Overnight sails in south-east Asia are particularly challenging, not least because the waters are full of obstacles that you can’t see in the dark. Like logs.
During this passage, we left in thunder and lightning and sailed for 150 miles across a shipping lane in ever-changing winds.
We aimed to reach Tolitoli (our destination) in the morning, because we prefer not to arrive in the dark at new anchorages. So it was an early start to give ourselves plenty of time for any delays if the going got difficult on our way to Sulawesi.
This time we took the narrow channel of Maratua Atoll on a falling tide with two knots of current pushing us through, rather than the five knots against us on the way in.
The passage threw up all kinds of obstacles and memorable moments, and went something like this…
- Setting off in a thunderstorm
- Racing out of the channel at Maratua atoll
- Sailing through the night
- HITTING A LOG!
- Completing transit across the shipping lanes of the Macassar Strait
- Dolphins!
- Arriving Tolitoli
Peace and fair winds!
Liz and Jamie xx
https://youtu.be/wk6wfdJf0L
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