cruisingworld.com83june/july 2016boasting rare carnivorous pitcher plants,
the Glacis Trois Frères trail off ered a
magnifi cent view of the easterly islands
in the archipelago, including Praslin and
La Digue. It was this vista that sent us to
the grocery stores to stock up and then
to the port captain to check out, fi rst for
the outer islands and then for Comoros.
Windy Ride to Comoros
We don’t have a wind-speed indicator,
but the boats around us on our 800-mile
upwind passage from the Seychelles
to Comoros did. And my ear became
calibrated. At 25 knots, the wind was a
high-pitched moan that resonated at
the same frequency I grind my teeth; 30
knots clenched my stomach and sounded
to me just like anxiety.
I found 20 knots much more
comfortable. Fewer waves crashed into
or washed over us, and both the cat and I
could venture out of our seasick haze long
enough to drink water and eat something.
Fifteen knots sounded like exhaling —
short lulls where the seas uncrumpled, and
we could sail without crashes and bangs
and a clenched jaw. Most of the passage
was under staysail and double-reefed main,
a few square meters of canvas catching all
the power of the Indian Ocean wind as
it compressed over Madagascar and hit
Africa. We could have used some of that
breeze earlier in the season.The best part of a hard passage is
the last few miles, after you sight land
and, if you’re lucky, the wind and seas
drop to the point where you can catch
your breath and prepare for arrival
formalities. Our landfall in Anjouan,
Comoros, was perfect: The wind
decreased to 10 knots, and the seas
settled from over three meters to one.
We had calm weather to tidy up, shower,
and wash salt off the ceiling from when
a wave had broken over the cabin,
bouncing up through the cockpit and in
through the companionway.
Comoros is 99 percent Muslim and
one of the poorest countries in the world.
The population speaks some French but
mostly an Arabic dialect of Swahili. The
economy is primarily agricultural, with
people growing vanilla, cloves and ylang-
ylang. Despite experiencing more than 20coups since independence from France in
1974, the country is currently peaceful.
Between the challenges of getting
there and checking in, Comoros isn’t
an easy destination. Yet after we got
past details like arrival procedures (and
costs) that seemed set at the whim of
the offi cials, the fact that there’s no
offi cial garbage collection (much of
it is burned at the edge of the sea or
dumped into ravines), and the unusual
version of French spoken there, we found
that Comoros was exactly the kind of
destination we had set off to fi nd.
From the way the wind smells like trop-
ical fl owers and the streets are scented
with cloves, to the bright colors the
women wear and the way the kids wave
from dugout canoes, Comoros is almost
cliché. The market is vibrant, the old
town is intriguing, and the people are
quick to smile and laugh
(and return your change
when you overpay and
walk away).Into Africa
Comoros was the
transition in our journey
across the Indian Ocean.
The quick 235-mile hop
to Madagascar felt less
like a division than our
previous passages had.
It was here that some
of the 60 or so boats
from the southern route
converged with the
northern-route boats
and turned Nosy Be’s
harbor into a colorful
“we’ve almost crossed
the Indian Ocean” party,
set to a Malagasy beat.
There was one more complicated crossing
to go. But before we set out on a perfect
sailing breeze, we had spiced rum to taste
and lemurs to visit.
Maybe not knowing where you’re going
isn’t such a bad thing. Cruising seems to be
so much about preparing (and sometimes
overpreparing) that it can be easy to miss
the adventure of simply setting sail and
seeing where life takes you. The northern
route across the Indian Ocean has too
much wind, and too little wind, and too
much bureaucracy. It’s also beautiful and
friendly and colorful. It’s a perfect cruising
experience and a diffi cult one. It’s a route
I’d recommend with my whole heart.Aft er stops in South Afr ica and Namibia, Diane
Selkirk and her family are heading out across
the Atlantic aboard their 40-foot Wood’s Mean-
der catamaran, Ceilydh.After the upwind passage to Anjouan, Comoros, a hike
to take in the view of Mutsamudu (left) and the harbor
was appreciated by the crew. Maia and some cruising
kids had fun on the beach at Chagos (above).june/july 2016cruisingworld.com83RISKS & REWARDS