Location: 25° 20 S, 60° 02 E
Wednesday 12:00, 01.31.2007

The Schooner Maggie B’s noon position on January 31st was 25° 20S, 60° 02E. We are headed 170 degrees at 9 knots, with a reef in the main and fore, on a close reach with the wind from 080 at 25 knots. The sea has laid down a bit and gotten more regular, but we are still taking a fair amount of water over the deck, certainly well enough to keep the helmsman salty.

We have come 193 NM from yesterday, 1323 from the Seychelles, and have 2936 to go to Perth.

Last night’s excitement came when Owen was sitting up talking with Bori during her 2100 to midnight watch. When he was in mid-sentence, a flying fish hit him in the face. Only an inch to the left and it would have been a hole in one!

Tropical Cyclone Dora is forming about 850 NM NNE of us. It has winds of 40 knots so far. It is headed SW at 11 knots and we are headed SE at 9, so we should be well clear. Our barometer is rising.

Variation. In many places in the world there is a significant difference between magnetic north and true north. This is one. Here the variation is 25 degrees west. We run the Maggie B on magnetic, so when I say we are headed 170 degrees, that is 145 degrees true. So we can be headed south magnetic, but be making some precious easting. But the support we get on weather forecasting gives headings in true, so we have to be sure to make the proper correction. Sailors have memorized “Can Dead Men Vote Twice? (Add East)” or the politically incorrect “True Virgins Make Dull Companions” for years. That is to remember “Compass; Deviation; Magnetic; Variation; True.” Deviation is the difference, if any, between your steering compass and magnetic.

All is well.

Commander’s Weather Corporation
Tuesday, 01.30.2007

Position:22 24s/58 21e at 1300utc Tue, January 30

Prepared:1430utc Tue, January 30

Summary:Conditions look better for getting more easting in with more of a SSE to SE heading over the next few days as opposed to having to head duesouth! It also looks like you may luck out and not have to cross a ridge of high pressure to get down into the westerlies!

a) Maximum sustained winds are at 40 knots with gusts to 50 knots.

b) Movement was SW at 11 knots.

c) Computer guidance is forecasting Dora to slow down and continue on a mainly SW heading over the next few days and could end up very near Mauritius by earlynext week!

d) On this track it will not affect your route. 3) Generally over the next few days the high will move slightly east but remain a fairly strong feature while an area of non-tropical low pressuredevelops near southern Madagascar to your west.

e) This low is forecast to track slowly SSE to SE through the remainder of this week and into the weekend. This pattern is good news for you as winds will tend to back to more NE and N with time over the next few days.

Suggest anoher update in a few days to see how far southeast you should head before making the turn to the east.

a) Looking at some of the long range guidance a west to east ridge looks to set up along 36-37s early next week and if this verifies you would certainly want to be south of this in the westerlies and likely needing to get down to around 40s, but we can fine tune things in a few days as it gets closer. Routing: Adjusted waypoints for getting in a bit more easting, waypoints listed below.

Wind Forecasts

Wind direction TRUE, speed in kts, time is UTC

Tue, January 30

18: 080-100/15-22

Weather: Variable clouds with scattered showers and squalls Seas 6-10 feet, SE swell

Wed, January 31

00: 070-090/15-20

06: 060-080/15-20 12: 060-080/15-20 near 25 30s/59e

18: 030-050/12-20

Weather: Variably cloudy with a chance of showers and squalls Seas 6-10 feet, NE swell

Thu, February 1

00: 050-070/12-20

12: 040-060/12-20 near 29s/59 30e

Weather: Partly cloudy with chance of a few isolated showers

Seas 8-12 feet, confused swell

Fri, February 2

00: 010-030/15-20

12: 010-030/10-18 near 32s/61 15e

Weather: Partly to variably cloudy Seas build to 8-12 feet SW swell

Sat, February 3 00: 350-010/18-25

12: 320-350/15-25 near 35s/63 15e

Weather: Mostly cloudy with scattered showers and squalls likely Seas 8-12 feet, SW swell

Location: 22° 34 S, 58° 25 E
Tuesday 12:00, 01.30.2007

The Schooner Maggie B was at 22° 34S, 58° 25 E at noon on January 30. We are headed just about due south magnetic at 8.5 knots, with wind from 120 degrees at 22-28 knots. The seas are sloppy, made somewhat peaky by a one knot current from the north. We have come 1130 NM from the Seychelles and have about 3110 to go to Perth. We have one reef in both the main and the fore.

While we could be close hauled and make some more easting, both the crew and the boat were taking a bit of a pounding when we tried it. Now with the sheets started a bit, we are making better speed to the south and life is more reasonable on board as the Maggie B has a chance to handle the waves and not just having one drop after another. Green water carried away a ventilator next to the fore hatch and tried to snatch the boat hook. The Reep and Strika are riding well on deck. The watch in the cockpit gets a steady refreshing salt water misting.

It is good that we left Mauritius when we did. They will be getting a low with 30-40 knots of wind by February 3rd. We should be well south in the high by then, starting our turn for Perth.

We had a new, interesting experience last night. We were intercepted by a French Warship. We were within about 40 NM of Mauritius and about 100 from French territory (Reunion). They came within about two miles at about midnight and called us on the radio. They had lots of questions which I answered with increasing irritation, partially because they refused to identify their ship at all (”Eet is no possible). They were satisfied with our MMSI and IHO numbers, Radio Call, Port of origin, date and time of departure, destination, cargo, number of crew, national origin, etc. I was prepared to refuse boarding and call the Mauritius Coast Guard for assistance, but, happily, it did not come to that. They then went after another boat that accelerated from 15 knots to 28 knots when hailed. I’m sure that they were more interesting than the Maggie B.

All is well.

