Never walk alone- Walk on - 9. Chapter 9

'Amira' ploughed gracefully through the almost flat sea. The further they sailed from land, the calmer the tropical sea became and it made for idyllic sailing. The mood was relaxed and easy with everyone just enjoying the balmy tropical weather. So far, they had been extremely lucky with the weather, having had days of perfect sunshine and blue skies. There was, however, a tropical depression forming north east of the Chagos Archipelago and Diego Garcia which Michael was keeping a wary eye on. If it did move south, it would not affect them for a few days yet and depending on the path it took, it was possible it would not affect them at all, apart from possibly having to cope with rolling swells. But for now, everything was calm and serene.

After lunch, there was some excitement when they encountered a huge pod of dolphins, the largest Ryan had ever seen. The beautiful mammals easily kept pace with the yacht as they took up position on both the port and starboard sides as well as playing off the bows. Everyone gathered at the very front of the yacht and were thrilled at being able to view the creatures in the clear water, their silvery bodies darting out ahead of the bow wave and leaping gracefully out of the water. The dolphins squeaks and clicks were perfectly audible and it was a magical encounter, but eventually they all slowly disappeared into the depths leaving them feeling oddly bereft, as though having lost something very precious.

The balance of the afternoon was very lazy and they all just relaxed, either in one of the pools, on sunbeds, or in the cool shade of the upper deck.
As the sun sank below the horizon, everyone retired to their cabins to freshen up and change, getting ready for dinner. None of them had any idea what dinner was going to be - Ray had been very secretive when asked, just grinning and saying, "It's a surprise!"

To everyone's delight, on return to the Sky Deck, they discovered that they were having pizza. Ray had both the built-in grill going as well as the portable one they used for the beach excursions. Both had domes to contain the heat, so were ideal for the job. He had pre-prepared the bases which were stacked on a covered tray and had bowls of toppings for everone to put together their own pizza, nothing too extravagant, but a good selection nevertheless. It was a fun evening where the entire crew were able to join in for dinner. 'Amira' was on autopilot with the proximity radar warning active should another vessel come within five kilometres of them and Michael was seated nearest to the helm if that happened, but there was not another light in sight on the moonlit vastness around them.
The pizzas were an absolute hit and in keeping with his Italian theme for the evening, Ray had Tiramisu for dessert as well as Affogato, a scoop of vanilla ice cream in a tall mug, doused with hot espresso coffee. This was the dessert of choice for most of the adults, with the addition of either Amaretto (Almond liqueur), Frangelico (Hazelnut liqueur) or Tia Maria.
Due to the previous late night, their guests were in bed fairly early, while Andrew and Ryan stood watch until
they were relieved by Gary at midnight. They went down to the master cabin, undressed, brushed their teeth standing side by side and then fell into bed, falling asleep within minutes in their usual spooned position.

Three bundles of energy woke them up at 6.00am wanting to cuddle with their dads, which they happily obliged. There was no hope of going back to sleep, so Andrew turned on the TV and the family snuggled together watching cartoons until Ashleigh rang the door chime an hour later with morning tea, coffee and hot chocolate. She even had an extra bowl for Rascal to have his tea. Also on the tray was a plate with buttermilk rusks and biscotti. She also advised that they should be off Port Mathurin by "09h00" .

With it being a new destination for them, both Andrew and Ryan wanted to be on deck when they arrived, so the early morning snack was quickly consumed before running a bath for Elizabeth and having showers themselves. Cameron shared the shower with Ryan while Andrew picked out clothes for the twins, after consulting with Elizabeth of course!

On leaving the cabin, they headed up the internal staircase to the Sky Deck while Cameron went down a deck to find Jonathan. As they got to the entrance of the bridge they heard Michael.

