Speedwell of Hong Kong

Leaving Sarawak

Author: Shirlz

November 2022

I was back in my old spot in the Santubong River, wondering whether to have another try at sailing to the Rajang Delta or to move further north to Labuan and beyond.

On Saturday morning I looked out and was surprised to see another cruising yacht anchored nearby. The first I had seen since arriving. A bit later, Gary, the skipper, came over and gave me a lift ashore – the current was running very strongly and I had hauled my dinghy back on deck. Later, over a G&T in his cockpit he recommended heading directly to Labuan and on to Kota Kinabalu and Kudat. It seemed like a good idea, especially as the SW monsoon is almost over and this might be my last opportunity for an easy sail up the west coast of Borneo.

He set off to Labuan a few days later, but I decided to wait for the strong winds that had been blowing for a while to calm down a bit before heading out.

On Friday the 14th October (not the 13th) I raised the anchor and set off, heading NE. There was a very big swell almost breaking across the bar which made for an exciting exit. It was almost 400 nm to the harbour at Labuan and the weather was very changeable – sudden rain squalls followed by flat calm conditions and thankfully a fair bit of very pleasant sailing. I was able to keep moving most of the time, even if we were often not doing more than 2 knots. I had been able to refill my diesel tanks before leaving Santubong but only carry a total of 80 litres so I had to try to do as little motoring as possible

There are many oil rigs along the coast and a careful watch had to be maintained. I chose to stay far enough offshore to be outside of the most rig-infested areas and didn’t really have a problem. They are quite accurately shown on the Navionics charts and very well lit. Of course there is also a lot of shipping traffic, but I didn’t encounter too many fishing boats.

Labuan is a duty free island a little way offshore of Brunei. I had originally hoped to make a stop in Brunei but my South African passport made it necessary for a complicated visa application so I gave it a miss.

The recommended anchorage in Labuan harbour is opposite the ferry dock and the harbour master’s office, locally called the Jabatan Laut.  It is also close to a big village on stilts over the water and the Coastguard dock. It’s fairly busy with boats of all types and sizes, including barges, passing by and it was sometimes quite interesting rowing across to the other side of the harbour where I was able to tie my dinghy to a big tuna boat and scramble ashore.  The tuna boat belongs to John and Amy, friends of Gary, and they were magnificently helpful, giving me a tour of the island and always welcoming me aboard after my brave dinghy crossing of the harbour.

The island is not very big and we drove all the way around in half a day, stopping at various places of interest. A walk along a beautiful white sand beach then a quick snack of fresh green coconut and chicken sate.

Another stop at the  Peace Park and Surrender Point where Japan surrendered to the Australians after WWII. Then a sobering stop at the war cemetery with thousands of headstones marking the graves of those who died during the Japanese invasion of Borneo, on the Sandakan death march and as prisoners of war.

At another stop, on a lighter note, I gazed in wonder at ‘The Chimney’, a tall structure built over a no longer active coal mine which is now a small museum. No one is sure if it was actually a chimney or what it really might have once been used for. Interesting. We had a last stop at a big modern building housing an ambitious aquarium. Unfortunately they have not had much success at keeping the sea-life alive. Artists were working at an outdoor studio making lifelike models of fish in lieu of real ones.

There are many good hardware stores and small shops selling almost anything you can think of within easy walking distance of the harbour. There is also a very good fresh market. When I left about a week later Speedwell was fully stocked again and the diesel tank was full. I also gave myself a little treat and indulged in a bluetooth keyboard that works with my phone, tablet and laptop. The normal 90% humidity here means damp, sweaty fingers and makes using a touch screen to type more than the shortest of messages, a real test of my patience.

Next stop was Kota Kinabalu or KK for short, about 80 nm further up the coast of Sabah. There is a dredged and well-marked channel through the reefs leading to the protected harbour.  I was lucky to make it in just ahead of a threatening black rain squall and found a place to anchor among the fishing boats.

Gary had arrived some days earlier and showed me around the town. Another really good place to buy most things. Grant and Sufi with their 3-year old son Alco drove me out to the industrial area where I was able to buy some replacement fuel and oil filters for my engine. Then we went on for a wonderful drive through the jungle and high into the hills for coffee and later a noodle lunch in a small restaurant with a magnificent view over the bay.