Location: 20° 36 S, 57° 18 E
Monday 12:00, 01.29.2007

The Schooner Maggie B was at 20° 36 S, 57° 18 E, or about two miles off the Point aux Sables lighthouse on the west coast of Mauritius. We are finally underway for Perth in a nice SE’erly, making 6.5 knots just about due south. We expect the wind to back a bit to due east, which might help us make a bit of easting as we head south to pick up our westerlies. The waves are a bit choppy and the Maggie B is working a bit, as if she had lost her sea legs from the long time in port in the Seychelles and then the essentially flat conditions on the run south to Mauritius.

The forecast for us for the next five days is essentially what we have, an easterly at 15 to 20 knots. In five days we should be on the south side of the high and picking up our westerlies. We are watching a low that is forecast to develop about a thousand miles East of Madagascar. In five days it is forecast to have forty knots of wind. We will be well south before it gets here.

I believe that I mentioned the nice French couple that helped us out of our disgrace on Saturday. Didier and Celine with their marvelous dog Nane off the boat Neurone. We had them for drinks and dinner after we got off the rock. Then on Sunday morning, Didier came by, as we were getting ready to head off, to suggest a Sunday picnic a little down the coast at a beach called Balaclava. He suggested that it would be smart to dive on the bottom of the Maggie B to check for any damage. We didn’t need much persuading.

Sunday was a marvelous day. We motored about 45 minutes down the coast to a lovely little bay, caught a mooring, dove, swam, snorkeled, kayaked, walked ashore, visited ruins and giant tortoises, snuck into a marvelous hotel swimming pool, and generally had a great time. Didier and Celine (and Nane!) took us to a lovely small river with waterfalls that we played in. We inspected the romantic ruins of a former naval ammunition factory. We have marvelous photos which will have to await high speed connections in Perth.

The bottom of the Maggie B was a little scraped, but, as per plan, her keel is made to “take the ground” with minimal damage. The hookah air compressor was again very useful.

This morning, after clearing Customs and Immigration, we hoisted our sails in the Inner Harbor, and sailed out the channel with all flags flying. I believe that it probably has been many years since a schooner left under sail from the Inner Harbor. We were cheered by the crew of a Coast Guard boat and several Taiwanese fishing boats.

Perth is about 3200 NM away, though we will cover more distance on our way there. We should be there in three weeks.

All is well.

Aground en route to Australia

Today was not such a good day, on many levels. OK on others. The Plan was to leave today for Perth. We went in the morning to the Botanical Gardens, which were stunning. After hitting the Post Office and before re-supplying at the Super-U. Then there was a huge hideous traffic jam, then we had our lunch at out favorite Isle Maurice restaurant, the Captainerie. Then a long torrential, gully-washing, frog-choking downpour. But we were on the Maggie B more or less on our time-line to depart for Perth. We motored proudly out of the Marina for the Customs dock. Big, open harbor with lots of Blue Water boats coming and going. No channel markers. Dredged to 17 feet, per the chart.

We ran aground solidly just 200 feet off of the Five Star hotel that had sheltered us. Maybe only 20 yards from mid channel. No buoys but it was on one chart I had. A three foot spot. Distracted, inattentive, concern about Customs, maybe a bit of pride and show off’ness.

We stuck hard at dead low tide. No problem in Maine where you get 12 feet of tide. Here it is less than a foot. We got marvelous support from another yacht. The Mauritius Coast Guard came over just to be sure nobody was dying.

We ran one line ashore to drag us back out, like a kedge, but attached to granite. We ran one line from the main tops to heel us over. Finally, after local advice and lots of lead-lining, we finally kedged, warped and heeled us off the rock. Whew! It took four hours. It was awful.

We returned to the Marina, invited the French couple that had helped us over for drinks, and had a group hug.

Australia tomorrow, we hope.

All is well.

Realities of the tropics
Friday 12:00, 01.26.2007

It is so funny to get up in the morning, have a crew meeting over the first cup of coffee, work out a totally reasonable timeline for the day, and then watch it totally unravel when faced with the realities of the tropics.

We are in Port Louis, Mauritius, still in the harbor. Today was the day to get engine work finished, fill up on diesel, and load food resupply. Surely also plenty of time to go to the famous garden in Pamplemousse? Not.

It is noontime and we are at the Taylor-Smith yard across the harbor from the marina. It is a famous old yard, with twin 160-year old drydocks. We are here to get some minor engine work completed and to get diesel. Two hundred gallons. There is a big Shell dock, but they only talk in tons of fuel and in any case it is closed today for some vague reason (Friday? Early weekend??). So our contacts at Taylor-Smith, who have been very helpful, offered us 200 gallons from their supply. No problem? Not really. We had thought that after refueling in Madagascar from a filling station and carrying jerry cans all over town, and then the Seychelles where there was endless negotiation and very difficult access, that we had seen it all.

Here it is amazingly, innovatively complex. Rube Goldberg would be proud. The fuel is put into 55 gallon drums, carried by a forklift to the edge of the dock, pipes and tubes are fitted. A Five Ton crane lumbers over, the drum is chained up horizontally, and hoisted alongside the Maggie B, the fuel is slowly drained out into our tanks. Another drum is brought over, ready to be hoisted. STOP! It is Eleven O’clock — lunchtime (we have been here since 0830). We fear that there might be a siesta in the union contract. Did I mention payment is cash only?

Our engine is in good shape. We have changed the oil, plus oil and fuel filters on both the Yanmar and the Onan generator. We had been having oil pressure indicator problems and the mechanics at Taylor-Smith were able to replace the pressure indicator, and now it works fine. They have also made a T-junction, so that on the side of the engine we will continue to have the electronic sensor, which reads out in the cockpit, but also an old-fashioned “steam gauge” that will sit on the side of the engine to confirm the electronic reading. Belt and suspenders.