"Rodrigues Coastguard, Rodrigues Coastguard, Motor yacht 'Amira' on channel 16"
"Motor yacht 'Amira', Rodrigues Coastguard. Good morning"
"Rodrigues Coastguard, good morning to you. Motor yacht 'Amira'. ETA is 09h00. Requesting permission to enter the port and tie up at the commercial wharf if possible."
"Amira', please state vessel length, flag, number of souls on board and last port of call, over?"
"Rodrigues Coastguard. Vessel length 35.15metres, South African flagged but based in Mauritius, 17 souls on board plus one small dog, St Denis, Reunion last port of call. Over"
"Motor yacht 'Amira', thank you. Permission granted to tie up at commercial wharf. The wharf is occupied by the supply ship presently, but she is departing within the hour. You are requested to hove-to two nautical kilometres to the north of the harbour entrance until the supply ship has cleared the entrance. We will advise the Port Captain, Customs and Immigration of your imminent arrival. You can expect them to come aboard on your arrival. Over"
"Rodrigues Coastguard, information received and understood. Motor yacht 'Amira' out". He turned to the
group waiting at the door.

"Morning all. Looks like we'll have to wait a while to dock. The supply ship is in port"

"Morning Michael. No problem, at least we can get in once it leaves. Do you think we should arrange some refreshments for the Customs & Immigration officials?", Ryan asked.
Michael nodded.

"Probably a very good idea. Might help to ease us in and keep the bureaucrats friendly, so to speak. I'll advise
Ray to expect a few extras after 09h00. I'm sure they would appreciate a good breakfast and a short cruise on a luxury superyacht into the harbour"

"Great. We'll explain what's happening to Ray. We're going for breakfast anyway", Ryan said. They walked up the stairs to the Sky Deck to find Christine and Ashleigh waiting for them and breakfast set up and ready.

"Good morning! You're missing a little boy", Christine greeted them, smiling.

"Morning Christine. He went to find Jonathan. For a change his stomach is not the most important thing this morning", Andrew replied with a grin. "But I'm absolutely certain he will be here very shortly. Speaking of..... ", he turned his head as thumping and young voices were heard coming up the stairs. He lookedback at Christine with raised eyebrows. "I was saying?" as Cameron came huffing up the stairs from the bridge carrying Rascal and followed by Jonathan and Mikey.

The three boys greeted everyone , made a beeline for the buffet area and started helping themselves. Andrew was pleased to see Jonathan being a big brother and helping his younger sibling. Rascal was squirming in Cameron's arms, so he was put on the deck and promptly jumped up onto the seating, placing his front paws on the table top and looking at Cameron as if to say "Okay, I'm ready for breakfast". When Andrew pointed a finger at him, he docked his head sideways and gave his human dad a quizzical look, but his tail was wagging madly.

They all gathered around the buffet area to get their breakfast 'starters', Ryan bringing Ray up to date on the additional guests, and sat down at the table, enjoying the breeze that blew through the partially lowered windows and kept the room cool. The only time the air conditioning was used was when the windows were closed, and that had been very rare since they had been on board.

Paul and Marie joined them a few minutes later, followed shortly after by David and Janice. Craig and Donna were the last to appear, but everyone was up and having breakfast by 9.00am when Michael allowed 'Amira' to slowly coast to a stop north of the harbour. He advised Rodrigues Coastguard of their arrival and within fifteen minutes a launch was seen approaching from the harbour, followed by the huge bulk of the supply/passenger ship MY Mauritius Trochetia, as she sailed for the overnight voyage to Port Louis.

Michael stood up and used the exterior staircase to go down to the main deck to greet the new arrivals and Gary was on the swimming platform to assist with the lines. Ryan strolled to the aft rail to observe the arrival and get a head count of who was coming aboard. Two uniformed officials boarded along with one male in civilian clothing with, what appeared to be, a doctor's bag. Slightly puzzled, he watched as Michael greeted the three men on the main deck, who then followed him up the stairs to the Sky Deck as the launch returned to the harbour. He intro-duced them to all his passengers, keeping things very formal, and then took them to the bridge where they sat at the table there to process all the documentation. The civilian was, in fact, a local veterinarian who had to examine Rascal. They had no problem with him going ashore, he just had to be given a health check. Cameron was not a happy camper and hovered close by to keep an eye on his beloved little hound. But all was as it should be and Rascal was given a full bill of health, although the vet commented with a grin that he was slightly over-weight. Ryan couldn't help smirking when his son picked up the little dog, giving the vet a 'fuck you too' look before taking Rascal back to the breakfast table.