It was tempting to stay longer but the seasons were changing and soon the winds would be against me for the next leg up the coast and around the northernmost tip of Borneo to Kudat. 

I left KK on 1st November and had a really good downwind sail all the way with a favourable current making for a really fast passage. As I rounded the northern point the current died, but the wind was still good and we raced along. I looked behind me and a really black and looming cloud was chasing us. No escape from this one. I hastily dropped half the sail (thank-you junk rig) and we carried on in the sudden strong wind. But then torrential rain caused zero vizability and I was getting soaked. Not fun. I turned up into the wind and hove-to to let it pass. 45 minutes later we were on our way again and with the help of the GPS and the Navionics chart managed to locate the entrance to the ‘Duck Pond’ where there is a small boatyard and marina and a free place to anchor. 

Tags: Kota Kinabalul, Kudat, Labuan
November 5th, 2022  |  Posted in Borneo, Cruising, Malaysia  |  3 Comments »

Trying for the Rajang Delta

Author: Shirlz

October, 2022

If I have been anchored in one spot for more than a week or two I normally get in the water to check that the prop is clean and not a useless lump of barnacles before moving on, but due to all the croc warnings it seemed sensible to rather make a stop at Satang Besar, a small island only 10nm away, where it was supposed to be safe to swim. There was no wind and I would have to use the engine to leave. Over the past few months it had intermittently been making a strange growling noise when I tried to put it in gear. I dreaded the demise of my gearbox but it always seemed to sort itself out after a few careful tries. Now I started the engine, leaving it in neutral while I went forward to raise the anchor. Back in the cockpit I carefully engaged the gear lever and we started to move. All fine. But NO! Suddenly the growling noise erupted with a vengeance. I tried disengaging the gears and going into reverse, neutral, forward, tactics which had worked before. Suddenly the gear lever lost all connection with the transmission and flopped lifelessly from side to side. I hastily killed the engine and re-anchored. It looked as if we would be staying a bit longer.

No resident mechanics here. I would have to have a shot at sorting it out myself. I checked the control cables and all seemed fine. As in any small boat, connections to the engine are difficult to reach and 34° heat with 90% humidity was not making it any easier. It was cooler in the cockpit and I decided to take off the gear lever and start from that end. It came away quite easily with the removal of a central screw and the problem was immediately apparent. The lever connects to the controls via friction to a cone. Over the 20 years since the engine was installed I have never once attempted to clean this arrangement, having no idea that it was necessary. Now the entire cavity behind the lever and around the cone was filled with grit and dusty gunge. This was obviously interfering with the action. I cleaned it out carefully with a wire-brush and an old toothbrush and screwed it back together. Problem solved! No more growly grumbling.

We still had time to get to Satang Besar before dark so we set off once again. This time I would be anchoring on the opposite side of the island to when I had used it as a night stop on my way in. It is the more recommended spot and is opposite a lovely sand spit and beach where the turtles come to lay their eggs. The Nature Conservation people have a house there and take care of the eggs. I anchored in 8m in mud, an easy row to the beach.

Next morning I rowed ashore, interested in finding out more about the turtles. The conservation houses were shut and there seemed to be no one around. I walked along the beach and met up with a group of men under the shade of a big tree. It seemed there was nothing happening turtle-wise. Oh well. It would have been fun to see the baby turtles making their way to the sea. I was lucky to have watched the egg-laying process and later baby turtles scrambling sea-wards when I was at Ascension Island in the Atlantic all those years ago.

I carried on walking along the beach and sand spit. There were some alarmingly big (monitor?) lizard tracks in the sand. Back on Speedwell I had a refreshing swim and took the opportunity of checking the prop. It was still clean except for some easily removed slime.

I stayed another night and left early the next morning to head for the next anchorage at Pulau Lakei about 20 nautical miles further on. It turned out to be quite a spectacular spot with rugged cliffs along the coast. I dropped anchor on the southern side of the island in about 5 meters on a muddy bottom. I was able to row around to a small beach where there is a nature conservation building. All closed up.

Well-maintained wooden steps led to a burial site near the top and another interesting path through the jungle. I spotted a beautiful butterfly and a very unusual flower. The path ended at a lookout with a view over the South China Sea.

