S/V FêNIX'S 2008 Adventures

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FêNIX
Adventures 2008

In January 2008 FêNIX departed Phuket, Thailand
headed`through the Indian Ocean to South Africa.

For general information about Cape Dorys

For more of my commentary about this part of the cruise go to this thread on the Cape Dory Website.

Approximate passage distances:

Phuket, Thailand to the Maldives 1,600 miles
Hulhumale, Maldives to Victoria, Seychelles 1,400 miles
Victoria, Seychelles to Mayotte 800 miles
Mayotte to Nose Be, Madagascar 200 miles
Nose Be, Madagascar to Richard's Bay, South Africa 1,500 miles
Richard's Bay, South Africa to Simon Town, South Africa 800 miles

Crossing the Indians

After a quick hop back to Phi Phi, FêNIX and I departed Thailand on the way to the Maldives.

Easy sailing in the north Indian Ocean

With poled working jib and yankee FêNIX knocks off a string of 130+ mile days

the Maldives

The passage to the Maldives started great, middled with not much but cloudy skies and ended hard on a good moderate breeze.

Male is the name given to the entire atoll and the principal island or motu. The island is nearly 100% covered with buildings. Just enough space is set aside for streets and sidewalks and a couple of small parks.

Male Island in the background.

In the foreground is a small green island that is used as a fuel tank farm.

Hulhumale is an adjacent motu just north of Male. The southern part of the island has been extensively remade into an airstrip that services thousands of tourist. The tourists are then transported to one of the many private islands by boat or float plane.

After an expensive two week stay FêNIX and I departed the Maldives headed for...

the Seychelles

Just past the halfway point, Maldives to Seychelles

FêNIX just finished a 144 mile day.

Once again I cross the equator. From north to south this time. This is my third crossing on the trip.

Look close. There's the equator running from right to left.

The passage finished with a real bang. 35+ knot winds, pouring rain and limited visibility made the last afternoon and evening a squally experience. But around midnight the weather passed, the last quarter moon rose in clearing skys and the remaining 25 miles to Victoria passed easily.

Little Harbor in the city of Victoria on the island of Mahe.

on to Mayotte

FêNIX lazies along on the way to Mayotte.

But not completely lazy. We're still making 5+ knots.

How easy is it to sail across the ocean?

Often it only takes one finger.

This trip had some of the most diverse conditions I have ever experienced. Predominating was light winds but no wind happened a lot also. It took 10 days to make the 800 mile passage.

I got to see a double rainbow during a small squall and the end of the rainbow passed right over me and FêNIX. Now that was exciting and very interesting, but alas, no pot of gold. It must have sunk in the water.

As I'm making my final approach I turn on the VHF to contact the harbor control. Earlier as I was getting near I saw a boat off to my south. It didn't look like it was going very fast and I thought it was a local sailor just out for a day and taking it easy.

Anyway my call to harbor control was responded to by this other guy. He's speaking in French. And I make out something about motor trouble. By now its a nearing 2PM, he's only about a mile behind me and I'm only about a mile from the first nav bouy, so I turned around and went back to see what was up.

He was dead in the water. Now you have to understand,his boat Utopia was about 37' and there were 5 people aboard. And here's FêNIX doing tug work at about 2.2 knots. I finally dropped the hook at about 10PM that night. My tow anchored behind me.

Utopia seen later.

This time under sail.

Dzoudzi Island

It lies due east of the main city on Mayotte.

It was a quick two day hop to Hell in mostly light or no wind...
*Nose = Island Be = Big It is pronounced Nosey Bay

Nose Be, Madagascar

Hellville on Nose Be can be a very busy place.

It is a main port for the entire island and the numerous ferrys from the surrounding smaller islands.

Crater Bay , a short 4~5 mile hop to the west.

It's a quite refuge from the hustle and bustle of Hellville.

Russian Bay is about 18 miles SW of Hellville.

Many years ago the Russians had a settlement on this beach.

