April 2025
On the 1st of April it became evident that there was something special happening as all the dayboats started to turn up and gather in one place, with all the snorkellers jumping into the water, so Ally, Suz and Shawn hopped in the dinghy to go and find out what they were seeing, coming across a Manta Ray on their way across. They moved closer to the throng of boats, but with the number of people in the water splashing about and “chasing” it, the Manta remained at the bottom continually moving in one direction and so the boats played leap frog as they followed it – Shawn and Suz just got a very brief glimpse of it while Ally wasn’t so lucky. They moved ahead of the crowd a little and managed to see the graceful creature for a few seconds before heading back to Imagination. After a quick rinse and change, they dinghied to the island and with many hotels and restaurants here, the place had a nice feel to it. After a walk through the town, Ally, Shawn and Suz found somewhere for lunch called “Hermits”. It was the best burger Ally and Shawn had eaten in a very long time and the service was excellent! It was a very pleasant time, after which they did a little reprovisioning and refuelling and then floating in the water on returning to Imagination. Ally, Shawn and Suz went out in the dinghy again on the morning of the 2nd and this time, they jumped ahead of all the dayboats and had the Manta swim straight at them so they managed to get some cool photos and video of this wonderful animal. They would have loved to spend more time with it, but the crowding, splashing and chasing by so many other people was so frustrating ( they’ve been so spoiled over the last few years!!) and so after getting their shots, they gave up and returned to Imagination. They took umbrellas, mats and books ashore and had a super relaxed few hours on the beach, during which Shawn never actually left the water! Returning to the yacht for lunch, Shawn spent some time during the afternoon working on the windlass which had been a little temperamental for a few days…once again, there was a late afternoon float.
They had a 7 hour motor from Ari Atoll down to Jinnathugau, Faafu Atoll on the 3rd. There was absolutely no wind and with the glasslike water and blue skies, it was difficult to see were the water ended and the sky began at times. This anchorage is within a small lagoon..almost a tiny atoll within an atoll with a fringing reef all the way around and a stereotypical tropical island to one end. It was late in the day when they arrived and clouds were forming, so while Suz and Shawn floated for a while to cool off, Ally sat on the back step chatting to them. It started to rain at around 8am on the 4th and so the morning was a slow one until around 10ish when it brightened up a little bit. Shawn decided he was going to go snorkelling and Suz joined him ( Ally’s more of a fair weather snorkeller so stayed behind lol) and they returned an hour and a half or so later after having a fabulous time seeing all the usual reef fish in vast numbers on healthy reef, as well as a black tip reef shark, nurse shark, moray eel and a couple of fish species Shawn had never seen before ( now that’s saying something!). During the afternoon, they visited the tiny island, where there had been a large group of locals from neighbouring islands enjoying the area yesterday as they arrived. Unfortunately, it seems the island is used regularly for local daytrips and there were piles of discarded garbage everywhere which was a real shame. They did find an area to sit on the sand and dip in the water for an hour or so though. Dhaalu Atoll was the destination on the 5th and they enjoyed a great shallow snorkel during the afternoon – Ally is loving the close encounters with the reef fish – even the ones that they take for granted having seen them hundreds of times, she now has a renewed interest in having realised how pretty they are at close quarters and she tried to get some closeup photos of them.
Unfortunately, about a week ago, one of the freezers stopped working so there was a mad scramble to rehome everything into every available nook and cranny in the other 2 and then, a few days later, the lift up fridge in the galley started playing up!! Luckily Shawn was able to figure out the issue with the fridge pretty quickly, but the freezer problem was still ongoing. They were off to another atoll on the 6th (Thaa Atoll) where they remained until the 8th, visiting 2 locations with lots of great snorkelling and more fabulous marine life. Starter motor issues had reared their ugly head on the Port side on the 6th which Shawn, again, was able to eventually sort out after much frustration, sweating, greasy, dirty hands and several swear words.
On the 8th, they sailed with good winds down to Maavah in Laamu Atoll where they went ashore soon after dropping anchor. They found a great place to eat right at the harbourside, Harbour Club, where they sat in the upstairs area overlooking the Harbour. This island has a lovely feel to it and everyone was very friendly and while they ate a great lunch, they were joined by the owner, Adam ( 35) who gave them Blue Tea as an aperetif, ( Butterfly Pea Flower), chatted away and afterwards, offered Betel Nut which in the Maldives is shaved into slices, chewed with cloves, nutmeg, lyme and some kind of leaf and is swallowed. Spitting is very much frowned upon here ( thank goodness), whereas, throughout the Pacific, the islanders chew the nut whole with the leaf and lyme and they do not swallow the red juices. Instead, they spit them out onto the floor, wherever they happen to be, so there are disgusting big, red splats everywhere you go! Everyone gave it a go, but it’s definitely an acquired taste hahaha. Once lunch was finished, Adam took Shawn, Ally and Suz for a walk around the island, introducing them to his children along the way – he is obviously really proud of his home town which was lovely to see. He returned to Imagination with Shawn etc, to have a coffee and a look around before being taken back to the island in time for afternoon prayers ( it wasn’t until later Ally and Shawn remembered they were not meant to have any locals onboard without prior permission!).
