April 29, 2005--Back to the Way It Should Be
by Al & Beth Liggett

	Al & Beth are emailing this reports via a friend's SailMail account (SSB radio-based email), so they haven't been able to send photos. But this is a photo from one of their earlier visits to Chagos.

Hi Everyone,

The ugly weather we were having at last writing did clear up. In fact, it went to NO weather at all – clear skies and glassy flat calm. We took advantage of those conditions to fix the broken engine mount bolt. Of course, in Murphy's Law of Yachting, this bolt is in the most inaccessible spot of any of the mounting bolts. But having gone through this drill just after the engine was new, Al was prepared. After the last time, Al took the sheared-off head portion of the bolt to a machine shop and had them drill a hole right down through the center of it. Now he had a guide and could drill a pilot hole into the bolt bit remaining inside the bracket. He then used an "easy out" to extract it. The problem was getting a drill into that space between engine and cabinetry. But all was right with the world that day, and he held his tongue just right, and out came the bolt! He replaced the other 2 bolts in that bracket as well – just in case.

We should have a sign: WARNING – this ship protected by Yellow Guard Fish! There must be 50 of them living under the boat by now. Where do they come from? They have to swim like mad to keep up with our wanderings around this atoll. How do they keep the stamina? They eagerly rush to the surface with every bit we throw overboard. You'd think they would get tired of that game as the only things attractive to them are the fleshy residues sluiced away when Al cleans fish on the foredeck. We have watched these fish gather together and aggressively herd any intruding squid away from Sunflower. And one morning Al called me on deck – he thought he had seen a dolphin just ahead of the boat. I saw this big gray shape off to one side of us and thought that was the dolphin. But no – it was a GIANT barracuda! And there went our brave little guard fish – right up to that monster, nipping at its tail, pestering it to move away!

Fishing is still good, and one of the dominant activities around here. Trouble is, fishing is so productive, that it is finished just about the time you begin! Al is fishing off the stern as we speak; bait didn't even get to the bottom and he had a nice 2 lb snapper. He was doing this one evening at a Moresby Island anchorage. He had a hit – gone was bait and hook and leader. Replaced all; second hit, same thing. Thinking, "I'll fix them," he put a wire trace on the hook; that too went into some mouth and away as the trace pulled out of the crimps. So out came the big rig stuff – heavy hook, heavy duty wire leader. He caught a shark! About a 5 footer – had to clip the wire when he was able to get it close to the boat. I told him to forget fishing - we'd have a grilled cheese sandwich for dinner!

At a later time in the same anchorage Al was cleaning a fish on the deck. He threw a piece of skin into the water, and as it drifted down (yellow fish sniffing around, but not interested) a big shape rose upward in the water and grabbed it! I'm thinking, "Now he's done it – the shark is back." But no – it was this HUGE red snapper! It hung around for more feedings. I wonder how many hooks it had hanging in its mouth…….

Moresby Island was a real treat. We went over there when the weather was so calm. It is not the easiest place to find an anchorage, but when you do, the aquarium below you is worth it. Ashore, the red footed boobie birds are nesting in the low tree branches. You can walk right up to these birds and they peer at you with unblinking eyes but don't fly away. The fluffy chicks in the nest have no fear; the gawky fledgling adolescents haven't a clue what to do about you - or anything else for that matter. There is recent evidence of turtle nesting along the beaches - tracks in the sand above high tide, sand flung up onto the bushes from digging and covering nests, big pits just inside the scrubby growths all along the shore. And snorkeling along the blue channels - sandy patches snaking into the reefs like roads - yielded fantastic fish watching, and...lobster! Plenty! We wish we had stayed a few more days.

As it was, we left Moresby about a week ago for Ile de Coin (10 miles) for several reasons - the Pacific Marlin was anchored there for the morning and we went to rendezvous with them and collect the frozen food they had been keeping for us. (Our frig/freezer is working quite admirably, by the way, no hiccups at all.) Also, our supply of deck water was down to bare nubbins with no rain in sight; a trip to the well for replenishment and a siege of laundry would be helpful. I said to Al, "You watch. We will haul all this water out to the boat and it will decide to rain again." Right? Right - 2 days later.

With the rain came east winds of the variety that had the whole fleet (17 boats now) depart all the other anchorages and come to hang out at Ile Fouguet. That's where we are now, and for the last 5 days. Yesterday was beautiful - light ESE breeze, sunny skies, seas flat. Everyone was out reef walking, fishing, snorkeling. Today it is grey with rain all around, and sorta lumpy swells. Can we have yesterday back please?

The Pacific Marlin came in yesterday with the BIOT (British Indian Ocean Territory) officials aboard. It seems that a contingency of Ilois (the former Chagosians) have been given permission for a "pilgrimage" to their former islands of residence and will be coming to visit the old settlements and cemeteries at Peros Banhos and Salomon Atolls. We also heard they will go to Egmont and Diego Garcia, but I'm not sure about that. There are about 100 people coming on 2 vessels, from the 11th to 15th of May. Apparently, having yachts in the vicinity of this "pilgrimage" would be offensive. So...All boats in Salomon will have to leave and either go elsewhere, or come over to Peros for the duration. All boats will have to anchor in the NW corner of Peros, i.e. Ile Diamante, Moresby, etc. Basically – get out of sight. I suspect there will be about 40 boats all together huddled up there. There is room. And the BIOT said they wouldn't be too fussy about the restricted areas to the east if the weather dictated a safer anchorage there for us. As compensation, they are extending all existing permits to 4 months, and no additional payments for visiting the 2 different atolls. Fair enough, I guess. So that's the story. And I'll probably have more after the event.

Wishing you could be anchored next door and sharing the magic of Chagos with us.

- Al and Beth

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