A Moment Before Departure
It’s October 26, 2025. I’m standing on the dock at Medana Bay Marina in Lombok, diesel jerrycans in my hands, everything ready to go.
Because I installed a new engine in Bali just a week ago, I’m leaving later than planned—right in the middle of the monsoon transition, with unpredictable weather and frequent thunderstorms.
The boat is prepared. The route is mapped. The next step is clear: head north.
The Pause
And yet—I don’t move.
I pause. I look at the water, feel the wind, and notice something inside me shifting.
Everything is ready. The plan says go.
But something in me doesn’t.
So I begin to question the plan.
Many friends have already started their journey north weeks ago, motoring most of the way. They tell me about the constant presence of fishing boats at night—hundreds of lights on the horizon—about the traffic in the Strait of Malacca, and the challenges of anchoring in strong currents.
For me, anchoring in strong currents without a windlass is simply not an option—I learned that the hard way in Thursday Island, Australia.
And then there’s the engine. A new engine needs attention. Care. Regular maintenance, especially in the beginning. Normally, I only use it to enter or leave an anchorage. Motoring more than 2,000 nautical miles is a completely different reality.
I’ve learned to move with the sea instead of forcing my way through it. So I make a simple decision: I stay in Lombok for the cyclone season.
Why This Passage Is So Challenging
There are long periods without wind, followed by frequent thunderstorms and sudden squalls with strong gusts. At night, hundreds of fishing boats move without AIS. Unlit fishing nets and FADs lie scattered across the water. And then there’s the debris—floating wood and plastic bags drifting just below the surface.
It would mean sleeping during the day and staying awake at night, constantly on watch—and still missing what drifts just beneath the surface.
It’s not a place to push through blindly.
The Strait of Malacca: A Different Game
Then there’s the Strait of Malacca ahead. One of the busiest shipping lanes in the world, with strong opposing currents, narrow passages, and constant traffic that never really sleeps.
To pass through there, I would need to motor extensively, stay highly alert, and manage engine hours, fuel, and navigation in a high-pressure environment.
It’s doable. Many do it.
But when I really feel into it, it doesn’t match the way I want to sail.
Choosing Alignment Over Speed
So I choose to stay.
Not out of hesitation, but out of alignment.
Indonesia offers something entirely different. The boat feels at ease here in Lombok, with clear water and the calm of Medana Bay Marina. In Bali, I find my way back to myself — through movement, stillness, and everything I write about on Pure You. Exactly the practices that help me ground after months at sea.
I notice how I begin to process and release what happened along the way, feeling more at ease.
Being rammed by a 50-foot sailboat in New Zealand, just before Christmas 2024. Arriving in Bali without an engine, just after flooding, with no help around me.
Moments like these stay in the body — until there is space to let them go.
Exactly Where I Need to Be
For now, Indonesia is not just a stop along the way.
It’s a place to arrive.
My name is Jacqueline Evers from The Netherlands. Solo sailing around the world in my 27 foot sloop. While my husband and son may have chosen a different path, their unwavering support fuels my solo pursuit of this lifelong dream.
Not confined by age or the constraints of conventional life, in my 50s, I bravely departed from the rat race, trading it for the serenity of the open sea. Through my unscripted videos and blogs, I offer a glimpse into the authentic tapestry of my sailing
🔗 Explore my Adventures: YouTube, Polarsteps & Instagram
📸 Feel connected to my journey: Buy a t-shirt or sweater in the Loveworkx Shop
🌟 Support the Voyage: Join on Patreon or contribute via PayPal
Please Subscribe and Join me as I sail Around the World… 🌍