Our voyage began on the morning of 16 July 2017, when we departed from Horn Island, Australia. We finally had a weather window; the winds dropped below 30 knots and were forecast to blow 20–25 knots. For five nights, we sailed through the vast sea expanse, a small white dot in a vast blue ocean, navigating through various challenges. The sea presented us with a constant reminder of its unpredictability as we dodged floating debris, manoeuvred around 
numerous squid boats, and kept a close eye out for long line netts as we sailed closer to the PNG shore. During the night watches, with no lights to interfere with the sky, we had front-row seats to view the spectacle of the Milky Way. Three nights into our journey at 2:30 am, we were sailing past small flashing lights; they looked like Christmas lights, 20 knots of breeze, and downwind sailing was such a joy, only this time long line netts surrounded us. Navigating your way out with so many lights was challenging, but it was too late for us; a long line net was directly ahead we could see the floats. We braced for impact and heard the net hitting the hull, thump, thump and then………nothing! We didn’t get caught up! The net slid under the hull, over the mini keels and clipped the rudder, and we kept going. What a lucky break! Whew!
On July 21 July 2017, our perseverance paid off as we arrived safely at the shores of Debut Indonesia. Our journey, though challenging, was rewarded with the anticipation of the captivating experiences that awaited us. The memories of those nights spent at sea only added to the excitement and appreciation for the wonders we were about to witness.
