TOLIARA TO RICHARDS BAY. South Africa 6th November

We left Toliara on the Madagascar West coast on Thursday 1st November and headed out into steep 4m seas and wind waves of about a meter, with about 25 to 30 knots of wind on the nose! It was nasty...need I say more. These conditions prevailed for about the next 48 hours. 

Mud brick making. After sun drying they are baked as in left of picture

Toliara was a great bolt hole and we were glad to be there during the worst of some of the worst weather seen in this part of the world for about 5 or 6 years. Its been a long haul from La Reunion. We departed there on the 12th of October!

Typical Street scene in Toliara.

Madagascar experience was certainly interesting. Somewhat challenging and frustrating but with some real gems thrown in. The anchorage is good holding in the basin north of the pier but we were advised to come to the pier for security. Apparently there was an incident or two in the past year or two where some theft occurred. It can get pretty bumpy in the 20+knots of sea breeze which often springs up in the afternoon for several hours. 

Taipan and Matajusi tied to Brest at Toliara

The boat we were tied to on the big pier, BREST, was managed by her engineer, a malagssy, named Hubert Ramanandray. He was a great guy, spoke good English and ran a clean tidy boat. They fish the southern ocean down around Kerguellan for the Japanese owners. It didn't even smell like a fishing boat! His crew were very courteous and everyone on the dock was extremely helpful, all pitching in to help with extra lines or fenders when the wind picked up causing quite some excitement aboard the three yachts. Matajusi Brazilian, and Promesa Canadian. Promesa was tied to a tug behind us and had to move to let the tug out once. When they came back to the boat later... the tug was back inside them and their boat all snug and well. How did they do that?? We will have a few tyre marks to clean off the hull but its a small price to pay for the hospitality and security. 

Our Taxi Driver was Jose. (0348501242 0320797008 0324527431 I think there are so many because he lends a SIM card to you when you meet him and gets to use up the left over credit. Which is great!) Jose is a young ambitious man with a very old jalopy. I think it was once a Peugot? Now it hasn't any suspension, brakes are dodgy and tyers are bald, air-conditioning...was it invented then?? Did I mention the exhaust fumes?? Anyway his fares were reasonable and he was a good resource and great worker. Jose carted water and fuel for us right to the boat...down from the concrete pier, across the big fishing boat and onto the deck. 

These bullocks were later seen harnessed to the plough.

We did use "security guards"? Vincent and friend. We paid them roughly US$5 per boat per day. They allegedly "watched" for mafia...but towards the end they wanted to be paid AND go home for the night! Well Vincent had 7 wives and 17 children so I guess he needed the extra money. He also spoke excellent English and was very helpful. 

Inland these huts were the dominant form of housing.

It cost about US$40 per boat check in and out was free.

The land travel was worth the effort (US$50 per couple for car and driver...2 couples.) but I would recommend a different car for the 200km each way trip to the Isolo National Park! His driving was pretty ok within the limitations of the vehicle but he put it in angel gear on every down hill run and several times we must have hit 150km!! well it felt like it!! Our accommodation at Ramahira was clean and comfortable at US20 for a double room. Meals were extra.

These boys were too busy to come to ask for money!

The Bo Beach Bar is a great restaurant / pick up joint / bar on the waterfront in Toliara, where we whiled away the hours using the free wifi and eating awesome food. It was a well run clean and tidy place with fun staff and good prices. US$5 each for a good meal. 

I was able to purchase a SIM for the Ipad for a reasonable price so also had internet aboard. 

We are now about 100Nm from Richards Bay, on the South East Coast of South Africa. About 80 nm north of Durban. We expect to arrive this evening some time. Seas are low and wind is 10kn from the South. We are motor sailing at 6.5 knots hoping to get some of the positive effect of the legendary Aghulas Current which we have thus far only experienced as a negative current of up to 3 knots for the past 48 hours.! 

So that's it for now from the Mozambique Channel 
Madagascar 

TOLIARA MADAGASCAR 29th October

Arrived into the town of  Toliara   23 22S   43 39E on the south west coast of Madagascar on Thursday 25thOctober after making our escape from Minorodo Bay 140NM further south. It got very rough in there and was predicted to get worse. Only two of the 7 boats left.. Taipan and a Brazilian boat. The rest have had an appalling time one boat was forced to leave because their anchor wouldn't hold and the others have been breaking gear and re anchoring constantly. Some are now trying to get to us, and others crossed the Mozambique Channel to the northern Mozambique anchorage at Ihnambane. Glad we left when we did!! 

This place is hell poor! Hardly any vehicles, dark skins and carts pulled by men for transport or bikes or bullock carts. They are real  beggars if you get out of the car so it is hard to get photos  except out the window at speed!!

 
Went up to Ilosa national park inside the country to see Lemur. Native to Madagascar only. Interesting country. Sandstone and bare. Lots of poor poor villages made of sticks. They all look healthy and fit though.

We stayed the night in small stone bungalows just outside the Park and it was cheep and cheerfully good bed shower and food. What more do you need. Lemurs were interesting... Bit like possums, with longer tails!

Hope to get something approximating a decent weather window to allow us to head to Mozambique on Monday or Tuesday. 

Some boats have been caught out there and have had a hell time. Knock downs, broken gear and very unpleasant not to mention...frightening! We will try to hop down the coast of Mozambique when the weather is reasonable, thus taking longer but not getting flogged hopefully! It's a bit like the south east coast of Australia....around from Melbourne.. Weather prediction is difficult due to the land mass of SA. So forecasting is only good for a couple of days.. Outside that it can change from the forecast dramatically  anyway enough weather!!

