March 31, 2011-Blue Peter Flys Again

wingssail images-fredrick roswold
Ready to Depart


Wings is tugging at the dock lines and a fresh breeze is blowing. The flags are standing out straight. The sky is blue. The tide is high. It’s a good time to set sail.

Yet again we are about to depart for Africa. At 11:00 today we will stow the dingy and the awnings, say our goodbyes, make our numbers with the port, slip the lines and take a course for Reunion Island on the way to South Africa.

Less than one year ago we set out with a similar plan in mind but after reaching Sumatra we turned back; we got caught up short. A period of crisis followed, crisis of confidence and direction, leaving us set aback, stopped, and lost. But the lost period didn’t last. We adjusted, we signed on crew, and we set out again.

Again we got caught up short and we fetched onto the island of Mauritius. A planned five day stay turned into five months. This time it we needed to make some repairs and our beloved crew member Pierre, couldn’t wait. But those trials, too, passed.

Now with new crew and a fixed up boat we’ll go again. This time, we have no doubt; we’ll make it to Africa.

We have a date to see the lions there.

Fred & Judy, SV Wings. Mauritius

March 19, 2011-Paul Sungalle

wingssail images-judy jensen
Paul

Back in November, when my new refrigerator didn’t work, I called for a local refrigeration expert to help out. A man named Paul Sungalle showed up with gauges and a bottle of R34 and a good attitude and, together, he and I worked on the problem. It was tricky but Paul was a smart guy, a problem solver, and a good worker. We fixed the refrigerator. When my alternator failed I called for a local electrician to help out. Paul Sungalle showed up for that one too, and again he proved to be a smart problem solver and a good worker and we fixed the alternator.

Later, when Paul was fixing another boat’s windlass, he asked me for my opinion and I shared my windlass experience with him and then went with him aboard that other boat and together we solved the windlass problem.

Over the weeks and months, as we fixed the problems on Wings and other nearby boats, Paul Sungalle became a good friend.

Often we would meet in the parking lot and he was always happy to stop and chat about any subject, boat problem or world problem. He had broad experience and expertise and curiosity and an open mind about everything. Our conversations were pleasant.

Paul Sungalle died this last weekend; heart attack it was said.

We’ll miss him.

Fred & Judy, SV Wings, Mauritius

March 19, 2011-Keel Repair In Mauritius

wingssail images-fredrick roswold

Judy takes the yard launch to the boat yard

The cyclone shelter here in Port Louis has a few wrecks hiding in its murky depths; we knew of three and while moving around back there last month trying to avoid cyclone Bingiza we found a fourth. Backing up a few feet from one spot to another we unfortunately came to a sudden stop. Bang! Wow! What was that and what damage did it do?

Diving later to take a look at the keel (when we had gone out of Port Louis to a bay up north where the water is cleaner) we found a nasty little ding.

I guess we could have sailed on to Africa with that little ding; the damage was slight. But our bottom paint was 17 months old and the zinc was almost gone and with this damage it just made sense to do a haul out at Taylor Smith Boat Yard here in Mauritius and fix everything and that’s what we did: Tuesday we hauled it out, over the next three days we fixed the keel, sanded and painted the bottom (with the help of yard worker Rayman), replaced the zinc, and on Saturday morning, in the rain, we relaunched.

So that’s done.

Now we just have to provision the boat, dodge a couple of more tropical depressions which are prowling around out there, and clear out. Africa here we come.

Click here to see photos of this haul-out.

Click here to see the log book page of this incident.

Fred & Judy, SV Wings, Mauritius

March 7, 2011-Circumnavigating Mauritius

With our new crew, Jean-Mee and Jennifer, we sailed Wings on a six day cruise all the way around Mauritius early in March; the main destination was Grand Port, on the opposite coast from Port Louis.

wingssail images-fredrick roswold

Islands at Grand Port

Grand Port

In 1810 the British naval commander, engaging the French fleet in Mauritius, sailed his warships into Grand Port on Mauritius’ east side, where the French were based.

On the reefs inside Grand Port three of his frigates ran aground on separate reefs and the battle was lost.

This month we sailed Wings into Grand Port right among the reefs named after these ships, Nereid Reef, Sirius Reef, and Sappho Reef and we saw first hand how treacherous these waters are; even with GPS, depth sounders, and modern charts the navigation is tough here and we ourselves touched bottom just off Nereid Reef. It was just a slight bump as we were turning away from a sharply rising bottom. A man in his small fishing boat watched as we approached, bumped, and moved away. Then he attended to his fishing, impartial to our presence or our narrow escape.

