Starting in Morondava, I hired two Vezo fishermen and sailed 11 days down the coast to Tulear.
When the wind cooperated we would make it to small villages for the night. But when it didn’t cooperate, we would land wherever we could make shore, and sleep on the beach rolled up in our sails.
Each day different and unpredictable.
At times we would have to depart pre-dawn to catch the high tide, and so were greeted by the sunrise over the waves as we headed south.
The Vezo are absolutely master sailors in general, but I was particularly lucky to have hired Thierry. A gem of a human being who was the absolute epitome of competence on the water.
The whole experience so enjoyable that I have actually done it twice, on two different trips to Madagascar.
Beautiful. Hope you all had an amazing time being human together.
That was exactly it!
Your approach to adventures is inspiring! Fantastic to see and fantastic pictures! Thanks for sharing it warms my old explorer heart.
Thanks. I have been very lucky!
A life of exploration and meeting human to human is a gift.
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That's not OP
Your comment made me tear up.
This is so cool. I hope this doesn’t come off as rude or taking away from how cool this experience must have been, but I have to know what the bathroom situation was?
No worries. I’d pee into a bottle on the boat, and save everything else for wherever was the best option on-shore.
Not to be crude, but I probably would've just peed off the edge of the boat. Is there a reason you didn't do this? Modesty?
Actually more difficult (on a small craft like that) and more disruptive to the sailing ( again on such a small craft) to get up and pee off the edge, rather than just peeing in a bottle and dumping it over.
And how were the best options on shore?
Toilets, from rustic to normal, in villages; cat holes when camping
What about the intimacy situation?
Dump and open water bidet
How much did that cost? What did you pack and bring with you?
I’m horrible about remembering those exact details, but by traveler’s standards it was very cheap. Both times i tipped generously above our agreed on price.
In terms of kit, beyond the usual traveling lightly gear, a dry bag and water treatment were the two important additions.
but what specifically was the agreed price for this sort of trip?
How much are we talking as a rough figure?
$40-50 per day max. Maybe less
Per day
Oh ok. That makes way more sense.
That’s including all expenses. Food, places to stay when we made it to a village, the money i paid Thierry, plus cases of beer when someone was particularly gracious. Everything. And like i say, i’m horrible at tracking that sort of thing. It may well have been closer to $30 a day.
God damn.
Pretty cool
What did you eat along the way? Seems like a pretty small boat, guessing you were light on belongings.
I always try to travel lightly. I aim to be able to fit my 120 kilo self plus my bags on the back of a 125cc boda-boda.
On these boats, we would always carry a couple of days water. If we made it to a village we would eat there, if not we would eat fish we had caught or if available we would buy a chicken from fishermen’s camps along the coast.
You have a drone with you?
The second time i did this trip i did.
Is that a typo? You’re a strong lad.
193cm and 120kilo. I’ve always been a bit burly.
Is there a language barrier to speaking with them? I looked it up and it says they speak Malagasy. Did you interview him before hand? How did you know what questions to ask? Does he regularly do this so the process was sort of established?
He spoke French, a language in which i can just get by. I strongly leaned on the recommendation of the guy from the restaurant who i quite got along with.
It’s not unheard of, but uncommon enough that Thierry was clearly surprised by my request. Although he didn’t hesitate at all. It’s the sort of trip that is simple for the Vezo.
This is the coolest travel experience I have heard in a while. Love the adventure!
Outrigger canoes, the symbol of austronesian expansion. It’s so interesting to me that these same boats you can find from Philippines to Indonesia, to as far as Madagascar and the pacific islands.
Well we (Madagascans) are far cousins with Pacific Ocean people - our language has the same roots.
My gawd that's amazing!! How did you deal w the sun/find shade?
I was on the Tsiribihina river cruise. There was no shade on my barge. I was dying 🥵
Thierry had the foresight to make sure i got a parasol before we departed Morondava.
Now I’m picturing you sitting in the back with a fancy lacey parasol and mixed drink while on a rugged adventure
Other than the mixed drink, you’re not far off…
https://preview.redd.it/kfedh5nmol7g1.jpeg?width=1078&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=201af7c7a3408f053187737143be8821cd589166
That’s awesome, thanks for sharing!
Absolutely beautiful. I feel like this is how life should be lived. Just pure freedom and adventure. Thanks for sharing!
