and I would have loved to buy one each for all my girlfriends. Apart from the embroidered ones, like you see in Mauritius and Comoros, they do cream calico cutouts of fish, flowers, shells and practically anything you can imagine.
Mamoko
Isn’t it great to just be able to decide where you want to go, and then up anchor and go?
No real planning, just up and off! It still amazed me – the freedom of movement this cruising life offers!Next morning we upped and set off for Mamoko which was about a 2 – 3 hour sail. On the way down, our fishing reel took off with vengeance! Always trawled a lure whilst sailing! As we were now sailing along under full sails, I had quite a task getting Shayile into wind and under control. Meantime this monster fish had taken some 250 meters of line and was not keen to stop! Belinda was holding the rod as the reel went mad! The fish eventually stopped and B tried to wind it in. No luck. She lifted the rod up and WHAM, put the rod straight into the wind generator, which was spinning at high speed! Snap went the line. Well, I felt sick. It had to be the biggest pull we had got since leaving
However we needed to remind ourselves that both Daniel and I had previously pulled the same trick. Ok so with us, the fish were not that big and we didn’t lose about 300meters of line!!
We composed ourselves and got Shayile back on course. It was not 20 minutes later and the other rod went. Not as big a fish, but I landed a decent sized Cuta. Dinner was ready!
Later that evening, we sailed into Momoko and anchored off. We were to spent the next 3 days here.
Leaving for Shayile & Jackaroo
Dan & Jenna with local kids
On one of these days, we loaded the ducky and headed out to a small island just off Mamoko. The kids had an absolute ball exploring the island, crushing barnacles and collecting rocks. We must have spent a good 4 hours there, before it was time to head back to Shayile.
Every morning, squid were brought out to us by local fishermen. A bit of bargaining and we had lunch or supper. The squid were handed over to Dan and Jenna and they got busy cleaning them. They got the preparing of squid down to an art and no adult “post cleaning” was ever required.
An attraction at Mamoko was the 2 large tortoises that lived in the local village. They were HUGE and reputed to be some 200 years old. Both kids sat on them and went for a very short walk. What fantastic old animals!
Unfortunately we found the locals rather unfriendly and demanding of money. A few days earlier a few yachts were intimidated into paying money to anchor at Mamoko. Someone had typed up a letter for the locals and stamped it no less than 10 times to make it look official. This was then presented to yachties anchored off Momoko, demanding payment. All the yachts then simply packed up and left! When this sort of occurrence takes place, yachties immediately get on the SSB radio and all fellow yachties are informed on the situation. Well, we were not asked for anchorage money, so obviously their plan to “bill” yachties had fallen by the wayside!
Sundowners with kids on Shayile
Riding tortoises – Nosy Mamoko
Each morning and most afternoons I beat the waters fly fishing, but the Kingy’s kept their distance. I did manage to catch 2 fish, which looked like sea pike.
Keen to explore the area, we motor sailed across the bay to a waterfall we had been told about. On getting there we discovered more of a water pipe than a waterfall, but it was fine. The kids explored up the river with a few local kids whilst we washed all our towels in fresh water, and sat around having a beer. We returned to Shayile and then ventured up to explore another river, this time on baby Shayile. We managed to go about a km up river before turning around. Shayile was out of sight and there were quite a few dhows in the area. Worried about Shayile’s safety, we returned to her and then sailed back to Mamoko for a good nights sleep at anchorage.
Next day, we sailed back up towards Nosy Bay, stopping off at Tany Kely. It is a small marine reserve and offers excellent snorkeling. We anchored about 20 meters off the beach and immediately got into the duck and went snorkeling. The diving certainly was excellent and we all, kids included, had the opportunity to dive and swim with turtles. We must have spent a good 2 hours in the water, before heading back to Shayile for lunch. That afternoon we sailed back to Hellville.
Our objective was to check in with the Port Captain!! When we got to Nosy Be, we followed the East Coast Guide and did the necessary. Unfortunately there have been a few changes and we had seen the Maritime Office and not the old Port Captain. I gave a few reasons as to why we had not checked in with him, paid the necessary, and left.
I also needed to go to the bank to draw money for provisions and diesel.
I thought traveling on Visa and Master Card would be sufficient, but what a mission to draw money. First my Visa card did not work – “Refusee!” I phoned the Standard Bank SA to be told it was ok. Tried again – “Refusee!” Clearly a Mozambique Channel problem. Then out came the master card. I had to hand it in and return that afternoon for the money! What a saga.
Stick to forex and travelers cheques was my immediate solution in this area! I did carry a small amount of forex but it was really just for emergencies.
That afternoon it was back to the island of Sakatia for John’s birthday party. Yacht Sometime was anchored off Johns place along with Des and Nel on Gambit. We pulled up along side, dropped anchor, and he kids immediately got together again!
A festive party was had that night with plenty of yachties from all over the world there to exchange sailing stories. It was nights like these, and the stories told, that further inspired us to journey further.
Still very much on the news was the story of the missing yacht Moquini. She had gone missing just south of Madagascar in the Mauritius to Durban yacht race. Of the 5 crew I knew three guys. Neil Tocknell was at school with me and I was friendly with him at the club. He was a shareholder at Fast Yachts and a great sailor. Also missing was Sheldon Dickerson and his cousin Mark. Along with his girlfriend Michelle, Sheldon has a business looking after, cleaning and fixing yachts at the Durban Marina. A great guy and Sheldon was very involved in the development sailing academy in Durban. Moquini was the development team’s boat, a Fast 42. So, what happened?