The weather changed today, and it was overcast and some heavy rain at lunchtime. The sail down to the South of the atoll on the 9th was a windy one, with gusts to 28kts and just as they arrived at the islands and spent an hour trying to find somewhere suitable to anchor, the rain bucketed down, stopping soon after the anchor was set and the canopies were out. The rest of the day remained overcast, though, and the threat of rain was ever present, so it was an afternoon of reading, watching tv and warm drinks. The following day was again, spent onboard with Shawn getting some repairs done, including getting the Port side starter motor electrical issue sorted out after further problems, and also the cockpit lights that have been playing up for several months (although that fix was just a temporary one, as the problem returned after a couple of days). Just after 15.00 on the 11th, they set off for an overnight sail down to the next atoll. What should have been a 60nm sail with a morning arrival, turned into a 90nm sail with an arrival in the North of Gaafu-Alifu Atoll at 13.50, due to an unfavourable wind direction, however, they did have an almost full moon to help them on their way overnight. It didn’t take long for Suz, Shawn and Ally to get themselves organised and out to the nearest, tiny, uninhabited island to sit in the warm , clear, shallow water for a couple of hours, which felt like heaven after been couped up onboard for a couple of days.
On Sunday the 13th, they all went ashore to buy diesel and some provisions on the inhabited island, Kolamaafushi, but not before they had enjoyed lunch at the Oceanic Inn. They visited a small, but well stocked store and were greeted by the friendly staff inside who were very generous and helpful, delivering the provisions to the harbour side on a motorbike. They sat in the shade and chatted with Ally, Shawn and Suz while they waited for prayers to finish at the Mosque so they could buy the diesel. Their English was brilliant, mostly learnt from tv and social media, and they had a wonderful sense of humour, telling Ally and Suz that as soon as they get home and into the AC, they strip off hahaha. On returning to Imagination, the provisions were put away before a quick cool off in the water and just as everyone was settling down for a quiet evening onboard, a small boat approached with 6 people in it….it was the ladies from the store as well as a son, husband and friend. They were welcomed onboard and for the next few hours, they enjoyed each others company, sharing stories and information with much laughter and it was great lo learn a little about the Muslim faith on a personal level, their culture and way of life on the islands, which isn’t nearly as strict as it is in other cultures. They were all very lovely, happy people and they left drinking coconuts when they departed late evening, with hugs all round as they went. Love the random, unplanned interactions with locals.
There was a 07.10 start on the 14th, when they sailed to the South of the atoll, arriving at Thinadhoo at 13.15, where the rest of the day was spent onboard. Everyone was ashore by mid morning the following day to pick up a few more provisions and to have an early lunch before lifting the anchor just after 1pm for the overnight sail down to the last atoll to be visited, Addu Atoll. There were dolphins as they left the atoll and a minor delay of having to make 4 attempts at a Man Over Board drill to rescue the big bin that Shawn had just bought to catch rain water and that had somehow undone the knots that he had done to secure it before jumping into the water. It wasn’t long before it became obvious that the winds were a little stronger than expected at around 17kts and they were flying along. The sail down to Feydhoo in Addu Atoll, although a little bumpy, was a fast one and they arrived just after 3am, with everyone going to bed soon after the anchor was secured. Later that morning. Shawn went ashore to meet the agent to hand over passports for clearing out and Suz went with him to scope out the supermarkets for the small amount of reprovisioning that needed to be done just prior to departing the Maldives. 2 refrigeration technicians came on board to vacuum and then re-gas the broken down freezer, and once Shawn had done some further tweeking, it seemed to be cooling down again.
On Friday the 18th April, everyone went ashore to buy souvenirs, some bits and pieces from a hardware store, finalise provisioning for the next month and to have lunch. However, as it was Friday, many of the stores were closed until 2pm and so after they had managed to get themselves some souvenirs and find where the hardware stores and grocery stores were located, they decided to go for an early lunch and then shop. Having spoken to the staff in the restaurant yesterday to determine whether the restaurant would be open for lunch today, they were very surprised to find it closed. A member of staff was in the kitchen and he came out to tell them that they don’t open until 2pm! So, the decision was made to go back to Imagination for a couple of hours and then return for lunch and do the shopping later. It was a very pleasant, relaxed afternoon all things considered and having eaten and completed all the necessary errands, the anchor was up at 16.45 for the sail down to Chagos. The 4 day sail was reasonable and although the wind strength and direction was changeable, they were able to sail ( with motor some of the way) the whole way, and caught 2 fish on the morning of the 21st.
