An unexpected lack of wind forces Jamie and Liz to revise their passage plan off the island of Sipura

Short-term navigating, when conditions change suddenly and you have to amend your sailing plans on the hoof, is a vital skill to learn for any cruiser. In Indonesia, and throughout southeast Asia, storms and squalls develop fast, come from any direction, and often reach 40+kts in a matter of minutes.

We use Predictwind and Iridium Go when we are offshore or in areas where there is no internet. This system has proved steady and reliable for keeping us up to speed with developing weather patterns, but cannot be used for local and coastal weather.

In this episode we are heading south through the southernmost Mentawai islands. To the west the swell is steep and confused, but the anchorages will almost certainly be untenable; to the east we will have shelter from the swell but there are no safe boltholes to duck into if a squall blows up. We discuss our options and make a decision.