Jocara Newsletter
June 19, 2005

We have spent the last week moored to a 'Bommie' off the island of Boddam 
in Salomon Atoll, Chagos.  Life has been good, with fishing, snorkeling, 
volleyball ashore with the other cruisers at 4 p.m. every day, and even 
some sunshine.  We finally tore ourselves away and moved up to Isle De la 
Passe, next to the pass to leave Salomon to go north to the Maldives.  
Isle De la Passe turned out to be such a delightful, deserted island we 
just had to dally a couple of days.  One last bar-b-que on the beach.  
Finally we set off in light winds for Gan, the southernmost atoll in the 
Maldives.  We motored past 'Speakers Bank' a shallow bank with incredibly 
steep sides just north of Salomon where we were reeling in the fish so 
fast we had to reduce to trolling one line to keep up.  We stopped after 8 
fish; 2 x Yellowfin Tuna, 3 x Bonito Tuna (the last bit our lure while it 
was just dangling at the stern being left to clean itself after the last 
hook-up) 2 x Rainbow Runners and a big Jobfish.  We motored steadily north 
in ever lessening winds until just 50 n.m. south of Gan.  It couldn't 
last, right?  Neptune often plays the game this way.  Calm before the 
storm and all that.  Only this time it was not wind that hit us... yet.  
At 02:15 UTC this morning the engine seized with a terrible tearing, 
clattering, screeching sound of metal on metal.  It is now locked solid, 
with no obvious external damage and little prospect of repair at sea.  
There is no immediate danger, but the winds are too light to make much 
progress and we are warned that strong currents are found close in to Gan 
that might make entering the pass difficult, if not impossible.  Although 
we are out of fresh fruit and vegetables we have food and water to sail 
directly to Phuket (1500 n.m. to the east) if need be.  Our Pharmanex 
supplements will take care of our vitamin needs!  Jocara is now heading 
north, still towards Gan in the hope of slightly more wind and moderate 
currents, at 1 deg. 27.5'S, 072 deg. 54.7'E, making 1.5 knots.  We'll keep 
you posted...

P.S. Don't forget to check out our website at http://www.jocara.net for 
updates, pics and short movies, also archived newsletters.  Anyone can 
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