Regular readers may recall that we had an water pump impeller failure on the Onan generator back in Durban. There are photos on the web site. It failed after about 450 hours. No impeller, no water circulation, and the engine overheats. The Yanmar had gone about 750 hours on its first impeller, and their manual suggests changing after 1000 hours. But we had a spare, we were here with good mechanics, why not change it now? We pulled it out and, horrors! it had lost one vane (we found it) and another was torn and ready to come off. Whew!

So what happens next? Hopefully we will finish up here directly, go get food supplies, have some tourist fun this afternoon, have a great dinner, and be off for Perth sometime tomorrow, Saturday. The winds are favorable (Commanders forecast on the web site). Mauritius is marvelous and worth weeks to explore, but we are Blue Water Sailors, Bound for South Australia!

All is well.

Commander’s Weather Corporation
Friday, 01.26.2007

From: Commanders’ Weather Corporation, tel: 603-882-6789

Route: Port Louis, Mauritius to Perth, Australia

Depart: approx. 0600utc, Sat, Jan 27, 2007

Prepared: 1515UTC Fri January 26, 2007

Summary:

You will need to head S for the first few days with a general E-SE wind, then you can turn towards the E as you cross 35s

• Satellite imagery indicates patchy cloudiness with scattered showers/squalls/thunderstorms from Mauritius W to Madagascar with more isolated to scattered activity to the E and SE of Mauritius
• The ITCZ has clusters of showers/thunderstorms from the Equator to aboutv10s and from 53-91e
• Computer guidance suggests a tropical low forms in this area during the weekend

a) this low would then track to the ESE or SE next week

b) will need to monitor this area during the next few days to any hints of development

• Saturday morning, high pressure will be located near 36s/56w and generally heading off to the E
• This high will keep winds mainly E or ESE with speeds in the teens for Saturday/Sunday
• Monday, computer guidance begins to have some differences with one model suggesting low pressure forms in the area bounded by 25-30s/60-65e

a) a different computer model does not develop low pressure in this area

• Have allowed for weak low pressure to develop in this area and then slide off to the ESE

a) and winds may become more SE or even SSE

b) with wind speeds up to 15-25 kts

c) if this low does not form, then winds would be more ESE or E with speeds in the teens

• In any case, winds would become more ESE or E and lighter during Tuesday as you come under the influence of high pressure ridge located to your S and SE
• You would pass thru the center of this ridge late Tuesday/early Wednesday with light and variable winds
• Once you are S of the ridge axis, SW to W winds will freshen into the teens
• Another cold front may catch and pass you mid to late week with a band of clouds and possibly some showers

a) winds shift into the S to SE behind this front

• Another high follows this front for late in the week generally movingto the E close to 40s
• Seas will generally be SW to S and vary from 5-8 ft at times up to 8-12 ft
• Would suggest getting an updated forecast in 3 or 4 days to check on the positioning of the highs and potential low developing Monday to your E

a) and also to check on potential tropical low developing

Routing:

• You will need to head S until you reach 35s since E-SE winds will not allow you to get much easting
• Eventually, you will want to be about 36-38s to avoid SE winds to the N of 35s and light winds close to 40s

a) today’s computer guidance suggests high pressure will be moving E close to 40s

• It is possible that you could turn towards the SE sooner as confidencein the longer range portion of the forecast is lower, but you will
  generally want to be around 36-38s to take advantage of more favorable winds
• Would recommend getting an updated forecast in 3-4 days to check on the weather systems and make any adjustments to your routing
• Please see waypoints listed in the wind forecast below

Wind Forecasts

Wind direction TRUE, speed in kts, time is UTC

Sat, Jan 27

00: 070-100/ 7-14

06: 070-100/ 6-12 approx. depart Port Louis

12: 080-110/ 9-16

18: 080-110/14-20

Weather: Partly cloudy with a chance of isolated showers or squalls

Seas 6-9 ft SSW swell

Sun, Jan 28

00: 080-110/12-18

06: 080-110/15-22

12: 080-110/10-17 near 24 30s/57 30e

18: 100-130/12-18

Weather: Partly to variably cloudy with chance of a few isolated to scattered showers or squalls

Seas 5-8 ft SSW to SE swell

Mon, Jan 29

00: 100-130/14-20

06: 120-150/12-18

12: 130-160/15-22 near 28s/57 30e

18: 130-160/15-22

Weather: Isolated to scattered showers or squalls decreasing, becoming partly cloudy

Seas building to 8-12 ft SSW swell

Tue, Jan 30

00: 110-140/15-22

12: 100-130/ 9-16 near 31 30s/57 30e

Weather: Partly cloudy to fair

Seas 8-12 ft SSW swell

Wed, Jan 31

00: 090-120/ 4-9

12: 230-260/ 7-14 near 34 50s/58 10e

Weather: Fair to partly cloudy

Seas diminishing to 5-8 ft SW swell

Thu, Feb 1

00: 250-280/10-17

12: 140-170/10-17 near 36s/62 15e

Weather: Partly cloudy with chance of a few isolated showers

Seas builds to 6-10 ft SW swell at night

Fri, Feb 2

00: 150-180/10-17

12: 140-170/12-18 near 36 15s/66 20e

Weather: Partly cloudy

Seas build to 8-12 ft SW swell

Mauritius

We sailed into Port Louis sliding by a white old Chinese fishing boat in a late afternoon sky, dark and heavy with rain. Fishermen with long hair waved at us from behind the red Chinese characters written on the hull of their boat. I went for an early run on our first day here and it felt like being in India.
Beautiful graceful and fragile women were on their way to work in their saris and other traditional dresses of bright colors. The light fabrics were blowing
in the wind. A young Indian man was praying on a bench with his eyes closed and a girl was singing quietly but with an almost hurtful passion on the stairs of a cafe still closed. I did not understand the words but listened to her for a long time. The day was just starting. I felt speechless, like watching a silent movie.

