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October 31, 2023

Reunion

We enjoyed our time in the Caudan Basin of Port Louis, Mauritius. There are ample shopping opportunities and a nice market within walking distance. Before we left Mauritius, we headed over to the nearby boat yard in Port Louis, where Leviathan was hauled out (lifted out of the water on slings) in order to service the saildrives and clean the bottom of the hulls. In short time, we were back in the water heading to the customs dock where we checked out with customs and immigration and set off for our next destination: Reunion Island, less than a day’s sail to the west.

Just as Hawaii is part of the United States, Reunion, having resisted the siren song of independent rule, is part of France. I must commend the French: they know how to pick their islands. Reunion is mountainous, verdant, and positively beautiful. It is also quite densely populated but well laid out and very French. We found excellent restaurants, shopping malls, and bakeries (of course); all of this “civilization” comes with a hefty price tag. Our mileage per dollar here is pretty small compared to our recent shopping experiences in the past several months.

The rally fleet has tied up in the creatively named Le Port marina. The chief drawback of Reunion for the cruising sailor is the lack of protected anchorages. We much prefer anchoring in an idyllic sandy harbor to mooring on the cement walls that are now our temporary home. The one big advantage of our urban setting is the availability of power and fresh water. Shortly after our arrival, we were welcomed to the island by the local mayor who presided over a brief ceremony followed by drinks and hors d’oeuvres. One thing that we really like about Reunion is that it is very dog friendly, so Jake and Pogo will be able to go for walks on land (finally)!

The following day, we took a bus tour to the south of the island where we visited Piton de la Fornaise (“peak of the furnace”) which is one of the most active volcanos in the world, although it was quiescent on the day we visited. One striking thing about the island is the incredible biodiversity both coastal and inland. The island is a mecca for ecotourism and is a very popular tourist destination for Europeans. One final bit of trivia: Reunion has a reputation for being quite dangerous for swimmers due to aggressive sharks (although there have not been any reported attacks for the last 5 years). Apparently, there is a “shark highway” between Australia and South Africa, and Reunion is a popular stop for these apex predators.

We are now beginning to plan for the next leg of our journey, a passage of some 1400 nautical miles to Richards Bay, South Africa, arguably the most challenging of the entire trip due to swift currents and frequent storms.

October 15, 2023

More Mauritius

Okay, pop quiz! Name the most famous former resident of Mauritius. The answer is: the dodo bird. If you are my age, you probably learned about the dodo in school. The dodo is famous because it is an example of a recently (400 years or so ago) extinct animal. The dodo, which was endemic to Mauritius, was large, flightless, and had no natural predators and was therefore easy to catch (and thus seemed slow-witted). When I was a kid, we commonly referred to people we thought were dumb as “dodos.” I don’t think that term remains in common parlance. Anyway, I can assure the reader that the dodo lives on in Mauritius. Every gift shop contains every conceivable depiction of the dodo in every medium.

After a nice stay in Turtle Bay, we moved to Grand Bay which we found to be the antithesis of our former anchorage. The entrance to the bay is quite shallow, but we made our way in safely between the reefs and discovered a massive harbor filled with hundreds of yachts of all types. The shoreline was replete with beautiful villas, resorts, restaurants, and bars. We took our dinghy to shore and encountered a European-styled vacation mecca. The place was packed with tourists, and we wondered where do all the people come from? So, we googled it and found that the French are by far the most frequent visitors, followed by India, Germany, and South Africa.

Ultimately, we returned to Port Louis, where we tied up in the Caudan Marina. The adjacent waterfront area was recently renovated and now is full of duty-free shops and restaurants. It is really quite nice. We will now reunite with the rest of our rally fleet who should start arriving over then next several days. Our dog-enforced exile from the rally is now over, and we should be able to travel with the group for the remainder of the journey.

