After a 2 week (1600 nm) run from Thursday Island in the Torres Straits, during which we logged our best day's run (165 nm) and prob'ly our worst...we had to use the "d-sail" for 4 days straight!...we arrived on August 30 in Bali! Amazing to be here...a legendary sailor's dream! We stopped briefly in Kupang on West Timor to refuel and clear-in to Indonesia en route and had a delightful experience with agent Napa and his family and "staff" there. Everything went very smoothly with immigration and customs and quarantine...we can't say enough good about the whole thing...easy to accomplish and a sweet cultural experience all around! We had been referred there by "Charlie/Haryu" at Bali Marine who had managed our CAIT (security clearance) and visas. Everyone we dealt with was efficient and helpful... a far cry from some of the reports we had read on Noonsite and other sources. The rally crew from Darwin had run into problems in Kupang last year so it got a bad rep but all that has changed now and we highly recommend using it as a first port of entry in Indonesia.

Capt Biscuits is now alone aboard BAHATI as 1st Mate Betsy flew home to Maine two days ago and AS Georgina flew home to NZ last night! Capt B flies to KL in Malaysia for some work tomorrow and will leave BAHATI under the careful eye of Alvin and Harry and crew @ TC Marine Svcs here in Serengan. Good folks and good service! After visiting Bali Marina we find sitting on a mooring here (about a 10' cab ride away) much preferable. Quiet, clean, and efficient....nothing wanting...internet, laundry, any kind of boat svc you could ask for and all at reasonable rates.


We have also decided to carry-on from here north to Malaysia and Thailand rather than head straight across the Indian Ocean as originally planned. It's late in the season to cross now and, with the promise of more work in the region for Capt B, it just seemed to make good sense to sit tight for another year and cross to So Africa next year instead. Hard to postpone our homecoming for another year but the right decision for now, we feel. And we will fly home from time to time, as Betsy has just done, for some good visits!

Josh and his partner, Maria, will fly out to meet BAHATI on Sept 18 and stay til Oct 11 to do some sightseeing and sailing with Capt B....sweet as! And Jerry Knecht, who is living part-time in Bali, and his friend, Oliver Gemlen, plan to join BAHATI for the run north as far as Thailand. Finally getting Jerry on board will be a great coups! He has been threatening for so long! And we welcome friend Oli as well!

The last months of cruising from Vanuatu across the Coral Sea to Queensland and then up the Barrier Reef to Thursday Island and across the Arafura and Timor Seas to Bali have been a real treat!

Sailing in tandem with ROSE from UnAlaska, Alaska and getting to know her good crew, Andy and Daneen, has been one of the highlights! We wish them a safe and quick pasage to So Africa and look forward to catching-up with them down the line. Also, reconnecting with our old buds, Eivind and Heidi, and now their new crew, young Eirik at 4 months(!) has also been a treat. They are chasing us close behind en route now to Darwin and then, hopefully, to find us here. Also, Greg Carroll and crew aboard our Maine/CCA counterparts ALPHERATZ, are about to leave Cairns and hope to catch us up here in Oct. Get moving boys!! And we've been having fun hanging-out on the SSB and now in-person with Capt Bub from Texas on BOOMERANG, moored right next door here in Serengan.

Thanks for staying in touch vurtually out there! We love getting messages from home and from our boatie friends near and far!

With much love, Capt B and Mate B!

"Have a good watch!"