Yesterday we crossed the equator after a long 2 day and 1 night crossing. Tired and wet as we had come through a massive squall overnight we took this photo of our instruments showing the line of zero's on the latitude. We have come a long way now - and gladly we have finished with the overnighters. Not only are they taxing on your body (with 3 hour alternating sleeps) but they are quite frightening. The other night just before dark we noticed a long line of unlit and unmarked small pots indicating fishing nets a mere 5 metres from us. We were literally minutes from getting completely tangled up - and potentially cooking the engine with line wrapped around the propellor.

Happily we can report we are now within a one day sail to Nonsa Point marina in Batam (just below Singapore) where we will clear out of Indonesia with one day left on our visa. To be perfectly honest this rally has been way too rushed for the time given and the distances needed to be travelled. We are all quite exhausted from long sails and not having the time to enjoy places. Even worse is that the group of islands we are in now are far the nicest in Indonesia and we just have to skip through them.

So it's marina life for us soon - it will be nice not to be on the move as well as being able to enjoy land pleasures. From Batam we will head to another marina on the Malaysian side of Singapore where we will be registering for the Sail Malaysia rally starting early November. So it's goodbye Indonesia and hello Malaysia for us!!