Well, at this stage, no-one really knew. Reported was the statement that the IPERB did go off, but only for a very short time, speculating, they may have hit a container, log or whale and lost their keel. With that gone, the yacht would have gone down quickly. Perhaps the IPERB was attached firmly to the boat and, although automatically activated on hitting the water, went down with the boat. Hence, the short transmission time.
The search had been called off and hopes diminish day by day for their return. Who knows what happened but I will update our site if any news is received. The crew of Moquini was never found, although the yacht was found floating off the South African coast 6 months later.
News from South Africa was that friends of ours, Greg and Jane Courtney, were in Nosy Be on holiday with their 2 children. I immediately tracked Greg down and organized to take him and his family sailing.
From Sakatia, we sailed down to Crater Bay and had the, now repaired, stack pack put back on. That evening we caught a taxi across to Mbatiloko to where Greg and Jane were staying. It was great to see them again. We caught up on news from South Africa and our travels, whilst the kids played on the beach. After a fine meal, we called it an evening and arranged to meet next morning for a sail down to Tany Kely.
Greg Courtney and daughter Kaitlin diving with turtles – Tany Kely
Early the next morning we sailed from Crater Bay up to Mbatiloko where we met the Courtney family. After quickly loading everyone on board, we set sail for Tany Kely, a short hop of some 5nm.
We anchored up close to the beach and immediately grabbed our dive gear and went snorkeling. The kids loved it, as did the adults with lots of turtles, tropical fish and beautiful clear water in which to enjoy our under water bioscope!
After the long dive, we returned to Shayile where B and Jane whipped up a fine lunch of fresh Cuta and salads.
Back into the water after lunch for another dive. Tany Kely was really a stunning dive site! Returning to Shayile, I really wished we had that kind of diving back home! After a great day with the Courtney family, it was time to head back to Nosy Be. We set sail and immediately went into a brisk north easterly wind. Belinda, eager for her afternoon cup of coffee, fired up the kettle and prepared coffee for us all. With the choppy conditions, she went down below to close the port holes. Whilst downstairs, Shayile slammed and with that, down went the coffee pot, mugs and tray – All broken!! A casualty of an exhilarating days sailing!
That afternoon, back in Mbatiloko, we said our goodbyes to the Courtney’s. It was great to see them and out first South African visitors on board Shayile!
Painted faces on Dan & Jens
Yacht Sometime
31st SEPTEMBER 2005
Time waits for no man and it was now the time to clear out of Madagascar! We had always planned to leave during the first week of October and we were keen to stick to the plan! Although October is not known as a cyclone month, it is the time that most of the yachties start to leave Madagascar and either head south to South Africa or across the channel to Tanzania. We were going off to Tanzania , stopping off at Mayotte, bypassing the Comoros and making landfall in northern Mozambique
We sailed down to Hellville and I started the process of clearing out, whilst Belinda went off and bought provisions for the trip. I also, finally after much confusion, managed to pick up the membrane for our water maker. A big THANK YOU to Donald who organized it for me and took all my desperate calls! The part was couriered into Hellville by DHL.
I also organized some 500 liters of diesel required for the trip. This was done through the “harbour boys”. A few youngsters hang around the slipway, eager to assist yachties with virtually anything. They negotiate diesel at a cheap rate and I ordered my 500 liters. That afternoon it was brought out to Shayile. However we needed to be careful with our dealings. By this I mean one has to check the quantity carefully and ensure the quality is good. For me to check diesel quality is like asking Oss Durant about ballet shoes! They loaded the diesel, only to find out my tanks would not take the last 80 liters, so it was off to the hardware store where I bought 2 large containers for the balance. Once filled with diesel and provisions, we were done.
Next morning we sailed back to Sakatia, and dropped anchor at Passions alongside the yachts Jackaroo, Ad Astra and Karisma. All of us were heading off to the African coast.
Over the next 2 days we prepared Shayile for the crossing. It’s a case of ensuring we have everything, all well packed away, and to ensure weight distribution is in line with loading specs. I also went through working parts to ensure everything was tight and fit for the crossing. The water maker was reconnected but not checked. The water off Sakatia was too murky and I thought it best to wait until the open sea. We also gave Shayile a good scrub all over!
Preparing for departure – Johns place
Sunday lunch we all headed back to Sakatia Passions for lunch and what a great time we had! I highly recommend this place as a Sunday lunch destination to visitors to the area. Quite special with a great ambiance, a local band, great food and an exceptional outlook!
After lunch we all headed back to Yacht Karisma and stayed there until everyone had had enough. One thing for sure, we were not going to leave Madagascar in the morning!
We all relaxed on Monday, nursing the effects of Passions and the Madagascan rum! That afternoon we sailed Shayile down to Sakatia Towers, John’s house and managed to get Shayile right into the little bay to fill up her water tanks. Hopefully this would be the last time for a while! That evening it was up to Johns place for dinner. It was here that we met Sue Brown, who was staying with John, and after a few short discussions, we accepted Sue on board Shayile for the crossing to Dar es Salaam. Sue had previously worked on a charter yacht in the area and was now looking for a ride across to Tanzania. Additional hands on a crossing sure come in handy and Sue was competent on a yacht.
The evening before departure, Grant and Simon from Yacht Karisma came across for a drink and we chatted the night away, planning the trip ahead.
4th – 13th October – Leaving Madagascar & off to Mayotte
We woke up at 6am. Sue had spent the night at Johns B&B and I prepared the IRB to go ashore and pick her up. After a quick cup of coffee with John and Sue, we went back to Shayile and started the engines.
Jackaroo sailed up to us and soon we were both on our way heading north around Sakatia, heading out towards the island of Mayotte. The trip would take us some 36 hours and was about 180 nautical miles.
As we rounded Sakatia, we were joined by Yacht Karisma and Ad Astra. Ad Astra was heading directly for
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