Year 3 -19 March 2026 - Stormbird - Kochi - India
It did not rain luckily in the night but I was woken early by a horn from a barge which went past. I had tea whilst the sun began to wake up and therefore set out early to do the rest of the gel coat on the topsides. I painted on the oxidation gel which took some time and left it for 1.5 hours. It was quite a reasonable temperature whilst doing this.
I had a mango breakfast in the meantime and spoke to the agent about refuelling. He is trying to arrange for a barge to come by and that would be the best thing. I explained about my fuel pump and filter and he asked me to send him pictures of them which I did. There is so much bureaucracy here that permission has to be obtained etc. It is almost like if you want to pass wind you have to apply in triplicate to 3 different departments to get permission!!.
I had forgotten when doing the engine room to ensure the expansion tank on the generator was working and I had to clear the hole in the cap and then it was fine and I topped it up.
I then set about washing the gel coat and the gel which had now dried. It came off and looks quite good but there are some stubborn marks in various parts which I may need to treat differently.
I then put on the Rolling Stones and started to do a list of what we have in the way of food and drink and to work out what we need to get. The Maldives may be more limited than India (we are there for about a month) and after that it is Chagos where there is nothing and then on to Mauritius which I hope being French should be reasonably supplied. It is therefore with the exception of fruit and vegetables and some dairy stuff worth considering provisioning for about 6 weeks. This enabled me to make a good list. I have also been using up my spare water supplies of bottled water as we cannot at present drink from the tap as we are using marina water. The bottled water will need to be replaced.
I decided to start the engine to check it as it has not been started for a month. It was a good job I did as the battery was very weak and could not start the engine. I used the emergency setting which enables me to use the domestic batteries as a backup and it started easily. I ran for 5 minutes and turned off. I then started again and it worked. I am not sure whether the engine battery has lost some charge for not being used for a month or whether there is a problem with the battery. I will need to check but would have thought that the engine battery should be charged as we are on mains. However this may not be the case. I have never had a problem with it before but I think I inherited it when I bought the boat. I have no idea what age it is and it is possible it is nearing the end of its life. I therefore got on to the engineer who will come and check it about 2.30pm. I then decided to check the batteries for fluid as they need every few months a top up of distilled water. They did and I therefore topped them all up and used up my distilled water so I shall need some more.
I wanted to do more deck cleaning and polishing the chrome but it is too hot so you need to do that sort of job in the evening or morning. I shall do the chrome early tomorrow.
2.30pm came and went and I continued with the provisioning list. By 4.00pm there was still no sign of the engineer so I contacted the agent and apparently there was a problem so he will come tomorrow morning.
I therefore looked at some marks on the deck including a small bit of paint. I thought would acetone help and so I tried it and it does bring off difficult marks so I used it to get rid of difficult marks and rust marks which was good. Varghese rang to say he will bring the upholstery man at 7.00pm. As it was 5.15pm I thought it is time for a swim and it was very welcome and cooling. After showering etc I watched the sun go down with a cool beer. I had planned to have cassoulet and broccoli but by 7.15pm no upholstery man nor by 7.30pm. I called Varghese and he said he was on his way. I therefore abandoned my proposed feast and had eggs on toast instead as it was quick and easy.
The upholstery man came at 8.20pm and in the dark he put on the rear seat covers and they did not look bad. The odd clip needs adjusting but it looks like a good job. He was not able to do a new piece of netting on the doghouse put proposes to put a piece of webbing behind the damaged area which he will do tomorrow.
By this time it was quite late and so I relaxed in the cockpit facing another day of jobs but we are gradually getting there. I have 4 days to go until the crew start to arrive.
I want to talk about the Brahminy Kite – as it lands on the spreaders quite often and has caused so much mess including bits of crab and of course the contents of its derriere. They are lovely birds and are a delight to watch soaring high above the trees bit the aftereffects are not so pleasant. The other thing is that it has a call like a wailing cat which is not so good. I have seen these lovely birds since Australia.
The Brahminy kite also known as the red-backed sea-eagle in India, is a medium-sized bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors, such as eagles, buzzards, and harriers, found in the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, and Australia. The brahminy kite is found mainly on the coast and in inland wetlands, where it feeds on dead fish and other prey. Adults have a reddish-brown body plumage contrasting with their white head and breast which make them easy to distinguish from other birds of prey.
The brahminy kite is distinctive and contrastingly coloured, with chestnut plumage except for the white head and breast and black wing tips. The juveniles are browner, but can be distinguished from both the resident and migratory races of black kites in Asia by the paler appearance, shorter wings, and rounded tail. The pale patch on the underwing carpal region is of a squarish shape and separated from Buteo buzzards. The brahminy kite is about the same size as the black kite and has a typical kite flight, with wings angled, but its tail is rounded unlike the Milvus species, red kite, and black kite, which have forked tails.
The breeding season in South Asia is from December to April. The nests are constructed of small branches and sticks with a bowl inside and lined with leaves, and are located in various trees, often mangroves. They show considerable site fidelity nesting in the same area year after year. In some rare instances, they have been seen to nest on the ground under trees. A clutch of two dull-white or bluish-white oval eggs measuring 52 x 41 mm is laid. Both parents take part in nest building and feeding, but likely only the female incubates. The incubation period is about 26 to 27 days.
It is primarily a scavenger, feeding mainly on dead fish and crabs, especially in wetlands and marshland, but occasionally hunts live prey such as hares and bats. They may also indulge in kleptoparasitism and attempt to steal prey from other birds. Brahminy kites have even been recorded taking advantage of Irrawaddy dolphins herding fish to the surface, in the Mekong River. A rare instance of a bird feeding on honey at the hive of Apis florea has been recorded. It also eats rice or cooked food left as an offering in India.
Young birds may indulge in play behaviour, dropping leaves and attempting to catch them in the air. When fishing over water, they may sometimes land in the water, but manage to swim and take off without much trouble. They roost communally on large and isolated trees and as many as 600 have been seen at one location.
The picture of today is one of those kites flying over Stormbird and which has caused so much mess.
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