Jocara Newsletter
Sep 3, 2004

Another day dawns... and we're still in Merak!  We were told on 1 Sept.
that our inverter had arrived... but in fact it had not even been sent.  
Then, while John and Alex were in town at the FedEx office, the wind blew
up to 20 knots and Jocara began dragging her anchor towards the rocks.  
With help from locals in small boats, Caroline at the anchor windlass and
Casper at the helm, Jocara was brought off the shoreline in the nick of
time and re-anchored in deeper water.  It could so easily have turned out
differently, so we are thankful the windlass and engine were back in
operation and that Caroline and Casper caught the drift in time.  The wind
came into the anchorage from the open side, bringing waves that made
Jocara pitch and roll as if on the open sea for much of the night, spent
nervously napping as best we could at anchor watch with GPS drift and
depth alarms on.  The next day dawned beautiful; much calmer and with very
clear air allowing us to see the many distinctive volcanoes around us on
Sumatra, Java and out to Krakatoa, 35 n.m. away.  This is all likely due
to Tropical Cyclone Phoebe that has developed 900 n.m. to our west, much
too early for cyclone season.  Phoebe is not likely to grow very strong
(as far as cyclones go), 65 knot winds and 8 m seas perhaps, but would
still be miserable (though not life-threatening) to get stuck in.  John is
now getting around the boat much more easily and is therefore able to take
care of a few of the jobs on our long list. A care package from Singapore
arrived and cheered us up with lots of important small items and a bottle
of Brewerkz Indian Pale Ale for John (Brewerkz is a micro-brewery in
Singapore that has done very well in the last few years since its opening,
perhaps due in part to John's frequent patronage).  John also took the
opportunity of increased mobility to take Casper and Alex for their first
outboard motor dinghy lesson, learning how to get the inflatable on and
off the davits, mount the outboard engine and drive around into weather
and surf downwind.  They loved it and are now highly motivated to get
their schoolwork and boat chores done so we have the time to do it again!