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 lack of moonlight made me suspicious that this was the sort of place a fisherman would like to hide. My suspicions were confirmed when I spotted a faint glow in the distance. Not wanting to stumble upon a poorly lit fishing vessel, I kept a watchful eye on the light, its surprisingly difficult to pinpoint an intermittent glow's direction from a moving boat at night. The lack of an AIS signal only heightened my concern.
As luck, or perhaps misfortune, would have it, the occupant of the unidentified vessel must have seen us. Our mystery fisherman, a pro by all accounts, must have had a 10kva generator on board and a portable lighthouse and they responded by shining a blinding spotlight on me. While grateful for their awareness, the sudden glare temporarily rendered me night-blind, causing a moment of fumbling as I tried to adjust the autopilot. Just as I managed to regain some vision, the spotlight returned – a powerful beam that suggested a much larger generator than I'd initially anticipated. And he was clearly pretty close.
He finally relented once he saw us move clear of their position. The experience served as a reminder of the importance of vigilance, especially at night. The vastness of the ocean can be deceiving, and even the faintest light can hold unexpected surprises.
Despite the late-night excitement, we're making steady progress towards Darwin. The calmer winds this morning are a welcome change, and our fuel efficiency is back on track. We'll keep you updated on our arrival time and any further adventures along the way!