I think this is the fourth day since we left Marina del Rey. The days tied to the dock and sleeping all night seem like a hazy dream. Now, we are fully immersed in the rhythm of the sea and the sky, sailing towards our next destination: Sabang.
The wind picked up at sunset to a very appreciated 16 - 21 knots and I guess you can see the bump in the boat speed - the extra couple of knots of breeze makes a huge difference. We are making good progress, averaging about 7 knots over the ground. The boat is handling well, with a reefed main and a full genoa. The autopilot is doing the steering, and we take turns to keep an eye on the instruments and the horizon.
We have around 1200 nautical miles until we get to Sabang, which is located on the northern tip of Sumatra. It is one of the main ports of entry for Indonesia, or in our case exit, and a popular stopover for yachts cruising in Southeast Asia.
We have settled into our watch system of 3 hours on and 3 hours off, with some flexibility depending on the conditions and our mood.
The night sky is spectacular, with millions of stars and a bright moon. Sometimes, we see bioluminescence in the water, creating a magical trail behind the boat.
We are also keeping an eye on the weather forecast and any potential hazards. So far, we have been lucky with mostly fair winds and seas.
A picture of our main view.
