We’re finally leaving the Maldives!

Maldives to Chagos - Day 0

After 121 days, we’re finally departing Maldives at 9am on 12th July, bound for Chagos (BIOT).

Maldives didn’t really turn out as expected, but then again 2020 has been a bit of an unpleasant surprise for pretty much everyone one on the planet, so why should we be any different?

There’s a small chance we might end up back here, if our onward plans continue to be thwarted by Covid, and I’d be glad to return - the little we’ve seen of the palce has been fantastic, and we certainly feel like we have unfinished business here!

But now our sights are set southwards, and one of the least visited places on earth - Chagos. More people reach the summit of Mount Everest every day than visit Chagos each year. It’s completely uninhabited apart from a military base in the southernmost island of the archipelago. We are one of just 9 yachts this year to be granted a permit (and we think only 3 have made it due to Covid), so we’re feeling pretty lucky.

It’s not open for sightseeing or tourism, it’s strictly a stopping off point for yachts transiting the fearsome Indian Ocean. The authorities allow you to stay in a select few anchorages for a maximum of 28 days to catch your breath and wait for a suitable weather windwo to open up for your onward passage.

But in the meantime, you get to enjoy one of the precious few areas on the planet untouched by human kind, in the middle of the largest Marine Reserve in the world, surrounded by sand, plam trees giant coconut crabs and imposibly cute boobys (the birds, of course, what else were you thinking?), with truly spectacular snorkelling.

We set sail tomorrow morning on what should be a 2-3 days passage. The winds are forecast to be light thankfully, but they’ll be on the nose, and there are serious ocean swells to contend with, so it won’t be the easiest of passages.

Still, I’m truly excited for what lies ahead.