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 for a small blinking LED. It sounds like a terrifying experience, and they only escaped disaster by being so cautious.
This encounter served as a stark 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, and not all seafarers practice 'safe sailing'.
Back to our journey! Yesterday late afternoon, a subtle shift in the wind direction sparked a decision. Time to go! Anchor up, we set sail once more. However, just a couple of hours into our journey, a minor engine issue surfaced and I decided to pull into the next bay to give everything a once over. Luckily, by a happy coincidence, the next bay on our route was named "Hopeful Bay."
Anchoring there, we were treated to a stunning sunset, the kind of scene that makes you remember "red sky at night, sailors' delight." Taking it as a good omen, we tackled the engine issue and with renewed determination, we set sail again, this time with Thursday Island clearly in our sights and only a few hundred miles away.
There, we'll clear customs, refuel, and prepare for the much-anticipated challenge of navigating the Torres Strait. Stay tuned for our next update as we tackle the final leg and (hopefully) find some calmer seas.
