We are on the final leg of our journey to Sabang, Indonesia. We have made good time during the night even though it's almost flat calm.
We were expecting to arrive in Sabang super early in the morning, so we have decided to find somewhere to anchor this afternoon, get a few hours of rest and leave very early to arrive mid morning. This way, we can clear out and leave first light Sunday, and avoid any delays or complications. Sabang is a busy port and a popular stopover for yachts heading to the Indian Ocean or the Red Sea and I'd be very reluctant to enter in the dark.
The photo below shows the marine traffic and our planned route in black. As you can see, there are many ships and boats in this area, some of them very large and fast. We have to be careful and vigilant, especially at night, when visibility is low and navigation lights are scarce. Not showing on the map are the pirates, smugglers, illegal fishermen and numerous other hazards that lurk in these waters. We will be staying away from suspicious vessels or any with a skull and crossbones flag.
During the night, we have had several fishing boats flashing lights at us when they see us coming. A flashlight is their only piece of equipment to prevent a collision. Sometimes they wave us to pass on one side or the other, sometimes they just flash randomly and hope for the best. We have learned to slow down and steer clear of them, as they often have long nets or lines trailing behind them that can get tangled in our propeller or rudder. We also have a powerful spotlight that we use to signal our presence and our intentions. It's funny because if you did crash into their fishing net and rip it then it would have less holes in it.
