04:12.97N 73:32.77E
Helen writes...We left Dhangethi at 7.30am yesterday morning. What was
initially intended to be our last overnight passage (for me and the kids
at least), turned into a great day sail. We had average winds of 11 knots
off our beam and reached speeds of 6.5 knots (nearly at boat speed). Our
only major concern was reaching Male before sunset though, for once, we
knew we had reliable chart data for the Male anchorage so, at a push,
could anchor in the dark if absolutely necessary. As it was, we were in
the anchorage and anchored with just 15 minutes of daylight remaining.
A bottle of bubbly was retrieved from the ships supplies as another
arrival celebration. Considering the sad depletion of most of our food
supplies, it was a wonder we had managed to save some quality beverage but
glad we did.
The kids and I fly out on the morning of the 3rd Sept so between now and
then we will spend time relaxing and topping up provisions for Bryan’s 2
week sail back to UAE. We are hoping to spend the day at one of the only
hotels in Male with a decent pool, though we have just had a down pour and
not sure if there will be more.
I have just finished reading a book about the intrepid explorer James
Cook, and our voyage seems tame in relation to what he accomplished. We
have bemoaned the inadequate chart information, Cook discovered continents
without even the confirmation they existed, so I guess we have had it
easy. Nevertheless, there is a huge sense of satisfaction and achievement
that we have navigated our way through the Maldives without too many
hiccups along the way.
Reckon we should go and the make the most of our last few days........
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