Bathymetric Survey undertaken January 2004

  Tuesday 20th January - departed Dar es Salaam at 1200 to sail across to Ras Kizimkazi at the southern end of Zanzibar. We had recently installed a JFC-130HP echo sounder (high definition 3 KW transducer that gives good resolution of seabed down to 2,500m) for this project and I was pleased to find that this equipment worked well as we sounded our way up the East Coast from Kizimkazi in the 500 metre isobar north past Chwaka and on to Mnemba Island, where we anchored in the lee at 0030

  Wednesday 21st January - 0600, departed Mnemba, steamed east to the 800 metre isobar, then north towards Pemba sounding and charting the bottom contours on home made charts where the information would later be transferred onto a spread sheet. We were well north of Zanzibar when at 1300 we changed course to south west and sounded our way to Ras Nungwi where Jim Anderson, the project coordinator, joined the vessel. A pleasant digression on the way back was catching and landing a pair of good-sized dolphin fish (dolphin fish often travel in sexed pairs, the male having the more dominant bluff head) Some fresh marinated fillets made the BBQ that evening, preceeded by the fish soup with the remaning fillets being stored in the freezer.

  Thursday 22nd January - 0630, we collected 4 local fishermen to take along for their input and interest. From data collected the previous day we had identified 2 potential FAD sites, so we proceeded to each of the sites and carried out a 2-square mile grid sounding at 0.5 mile separations, returning to Ras Nungwi by 1830. During the day we caught 4 yellowfin tuna, which I immediately bled and prepared sashimi-style. Three of the fishermen were game to try and enjoyed the sashimi, the fourth bowed out. Later all 4 commented that the bled fish had a firmer texture and lighter colour than they were used to, and when cooked, had a better taste without the bitterness of fish that they were used to. This clearly demonstrated to these fishermen the benefits of bleeding (post harvest technology that we use), as opposed to what they see as normal procedures. On our way back to Ras Nungwi we caught 3 dolphin fish, which I bled and gave to the fishermen. They had a great day, paid by the project to go fishing, caught some fish, had it cleaned, prepared, cooked & served by a Mzungu (white man) & went home with fish for the family.

  Friday 23rd January - 0600 departed Nungwi and we sounded and identified 2 more potential FAD sites, caught more fish and by 1600m had completed our project on this site and returned to Dar via the East Coast of Zanzibar, arriving at our anchorage at 0030

  Saturday 24th January - we refuelled, took more provisions and departed 1230 for Mafia. It is quite a distance down the coast and it was not until 0300 that we were on station to begin sounding. We had difficulty finding the true bottom at night, we knew that we were in depths beyond 650m but could not get through a layer of "life" that was at 340m. After some hours of frustration we changed course for the land & as we moved inshore the "life" moved to the surface. By daylight all was normal so we sounded our back up the coast to pass through Kinasi Pass into Chole Bay at 1300 on Sunday.

  Sunday 25th January - At 1400 having wended our way through some spectacular coral heads, we anchored off Mafia Lodge in Chole Bay where Jim went ashore to meet some colleagues who were also involved in the FAD project. Mafia Island is a Marine Conservation Area. We had a pleasant dinner and discussions aboard with this group.

 Monday 26th January - 0600 departed Mafia Lodge to collect some local fishermen at 0700 at Kinasi Pass, proceeded to sea and undertook 2 grid studies. During this time we caught more tuna and demonstrated once again our post harvest technology methods to these fishermen and received similar comments to those from the Nungwi fishermen. We returned to Kinasi Pass at 1200 to drop off the fishermen, then proceeded back to sea to carry out 2 more grid studies before sailing south west around Jibondo Island into Mafia Channel for our return passage to Dar. We anchored at Boydu Island at 2000, where we caught and ate 'changu' (local fish of the snapper family).

  Tuesday 27th January - 0600 weighed and proceeded to Dar with a stiff wind directly on the nose. After a flogging against wind and current we finally dropped anchor at Msasani Bay, Dar es Salaam at 0030 on Wednesday 28th January.