Uligamu, Republic of Maldives

Entrance to the Small Boat Harbor, Uligamu

We had read other boat’s blog posts about checking into the Maldives and some had cautioned about being asked for ‘compliments’ aka bribes, gratuities, etc.  It was somewhat reassuring that when we made radio contact with Customs in Uligamu, in the far northern end of the Maldive archipelago, that they asked us when we would like them to come out to our boat for the check-in formalities. “Uh, 10am?  Would that be okay?” we asked.  Our final leg into this republic of over 1,100 islands had been easy;  our energy was good, our spirits high and the weather was hot but clear and calm.  I grabbed a bucket of precious fresh water and spent an hour-and-a-half trying to wipe off some of the salt we had collected on our way.  Just as I was finishing, a launch with 6 men, some in starched white uniforms was pulling along side.  Politely, they took off their shoes and climbed into our cockpit which provides luxurious seating for two people, comfortable seating for four but cramped and steamy seating for eight people in the equatorial heat.  All were very polite and helpful, our agent, Assad, explained each document that needed to be filled out and stamped.  Less than an hour later, they were waving goodbye and we lowered our quarantine flag and hoisted the Republic of Maldives courtesy flag.

Lop To

There were a few other yachts anchored off the small village and it wasn’t long before the couple on Lop To, a 37’ steel double-ender out of Hamburg, came by to say they had purchased fruit and vegetables for us at the market just after the supply ship arrived.  “It goes fast,” said Kerstin, “and we thought you might need some fresh food after your passage.”  We liked them immediately.  Assad had planned a barbeque on the beach for that night but Kerstin and Helmut encouraged him to postpone it for a night as they felt we might be too tired to stay up for a barbeque after a 5-day passage.

It isn’t just us but one of the first things that most cruisers want when they arrive in a foreign country is internet access.  Once again, Assad was our go-to guy and he met us at the small boat harbor where we tied up our dinghy.  He invited us to his home, where he lives with his wife, 8-month old daughter, his parents and his brother and his wife.  We sat on an uncomfortable couch, filled out the forms for the local cell carrier, Ooredoo, and drank kool-aid served by his wife.

It had been a while since we had visited a devout Muslim country, Malaysia being the last one.  One more time our hearts went out to the girls and women who dressed themselves in long, black burqas, covering everything but their hands and faces.  Despite our best efforts to get a smile from these women, their faces remained stony most of the time.  Men were much friendlier.  What we did find somewhat unusual was that every home had a high, gray concrete fence around it.  The streets were made of sand and were very tidy but we saw very little activity in the middle of the day.  About 500 people live in the village of Uligam.

Making Dried Fish Salad

Assad

The barbeque the next night was a great way to end a day of snorkeling and boat projects.  Couples from three boats showed up, each bringing a dish to share while Assad and a friend brought fish.  Assad’s friend went into the jungle and came back with a handful of leaves which he began to cut into fine strips.  To this he added way too much salt, chopped onions and dried fish.  It was delicious.  The fresh fish was cooked for much too long and covered heavily with hot sauce but it was quite good, too.  I’m sure I’ve been to a barbeque where there weren’t any alcoholic beverages but I can’t remember when.  Think of the money I’d save if I were Muslim!

Rutea - Photo Courtesy of Kerstin Neermann

It had been our intention to leave the following day but a wind came up out of the south (the direction we were headed) and a chop developed that inspired us to stay for another day.  The day after that was crystal clear and the water glassy.  We pulled up the anchor and hoisted the mainsail, mostly just for looks as there wasn’t any wind.  Our destination was where some cruisers that we had met in the Marquesas were anchored and they talked of spectacular snorkeling.  It was our first attempt at deep-water anchoring since we’d gotten here.  I’m reluctant to anchor if it’s too deep to dive down to free a fouled anchor and most of the spots around our friends were in excess of 80 feet.  We finally found a spot at 70 feet, which is still deeper than I’d like but the bottom looked like it was mostly sand.  Yes, even at 70 feet, the water was clear enough to see the bottom.

Our friends were right:  The snorkeling was fantastic with thick layers of bright coral and millions of tropical fish.  It reminded us both of Tonga, the island nation in our beloved South Pacific.  This is cruising at its finest.

Arrival Maldeeeeves!

It's 7:42 a.m. and the anchor is down in the Maldives! Had a beautiful sail our last night out under brilliant stars and a soft breeze. The water is that South Pacific sapphire blue and we even had the company of dolphins playing in the bow wake for a while! We are waiting for Customs and Immigration to visit Rutea and then we will do some exploring.

All is well aboard Rutea.

