SMALL SHIP VOYAGES

MV ILALA ON LAKE MALAWI The MV Ilala is a Scottish-built vessel that has worked the lake since 1951. The 520-tonne ship sails from Monkey Bay on a weekly schedule that takes it as far north as Likoma Island and Nkhata Bay with a cargo of passengers, building materials, drums of fuel and dried fish. Accommodation is basic — go first class on the upper deck — and enjoy a cold Carlsberg “green” as Lake Malawi slips by. E-mail ilala@malawi.net. SAILING THE MARQUESAS A small passenger ship, Aranui 5, serves the remote and rugged Marquesas Islands in French Polynesia. Carrying 254 passengers, it does two-week round-trip voyages from Papeete, stopping for anything from a few hours to two days to unload cargo. The ship has private and dormitory cabins with fares from $4 678 (R74 000) in a standard stateroom ($2 920 — R46 000 — in a dormitory). See aranui.ca. SCOTLAND BY STEAM PUFFER Sail the Scottish isles aboard Vic 32, a restored steam puffer. Possibly the smallest “cruise ship” afloat, the puffer carries just 12 passengers on its weeklong voyages around calm Scottish lochs and bays. A cruise on Vic 32 costs £740 (about R17 000) per person per week full board, plus bar bill. See savethepuffer.co.uk. AROUND BRITAIN ON PATRICIA The 2 500-tonne lighthouse maintenance vessel THV Patricia serves offshore lighthouses and servicing navigational aids. The ship has six double cabins for fare-paying passengers looking for a different cruise. Voyages last from seven to 14 days. Fares from £1 990 (about R46 000) for seven nights, single. See trinityhouse.co.uk/patricia-seavoyages.