Winter 2011 Squeegee - Sausalito Yacht Club

8
A VISIT TO THE SEYCHELLES
By Pinkie Pomeroy Anderson
Author, Pinkie Anderson, member of
the SYC (Sausalito) presents a burgee to
Andre Hoarau of the SYC (Seychelles).
The mention of the Seychelles Islands conjures up images of
a tropical paradise. The 115 islands were shaped thousands
of years ago when Gondwanaland broke off from the African
geological super-continent. The largest islands are granite
but the Outer Islands are formed of coral. Lying less than
1,000 miles off the east coast of Africa, just south of the
Equator, these islands are 12 time zones and almost exactly
halfway around the world from San Francisco and have a
great deal to offer. The flora and fauna are spectacular.
Where else can you find the elusive black parrot, the
Seychelles fruit bat, the Valley de Mai, the giant palm spider,
the hundred-year-old land tortoise, or the giant mudskipper?
Several years ago, I visited and was invited to lunch at
the Seychelles Yacht Club (also SYC). After lunch, I was
presented with their burgee, which now hangs in our club in
Sausalito. (A white sailfish on a blue background.) I recently
made a return visit to Seychelles and was able to reciprocate
their hospitality with the presentation of a Sausalito
Yacht Club burgee, which now hangs in the office of the
Commodore.
The Seychelles Yacht Club was founded in 1964 and is
the only yacht club in Seychelles. The club has over 350
members and about 20 reciprocal relationships with
other yacht clubs around the world, but none yet in the
U.S. Perhaps it’s time to add a U.S. club to their list: SYC
Sausalito meet SYC Seychelles!
Daughter Laura and son-in-law Scott with
Esmeralda, the oldest, heaviest, land tortoise
according to the Guinness Book of Records
A cruise on the Dutch-built, 118-foot
topsail schooner, Sea Shell is a good way
to enjoy the islands.
The boating community is strong. A boat is the most
important means of transportation around the islands
whether it is a ferry, large topsail schooner, a catamaran,
a dinghy with an outboard motor, or a pirogue. However,
sailors are warned not to go beyond the four main granite
islands of Mahe, Praslin, Silhouette, and La Digue - Somalian
pirates have become bold enough to seize boats in the
more than 530,000 nautical square miles that make up the
Exclusive Economic Zone of the Seychelles. You might want
to cruise on the 118-foot topsail schooner, Sea Shell. Dutch
built, she is over 90 years old and is quite a contrast to the
mega yachts from the Middle East docked at Eden Island, a
man-made development just outside the capital.
Besides lunch at the yacht club, a number of restaurants
provide excellent Creole meals. An institution in itself, The
Pirates Arms is a short distance from Big Ben Clock Tower,
the most famous downtown landmark in Victoria. It is a
must for any visitor. You can watch the Seychelles world go
by when sitting at the open-air tables, slightly raised above
Independence Avenue. Perhaps you’ll see the honorary
consul of Italy and his wife hail their car, or government
employees walking to their offices a short distance away,
or the native population as they visit the main office of
Barclay’s Bank. The “bamboo radio” emanates from under
the eaves of the Pirates Arms. You can hear stories of the
pirate treasure hidden by La Buse, or tales of the nine-foot
ghost who walks through the cemetery at night or, on a more
mundane topic, which hotel is under contract.