Date/time: Apr 11, 2006 12:00 local Position at noon: 02003' S & 132036' E Noon to noon: 177.5 nm Avg. speed: 7.4 kts Miles to go 334 nm Course bearing: 0190 T Sea state & wx: Long NNW swells 4', wind 0 to 11 kts in the last 24 Crew Ben, Brad, Kevin & Jim Farrell Goal: Palau in 2 days Remarks: We go the following response from a friend of ours ""From: "Glyn Dickson" <glyn@mcdellmarine.com> One of the guys I work with lived in Darwin for many years, and has boated extensively through Indonesia. He comments that often fishing boats will pass immediately in front of you (almost colliding) as they believe the evil spirits drop off their boat onto yours by passing in this manner. Not so good for stress levels when on pirate alert!** This sounds practical to me. I got assessing what the evils spirits may have arrived to us when I remembered that yesterday afternoon 30 miles at sea and 15 miles from the nearest land in 2800 meters of water, Jim driving and wide awake didn't notice a raft with a small shack on it (picture to follow) dead ahead. Kevin was looking about and saw it before anything serious happened. I hope Jim shakes these spirits before arriving in Afghanistan. We crossed the Equator at 131 53.313 E at 18:40 yesterday. I blew Wilf Wilcox's bosun's whistle long and hard to muster all hands then treated Neptune and the crew to a generous glass of the best anti-evil spirits drink available to mankind. It is Scotch Whiskey made in the birth place of my Great Grandfather, on the Isle of Jura in Scotland. It is called 'Isle of Jura' "Superstition". We took the extra precaution of giving Jim a double extra tot and he appears improved today. Ben, Brad, Kevin & Jim -- Ben Gray Idlewild Custom Buehler 55 powered by a 55-hp Kubota Home port: Dunvegan, Alberta http://www.idlewildexpedition.ca/ http://dieselducks.com/Idelwild.html http://www.trawlersandtrawlering.com/ Where to follow Idlewild if you have Google Earth installed: http://tinyurl.com/ksnhg For the JPEG version: http://tinyurl.com/ovdt7 Next destination: Palau http://www.visit-palau.com/ http://www.merriam-webster.com/cgi-bin/nytmaps.pl?palau