Christmas Island Departure
Digiboat's "Product Testing"
Simon Blundell
Tue 10 May 2011 07:23
10°19.52S
105°44.57E
Dropped
mooring at 0730 and left the rocky and rolly
anchorage.
Clearance out
was a breeze, this has to be the easiest - and cheapest - place ever for all the
formalities. Only cost was $10 per day for use of the mooring! Apparently during
trade wind season, they lay more moorings and the beach is accessible with the
dinghy, this would certainly make it a more worthwhile destination. As it was
the swell coming into Flying Fish Cove was quite uncomfortable, and some locals
were surfing at the beach where usually it's like a mill
pond.
Steve and
Alfredo went snorkelling yesterday and said best coral and fish they'd seen, and
remember they live on Gili Trawangan - a World reknowned dive
destination!
Every one at
Christmas Island extrememly pleasant and helpful. They all knew we were from the
yacht as we were the only non-locals about town! The supermarket even loaned us
their ute to drive our supplies back to the dock. Good to have a decent western
supermarket, expensive though, but a big tub of Vegemite and some Spanish Olives
are worth gold onboard!!
We also
discovered it is a Duty Free island - NOW I understand its raison d étre. Smokes
are about the same as Syd Airport nd there's a large range of Aussie wines and
what looked very cheap prices.
Anyway, good
to be heading "home" to Gili, but GRIB data so far is showing head winds for the
next 48 hrs - drag.
SJB
10/1030