You may have noticed a significant decrease in our speed. This is because we've encountered completely flat calm conditions with only the occasional gust of 4 knots of breeze. So, while we're still heading in the right direction, it's not as fast as I'd like.
We're passing right by Port Vila, and it's quite tempting to stop in for some fuel. We filled up with extra in Fiji before we left, but the GRIB files are showing several days of calm across the Coral Sea next week, and it would be nice to keep moving. I'll see how I feel later.
We sent our advance notification of arrival to Port Vila yesterday just in case – this is one of the fantastic things about Starlink and having internet access on board. Not long ago, it would have been impossible to tell the authorities you were going to arrive, and there would have been some explaining to do as they find it hard to understand why you might need to unexpectedly pull in. And it's much easier to explain to the authorities by email why you didn't pull in rather than standing on the dock when they weren't expecting you!
The calm weather has been a welcome change after the rain and wind, and it's been a great opportunity to check how all the boat systems are operating.
And I'm sure everyone has been on the edge of their seats wondering about the outcome of the crew's luggage debacle.
After multiple calls to Jetstar and explaining the same information every time (seriously, how can AI handling customer service for Jetstar not be a good thing?!), they finally understood that a) they do, in fact, have flights to Fiji and b) the crew is leaving, so don't send the bag to Fiji as it needs to be forwarded somewhere else. They then closed the case as resolved.
Of course, the stunning efficiency Jetstar has displayed so far was repeated, and the bag arrived in Fiji the day after we left, which is a nice break for the bag, but not so great for the crew. Several more calls and extended periods on hold listening to "your call is very important to us!" later, I believe the bag is now on its way to Melbourne.
All is well on board!
