Hi all!


**** stop press**** Peter Breevoort will be joining the Indo leg, and expects to land on Bali before the 1st of June. He used to live in Indo as a kid, with a bit of luck there's some remnants of the lingo deep in his brain. We've travelled widely together and have managed to chalk up but a single disagreement in the past 25 years while hiking in the Pyrenees in 1985. I really objected to his elaborate cooking preparations. A few years later, while free-camping neer Lago Maggiore he accidentally put metho rather than water in our dinner. It all evens out in the end....

Anyway- that makes 3. Room for 1 more. Although piracy is not a problem (allegedly) quite another thing is leaving the boat unattended at anchor. It is prudent to leave one person on the boat to guard the dragging anchors and possible pilfering. Meanwhile the others can explore the islands. With only two aboard that means solo expeditions, so I'm very happy with at least 3!

Time is now getting tight- the CAIT application has to be sent off before 1/2 April. And many people are still sitting on a variety of fences, however uncomfortable that may be for them. Remember- if your name is not on the CAIT, then being aboard Tribute is illegal in Indo.

Kate- she of 'planning to perfection' will be handling the CAIT application, and she'll be in touch with all the participants.

Tribute's good- Bruce Hullett will inspect a state-of-the-art rigid inflatable dinghy one of these days in Perth, an application for a satphone has been made and a 6-man surveyed liferaft has been purchased. It will probably be big and heavy and permanently in the way but there you are. The boat will have a haulaut before departure and all engines will be serviced, charts of electronic and paper variety will be aboard, I still have to find an Indo flag and a quarantine flag and heaps of other odds and ends but so far no insurmountable obstacles have been encountered.

Can everyone please also think about vaccinations and travel insurance and stuff?

Fair winds to all,

Kees