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, I'm quite excited to put it to use this evening and top off our tanks before we reach Darwin.
While we've encountered the occasional fishing boat along the way, all the ones we've spotted visually have also been equipped with AIS (Automatic Identification System). This provides peace of mind, knowing we can track nearby vessels and avoid any potential collisions.
Other than this is been very quiet. We'll keep you posted on our progress, particularly how the wind shift affects our arrival time in Darwin.