Nearing Cocos Keeling

Anastasia
Phil May and Andrea Twigg
Mon 24 Sep 2012 11:28
11:34.2S 097:58.6E  70 miles to go
 
We should get in at around 3am local time, all being well.  Unfortunately we just had the evening SSB radio net and heard that several boats are having problems. 
 
Gunvor has a loose spreader and is having to motor the rest of the way in.  It is fortunate that they are only 70 miles away from Cocos so they do not have to use much fuel to get there.  Let's hope the spreader is an easy fix when at anchor because they will not be able to motor all the way across the Indian Ocean.  We are 25 miles north of them, and there are a couple of other boats even closer, so there is assistance at hand if they need it, but currently they have secured the spreader to stop it banging against the mast and they are motoring along fine.
 
Ruby has some kind of loose plate and they have had to bring down their Parasailor.  I believe they are still sailing with white sails so it is not as severe a problem as with Gunvor.
 
The guys on Beatoo ate a bad fish and are not feeling well. 
 
Our broken prop shaft brake is insignificant compared with the challenges some people are facing.
 
Meanwhile I got an  email this morning from Bronwyn (the boat we towed into Bali).  The engine was going to take three months to replace in Bali and so they are going to cross the Indian Ocean without a working engine.  Bronwyn bypassed Christmas Island and went straight to Cocos Keeling.  They were 30 miles away when they sent the email, and preparing to enter the atoll under sail.  They should be safely anchored now (fingers crossed).
 
Tonight we have lamb chops with sweet potato mash for dinner.  Here is a photo of one of the sweet potatoes, which was trying to escape from the hold.