18150/09/19. 02 35 N, 107 02' E, All is well here. We are making pretty good progress toward Singapore despite the main breeze blowing up along the rhumbline drawn between us and Singapore. As a consequence we are having to tack back and forth since sail boats
cannot sail directly into the wind. The zig zagging adds more nautical miles and is a bit of a pain really. It keeps us busy and time passes more quickly - or not.

Today was washing day since time wise we have reached about a halfway point. There will be a decent washing machine at the end of the journey so we need to make sure we have clean clothes to wear before then. Boats and sea is generally a clean environment but
the main dirt is perspiration. As soon as you get out of the breeze both of us become dewy, all over. It's not pleasant and clothing will soon get saturated if we don't get back to the breeze. When sleeping we always have a fan blowing on us. So, in order to conserve fresh
water I decided to hand wash using salt water. There seems to be no shortage of that around here. We have a saltwater pump so didn't need to throw a bucket over the side. Conditions are a bit bumpy so leaning over the bucket up on the foredeck to wash was a bit of a
challenge. The deck got washed and also my legs. Rinsing in salt water no problem either. Next, we needed to rinse out the salt so allowed one full bucket of fresh water for that bit. We have a hand wringer on board so we wrung out the clothes on that wonderful
invention, which has two rollers squeezed together. John wound and fed clothing in while I caught and pulled through. We both still have ten functioning fingers each, so no accidents there. Hanging clothes at sea needs caution. Not only so you don't go overboard while
doing it, but also that you choose good spots for drying. The life lines in a bumpy sea may just mean that the clothes are washed again in salt water while hanging there to dry. Shonandra has some great places for rigging washing lines. Today I chose the targa bar frame
which houses the solar panels, radar antenna and aerials. The breeze flew through there and my excellent lines and clothes pegs never lost an item overboard. They flapped away in the strong breeze and sunshine and were dry in about two hours, which is a feat since
this is the tropics. Note the 2 degrees south. Success with the washing.

It is now getting dark already and I need a bit of a rest so will close for now. No dolphins today, no whales either just the odd seabird. A tern paid his respects this afternoon. What an elegant bird. The colour scheme is a well chosen grey and pale grey, and wears a dark
mask. The shape of the bird speaks of speed, with narrow, pointed wings. Beautiful creature. Will write again tomorrow if able. Good eveniing to all. John and Ginni