We came here to Grand Port to feel some of the history of these waters and to visit the town of Mahebourg which is on the shores of Grand Port. On this cruise we have had some great sailing and have anchored in some beautiful spots. Anchoring near Nereid Reef presented a opportunity for a trip into Mahebourg town.

In town there is a naval museum and the battle of 1810 is depicted on large murals. We stared at these paintings of the smoke shrouded tall ships pounding each other in Grand Port and then we returned to Wings anchored in the bay and we could see the ghosts of these ships around us on the reefs carrying their names. We could almost smell the gunpowder drifting westward towards Mauritius’ mountains and hear the thunder of the cannons.

At the mouth of the southern entrance to Grand Port is the island of Isle de La Passe where fortifications and French canons once guarded the fleet inside. We crawled around the two-century-old fort and saw the soldier’s names carved in the limestone blocks: more history.

After a three day visit we prepared to sail back to Port Louis happy that we have visited historic Grand Port.

Return to Port Louis


A 60 mile sail meant another dawn start.

wingssail images-fredrick roswold

Happy Crew

The forecast 20 knot winds never materialized and we had to work hard to make the distance before dark; three jib changes and three spinnaker sets and dowses were sweaty work. The portion of the trip from La Morne on the SW corner to Pointe aux Caves, a few miles south of Port Louis was the slowest but our perseverance was rewarded with a beautiful beat the final miles into port. We arrived at 18:45 and had the boat put away by dark: A nice end to a nice trip.

Click here for more photos of our Grand Port cruise

Click here to see the log book pages of our sailing trips in March, 2011

Fred & Judy, SV Wings, Mauritius

Feb. 23, 2011-Bingiza Missed Us (and a thought about Piracy)

We're fine; the cyclone missed us.

wingssail images-fredrick roswold

Route of Bingiza


We moved into the cyclone shelter, then when Bingiza didn't come our way we moved back out to the marina where we have power and water and easier access, then Bingiza reappeared south of Madagascar and, while it didn't actually threaten us, it pulled a flow of humid equatorial air southward over us, which, besides from being uncomfortably hot and humid, brought a long ocean swell in from the North, which made the marina untenable, so we went back to the cyclone shelter, where we are now.

wingssail images-fredrick roswold

Calm in the Cyclone Shelter

It is peaceful and quiet here in this little basin in behind Port Louis but not without aggravations. Like rain which makes us close the hatches. Like mozzies! The first night in here we were eaten alive! We put on bug repellant. Then we were sticky. And it was hot. We tossed and turned all night in the heat with bugs buzzing in our ears. Woke up all tangled in damp sheets with bites everywhere.

Needless to say we spent the next day fixing our bug screens, which we had not used since the Solomon Islands in 2003, and our awnings so we can keep the rain out without closing the hatches. We have more work to do on that second item but at least we now have no mozzies, and we have been keeping cooler.

There are a few other boats back here in the cyclone shelter with other people aboard so we have some human contact. And we have our new Mauritian friends who are fun to be with. There is a nice hotel nearby with a very nice bar and we go there for happy hour and to upload stuff on the Internet.

So life is good as we wait for the safe time to depart to Africa, which we hope will be in early April.

PIRACY

Which brings us to piracy: It was shocking to read about the outcome of the pirate attack on the vessel Quest. Judy and I both know that their family and friends are greiving and it again makes us realize what we put our families and friends through just by being out here. I think there is more to be told about this event as the statement from the US Command, as reported, was more than a little ambiguous. It’s not that I really smell a rat but we need to hear the complete version.

I suspect that this occurrence will change the situation in the Indian Ocean somewhat. At a minimum it will make people more reluctant to set out to cross through pirate territory. It might make the world powers do something, although what I am not sure; it is a very difficult situation to correct. Maybe every boat found in the Indian Ocean should be boarded and all guns thrown over the side, or maybe the whole coast of Somalia blockaded, but where is the legal basis for this type of response? Pirates are basically not pirates until they attack, before that they are just Africans on an old boat, and then when they do strike it is too late. The Navy can't very well go around shooting every boat which has Africans on it in case they might be pirates. But I want them all blown to hell and back again too (as my normally peaceful sister suggested) only they don't very well announce themselves and say, "shoot me". Still, the US and other countries will, must, do something, eventually they have to I think, I hope.

