Perry

Who: Matt, Jen, Conrad & Mark
Where: Seychelles
Multihull: Privilège 482
Blog : www.svperry.com 

Our sail to Baie Chevalier on Praslin took about 8 hours rather than the usual 4 hours because the normally ever-present wind had died for the day. We knew this would happen but were eager to escape the waters near Eden Marina. So we hiked up our spinnaker and sailed verrrry slowly. It was nice to get back to what we think of as cruising, which involves anchoring in less crowded areas where we can explore, and fix the boat as needed. Praslin and La Digue, although chock full of tourists, did not disappoint. We found beaches with interesting surf and soft, white sand. There were stunning views and tortoises. We were again grateful to be able to spend the time to enjoy all this at a leisurely pace. On the ‘no this isn’t just a permanent vacation’ front, we’re still doing school, laundry in a bucket and boat maintenance. Matt had to replace a seal in one of our water-maker pumps, re-bedded a trampoline eye-bolt, and has been chasing down the air that keeps building up in the port engine fuel lines, which makes itself known by shutting down the engine at inconvenient times. Mark and Conrad have been enjoying the surf at Anse Lazio. It has made landing the dinghy a bit challenging at times and we did get a face full of water once. We only spent a couple of nights at La Digue because the anchorage was rolly and uncomfortable. La Digue was as great as everyone said. It is a sleepier version of Mahé. Where else can you find a tortoise in the middle of the road? Tortoises are not quite as common as the pigeons in Instanbul. but almost. They come right up to you to look for food. We continue to be impressed by the friendliness of the Seychellois people and the beauty of the country. The cool nights and relative lack of mosquitoes are a bonus too.