Adrenaline
21 March 2018
Kim
After a close encounter with a reef that extended far beyond the image on our electronic charts, and a significant distance from the reef marker stick, we continued our motorsail to Gaafaru Fahlu. A near glance scared us half to death and was a good reminder about why we're so obsessed about plotting a course in advance, supplementing with google earth satellite images, and keeping a vigilant watch at all times.
Six hours later the tide flushed us quickly through the North channel and we used YOLO's waypoint as a guide to a 'tried and tested' anchor position and settled in for the night. At sunrise mist blurred the distinction between sea and sky and the reef was entirely submerged. We were floating in a calm pond that reached to eternity - truly mesmerizing.
But no time for dilly dallying. We were on a mission. Joel's flight date was approaching and we needed to get closer to Malé so we continued on to Raasfari Atoll. It was hot and humid with barely a breeze (3 knots), so we motored our way there, rearranging ourselves in the cockpit in greedy pursuit of shade. Four hours later we dropped anchor in a shallow spot along the outer edge of the Atoll in search of mantas (this was another one of their purported favorite haunts). We saw an impressive variety of fish, but alas, no mantas.
We curled around the Southern edge of the reef to the anchorage entrance mid afternoon which, without fail, gets our adrenaline pumping. If you believe there's wisdom in the saying that you should 'do something that scares you every day', try sailing in unfamiliar waters defined by reefs and coral heads! But once again adventurous cruisers before us (YOLO and Totem) shared trustworthy directions and we navigated safely through a narrow, shallow natural channel to a safe anchor spot for the night. And also once again, had the entire anchorage to ourselves.