Hello all, we are happy to report that we are well and still enjoying our trip. Suzanne2 is also holding up well.
Milestone: On January 15, at 1:57 pm we crossed longitude 83 degrees, 11 minutes east, our “Half Way Around” the world mark. WOW! Is that amazing or what?
We left Thailand under partly cloudy skies and light wind that turned to no wind for the next 3 days. It was hot and the seas so calm we stopped the boat each afternoon and jumped into the refreshing clear blue water to cool off. We anchored one night at the Nicobar Islands, India. It was beautiful and we snorkeled and swam and enjoyed the break from motoring.
The next day, the Northeast Monsoon winds arrived and we were finally under sail….for the next 5 days we sailed with winds 12 to 25 knots on our beam and on our rhum line, averaging 7 knots. We made it to Sri Lanka in record time.
We spent 5 days in Galle, Sri Lanka, mostly re-provisioning. There was much poverty, tsunami damage and civil war. The port, as well as the town was heavily guarded and explosives were set off every night to deter Tamil Tiger frogmen from swimming into the harbor. This was not a favorite stop!
We made record time again (72 hours) to the Maldives with winds from the North and averaging 6.5 knots with favorable currents. We anchored off the Uligamu Atoll for a few relaxing days. The natives were so welcoming and even prepared a traditional Maldivian meal for all the boaters in the bay. We snorkeled from the boat and Ken and Ben went scuba diving.
We left our retreat on Saturday, Jan 26, for the big 1,800 mile crossing of the Indian Ocean. We sailed most of the first 900 miles beating into the northerly wind averaging 6 knots. On February 1, the seas became calm until early evening when the storm hit, 35 knots of upwind, rough sea sailing; no clouds, just pure wind. Very uncomfortable, rising on top of the wave crest and smashing down into the trench, then rising again. The waves crashing over the boat filling the cockpit (and us) with water. The water seeped through every crack and leek in the cabin so it was a wet and salty voyage. The storm lasted for 3 long days. When we turned south to head down the Gulf of Aden, the wind was finally behind us with heavy following seas.
We arrived in Aden, Yemen after being at sea for 13 days. Aden marks the change in landscape from lush and green to desert. We will be in the Middle East, Yemen, Egypt, Israel, for about 2 months. And then it’s on our way to Cyprus and Turkey.
We hope you enjoy the pictures.
Milestone: On January 15, at 1:57 pm we crossed longitude 83 degrees, 11 minutes east, our “Half Way Around” the world mark. WOW! Is that amazing or what?
We left Thailand under partly cloudy skies and light wind that turned to no wind for the next 3 days. It was hot and the seas so calm we stopped the boat each afternoon and jumped into the refreshing clear blue water to cool off. We anchored one night at the Nicobar Islands, India. It was beautiful and we snorkeled and swam and enjoyed the break from motoring.
The next day, the Northeast Monsoon winds arrived and we were finally under sail….for the next 5 days we sailed with winds 12 to 25 knots on our beam and on our rhum line, averaging 7 knots. We made it to Sri Lanka in record time.
We spent 5 days in Galle, Sri Lanka, mostly re-provisioning. There was much poverty, tsunami damage and civil war. The port, as well as the town was heavily guarded and explosives were set off every night to deter Tamil Tiger frogmen from swimming into the harbor. This was not a favorite stop!
We made record time again (72 hours) to the Maldives with winds from the North and averaging 6.5 knots with favorable currents. We anchored off the Uligamu Atoll for a few relaxing days. The natives were so welcoming and even prepared a traditional Maldivian meal for all the boaters in the bay. We snorkeled from the boat and Ken and Ben went scuba diving.
We left our retreat on Saturday, Jan 26, for the big 1,800 mile crossing of the Indian Ocean. We sailed most of the first 900 miles beating into the northerly wind averaging 6 knots. On February 1, the seas became calm until early evening when the storm hit, 35 knots of upwind, rough sea sailing; no clouds, just pure wind. Very uncomfortable, rising on top of the wave crest and smashing down into the trench, then rising again. The waves crashing over the boat filling the cockpit (and us) with water. The water seeped through every crack and leek in the cabin so it was a wet and salty voyage. The storm lasted for 3 long days. When we turned south to head down the Gulf of Aden, the wind was finally behind us with heavy following seas.
We arrived in Aden, Yemen after being at sea for 13 days. Aden marks the change in landscape from lush and green to desert. We will be in the Middle East, Yemen, Egypt, Israel, for about 2 months. And then it’s on our way to Cyprus and Turkey.
We hope you enjoy the pictures.
Yemen
posted by Suzanne 2 @ 6:40 AM
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