We left Admiral Bay Marina in Port Dickson yesterday and are underway again, motorsailing non-stop two nights and days to Langkawi, where we'll haul Halekai out at Rebak Marina. Some cruising friends are there who we haven't seen in a year or two so we're looking forward to a fun reunion. After four months aboard and some 4,000 miles since Bundaberg, it's time for the next break in our circumnavigation, and soon we'll finally meet our new little granddaughter. We've seen and done lots of neat things along the way, and as soon as I have a fast internet connection I'll upload more photos.

Last night as we motored along the coast, the sky grumbled and ominous dark clouds spewed jagged yellow flashes. Though there was some wind we didn't set sail in case of squalls, yet all we got were a few drops of rain. Severe lightning storms and water spouts are common in the Strait of Malacca this time of year but so far we've been spared, with 24 hours to go. Lots of ship's traffic with sometimes more than 100 targets are on our AIS screen, many of them freighters and tankers at anchor near harbors. Tonight we'll need to keep careful watch as we pass by busy Penang, worth a visit perhaps but no good anchorages or marinas and we're anxious to get to our goal.

Though it's wonderful seeing the ships on our screen, we still have to keep alert for the fishing boats that have no AIS. It's my watch right now while Burger sleeps, and I just counted over two dozen of them, surrounding us on what must be on a popular fishing bank. Some of them are anchored although it's 170 feet deep, others are trawling and pulling in nets. I just had to change course to avoid one. Now Burger is up and it's time for my nap.