This is one of the coolest travel posts I’ve seen! Amazing!
What an experience!!! 😍
I sailed that coast in a very uncomfortable motor launch and kept bumping into guys and girls like you, camped on the beach with the fishermen. That was in 2008. Good to see the Vezo are still going about their life the same way. It's a fascinating culture
ETA: Is that Belo sur Mer in the last picture?
It js indeed BsM.
Ahhhhh, that brings good memories.
What time of the year did you travel, btw? I was there in June-July where the winds are always from the south. Or so the locals told me. So all the pirogues had to make land by 1 pm when the wind started blowing and wait until sunrise to sail again.
I did the trip once in December, when the winds were always favorable for heading south, and then a couple years later in july/august, when they were much more unpredictable.
You did it twice? Now I'm green with envy.
I've been dreaming of going back to Mada but other countries tend to get in the way. Although I'll probably hit some other part of the island if/when I come back,
The second trip was VERY last minute. It was a question of “where can i go that will require little planning , but that i know i’ll enjoy myself?” The answer was obvious.
Okay, you win this sub for a while! Fantastic post.
Almost as if you just wanted to feel like a pirate for 11 days! Photos and the trip are amazing btw
I thought I was reading a Hemingway novel for a second. That's a story you will always tell for the rest of your days.
Lol!
Sounds like quite an adventure!
This is amazing. What an adventure.
Amazing adventure.
Beautiful. Hope you all had an amazing time being human together.
Did you keep phone or other equipment’s batteries charged during the voyage?
If so how did you manage it?
I always carry an extra battery to charge things (because i’m often quite remote). When we made it to villages i was able to charge off of folks solar set-ups.
I did run dry of power at times though.
dude this is awesome. glad the algorithm showed this to me.
Thanks!
Amazing adventure !!!
Congrats!
That's a nice experience!
More that's a travel adventure!
Was there a language barrier? How did you find/recruit these guys?
I speak just enough french to manage.
The guy who ran my favorite beach restaurant in Morondava pointed Thierry out and recommended him.
🩵 your photos I'm sure you had an amazing time.
Thanks! I really did!
This is incredible !
Incredible! I thought I travel a lot, but this is absolutely next level. You just earned my first follow on Reddit. I wish you many more amazing adventures!
Thanks! I’ve been very very lucky.
I did something similar from Andavadoaka to Belo sur Mer. Only three days, but an incredible experience. Would love to go back and do a longer trip like yours.
If you know, you know.
I couldn’t do this, and I love you and others can. How wonderful.
this seems quite magical tbh
That must have been a great adventure!
What an amazing experience!
Wow amazing
Looks magical.
I'm glad the spirit of adventure endures.
I'm so jealous. As a woman I would never do this. Do you speak French? Or Malagasy?
Just enough french to get by
THIS is travel.
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Post "Hired fishermen off the beach and sailed 11 days down the coast of Madagascar in an out-rigger canoe" by "heyheybooboo" with body:
Starting in Morondava, I hired two Vezo fishermen and sailed 11 days down the coast to Tulear.
When the wind cooperated we would make it to small villages for the night. But when it didn’t cooperate, we would land wherever we could make shore, and sleep on the beach rolled up in our sails.
Each day different and unpredictable.
At times we would have to depart pre-dawn to catch the high tide, and so were greeted by the sunrise over the waves as we headed south.
The Vezo are absolutely master sailors in general, but I was particularly lucky to have hired Thierry. A gem of a human being who was the absolute epitome of competence on the water.
The whole experience so enjoyable that I have actually done it twice, on two different trips to Madagascar.
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This reminds me of Winslow Homer watercolor paintings.
Please explain more! Whats in Tulear you wanted to go see?
It was the best way to explore the astounding beauty of the southwest coast. And then also the entire central part of southern madagascar as i made my way back to Antananarivo.
Not to mention travel over water is just a lot easier than over land there. My goodness the roads on that island are horrible.
Horrific indeed!
That sounds amazing
Quite an adventure! Would love to hear more about the 11 days you experienced.
Sounds fun 🥹😊. I think you’ve given what to add to my bucket list 😊
I know nothing about sailing, but why isnt the sail over the right side of the canoe where the support thing is? Wouldn't that reduce the risk of a gust of wind capsizing the vessel?
