This passage north through the Malacca Strait was the most turgid and longest night sail of our lives. Ploughing directly into 4m waves and 20kts of wind on the nose is no-ones idea of fun.

At times we were barely making 1kt. With no bolt holes along the coast of Malaysia, and a hostile shore along Sumatra, it wasn’t safe to drop the anchor to wait out the weather. Although that area is pretty shallow, the swell was too dangerous and the waves might have pulled the windlass off and certainly would have broken the snubbers.

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A couple of weeks after we arrived our friends sailed the same stretch of water from Singapore and suffered a similar fate. They almost turned back. The Malacca Strait is notorious for being like this, and it doesn’t seem to matter in which direction you are heading or on which day of the year! It’s just a right old pain in the ass! There was nothing for it but to keep plodding on, it was enough to try the patience of any sailor.

Peace and fair winds!

🗺 Malacca Strait: 1°47’48.3″N 102°40’23.2″E
🗺 Admiral Marina, Port Dickson: 2°28’35.5″N 101°50’40.7″E

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