Our route is far away from the known pirate areas, at least those know to be pirate areas for now. It may only be a matter of time before other countries start imitating the Somali's excellent business model. Once they get past the risk that some of them will get killed, and in a country where there is no government, no food, no jobs, and much death already, that isn't much of an obstacle, it is pretty attractive; you invest a few thousand dollars and can get a few million dollars for a tanker, even if it goes wrong once in a while.

That is not just cynicism, it is a fact, so again, I think, I hope, the world powers will take some action, what ever it is.

Fred & Judy, SV Wings, Mauritius

Feb. 12, 2011-Cyclone Season

The talk around the marina is about cyclone Bingiza, a few hundred miles to the north of us.

wingssail images-fredrick roswold

Cyclone Bingiza, projected to turn west

We check the satellite photos, the weather bureaus, and the GRIB files twice a day.

I talk to Patrick, who owns Haere Maru, the boat behind us, on the phone frequently. We discuss the situation.

Jean-Mee sends me grib files.

Right now Bingiza is heading toward us but it is supposed to turn to the west.

We stay close to the boat, in case we need to move; if Bingiza doesn't swerve away we’ll have to go to the nearby cyclone shelter.

We already did that once this year, in late January, when the last system, just a low, not a cyclone, pushed big waves into the marina.

Bingiza is already bringing rain and wind; we guess it will last a week or more. The air is humid. We're a little worried.

When you live in an area subject to cyclones, hurricanes, or typhoons, you watch the weather closely.

Click here to see more weather images.

Fred & Judy, SV Wings, Mauritius

Jan. 30, 2011-Wordless Hours in a Remote Place

Wordless hours of peace go by on a quiet night in a remote place.

Wings lies at rest in a small harbor somewhere on the planet’s watery surface and late into the night Judy and I sit up in our cabin. It is still and quiet outside.

I select familiar, old, songs on the computer which play softly on the cabin speakers and Judy reclines on the settee reading her book.

We are sipping glasses of white wine, each of us alone with our thoughts.

We are cut off from the world outside of our cabin; the dark and still world which surrounds us. We can’t hear anything outside of our cabin and we can’t see into the darkness. Our world is this cabin.

We could be anywhere; it looks and feels the same wherever we are.

Tonight we are in Caudan Basin in Mauritius and there is barely any movement in this enclosed bay to rock us even with the utmost gentleness. We are surrounded by Mauritius’ peaks, visible against the foggy sky out through the main hatch if we look.

On another night like this we were tucked into a tiny nook in Gaciosa Bay in the Solomon’s Santa Cruz Islands, and on other nights, in other far away places where the particular combination of weather and location provided anchorages where neither wind or waves disturbed our peace, we relaxed in just the same way.

We came into this basin in the back of Mauritius’ Port Louis Harbor to flee some rough weather which seemed to be coming. On Wednesday there was something in the air and the marina was subject to an unusual swell.

On Thursday we checked the satellite photo and it showed a Low Pressure system nearby. The system was still to the north but coming towards us and the swells in the marina were bigger.

Thursday afternoon Paul Sungales saw me on the quay and said, "The weather is deteriorating fast."

We downloaded some GRIB files and they showed a pretty well defined system which was projected to become more defined by Friday and be even more defined than that on Sunday, Jan. 30, 2011. From these pictures we could see that the weather would indeed get worse over the next two days.

That night the marina was almost untenable. In the morning we moved to the nearby cyclone shelter: Caudan Basin.

In Caudan Basin there was no wave action. It was peaceful.

We sat quietly and enjoyed the night.

Just as we have done in countless other small anchorages and harbors in countless other places.

Click here to see today's images from Port Louis

Fred & Judy, SV Wings, Mauritius

Nov. 28, 2010-Racing Back to Port Louis

pascal mamet photography

Sailing again

I thought the La Bourdonnais Challenge was just a fun race to a bar in Port Louis, not too much competition, just some fun, like the old days when we raced to Chung Chow Island for lunch with the Discovery Bay Yacht Club in Hong Kong. Perfect for just Judy & I to sail.

So we entered.

But this event was a pretty big deal for the Grand Bay Yacht Club, nearly everyone turned out including the media and the party at the LaBourdonnais Hotel was fantastic. So, by joining, we stumbled into a good thing.