Sail shifted to either side as the wind required. While there was only an outrigger “hull” ( not certain that’s the correct word) on the one side, the outrigger frame extended an equal distance to the other side. The boatman who was not on the tiller oar would shift out to either side as a counter weight (again, i’m sure my terminology is all wrong).
I just want to know, did you poop off the side of the boat or what?
The mist asked question on this post. Never needed to.
Wow, you were full of shit then, eh? :D
If you read the post, and the multiple other comments on the topic, you’ll realize how silly that statement is.
Relax guy, I'm just kidding. you could edit your OP and mention that you pooped on shore.
Good on you- I’ve tried in several occasions to do something similar in Zanzibar and Mombasa with no luck.
So cool, thank you for sharing. Glad this hit my feed somehow...
Ah, you fulfilled one of my dreams. When I was visiting Jakarta, I saw all these amazing white wooden ship/boat tied up at the wharf there. I was able to walk up the log plank they had to visit the boats. I learned that they typically visited remote towns/villages in Sulawesi and remote islands, trading manufactured goods for lumber and other resources.
I asked if I might be able to join one of the boats on their cruise. The cost was next to nothing, mostly covering the cost of food. God, I was so tempted. I often think about what could have been.
These are the Bugis people, by the way. They're the origin of the boogeyman.
Amazing!
Glad you were safe and not killed or anything 😂
Well, I haven't really made much of a bucket list, but starting today, I'm making one. And a trip like this will be on that list.
Your posts reminded me why i used to like photography. I was not great, but i used to like and i was always amateur.
Care to elaborate? Madagascar is on my list and I would love more info. Did you sleep on the boat for 11 days? How much did you pay to hire them? Provisions on boat? I have so many questions....
Lots of answers to those questions in the comments, and my initial description as well.
The photos are gorgeous and give off such a calm, authentic vibe, sailing like that must have been surreal.
Meditative for long stretches when the wind was with us. A bit hectic when it turned against us.
What a mind blowing adventure the only thing that worries me about these trips is using the bathroom for longer missions. Cannot imagine doing a poo in front of everyone 🙈
We spent long days on the water, but thankfully i was never overwhelmed by the need until we got to shore. Pays to be regular i suppose…
This is amazing! Were you at any point thinking about worst scenarios or taking precautionary steps? I'm thinking of fishermen that end up drifting away in storms or due to equipment issues and being found months later. Nightmare fuel.
There was one point where the wind shifted dramatically against us and we were struggling to make the last 100 yards around a headlands to a spot where we could land on a beach.
It was pretty hectic, but Thierry was cool, calm, and collected. It was one of those times i was grateful my life was in his hands.
He is truly a master sailor.
Glad to hear you were in good hands!
Op, how was the toilets for #2?
What food did u eat?
Toilets, from rustic to modern when we made it to a village. Cat hole in the most private spot i could when we were wild camping
What an adventure! I’m glad he was a kind sailor
Is it possible to DM you to get the contact of Thierry ?
Sure, shoot me a DM
I’ll give you the number i have for him
I’m not sure it’s still good though. Last couple times i tried, i hot no response.
I ca give you a better pic though. Show it around Morondava and you’ll find someone who knows him.
This is amazing! How did you find the folks that you can trust?
I'm really curious about that last photo. We can see a lot of semi-finished and abandoned boats. Did you happen to learn the story as to what happened? I'm assuming the planking materials became too costly. Did you happen to see any of the finished craft? It's a rather curious design.
Not abandoned at all. Just unfinished
Belo sur Mer is where many of the sailing cargo boats that ply malagasy waters are made.
Man! I know I’m luckier than most, but some days I wonder why I wasn’t put into a life like that.
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Yeah, you’re right, that was it.
They have everything. They probably envy 'the west' but in reality they have the more wholesome life style.
Talk about dead weight… or did you have to help?
I was mostly strictly cargo, except for the few times we needed to paddle madly to shoot a gap on the coast or get through the surf
Can't hide money
Started in Morondava, where did it end?
Uh, Tulear
Good for pics. Absolutely miserable experience. I’d have to be paid big money to do this.
And yet i did it twice…
Hey people hike Everest, visit North Korea, and do all sorts of wild things with vacation time. Fortunately I live in an area where I can take a good picture without a third world country experience.
I find the idea that the point of travel is solely to get a good picture amusing…
Oh me too! That’s all your 11 day voyage was good for in my eyes. That was what I was saying the whole time.