0:18.64S 104:58.54E

Position at 1445 19/10/13

A 36 hour/90nm motor-sail apart from a 40 minute squall when I managed to sail! Thunder, lighting and another boat in the area reckoned a peak of 35kts. Personally I would have said nearer 25 myself but I presume they have wind instruments whilst I, alas, do not. They also have a generator AND air conditioning but that’s also another story.

Apart from that one squall weather conditions were very benign but just not enough wind to sail. Possibly if I still had the gennaker I might have done but it would have been desperately slow(er) than it was. Oh well, not far to go now.

Those boats originating in Australia are now getting very excited about crossing the Equator, which is a mere 18nm north of here. I will celebrate with a double-strength Milo! Mind you, I do have a bottle of port on board which I brought in Porto, back in 2008. It’s a vintage Burmeister and I was told it should be laid down for 15 years for best enjoyment. I had some notion of opening it on my 70^th birthday but unlike Madeira I’m not too sure how it travels on a boat. Might I be risking extreme disappointment on my 70^th? Difficult decision but having had the Equator party on the Pacific crossing the second one doesn’t seem so special.

120nm to the check-out anchorage at Lagoi, Bintan Isle. I’m really not too certain if I have enough fuel to motor the whole way if necessary and it looks like I can’t get Internet here at this anchorage. Allegedly some wind is coming soon!

http://amzn.com/B009QA33QIhttp://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B009QA33QI

 http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B009QA33QI