The past 24 hours have been a bit slow. The wind has been practically nonexistent, and what little breeze there was came from directly behind us, so it was useless for sailing. I've been keeping an eye on the GRIBs, hoping to catch a break from a low-pressure system forming to the east. Last night, we got the occasional gust, but nothing strong enough to justify turning off the engine. This morning, there's finally a bit more wind—around 12 knots apparent—so we've hoisted the main and headsail and turned off the engine. We’re making about 6 knots, but we’re heading slightly west of our destination to keep the wind in our sails.
We've officially crossed the halfway point on our journey to Darwin, and things are looking good. The weather continues to cooperate, offering us smooth motoring so far. However, forecasts predict a shift in wind direction sometime tomorrow, with easterlies potentially changing our arrival time. The stronger the easterlies, the later we'll pull into Darwin. It's going to be time to transfer fuel later and the only pump available in Singapore was a rickety, hand-cranked contraption that leaked like a sieve . Transferring fuel has been a nightmare. It turned a simple task into a full-blown mission, complete with showers for everyone involved afterwards and a thorough boat cleaning session. Thankfully, things are much different now. Thanks to Rhona's keen eye, we snagged a fantastic electric transfer pump in Lombok. This beauty is a dream come true – just two hoses and a simple switch, and we can effortlessly pump 250 liters of fuel in a matter of minutes! Needless to say,...