Our Journey Across the Indian Ocean
We pulled into Galle, Sri Lanka, a few days ago after seven and a half days at sea. The passage was good overall with only a few surprises.
I figured I would share some tips and learnings from our passage for those looking at a similar Indian Ocean crossing or those who are just interested in their options for sailing from Thailand to Sri Lanka!
Let’s look at our passage by days and then some things we would have done differently or prepped better for.
DAY ONE: 17/01/2025 – Departing Phuket, Thailand
We left Chalong Bay, Phuket around 08:30 and motored until we were out of the wind shadow of Phuket. Then, we put up our spinnaker, Purple, and cruised downwind for the rest of the day with around 10-15 knots of wind. There were some weird current patches that gave us the odd choppy section.
Other than that, we went smoothly until sunset when the wind picked up. We pulled Purple down and replaced it with white sails for the night. The first night was uneventful and smooth sailing.
DAY TWO: 18/01/2025 – Into the Open Sea
I take the morning watch and wake up around 05:30 to swap with Dad. We still had white sails up and were going well. As daylight came in, the wind stayed steady, and we had delicious eggs on toast for brunch.
Around this time, the current patches got worse, causing big choppy short swells that knocked the wind out of the sails. These unexpected currents varied between 4 knots and 1 knot, and we couldn’t forecast them accurately. We continued sailing into our second night.
DAY THREE: 19/01/2025 – Warship Encounter at Nicobar Islands
This morning, I woke up late because Dad didn’t wake me for my shift at 05:30, naturally, I went up to figure out what was going on…
At 02:00, during Finn’s shift, a warship radioed us and told us we were heading towards a missile testing danger zone. We couldn’t see the ship initially, but by morning, they were visible.
We were asked to turn east, but with 20 knots from that direction, we negotiated heading south until the testing was over around 10:00. We were shadowed by the warship the whole time.
At 07:00, we turned back north, but after half an hour or so, we were told again to head south. At 09:00, after an explosion sound and a following boom (definitely a missile), they finally allowed us to transit the Sombrero Channel safely.
This unexpected delay of seven hours was frustrating, but we made up time as we left the Andaman Islands behind and officially entered the Indian Ocean!
DAY FOUR: 20/01/2025 – Light Winds & Slow Progress
My morning watch was good as the sunrise brought better winds, stopping the sails from banging and flapping. We hoisted Purple again, gaining speed.
By nightfall, light winds forced us to motor for a few hours. We later turned the engine off and continued under white sails, making slow progress.
DAY FIVE: 21/01/2025 – Steady Sailing
We had white sails up the entire day, and the sea state improved. However, random currents still affected us, mostly against or on the beam. It was an uneventful day, which was a nice break after the warship incident!
DAY SIX: 22/01/2025 – Almost There!
We were getting excited—just one more full day at sea before arrival! The wind stayed steady at 12-16 knots, so up went Purple again, giving us a comfortable and fast ride.
Heading into the night, we switched back to white sails due to the potential for squalls.
DAY SEVEN: 23/01/2025 – Fishing Boats & Squalls
As we approached Sri Lanka, we started seeing more fishing vessels, some with AIS and some without. Navigating through them until 02:00, when we finally got clear.
Just as Dad was about to relax, radar showed squalls everywhere. We pulled the mainsail down and continued under genoa only as we faced strong winds and rain all night.
DAY SEVEN AND A HALF: 24/01/2025 – Land Ho!
At dawn, through the rain, Sri Lanka appeared on the horizon! Spirits lifted as we approached land, but light winds forced us to motor closer.
A fishing boat approached, offering fish while warning us about their net. We declined the fish but avoided the net!
Racing against the 18:30 deadline for entry into Galle, we barely made it before the harbour closed. Exhausted but stoked, we med-moored in the marina (keep reading to figure out how that works) and checked in.
What is Med-Mooring?
Med-mooring is a docking method where you drop anchor and reverse toward a dock, securing the stern with ropes while the anchor holds the bow in place. This technique is commonly used in harbours like Galle to avoid damage from surge against solid walls.
Key Learnings & What We’d Do Differently
Route Choice: We took the northern route through Sombrero Channel to avoid storms. Others took the southern route and got more wind and current assistance. Pros and cons to both.
Unexpected Delays: Getting stopped by a warship for missile testing was not ideal! Definitely something to consider for those looking at this route.
Current Issues: We never got assisting currents, only hindering currents. Forecasting them was difficult.
Using an Agent: Checking into Sri Lanka was smooth thanks to our pre-arranged agent. He checked us in the night we arrived and was amazing!
Final Thoughts on Our Indian Ocean Passage
Sailing from Phuket to Sri Lanka was an unforgettable experience, with unexpected challenges and incredible moments along the way. From unpredictable currents to dodging warships and fishing boats, every day had something new in store.
Sri Lanka as a destination is really amazing and we are loving our time here, it’s well worth the stop for anyone considering it! Have you ever sailed this route or a similar one? Let me know your thoughts or questions in the comments—I’d love to hear about your experiences! Stay tuned for Part Two, where we continue our adventure from Sri Lanka to the Maldives!
Thanks for the great insight into your passage. I like the photos to go with the blog.
Thank you!
Great detail especially about why changing sails due to weather/currents/wind/coz u can situations.
Who makes the brunch? Are j hungry wen j get up for the 5-30 watch?
Thank you! Who makes brunch depends…but Finn is usually the chef on board. And no, I’m not generally hungry on my watch 🙂
This is incredible to read! What an adventure. I wish I didn’t get seasick but I’m sure there is something that could help with that – do you know?
Hey Alyssa, thank you so much! I’m sure you’ll get through your seasickness, but to answer your question: yes, Mum got seasick when we had a monohull and would take seasick tablets, you could probably find these in a chemist. I hope this helps!
Incredible read and look forward to reading about your adventures here going forward. I’m in !
Thank you so much Alison! 😊
Absolutely loved this . Great content . Can’t wait for part 2 . Keep them coming 👌
Thanks Chloe! 😊
Great blog Bella. 7 hours being tagged by a warship sounds stressful enough whilst also managing weather and currents. Look forward to the next adventure crossing. PS.. please, if you can, try and always wear a head helmet 🪖 when you’re on mopeds 🏍️, a learning of my own whilst in Asia.
Thanks Peter, the tips are appreciated 😊
Love following you and your family’s adventures. You’re blog is very well written!
Thank you so much!
Thank you Bella, so exciting to hear about your adventures! You are so fortunate to be making these unforgettable memories.
Thanks Bonnie!
Great blog! YouTube can really imagine what you guys went through. If you were made to choose one place to stay out of all your travels where would it be?
Thanks you! If I had to choose a place to stay… It’s a very tough question that I really don’t have an answer to! But my top three favourite places so far are probably French Polynesia, Mexico, and New Zealand. 😊