Position updates

Latest town:  18/05/09: Faux Cap

Click here to see a progress map

May

May 19: Right wrist in considerable pain - taking the day off despite favourable weather conditions.
May 18: Continues on to Faux Cap, 28kms further.
May 17: CONGRATULATIONS RIAAN!! Riaan successfully rounds Cap St Marie, Madagascar's most southerly point. East, North, West and South now covered. Riaan will reach the 3/4 mark within a few days, then he begins turning almost due north for the final push to the finish line. At this stage completion date looks to be the last week of June.
May 17: Riaan departs Lavanono to round Cap St Marie
May 15: Still in Lavanono, weather has been bad - sea is a no go zone. Looks like there might be a short gap on Sunday to get around Cap St Marie and then a few more kms before the big storm hits late on Monday.
May 08: Riaan reaches the town of Lavanono - 25°25'42.00"S 44°56'20.00"E. Waiting for clear weather to make a 40km journey passed the southern most tip of Madagascar at Cap St Marie.
May 05: Riaan reaches the town of Itampolo. The southern most tip of Madagascar now lies only 180kms away and from there it is another 170kms to the official three-quarter mark, shortly before the last major town of Fort Dauphin/Tolagnaro.
May 03: Riaan is 38kms from Itampolo, he's hoping to reach it today if the wind plays out correctly. He's been averaging 30kms per day lately so will be a push.

April

Apr 30: Departs Beheloka
Apr 29: Return to Beheloka by boat
Apr 26: Riaan returns to Tulear to collect visa extension, journey takes three days by sailing pirogue, no winds
Apr 24: Riaan reaches Beheloka
Apr 16: Riaan moves further south to Anakao
Apr 8: Riaan gets almost all his stuff back - diary and GPS!

March

Mar 30: Riaan spends the entire day in the police station. Although they are helping he realises it isn't a priority for them.

Mar 29: Robbed at gunpoint in Tulear - Garmin, passport copy and LogBook all gone.
Mar 28: Moves into town of Tulear 23°21'37.00"S 43°40'6.00"E
Mar 26: Tropical Storm Izilda hits Tulear.
Mar 23-27: waiting for Air Mad to find parcel - no luck. Still waiting for another box of new reel and line to arrive from Tana (hopefully by 30th!) Patience being tested.
Mar 22: Waiting for parcel of esential goodies to arrive from JHB - parcel goes missing in action after Air Madagascar pilot leaves it on aeroplane.
Mar 17: President Marc Ravolamanana resigns as President, former Tana Mayor Andy Rajoelina assumes presidency - AU & SADC later call it a coup and suspends Madagascar.
Mar 16-27: Arrives at Ifaty beach (north of Tulear) - tourist resorts but all very empty and quiet.
Mar 13: Departs Morombe
Mar 10: Arrives Morombe 21°44'25.00"S 43°21'53.00"E
Mar 2: Riaan departs Morondava, intending to be in Tulear within two weeks.

February

Feb 24-28: Days spent filming for documentary, visting beautiful sites around Morondava and catching up on tons of RTO admin.
Feb 24: Seamus arrives in Morondava.
Feb 23: THE LONGEST DAY!! More than 16 hours on the water trying to reach Morondava with no Garmin and no phone. Arrives at Chex Maggie at 10pm - exhausted. But nothing a bowl pf spag bol can't fix...
Feb 19: Paddles upriver to the town of Belo, taking a rest.

06 February: Maintirano 18° 3'43.67"S 44° 1'4.49"E

January

31 January: Besalampy 16°41'29.37"S 44°25'52.78"E

28 January: 16°12'44.40"S 44°47'39.00"E

26 January: Soalala 16° 6'15.74"S 45°19'42.86"E

23 January: Re-start from Mahajanga 15°39'52.80"S 46°19'21.00"E

December

21/12/08 - 03/01/09: Vasti visits for Christmas and New Year

07/12/08: 15°34'38.91"S 46°24'21.19"E (Antsantia, near Mahajanga)

04/12/08:  14°59'27.00"S 47°13'43.20"E (Anjajavy)

01/12/08:  14°21'29.40"S 47°38'3.60"E (Nosy Saba)

November

27/11/08:  13°29'9.07"S 47°58'25.76"E

18/11/08: 13°11'13.92"S 48°13'57.36"E (Nosy Fany)

15/11/08: 12°43'53.62"S 48°40'58.48"E (Nosy Lava)

12/11/08:  11°57'25.37"S 49°15'45.52"E (Cap d'Ambre - most northerly point)

07/11/08:  12°14'30.60"S 49°20'41.40"E (Diego Suarez)

October

30/10/08: 13°21'9.60"S 50° 0'31.80"E (Vohemar)

24/10/08:  14°15'14.12"S 50° 9'31.64"E

17/10/08: 14°29'21.81"S 50°10'55.04"E

September

28/09: 14°53'52.16"S 50°16'49.86"E

22/09: 15°52'48.60"S; 50° 1'16.80"E

21/09: 15°53'58.73"S; 49°43'23.56"E

16/09: 16°54'17.72"S; 49°52'11.34"E

4/09: 16°59'59.40"S; 49°51'7.20"E

2/09: 16°55'14.02"S; 49°35'9.54"E - Soanierana-Ivongo, town where Riaan was arrested for an invalid visa

August

30/08: 17°28'43.20"S; 49°28'9.73"E

27/08: 17°57'38.13"S; 49°25'59.70"E

Tamatave Start/Finish: 18° 9'5.94"S; 49°25'4.92"E