Just before 10 am on Thursday (9th February), we arrived in the Maldives at the northernmost port-of-entry on the small island of Uligamu (a.k.a. Uligan). There were six monohull sailboats already in the anchorage, one of which was Ikanoo. Sonja and Hans shared our adventures with the orangutans in Kalimantan. It is a beautiful atoll with pastel blue patches of sand visible near the shore, swaying palm trees, long sandy beaches, and large sections of reef. We are forewarned that the coral may not be in good shape but the clarity of the water, (we can see the bottom anchored in 67 feet or 20 m), is truly delightful. It is so good to be back at an atoll, although sadly, this may be the last that we visit in Tregoning.

It was several hours before a boat with six people arrived to clear us in (the customs officer was busy with another vessel until then). Our agent, Assad and his colleague (I was tired so did not catch names), brought us not only a SIM card for the phone but also a tub of ice-cream!!! He has clearly learned what (some) long-distance sailors crave. Needless to say, he immediately rose high in our estimation. Whether this was a typical greeting of his or an apology for our wait (during which we napped so it was fine), I do not know but it was much appreciated. There was a pile of papers to sign and stamp but few to actually fill-in from scratch, so we were soon done with the official business and had a little time to chat…more of that another time.

Our 441-nm passage to get here followed more-or-less the predicted plan with motoring at the beginning and end, and about 3/5 of the time sailing in the middle. It was a bit choppy and sloppy at the beginning but eventually flattened out to be a very comfortable ride. The equipment all worked flawlessly, and it would have been an ideal passage except for one slight glitch…me getting a very upset digestive system on the third day. I will save the specifics for another more gruesome recounting but with a temperature spike of 103.5°F (39.7°C), it was not surprising that Randall was rather worried and I was asleep for most of a 24 hour period.

Luckily, Randall only had to be a solo-navigator for one night and I was soon able to go back to my watches having started a course of Cipro antibiotics. We were very lucky that this started after the seas had calmed down and we were going at a comfortable speed. It was frightening to think what it might have been like if we had both succumbed at the same time in harsh conditions. Anyway, I am on the way to recovery as I regain my strength and hydration. Thank goodness for Gatorade!