The Passage to Chagos & A Paradise with a Past: 300 Miles to the World's Most Restricted Atoll
- Ibrahim Rasheed
- Mar 5
- 5 min read
The Fothergills' journey on their catamaran, Happy Days, is a fascinating look at modern family ocean cruising, shared on their YouTube channel, Sailing with Six. Season 5, especially episodes S5 E08 and S5 E09 from February 2026, captures their last days in the southern Maldives. They explore Huvadhoo Atoll and Addu Atoll before heading on a multi-day trip to the super-remote Chagos Archipelago. This adventure is packed with stunning natural beauty and off-the-beaten-path experiences, while also showing what it’s like to sail with kids: stocking up on supplies, prepping the boat, dealing with permits, and thinking about history and ecology.
The Southern Maldives: Huvadhoo and Addu Atoll
When you think of the Maldives, you probably picture those fancy overwater bungalows and luxury resorts. But the Fothergills are all about finding a genuine, off-the-beaten-path experience. They head to the southern atolls, steering clear of the busy tourist spots in the central and northern areas.
Huvadhoo Atoll (also known as Gaafu Alifu and Gaafu Dhaalu) is one of the biggest and most secluded spots in the area. Its huge lagoon is perfect for finding a calm place to anchor, and the outer reefs offer some of the best uncrowded surf breaks in the Maldives. Places like Blue Bowls, Beacons, Castaways, Tiger Stripes, and Antiques have strong, steady waves that often barrel in both directions. These spots are a hit with experienced surfers but stay pretty empty because the atoll is so out of the way. The family loves how it contrasts with busier areas: you get quieter anchorages, healthier reefs for diving and snorkeling, and a real sense of adventure among the local island life.
Head further south and you'll hit Addu Atoll (or Seenu), the last stop for the family in the Maldives. This place has a totally different vibe, more local and laid-back, with a cool cultural twist from its British colonial days (thanks to the old RAF base on Gan Island). Gan is where you’ll find the main town, an airport, and better spots to stock up compared to those remote atolls. The Fothergills talk about the fun family rides on motorbikes across the linked islands, finding empty surf spots, and dealing with last-minute boat fixes. Here, it's crucial to load up on food, spare parts, and supplies, just like they did before their Pacific trip, since resupply might take weeks. You usually do the Maldives exit paperwork at Gan, making Addu the perfect spot to kick off the journey south.
The Passage to Chagos
From Addu (near Gan) to the Chagos Archipelago, which was part of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) at the time, it's about 300 nautical miles (around 550 km). This 2–4 day trip across the ocean depends on the seasonal winds: they often change from westerlies to southeasterlies during transition periods, with the possibility of light winds, squalls, or a helpful southward current once you get past the Maldives' exit channels. The family plans their departure carefully, considering both the weather and permit requirements. Chagos is one of the world's most restricted and untouched sailing spots: a series of coral atolls with no towns, resorts, or permanent residents on the outer islands (Diego Garcia has a UK-US military base and is off-limits). Yachts are limited to the northern atolls like Salomon Atoll (Rasde atoll) (where the Fothergills anchor) and Peros Banhos (Holhimadulu), which offer sheltered lagoons with great sand holding and careful pass navigation.
Arrival and Wonders in Chagos
After booking their mooring spot ahead of time, the family anchors at Salomon Atoll and discovers an amazing underwater world. The reefs here are some of the healthiest in the Indian Ocean, vibrant and untouched by mass tourism or heavy human impact, with crystal-clear lagoons full of sharks, rays, turtles, and huge schools of fish. The Chagos anemonefish (Amphiprion chagosensis), a unique little orange-black clownfish you won’t find anywhere else, thrives in its anemone homes, highlighting the archipelago's role in one of the world's largest marine protected areas (a huge no-take zone).
Above the water, the isolation is intense: often, there are no other boats or people around. The family searches for untouched surf spots on the outer reefs (depending on the swell and wind), explores overgrown abandoned settlements from old coconut plantations, and dives or snorkels in the thriving reefs. They take time to think about how lucky they are to visit as a sailing family, balancing their awe of this natural paradise with an awareness of its complex history.
A Paradise with a Past
During Sultan Hassan's reign from 1558 to 1573, known later as Dom Manuel, both the Portuguese and Maldivians engaged with the archipelago, and centuries later, around 1773-1774, Maldivian allies, the French, initiated copra plantations on the Diego Garcia atoll, where the military base is located now, and conducted surveys of the reef channels. The African slaves working on the copra plantations originally named the archipelago "Chagos," a name of Portuguese origin that appears on modern maps, although its true name, Foalhavahi, appears in old maps.
Communities were established until the 1960s in regions known today as Peros Banhos and Salomon Atoll, previously referred to as Holhimadulu and Resdhe Atoll. These communities thrived around the copra plantations and reefs, with the nearest atoll of the Maldives being Chagos.
In the late 1960s and 1970s, they were forcibly displaced by the UK (with US involvement) to establish the Diego Garcia base. This remains a deeply controversial chapter, with ongoing calls for justice, resettlement rights, and legal battles. The islands' current uninhabited state (outside the base) creates the "untouched" allure, yet the episode poignantly addresses this human story as a "paradise with a past."
During the Cape Route era, Africans were frequently present in the Maldives. African slaves were transported to the Maldives from East Africa, often via Oman, Jeddah, or Arabia, to serve Maldivian sultans, kings, and nobles from approximately the 12th century until the mid-19th century. Primarily employed as caretakers of coconut plantations (Raaverin) and domestic servants, they became integrated into the local population, with their descendants still residing in Malé and the southern and northern atolls.
Permits, Preparation, and Changing Times
The Fothergills emphasize that Chagos access is far from casual. Under BIOT rules at the time, an advance "vessel mooring permit" was mandatory (often 6+ weeks or months ahead), requiring wreck removal/salvage insurance, medical evacuation coverage (often $100,000+ per person), and weekly fees (~£50–100, max 28–30 days). Visits were for safe passage only, no tourism, and self-reliance was essential.
By early 2026, the 2025 UK-Mauritius controversial sovereignty agreement (signed May 2025) created uncertainty: sovereignty transfer to Mauritius (with a 99-year UK lease on Diego Garcia) was pending full ratification amid political debates (including US input). Yacht permits faced delays, with BIOT indicating no new issuances after April 2026, shifting responsibility to Mauritius (procedures unclear). The family secured theirs just in time, capturing a rare window.
Their preparation mirrors high-seas adventures: heavy stocking, boat checks, weather timing, and the excitement of heading into the unknown with kids. The episodes inspire anyone dreaming of family cruising, raw adventure, respect for ecology and history, and the thrill of remote exploration.
From Addu's local vibes and empty waves to Foalhavahi Chagos' pristine reefs and poignant reflections, this leg of Sailing with Six encapsulates the essence of blue water family voyaging: beauty intertwined with responsibility and wonder. As they sail onward 1,000 nm to the Seychelles, their story continues to motivate dreamers worldwide.
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