September 30, 2010-Stepping off the Edge of the World

We've come back to the edge of the world and we are about to step off.

This time for keeps.

We're in the Mentawai Islands half way down the west coast of Sumatra in Indonesia. Out here there are few people and nothing but wild, untouched islands and big surf and to the west of us lies only the vast ocean. There is no convoy of yachts waiting to depart with us. We are alone.

This is the edge of the world.

The time to depart for Africa is near. Just one more look at the weather forecasts and we can weigh anchor and head south to the Trade Winds.

And take a right turn.

Twenty four hundred miles to Rodriguez Island in the Southern Indian Ocean. It's the big hop.

Are we ready?

Yeah, it rained last night and we filled the water tanks. Yesterday we visited a small town out here and bought a little more diesel so those tanks are topped off too and we found some veggies and got a couple of chickens for the freezer. In Pedang the day before we finished other preparations: the gas bottles were filled, the new radio tuner was installed and is working, the alternator was rebuilt and is working, all the provisions we can fit were stored aboard. We even bought a few kilos of Sumatran coffee direct from the roaster. We are about as ready as we will ever be.

How about the crew?

Judy and I and our great crew member Pierre are healthy and optimistic and anxious to get on with it.

It's time to get going, time to take that step off the edge of the world.

We can't post links or photos from the HF Radio system we are using to post this, but you can go to wingssail-images (see link at the top of the page) and see the photos we posted from Pedang.

We'll write more later.

Fred & Judy, SV Wings, Sumatra

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