By the time all the formalities had been completed, all the guests had finished breakfast and started dispersing around the decks to relax. The table had been relaid with fresh linen and dinnerware, and the buffetarea had also been refreshed. Ryan was very impressed with the speed and efficiency with which it was done.

Andrew and Ryan remained at the table and stood up when Michael approached with the men and invited them to the buffet to get what they wanted. Once they were seated, Ashleigh offered coffee or tea and Christine took their orders for the hot course. Michael joined them for a cup of coffee before excusing himself to get 'Amira' underway and into the harbour. He transferred the helm control to the Sky Deck position as his forward view from there was better in order to navigate the entrance into the port. Gary was positioned at the bow as another pair of eyes, equipped with a radio to communicate with Michael as necessary. As expected the manoeuvre was accomplished with no problem at all and it wasn't long before they were secured to the dock where the Port Captain had four workers waiting to assist with the mooring lines. The officials thanked them for their hospitality, complimented them on the beauty of the yacht and the professionalism of the crew and after handshakes all round, disembarked via the passerelle. And those on board were free to go exploring and being safely tied up in a protected port meant that everybody was going, although Michael and Ray were heading to the local fresh produce market to get some fresh fruit and vegetables.

Although the main port of entry from the sea (the Sir Gaetan Duval International Airport was the only other entry to the island), Port Mathurin was still considered to be a village with a population of less than 10000 people. But it was vibrant and had loads of character. They meandered through the streets, not really having any particular destination in mind, but just soaking in the local flavour. They stopped off at the lovely grey stone clad cathedral, popping into stores that caught the eye and managed to secure a ride in a minibus to the viewpoint at the top of Mount Sanal, south of the settlement for the stunning views over the town, harbour and blue sea. It was, however, very hot and humid and after enjoying a Creole style lunch at a small outdoor bistro, they sought the welcome relief of the air conditioning on board 'Amira', the splash pools and long moisture beaded glass contain-ing their beverage of choice.

Dinner that night was baked, whole fish that Ray had picked up at the market. Stuffed with limes, dill, spring onions and garlic, along with butter and a good glug of white wine, it was wrapped in newspaper and placed on the BBQ grill to bake. When it was done, the paper was cut open and removed, taking the skin with it leaving only gorgeous creamy meat that fell off the bones. Ray made beurre blanc (a white wine butter) with the juices incorporated into the sauce, with new potatoes, broccoli and glazed carrots. It was stunning! Dessert was Eton Mess, a combination of crisp, crushed meringue, fresh cream and wild raspberries that he had also found at the market. Again, it was delicious.

The next day, they took a tour to view the 'Admiral Neveskoi' a sailing yacht that was abandoned by its crew while sailing in the Indian Ocean. The boat was damaged in a storm, losing its mast and rudder and drifted for over two years before beaching in the lagoon of Rodrigues in 1997. The authorities decided to remove it from the water and with the approval of the Russian government, who were the original owners, but under the firm impression that it had sunk, it was turned into a museum, the only link between Russia and the Indian Ocean in 2010. It was in the process do being restored, the work being done mainly with donations and volunteers. Although having been cleaned inside and out, the yacht was still in a sad state, still missing it's mast and rudder, as well as the keel that broke when it was moved off the coral reef on which she had come to rest. but it was nevertheless an impressive sight to see and to remember what had happened to her.

On their return to 'Amira', Michael had troubling news. The tropical depression that he had been keeping an eye on had started moving and had officially been classified as a cyclone. And it was heading southwest. He advised that they had to depart as soon as possible to be assured of a relatively smooth passage back to Port Louis.
"I took the liberty of contacting Customs and Immigration to bring our departure forward. As you know, we were only going to sail tomorrow evening. With some reluctance, and given the cyclone, they have agreed to allow us to sail at10h00 tomorrow. I tried for first light and got a big no-no", he explained to Ryan.