We are planning to visit the Grapefruit garden with giant water lilies. Maybe we will go to the green mountains with waterfalls and peaks that look like cones and have strange edges, surprising for European eyes. Rain is a constant part of our lives. Being hot and wet doesn’t seem new anymore, I think I’ve gotten used to it.

Even back in this sometimes suffocating civilization, we stay connected with nature and use our knowledge of it. We drive on the roads in the dark and we know our way looking at the night sky. We are getting good at knowing the direction each constellation is pointing to. We followed the Southern cross to come back to the boat from the north of the island last night.

The change between being at sea and being in port seems too harsh to me. Our lives seem to go into the two extremes. Silence and only water and stars and sun and wind and clouds around us… and then, fancy shops and restaurants and busy people in the ports, surrounded by all the trash that come along with the creations of our consumer societies where so many things are for sale. We don’t even know the difference between what we need and what we want. I am torn in between these worlds and at moments I would like to close my eyes and escape if I could, go into a monastery… but I also get fooled by all the shiny lights, just like most of us do… Still, deep down, I know I prefer to be in touch with the light of a single star in the sky, like Venus, the first star at this time of the year on the Southern hemisphere, alone on the horizon, long before all other stars. It means more in its simplicity.

Location: 20° 20° 09.6 S 57° 29.8 E
Tuesday 12:00, 01.23.2007

From Port Louis, Mauritius

After a quick run down from the Seychelles, 950 miles in five days, we are moored at the Caudan Marina in Port Louis, Mauritius, at 20° 09.6 S 57° 29.8 E.

Mauritius is a handsome island, looking like Cape Town or Mahe on approach. Lots of tall buildings and the harbor approach is very industrial, but then opens up to a somewhat schizophrenic waterfront, Navy ships next to Chinese fishing boats next to grain elevators next to five star hotels and snappy waterfront restaurants and shops. We are mixed in with the latter.

The usual 40 different forms…

Clearance with Customs, Immigration, Health and Coast Guard was relatively quick and pleasant. The usual 40 different forms asking the same questions in tiny different ways, but all the officials were smiling, helpful and efficient. English is the official language, but all seem to speak French to each other. All the professionals I have met so far look South Asian, rather dark, and speak good English with a charming French accent.

Departure for Perth soon

We hope to refuel tomorrow and have minor engine problems looked at, and sightsee some. We are now about 3200 NM from Perth, though our trip there will probably cover more distance as we will probably head down to about 35 South to get on the south side of the High pressure. Departure for Perth on Thursday or Saturday. Hopefully.

All is well.

Another night, suspended in time

I just spent three hours under the starry sky, moments suspended in time filled with memories from the past and plans for the future. The purity, clarity and depth to be found at sea is amazing. I even seem to be awake in my sleep, connecting, understanding, searching, growing and longing for wisdom. In silence, I await my own thoughts to come to me, I introduce myself to myself and
we talk. There is no interference, no pollution, no distraction, just me in the universe. It is fascinating to get to know oneself.

A dear friend of mine asked me today to think of her when I see something beautiful. I was moved to read her wish and made me think of the onshore perspective. I’ve been already doing what she asked for. I do think of all of those I’ve known, loved and continue to love. I even think of people I thought I’d forgotten, but no, nothing seems to be lost. I see many beautiful things
like tonight’s sunset: a blue sky with white clouds growing yellow then orange and pink and purple on the sides with their form changing every second, shaped by the wind. I see white birds circling above the water and rainbows in the distance. I see clouds reflected on the surface. I see light shining through the waves and dolphins playing. There is more beauty here to embrace than can be
expressed. I’d like to find ways to share these moments with those I love… but many times, I don’t have a way to say it, but many of you, now reading these lines, are present with me on my journey… a rock in my pocket, a…

We are now 14 degrees South and 56 degrees East on the southern hemisphere sailing towards Mauritius on the west coast of Madagascar. It is fascinating how we’ve crossed oceans since we left Canada going down and up and left and right on the globe: what a different perspective this is on our planet, all of the sudden it seems to be at a human scale. I am learning new things every day,
challenging myself: I am learning carpentry and try to fix things that broke, learn to recognize new stars and cloud formations, run longer and longer in the bow while hanging on to a rope to be safe while I get soaked by oncoming waves (this was not the best idea because I got my ipod wet up there and it doesn’t work anymore) and I am challenging myself to retain myself from writing all the
time and try to think instead. Maybe some of these new practices will be fruitful, I certainly try to make the best of my time onboard. We’ll stay a couple of days in Mauritius, I’ll try to write next from there.

Location: 16° 21 S 56° 59 E
Monday 01.22.2007

The Schooner Maggie B was at 16° 21 S 56° 59 E at noon on January 22nd. We were under all plain sail, making 6.2 knots in nine knots of wind from the east. We have come 717 NM from the Seychelles and have 229 to go to Port Louis, Mauritius. The weather, both locally as well as in the rest of the Southern Indian Ocean, remains good. We should be in Port Louis by tomorrow afternoon.

Last night’s delights were celestial.

Owen and I sat up the first part of the evening watching Venus, our evening star, set with the two day old moon not far behind. Then during the night Saturn was pretty much overhead, watching our progress. Finally, when Hannah came on deck to relieve me at 0300, we admired Jupiter rising out of the eastern sky, looking like a locomotive headlight roaring right at us.

