Year 3 -30 May 2026 -Port Louis- Mauritius

It was another 6.00am wakening for my first drop which seems a little early but obviously required. The fridge man was coming at 8.00am and so I got up and believe it or not had an urging for porridge so made some which I had with banana and honey.

The ladies were returning again today so I thought about supper and if I cooked the chicken there was not much the left which we could not sacrifice and this might be a good time to defrost the freezer.

I got on and wrote the blog and 8.00am passed not surprisingly without the fridge man. He did eventually come at 8.45am called Roshan. He was actually a nice man with a sense of humour and clearly knew his stuff. He diagnosed a small leak which is difficult to trace as the gas they now use does not smell (modern technology is not always an advance) whereas in the past you could diagnose from the smell. We traced the pipe under the companion steps and it was not obvious. He said there was a small leak which would mean the fridge would work for 3-4 months and then probably be less effective until some more gas was put in to recharge it. He said the compressor was good. He suggested he get a small cylinder and a pipe and he would show me how to re gas if I was at sea. This seemed sensible so having re gassed the system he went off to get me a cylinder and a pipe. He returned 20 minutes later and gave me the cylinder and the pipe and showed me what to do.

This meant the jobs were done!! I was free and so I called Rashid and he came to pick me up. I gave him a whole load of washing which he will get done and we headed to the Northeast of the island – Grand Baie as I wanted to see what it was like before I take Stormbird up there. I had also annoyingly lost me little rechargeable torch when trying to fix the heads as it has disappeared into the bilges and under the shower tray in the matrimonial suite. He took me via Royal Street and China Town and I looked for a torch but none were of the type which has a handle you can hook things on. I did eventually find something that would work and it was cheap so I got it.

We headed up North and passed through little villages and towns- one called Arsenal – quite apt as they were playing in the Champions League final that night. After about 45 minutes we came to Grand Baie which is a large bay lagoon with sandy parts around it with lots of boat moorings and a seaside feel. There was quite a touristy town which also had a seaside holiday feel with lots of shops, restaurants, bars, dive shops and of course many ice cream parlours all vying for attention.

Grand Baie (or sometimes Grand Bay) is a coastal village in Mauritius located mainly in the Rivière du Rempart District. The western part of the village lies inside the Pamplemousses District. The village is administered by the Grand Baie Village Council under the aegis of the Rivière du Rempart District Council. According to the census by Statistics Mauritius in 2011, the population was at 11,910.

Grand-Baie La Croisette is the third largest shopping mall built in Mauritius. There was a gruesome accident on an escalator in the shopping mall on 23 November 2024 – in which (yes I had to look it up) the escalator collapsed trapping a student’s leg.

Rashid drove me round the bay and to the North side where the Grand Baie Yacht Club was situated. Grand Baie Yacht Club was established in 1941, is a private members club in north of Mauritius with a community of 1,300 members. We are happy to welcome yachtsmen visitors from around the world.

Our facilities include a restaurant, showers for your convenience, and access to water and fuel at our jetty. Whether you're exploring the island or seeking a spot for few days, the Grand Baie Yacht Club can welcome you. No mooring is available in front of the GBYC; however you can moor anywhere that suits you. Our facilities are accessible 24/24. The visitors can use our facilities including wifi, showers, restaurant.

It occupies a lovely section of the North part of the bay and looks out at the reef. It has a nice open restaurant and bar area and lots of pictures of yachts etc. I walked around and spoke to them about the fuel pontoon and will need to use it at high tide or do a med moor to it. In fact I bumped into Jerome and he was working on a boat there. I say down and had a snack lunch – Croque Monsieur and calamari and enjoyed the view over the reef and the water traffic. I spent a relaxing couple of hours and thought we could spend some time here and there is a little beach round the corner called Crevette where we could swim and snorkel. It would be a good place for the crew to come from the airport and to wait to meet them there.

Rashid then drove me back to Stormbird and we had an ice cream on the way. We stopped at Mon Choisy beach on the way back. What does it say about it.

This is located in the northwest of the island, this long stretch of soft white sand curves around a turquoise bay fringed by casuarina trees. There’s plenty of space to stretch out, enjoy the picture-postcard views and try some watersports. You might also find some food stalls under the shady palms. It’s the calm and crystal-clear water that’s Mont Choisy Beach’s main draw. Whether you want to go all out and try your hand at diving or pop on a snorkel and explore the colourful marine world, a trip to Mont Choisy Beach wouldn’t be complete without some time spent in the sparkling lagoon.

It was a lovely long gentle beach with lots of trees bordering it and thankfully no buildings of any kind to spoil it other than a few food shacks. Rashid knew one of them Chez Han and we stopped for a quick drink. The beach due to the greyness of the sky did not look at its best but I made a note to come back. We can bring Stormbird in a little way but we would have to anchor out by the reef due to the depth.

The island is quite varied and there is quite a contrast between the Northwest with Grand Baie and the Northeast which is quite remote as we explored on the e bikes.

As I got back to Stormbird it was raining and I got the chicken out the freezer. I then cleared up and hoovered and gave the galley a clean as I could put away all things I got out of the lockers to get access to the fridge compressor.

I then cooked a chicken casserole ala Stormbird with lentils, carrots, bacon and tomatoes- a sort of Nick Hine make up. It tasted quite good so I left it to rest and infuse. I prepared the potatoes as Joyce loves mashed potato.

I was therefore ready for the lady’s return. They got their flight on time and Rashid met them. I had a beer whilst waiting and then within 15 minutes of their arrival started the potatoes. They arrived in the rain talking away enthusiastically about their trip and not so enthusiastically about Rashid’s driving in the dark.

We had a nice supper which they enjoyed and caught up. They had had a great few days in Rodrigues and had enjoyed seeing the island which was under-developed. Apparently Mauritius was like that 50 years ago.

We will see what we will do tomorrow.

The picture of the day is my view from my table at the Grand Baie Yacht Club.

 Need/Opportunity Year Three

I am now in Mauritius and will be going to Reunion, Cape Town, St Helena, Azores and back to the UK. 

I have now found additional crew for Mauritius to Durban. There may be space from Durban to Cape Town from about the beginning of July and we should arrive in Cape Town on about 25-30 July 2026. If at all interested contact me on my email below or WhatsApp +44 7931360372.

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