Dolphins came to swim at the bow yet again as we took up the anchor and left Ambon. To be honest, we weren’t too sad to leave. The only reason we stopped by was to check in with immigration and pick up some fresh fruit and veg. View More
Indonesia
Our first taste of a bustling Indonesian city came in form of Ambon, Indonesia. After having to motor the 120 miles from Banda Naira (yep, 0-2 knots of breeze) and dodging fishing huts we arrived in the early afternoon and set out to explore the city and check in with Immigration and the Harbor Master. View More
Three years ago I met Brian, Brady and Erin, while sailing in Tonga. My crew and I had hired a Sunsail Cat for 10 days, and had run out of water (long showers by the gals). Brian came to the rescue with water from Delos’ water maker. View More
I have been to Indonesia quite a few times so I like to think I’ve got a good knowledge of the country. I know their customs, daily routines, the fact you need a VPN if you want to access porn sites (more info on this here), and that there are certain dress codes that need to be followed. But one thing I’m never prepared for is the amount of effort you need to put into actually getting into the country!
“You need an agent.” seems to be a common term here in Indonesia. My reply was always the same. I do have an agent. That’s how I got my Indonesian Cruising Permit and Social Visas. This would always be followed by hushed conversation in Indonesian. View More
We were greeted by a smiling man who directed us to stern-tie to the village wharf. He eagerly tied up our lines to various trees and posts buried in the grass. He climbed aboard with a loaf of fresh bread in hand and introduced himself. View More
“THE ISLAND CAN BE SMELLED before it can be seen. From more than ten miles out to sea a fragrance hangs in the air, and long before the bowler-hat mountain hoves into view you know you are nearing land.”- Nathaniel’s Nutmeg View More
I wake for my watch at 6am. With only the main out, we’ve slowed right down to make landfall by sunrise. We are really close. Butterflies flutter in my belly with happiness. View More
We sailed past an active volcano that we spotted on the charts in the early hours of the morning in hope of seeing some action. No luck, not even a red glow. It’s so incredibly dark without the moon. View More
Our spirits are a bit higher today. The first clouds we’ve seen in days drift above us and so far into the distance they merge together at the horizon.
The sun is high in the sky and we set up the table outside for our sushi lunch. View More
With little breeze, I slept like a baby to the slow hum of the engine and awoke to fresh 20 knot winds. It was steady and Delos was comfortably moving 8 knots. A good start to the day meant a good breakfast was in order. View More
Left the land of Australia about 3:30pm. Embraced the moment as I consciously stepped from Land onto Delos. Released the lines, went through the lock where Brian dropped the fish gaff after dropping his glasses the first-time coming in. Feeling bittersweet. It just feels like another day in Darwin, but we’re actually leaving the country, in a way we’re kind of sad. But the excitement has been crawling in for a little while and now we’re checked out, physically on the boat and not turning back. Leaving the land down under behind us, heading north for Indo. This is the moment we’ve all been talking about all year so it’s a bit unreal too. The sun beamed down on us, the wind in our faces. Nina painted my nails, something I hadn’t done in forever. I felt pretty, happy and simple. Put both hand lines out but caught nothing. Brady took them in by sunset which was pretty once again. Darwin always seems to have the most amazing sunsets, intense reds and pinks streamed across the sky. We’re making good progress, a comfortable 7 knots, although breeze is out of the north at the moment, let’s hope it switches soon. Easy and tasty dinner of spag bol that Karin made before we left. Lazy, tired moods and an early bed for most. Let me tell you, there is nothing like sinking into a perfectly cozy mattress (you can use this sleepify Guide best mattress for find one) at the end of the day. Oh boy, it can have the power of melting down all your stress in one go. 12am – my time for watch, woken from a deep sleep, but I don’t mind, the stars are absolutely amazing. No moon tonight. It feels like we’re in a snow dome, but with stars hugging us instead. The Milky Way can clearly be seen. Breeze is light and inconsistent. Enjoying my cup of tea and see how many shooting stars I can count.