Yacht Delivery Blog

This leg from the Wessel Islands to Thursday Island has been a true test of patience and resilience. As some of you may recall, we had to make an unscheduled stop in Hopeful Bay to address some engine issues. We got back underway shortly after dark and made good progress for the first 24 hours, thanks to a lucky break with calmer winds. But then, of course, things took another turn. Last night, the starboard engine – yes, the same one that caused our haul out – started vibrating. My heart sank, expecting the engine room to be a scene of oily carnage. Thankfully, that wasn't the case. The culprit? We were completely stumped. I ran through the usual suspects in my head, but everything seemed improbable given the engine's recent history. Daylight brought a new strategy. Since I tend to get into trouble for dangling off the boat unsupervised (and let's be honest, crocs are still a possibility here!), I waited for Rhona to wake up before tackling the problem. With both engines s...

The low-pressure system we'd hoped would move on decided to stick around, ignoring the forecast. This meant some tactical maneuvering: hugging the coast whenever a lull in the wind allowed us to make progress. The Wessel Islands provided a safe haven for a couple of days, their anchorages offering excellent holding ground. Speaking of close calls, our neighbors in Darwin shared a chilling story from their own journey through the Java Sea. One pitch-black night, they spotted a strange blinking red light that they struggled to identify. It can be tricky on a moving platform like a yacht to track small blinking lights. Neither of them could understand what it was, and one of them, understandably cautious, pulled the engine controls into neutral while they tried to figure it out. They said literally immediately after the boat started slowing down, a wall of steel passed in front of them traveling at about 12 knots and disappeared into the darkness with no AIS or any other lights except...

I have been a bit quiet on the blog front, thanks to two things: seas that felt like a bucking bronco which doesn't make typing easier and being glued to GRIBs and weather reports trying to find a decent weather window. Let's just say conflicting forecasts don't exactly make it easy to knock off some miles on this weather challenged trip. We pulled in for a few hours yesterday afternoon and then set sail from our temporary anchorage  just before sunset, aiming to make some good easting. For a few hours, things were perfect - light winds and smooth sailing. But then, whammo! The wind kicked up to 30 knots, trying to shove us further north than I wanted to be. Good news: the wind's eased off a bit. And we are able to keep on our easterly heading to find some shelter from land later today. Our weather advisor, a seaworthy sage in these choppy conditions, recommended this as the most prudent course of action. Thankfully, the chart shows a few anchoring options. There are pl...

We finally arrived in Darwin a few days ago. After anchoring near the quarantine berth, we awaited notification from the Australian Border Force (ABF) that they were ready for us to approach the dock. Biosecurity was our first hurdle, and their inspector meticulously checked our provisions, filtering out anything not allowed in the country. One of the challenges of long passages is the ever-changing itinerary. Ten days prior to Darwin, our plan was entirely different, placing us in a different port with different regulations on permitted items. However, we completely understand and respect biosecurity measures to prevent invasive species. Cooperation is key, and causing a fuss over confiscated items won't change regulations. The ABF and biosecurity officers were professional and efficient, making the clearance process smooth. But then came a challenge I'd never encountered before – a marina lock! The Lagoon 50 is 8.1 meters wide, and the advertised lock width is 9 meters – not ...

Our Darwin leg is nearing its conclusion. Yesterday I was meticulously scanning the horizon, when a faint squawk pierced the air. Initially dismissing it as background noise, I was brought back to reality with the magic words: "on channel 16." Radio? Who could be calling? Having spent time in Asia, where Channel 16 is a free-for-all chat line, I tend to keep it switched off. But a nagging suspicion gnawed at me. I lifted my gaze from the sea and there it was, a plane circling overhead. The Australian Coast Guard Patrol was attempting contact!  After exchanging pleasantries and providing some basic details, our aerial visitor continued on its patrol.  Speaking of communication, Starlink has become an absolute game-changer on this trip. It's hard to imagine how we managed without it before. Sure, it provides essential communications and real-time weather updates, but it's the little things that truly impress. For example, thanks to Starlink, we were able to pull up Goo...

Our journey to Darwin continues, and things took an interesting turn last night. The wind, which had been holding steady at a little over zero, picked up to around 15 knots. While not exactly gale force, it was enough to slow us down and significantly increase our fuel consumption. Since the wind was directly on the nose, and with a good amount of fuel still on board, we decided to keep motoring but throttle back to a more economical pace. This dropped our fuel burn rate to a respectable 5 liters - each engine - per hour. The wind has calmed down this morning, settling back to 9-10 knots. Yesterday, we encountered a potential navigational hurdle. Our charts indicated a shallow patch of water, around 20 meters deep, directly in our path. My initial plan was to sail over it. However, as the sun dipped below the horizon and with no moon to illuminate the way, 20 meters suddenly felt much shallower. So if you notice a slight detour in our track that's why. Adding to my caution, the lac...

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,...

The past few days have been a dance with the weather gods. A deep low pressure system lurked south of us, threatening rough seas, while whispers of another one forming next week loomed large. Heading straight into that mess wasn't an option.  But the tide, as they say, has turned! A window of opportunity has cracked open, allowing us to make a dash east and hopefully reach Darwin by Friday. We're motoring along at a steady 8 knots, the engines humming a familiar rhythm. When the wind cooperates, we unfurl the headsail, catching that extra push that makes a little bit of difference. It's a welcome change from the Java Sea. Here, under the vast expanse of the night sky, there's not a single ship or tugboat in sight. The only company we have are the distant glows of a few fishing boats, a stark contrast to the constant stream of vessels we encountered back there. In the Java Sea, the absence of traffic often meant a different story: either it was pouring rain and visibilit...