"Okay, that will have to do Michael. Let's get her squared away for departure tomorrow morning. Will Customs and Immigration be coming aboard to clear us out or do we have to go there?", Ryan queried.

"They will come aboard to do the necessary. I requested they come here so that we can get away as soon as they disembark".

"Good, that makes things easier". Ryan looked at Andrew. "We need to tell everyone and I think issue seasick patches to those who want them, just to be safe. Looking at the present sea state, it's not going to be as smooth as we've had it up till now. And the crew need to secure anything that might be in danger of falling over, breaking or opening. And the pools will have to be emptied or we're going to have water sloshing over the decks"

"And we need to get as much food prepared as possible so that Ray doesn't have to cook in a heavy sea. I
can help him do that. Fortunately it's just one day and a night", Andrew added.

"Okay, good! We'll advise everyone at dinner tonight. We can let them enjoy what's left of the good weather before we break the bad news". Ryan turned to Michael. "Michael, can we have a look at possible routes? Figure out what our best course of action is going to be".

Andrew headed for the galley to see Ray, while Ryan and Michael went to the bridge to plot courses and have a look at the weather charts.

Dinner that night was roast sirloin of beef with all the trimmings. Crispy roast potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, sweet pumpkin with cinnamon, green beens and cauliflower cheese. Dessert was fresh fruit salad and ice cream, the fruit salad containing more of the wild raspberries that Ray had found at the market. It was only once coffee had ben served that Ryan made his announcement.

"Okay, guys. I have some bad news. We have some weather on the way. You may have noticed that the wind is blowing a bit stronger tonight that previous nights. That's because we have a cyclone headed our way. It's going to take a couple of days to get here, if it gets here. They tend to be rather unpredictable and veer off in another direction. We have decided to sail for the safety of Port Louis tomorrow. We will leave at 10am. That's the earliest that Customs and Immigration can do our documents. It will not be as pleasant as it has been until now and will more than likely be very uncomfortable for some of you including sea sickness. Andrew has patches and tablets here for everyone to take. But it's not a cure all. Some of you might still feel queasy. Mauritius is about 560 kilo-metres west us and slightly south. Michael and I have decided that while the seas are still relatively calm, we're going to make a dash around the north of Mauritius to get us into the lee of the island and, hopefully, calmer waters. Fortunately, once we are round the top of Mauritius, it's a fairly short sail to Port Louis. I need to stress. This is going to be very different to anything we have so far experienced on board 'Amira'. In fact, it might become very uncomfortable. We will effectively be sailing parallel to the swells, which means that, even with the stabilisers deployed, there will still be a certain amount of rolling. The swells will be hitting us from the starboard side. Depending on how you feel, I would suggest staying in your cabins. They are low down in the hull and the rolling movement will not be as bad as on the upper decks. We will rig some ropes across open spaces for you to hold onto should you want or need to move around, but my advice is to stay put", he advised and looked at his hus-band. "Drew?"

"Ray and I have already started preparing food for tomorrow so that no, or very little, cooking will need to be done. Everything will either be reheated in the microwaves or served cold and depending on the coditions, no hot beverages will be served after lunch. If need be, food will be delivered to your cabins. This isn't the way we wanted to end this cruise, but unfortunately we cannot control the weather.
The other factor is that if the cyclone does hit Mauritius, we may need to hunker down on board 'Amira' for a day or two, which will affect our flight back home. We'll just have to wait and see. After lunch tomorrow, the pools will be emptied and no one is to go out onto the open decks for your own safety. Anyone who wants patches and tablets, can get them from me. We're preparing for the worst case scenario and with luck, it will not be so bad. Get a good nights sleep tonight, because tomorrow night might be difficult", he said, taking in the very worried looking faces around the table. It was a very subdued group of people who retired to their cabins shortly after.

Michael coaxed 'Amira' away from the dockside shortly after 10am, pivoted her around using the bow thrusters to point her bow at the channel that would take them out to sea. A sea that was no longer the placid, benign environment that they had gotten used to. Short, choppy waves danced over the surface, each one white tipped as the steadily rising wind whipped the tops off them. The blue tropical sky had all but disappeared as well, replaced by heavy, dark, scudding clouds being driven southwest by the wind, accompanied by intermittent rain squalls.

