Well, for the last 4-5 days, about all I've done is sit in front of a computer screen slowly downloading KAP charts into our Open CPN navigation program. Since we will be heading across the Indian Ocean in a few months, it's important that we have not only charts of where we are going, but having pictures that overlay the charts. That's what KAP charts are. Nice Google Earth pictures that not only overlay the charts but correct any GPS bad locations the charts suffer from. Many of the islands are a bit off where they actually are since many of the chart positions date back to when they established by a sextant many years ago. As of yesterday, I've amassed a library of over 2500 KAP charts going all the way from where we first started using Chart Aid back in Fiji. I've slowly worked our way across the Indian Ocean in the computer and have made it to North tip of Madagascar. I still have to get the rest of it and eventually hit South Africa. It's a dull and boring job but it has to be done. It's best to be prepared when we get there and knowing what the place looks like--reefs, shoals and bad passes-- from an aerial view. I'll be downloading all of them onto a flash drive and sharing them with the other boats that will be crossing about the same time we are.

Other than that, there was a huge wedding reception here at the marina yesterday. Seating for over 130 people with a buffet set up. Tents, chairs, roses everywhere. They even laid down a white cloth for the bride and groom to enter the complex. Over the past months we have been here, we have seen many couples come out here to have pictures taken before they get married. This was the first reception and who ever the parents of the couple are, they have got to have a great deal of pull as the Singapore military had been having live fire exercises across the river with loud explosion and artillery fire. As soon as the couple arrived, the firing stopped and didn't start again till the reception was over. Now that's power!

One other bright spot was that our Mercury outboard came home yesterday evening. As we sat below watching a show, there was a knock on the side of the boat. The manager and a worker had brought it back. Total fee for the repair was just $250 ringitts--about $80US. He rebuilt the carburetor and changed out the oils. We will inflate Puff(our dinghy) and motor around the harbor and marina and put it under stress instead of just starting it up when it's attached to the railing on the stern. Better to make sure all is well be for we leave here. It's like having a car and not being able to go anywhere once we leave here and are at anchor.

If Mother Nature approves, we should be installing the new seals in our port lights in the boat. About 5 of them leak. I brought back a bunch when I returned from the US and we need to install them before we set off. With the air conditioner running, the ports are closed so once we install the new seals, having them closed will allow the sealant we use to hold the new seals in to set properly. Once we leave here and the AC stops, we will have them open. Best to get it done now.