What we are reading:

I’m working on Conrad’s “Lord Jim,” the story of a merchant marine officer who panics and abandons his ship and its passengers thinking it was sinking (it doesn’t) and then later seeks redemption in the Far East and is killed. Owen is reading Jared Diamond’s “Collapse” about how nations fail. Hannah is reading “The Butter Box Babies” about a Nova Scotia institution which engaged in infanticide, baby selling and child abuse. And Bori is reading “101 Alternatives to Suicide.” (The Captain’s “spider sense” went to 100% alarm on hearing the title, but supposedly it is uplifting…). This may sound depressing, but we are also sharing Garrison Keilor’s Prairie Home Companion Comedy Theater, burning the CD’s into our iPods, and watching Monty Python and the Holy Grail and A Fish Called Wanda on DVD on the laptops. So giggles and guffaws are the Order of the Day.

Sunday and French Toast

Despite today being Monday here and in most of the rest of the world, we declared it Sunday so that we could start the day with French Toast (Pain Anglais for our French readers). Owen was at the controls in the galley and got an A+ for taste (Madagascar vanilla, cinnamon, and crushed cashews) but, alas, a D- for execution as most of the batter went into the reefer, spread over 30 days of supplies. But he got up, dusted himself off and got back in the saddle and the second round was a great success.

All is well.

Location: 12° 54 S 56° 34 E
Sunday, 01.21.2007

The Schooner Maggie B’s noon position on January 21 was 12° 54 S 56° 34 E, or about 500 miles south of the Seychelles, 400 miles east of Madagascar and 439 miles from Port Louis, Mauritius. We are headed south at 7.6 knots, blissfully, finally under all full sail as (temporarily) the easterly has filled in with the wind 080 true at 10-12.

The day is fine, but a little frustrating.

The wind will vary from 080 to 130, speed from five to 20 knots. One little rain shower will dump on us and bring wind, then a dry stretch, then another dump. We are aiming to get to Port Louis before 1800 on January 23 (the port is reportedly closed from 1800 each evening to 0600 the next day). That means we must average eight knots. Sometimes the wind is powering us at 10 knots, so the engine goes off, then it poops out and back on comes the Yanmar.

Today’s lunch was in special honor of the Seychelles.

Chicken coconut curry with rice and avocado salad. Loud Seychellois music on the Bose speakers. We almost danced, but the deck was moving too much. We are working on learning all the cool things our MaxSEA software can do. Owen is leading the pack. He has figured how to get it to make a good cup of espresso, I am working on the Latte sub-menu. Seriously, it has incredible functionality, but, being French, is not very approachable.

We are having the usual chafing challenges.

One is at the main throat halyard, where it rubs on the bolster that hold the stays on the mast. Owen showed his gymnastic abilities by scampering up the rope hoops along the main luff, as if they were proper ratlines or even a ladder. Photo to follow. The other serious operation of the day is iPod care and feeding. Getting them full of just the right music, podcast, poetry or book-on-tape, as well as fully charged, is almost a full time duty. Having something fun to keep you company on solo night watch is marvelous, as well as a good safety.

We have been followed by a lovely mature Long Tailed Tropic Bird or Paille en Cul (Straw up the Ass — these French!). Got a lovely photo. He tried to land on the main gaff peak. Good luck!

All is well.

Location: 9° 58.0 S, 56° 12.2 E
Saturday 12:00, 01.20.2007

The Schooner Maggie B was at 9° 58.0 S 56° 12.2 E at noon on January 20th. We are still motor sailing, headed due south for Port Louis, Mauritius, with the wind just about on our nose at five knots. It is a lovely day, with fluffy clouds and an almost flat ocean, with only a long SE’erly swell making up. We see dolphin from time to time, but they are always too busy to play with us. “Things to do, places to go.”

We have 615 miles to Port Louis, three and a half days at this speed.

Today was a big “ship work” day. Hannah sewed and fitted a storm cover for our deck box; Owen fixed the “See Me” active radar reflector (they have a cool web site), and sewed a Mauritius flag out of some scrap colored sailcloth we got in Lunenburg; Bori fixed and glued up two places wood has split in our skylight and the frame for the cover of the Reepicheep; Frank overhauled, brought out, put away and organized all our paper charts, and troubleshot a Yanmar oil pressure concern. Never a dull moment!

In yesterday’s post I mistakenly called Mauritius a overseas department of France. That is its neighbor, Reunion. Mauritius is, in fact, an independent country, attaining independence from Britain in 1968. It was Portuguese first (they ate all the dodos), then Dutch, then French, then English. There are 1.2 million inhabitants, mostly descendants of imported Indian laborers. A small minority of French descent form the wealthiest group. Joseph Conrad called Mauritius “the sugary pearl of the Indian Ocean.” For us it is a pit stop on our way to Australia.

The way hurricanes in the North Atlantic tend to recurve northeast and then north as they approach the US coast, typhoons in the Southern Indian Ocean tend to curve southeast and then south as they approach Madagascar. The islands of Reunion and Madagascar historically have acted like Giant Slalom ski gates for the turn to south and finally southwest. Are we concerned at being here now? You bet! But the storms form way to the north and east of us, and we are watching that area as closely as a Florida home generator salesman watches little lows off the coast of Africa in September. We get three different forecasts five days out. If something formed, we would have five days warning of the birth, and the storm would still be at least a week away, once developed. So we should have at least 12 days warning of any developments. In 12 days we can go 2000 miles, which is plenty of distance, even though we would be in the SW (danger) quadrant. Nevertheless, we are going to gas up as soon as we arrive and stay ready to leave (even without the blessing of Customs and Immigration) on the first notice of developing lows.

Idiot light?