'Amira' was battened down for the imminent dash across the ocean to Mauritius. Anything loose had been secured or packed away. The pools had been emptied and covered and the sunbeds were all stored. As a safety precaution, the tender was on her rails, ready to be launched at a moments notice.

Ray had produced a very hearty breakfast, thinking it might be the last freshly cooked meal they might enjoy for the next 24 hours. He had baked some extra croissants and Danish pastries and these were stored in plastic containers that sat in a nook on the dresser with a lip to prevent the containers from sliding to the floor. He and Andrew had produced a couple of trays of sandwiches and rolls that were covered in plastic wrap and stored in the refrigerator. They had also made a lamb casserole and rice which would be reheated for dinner. The Sky Deck was closed up and secure, all activity was concentrated on the main and lower decks where the rolling motion they were expecting would not be felt as badly.

They were as ready as they could be as the Michael, with Ryan seated beside him, nosed the yacht out ito the choppy lagoon. For almost thirty minutes they sailed north, almost directly into the wind, in order to clear the coral reef, beyond which the Indian Ocean heaved ominously. 'Amira' responded well to the conditions and Ryan was very impressed with her performance. As far as he could tell, she was sailing normally even though the stabilisers had not yet been deployed.

Once clear of the coral reef, Michael made the turn to port to set course for Mauritius, 560 kilometres away. Almost immediately, they effect of the waves was felt and 'Amira' began a slight roll from right to left and back again. Michael extended the stabilisers and the roll diminished to the point that the roll was barely perceptible. The speed was pushed up to 12 knots and the long day was underway.

Down in the main salon, everyone was doing something to keep themselves occupied and their minds off the storm outside although they couldn't see much as Andrew had lowered the blinds over the windows.
There was virtually no perception of rolling in the salon apart from the gentle swaying of the drapes and the occasional dull thud as a particularly heavy wave hit the hull.
The children were all watching a Harry Potter movie on the TV and the adults were either watching the movie as well or chatting. Everyone seemed to be comfortable.

At lunchtime, Ray and Ashleigh toasted a selection of sandwiches and Christine and Gary managed to produce hot tea and coffee.

The weather update after lunch brought more concern for the men on the bridge. The cyclone had veered south west, had been upgraded to 'Severe' and Mauritius had officially issued a cyclone warning. All flights out of the international airport were suspended from 6am the next day. Michael contacted Brian on the interphone. The chief engineer had taken up station in his small office off the engineroom to keep an eye on his beloved machines.

"Chief, I'm going to give your babies a workout and push her to 18 knots. It's aimed straight a Mauritius now and been upgraded to 'Severe'. I don't want to be out here any longer than we have to and while we can, I want to get some extra ground covered. We will have to reduce speed after sunset anyway and if the sea state deteriorates", he told Brian.

"Roger, skipper. No problem. She's running sweetly and we have some reserve", Brian acknowledged and watched the dials in front of him move as Michael advanced the throttles. He studied them for short while, listening to the increased cadence of the engines, and once satisfied that everything was as it should be, he settled back and returned to the book he was reading.

Through the afternoon, everyone stayed in the main salon, only moving when they had to. All bathroom breaks were taken in the day head. At one stage, with Ryan and Michael's approval, Andrew opened the doors onto the aft deck and allowed everyone to get some fresh air, standing in the shelter of the deck overhang and the side bulwarks, although it was still quite breezy with the wind coming at an angle over the starboard quarter. It was raining continuously now, although quite lightly and the sea looked grey and ominous. A particularly large wave boomed against the side and a deluge of seawater washed over the deck. They quickly scampered back to the safety of the main salon, Andrew shut the door, and they watched as the water splashed up against the door before draining away through the grating fitted into the deck at the base of the door. Ryan came hurrying down the stairs to check that they were all safe and suggested that, just maybe, the door should be kept closed. Andrew nodded in agreement and looked at the group gathered around the salon. While all were a bit tense, the patches and tablets seemed to be doing their job, so at least they did not have sea sickness to contend with, but as evening approached, the wind intensity increased and along with that came driving rain and even more tumultuous seas. 'Amira'was now rolling very noticeably and nobody moved unless they had to.

