Well, it’s a blustery day here in Rebak, Malaysia; I suppose the wind is around 25 knots, it’s actually a bit cool. Maybe some Mongolian high is wandering around. It seems that things always perk up just prior to departure! We take on fuel and do our final provisioning and then we’re off bound for Adoo Atoll in the southern Maldives; it should be very different doing a run of 1600 miles compared to all the coastal hops we’ve be doing last year. I don’t mind it at all; it’ll be nice not to worry about running aground in shallow water, or ending up in someone’s fish net.

Watch keeping is always different; you get used to sleeping three or four hours at a time. We installed an AIS system that will identify nearby shipping and tell us where they’re heading, and who they are; so that should be interesting, although maybe we were better off in our blissful ignorance. I have my bluewater fishing gear all ready, the heavy lines and smaller lures.

It will also be good to not drink booze for a couple of weeks, after this holiday season I think a bit of a spa visit would be profitable! And at the next destination, Chagos, we will have an atoll to share only with a few other cruising boats for three months – fish and coconuts and home made beer!

The longest journey starts with a single step; let’s do it!