The permit allowed them to be in the islands from the 22nd April to the 5th May and they are very strict about those dates with boats being informed to arrive on or after the permit start date and that a Patrol Boat would visit to check permits etc. Scuba diving is not permitted, for safety reasons and all crew must have medical insurance that covers repatriation ( which is submitted as part pf the application process) Yachts are to be totally self-sufficient for the duration of their stay, although in an emergency assistance would be given at a cost. Having said all that, the anchor went down at Ile Fouguet , Salomon Islands, Chagos ( BIOT – British Indian Ocean Territory) a little earlier than they should have on the 21st at 18.40. The Chagos archipelago is made up of 7 atolls and was handed over to the UK by the French in 1814 and in 1965, the islands formally became BIOT. The indigenous Chagossians were expelled from the archipelago between 1967 and 1973 at the request of the United States, who had been granted permission to create a joint Naval base on the main island of Diego Garcia with the UK. This island is the only inhabited island today and talks are underway between Mauritius and the UK to hand the islands back to Mauritius (which also used to be French). First impressions were excellent and the excitement of being in such a remote, rarely visited place was tangible. On the 22nd, there were 2 long snorkelling outings to nearby reefs, both of which were phenominal. The corals here are exceedingly abundant, healthy and huge and the range of colours is out of this world. Most of the fish have been seen before on reefs all over, but here, they grow to massive sizes and over and over, Ally audibly gasped at the sheer beauty of the under water world at every turn – “ How can I ever describe this to anyone?”. The visit ashore didn’t disappoint either – utterly beautiful. The reality is, this place is beyond words….it’s more an experience, or an emotion…I don’t know how else to describe it!
On the 23rd , there was another awesome 1.5 hour snorkel before picking up anchor to move across the lagoon ( with Dolphins along the way) to Ile Boddam. Ally, Shawn and Suz went ashore to discover the ruins of the civilisation that was here before the Brits moved everyone out and on the 24th everyone got busy preparing food and packing everything ready for a BBQ on the beach during the afternoon. Almost as soon as they had eaten and everything was packed away, the heavy black clouds that had been holding off all afternoon, finally made their way over and proceeded to rain down while Ally, Shawn and Suz relaxed in the shallow, warm shallows. It was low tide when it was time to return to Imagination and having decided to swim back, as she put her legs down to climb the ladder, Ally realised she could have walked back…the keels were resting on the soft sand!
The following morning, they crossed the lagoon back to Ile Fouguet to revisit the awesome snorkelling there and on the 26th they pulled up the anchor and then the sails for the 32nm crossing to neighbouring atoll, Peros Banhos. Initially the spinnaker was used, but as the winds shifted and then died, the motors were used and they managed to avoid any rain as the heavy clouds built up around them. The anchor went down in the sand at the rather rolly anchorage at Ile Diamant at 15.45 and with the weather closing in, all the canopies were put out. Overnight was wet, and the intermittent rain and thick cloud cover persisted throughout the day on the 27th and so it was a day for photo sorting, reading, snoozing, watching tv/movies and snacking. Thankfully, the weather was much improved on the 28th which was a welcome surprise as the forecast had not predicted sunshine. Drinks were packed into the cooler and snorkel gear was loaded into the dinghy and they went off to a spot just off of a nearby small island. Much of the beach area is fringed with reef or rock, so they found a place where they could snorkel and then wade through an inlet over a flat, shallow ( if somewhat stony) area to the beach. The snorkelling wasn’t that great due to the swell picking up the sand making visibility poor, and the inside of the reef was mostly dead but the outside edge had some very healthy areas and Shawn managed to find a fish that was on his and Ally’s “must see while here” list, the endemic Chagos Anemone Fish ( Amphiprion Chagosensis)! So gorgeously striking and not too shy to have a photo taken! Once on the beach, they found evidence of 3 huge turtle nesting sites before taking a stroll for a bit of beachcombing and then relaxing in the bath warm water with a drink. The sky was totally clear of cloud after dinner and so after a game of “blob”, they turned all lights off and sat on the nets to gaze at the stars, only going to bed once they had seen 3 shooting stars.
Tuesday 29th was another day of both relaxing and snorkelling, this time on a reef close to Imagination. Again, it was rather murky with the churned up waters ( the long fetch across the large atoll creates a decent swell by the time it reaches the West side), but despite that, they came across community after community of the Chagos Anemone Fish. There were hundreds of them, which presented ample opportunity to get photos. They also came across the largest turtle they have ever seen, resting on the sand under a shelf of coral – he knew they were there, duck diving down to get pictures of him, but he wasn’t bothered one bit. Shawn also got a fright when, after concentrating on taking photos, he turned around and was confronted by the biggest Trevelly he has ever seen ( yes, another biggest ever!), causing him to gasp and his heart to race – it was about 4ft long and 3ft deep, around 6 to 8 times bigger ( by weight) than the regular large ones he had seen everywhere else! On the 30th, they move South within the atoll to Ile Anglais where Suz and Shawn both went for a snorkel, encountering several sharks ( black tips and nurse) while also discovering an anemone garden and a huge, luminous green soft coral.
