Year 3 -23 February 2026 – Kochi- India

We had a bit of a lie in and then had our usual fruit breakfast. We were waiting to hear as to when Abhilash Tomy might come as he was flying into Cochin today. Despite this we thought it would be good to go to the Fort for a walk around.

I decide to try and tackle the barnacles on the rear steps and all google said was to use vinegar to soften the shell and then to use a plastic scraper. There was no magic solution. I therefore spent a few hours of hard graft doing bit by bit and it gradually worked although it did not seem to come off the wood very easily. After a few hours I had had enough and cleared up.

Mark had read and gone to the pool and so I joined him for a swim before lunch. Lunch was salad and leftovers and we then met Varghese who agreed to give us a lift to the Fort via the marine shop as I wanted to try and get a new oar for the dinghy. We arrived at this store which was 3 stories high and full of stuff. We had a look around and all they had was kayak oars so that was no good.

Varghese dropped us off at the Fort and we started to walk along the waterfront where we could look out over the entrance to the harbour that we had come in some weeks ago and there were a number of Chinese Fishing nets along the shore. Chinese fishing nets are iconic, large, stationary, shore-operated lift nets found in Fort Kochi, Kerala, India. Introduced by Chinese explorer Zheng He between 1350 and 1450 AD, these 10-meter-high structures made of teak and bamboo operate on a, pulley, and counter-weight system to catch fish.

We were stopped by a man who showed us one net and says that it takes 6 of them to lift up and down. There are 2 A frames and they are pulled up and let down. He says the net is let down for 5 minutes and then pulled up. The best fishing he said was in the rainy season July and August and fishing occurs at high water.

We continued to walk along and there were lots of stalls selling jewellery, toys and tat and drink, ice cream and nut stalls. We passed old colonial buildings and the odd cannon on a gun emplacement which was decaying. The stone wall along the shore was evident.

We continued and came to the Metro dock where you can get boats to various places and there was a car ferry which crossed across to the other side of the harbour and was very busy. We walked along and came to the Brunton Boatyard Hotel which is where Jules and I are staying when she comes out at the beginning of March.

Brunton Boatyard is inspired by colonial history. A former shipyard in British times, this historical plot of land that once housed a famous boatyard is now a hotel built to reflect the symbols and signs of a historical period known for its stately grandeur. It sits well with the colonial era surroundings and reflects an eclectic blend of English, Portuguese and Dutch influences as seen in its high ceilings, hanging fans and artifacts and curios from a great mercantile age.    

Mark and I decided to go in. It had a formal entrance and loverly dark wood inside and an old-fashioned feel. We went to the bar which had a little courtyard on the edge of the harbour and had a beer watching the boats whizzing back and forwards and the fishermen coming to and fro. The sun was out and we spent a pleasant hour or so there. It will be nice to stay here when we come.

We walked on round and passed St Francis Church which we visited when we did the tuk tuk tour. We also passed the parade ground again and then to the Old Lighthouse Hotel which was originally built in 1929 by Sir Robert Bristow who was a member of the Royal Society of Arts and was the founder and first Chairman of Cochin Port. The house was originally called Beach Bungalow and later was taken over by the Indian navy when Bristow returned to the UK and then has now become a hotel. He also worked on other ports including Malta and Portsmouth and he also helped with maintenance of the Suez Canal. He is best known for his development of Fort Kochi and the harbour.

We walked back along the front and had a meal in Kelligans which was a bit of a shambles as the main course was brought before the first and then it turned out it was somebody else’s food etc. It was fine.

We then took a tuk tuk again back to the marina. It had been good to walk around, get off the boat and explore more of the fort.   

The picture of the day is of a Chinese Fishing Net.

 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