However, on the morning of the race it was soon clear that the racing was going to be very competitive. Aboard each of the race boats crews were switching kevlar for dacon and scrubbing the bottoms. We also found out that the start was going to be tricky being in close quarters inside Grand Bay and also inside the reef where the channel depths only allow us to clear at certain times. At the time of the start we'd have about 6" under our keel.

So we skipped the start, motored out early, then hoisted the sails and joined the fleet at the first mark, and sailed along just for the fun of it; not offically part of the race.

We took it easy, real easy, no spinnaker, no big jib. We didn't need more sail area to get there with the fleet; it was windy, quite gusty actually, and we sailed fast. And even with just a #4 and a main we were busy the whole way. I had my camera on deck but took no photos until we got to the finish and rafted up with the other boats.

For other photos from the photographer, click here to go to pascal mamet photography.

wingssail images-fredrick roswold

Rafted with the racing fleet
Nice party on the lawn, nice awards giving like all yacht clubs awards givings, a very nice dinner, and through it all, lots of sailing talk. And even though we didn't get scored with the racers we got some recognition as the "Fred & Judy, on the boat from the US, who were joining today" and a big applause. We enjoyed ourselves.

And it got us back to Port Louis where we will stay for a few weeks.

Until we sail somewhere else.

Click here for more photos from the raft-up

Click here to see the log book pages of our sailing trips in November 2010


Fred & Judy, SV Wings, Mauritius

Nov. 9, 2010-Sailing to Grand Bay

wingssail images-fredrick roswold
La Caudan Marina, Port Louis, Mauritius

Being there was too comfortable.

We’d been securely tied to the wall since the day three weeks ago when we arrived in Mauritius. It was close to the market, had water and power (free), and it was a good base for touring the island by car; and we’d been there and done that three times already.

We met some people from other cruising yachts and they quickly became friends but like all sailor friends we’d lose them soon; they were due to leave for Africa.

It was time to get out of the marina.

Inertia was setting in. The longer you sit the harder it is to move. And then there is the rut you can get into and maybe you start feeling sorry for yourselves about new friends who seem to be abandoning you when they set sail and you’re staying. Plus, who knows who might be hanging out at Grand Bay Yacht Club if you go there.

So you overcome the inertia.

wingssail images-fredrick roswold
Yachts in Grand Bay

On Monday we sailed out of Port Louis and went up the coast 13 miles to Grand Bay. The forecast said “mild” but it was pretty windy (up to 30) and at times rough during that two hour trip. We lost a fender overboard and had to retrieve it. The spray drenched the boat and kept us huddled behind the dodger (and again coated Wings with salt). We felt our way over the shallow banks into the harbor thanks to some local knowledge we’d obtained. They said we needed a high tide and we had it and they said to go from the outer mark straight to the point where the yacht club lies. We did and we nudged our 2.4 meter keel over the charted 2 meter patch with .5 meter to spare.

And nothing bad happened; we can still sail and still navigate. Was there any doubt?

We are now anchored near the Grand Bay Yacht Club listening to the wind howl outside and the anchor make those rumbling sounds it does when the chain is dragging over some rock or coral. Fun! But at least we got moving. Now we just need to get the dingy launched and start exploring this place.


wingssail images-fredrick roswold
Grand Bay Action


We’ll let you know what we find.

Click here to see more images from Grand Bay

wingssail images-fredrick roswold
Mauritius skykine from Grand Bay

Click here to see the log book pages of our sailing trips in November 2010


Fred & Judy, SV Wings, Mauritius

Nov. 8, 2010-Impressions of Mauritius

wingssail images-fredrick roswold
Port Louis Rice seller

It’s the Creole I guess which makes Mauritius feel like a Caribbean Island, the creole along with the French and African cultures here. The streets are filled with Africans speaking that French based slang dialog called Creole.

And the age of the place: In Port Louis, the capital, old buildings abound, decrepit but still in use even in their falling down state next to modern banking centers; Mauritius is big in old buildings and financial services. And street markets, but somehow different than those Thailand. Here they put a tarp or a table on the street and cover it with clothing or used hardware and hawk it to every passerby. Maybe it is all the black skin that makes it look different from Asia.

Click here to see more of Port Louis

Click here to see more of Mauritius

Then there is the sugar cane and the Indian people brought here by the French to work it. You drive in Mauritius and you find yourself on country roads surrounded by cane fields. When you reach the outlying towns they are all Indian. That part reminds us of Fiji and it should, both are sugar growing islands populated years ago by an imperial power with Indian workers. The imperial power has left but the Indian population remains, so curry and roti are ubiquitous.

