Our passage from Geraldton, Western Australia to the Cocos Keeling Islands in the Indian Ocean was idyllic. We could not have asked for better weather, better winds or better conditions. (Okay, that 10th day sucked, but the good days were really good! ) Here's our photo journal of the trip and our passage stats:
Planned miles: 1422 Actual Miles: 1468
Days at sea: 10.5 Average speed: 5.8 kts
Flying fish: 14 Squid: 4 Birds: 1 Edible fish: 0
![humpback whale breaching](http://static1.squarespace.com/static/58b066e83e00be6efbd33633/58b6101385c5bd680c74d564/58b6238585c5bd680c775a51/1488331653411/gerococos_humpback-breaching.jpg?format=original)
Humpback whale breaching just off our port beam
![red tailed tropic bird](http://static1.squarespace.com/static/58b066e83e00be6efbd33633/58b6101385c5bd680c74d564/58b6238685c5bd680c775aaf/1488331654528/gerococos_red-tailed-tropic-bird.jpg?format=original)
A red-tailed tropic bird did frequent flyovers.
![dramatic sunrise](http://static1.squarespace.com/static/58b066e83e00be6efbd33633/58b6101385c5bd680c74d564/58b6238785c5bd680c775b0e/1488331655662/gerococos_dramatic-sunrise.jpg?format=original)
A dramatic sunrise on the Indian Ocean
![brute force and a hammer](http://static1.squarespace.com/static/58b066e83e00be6efbd33633/58b6101385c5bd680c74d564/58b6238885c5bd680c775b6f/1488331656663/gerococos_jammed-whisker-pole.jpg?format=original)
The captain resorts to brute force (and hammer) to coax a jammed whisker pole into service.
![wing on wing](http://static1.squarespace.com/static/58b066e83e00be6efbd33633/58b6101385c5bd680c74d564/58b6238985c5bd680c775bb0/1488331657736/gerococos_wing-on-wing.jpg?format=original)
Nine of Cups sailed downwind wing-on-wing for most of the passage. Our poor American flag looks a bit worse for the wear.
![big waves](http://static1.squarespace.com/static/58b066e83e00be6efbd33633/58b6101385c5bd680c74d564/58b6238a85c5bd680c775bf7/1488331658892/gerococos_big-waves.jpg?format=original)
Winds and waves were big at times. We saw up to 40 knot gusts and lots of green water over the bow.
![flying fish](http://static1.squarespace.com/static/58b066e83e00be6efbd33633/58b6101385c5bd680c74d564/58b6238c85c5bd680c775c4d/1488331660189/gerococos_flying-fish.jpg?format=original)
Flying fish come in different sizes.
![stuck squid](http://static1.squarespace.com/static/58b066e83e00be6efbd33633/58b6101385c5bd680c74d564/58b6238d85c5bd680c775c99/1488331661374/gerococos_squid.jpg?format=original)
Squids are sticky … especially on the mainsail.
![moonset sunrise](http://static1.squarespace.com/static/58b066e83e00be6efbd33633/58b6101385c5bd680c74d564/58b6238e85c5bd680c775cdf/1488331662716/gerococos_moonset-sunrise.jpg?format=original)
Moonset is no competition for sunrise.
![cocos](http://static1.squarespace.com/static/58b066e83e00be6efbd33633/58b6101385c5bd680c74d564/58b6238f85c5bd680c775d23/1488331663682/gerococos_surf-at-reef-Cocos.jpg?format=original)
Arrival at beautiful Cocos Keeling Atoll