P.S. I made a mistake in my last post! I put the rope around a winch! There are no wenches on Rutea!
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At 2/24/2015 1:41 AM (utc) Rutea's position was 07°05.11'N 072°59.37'E

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Day 5

Wouldn't you know it! 140 miles from our destination, 4:30 a.m. and we pick up the only two LARGE fishing buoys in the Indian Ocean! Yep! We straddled them! One on each side of the boat with a rope running in between them. Each of them thumping the hull in chorus to our forward progression! We furled the genoa and dropped the main sail but still couldn't get them loose with the boat hook or a knife strapped to the boat hook. We decide that Neal is going to have to go into the water but that it would be better to wait until daylight so he can see what is happening under the keel. No problem, dawn comes early on a boat- right??? Well... not this morning! We have once again changed time zones so we have to wait an extra half hour (by our clocks) for the sun to rise. Of course as we are waiting the wind and seas pick up...oh brother! Finally, dawn! Neal puts on a harness and ties himself to the boat. I wrap the line around a cleat and a wench. He jumps into the water and within minutes has both fish floats cut free! Hooray! We furl all of the lines, put away the snorkel gear, deploy the genoa and are now happily sailing at 8 knots in 16 knots of wind!

And if that weren't enough work for one morning, Neal made delicious banana muffins for breakfast! All is well aboard Rutea!

116 miles to go.
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At 2/22/2015 9:40 AM (utc) Rutea's position was 06°23.37'N 076°32.53'E

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Crossing the Mannar Gulf

The wind forecast in the GRIBs showed that we should have had very light northeasterlies except for one tiny wind flag that showed a light westerly. Of course, as is often the case, the westerly wind prevailed and built all afternoon until we were beating directly into the direction we wanted to go. Fortunately, the wind backed to about 80° off the starboard side but increased in velocity. Soon we had winds in the low 20s and the seas grew accordingly. By night fall, the seas were a solid 3 meters, rolling Rutea at their whim. Although this made things uncomfortable, we were making a solid 8.5 knots SOG and while surfing down the wind waves we'd often see 10 knots and I once saw 11.3. It has made sleeping a challenge. What has added to the melee is that we failed to get our prop folded so it continues to spin, shaking the entire boat but it's especially loud in our cabin. Ruthie sought refuge in the main saloon, sleeping on the settee but that was interrupted also when a breaking wave forced its way through the main hatch, soaking everything, including Ruthie.

Dawn came early and it's always a surprise to see the seas you've been sailing through all night. Sometimes I think it's easier to sail at night because you can't see how gnarly things are out there. Regardless, our spirits remain high, we haven't broken anything and we're making great time. Our meals are a little sparse but I needed to lose some weight anyway.

All is well on board.
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At 2/21/2015 9:12 AM (utc) Rutea's position was 05°50.96'N 079°39.72'E

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Out of the Bay of Bengal and into the Laccadive Sea

Yesterday turned out to be a kick-ass sail and we saw up to 27 knots out of the North. With the genoa poled out to starboard and the main prevented hard to port, we scandalized the mizzen to reduce the rolling. The sun was out, it was hot and only a minimal amount of boat traffic. From time to time a fishing boat will approach us but they're usually friendly with much whistling at Ruthie. They always ask where we're from, apparently our country flag flying from the top of the mizzen mast isn't enough of a clue.

We have now cleared Sri Lanka and we're heading almost due west. For security purposes, I'm deliberately going to omit our destination and current location (the one at the bottom of the post is wrong). The seas are flat calm and there's very little wind. It's hot as we're only a few degrees from the equator. Our provisions are holding up well and the huge bunch of bananas we bought are being whittled down, hopefully yielding enough over-ripe ones for a batch or two of banana nut muffins.

This is my bell ringing. All is well on board.
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At 2/15/2015 7:14 AM (utc) Rutea's position was 08°33.78'N 081°13.70'E

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Leaving Sri Lanka

With our fuel tanks full to the brim and our water tanks bone dry (we didn't want to run our water maker in the polluted waters of Trincomalee Bay), our departure from Sri Lanka still had its drama. The ten or so boats sharing the anchorage with us were incensed that the Port Authority was going to charge us 'port charges' even though our agents had told us that would be the case. Emails, radio chats and boat-to-boat visits were all centered around this outrageous charge of about US$100. Ruthie and I were non-plussed about the idea, after all, the agents had said there would be a charge. This made us a pariah of sorts in our small sailing community. We paid our bill as presented and left on our own.

It felt good to be on the ocean again, even if the first part is just following the coast southwards. The wind filled in from the NE and we unfurled all of the sails - with the flat water, it was nearly perfect except we had the genset running all day in an attempt to fill our empty water tanks. Generally, we prefer to sail under moon-lit skies but it was not our time of the month so we sailed under a terrifically clear sky with a fantastic view of the Milky Way above. I stayed on watch until midnight and Ruthie watched until 0330. The wind died completely and with an adverse current, we were making less than 2 knots SOG so I started the engine. It remains on now, our water tanks almost full again, our batteries topped up but a wary eye is kept on our fuel gauge as it's long way to the Maldives and getting fuel there isn't easy.

