So Darwin was nice. A bit expensive but nice. So this is written after we left Darwin on the way to Kupang. Here's what we did to prepare & what it cost just in Darwin for a middling sized passage. I got both oil coolers serviced on advice that maybe the o-ring didn't last very long because the gearbox gets overheated. So they got stripped down, including, remove 5 snapped bolts on one and all 6 on the other, acid wash all parts, new o-rings, new anodes, pressure test both then repaint. $810. (new oil cooler if I had to replace one $1500each). Glad I did, because even though I had hosed them out 12mths ago, the outer tubes were quite blocked up. I was told that we were probably losing 30% of cooling. We got 2 of the engine leaks fixed, the coolant leak and the gearbox leak, $235. The big issue was the 1st mechanic, NT Marine, was very busy & couldn't come back & the 2nd guy stuffed around not showing up when he said, taking days to get back to me. Once he'd been to look it over initially, I removed the 54kg gearbox for him then he kept us waiting for 3 days just to tell us it was 'too hard' in the boat & he couldn't do it this week & maybe not next but maybe the week after. Not good enough western diesel dude. So I put the gearbox back together with engine and ran it for 2hrs in the berth. No leak. Still no leak after a further 4hrs of motoring. So I planned to buy another spare 20lt oil. But because it didn't get fixed, I ordered & received very quickly a gasket kit from Engines Australia $283. We got the number of a stainless steel welder from the first mechanic & he turned up & completed the stanchion repair as he said. Thanks Mick Ally $350. Tipperary Marina was extremely helpful, even though fees in wet season were a bit high $595 for 12 day stay. The scariest thing i have ever done on a boat was drive into the marina lock. Drive up a very narrow channel that was filled with moored yachts, then cross out across the river & edge towards this, what looks like a slot in the rock wall with very fast current running across it. The slot is not much longer than our boat, so trying to go slow & aiming for the lock which is 1.5mt wider than us. Very nervous. But all turned out well. Much easier coming out. The Fannie Bay anchorage is a bit average. We had to anchor out very far, we had about 2 meters under our keel at the lowest tide so we could've moved a little closer but if it blows much above 10kts the waves pick up fairly quickly so happy to be out there. It did mean long rides to cart water and fuel $714 oil, coolant, grease, I.R. Thermometer $814. various sundries like water filters & some wire, as well as a new emergency vhf antenna $629 new raw water pump service kit $561 new hoses for toilet
system which has started to really smell bad when used $426 car hire for 4 days $224 charts for Indonesia Malaysia & Phillipines, $1100 plus the rally fee of $525 and the visas $240 total $7505 that’s just stuff for the boat. And the only thing I didn't really need for the safety of us and wandoo was the thermometer which was $132 not much of a splurge when comparing. Ah the joys of sailing for free with the wind .