HEADING TO INDONESIA

13 October 2023

Gove has been a good place to stop and relax.  The people have been welcoming and helpful.  The main downside of the place is the red bauxite dust that settles everywhere.   But its time to move onto new adventures.  My visa for Indonesia arrived yesterday, now I can get going again to continue my journey, visit new places and meet different people. 

Unfortunately, today is Friday the 13th and it’s impossible to sail on this date.  So, I have delayed my sailing until early on Saturday the 14th, after which the seas will be calm and the wind fair all the way to Indonesia.  I am aiming for Saumlaki to clear into Indonesia as it’s just a few days sail from Gove.

The anchorage at Gove in Inverell bay has been excellent.  In this season there is no sea or swell coming into the harbour, its quite calm.  There is a bit of wind now and again, its not been too bad and often dies down at night to give a good peaceful sleep.  The boat club is open five nights a  week and serves excellent food, the portions are truly awesome, there is never room for seconds.  It looks like the boat club is the only show in town and people come from far and wide to enjoy the oasis.

Also here with me for a couple of weeks has been Barry “The Old Seadog” on his boat White Shadow.  Barry has a YouTube channel (he is famous) and is slowly working his way back to Plymouth, where he started some years ago.  I first met Barry in Magnetic Island and we have been bumping into each other as we headed up the east coast.  Barry has been excellent company and beer drinking companion, he has now sailed on his way to Lombok in Indonesia.

Late this afternoon I checked out with the Border Force and will be on my way shortly once the dinghy is stowed and everything is shipshape for sea again.  I am looking forward to the next few days being back at sea.  Truce needs some salt water over her decks to clean off the dust and I need some fresh sea air and sea spray to blow away the land cobwebs.

You can check voyage the progress of Truce and my occasional comments on the tracker.