For me, Sri Lanka was a mixed bag. Very friendly people, very mediocre food, some interesting sights but nothing jaw-dropping. I'm glad we came but there are several boats in our Indian Ocean Crossing Fleet that are skipping it altogether. Perhaps I'll post a few anecdotes that have stuck in my failing memory.

Less than 600 miles to the Madlives. All is well on board.
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At 2/15/2015 7:14 AM (utc) Rutea's position was 08°33.78'N 081°13.70'E

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Sri Lanka

Town Bay in Trincomalee, Sri Lanka

My cabin smells like smoke.  That's because my clothes smell like smoke.  That's because I took them to the laundry......well- let me back up.

Polonnaruwa

We are in the beautiful island nation of Sri Lanka!  A true gem in the middle of the Indian Ocean, just between the Andaman Sea and the Lakshadweep Sea.  There was a terrible tsunami here in 2004 (which is never far from anyone's mind) because the island is quite low except for the middle, interior  highlands, with the rim of the island being lined with exquisite, white, soft sand beaches.  It's a year round paradise- east coast in the south west monsoon season and west coast in the northeast monsoon season.  Ayurvedic Spas, Tea Plantations, Buddhist retreats, world class surfing, Blue Whales, Ancient Ruins  and Big Game Reserves draw tourists from all over the world.  Well actually mostly Europeans, Chinese and Russians but they all have expendable income.  English is the common denominator through which most communication takes place, but it amazes me to hear these Sinhalese native speakers talking in Russian, French and Chinese!

Mark at a Mosque in Colombo

We arrived here (Trincomalee) three weeks ago after an awesome seven day passage from Thailand.  Mark (Mash, Masho, Marco), Neal's bro was with us for the passage and took the 3:00 am to 6:00 am (the squall) watch.  Upon arrival we were greeted by the Sri Lankan Navy, then a Pilot boat  and directed to tie up to a barge where our agent, Ravi, escorted a whole host of officials to check us in and check us out!  Turns out the barge was in a Navy base where we had to pass through several layers of security every time we exited or entered.  Being that we are in Northeast Sri Lanka and the war with the Tamil Tigers was only ended (HERE) six years ago, security is still quite tight and there is a high military presence.  We cope.  Just don't try to go anywhere without your passport.....

After settling in, cleaning the layer of salt off of the boat, finding the central market, locating a fast food take out restaurant and organizing security, we three hopped an overnight, air-con, express bus to Colombo in anticipation of Sri Lanka Independence Day with the NEW President (you knew that, right?).  Turns out that the new Pres is all about cutting frivolous spending and funding the poor people so not much of an Independence Day festivity BUT there was an awesome Poya (full moon) holiday parade- full of monks, initiates, shrines, Buddhas, dancers, musicians and elephants!  Every full moon is a holiday in Sri Lanka!  Awesome!  Except that there are NO alcohol sales that day....  From Colombo Mark went to a Buddhist retreat and Neal and I went south to Galle where we stayed inside the walled city and toured the surrounding countryside.  From Galle we took a second class train....no reservations accepted...where we stood for the first three hours, sat facing backwards for the second three hours and I didn't pee for the entire SIX hours to Kandy!  Buddhist Temples, Relics, Botanical Gardens, Ancient Sites and a Safari, where we saw over fifty elephants from the back of our jeep monopolized the next four days tempered by small guest houses run by families trying to make a living off of the new wave of tourism and attempting to please.  Funny how most of these places think nothing of having to step in gecko poop in the middle of the night on the way to the bathroom- or for that matter stepping in gecko poop at any time of the day!

Poya (Full Moon) Day Parade

Sri Lanka is a country where the railroad crossing gates are still operated manually by a family that lives in a small hut RIGHT by the tracks at the crossing bars.  They know exactly when the trains are coming and lower the gate arms so that no tuk- tuk, scooter, truck or most usually a pedestrian, will be smashed by the train.  Unless, of course, you are walking along the track instead of the road as many folks here do.  The median monthly income is $500.00 which translates to $2.00 per hour if you work full time.  There is a beautiful mix of Buddhists, Hindus and Muslims all living together and from our mooring ( next to the barge) we could hear the Muslim Call To Prayer (5:00 am), the Buddhist Meta or morning chant, Hindustani music ( for your enjoyment) all played over the village loud speakers followed by an electronic version of It's A Small World After All played by the bread truck.  Wow, eh?  Just wow.  Life is simple.  Low key.  The people are happy, proud, friendly and very, very helpful.

Indian Cobra Naja Naja About to Get Angry

So after the road trip we had a ton of laundry that needed to be done.  The industry around the bay we are in makes us hesitant to make water here so we sent out our laundry to be washed.  Lo and behold, it came back not only washed, but ironed!  When was the last time you wore ironed underwear???  Interesting part about it all is that the laundry is ironed with an iron (no pun intended) iron.  With a wood fire built inside of it to make it hot.......

Leaving for the Maldives in four days.  More then!

R of Rutea