Let me begin by saying that I am not a sailor; I have
just had the absolute privilege to odyssey across oceans by form of yacht.
My latest adventure began in the picturesque setting of
Mauritius with the final destination of my hometown, Durban. The beauty of
travelling by yacht is the opportunity to stop off at some truly magnificent hidden
gems on our planet.
I met the vessel Topaz in Grand Baie, a popular tourist destination
for obvious reasons, the turquoise glistening ocean lapping on to golden sands,
exquisite palm trees framing the beaches and the kind locals habituating in the
quaint village surrounding the bay.
Topaz had been anchored in Grand Baie for ten days and I
joined the crew for another two nights floating in tropical paradise. During
the steamy hot days, I walked around Grand Baie, cruising along the shoreline
admiring a variety of boats anchored in the bay; a number of beautiful Hindu deities
had the eternal setting of Grand Baie, along with a very Nordic-looking church
built right on the water’s edge. In contrast to the pristine area, just beyond
a jetty in dire disrepair, the remains of a tall ship jutted out of the water
adding some mystery to the bay. Returning back to the boat, I meandered past a
variety of architecture, along with some quirky tourist arcades.
The perfect setting was interrupted by the roar of fast
flying speed boats zipping dare-devilish through the anchorage, carving wakes
for their skiers that they were dragging behind them. The evenings however were
blissful, with postcard sunsets rewarding our stay as we sipped on exotic colourful
cocktails from the resort bars.
We enjoyed a tranquil slow sail from Grand Baie to Port
Louis, the capital of Mauritius. Safely tied up in the small marina, Topaz, a
51ft Australian built Adams monohull, was dwarfed by the tail-end of the lavish
Oyster fleet that were circumnavigating the globe. Added to the mix of
circumnavigators were three yachts, a German couple on their yacht Wigwam. Sailing
in convoy were two ketches that had been cruising for three years, an American
couple and their two teenage children sailing on Azimuth and a Canadian couple
with their three children on Viatrix.
In the capital, I had one day to explore the bustling
town, admiring the waterfront that was a smaller, carbon copy of our V@A
Waterfront. The main promenade had the funkiest shade, with an array of
multi-coloured umbrellas casting shadows below creating a rainbow awning above
the busy walkway. The neat, well-kempt town was a joy to wander around.
Discovering the local hangouts set on the outskirts of town, the massive horse
track, modern day office blocks standing tall next to ancient buildings housing
retailers, urban parks adding some greenery to the concrete terrain and a
number of places of worship dotted around.
Our departure time was moved forward as our skipper, Rob
Ferenczi had been warned that our next port of call had a tricky entrance and
with the tides, we needed to get there before 07:00am. Our departure time was
now at sunset with the weather looking very favourable for a gentle sail to Saint
Pierre, Reunion.
Enroute back to the marina, a number of people were
gazing heavenwards, cameras and cellphones all snapping at something in the
sky. Curious, looking up I saw a perfect halo circling the sun, I took this
sentiment as a blessing for our upcoming passage.
Our last adventure on land was acquiring a bit of fresh
food from the charming fruit, veg and traditional medicine market. The traders
all enticed us with their wares but only a handful spoke English, so our
trading and bartering was done with good old hand signals.
As the sun began to set on Mauritius, we departed in
convoy with Viatrix. Next stop the French island of Reunion.
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