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Local small sailing outrigger

Our passage from the Seychelles to Madagascar was unique for us as it was our first all-upwind passage to date.  This made our speeds somewhat slower, and the trip more bouncy.  Although we chose the best weather window we could, the window slammed shut on us about a day earlier than expected, so we sought refuge for 10 days in conveniently placed Farquhar Atoll.  But our adventures started before we'd even had a chance to clear into Madagascar officially!

Cruising along the coast of Madagascar was delightful.  Although the country is very poor, the villagers sail everywhere in their colorful and picturesque dhows, making good use of the interesting winds that blow one direction in the morning, and the other direction in the afternoon.

The list-server we use to send out our newsletters was down for the entire time we cruised Madagascar, so most of these newsletters were sent to only a few folks, as our on-board email can't handle large lists of recipients.

The following are our noon positions and statistics as we sailed from Mahe Island (Seychelles) to Madagascar, with a stopover in Farquhar Atoll.  The basic course for these legs was about 220° magnetic (SSW).  Wind speeds and directions are apparent - true wind-speeds were somewhat lower and true wind angles were a bit further aft (our forward speed pulls the apparent wind forward):

The newsletters we sent out from Madagascar are:

Up | To Farquhar Atoll | Madagascar Arrival | Yacht Rescue | Inland Madagascar | Madagascar Coast

Indonesia Letters | Malay-Thai Letters | Sri Lanka Letters | Maldives Letters | Chagos Letters | Seychelles Letters | Madagascar Letters | Africa Letters

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