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Published: October 15th 2008
Cleone
A view of Cleone from above. Compliments of Google Earth. For more photos, click here: [url=http://flickr.com/photos/alexarmitage/sets/] Flickr Photo Page [/url] Arrival in Mauritius
Oct. 14, 2008 Port Luis, Mauritius
Norfy woke me at 12 a.m. Well, almost 12. a.m..
"Alex. You're up. 10 minutes to 12. Tea will be ready in a few minutes," Norfy said.
I was awake, but barely. We were 8 miles east of Mauritius. Skipper James had asked that I wake him with 5 miles to go to our last waypoint, which was effectively the final approach to Mauritius. Norfy was off to bed and another 30 minutes or so and James was awake. I spent the next 2 hours at the chart table plotting our positions, while James was at the helm. It was dark and we sailed through a few squalls and storm cells so visibility was minimal at times.
"I left rainy and cold England, and THIS is what the Southern Indian ocean offers me," I thought to myself. The past 2,500 miles from Cocos Keeling to Mauritius offered up some of the biggest swells that James and Norfy had seen in their round-the-world tour. We had about three days where it didn't stop raining and in those conditions it's next to impossible to dry out. Frankly, those conditions and the lack of sleep had me exhausted and ready for some land.
At least I was inside, while James was in the rain on the last few miles of this passage. "Poor guy," I said aloud from the comfort of the cabin. I'm sure Norfy, who was sound asleep, was thinking from the comfort of his bunk: "Poor guys."
We made our way around the Northern tip of Mauritius and some of markers and buoy lights began to come into view. The rain eased up and eventually it stopped. We slowly made our way into Port Luis and followed a Coast Guard dinghy into the customs and immigration dock.
It was 3 a.m. and the immigration office didn't open until 8 a.m.
Off to bed at last. And this time, without the rocking and rolling. I can't wait to rest and then see what Mauritius offers.
For more photos, click here:
Flickr Photo Page
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Sarah
non-member comment
AMAZING!
Hi Alex! I have just caught up on the last few messages, and I am so jealous! Your descriptions are fantastic, and you often make me laugh out loud. I can't wait to see tons of photos, and to see you again. Stay safe, dry, and have a ton of fun for all of us who are stuck on dry land!