We are getting fuel and water here and in emergency we can restart the water maker. It is only 450nm to cross to Mozambique from here so only 3 days. Much more manageable. Other boats are now leaving Reunion with our course in mind to save themselves being caught in the sudden changes of forecast on on 12 to 14 day passage direct to SA.

No its a fluke...its a camelion.

Ilosa National Park

Photos from Madagascar

TOLIARA MADAGASCAR 26th October

 23 22S 43 39E

Baraka in the anchorage at Minorodo. Begging in canoes

Minorodo 25 14 S  44 20E  was  a good stop but 5 days of constant canoes visiting to get stuff was enough. They only wanted to barter for a little while.. Then they just wanted hand outs. We ran out of nearly everything. The watermaker decided to quit too, with a failed bearing in the feed pump. So we are water challenged as well. Fuel! We decided we would like some more incase we get lucky and have to motor all the way accross the Mozambique channel! There were 7 yachts including Taipan sheltering when we finally decided to leave for all those reasons.

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We did get some good lobster and I bartered for one of their paddles which is a nice thing. The weather was getting stronger and the anchorage in south to south West is not very good shelter because the reef covers on high tide so the sea comes over if it's big.

Giant Painted Cray.

On Wednesday we abandoned the anchorage at Minorodo and headed north 140nm to Toliara. On the Madagascar coast. It was another boisterous sail but only 24 hours and we were back inside with a lot more shelter.  

Now it's Friday and we are securely tied up to a large fishing boat with our friends on Matajusi, Brazilians, tied to us. We have a 24 hour watchman for about 10$ per day and we plan to go to the Isalo National Park tomorrow for a night and 2 days. We have to wait for the weather to improve before we are prepared to move further west towards Mozambique.  We will go west then try to hop down the coast in shorter legs in settled weather when the opportunity presents

Boats out on passage between Reunion and Richards Bay are having an atrocious time. Knock downs and damage. Not to even mention the discomfort and stress! The opportunities to enter the coastal ports on Africa without strong conditions have been very limited.

Very glad we took the option to sit it out at Madagascar.

More news in a few days when we have had our inland adventure!

This is a typical coastal trader. NO engine!

SOUTH OF MADAGASCAR. 17th October

Well it has been eventful, despite a leisurely start on Friday 12th. We left after lunch in the wake of Contrails and Priscilla, all heading for Richards Bay. Our plan to go straight to Durban aborted shortly before take off when we saw a front heading in that direction. 

Contrails, reefed down in rough conditions south of Madagascar.

Friday Saturday and Sunday were slow. Sailing predominantly but only making 120Nm per day. Communication with Peri Peri Net each day on HF was indicating that a diversion via the south coast of Madagascar might be a good idea. 

Monday mid-day we diverted. There were heavy winds forecast but we expected to be too slow to get there and would therefore avoid them. As it turned out we were eventually picked up by steadily increasing Northerly winds and by the time we closed the coast we had traveled 300nm in 41 hours. Winds got to 30 to 35 knots and it was not uncommon to see 13+kn on the plotter as we skewed, barely under control, down the big following wave faces. Adrenalin pumping stuff we could have done without!.

The wind and sea built after dark and you know......they always say if something goes wrong ...it often has a domino effect. Well it did! Shortly after dark we had a wind shift and being in very close company... less than a mile from each other.... it turned pretty nerve wracking! Our wind instrument decided at this point to prove itself totally useless in every respect. 

We knew it was under reading because the evening before we had been running wild in 18 to 20 knots of wind with a full main and furler out only to find the other boats were seeing 25 to 30! No wonder it was fearsome! so having done the reefs and got that sorted we thought it was just the speed that was wrong. 

However when the wind shifted last night and we were unable to determine its direction, it took 4 or 5 accidental jibes in big seas at speed to discover it was completely lying about everything!!! 

Fortunately we had two very strong preventers deployed and they saved us from major damage. We only broke the vang block at the mast base which was lucky! Rattled our nerves and got us wet! Both the other boats were also struggling with their auto pilot and in close proximity to each other. We managed to get ourselves 3 to 4 miles clearance but our auto pilots both decided it was too hard!! We took turns to hand steer while the other secured preventers, and tried to control the jibes. 

The pilot problems were setting related but the manuals are not designed to be read in poor light in a wet cockpit whilst out of control! You first need a degree in Auto Pilot Manuals and Interpretation! 

Fortunately we managed to reprogram the older one (its manual being easier to interpret) and it eventually, happily took up its position on the helm again, freeing us both to concentrate on the myriad tangle of ropes we had now accumulated and knotted together in the cockpit. It was looking like a 1800s knitting work house.. only wetter.

By dawn today it was calm!!! Fickle wind! Now we are rinsing all the salt soaked stuff, repairing block, hoisting main again, making bread, cleaning up generally and best of all WHALE SPOTTING!!!! yeehaa! There are whales everywhere. breaching slapping and slipping under out keel..... 

Funny how you forget the bad bits!!! 

We heard this morning that the front on the African Coast will be crossing and making the approach to Richards Bay impossible until after Monday at least so we are heading to the South West corner of Madagascar to anchor and wait......so tune in for our next adventure!!!

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