Year 3 -1 March 2026 – Kochi-India

I woke about 8.15am which is late for me and noticed bite marks on my feet. They must be mosquito bites but although they are small and red luckily they do not itch.

I had breakfast and then decided to clean the deck before I leave to wash off bird pooh. They seem to like the cross trees on Stormbird. I then filled the Starboard tank with water and had checked the engine room and there were no leaks from the freshwater system. There were, however, bits of metal filings from the works they had done so I cleaned it all up. I then sorted the fridge out and got rid of anything perishable. I turned off the gas at the cylinder and switched the gas off inside.

I finished my packing and got my bags ready. I took the rubbish ashore and put everything away. I changed and then waited for Ajesh who is looking after the boat in my absence.

He arrived at about 12.05pm and I showed him everything again and how to lock the boat etc. I therefore took my bags to reception and met the driver Mr Sabu who we are having for our trip. I had not heard from Jules but it is still very early in the morning.

Mr Subu drove me to the Brunton Boatyard Hotel which Mark and I had a drink at the other day. Over a century ago Mr George Brunton set up a company with his sons Will & Jack and created a boatyard on this site and developed a good reputation for themselves. They did very well until British Boat Builders complained to the Lord of the Admiralty that most British Warships were being made in India and their business was being affected. This then marked a beginning of a decline and the ultimate collapse of this famous boatyard. The land was bought and the colonial era hotel built on the current site. It looks old and has lots of old dark wood (Mahogony and teak) with wicker and cane chairs and benches.

I was welcomed on arrival and asked to sit on a chair. I was given a bookmark made out of coconut husk, a cold towel to freshen myself up and a delicious passion fruit drink. I signed a few forms and the lady, dressed in a smart sari explained about the facilities. I was given a map of Fort Kochi. There are 3 restaurants – The Armoury which does all types of food, The History -which provides local dishes and flavours of Kerala and the Terrace -which specialises in seafood.

British afternoon tea was served at 5.00pm so I agreed to that as well as the complimentary 45-minute boat ride on the backwaters at 5.30pm. I also signed up for the history walk at 7.00am tomorrow.

The hotel has a nice pool on the edge of the harbour, a spa and a small shop. It also has a full-sized snooker table although when I looked I could not see the balls so I will have to ask for them.

I was eventually guided to my room which was again decorated in Mahogony and teak and had a colonial feel about it. I looked right out over the harbour, the garden and the pool. It was not too shabby.

It was about time Jules would be waking so I rang her and she had heard from Etihad that as the flight had been cancelled she could get a refund but no communication regarding any re-scheduling. I had been looking at the news and it seemed to me that the operations in Iran were going to continue for some time and Dubai, Doha and Aby Dabhi had been targeted by Iran. I therefore she suggested she looked at direct flights to India. She did and later rang me back to say she had got a return flight to New Delhi and then she will fly to Kochi but cannot arrive until 6.40pm on the 3rd of March. This is a shame but there is nothing we can do about it. At least she has a flight booked as all the Indian flights were booked today.    

Once I had settled in I went to explore and wondered round the whole hotel which has a lovely courtyard garden with trees in its centre. I found the spa, the shop and the pool and the 3 restaurants.

I am due to meet my travel guide at 9.30am tomorrow who will guide me round the Fort. I should think it will be a proper tour instead of our tuk tuk one.

I decided to go and have a swim and relax. The pool was nice and right beside the port so you can see and hear what is going on. I then got ready and went for the British Tea – which was nice- a vegetable tart and 3 different cakes. I then made it to the boat and there were about 12 of us and we went across to Vipen Island down that estuary where all the fishing boats were moored. I asked the guide why they had such high bows but she did not really know.

There are two types here – one with a very high bow where someone has to sit up there to guide the helmsman in the wheelhouse and then other has a lower bow. They are all painted dark blue with an orange wheelhouse which is apparently a regulation in Kerala. However they all have their names on the hull and colourful designs in terms or symbols etc.

The high bow on traditional fishing boats in Kerala (often known as Vallam or Kettuvallam) is a functional design feature honed over centuries to manage the challenging coastal conditions of the Arabian Sea and the intricacies of the backwaters. The main purpose of the high, often flared, bow is to act as a barrier against the Arabian Sea's choppy waters. It increases forward buoyancy, allowing the boat to rise above waves rather than cutting through them, which keeps the deck dry and prevents the vessel from "stuffing" its nose into the trough of a wave. The high bow ensures that sea spray and breaking waves are deflected away from the vessel, maintaining a dry working deck for fishermen. The design, which often includes a raised, swept-up bow, helps manage the pitch (up-and-down motion) of the boat in rough conditions, making it more stable and less prone to capsizing.

Traditional Chundan Vallams (snake boats) have a prow that extends high above the water, originally designed for speed and to resemble a cobra's hood, which has influenced the aesthetics of many Kerala boat designs. 

Additionally, in modern, motorized Kerala fishing boats, specialized high-bow"Nabla type" bulbous bow designs are increasingly used to significantly reduce water resistance and cut fuel consumption by up to 5-8%.

We motored up this estuary and back and as we returned the sun was going down and you could see it behind the large number of Chinese Fishing nets on either side of the entrance which we had seen when we came in with Stormbird. As it was high tide there were some nets in use and we saw then being lifted up and one I saw had a large fish in it. We came round the entrance and back to the hotel. It had been a relatively short trip but worth doing (any chance to get on a boat!!).

I returned to my room. As it is the first of the month it is a dry day by law. However, this does not apply to minibars so I had a beer in the room before supper. As I wrote this blog I am looking over the harbour and watching the busy traffic.

I went for some supper in the Armoury restaurant and had a quick bit. The English people at the next table were from Wandsworth- small world.

I shall have to do the tour on my own tomorrow but will make the best of it.      

 The picture of the day is view over the pool to the entrance to the Arabian Sea.

 Need/Opportunity Year Three

In year three I will be going from Thailand to Sri Lanka, India, Maldives and then on to Mauritius, Reunion, Cape Town, St Helena, Azores and back to the UK. 

I am looking for one crew from Mauritius/ Reunion Island to Cape Town (mid June to end of July). If of any interest do email me.

The blog will continue as we continue the journey. If you have any comments or suggestions about the blog then do email me on hine.nick9@gmail.com