Uh oh. As we started to weigh anchor in the Kumai River (Borneo), the electric anchor windlass died. What a job, hoisting up the heavy chain via a manual winch. Once we were underway Burger was able to investigate: after 16 years of doing its job, a drive gear had stripped off. We called the manufacturer, Maxwell Marine in New Zealand, using our SatPhone that we reserve for emergencies, due to the high cost per minute. The sales rep expressed amazement that the gear had stripped, even after 16 years. What's with these people, do they learn that line in Sales 101 as a way to defend their product? How many times have we been told, "we've never heard of anyone having that problem before." But thank goodness the needed worm gear box for our particular windlass model was still in stock, a matter of a few hundred dollars instead of the few thousand it would have cost to replace the whole thing.

We paid by credit card and arranged to have it air-shipped to us c/o a marina in Singapore, where we were soon headed. We then emailed the marina, asking them to hold it for our arrival, and received a prompt reply with berthage details. All this took place as we tacked along the southwestern coast of Borneo, one of the few times we had decent wind in Indonesia but alas, it was on the nose, and made worse by counter current.

So instead of day-hopping to Batam, where we would clear out of Indonesia for Singapore, we motor-sailed nonstop across the shallow Java Sea and then the South China Sea for four days and nights to avoid having to anchor. Crossing the equator on the way up the coast of Sumatra wasn't much cause for celebration given the oppressive heat.

Just ten miles before reaching our goal, we ran out of diesel! Serendipidously, just as the engine sputtered to a stop, we were passing an industrial port on the coast of Batam that we were able reach by sailing 2 knots an hour in a slight late afternoon breeze. We dropped anchor (sigh) in a sheltered spot and Burger launched the dinghy. Ashore he found a sympathetic dock worker who was happy to take him and his two jerry jugs on his moped to a nearby gas station. Years of moped driving as a teenager allowed Burger to hang on hands-free, balancing the jugs of fuel. He got back just before dark and we had a quiet night at anchor.

Early next morning we laboriously winched up the anchor and motored on to the Nongsa Point Marina Resort on the northern tip of Batam (www.nongsapointmarina.com), just ten miles across the channel from Singapore. In response to our call on VHF radio, a launch zipped out and escorted us into the marina basin and to the fuel dock. FIVE smiling uniformed men assisted us with our lines and fenders, including the dock master who welcomed us with warm handshakes. We've never been received so royally! Nor inexpensively, for just US$25 per night, including electricity, wifi (albeit slow speed), and use of the amenities.

The lushly landscaped resort, which included a golf course, was almost deserted except for an abundance of personnel, and we wondered how they survived. Cynical Burger suspected it was a money laundering scheme till we learned that the place is busy with Singaporeans on weekends.

I salivated at the sight of the swimming pool, but first things first. We called the marina in Singapore where we were expecting the windlass part, only to discover that it had arrived a few days earlier but they had refused delivery because we hadn't arrived there yet! Grrr!!!! Not wanting to risk it getting lost during redelivery, we called Fedex and arranged to pick it up at their facility.

So instead of sailing to Singapore (having done some sightseeing on our plane stopover there in May), we took the ferry across and taxied to Fedex. Upon our return to Nongsa Point I skipped off to the pool while Burger set to work installing the new part. Hallelujah! It fit! We celebrated with dinner at the near-empty restaurant, with four wait staff hovering politely around us.

Our three days at the marina flew by. On Day 2 Burger did boat R&M and I swam laps while doing the wash at the marina laundry, and we socialized with a few other cruisers who arrived from Kumai. On our last day we hired a taxi for three hours (US$20) to go to a modern indoor mall at the nearest town, Nagoya, 30 minutes' drive away, and shopped at a large Ace Hardware and well stocked supermarket. We wished we could have stayed longer at Nongsa Point but the clock was ticking toward our departure from Langkawi to the States in a couple of weeks.