After dinner, little Mikey came to where Andrew was sitting.

"Uncle Andrew, I'm not feeling so good", he whispered.

Andrew picked him up and let him cuddle, keeping an eye on him. After a short while Andrew felt his small body tense up and heave, so the quickly stood up and hurried to the day head with Mikey in his arms. They got there just in time as Mikey's little body ejected what he had just eaten. Eventually he was just dry heaving and very upset. Marie was behind Andrew looked absolutely distraught and Andrew turned to her.

"Marie, he's fine. Please ask one of the girls to get me some dry crackers and a glass of watered down Coca Cola. Have you got any sleeping tablets?"

"Yeah, I've got some that we use when we fly".

"Good, get one of those as well. I want to try the dry crackers to settle his tummy and the tablet to let him sleep. That way he won't be affected anymore. I just hope the crackers will help him to keep the tablet down. It was too good to hope that we would get away with no one suffering from sea sickness. Oh yes, can you fetch his tooth-brush? There is toothpaste here"

Marie hurried away to do as Andrew requested, and Andrew wet a face cloth to wipe Mikey's face. He picked up the little boy, who just slumped weakly against him. Inwardly, Andrew was both angry and sad.
Angry at what they were having to endure and sad that it was the youngest, and quietest, of the children who had been affected. He carried the little boy to the master cabin and placed him gently on the big bed. Christine came in with the crackers and soda and a small bin lined with two plastic bags.

"Mikey, I need you to sit up and slowly at these biscuits. Just little nibbles at a time. And sip the Coke. It will help you to feel better". He helped Mikey so that he was reclining against the headboard and watched as he nibbled at the biscuit followed by a sip of liquid.

"Good boy, just like that. Nice and slowly".

Marie arrived with the tablet which Andrew gave him to swallow and he and Marie sat with him until he had eaten four crackers which took about thirty minutes at which time the tablet kicked in. Andrew got him to lie down and went to fetch a blanket to cover him. By the time he got back, which was less than a minute, Mikey was asleep. He covered him with the blanket and left him with his mom who lay down next to him.

As he walked down the companion way towards the salon he saw Christine in the day head, refreshing the room. He just mouthed a thank you at her and continued aft into the salon. When he sat down he was swamped with bodies as Cameron, Elizabeth and Jonathan came to him wanting to know if Mikey's was okay. Of course, Rascal was not far away, clamouring for attention as well.

With one crisis seemingly handled, the adults sat chatting for a while until David yawned and said he was going to bed. That resulted in a mass exodus for the lower deck cabins, leaving Andrew, Paul, Christine and Ashleigh. Jonathan had taken the twins and Rascal with him and Gary was in the engine room relieving Brian while he rested.

"Paulie, why don't you join Marie and Mikey in our cabin", Andrew suggested. "I won't sleep tonight. I'm too keyed up. I'll just go up and spend the night on the bridge. If I get tired, I'll just nap on the couch up there".

"Are you sure, Drew? We don't want to deprive you of your bed. We can always take the boys to our cabin", Paul said.
"No, don't disturb them. Go join your wife and little boy. The bed is big enough for all of you, but the twins beds are there as well if you need them"

"Okay, thank you. If you say so. We'll see you in the morning", and he headed to the master cabin.
Andrew went up to the bridge, taking three blankets and pillows with him. Ryan glanced over his shoulder has Andrew came in and smiled.

"Hi babe, how are things down there?", he enquired.

"All gone to bed. Mikey was sick. Marie and I sorted him out. I put him on our bed and decided just to leave the little mite there instead of disturbing him. Paul and Marie are with him. I gave hin a sleeping tablet, so with luck he will sleep through and feel better in the morning. How are things up here?"

