South China Sea

Digiboat's "Product Testing"
Simon Blundell
Sun 16 Sep 2012 21:19
01:50.603S 107:53.723E
17/9 0500
Passed the SW corner of Borneo yesterday, picking our way through the multitude of reefs and shoals, Now have Sumatra to our W and the Riau Island group ahead. Should cross the Line late tonight or early tomorrow morning so I get to trade in my crew of Slimy Pollywogs for Trusty Shellbacks.
 
Great sailing through most of the day, some confused seas where the Java and South Chinbe Seas meet. Wind increased for several hours to 15-18kn SE which gave us a fast broad reach averaging sppeeds around 8-9 kn with just the jib and mizzen main set. Dropped off around sunset and finally pulled in the sails and fired up the diesel around midnight.
 
No fish today, regardless of how many times Tony changed the lure or stood gaurd over the rod or cursed from the cockpit. Although one of the lures did appear to have been cleaning bitten in half, but not snagged! The diligence Tony applied to fishing probably help to diustract him from his frustrations of not knowing the outcome of his home football team's game against some other team that everyone's supposed to know that was playing yesterday.
 
Otherwise not much going on apart from a Monopoly tournament between Chris and Tony, some reading, but most spare time spent with each playing various video games on our phones.
 
As sunrise approaches, I see the lure being polished and the hook sharpened in preparation for a fish fest today...
 
SJB