Lightning struck the sea next to the boat as we made slow going in a 4m confused swell on the 190-mile passage from _ Enggano. By dawn the weather 4 system had eased and Krakatoa 4) lay in front of us.
We took stock: were our plans still viable? Would it be possible to sail through the narrow Sunda Strait where the newly ravaged Anak Krakatoa is situated? We had three ° choices: abandon western Sumatra and go through the Malacca Strait to Krakatoa; cruise the Mentawai islands then back north to Thailand and abandon our plans to reach Krakatoa; or push on with the passage and see what happened. Our plan was to sail to Borneo from Thailand round the western coast of Sumatra, taking in the remote Mentawai islands and the Krakatoa archipelago on the way. In 2018 Anak Krakatoa began chucking clouds of dust and magma into the air. But it was not considered dangerous, and a couple of friends had sent back images of the smoking volcano from their boats where they anchored. Then, as we prepared to leave Thailand in December, news of a devastating explosion at Anak Krakatoa rocked Southeast Asia. The tsunami which followed killed more than 400 people, injuring a further 7,000 and displacing 47,000 from their homes on Sumatra and Java. Like many people, we donated to the relief funds.
AN AWESOME SPECTACLE
With an n Iridium Go! onboard w we would be able to send daily positions to friends and family, get accurate weather updates from PredictWind and keep abreast of developments in the Sunda Strait.
Denne historien er fra February 2020-utgaven av Yachting Monthly.
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Denne historien er fra February 2020-utgaven av Yachting Monthly.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Midsummer on Hanö
This wonderful little island in the south-east of Sweden is a real gem off the beaten track
ADVENTURE SAILING TO HAITI
After spending two months in the Dominican Republic, Andy Brown sails west to Haïti bringing medical and school supplies to the town of Mole Saint Nicholas
In celebration of bad sailing
New owner Monty Halls tests his sailing skills with his family aboard their Colvic 34 ketch, Sobek. A recently qualified Day Skipper, Monty faces a few unexpected challenges...
Winter brings excitement and opportunity
Oddity’s double glazing, insulation and heating create a warm, homely environment as I bash out this column.
ADVENTURE MAISIE GOES TO GOES
To depart or not to depart? That is the question. Is it safer to stay, or suffer the wind and weather of a rough North Sea?
'MAYDAY, GRANDAD OVERBOARD!'
When David Richards and his grandson Henry went out racing from lowey, they didn't expect their sail to end with a lifeboat rescue
VERTUE
For a 25-footer, the Vertue has a huge reputation and has conquered every ocean. So what makes this little boat quite such an enduring success? Nic Compton finds out
Sailing siblings
Mabel Stock, her brother Ralph, a friend Steve and an unnamed paying passenger passed through the Panama Canal in December 1919 on the sturdy Norwegian cutter Ogre. They were towed to a quiet anchorage in Balboa away from the boat traffic but within rowing distance of the shore.
TECHNICAL MAINSAIL MODIFICATIONS
Safety and performance improved hugely when Mike Reynolds reduced the size of his mainsail and re-configured the systems controlling it
PILOTAGE DONE PROPERLY
Chartplotters are an amazing aid, but can detract from your real-world pilotage if not used with caution, says Justin Morton