The next day I carefully negotiated the narrow rock-strewn channel between the island and the mainland to try out the other anchorage on the Eastern side. This had to be done at low tide so that the rocks were visible. It turned out to be rather an uncomfortable spot as the tidal currents seem to swirl around the small island and meet up in this area creating a roiling cauldron of confused water. I didn’t fancy launching my light little dinghy in that lot.

I was quite relieved to get away the next morning and start the trip across to the entrance to the Rajang River. All went well for a few hours until the tide turned. Soon the boat speed dropped to about 1.5 knots and the best angle we could manage was perpendicular to our course. I battled on for 2 days struggling against the varying strong tidal currents and an unrelenting headwind. I considered anchoring in the shallow water and waiting out the adverse tides but then the wind really picked up and the seas were getting on the rough side. The sleep deficit was starting to wear me down as well. Much against my normal principles, I decided to turn around and head back to the shelter of Santubong. After 48 hours I had only made 25 miles progress towards my destination.

With the wind behind us we were soon approaching the entrance to Santubong. But now it was nearly nightfall and it had started to pour with rain. I hove-to for the night about 10 miles off. In the morning we set off again, still in very heavy rain with limited visibility. Suddenly out of the gloom I saw a tug approaching from Santubong, towing an enormous barge. It passed fairly close by to starboard. No relaxing here!

What a relief to be safely back at the familiar anchorage. A chance to regroup and possibly re-plan the next move.

Tags: Pulau Lakei, Santubong, Satang Besar
October 10th, 2022  |  Posted in Borneo, Cruising, Malaysia  |  1 Comment »

Serasan to Santubong and Kuching

Author: Shirlz

September, 2022

After leaving the channel through the reef at Serasan I turned East, sailing along the coast, to clear Pulau Perhantuan, a small outlying island nearby. There was a small fleet of local fishing boats working the area. These were the last boats that I was to see for the rest of the voyage to Santubong. An amazing contrast to the crowded seas that I had experienced on the way here. I had a lovely, relaxing sail. The moon was full, the winds gentle and the sea calm. It had been my plan to make a stop at the Tanjung Datu anchorage but a sudden on-shore squall changed my mind. It was another 35 miles to a better anchorage at Pulau Satang Besar, a small turtle reserve, close to the entrance to the Santubong river and I decided to head there instead.

Despite motoring for the last 5 miles it was dark when we got there. The Navionics chart of the area is pretty accurate and I was also checking the satellite picture on Offline Maps. As I got closer I could see a red and white strobe light flashing to mark the anchorage which was a big help. I dropped the anchor in a sheltered spot in 8m. A little roly, but safe.

The next morning I could see that it would have been better to have moved closer in. I’ll do that next time.

I waited for a favourable rising tide and then sailed the last leg of my passage to Sungai Santubong. The entrance to the river was comfortably deep, never less than 4m and the shallow mudbanks each side were easy to avoid. The tidal stream carried us rapidly along. The river water is muddy and it’s impossible to see the bottom. After a 90° turn to port I was soon able to spot the big concrete Marine Department Dock and a smaller floating dinghy dock nearby. I anchored within convenient rowing distance in 10m. We were the only cruising boat there. I was in Malaysia.

The anchorage is overlooked by the impressive peak of Mount Santubong. Believed to be the legendary remains of a warrior princess. It is surrounded by a nature reserve and there are some interesting hiking trails and waterfalls.

I took Sunday off and early Monday morning I braved the fierce tidal current and rowed ashore to see how I could get into Kuching, about 35km by road. The dinghy dock belongs to a sort of ‘marina’ with beautiful, well-tended gardens and a couple of interesting wooden chalets on stilts over the water. Even a fenced swimming pool surrounded by mosquito netting and locked. Pity. There was no one around, just a friendly pack of small dogs who came to investigate the intruder.

I walked through the grounds up to the road that runs to Kuching. A covered bus stop looked promising, but there was no information about when the next bus might be expected. I still had to get a new sim card for my phone, so no way of getting info. I tried sticking my thumb out and a Grab bike stopped for me and asked if I needed help. He offered to give me a ride to the nearest shopping centre where I could get cash from an ATM and a sim card. It was about half an hour away and I hung on bravely. The driver was worried as he didn’t have a helmet for me. Who says ocean sailing is dangerous?

