Date & Time 09-01-2012 
0000hrs (GMT +8 ) 
Position:- 032* 34’.4 S 109* 24’.7 E 
Course:- 315* 
Speed:- 3.4 Knots 
Wind:- WNW 28 Knots (Force 7 Moderate Gale) 
Sea State:- Rough (8 to 12 feet, Large wages with steep faces, some breaking waves with white horses prevalent) 
Weather:- Squally conditions with occasional driving rain 
Temp 80F 

Distance to go:- 446 nautical miles 

Natuna Sea. 

http://www.charts.noaa.gov/NGAViewer/71033.shtml 

We are 45 miles SW of the island Palau Karimata and will be transiting between Kerang Ontario and Palau Serutu lights. Above the middle and just to the right of the chart. 
Weather conditions have remained as a moderate gale for the last 24 hours with regular squalls, meaning the seas are remaining fairly rough. 
The motion of the vessel is still uncomfortable with the repeated slamming of our blunt bow into the oncoming seas and we remain at the reduced speed of under 4 knots 
The good news is that I managed to get 40 minutes bronzy walk on the heli-deck yesterday afternoon. Hurraaah. 
In Europe now at about 7C, if you went out for a walk in 28 miles an hour of wind, any area of flesh not covered would be stinging with the cold in a few short minutes, your lips would be dried to a crisp and start peeling even with the application of a tube of lip salve, and you would describe the experience as ‘bracing’ ‘brisk’ or brass monkey weather. 
Walking in a tropical wind is best described as delicious, you still suffer the same amount of buffeting as cold wind but it leaves you feeling like you are rolling in massive, warm, soft feather duvet, as opposed to having cold gravel thrown at you. 


The music today was an easy choice as the Thin White Duke can now start to draw his pension. 
How cool can one bloke be? 
Here are three manifestations of great song writing and even greater cool in chronological order 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxKu7ggU3HU&feature=related 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1fcpCrRJ34&feature=related 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNw1ZPzqP9Q


Love and Peace
Bentley