(no subject)

Safely around the corner (NW tip of Sumatra) and headed more or less straight for Langkawi which is 240 miles away on the GPS. Its raining off and on and off and on, but the winds have backed off, so the squalls aren't lashing me the way they were. And it is nice and cool, in fact, pleasant. I hope there is enough wind, but I have lots of fuel to burn if I have to motor.

Lots of traffic last night as I went around the corner, but the AIS worked most of the time. When it was working, it was like parting the waters. All the traffic, because they knew what I was (sail boat with right of way), where I was, in what direction I was steering and how fast, I could see on the map view of all the ships (up to 12 at one point) simply plotted their course to go around me. When you look at the traffic on the screen and how they move, its like a dance floor in slow motion. Or motor cycle traffic in Viet Nam - as long as no one does anything too hastily, everything flows. It made it easy. With that much traffic, these guys (and gals - spoke to one on the radio) were on their toes and they are good.

Later that afternoon....
Around noon, we darted out of the way of the last of the squalls, and the wind filled in from the West and out came the sunshine. Turned into lovely downwind sailing day! With any luck, I'll see land for the first time in 18 days, day after tomorrow!
TTFN