These titles are getting a bit repetitive
But the wind is very important when you are trying to sail, and so
far this wind has been remarkably inconsistent. The Skipper is
uncertain why, but apparently it's not that uncommon up here (up? surely
we are nearly Down Under - Ed). Whatever, we have also been warned by
those boats now in or near Bali that there are very strong counter-currents to
contend with when we get near Bali itself. Between us and Bali is the
Lombok Strait. This busy waterway acts as a funnel, which most of the time
spews water southwards into the Indian Ocean. We have to cross this,
probably at night, before making our way northwards and into Benoa
Harbour. At this morning's Roll Call (with the Skipper in the chair again
- he'll soon be talking to himself and no-one else if we rely on the wind
alone), a couple of the other yachts were pondering fuel reserves. With
this fluky wind pattern, it is unlikely that any of us (except maybe Branec)
will be able to carry this current and arrive in daylight under sail
alone. We battle on, although after a quiet night the engine is working
again. Hopefully a sea-breeze will fill in a bit later on, and give us
some proper wind. We might even put the spinnaker to work.
Another culinary climax (or gastronomic apogee) occurred last night with
Alex's second meal. We need to hang on to this man. But the pressure
is, particularly, on Chris, who is devilling away at the accounts as we
speak. The Skipper is just worried about the increasing likelihood of his
baking skills being put to the test again. Ersatz bread does not last well
in these latitudes.
All well with us, and best wishes to
everyone,
James, Norfy (Chris) and Alex
Yacht Cleone