But it is hard to imagine an Island in the middle of the Indian Ocean being anything else.

wingssail images-fredrick roswold
Mauritian Farming

Until you see a local farm (above) or the town of Phoenix; it looks like Bellevue, or the M2 freeway, which looks like it should be somewhere in Britain, or the yacht club fleet, which looks like it belongs on the coast of France.

There is the old central market filled with locally grown produce just down the street from the modern shopping malls with the hyper-market stores, and there are the worlds’ most modern telecom services sold out of 1850’s falling down buildings by men in dreadlock hair-dos.

We found a windy beach filled with kite surfers.

We found china town, they came all the way here to work the sugar fields too, and now have the small stores and restaurants.

We went for a tour of the Indian neighborhoods on Diwali (festival of light) and saw streets filled with Indians dressed in their best sari’s carrying cakes and other sweets to the homes of their friends.

Click here to see images of Diwali lights and surfing kites.

And we’ve just started.

Fred & Judy, SV Wings, Mauritius

Nov. 5, 2010-Repair Status

wingssail images-judy jensen
Paul & Fred finish the refer repair

For those who are paying attention to such details you will be happy to know that repair projects are progressing nicely, if slowly. The new ColdMachine cooling unit for the refrigerator arrived and is installed and finally, thanks to the help and creativity (and R134a and gauges) of ace local repairman Paul Sungalle, seems to be leak free and working after some drama with the new pipe connections which didn’t match the existing evaporator. The new inverter from Everett based Magnum Energy fired off immediately and is apparently working flawlessly. The AIS problem is still under investigation by West Marine but Cliff Mull says they will send us a new GPS antenna for it if needed. A new screen for the Dell laptop is on order from the local authorized Dell Service Center (which Dell Customer Support seems to know nothing about, we had to discover it for ourselves).

Of course we still have a list with new items every day.

Fred & Judy, SV Wings, Mauritius

Oct. 24, 2010-Resting In Mauritius

wingssail images-fredrick roswold
Yachts In Mauritius

I’m watching the parade of yachts coming in from the sea and those heading back out. They don’t stay here long.

Mauritius has long been a stopover on the Indian Ocean sailing route and sees a lot of traffic. This welcoming harbor in the middle a vast ocean offers a respite from the sea where ships and yachts crossing the Indian Ocean can rest up and get decent provisions before going on. They all stop here but they usually don’t stay long. The long haul vessels discharge or take on cargo and then are in a hurry to be off to the next port of call and the westbound yachts just take a breather before Africa beckons and they quietly set sail towards Reunion, the next stop and the last one before they make the jump to the dark continent.

In some ways I long to be moving on with them but I know it will be best for us if we stay in Mauritius for a while.

We’ve been here five days and we’ve pretty much caught up on our rest and, yes, we’re still waiting for parts to come in from overseas, but even after they arrive we’re decided that we don’t want to head out of here this season.

It’s not about crew, we could get someone. We could also get the parts and install them, (or even leave without them) and we still have plenty of time before cyclone season shuts the door.

It’s that we just aren’t in any hurry to face that next crossing yet, the one to Africa, and maybe never will be.

We don’t have to right now. Mauritius is an interesting and beautiful place. There are some advantages. We already know that wine is cheap and the market is excellent, plus there is a racing scene here.

So Wings is on a different agenda from the rest of the fleet and that’s OK. We’re cruisers. We stop and see places. We live there for a while. Now we’re going to hang around here, live here a while, and get to know the place.

We can leave next season if we want to.

Tomorrow we’ll go to the immigration office and see about a visa extension.

Then we’ll go check out the Grand Bay Yacht Club and see how friendly it is.

And if there are no show stoppers we’ll stay.

And if the itch to join with the departing flock gets too strong, well, Africa will still be there next year.

Click here to see the first shots from Mauritius.

Fred & Judy, SV Wings, Mauritius

Oct. 22, 2010-Sega Dancing in Mauritius

wingssail images-fredrick roswold
Sega Dancer

The culture in Mauritius is a mix of French, Indian, and African/Creole. One Creole contribution is this unique sega dancing which was a form of relaxation of the African workers after a hard day working in the sugar fields. Now it is an erotic dance enjoyed for the fun of it and particularly enjoyed by tourists.

The ARC Around the World Rally organized this performance at La Caudan Marina as entertainment during their departure party in Port Louis.

Click here for more sega dancing shots.

Fred & Judy, SV Wings, Mauritius