Location: Nongsa Point, Indonesia
Argo’s anchor splashed down into the water at 2 AM on the dot this morning, followed by three shots of the galvanized chain. Such huge anticipation for the return back into civilization has been apparent within all the crew these past few days that I think it may have taken it out of a few souls, as not a single person apart from those on watch at the time even realized that the boat had stopped for the night, then engine turned off, and the perpetual bobbing had rescinded into gentle lapping.
The crew all awoke at 6:30 AM to finish “putting the boat away,” haul anchor and move a few short miles to our destination for the day, Nongsa Point. Once safely alongside the dock and all lines made fast, the crew gathered on deck, ready to give back to Argo all that she has given to us these past 60 days in the form of a mammoth boat appreciation session. Having started cleansing down below decks yesterday afternoon, today was dedicated solely to restoring Argo’s decks to their original beauty. A heavy concentration on desalinating the hull, waxing and buffing some elusive rust marks, and polishing up all stainless was the order of the day, with the promise of some pool time and ice cream spurring even the weariest on. Following lunch, the final touches to boat appreciation were seen out before a couple of budding young scientists departed to undertake a plankton tow. Hunter and yours truly ambled on up to the pool in full dive gear to crack on with some Divemaster Skills. After a delicious curry, the crew is settling down to a Marine Bio exam, excited to be motionless for once and extremely pleased at the possibility of a full night’s sleep ahead of them before we head across the water in the morning to Singapore.