Horrible Passage in rough conditions. Non stop squalls and difficult downwind sailing with gusting up to 30, swell and constant rain. Why do we even look at the forecast? Got approached by fishing boat but did our usual manoeuvre and just put both engines down and left them in our wake. Glad it’s time for a drink!

We can add another worst ever to the list. From the worst anchorage ( we all got seasick on anchor! First time for me getting seasick and we didn’t even move) to getting hit full force by strorm which arrived a day earlier than predicted. It was absolutely terrifying. 2 meter swell didn’t help. For a while we were just beating into it but then decided to turn around and go with the wind. Much less force on the boat but wrong direction for us. Good decisions and less scary apart from the worry that a wave might break on us. It was now more of a surfing feeling and much easier to handle. I am glad we got that experience under our belt. Also good to know that the captain and boat can handle it. Very relieved and exhausted arrival to another remote paradise found.

Beating into wind, waves and currents which slowed us down to 2 knots wasn’t pleasant but we just wanted to get there.

We are so happy we are finally here after months of boat work and hectic prepping to make one of the last weather windows across. Had a great sail and can’t wait to find some good waves

We thought we had couple of chill days up our sleeves but the wind only looked good one day this week so we just packed up and left straight away. Racing back to Phuket to collect some items before we head over to Indonesia before the season changes. The race is on.

The day has finally come to go back in the water. For some reason our wind Instruments didn’t work this morning but we were too desperate to splash, we decided to deal with it later. Plus it’s good practise to sail without instruments. Quick stop at Telaga Harbour to stock up, fuel up and check out of country. Next stop Koh Lipe.

🌅 Settling back into slow mode: Nai Harn, Phuket. Nothing like washing off the boat yard with some hard earned R&R.

Surfing The Banyaks ⛵🌊🏄‍♂️ 🗓️ April 2024 🌏 Banyak Islands, Indonesia One of our major life goals 🏆 was to surf off the back of our own boat. It's been a dream of mine for years, ever since I hopped aboard a random yacht in Timor years ago, before life got in the way. The idea has been subconsciously fermenting in my brain. Anchor up, jump off, surf your brains out, come home, relax. Freedom. 💛💚💙 But like everything, it's a fine balance of doing the things you want, and everything else. As responsibility takes over, dreams are de-priortised and suddenly you're old and locked into the monotony of 'life'. 🚫 Not us. 🚫 No thanks. 🚫 Rejected. After an overnighter to the Banyak Islands from mainland Sumatra (where we had a hectic 36 hour reprovisioning stop - see the last post) and we arrived. Welcome to the Bay of Plenty; the southern most point of Tuangku Island 🏝️, the Banyaks. A literal tropical surfers paradise. With waves flanking both sides of the bay, we dropped the hook in 10m of sand, right between the surf breaks. One of the true pinch-me moments of my life. The perfect place to truly lock in to reality, be present with the family and forget the world - not without help from zero internet coverage. The next week was a blur of surfing, snorkeling, sleeping, eating, rinsing and repeating. As a surfer it really doesn't get much better than this.

🌈 In The Spirit Of Adventure 🗓️ March 2024 🌏 North Sumatra, Indonesia Adventures are funny things. You can't really plan a real adventure. You can only put yourself in close proximity to one and hope it finds you. A real adventure is greater than the sum of its parts. A true combinatorial effect. It requires the good, the bad and the ugly to qualify. Tropical beaches + dirty cities = memories. --- Provisioning in Indonesia, especially remote Sumatra, is both a test of wits and tolerance. No marinas, no beachside tourist towns, no supermarkets. It's an extremely DIY adventure. As a privileged westerner, it tests your ability to withstand filthy water, rubbish strewn rivers, hot/stinky cities, and language barriers. It's one necessary ingredient to creating a true adventure, all the while knowing there's a tropical paradise just over the horizon, a day sail away. Main objective: Fuel, water, fruit, vegetables, pasta/rice & sauces, eggs, milk, toilet paper, soap. Side quest: Meat, yogurt, tuna, juice, cheese and bread. Just like a special forces strike team, you require a tight plan. Get in, carry out the objective, extract. Go. Go. Go! --- This particular adventure required a reprovision in Meulaboh - or MuesliBar as it got named - a few hundred klicks down the coast of North Sumatra, on the way to the Banyaks. MuesliBar is the capital of West Aceh Regency. It's regional shipping hub with muddy brown water and the smell of a thousand fishing boats basking in the sun. Sometimes we don't get to choose. You just play the hand you're delt. It's a filthy place to stop and restock. We arrived late so had to sleep on it. The sickly combination of fish and diesel fumes wafting through the hatches. --- Sunrise the next morning and operation resupply is a go. There's no time to waste. The sooner we get in, the sooner we get out. 0700 and the first objective is to head up the a rubbish strewn river in the dinghy. Find a spot between the local fishing boats. Slack tide. Small waves. No problem. No Uber here. Found a Tuktuk and head to the petrol station. 200L in jerry cans please. Return to boat, drop petrol and grab family. 0830: Back up river and find some transport to the local markets. Pick our way though the sunbathing fruit and veg. Eeeh. Onward to a shopping centre. Dry/cold goods, meat & snacks. 2 shopping trolleys full. 1100: Back to the dinghy and now it's low tide. The river is just rapids. Slight problem. There's no way we'll make it out with all of us + provisions. 1101: Shit. Risk analysis; too dangerous. 1102: Problem solving. 1110: Possible solution. A boat of local fisherman (pirates?) offered to take the girls & provisions, while I wrangled the dinghy. Risk analysis; sketchy, but with a 55% chance of success. 1111: Decisions made at 11:11 always turn out good. Let's go. 1120: Arrive at the boat with the girls, riding shotgun with pirates, close behind. Ahoy. We'll stow everything later. Engines on and a straight line through the tankers direction Banyaks. Direction paradise. Direction waves. Yeeeow! That's the spirit. This is adventure.