That was a really long time ago....

It's been a terribly long time since we last wrote a logbook entry here.

But the sudden death of my friend Rudi had completely disrupted all our plans.

We had actually planned to spend the weeks together with Rudi on board Odin, as we do every year at this time, but instead of sailing east to the dream island of Boracay, we sailed west to Kudat.

Instead of white beaches, we're now stuck in a grimy shipyard in Malaysia after a rough, days-long crossing. Rain is pouring down, and what was supposed to be a short stay in the shipyard is turning into an expensive marathon, as every day ashore costs a fortune. Several abandoned yachts here bear witness to dreams that have been given up or forgotten. (More in the pictures)

No work progresses because it's impossible to work in the rain – and when the sun does shine, many workers often lack the motivation to toil and simply don't show up for work. (I believe this is what's known nowadays as "work-life balance.")

Then there's the Chinese New Year, during which no one lifts a finger for 5 days or longer, immediately followed by Ramadan, where energy levels are also low due to an empty stomach…and…did I mention it already…it's raining.

Yes, I know what you're thinking, and you're right!

Of course, we could have spent all this time at anchor in a beautiful bay, but our anchor winch suddenly stopped working, and pulling a hundred or more kilos of anchor and anchor chain by hand from the bottom of the sea is not highly recommended by orthopedists.

So we had to bring Odin ashore since there was no other option like a marina or mooring.

Now we can only hope that the weather and work ethic improve, that we receive all the ordered spare parts from Europe, that the planned maintenance work (antifouling, deck painting, hatch replacement, anchor winch repair, spinnaker pole repair, etc.) is completed, and that the journey westward can continue.

Wish us luck.