Most sailboat engines just have an “idiot light” to indicate low oil pressure. The Maggie B has the most sophisticated panel that Yanmar sells for this engine, which includes an electronic oil pressure gauge as well as an idiot light. Right now the oil pressure gauge is reading very, very low, though the idiot light has not illuminated. Tough to troubleshoot. An urgent inquiry to the Halifax Yanmar dealer came back with the “advice” that the electronic gauges weren’t very accurate and should only be considered “advisory.” What does that mean in the middle of the ocean? I went all over the engine with a laser thermometer and found only normal temperatures, so we are declaring it a gauge error. If we can, we will get an old fashioned “steam” gauge installed in Port Louis in the oil system so that with just a bit of effort, we can check the accuracy of the electronic gauge.

Food continues to be top quality.

Lunch today was Hannah’s hard boiled egg and potato salad, with a fresh Seychelles avocado salad with Frank’s mustard vinaigrette dressing. Sides included Prochutto di Parma, Jarlesburg cheese and Hannah’s fresh baked biscuits. Served with a cold bottle of South African Sauvignon blanc. Dessert was apple and orange slices with Kit Kat chasers. Yum!

All is well.

On Watch, 3-6

So here we are outfitted and underway once more

Yippee ! Back in the routine of sea life.

I love to go to new countries and meet the locals and fellow sailors, but I find after a couple weeks, no matter how much I love the place, I start to feel like a fish out of water !

My watch is beautiful this morning.

There’s a nice, light, cool breeze coming from Madagascar and a gentle swell — perfect for rocking us to sleep. The sky looks like a black velvet sheet, spatter-dashed with millions of stars, minus the 8 that have gone shooting by overhead.

My watch is now over , and so I’ll leave it to Owen along with the rising sun…

Til next time,

Hannah

Location: 7° 00.5 S, 55° 49.1 E
Friday 12:00, 01.19.2007

The Schooner Maggie B was at 7° 00.5S 55° 49.1E at noon on January 19th. We are headed just about due south for Port Louis, Mauritius at eight knots, motor-sailing. We are scampering across the historical tracks of South Indian Typhoons during the season. The season is now, but winds are light and there is nothing happening at least in the five day forecasts. (I checked three different ones). We will be in Port Louis in four days at this speed, where we will refuel, buy a few fresh veggies and be off for Perth. Once we are about 200 miles (a day) south of Port Louis, we will be out of the zone.

We left Port Victoria, the Seychelles, more or less on time, at 1400 yesterday. We went 150 NM in the first 22 hours and have 795 to Port Louis.

We celebrate his life.

We heard today that my Father-in-law, the Honorable John Hooper passed away in California just about at the same time as we set sail. He was a lawyer and a diplomat. Husband, father and grandfather. Father-in-law to two lucky men and one lucky woman who are married to his two daughters and one of his sons.

He was indulgent enough to allow his eldest daughter, Margo, marry a 27 year old Navy Lieutenant, who found the “may I ask for your daughter’s hand” interview more scary than a mission over North Vietnam.

When a ship leaves the harbor, people ashore watching it go over the horizon will say “She is gone” when they can’t see her any more. But ahead, at the distant shore, there will be the happy cry of “Here she comes!”

Commander’s Weather Corporation
Tuesday, 01.16.2007

From: Commanders’ Weather Corporation, tel: 603-882-6789

Route: Mahe, Seychelles toward Mauritius to Perth/Fremantle, Australia

Depart: approx. 0600utc, Thu, Jan 18, 2007

Prepared: 1800UTC Tue, January 16, 2007

Summary:

Satellite shows a lot of cloud cover and convection extending from 10N-10S between the Maldives/Chagos Islands area westward - just moving into the Seychelles.

• Light winds being reported at the Mahe airport currently, with some light showers in the area.
• NW-N-NE of Mahe, there have been W-NW winds of 20-50kts in thunderstorms.

The warmest sea surface temperatures in the SW Indian Ocean can be found E of 60E and between 5-15S

• The forecast models hint at some type of tropical low trying to organize just to the NE of Mahe over this next week but never allow the weak circulation to develop
• We’ll continue to follow any possibly tropical activity in this region

Strong high pressure is currently found centered over the S Indian Ocean, near 35S/80E

• mainly E trade winds are seen along the N edge of this circulation to 10S
• with more light and variable winds between 10S and the equator, in regions without thunderstorm activity
• think you will have a fairly light trip, interspersed with a chance of some thunderstorms

As you move toward Mauritius later this week, a strong low pressure area is forecast to slide SE into the far S Indian Ocean around 80E

• The cold front associated with this low is expected to stretch from S Madagascar to the SE near 45S/80E by 12utc on the 18th
• During the weekend, this frontal boundary will slowly push the SIndian Ocean high pressure to the E and weaken it

On Sunday, another strong low will slide E across the far S Indian Ocean dragging another frontal boundary from Mauritius Island toward the SE, near 40S/80E

• Low pressure areas and tropical lows can form and travel SE along these type of frontal boundaries as the boundaries slide E across the S Indian Ocean
• Currently, there are no such lows forecast in the short -medium range time period but we’ll keep watching.

Routing

Generally S toward Mauritius

• Routed you at about 170-180 nm/day in some gusty thunderstorm conditions then lighter winds S of 10S

Wind Forecasts

Wind direction TRUE, speed in kts, time is UTC

Wed, Jan 17

00: 290-320/ 10-20

12: 280-310/ 12-20 gusts/squalls to 30

Weather: Variably cloudy with scattered showers and thunderstorms.

