Last day in Mauritius (14th August to 20th September 2012)

We left Grand Bay on the 14th August with masking tape and only a sealing coat on our toe rail cappings. We were frustrated with the weather and after 2 days at Port Louis we set sail for Black river. It is more sheltered with less chance of rain and we were able to finish the exterior varnish work...... So it was time to do some more sightseeing!!

With fellow cruisers Jeremy and Kathy of  "Sal Darago", we caught buses around the island to Maheborg, Grand Port via the southern route. It was an interesting trip following the coastline.
We had tried to circumnavigate the island in "Erica" some weeks earlier but the wind always seemed to be against us and we were unsure about the reef entrances, so it was good to see it from the land. Maheborg was the site of a big naval battle with several French and British ships in the lagoon....Napoleon won..

We enjoyed a quick lunch and a walk along the waterfront before catching a bus to Port Louis, then another back to Black River. It was a full day on the buses, around 5 hrs, but thoroughly enjoyable. It is a cheap and reliable way to get around the island, as long as you have the time.
The buses are quite colourful with individual names

 

 Another excursion was in the dinghy following the shoreline behind the reef. There are lots of varied boats anchored here and lovely homes.

This roof of a church was well worth a photo

Coastguard have 3 boats plus a small inflatable in Black river and are very professional about checking foreign boats paperwork and ensuring security and safety in the area..

 Yachts Mr Curly and Yelo arrived in the bay and we enjoyed a picnic ashore on the top of the Martello tower with Richard and Kathy and Rolf and Daniela.

 

The races in Port Louis have been running since 1812 and since we have never been before it was an occasion not to be missed. Every Saturday they are held so we took the opportunity to go

We had a lucky win on one of our bets, which paid for our day out

On the 10th of September, after spending near a month in Black river ( the second time) we sailed back up to Grand bay with Rolf and Daniela of "Yelo" and were able to get photos of our boats under sail

Now we are at the Port Louis marina doing last minute preparations and clear Immigration, customs and coastguard tomorrow morning. It is a 24hr sail to Saint Pierre marina in the south of Reunion.