"We're doing well, I think. We're making good time despite the sea state. With a bit of luck well be arriving a bit earlier that predicted which will give us more time to get ourselves sorted out should the cyclone make a direct hit. She seems to be handling the conditions very well under the circumstances", Ryan told him. "I just wish we could lessen the rolling from side to side".

"Well, I for one am pleased to hear that. I'm going to stay up here with you guys if you don't mind. Seeing as the master cabin is occupied. And quite honestly, I wouldn't want to sleep in a bed knowing you were up here. I'll just make myself comfortable on the couch back here. I brought some extra pillows and blankets should you need one"

"Thanks Andrew, that was very thoughtful", Michael added."Make yourself comfortable".

Andrew handed each of them a pillow which they placed behind their heads, and a blanket that they wrapped around them. He organised himself on the couch with the blanket draped over him and reclined against the seat back, aware of the slightly more exaggerated roll one deck up.

The night passed as uneventfully as could be expected, the only change being the increasing wind and the sea becoming rougher. Andrew dosed fitfully for two hours then took Ryan's place next to Michael while Ryan got some rest. He couldn't do much except ensure that Michael stayed awake. Fortunately, Ray had left a couple of thermos flasks with coffee and tea, as well as some rolls, crisps and chocolates.

Two hours later, Ryan relieved Michael who lay down for some much needed rest. They let him sleep for four hours before he woke up, a bit miffed that they had allowed him to sleep for so long.

By this stage, the coast of Mauritius was creeping onto the radar screen and when the eastern horizon started getting lighter, they all breathed a sigh of relief. It did, however, reveal the dark grey, heavy clouds overhead, and a sea that roiled around them. The side to side roll was also very apparent in the daylight, and Andrew got the definite impression that a catamaran remained a more stable platform, despite the presence of the stabilisers.

At 7am, Andrew gingerly negotiated his way down the stairs to the lower deck to check on everyone and to
recommend that they remain in their cabins to avoid unnecessary movement around the yacht until they were in calmer water. The twins wanted to go with him, but he persuaded them to go to their grandparents instead. He did take Jonathan with him to the master cabin where everyone was awake as well. Mikey was definitely feeling better and Andrew told them to stay put as well. Breakfast would be delivered to the cabins.

He then went to the galley to assist with breakfast and get the trays to the cabins. Carrying trays and negotiating the rolling companion ways was tricky but accomplished without any problems. He took a tray up to Ryan and Michael and enjoyed breakfast with them.

The north eastern coastline of Mauritius was now visible, a dark, rain hazed smudge between a grey white-capped sea and an even greyer sky and by 9.00am they were rounding the top of the island. Within minutes of getting into the lee of the island and sailing down its western side, the sea calmed markedly although there was no noticeable difference in the wind. Michael contacted Port Louis control and advised of their arrival within the hour. When requested to confirm their last port of call, the authorities in Port Louis were stunned when they realised that they had sailed through the approaching cyclone at night. With 'Amira' now being a very familiar sight in Port Louis, they were given priority clearance into the harbour and told a pilot would be coming aboard to guide them to their berth at the Ocean Terminal.

Within an hour Michael nosed 'Amira' into the harbour entrance, slowing down to a crawl as the pilot boat came alongside, Ryan did the honours and went to meet him on the rain and windswept main deck and guided him up to the bridge through the salon, leaving a trail of water on the wenge flooring, much to Andrew's chagrin. He was pleased to see that Gary was quickly there to mop up the water and restore the wood to its original lustre.

There guests were also up and about, all having hot showers and preparing for arrival. A profound sense of relief was very evident and by the time they had all emerged from their cabins, they were already alongside the dock and the lines were being secured. Huge inflatable buffers had been hung over 'Amira's' starboard side to protect the hull from scraping against the concrete dock, but Michael kept her away from the dock by dropping the bow and stern anchors to port. The buffers were merely an added safety precaution.

Despite their safe arrival in Port Louis, due to the prevailing conditions, it was not possible to go ashore. That would have to wait until the cyclone had passed. The instruments and the hourly weather forecasts announced a steadily rising wind speed but they were fortunately very sheltered where they were berthed.

