Be The Jam

Position: Praslan Island . Seychelles .

S 04°38.99'

E 055°29.60'

Well we are finally out of here. We have checked out, passports are back, port authorities have cleared us. We are of to spend a day or two in Praslan Island , 28 miles away from Mahé, for a short break before heading North to Socotra ( Somalia ) then onto the Gulf of Aden . We had wanted to leave yesterday, but when the sail turned up it still needed repairs, most of the eyes on it needed replacing, a simple repair but much needed. The sail maker (Sail maker in these parts means someone armed with a sowing machine willing to take on any job, however impossible it might be, with the added bonus of not having any materials because of such high import duties) had sent one of his helpers to deliver the sail. So on receiving it, promised in the morning arrived in the afternoon, with the boat ready to sail, three people eager to get out of this rain ridden grease pit, it was all stop again. I borrowed a friends car and dashed of with sail makers' (Joke) mate to try and find sail maker (abuse of the word sail maker) himself. After a treacherous drive up an impossible road, we arrived at Mr Estonis' house (said sail maker). (Could really string this story out was a nightmare of a day, but will keep it short) Sail maker had no eyes (sail eyes, he wasn't blind!), in fact he had no materials at all, no workshop either! Off to town it was, 3 shops with different closing times for lunch, in different parts of a town I new like the back of my hand (not!), still no eyes! NO EYES NO SAIL! Finally stopped at sailing club, begged, cried, shouted, jumped up and down, cried some more, took out a 100 Rupee note…….

Arrived in Seychellois paradise, leaving the rain in Mahé!

Position: Victoria Port - Mahé. Seychelles .

S 04°38.99'

E 055°29.60'

The repairs are coming together fast. We have an engine again! Hooray! The cause of the engine failure was a jammed piston. On our way over the water catchments box on the exhaust pipe blowout, it split at the weld. This box stops the water going back up the exhaust and entering the engine via the back passage! to not put to finer point on it. On the crossing we had no choice but to take the box off, so eventually the water got in. We now have a new box, and there was minimal damage to the engine, we were very lucky. Two of the sails are back from the sail maker and the Genoa is due back tomorrow. We are all packing and repairing things like mad men. We have been stuck in this workshop for about a week now, we are ready to leave. We didn't come to Seychelles to see skeletons of boats pulled up on shore, or tar encrusted walkways. We came for some R and R. We have had a good chance to get the ‘Arise’ (the self steering wind vain) out and see what really is wrong with it. It turns out, through lack of use and sea water, that most of the mechanism is ceased. One part had to be replaced, a washer - this was made by the workshop, and the whole lot was given a good grease. Fingers crossed we hope to set it up this time and let it steer the boat for three weeks!

Position: Victoria Port - Mahé. Seychelles .

S 04°38.99'

E 055°29.60'

Sat ‘right now’; at the Seychelles Yacht Club. Had some lunch and I'm waiting for Rupert to come back from town. We are here to meet the sail maker, to hand over our sails to be repaired. Found out this morning that the engine has had water in it, via the exhaust pipe, meaning it's now seized. Conclusion; the engine will have to be removed, overhauled and put back!! This means a delay of over a week. I went to immigration this morning and got our visa's extended till the end of the month, just in case. Well the engine is the final straw in a long line of breakage's and things going wrong; our luck has to change soon. What makes things worse is that the Seychelles is very expensive. It seems the yacht club is subsidised in some way, it is the cheapest place to eat, drink and generally be, this makes for a very boring stay. We were hoping to get the engine fixed today, thinking it was something minor, and then drop of the sails and nip of to a nearby island for a few days, then come back, pick up the sails and disappear of towards the Red Sea . Well that's gone out of the window for now till we can assess the full extent of the damage to the engine.

1400 hrs

Just had lunch. This place is worse than I thought. The Seychelles government impose a 250% tax on new vehicles coming into the country, and you are not allowed to import second hand cars. Feel sorry for the people living here, they do seem a little subdued. Beginning to understand the vibe here, keep picking up little snippets of info here and there, basically this island is run similar to a Marxist society, more on this later.

Position: Victoria Port - Mahé. Seychelles . S 04°38.99'

E 055°29.60'

Well; we’ve been in Seychelles for a few days now, having a very nice time thank you, got here on the Eve of the 25 year celebration of Independence for the Seychelles . Been one big party all weekend. We saw a float yesterday in Port Victoria. At night there is dancing in the street and beer aplenty! Been Kitesurflng in the days, the south easterly we came here on blows just as hard here, there isn't quite enough to windsurf but there is plenty of wind for kite surfing. Spoke to my girlfriend last night, she says she is being made redundant, and she is going to Greece , Crete to a place called Malia. Her brother is working out there so she is going to spend the summer there. Well things change quick when you’re away from home! I hope things work out for her, at times like these you wonder if you are doing the right thing. Here I am on the other side of the world, while my girlfriend goes through some major changes in life, I'm sitting on a boat, experiencing some major changes in attitude to life! Anyway if paths are meant to be together and are good together, they will come back together again. The way I feel at the moment I hope things work out. For the time being I've got a mission and that mission is to get this boat back to England .

Position: Victoria Port - Mahé. Seychelles .

S 04°38.99'

E 055°29.60'

Going nowhere without serious engine and sail overhaul!

Hooray! We have arrived. The local authorities are very welcoming, all paper work sorted within the hour and they gave us a tow in because we have no engine. Cost a total of $20! The difference between Indo and Seychelles ; bloody brilliant. Looking forward to getting to land and getting some cold beer and a bacon sandwich down the neck; well got to go…..