In the early stages of the rally, the yachties were asked to sing a song at one of the welcoming events. We settled on "I am Sailing" by Rod Stewart. It had simple lyrics that we could all google on our phones and a simple repetitive melody. And yet ......

The passage through the Sunda Straits marked a turning point for our route, away from the Indian Ocean and into the South China Sea. We were looping north and the next rally stop was Belitung Island, which held several surprises for us.

The...

"I am a survivor of Krakatoa," Daus told us as we sat in the cockpit negotiating a delivery of fuel and groceries from the Eco resort he manages. He was describing the 2018 explosion of Anak Krakatau (child of Krakatoa) that sent a tsunami roaring through the...

Our three-day passage south from the Mentawais to the Sunda Straits put us through our paces. We had little wind or too much, short calms followed by rolly seas and giant swells, brief moments of sunshine and then deluges of rain. They were the darkest...

Huge waves cresting and crashing on coral mean only one thing to sailors: danger. To surfers they might represent a challenge or a thrill. But to really good surfers, the waves in the Mentawais are Nirvana.

A bloke named Martin Daly might be...

The Telos islands straddle the equator just south of Nias, and they are among some of the prettiest islands we have visited. Meandering channels through mangroves lead to small islands with powdery white sand beaches fringed by coral reefs.