Indian Ocean: Bound for South Africa

Sunday October 28, 2007 - 12 noon

17* 23' S
73* 25' E

Exactly 1 week ago I left Cocos Keeling Atoll bound for South Africa. My only stop would be a planned 2 day lay-over on Mauritius Island 2350 miles from Cocos.

I now have 950 miles to go with 1380 behind me in one week. That is almost 200 miles a day for a week!

Left: Cocos-Keeling Atoll.

The winds and ocean have been good for sailing. 12 - 18 knots of wind usually out of the SE, off my stern quarter. I have been flying the new Parasailor spinnaker for 3 days and nights in a row, she pulls the boat along wonderfully. Right: Para-Sailor.

However, only when downwind. The last 2 days the wind has been 16 - 18 on the port beam, two much from the side for the spinnaker.

I am now sailing with a double reefed main a full stay sail and half the genoa rolled out. With 15 knots of true wind I can maintain 7.5 knots average.

I should pass just north of Rodriguez Island in about 4 days and reach Mauritius within the week. There I can rest and send some photos over the internet.

Look on my web sites for the new photos (http://www.h-tv.com/ or http://www.thesailingchannel.tv/)

Mike

s/v Wanderlust 3

Right: Mike on Cocos Keeling Atoll.

Indian Ocean: Christmas Island

The Territory of Christmas Island is a small territory of Australia locatedin the Indian Ocean, 2600 kilometres (1600 mi) northwest of Perth in Western Australia and 500 kilometres (300 mi) south of Jakarta, Indonesia. Right: Wanderlust 3 lies at anchor in a cove at Christmas Island.

It maintains about 1,600 residents who live in a number of "settlement areas" on the northern tip of the island: Flying Fish Cove (also known asKampong), Settlement, Silver City, Poon Saan and Drumsite. It has a unique natural topography and is of immense interest to scientistsand naturalists due to the number of species of endemic flora and faunawhich have evolved in isolation[1] and undisturbed by human habitation.

While there has been mining activity on the island for many years, 65% of its 135 square kilometres (52 sq mi) are now National Park and there are large areas of pristine and ancient rainforest. For centuries, ChristmasIsland's isolation and rugged coasts provided natural barriers to settlement. British and Dutch navigators first included the island on their charts from the early seventeenth century, and Captain William Mynors of theBritish East India Company vessel, the Royal Mary, named the island when he arrived on Christmas Day, 25 December 1643. The island first appears on a map produced by Pieter Goos and published in 1666. Goos had labeled the island Moni.

The earliest recorded visit was in March 1688 by William Dampier of the British ship Cygnet, who found it uninhabited. An account of the visit can be found in Dampier's Voyages, which describes how, when trying to reach Cocos from New Holland, his ship was pulled off course in an easterly direction and after 28 days arrived at Christmas Island. Dampier landed at the Dales (on the West Coast) and two of his crewmen were the first recorded people to set foot on Christmas Island. The next visit was by Daniel Beekman, who described it in his 1718 book, A Voyage to and from the Island of Borneo, in the East Indies.

In 1771, the Indian vessel, the Pigot, attempted to find an anchorage but was unsuccessful; the crew reported seeing wild pigs and coconut palms. However, pigs are not known to have been introduced to the island at the time, so the Pigot may have found a different island.

Mike Harker

s/v Wanderlust 3

The next leg is to Cocos (Keeling) Atoll, about 600 miles.

Indian Ocean: South of Indonesia & Bali

I am in the Indian Ocean just south of Indonesia and BALI. Remember the movie "Road to BALI" with Bing and Bob Hope?

It is still 6000 miles to Durban South Africa and, for the last 4 days, there is no wind for sailing. I am motoring with sails up but I only have enough diesel for another day or so. By then I hope the wind picks up. On my weather charts it shows that I will get 12 - 15 knots in 2 days so I am getting out my big spinnaker and preparing. Right: sunrise - dead calm on the Indian Ocean.

I will make 3 stops at islands along the way, the first I didn't plan for but I need more fuel. That is Christmas Island. I don't know anything about it but you can look it up under 'google' and read about 'Christmas' and why they named it so.

The next is 600 miles further and is a recommended stop on this route because it is one of the most beautiful 'atolls'. It is called 'Cocos Keeling' probably named after some guy called Keeling. I will take photos there but I don't expect Internet connection until I get to the third island on my route called Mauritius. It is big and famous and I may rest a few days there before crossing the dangerous 'Arguls Current' along South Africa.

My big rest stop and good Internet will then be in Durban, S.A. I am now more than half way around the world, The rest is all downhill!

Mike Harker

s/v Wanderlust 3