Year 3 -29 March 2026 - Stormbird -Departs Kochi and India
I was up at 6.00am and had some tea and the others got up about 6.20-6.30am. I had cut up some Mango and so we have some breakfast and then met Varghese at 7.00am and we all headed off to the Port Authority area. It was a Sunday and we heard the odd Church Bell which was nice. We came across a railway line with lots of people sitting on it and Varghese said people come to hire them from there when they need jobs done. We were met at Immigration by the guy who works for Justin, our agent, and who helped us on the way in. He had already sorted out customs and so we just had Immigration to clear. This meant going to their office and to go through the paperwork and to stamp our passports and crew list. I was given my original London Ships Registry document back which had been taken from me on arrival.
The Immigration process took just over an hour and so we returned to Stormbird getting some fresh tuna on the way for supper. We were asked to ensure we left the marina by 10.30am. When we got back J and I emptied the mid locker in the corridor so I could put the depth and speed log back which had been taken out and cleaned and not put back to prevent growth etc.
Keith and Jamie and then helped by J prepared the lines so that we could slip shortly. I checked the engine room and we talked through the departure process. We put a long line around the pillar to keep our bow toward the entrance. We slipped and then when I saw we were being brought on toward the pillar due to the tide I switched and went to port and then reversed out of the slot without an issue.
Justin and Varghese had been there to see us off and waved goodbye as I motored past the Bolgatty Palace for the last time and entered the channel to take us to the harbour exit. I had contacted Port Control before we left and had obtained their permission to leave.
We passed through the channel with depths of only between 2.4m and 3.00m and then we were into the main channel. We saw tugs working away at the container port and the odd ferry and tourist boat going about their daily routine.
We motored on past the waterway which contained naval ships and coastguard ships and the came to the part which led to the channel out of Kochi. We passed the Seagull Restaurant, Aspinall Hall which housed the Binale and of course the Brunton Boatyard Hotel where I had stayed. We then passed through the line of Chinese nets either side of the channel and were then into the channel where we saw a load of dolphins as if you wave us off.
We passed a large dedger on the way out and when safe to do so we left the channel and headed toward the first waypoint I had set. The problem was that wind was on the nose so we could not sail in the direction I wanted. I therefore decided initially to sail on a port tack Northwest as I wanted to sail and for the others to have a sail as there may not be much wind on this passage. We therefore sailed off course for a few hours and I hoped the wind would move more to the Northwest which is what was forecast.
As we were 5, I did the first watch on my own and then J and Miranda were to follow me at 12.00 noon and then Jamie and Keith at 4.00pm. I agreed to do the first watch with J & Miranda and always be around if they needed me.
Miranda kindly prepared some cheese and tomato omelettes for lunch with salad. After lunch we tacked and the wind had moved so we were now on a better course. The wind picked up a little. We had been making close hauled 4-5 kts initially with full main, genoa and staysail in about 7 kts of wind. It seems that the cleaning of the hull had been done well. The wind over the course of the afternoon increased to 9 and the occasional 10kts and we were making 6.5-7.5 kts of speed. The wind also began to veer which gradually pushed us on to our course.
J decided to fish and we used one of our new lures. Within about an hour and a half we had a strike but the line ran out and we could see the fish on the surface and it looked a good size. However, we had difficulty winding in and suddenly the line snapped. We had lost it. This was very annoying.
J & Miranda handed over to Keith and Jamie and we sailed on with the wind dropping to 5 and then up to 10 kts. I just hoped it would last although the forecast was for it to drop about 2.00am. The sun began to go down and it was bright orange. It dipped below the clouds and was gone. It began to get dark and we prepared for our first night watches with putting the instruments on their red night mode and turning on the tricolour.
Miranda cooked the tuna we had bought which we had with mash potatoes which J helped with and mange tout. It was very good and washed down with some nice cantaloupe melon.
I put the generator on to charge and took over at 8.00pm and as we were approaching a TSS (traffic separation scheme). The wind picked up at times to 12 kts and we were cracking along at 8-8.5kts and so we got through the first channel easily without any shipping and then in front of a tanker in the second.
I handed over to J & Miranda and went to bed with strict instructions to call me if they had any concerns.
They called me about 12.40am as there had been a large wind shift and it had dropped. I therefore eased away and the sails and got back on course. Our speed had dropped and the wind was lighter and we were only making 4+ kts. However, I wanted to take advantage of the wind as long as we could to save fuel.
However, by 2.30am the wind had dropped too much and the sails were flogging a bit and so with reluctance the engine went on. Let’s hope it picks up again but it is not forecast to do so.
The picture of today is passing the Brunton Boatyard as we leave the harbour.
Need/Opportunity Year Three
I will be going shortly from India to the 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