To Trincomalee - 7

Beez Neez now Chy Whella
Big Bear and Pepe Millard
Wed 27 Feb 2019 16:05
Arriving in Trincomalee, Sri Lanka – Day 7
 
 
 
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I get up at eight to find a very dull, cloudy morning, must be nearing land as the fishing boats zipping by are small. Before dawn Bear had brought us through row upon row of bigger fishermen but plenty of space between the rows. At nine thirty (eight local time) I ring our agent to confirm our ETA.
 
 
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Land Ahoy – and with that the sea went glass flat.
 
 
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Locals waved in welcome and a Naval vessel nosed out of the harbour.
 
 
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Trincomalee is heavily guarded by the Navy, Port Control and several other uniform wearing authorities, we thought P322 would come over to check us out, no, off on her own mission.
 
 
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Skipper was delighted as Elephant Island came in to view. A cue for me to radio Port Control for permission to enter the harbour. That done, on we went.
 
 
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We were halted by P245 who asked us to stand by until they had radioed the Long Room. We told them of Port Control but there we were told to stay. I waggled the radio for them to chat more easily but in reply had my first proper head bobble or Indian head shake (technical terms). Ten minutes and another bobble and on we went.
 
 
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Tucked behind Elephant Island was a rather lovely looking old lady.
 
 
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A bit confusing was a red buoy - not to pass with it on the left as it marks the corner of a series of buoyed channels to the Navy parking space. There have been stories of boats getting caught up here.
 
 
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Away to the left a couple of girls resting.
 
 
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The final few hundred yards heading toward Town Bay. We will both be SO relieved when we don’t have to stare at the blue arrow.......
 
 
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Trincomalee Bay or Koddiyar Bay with nearly four thousand acres of water is one of the world’s largest natural harbours, protected by two headlands with a five hundred metre wide entrance. Enough deep water inside to make it viable for heavy industry. Over the years the Portuguese, Dutch, French and finally the English who used it as a naval base, the Ceylonese government took control in 1956.
 
 
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Ahead of us a local girl from Colombo called Grace, built in 2006, she is off to Krishnapatnam this afternoon.
 
 
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Away to the right we could just make out the masts of anchored yachts. We headed that way and saw one of the agency workers wave us on to the jetty to complete formalities, all secure against the quayside by eleven thirty our time. Sandeep, our agent was first aboard and settled in the cockpit, next came a jolly doctor who handed over our health certificate after a nice chat. Bear went off with Sandeep to the Immigration Office on the quayside. The officer was like a Sri Lankan version of Billy Cochrane. Who ??? You know, that Scottish fellow who was the policeman. Do you mean the police psychologist played by Robbie Coltrane in Cracker. That’s the one. Oh dear, oh dear, give my tired spirit patience. Last to arrive was Customs and that was a nice, general chit-chat. All done and dusted by five to four, at anchor ten minutes later. Not a soul went below and not a single cupboard was opened. Now for late lunch, nip ashore for a SIM card and tomorrow begin to tidy and clean the fine patina of sticky, salty dust off everything.
890.5 nautical miles which brings our total from Malaysia to 1162.1
 
 
 ALL IN ALL DELIGHTED TO BE HERE
                     FIRST THIRD OF THE INDIAN OCEAN COMPLETED, YEHAA