Once I’d organised some cash and dealt with the phone the bike driver arranged for a MyCar taxi (similar to Uber) to take me the rest of the way to Kuching and the Port Authorities at the town marina. The officials were all very friendly and efficient and special thanks goes to Bohari who personally drove me around to the harder to reach Customs office and also sorted out a problem with the sim card purchase before driving me to the touristy part of town. Many thanks!

Clearing in to Malaysia was very straightforward and I have been given a 90-day visa with no charges and the boat is allowed to stay indefinitely. Very much simpler than Indonesia.

Once I had the precious documents and a stamp in my passport I wandered along the waterfront just enjoying the unusual surroundings. A very colourful market street with lots of small shops and some well-preserved historical buildings. I was really more interested in doing some re-provisioning before getting back to Speedwell, so decided to return another time for the sight-seeing and set off to find a supermarket. The afternoon thunderstorm was threatening and I had no umbrella. I managed to do my shopping during the cloudburst and a helpful shopkeeper called for a taxi to get me back to the anchorage. Why is everyone so friendly and kind? When I got back to the dinghy dock the wind had picked up and the tide was against me. It would have been a real struggle to row out to Speedwell, and it was starting to get dark. A local fisherman with a motor-boat gave me a ride and towed Bokkom. What can I say?

The river has been flowing rapidly with the tides as the moon has just passed full. The tidal range is about 3 meters and at low water extensive mudflats are exposed. Timing is critical when rowing ashore to avoid getting stuck in the mud. The water has zero visibility and there are warnings everywhere about man-eating crocodiles. Swimming is not an option. There is no shortage of rain water so I can keep my pressurized garden sprayer filled and have a luxurious cooling spritz whenever needed.

There is a small village a short walk away with a reasonably well stocked mini-market. A little further along, Google Maps shows the ‘Alfred Russell Wallace Centre’. Of course, I had to investigate as he is one of my long-time heroes. The building is brand new and well maintained but empty and locked up. Maybe it’s planned as a future museum.

I was feeling the need for some exercise and on Saturday I walked to the ‘Sarawak Traditional Village’ about 6kms down the road. Friday the 16^th September was a holiday celebrating Malaysia’s Independence Day and there were a lot of people with the same idea as me, although I was the only walker. The whole peninsula is a nature conservation area and I saw some monkeys crossing the road as I walked along. The ‘village’ itself was quite interesting with different styles of houses: a traditional long house, a tall house, a Malay house, a Chinese farm house, etc. All set in beautiful surroundings around a lotus lake. The highlight of the day was a surprisingly good show of traditional dancing. I felt it was a day well spent and after marching the 6kms back and achieving a grand total of 23,000 steps on my step-counter I got the required workout!

My plan is to spend some time exploring the Rajang River Delta. It’s possible to sail a long way inland and there are some interesting places to visit. Before leaving Santubong I needed to clear out with the Port Authorities in Kuching so I decided to combine this with some sight-seeing in the city.

These days there are no buses that go from Santubong to the city. I tried hitch-hiking but after nearly an hour in the brutal heat, admitted defeat and called for a Grab taxi. It’s a 45 minute drive and I wasn’t keen to cling to the back of a bike all that way. An air-conditioned car it would have to be. The driver was very helpful and got me to all the necessary bureaucratic places before dropping me off at the touristy waterfront.

I spent the rest of the day enjoying the city. Kuching means cat and there are cat statues all over. It seems the name is due to some early European pointing towards the town and asking what it was called and the person who answered thought he was pointing at a nearby cat.

There is a lovely pedestrian walk along the Sarawak River which runs through the city. Sampans constantly cross the river, ferrying people to the opposite side. The more energetic have the option of using a very futuristic footbridge. Naturally I had to try the bridge and it gave some magnificent views. There is an interesting mixture of traditional old shops and well preserved colonial buildings.

As I wandered further from the riverfront I was soon surrounded by the usual modern city shopping malls and traffic. I returned to the tree-shaded waterfront and treated myself to a nice lunch at the James Brooke Restaurant, named after the man who was granted governorship of the territory in 1842 by the Sultan of Brunei. The Brooke family became known as the White Rajahs and ruled Sarawak until 1946.

It’s rather a pity that the anchorage at Santubong is so far from the city with no cheap transport. The Kuching Marina is also not very conveniently placed and is in a state of partial ruin after flooding, not to mention a resident crocodile.

