Indian Ocean Cruising

[Banshe]

Hi everyone,

I have just joined. I'm about to sail out of Dampier WA. Where's Dampier you may ask. Well it's a tiny mining town in Western Australia. I'm sailing to Rodrigues 3000 miles across the Indian Ocean. Hope to be there in three weeks if the trades are kind to me.
If anyone has sailed there and can give me some information it would be gladly received and appreciated.

Banshe

[SV.Louna]

So where are you going after Leaving WA pacifically?
L&N


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[Wrong]

Originally Posted by Banshe

Hi everyone,

I have just joined. I'm about to sail out of Dampier WA. Where's Dampier you may ask. Well it's a tiny mining town in Western Australia. I'm sailing to Rodrigues 3000 miles across the Indian Ocean. Hope to be there in three weeks if the trades are kind to me.
If anyone has sailed there and can give me some information it would be gladly received and appreciated.

Banshe

I sailed Darwin, Christmas Island, Cocos Keeling, Rodriques, Madagascar..., in 2011-12.

In a nutshell, Rodriques is an interesting stop. The approach into the lagoon was a bit confusing at the time due to a poorly marked piling, but with a little guidance from others inside via vhf was successful. You do not want to arrive on a weekend like I did, and although receipts are provided, I came away unconvinced the officials weren't padding their pockets at my expense.

Anchoring was possible but appeared to be a bit exposed. I tied alongside a commercial tug because climbing from my kayak to the jetty's top would have been a challenge. I prefer anchoring in order to keep vermin off my boat. While I'll never know for sure, I may have taken aboard a hard to irradicate cockroach infestation there. Could have been in Nose Be, Madagascar (banannas) or South Africa (marinas) though..

There are some pretty good cafes and restaurants as well as roadside vendors selling a decent variety of vegetables and so-so fruit. Lots of shops, maybe two banks if my memory serves me well. A decent bakery. There's a Chinese whole seller not far from the jetty where you can find items like toilet paper and canned goods at quantity discount prices.

Overall, not too expensive.

I'd stop there again but not on a weekend...

[Greg4cocokai]

Last year we went Langkawi - W. Sumatra - Cocos Keeling - Rodriguez - Mauritius - Durban. 3 weeks in Cocos was the highlight. Rodriguez, the anchorage was fine but was nice to tie to the wharf was nice to fuel and water up. They will bring a fuel truck to the boat. Water needs to be jugged from a close by water catchment. Spent 5 weeks in Mauritius, good anchorage.

Be prepared for a LOT of rolling as it's mostly DDW from Cocos to Rodriguez ( 2,000nms ) with the trades 15 - 25 kts. When the lows go by to the south there is a VERY uncomfortable roll! Pretty fast ride though.

Enjoy your trip!
Greg, currently in Grenada


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[barnakiel]

We sailed that too back in 2006. Approaches as per the chart. Easy and pleasant sailing (for us, from Darwin).

Nice place, good beer, excellent patisserie. Commonwealth govt but French culture. Friendly people too.

Do not anchor at the center of the harbour even if space available. A cargo delivery comes and then you must move out towards the edge anyways.

Stopovers Cocos and Christmas both very fine.

b.

[SV.Louna]

I believe some of the archipelago's above Madagascar are incredible. The British cleaned the people out of the islands 50 odd years ago and resettled them in Madagascar. So you have fresh water, fruit trees, fish and no people. I think there is only one island now as an American base. Maybe after we finish in the Pacific, we might go over that way for a while. But providing you do your research, everyone I know has had a great time.
L&N


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