This area of Madagascar is quite poor. And like poor people most everywhere sailboats are used to travel. The boat used are mostly about 9~10 meters long with shallow keels and a distinct chine at the aft 1/3 of the water line. The carry a single large lateen rig with the mast usually raked far forward. I also saw copies of double ended gaff rigged ketches about and many smaller dugout canoes with an outrigger. They carried a very interesting two masted square sail, usually made from old sacks. The dhows or faluccas had no motor and used poles or sweeps for close in manuvering. At the end of a trip they were often beached for loading and unloading.

A fine example of the type.

A working ketch carries a topsail in the light breeze.

After a one month interlude in Nose Be and the surrounding area it was time to move on and head for something a little more civilized. Although it was early in the season I decided to head on to ...

South Africa

The trip to Richard's Bay took 15 days to cover about 1,500 miles. It was a real mix of conditions. Everything from hot and humid calms to 35 knot winds, 20' seas and fallling temps as FêNIX and I headed out of the tropics and into the higher latitudes again.

A little spray with that sunshine sir?

In Richard's Bay we stayed at the Zululand Yacht Club. A very hospitable place with helpful friendly folks. While there I did some maintenance things and enjoyed civilization again.

The Yacht Club House

Good eats and drinks at good prices.

And a haul out facility.

I raised the bottom 3".

And did some maintenance work on the engine.

The trusty and no longer rusty Volvo

Richard's Bay Entrance

At low tide

I might be on vacation but...

There's still laundry to do.

Then it was off to Cape Town, in stages. First up was Durban. Only 90 miles south of Richard's Bay it is usually a quick overnight trip. FêNIX and I left a 5PM on a Monday evening and headed SW. The expected 15 knot NE'erly breeze turned into a 30~35 howler in the middle of the night. By noon the next day, as we entered Durban's harbor, the wind was down to 5 knots or so.

After a pleasant and chilly three week stay it was time to head SW again. Next stop Port Elizabeth, if possible, or East London if the weather was disagreeable. The first try was a tough trip that required a return to Durban and a later departure to East London. Second time was easier and the passage required a bit under two days for the 260 miles.

On the way to East London

A three knot boost from the Aghulas current has FêNIX zooming along at nine knots under reefed S'Sail in a 25~30 knot NE'er.

After a short layover in East London it was off to Port Elizabeth. This short hop of 140 miles was just as difficult as the Durban to East London trip. It took over two days to make the distance because of headwinds and a strong counter current at the finish.

Port Elizabeth was a great stopping point. The folks and the club there were very friendly and helpful. Weather was my main topic of conversation. It was checked every day and many opinions were voiced by all interested parties. For the second time I had a false start and this earned me the nickname "The Come Back Kid". I chuckled over the appelation This coast is not one to be taken lightly. But finally FêNIX and I made a good start and ran down to Mossel Bay.

On the way to Mossell Bay

On the second afternoon the wind builds to 25 knots from the east under an overcast sky.

A planned two day stop streched into a week as the wind blew strong from the SW. Finally an easterly wind was forecast and conditions looked good for the final push to round Cape Aghulas and its notorious banks.

Even the fury of the "Cape of Storms" sometimes relents.

FêNIX powering along in a near dead calm, within one degree of longitude of Aghulas.

On the second morning FêNIX and I cross 20 degrees east longitude. This is just a few hundred feet west of the light at Cape Aghulas and the southern most part of South Africa. It marks Fred's official return to the Atlantic after nearly two and one half years. Calms like that shown above rarely last long in the higher latitudes however.

FêNIX, accompanied by a sea bird, crosses the longitude of Aghulas a bit after 9 AM on Friday morning October 24th, 2008.

Look closely and you will see Fred's official dividing line.

Finally after an easterly gale FêNIX and I find safety in the marina at Simon Town.

Looking north from my slip at the marina.

FêNIX'S 2008 Adventure: Videos

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