Cochin can't be all that bad. There is a new marina there now. Both the Vasco de Gama Rally and the
Bluewater Round the World Rally stop in Cochin now rather than Sri Lanka or the
Maldives. Both rallies then proceed to a more northern latitude before proceeding to Oman or Yemen. This is because of the increasing number of
piracy attacks on the more direct
route of Uligan to Salalah, as shown on the Live
Piracy site. The
Maldives certainly might be more beautiful than the western coast of
India; but as Mark mentioned, Bill and I have seen enough patches of
coral in the
South Pacific to last us a lifetime.
Getting from
Thailand to some point past the Gate of Tears is just a "do it quickly and do it safely" part of our
circumnavigation. Then we will take our time going up the Red Sea after getting past the piracy areas.
Judy
S/V BeBe