After another pretty busy week including Chris-mas Tree's arrival on Wednesday night, topping up the diesel, topping up the provisions, resolving a problem with the alternator regulator (which was negatively impacting our battery charging capability), and finally, going through the customs, immigration and harbor master run-around and rip-off on Thursday, Galatea finally departed from Padang at 5pm on Friday evening, May 1.

This was after receiving disappointing news on Thursday evening from the forecaster/routing people in Boston that the trades were still slow in developing and their assessment that it might be difficult for us to get up to Chagos in the next few weeks.

Having done the Indonesian checkout stuff on Thursday, and also, becoming a little tired of hanging out in Padang, we decided to move out ASAP and make our way back to the Mentawis 80 miles off the coast of Sumatra - the extension southwards of the island chain we had made our way down after leaving Sabang late March.

We had a spirited trip last night going from 35 knot squalls to 35 knot squalls with pelting rain downpours. We arrived off the entrance to our planned anchorage at the north end of Pulau Sipura around 9.30am - I always try to time our landfall after night time. This time, however, the island was covered in heavy cloud, rain and winds making visibility next to zero. Knowing that the electronic navigation charts for this part of the world are up to half a mile off, combined with extensive reefs etc in the bay, we decided to hang around off the entrance to the bay where we planned to anchor until the weather improved. Around 1pm things lifted and we took the opportunity to make our way in to the anchorage. 

We are now relaxing over at the surf resort where we will have dinner. A nice spot. Chris has arranged with them to go surfing tomorrow. Mike and I will hang out at the boat and over at the resort.

Ok, next update while underway from Galatea.

Neil, mike and chris.

- S/V Galatea