I made my way back to Santubong, did a bit more provisioning at the local mini-market and got things ready to leave for the Rajang Delta.

October 2nd, 2022  |  Posted in Cruising, Indonesia, Malaysia  |  2 Comments »

Pulau Serasan, Last Stop in Indonesia

Author: Shirlz

September 2022

It was very pleasant hanging out at Belitung. The water was crystal clear, the fine white sand beach, colourful boats and imposing granite rocks, all made it a very beautiful place to be. The only problem for me, on a small monohull, was the fact that every afternoon or sometimes mornings too, a relentless, lazy swell rolled in to the bay. At low tide the reef close to where I was anchored kept my patch of sea flat, but when the water rose the swell was unstoppable. Getting ashore was sometimes a problem in my little dinghy but Rob and Muzzi were wonderfully helpful and were always there when really needed with their powerful inflatable.

After a bit of dithering I decided to use Joni Oan as an agent to help me with the clearing out process. He took care of all the details and there were only a few trivial hitches, but it would have been quite tricky for me to negotiate it on my own. Both Immigration and Customs had to come out to the boat to take pictures and the Quarantine people had to inspect my first aid kit. It was deemed deficient and I was given a list of essential medicines that I had to acquire before leaving. Joni picked everything up for me in town and handed me a bagful of pills and potions. I was interested to see what was there – Antibiotics? Morphine? Inflatable Splints? No such luck, but a hodge-podge of flu remedies, antacids, headache tablets, etc. Not even any sea sick remedy. A little disappointing. Oh well, I won’t have a problem if I get indigestion or a headache.

Armed with some impressive-looking official documents and a precious stamp in my passport I was ready to go. There had been some very heavy rain showers and the water tanks were full so after breakfast on Tuesday morning we set off heading towards Kuching, Sarawak in Malaysian Borneo, a distance of about 400 nm, hoping to be able to make one or two short stops along the way.

My first idea had been to anchor for a few days at a small uninhabited island called Serutu which was only about 80 nm away to the NE and would have been a good place to stop for a full night’s sleep. Unfortunately the wind was more East than South East and I found myself battling to make progress hard on the wind. It was slow and uncomfortable and then it started to pour with rain. I held out for nearly a day but was still less than half way there. I decided to alter course for an easier sail further north and forget about that full night’s sleep.

Now it became a different thing altogether. Speedwell goes wonderfully well with the wind astern, and the sea was beautifully calm. The breeze had dropped considerably and we spent two days and nights just gliding along over the South China Sea doing 1.5 to 2 knots. It was much more comfortable than being anchored in roly Belitung. We were out of the main shipping lane to Singapore and there was much less big ship traffic, although at one point two enormous container ships were approaching from opposite directions. The AIS showed that they would pass either side of me, each less than a mile away. I held a steady course and there were no problems. It made me think of two elephants trying to avoid a mouse in their path.

At 02:00 on Friday we crossed the Equator.

The Navik wind vane has been coping magnificently lately and really comes into its own in strong winds and rough seas, however, it is getting a little old and arthritic and doesn’t manage too well when boat-speed through the water is under 2.5 knots. But then the wonderful electric Simrad autopilot takes over (thanks again Annie) and due to the fact that we now have excess battery power (thanks to the new solar panels) we can carry on steering a course almost until all motion ceases, at which point it really hardly matters which way you are pointing. It was a wonderfully gentle couple of days and best of all, we made nearly 50 nm miles progress each day with no need to start the engine.

Midnight on Saturday/Sunday after 5 days at sea, we only had about 30 nm to go. I had been taking a nap when something woke me and I went out to have a look around. The wind had changed and we were sailing too fast and in the wrong direction. No moon. Very dark. I had the full sail up after all the light winds we had been having. It took a few moments to wake up properly and after reefing right down to just 2 panels I decided to turn up into wind to prevent the now torrential rain from coming straight down the companionway and hove-to to let it pass. I blessed the wonderful junk rig which makes a manoeuvre like this so easy, even in the pitch dark, even for an ancient crone. Then I went below to make a mug of coffee and wait for things to calm down.

An hour later we were on our way again and soon there was enough light to see our surroundings. A nasty little unlit islet had to be avoided and I was glad to be able to have it in sight.