Seas: mainly 2-4 ft, could become choppy and confused in any thunderstorms

Thu, Jan 18

00: 270-300/ 10-18

06: 280-310/ 10-20 gusts/squalls to 30

Approx. departure

12: 290-320/ 10-20, gusts 30-35

18: 260-310/12-20

Weather: variably cloudy with isolated showers and thunderstorms

Seas mainly 3-6ft, could become choppy and confused in any thunderstorms

Fri, Jan 19

00: light and variable to 250-300/5-12

06: 240-280/6-12 some gusts 20

12: 200-240/ 5-12 some gusts 20

nr 7 50S/56E

18: light and variable

Weather: variably cloudy with isolated showers and thunderstorms

Seas mainly 3-6ft, could become choppy and confused in any thunderstorms

Sat, Jan 20

00: light and variable to 050-090/5-10

12: becoming 050-090/5-12

nr 10 50S/ 56E

Weather: Variably cloudy with chc isolated showers and thunderstorms. Some gusts to 25-30kts in any thunderstorms.

Seas mainly 3-6ft, could become choppy and confused in any thunderstorms

Sun, Jan 21

00: 040-080/ 6-14

12: 050-090/ 7-15

nr 13 50S/56 30E

Weather: Variably cloudy with increased chc showers and thunderstorms. Some gusts to 25-30kts in any
thunderstorms.

Seas mainly 3-6ft, could become choppy and confused in any thunderstorms

Mon, Jan 22

00: 050-080/ 6-15

12: 040-070/ 10-17

nr 16 50S/56 50E

Weather: Variably to mostly cloudy with scattered showers/thunderstorms. Some gusts to 25-30kts in any
thunderstorms.

Seas mainly 3-6ft, could become choppy and confused in any thunderstorms

Tue, Jan 23

00: 020-050/ 5-12

12: 030-060/ 7-15

nr Mauritius

Weather: Variably to mostly cloudy with scattered showers/thunderstorms. Some gusts to 25-30kts in any
thunderstorms.

Seas mainly 3-6ft, could become choppy and confused in any thunderstorms

Curieuse Island
January 14, 2007

Back to nature

It’s been a long time I haven’t written into my blog, but here I am again. Christmas is over and we have entered into a new year. It was wonderful to be home with my family over the holidays. We only had one snowy day in Hungary so it didn’t feel so much like Christmas based on the weather but the warmth coming from the love in our hearts was surely there. We were especially numerous this Christmas and I feel more connected to my family now. It feels good to go home, it reminds me of where things start.

So, now, here we are back on the water floating by Curieuse Island in the Seychelles. It is almost midnight and the stars are bright in the night sky and our boat gently rocks on the waves. I don’t really want to sleep, the sky is so beautiful, you just can’t see this from a city. Being on the water enveloped by the starry sky with occasional shooting stars is breathtaking. It often brings tears to my eyes. I feel connected to something greater and timeless.

We saw a hawksbill turtle her lay eggs on the beach today and many other turtles grazing on grass all day long. I snorkeled with a baby green turtle and schools of bright yellow and blue fish. We found shiny red seeds in the forest as we hiked the hills on the island and delicate white and purple shells in the sand: we are going to make necklaces while at sea. We are about to undertake an approximately 30-day journey to Australia.

In two days, on January 16th, we are going to celebrate the Maggie B’s first anniversary. We are planning to bake a boat-shaped cake and maple leaf molasses cookies. We will have many friends with us, just like on the launch party. Then, we’ll take a deep breath and do the final checks and buy the rest of provisions and say farewell to our new friends and set sail towards a new continent, the land of koalas and kangaroos.

Happy Birthday, Maggie B
Monday 01.16.2007

Outward bound, one year later…

The Blue Peter is the signal flag “P” which is blue with a white center square. It means “Outward Bound.” Ships in the old days hoisted the Blue Peter when they were ready to sail, so all ashore would know. The Second Mate would then go by the jail, bars, and the red light district to gather the crew. Of course, the crew of the Maggie B are all present, clean and sober.

Last night was epic.

It was the Maggie B’s first anniversary. She was launched in a snowstorm on January 16, 2006 in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. No snow in the Seychelles! Bori baked a cake and decorated it with a schooner, Hannah baked delicious cookies, many shaped as Maple Leafs in honor of the Nova Scotian birth. We invited yachtie friends, Seychellian friends and all our French friends, and made new friends that night. At one point I counted 35 people visible from the cockpit and was sure I missed some. We had 11 dinghies tied up, looking rather like a nursing sow with piglets. I’m glad that the Coast Guard didn’t check us, but if they came by, they probably would have joined the party. We had a half case of very nice South African champagne saved for justsuch an emergency. It disappeared even before we got to lighting the one candle on the cake.

South for the Westerlies

The game plan is to head south to pick up the Westerlies on the south side of the South Indian Ocean High. It should take us to about 35 South. The Commanders Weather briefing will be posted on the web site. In general we will have light (10-15 knot) easterly winds for much of the way. Mauritius is about 850 NM away, south and a little east, and we are going to head in that direction because it is about 4200 NM to Perth and we have about 1200 NM of fuel for motoring. If, as I suspect, we will have to motor a fair amount between here and Mauritius, we will stop for a pit stop there. Since it is a French Overseas Territory, they supposedly have good cheese.

Checking out of the Seychelles was relatively easy — two hours and about $300 in fees for the two months we were here, which seems fair for the marvelous time we had.

We are off tonight for a last meal at our favorite restaurant, Le Perle Noir, the Black Pearl, also the name of a famous ship. Then 4000 Rupees of food arrives from the wholesaler at 0830, then top up our diesel and water, and, after a check by the Coast Guard, we are off for Australia!

All is well.

Location: 4° 17.3 S, 55° 44.0 E
Sunday 01.14.2007

Return to Isle Curieuse

The Schooner Maggie B is on the move again, but not too far. This weekend we are back on Isle Curieuse at 4° 17.3S 55° 44.0E. Curieuse (named for a French Naval ship) is marvelously full of tortoises and has many perfect beaches. We left Mahe for the weekend, planning to return tomorrow, Monday, morning, and hopefully be off for Australia before the end of the week.