Ray got the galley fired up again cooking a Thai green curry chicken with jasmine rice for lunch. Dinner was going to be a minor celebratory event to mark what they had been through. Prawn cocktails with avocado, roast leg of lamb with a red wine jus and mint, potato bake, steamed butternut squash and peas with trifle for dessert.

They spent the day reading and recovering from the previous night and preparing themselves for the night to come when the cyclone would make landfall, and although the were safe, it would more than likely be a rather noisy night as the storm passed over the island. The structures that protected them from the worst of the wind also produced a variety of noises. From an otherworldly whooing sound to the rattling of facade plates and roofing to popping and groaning sounds.

As darkness fell the wind seemed to increase in intensity and the tall mast lights on the docks were turned on, bathing the docks in a soft yellowish light. The rain could be clearly seen being driven almost horizontally in the lights.

They were having dinner when the sound of a siren was heard over the howling wind, the signal that the cyclone had made landfall. There was a momentary lull in conversation at the sound, all the adults aware that there were people out in the storm who were going to be injured and even killed.

For almost two hours the rain pelted down and the wind raged, tugging the yacht away from the dockside but held in place by the thick ropes that secured her to the bollards. Then suddenly it became deathly quiet as the eye passed over the island. Less than twenty minutes later, with an unholy roar, the wind and rain returned, seem-ingly with a vengeance, this time from the opposite direction. This was the time that Michael and Ryan were most concerned about, as 'Amira' was now held off the dock only by her two anchors. If they dragged, there was a real danger she would collide with the dockside and be damaged, notwithstanding the buffers hung over her side. To mitigate the danger, Ryan and Andrew were on the bridge, and Brian was on station in the engine room,with the motors on standby to be engaged at a moments notice should it become necessary. Once again, for almost ninety minutes the rain and wind battered the island. At one stage, the two men on the bridge watched in horrified fascination as a warehouse at the far end of the dock and the most exposed, first lost its roof which ended up sinking into the waters of the harbour, before the structure seemed to explode and collapse in a huge cloud of dust.

But by midnight, it was apparent that the storm had done it's worst and was diminishing as it headed out across the ocean where the next landfall would be Madagascar. It was still raining heavily, but the wind was definitely weaker than what it had been.

Michael had a bed made up on the bridge seating area before everyone retired to their cabins for the night, and set an alarm that would warn if they started moving before getting some rest himself.

The night, however, passed uneventfully and when they awoke, they were stunned to see blue skies, albeit with some high scudding cloud. The wind was still a stiff breeze, but the sun once more beat down on the island.

They all went out on deck and gazed around them noticing the damage. Debris floated in the water a short distance away and there was the collapsed warehouse at the end of the dock where the emergency services were in attendance. Palm trees had been stripped of their foliage and the most amazing sight of all was a coconut embedded in the siding of the warehouse directly opposite their berth, providing sobering, graphic proof of the power of the wind. On closer inspection it appeared that 'Amira' had come through the storm unscathed to everyone's delight.

The atmosphere at breakfast was decidedly more relaxed that morning. The TV was on SkyNews, that was leading with the cyclone and it's aftermath. It had brushed past Rodrigues, dumping a lot of rain on the island and causing some flooding, but had made a direct hit on Mauritius, the eye having passed almost over the middle of the island. Several villages and holiday resorts on the east coast had been inundated by the storm surge resulting in four deaths, dozens of injuries and significant damage. A few holiday resorts would be out of action for a few weeks while the damage was repaired. At the airport, windows had been shattered, the ILS (Instrument Landing System) was out of action and the radar on top of the control tower damaged. The good news was that flights would resume as soon as all the debris had been cleared out of the terminals and off the taxi ways and runways. When Andrew contacted Air Mauritius, he was advised that their flight back to Cape Town would depart as planned, with a possible delay. South African Airways had announced that they would be utilising larger aircraft on the Johannesburg route in order to accommodate passengers who had been left stranded due to the cancel-lation of two flights before and during the storm, and any passengers who wanted to return home in the after-math of the storm.
And so, they began packing and preparing for their flights home.