The entrance through the reef to Serasan Harbour is open to the south and reef patches have to be carefully negotiated. I was planning to use the OfflineMaps app to help. As I started to change course to approach the entrance a very strong rain squall hit with 20 to 30 knot southerly winds whipping up a nasty sea. I made a quick decision to rather sail around to the leeward side of the island where there are two possible, easily approached, places to anchor.

It was a downwind run keeping a safe distance away from the surrounding reefs and small islands. Once in the lee of the archipelago I was able to find a reasonably comfortable place to anchor in 8m. There was a bit of a swell but I had become used to that after my time at Belitung. I enjoyed a peaceful night’s sleep and early next morning set off to try the harbour entrance again, now that the weather had calmed. There was enough wind to keep us moving at 2-3 knots, but of course now I had to make a few tacks to get safely past the extensive reefs.

The entrance channel to the anchorage had some markers showing the gap in the reef and it was easy going although I would not have enjoyed doing it with 20-30 knots of wind behind me. I found a good spot to drop the anchor near to the stilt-village that lines the coast. There were a few fishing boats about and each time one approached they would make a bit of a detour to get a good look at this strange little craft that had entered.

By now it was nearly lunch-time and I went below to make something to eat. Just then I heard some loud whistling and went up to investigate. Two small canoes made from blue plastic barrels, each with two boys trying to attract my attention. Big smiles and ‘hellos’, waving a good-sized squid to give me. All the usual questions – where was I from? Was I alone? How old was I?! My very few words of Bahasa Indonesia helped. After they had left I made a gruesome mess of cleaning and slicing the inky fish into strips. I couldn’t manage restaurant-style rings. It was delicious sautéed with garlic and lime on a bed of basmati rice. What a treat! Lunch problem solved.

After that it was time for a short nap. But it was not to be. More whistling and this time a big, solid wooden fishing boat was edging up to Speedwell and wanted to come alongside. There were about 10 mostly uniformed men on board all peering down at us. I took their line and they settled fairly calmly against some tyre fenders, towering over my little ship. When I objected to the entire contingent boarding Speedwell, they agreed to let me rather clamber across to their boat, bringing my papers with me. I had been told that this would not be necessary, but each island seems to have its own rules. A barrage of questions again, all trying to talk at once, much laughter and good spirits. This was obviously an unusual event. Google translate worked hard at helping us understand one another. I explained that I was just stopping for a short rest and hoped to be able to get some diesel and fresh fruit and vegetables. Eventually it was agreed by all that this would be fine and I could wait until I was happy that the weather was right for the next leg of my passage to Santubong still about 90 nm away. Diesel was a bit of a problem as there was nothing easily available on the island, but the skipper of the fishing boat agreed to sell me 20 litres and came aboard with a big jerry can to siphon it into Speedwell’s tank. Wonderful!

I was able to get a reasonable internet signal for my phone and the weather forecast showed a good west wind on Thursday – 2 days away. Getting ashore to go shopping was my next objective. The newly rebuilt harbour is not designed with small dinghies in mind and it was quite a scramble to get ashore after being helpfully shown the only possible spot in a rocky corner. Helping hands secured us safely and promised to keep an eye on things. Really friendly, helpful people.

It was about 2km to the village where there is a small market and I was looking forward to the walk and getting some exercise. Of course, walking here is not the normal thing. Almost as unheard of as walking in a place like Los Angeles. Only difference is here everyone goes by moped rather than car. All along the way passing bikes stopped to offer me a ride, but I explained that I wanted to walk jalan jalan kaki and after the obligatory chat they let me go my lunatic way. The surroundings were lushly tropical with small, often wooden houses along the way. Each small village has a mosque. I was the only traveller on foot.

I took a side turn and found myself walking along a concrete causeway heading out over the lagoon. Stilt houses all along both sides. Many small shops and restaurants. Friendly comments all the way. Before heading back I was able to buy a big bag of fresh stuff at a very good little market. I took a side road to get back to the harbour and there was less bike traffic and ride offers. When I reached the harbour entrance I was given two freshly picked green drinking coconuts to take back to the boat. Bokkom the dinghy was still safe and again helping hands were there when needed to see us safely away. What a wonderful place.