We had a very successful Friday in Mahe, which included filling up on diesel and water. Those of you used to pulling in to a marina and saying “fill her up!” have no idea of the complications of getting fuel and water around the world. First was a serious negotiation with the Marine Charter Association as to whether they would sell us diesel at all. Then a three hour wait for the right bit of the float to open up. Then spinning the Maggie B (in front of the lunch crowd of professionals) in a space with at least a foot to spare in any direction with only 10 knots of wind. Then an hour to get the 1053 liters. Did I mention paying in cash? Also negotiating with a fishing boat to “borrow” their water. But, to be fair, the price was very reasonable at about six SR a liter or $2.26 a gallon, if you exchange your crisp $100’s on the “informal” market.

When we arrived at Curieuse (about 20 NM run), we dived on the boat to admire our handywork of December, expecting to see a perfectly clean hull. The hull was actually looking pretty good, but the prop, which had been totally shiny when we relaunched in December, was completely covered with barnacles. We then fully understood the remark that someone had made in the Yacht Club that one skipper had dived and put a plastic bag over their prop when they left their boat over the holidays.

But I had carried out a new secret weapon (and somehow got it through the TSA and Seychelles Customs): a hookah! You should have seen my son Alden’s face in Chicago when I said I’d bought a hookah. This one is an electric air pump that plugs into the Maggie B’s 110 volt AC, and supplies air to a mouthpiece at the end of a 60 foot tube. See The Air Line. It enabled me to slide down to the prop with a paint scraper and wire brush and get it all sorted out in about 20 minutes. The system worked marvelously and seemed to particularly fascinate the fish, especially a very serious six foot barracuda, which really wanted to slide in and get a close look, though a poke in the nose by the wire brush dissuaded it somewhat.

Owen proved that he will be a fine shipmate, standing tall on the shoulders of the Maggie B’s great Maritime Mechanics, Max and Bart (of earlier legs). He was able to replace the salinity probe in our watermaker in less than an hour despite its being positioned in a place a little harder to get at than the transmission of a 1954 Austin Healey. Tomorrow we are going to (try to) replace the impeller of the Yanmar. It hasn’t broken (as far as we know) but it has been spinning its heart out for 640 hours, which is probably plenty. The generator’s impeller destructed after 400 hours.

All is well.

On Board Again,
Monday 01.08.2007

The Schooner Maggie B is now re-crewed in Port Victoria! Frank, Bori, Hannah and Owen all made it to Port Victoria safe and sound and more or less on time. Everybody’s bags got through the gauntlet of the TSA, baggage handlers in Halifax, Dulles, Chicago, Budapest, London, Paris and here. The TSA opened Owen’s bag to check the pine tar, but probably they decided that anything that smelled that strong had to be good for you, and allowed it to pass.

The two anchors and the mooring lines will take us a week to sort out. A Gordian Knot (sp?). The boat only has a few minor dings. We were lucky to have good folks watching her while we were gone.

We’re unpacking today, and sleeping. Tomorrow we’ll start loading and sorting and stowing. The weather is cloudy and rainy, on and off, and forecast to continue the same.

Owen started his Seychelles experience right with octopus curry for lunch. He took some of the hot sauce, even though warned by his shipmates. Steam came from his ears, which was fun to watch.

All is well.

Back to Port Victoria,
Sunday 01.07.2007

It is going to be interesting to see if it is as hard to return to the Maggie B as it was to get back to “civilization” from the Seychelles. The Seychelles are wonderful, but they are a looooong ways away. From Port Victoria to Chicago, it is 11 time zones, 19 hours of flying time and a 15 hour lay-over in Paris (no hardship).

Today we are all converging from all over for the leg into the Seychelles. Frank to Paris from Chicago, Bori to Paris from Budapest, Hannah to London from Halifax and Owen to London from Baltimore. In theory we all arrive in Port Victoria within a few hours. We’ll see. Going out our bags ended up just about everywhere but where we were.

The difficulties readjusting to home were not only 11 time zones, but also being used to the watch system: sleeping for a few hours, standing your watch, boat work, a little nap, watch, some more sleep, boat work, etc. Not “go to bed at midnight and wake up at 8 AM.” Also, a Captain’s skill is to hear new noises and sense a change of wind or direction of the waves. Not necessarily a useful skill if you live on State Street in Chicago, right around the corner from a dozen Irish Bars.

Federal Express and UPS had a real ball with the Blair house. Not only was there the Christmas Rush, but then there was all the new gear and supplies. Getting the right toilet repair kit was exciting! I seriously hope that the Transportation Security Agency didn’t get too interested in my bags: lots of different epoxies; touch up paint for the hull; an air compressor so we can work on the hull and dive down to 60 feet from the pump; specialty hoses; etc., etc. We’ll see what the reaction of Seychelles Customs will be. Owen is bringing out some pine tar to seal some spots on the deck. I bet the TSA spotted that — can’t hide the smell! He said his girlfriend was eager to get it out of the house.

We hope that we will find the Maggie B in the same shape as we left it. There had been some high winds and she dragged a bit, so our friends had to put together a new mooring, as well as tossing out our anchors. I think that she was missing us and went looking for her crew.

It is hard to leave family and friends, but I am very excited about this next leg to Australia. More about the planning for that later.

On a personal note, when I went home in September, I had knee surgery, which has left me with a bit of a limp. When I was home for Christmas, a routine physical spotted a small but inconvenient cancer on the inside of my eye (all cut out and OK). Now I have a limp and an eye patch. I fear getting a hook for a hand on my next trip home….

All is well.