October 10, 2023

Mauritius

We arrived in Port Louis, Mauritius yesterday. This is the busiest port we have encountered since the Panama Canal. We weaved through giant tankers to enter the port (after receiving permission from Harbor Control). We spotted our old friend Black Rhino (supply ship for Rodriguez Island) as we approached the customs dock. Even though we already completed formalities on Rodriguez Island (which you may recall is part of Mauritius) we had to repeat the lengthy and redundant process here. The officials were friendly, so the process was painless, and once all our papers were stamped, we left Port Louis and anchored in nearby Turtle Bay. We were the only private yacht in this small harbor which hosts several five-star resorts. Today, we took the dinghy to shore and enjoyed lunch at one of the resorts. The buffet was quite impressive, but, in truth, our chef on Leviathan is vastly superior. Still it is very relaxing to sit on the veranda and chill.

Tomorrow we plan to do some paddleboarding and snorkeling.

October 6, 2023

Practice Makes Perfect

Rodriquez Island is a member of the so-called Mascarene Islands group which also includes Mauritius and Reunion Island. As mentioned previously, Rodriguez “belongs” to Mauritius (while Reunion is a region of France), and due to its small size, its economy is highly dependent on its parent. To wit, a 100m cargo ship named the Black Rhino visits every nine or ten days to unload cases of beer and other necessary items. The Rhino stays for 2-3 days and then departs to resupply in Mauritius. The inner harbor of Port Mathurin can only accommodate a half-dozen sailing yachts, and all of these vessels must depart and anchor in the outer harbor (which is unprotected, wavy, and uncomfortable) to make room for the Rhino’s entry. Once the Rhino is settled on the quay, the yachts can cycle back in and re-anchor. The process is repeated when the Rhino leaves. As a result, we have gotten quite a bit of practice anchoring in tight quarters in heavy wind and current! I must admit that we are getting better, although we are certainly not experts. We rely on “marriage-savers” for these maneuvers. What are marriage-savers, you ask? Well, the stereotypical situation of a couple anchoring a sailboat involves much yelling and cursing. Although quite entertaining for the neighbors, we avoid this spectacle by communicating with two-way headsets. It is quite civilized and effective.

Rodriguez is quintessentially French, and the island reminds us of Martinique in the Caribbean. The degree of French-ness of an island can be accurately measured by one metric: the baguette. On a French island, this simple carbohydrate is ubiquitous, essential, and very cheap (about 25 cents).

We have gained a vast experience with open markets (i.e., farmers’ markets) during our travels. The markets run the entire gamut from the equivalent of Knockturn Alley (the evil shopping district from Harry Potter) to Diagon Alley (the good street). Indonesia was Knockturn Alley; dark, dirty, and smelly (durian fruit smells like rotting flesh). The market here in Port Mathurin is like Diagon Alley, and is one of the best we have visited yet. We stocked up on loads of fresh fruit and vegetables, and we will enjoy them while they last.

We plan to sail to Mauritius tomorrow. We should be able to cover the 300nm in a day-and-a-half.

October 2, 2023

Rodriguez Island

Instead of traveling all the way to Mauritius, we elected to make a pit stop at Rodriguez Island which lies 300 miles or so to the east of our target destination. I’ll confess: we were tired, and we wanted to drop an anchor and take a break from the journey. We arrived after just over 15 days at sea and anchored in the outer harbor in the dark surrounded by treacherous reefs. It is always interesting to wake up the first morning in a new anchorage and see where we actually are (like after a rough night in Vegas). When we arrive by night, we are completely dependent on the nautical charts which are not always accurate. Today, it is quite sobering to see the razor-sharp reefs a few boat lengths away from us.

After communicating with the port officials, we received permission to enter the inner harbor where we tied off to the cement wharf and proceeded with entry formalities. Although barraged with redundant paperwork, we completed the requirements, left the wharf, and re-anchored in the inner harbor. We were impressed by the kindness of all the officials and the locals. We are guilty of making snap judgments about new countries and cultures that we encounter, and our initial impression of Rodriguez is very favorable.

Rodriguez technically belongs to Mauritius, but it is governed autonomously. Like most of the islands we have encountered recently, it is volcanic in origin and surrounded by coral reefs. Of late, it has become a popular regional tourist destination. We are anxious to explore the island tomorrow. Today, we are still worn out from the trip.

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