Early on Thursday I set off on the way to Santubong, wishing that I could have stayed longer at Serasan, but I had already cleared out of Indonesia and needed to be on my way before the change of season.

Tags: Belitung, Serasan
September 14th, 2022  |  Posted in Cruising, Indonesia  |  4 Comments »

On to Belitung

Author: Shirlz

August 2022

The passage from Bawean to Belitung was rather a mixed bag. We had to cover a distance of 380 nautical miles with no possible places to stop en route which, at best, would take about 4 days (and nights, of course).

Getting some sleep was going to be a problem for me as a single-hander. The Karimata Strait between Borneo and Java is a very busy shipping lane with a lethal mixture of massive, fast-moving tankers and container ships, slow-moving barges, confused fleets of fishing boats and anything else that floats. I hadn’t been able to stock up with Red Bull or even Coke and would have to rely on strong espresso to keep me awake.

Four days would be pushing it. But, of course, it’s always possible to get the odd forty winks and I have become accustomed to sleeping in 20 minute snatches when necessary. So I set off optimistically.

The first two days went well with an easy following wind and we covered nearly 100 nautical miles each day which is brilliant for Speedwell. There was plenty of traffic, as expected, but it was avoided easily enough, although the constant, irritating alarm from the AIS was annoying. I had set it to go off if anything was expected to pass closer than 10nm. This was obviously ridiculous and I changed the settings so that it would only shriek at me for anything that might pass closer than 2 nm. A definite improvement.

After two perfect days the wind decided to get playful and for the rest of the passage we had a contrary light NE wind. The sea was still relatively smooth and we kept moving along at a fairly steady 1.5 to 2 knots with the occasional couple of hours motoring when all progress stalled. On one slow occasion I had a companionable visit from three friendly dolphins. Now and then a big bright fishing boat would come up close to get a look at us.

At last, after 6 days and nights we were sailing slowly along the North coast of Belitung Island having rounded the large area to the east, which was scattered with small rocky islands and shallows, at a safe distance. A large fleet of fishing boats was working near the anchorage and I held my position until the sun was up so that I could enter the bay in good light.

The anchorage off Tanjung Kelayang is famous for it’s magnificent granite rock outcrops which are surrounded by coral patches and there are many coral heads in the bay, so caution was required. I had planned my approach and anchoring spot using the Offline Maps app and motored carefully in. Just as I was about to drop the anchor in about 5 meters on a sandy bottom in the easiest recommended place, a local boat approached and signalled for me to follow him. I wasn’t all that keen, but followed obediently for a while, anxiously looking over the side at the bommie-scattered bottom. I realized that he was showing me to another of the recommended anchoring sites, closer inshore. It is snugly situated between two big reefs with smaller patches of coral at either end. I decided that in my almost hallucinatory state after so little sleep for so many days, the complexity of the situation was beyond my current capabilities and I gave him a wave and did an about turn to retrace my track back to where I had first planned to stop. I hope that the man understood my position.

Muzzi and Rob on Lalamanzi were anchored in a different area between some boulder islands and sent me a welcoming WhatsApp message. I grabbed a blissful two solid hours of sleep and then joined them for lunch ashore. As the day progressed I realized that the place I had chosen was exposed to the swell that seems to roll in every afternoon. Lalamanzi’s anchorage was better sheltered, but just too far away from the beach for me to be able to row myself ashore.

The next day I raised the anchor and carefully manoeuvred Speedwell into the gap in the reefs that I had previously chickened out of. It is still a bit rolly in the afternoons, but at low tide the sheltering reefs make it perfectly comfortable and it is within easy rowing distance of the beach.

The fine white sand stretches the length of the bay and there are big outdoor restaurant areas dotted all the way along. Popular with visitors from Jakarta, I was told. Many colourful boats are moored in the shallow water close to the beach and in the evenings the fishing fleet goes out at sunset for a long hard working night.

The main ‘tourist attraction’ is the fantastic collection of rocky outcrops. I have been able to paddle my kayak in and around them in the early mornings before the wind picks up and they are quite stupendous. The surrounding water is crystal clear and I float either over beautiful coral patches or snow white sand overlooked by the towering rocks. A very big turtle almost always makes an appearance as he patrols his territory. I would love to just float around in this area on my kayak all day, but it’s quite a long way downwind of Speedwell and I have to keep an eye on the conditions before it becomes just too much of a battle to get back.

