Cookie The Showboat,
Nikki The Show Girl
Mermaid aboard during a calm off the Queensland coast(That is a big drifter fore sail!)

Sent by Rory when Cookie was in Penang.
Cookie and crew are safely in Penang after two months of excitement and adventure from the shores of Bali.
Being late in the season, we were again plagued by variable winds and plenty of calms up through the Java Sea and South China Sea to reach Batam Island, situated eight miles south of Singapore. The calms make easy living conditions aboard with ample time to cook bread, pizzas, pancakes and lots of other tasty treats aboard the good ship ‘Cooking Fat’. To keep the expanding belly at bay, I do lots of swimming. It’s a magical experience to be in the blue ocean and be swimming like a dolphin between the slow moving bows of your Wharram. Now and then a zephyr fills the sails, creating the beautiful curves of a woman, and Cookie slips along making me stroke hard to keep pace with her. When I get puffed she sails over the top of me to be picked up over the stern. Why do people still sail monohulls?
As far as wildlife goes, these Indonesian waters have shown us dolphin, whales, turtles, sea snakes, jellyfish and pilot fish. For most of the journey to Batam, we had several small pilot fish taking a fancy to Cookie’s black rudders and helping to guide us safely.
At one stage, we found ourselves becalmed off Sapudi Island, NE Java, and drifting with the tide along the fringing coral reef. Toto and I duly don our masks and drift with Cookie, 3 metres above the most wonderful coral garden. Such a feast for the eyes. The warmth of the water meant we could remain in the sea, marvelling at the colourful world below, for nearly two hours without getting in the slightest bit chilled.
Another adventure was arriving at the island of Belitang. Strong currents put us way off my DR from the sextant sights of the day before, and our landfall was in amongst numerous islands and reefs of which I couldn’t make head nor tail from my basic chart. Never mind, back to the days when Captain Cook roamed the earth. I disregarded the confusing chart and switched to using my senses to feel our way through the islands and reefs. An exciting time of being alert and watchful, prepared for anything, observing fishing boats, colours of water and any indications of currents. By nightfall, we were secure on the anchor under the shelter of a reef, trying our hand at line fishing for tea.
Why do people still sail monohulls?

Cape York Australia Sept. 96.
Garden - inches below Cookie.
Note: Harry with new clothes on. Fresh coat of red paint - much more respectable. See mag 23 for details.

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Force 8 Tasman Sea May ‘96. 3m² reefed jib up only, quartering seas to reducing surfing. The new trisail stowed away by wrapping it around the mast. How convenient!
Note windsurfer and deck chairs have been since given other homes - too much clutter for ocean voyaging.