Our stay in Thinadhoo extended to two weeks, firstly waiting for the strong winds to pass and the big seas to go down, then keeping Jamala company while Allen fixed their engine.  They had been suffering vibration when motoring and when Allen investigated it turned out to be a fairly major issue, so they ended up sending a part to Male for a repair.  This left them unable to use their engine: not a good position to be in when in a remote anchorage with strong winds and we didn’t want to leave them alone.
Once we were happy that our anchor was holding in the squalls we made trips ashore but tried to be on board for the worst weather and finally, in the last couple of days had the chance to explore the island.

The museum building on Thinadhoo.  Close inspection showed it to be empty and falling apart

Most of the buildings are concrete blocks, but softened by plantings of trees and flowers

Reclaimed land at the northern end of the island has accomodation blocks being built.  We estimated 300+ homes and wondered who would be housed here

We found the beauty you expect from the Maldives overlooking the lagoon to the north

Serenity and Jamala at anchor.  The tanker is anchored outside the reef

Phil on his birthdaty
The passage from Thinadhoo to Addu Atoll is 70 miles and, once conditions allowed, we decided to do it overnight.  We left at 1600 hours, an hour behind Allora, and that hour was to prove important!  The ind was from the southwest and we could almost lay our course for the northern entrance to Addu as we coasted down the side of Huvadhu Atoll. We were keeping pace well with Allora and we stayed about 5 miles apart, but they managed a course slightly closer to the wind than us.  It was a lovely night's sail with fairly steady winds, no rain or squalls and a beautiful crescent moon and stars as we crossed the Equator at 2310, paying our dues to Neptune from our almost exhausted alcohol supplies.  But then there was the current.  We had been warned about the Equatorial Counter current but were not prepared for the full force of it.  As we cleared Huvadhuu Atoll it started running to the east at 2 knots and increased to 4 knots as we went south.  We had hoped it would ease as we approached Addu, but no such luck and by the time we were level with the atoll we were nearly 25 miles east. We changed our plan and aimed for one of the eastern entrances hoping for some shelter from the current behind the islands.  This is where Allora’s slightly earlier start and better course to windward became important as they picked up some favourable tide as soon as they got behind the islands and we watched as they made progress westward, while we were tacking back and forth making good about 2.5 knots.  With 14 miles still to go we would not have made it in daylight, so the engine had to go on.  We finally joined Allora and Eternaut anchored off Feydhoo Island at 1500 hours.

Addu Atoll had a British Military presence until 1976 and the legacy can still be seen in better infrastructure, some big properties with lovely gardens plus good schools and hospitals.

We love the beautiful simplicity of the mosques here

At dinner ashore with Allison and Brian our fruit juice came with these beautiful decorations

Maldives sunrise