Time: 1700 – 0900 | Engine hrs: 2124.0 – 2135.0 | No alternator | 2,500 RPM
Took surfboards ashore to Anak Krakatoa with a dry bag for the (not waterproof) camera. Avoided sign saying you need a guide and went through the forest to the left. Came out on first hill of ash and black sand. Up past small guard hut and then down to sulfur fumoroles at base of cone. Around to left to be on windward side and avoid toxic fumes. Very steep up and sand hot near summit fumoroles. Walked to caldera lip. Fast back down, explored lava field, then beach to back to the boat where lots of fisherman had anchored all around us (quite close). Raining on and off the whole time. Wait a bit for the hard rain to pass, but finally go anyway. Motor out to the north, then head toward P. Sanglang, leaving it to port. Night falls and we enter heavy ship traffic going across to Sumatra. Currents in our favor up to 2.8 kts. Wind above 20 kts. No one seems to obey what side of the channel to be on. After rounding Surabaya power station, cut the corner out of the shipping lane to head directly for Pulau Tidung and outer channel. No boats until then, but then lots of big ships! Again, don’t seem to adhere to opposite of red right returning (IALA A). Boats are entering on the left side instead of the right. Head hard north to get to the left side of the channel after near miss with a tanker. Wish our starboard nav light was working. Wind comes with the morning and we approach Jakarta. Covered in haze. Fishing boats everywhere and lots of big bags of trash floating around in the water. Cannot reach Batavia or Pantai Mutiara Marina on the VHF or cell phone, so we decide to go with Pantai, as it is in the SE Asia cruising guide. No one on the radio, no one to direct us in, finally someone notices us lingering and points us to the last berth that isn’t crumbling or sunk. Here at last.