Sunday 28 December and we are well into the Straits of Malacca, just abeam Port Dickson to be exact. The weather has been superb and the seas very busy since we first sighted tips of land on the Sumatra side yesterday. This morning we have been following the channel on the Malaysian side and seen long stretches of coastline, headlands and settlements to the left (port side). The Strait is teeming with shipping of all shapes and sizes. We recently overtook a heavily laden Maesk container vessel, going our way at about 12 knots or thereabouts. We have reduced speed to [View Full Entry]

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On the Shiny Briny after Six Days at Sea…Ho, Ho, Ho Boxing Day and we are sailing easterly between the tip of Sri Lanka and Banda Aceh on the tip of Sumatra preparatory to slipping down the straits of Malacca and on to Singapore, without encountering any pirates, we hope. As PP has been known to remark, there are four main trouble spots for pirates around the world but we are only going to be sailing through three of them, first one coming up! We are well seasoned sailors by now but of course we have only been in mild climates [View Full Entry]

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6.15 am UAE time Sunday morning aboard Rickmer Seoul alongside the wharf at Fujairah following a wonderful night’s sleep on the ship and a whirlwind 36 hours earlier to get here, largely without mishap: but there is always something, isn’t there? The flights from Singapore saw us upgraded from there to Bangkok courtesy of Cathay, very nice, thank you Cathay, and an 8 hour wait in Bangkok before the leg to Amman. No sign of unrest or blockade in Bangkok these days, the airport was bustling like a large town, but given the distance it now is from central Bangkok, and [View Full Entry]

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At last, at last - departure! So much waiting and uncertainty then suddenly action. Ideas were generated and communicated over night and the plan to join the vessel ‘upstream’ so to speak, took shape. If delays meant it would not be in Singapore till late December why not go to her. And so we will. Sitting on the plane heading to Singapore our plan is to travel to Bangkok, Amman and Dubai the next day to arrive in Fujairah on 20 Dec by which time our ship should have extracted herself at last from Kandla and be nearing that UAE port [View Full Entry]

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Avast Ye Lubbers!! The sea chest is full, the swag is waiting!! The vessel is tardy but finally on the way. "Cruisin' Susan" and "Pilate Pete", the two seafarers are awaiting the (flying) carriage to proceed to the ship - on Tuesday next. We have electronic books, laptops, SD cards and MP3 players full of music, cameras, sketch books and all sorts of goodies to while away the time (if we feel like it!). We have even packed a change of clothes or two. When not terrorising the high seas, we may sleep lots. There should only be two other passengers [View Full Entry]

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