Interesting. I sailed across the Indian Ocean in 2018, in the opposite direction and further south. We sailed from Darwin to South Africa and visited islands on the southern route, Christmas Island, Cocos Keeling, Rodrigues, Mauritius, Reunion, and Madagascar. We also did some drag behinds, but we were quite careful as there were only 3 of us on board. And yes, anything about 4 knots and it's almost impossible to hang on. So, we only did it when we were somewhat becalmed. That said, I took many makeshift baths, dragging behind the boat. I was on 8 boats in total, on my circumnavigation.
I can't imagine the intensity of losing a crew member in the water in the middle of the Indian Ocean. Standing watch at night, we were very careful moving around the boat, using a jackline and keeping our lifejackets on. If we were to fall overboard in the middle of our watch, we would never be found, because nobody would hear it and the boat would continue sailing on its path for the next several hours until the relief watchperson woke up.
I'm curious how much this trip was. As a Global Hitchhiker, I didn't pay to sail, but I did pay for my share of the consumables. Food, alcohol, fuel, marina and country entrance fees were all shared.
Thanks for sharing your experience, Matt. Your trip sounds amazing -- all islands I'd love to visit.
Honestly, I'm not sure how much the trip was (it was about 10 years ago). I'm thinking $5k, inclusive. I know we didn't pay for fuel because there was an argument about it at the end of the trip with the Captain trying to make us pay. Matthias brought the receipts though - the original listing with all the details.
Interesting. I sailed across the Indian Ocean in 2018, in the opposite direction and further south. We sailed from Darwin to South Africa and visited islands on the southern route, Christmas Island, Cocos Keeling, Rodrigues, Mauritius, Reunion, and Madagascar. We also did some drag behinds, but we were quite careful as there were only 3 of us on board. And yes, anything about 4 knots and it's almost impossible to hang on. So, we only did it when we were somewhat becalmed. That said, I took many makeshift baths, dragging behind the boat. I was on 8 boats in total, on my circumnavigation.
I can't imagine the intensity of losing a crew member in the water in the middle of the Indian Ocean. Standing watch at night, we were very careful moving around the boat, using a jackline and keeping our lifejackets on. If we were to fall overboard in the middle of our watch, we would never be found, because nobody would hear it and the boat would continue sailing on its path for the next several hours until the relief watchperson woke up.
I'm curious how much this trip was. As a Global Hitchhiker, I didn't pay to sail, but I did pay for my share of the consumables. Food, alcohol, fuel, marina and country entrance fees were all shared.
Thanks for sharing your experience, Matt. Your trip sounds amazing -- all islands I'd love to visit.
Honestly, I'm not sure how much the trip was (it was about 10 years ago). I'm thinking $5k, inclusive. I know we didn't pay for fuel because there was an argument about it at the end of the trip with the Captain trying to make us pay. Matthias brought the receipts though - the original listing with all the details.