My plan is to clear out of Indonesia from Tanjung Pandan, which is the main town on the island and an official Port of Entry. A few days ago I went in to town to have a look at the harbour and do some shopping. There is a very good fresh market and an excellent supermarket and I found the crowded harbour totally fascinating. The tide was very low as it was full moon and the hundreds of brightly coloured fishing boats tied to the docks were mainly sitting in the mud. I was thinking of anchoring in the harbour to be closer to the Immigration and Customs offices. It looked as though it would be possible but I wasn’t sure where I would be able to get ashore in my little dinghy. Something to think about.

Wednesday, 17^th August was a public holiday – a celebration of Indonesia’s independence from the Dutch who dominated trade in the area from the 17^th century onwards and occupation by the Japanese at the end of World War II. The red and white of the national flag was in evidence all along the beach and my friends Muzzi and Rob joined me for lunch on Speedwell.

August 19th, 2022  |  Posted in Cruising, Indonesia  |  4 Comments »

Bali to Bawean

Author: Shirlz

August 2022

After two wonderfully relaxing days at Banyu Wedang, on the NW corner of Bali, I was ready to set sail for the island of Bawean about 200 nm to the NW in the middle of the Java Sea. The weather was perfect for the passage giving me some marvellous downwind sailing, at which the junk rig excels. Most of the time I reefed two of the 6 panels with the sail squared right out. We were doing a comfortable 4 to 5 knots over a smooth sea. What a pleasure!

There was quite a lot of coastal shipping running down from Surabaya and along the coast of Java heading for Bali and beyond. A sharp watch was needed and we had a number of pretty close encounters which made me grateful for the AIS information which helped me to judge whether it might be necessary to alter course. I still feel more comfortable using a handheld compass once the vessel is in sight and it seems more reliable to establish exactly how the situation is evolving. Many of the boats don’t transmit an AIS signal and then the compass really comes into its own. At one point after getting past some islands which were blocking the way and then turning NW up the coast of Java I spotted what I thought was a smallish uncharted island. The light was awkward and it was difficult to get a clear view of what I was looking at. It seemed that a boat was anchored nearby. As we got closer I realized to my shock that it was no ‘island’ but an enormous sand barge and the ‘anchored’ boat was a tug pulling it along at the end of a very long tow line. Not something I would want to unwittingly encounter in the dark.

On my second day out, I was surprised by a wondrous Javanese fishing boat which had come up behind me and passed close astern. I struggled to get my phone in hand to take a picture and just managed one before he sped away in the distance after a friendly wave.

After two moonless and sleepless nights at sea I was approaching the anchorage on the north coast of Bawean as the sun rose. This seemed to be a base for the barges as I spotted 5 being towed in different directions and there were 3 anchored in the bay. I motored carefully as far away from them as possible and as close to the beach as I dared, anchoring in 3 meters on a flat sandy bottom. A perfect anchorage.

I spent the rest of the day catching up with the sleep deficit and just enjoying the surroundings. There was an excellent internet connection from Telkomsel and I was glad that I had invested in the new tablet and sim card.

The next day I took the dinghy ashore, landing on a convenient sandy beach near the narrow, single lane, no-line, road that runs all the way around the island. I was hoping to find a shop or market stall for some fresh fruit and vegetables.

All the houses on the island seem to be alongside the road and as I walked along, enjoying the green jungly vegetation and wooden houses, I was constantly greeted by the friendly residents, who just wanted to say hello and find out where I had come from. There was the usual amazement that I was sailing a boat on my own. It was refreshing, after Bali, that no one was trying to sell anything. Just friendly smiles and chat.

I reached a small ‘supermarket’ and was able to buy some snack food, but there was no sign of any fresh fruit and veg. On the way back I was invited into one of the houses which was part of a small village at the water’s edge. They made me sit with them and were keen to practice their English. I was hoping to practice my Bahasa Indonesia. It was all very pleasant. Two freshly picked green coconuts were found and the top slashed off one for me to drink. The second was for me to take back to the boat. How lovely!

I would have liked to stay longer in the wonderfully comfortable anchorage but I needed to keep moving. Next stop Belitung about 380 nm further on.

August 13th, 2022  |  Posted in Cruising, Indonesia  |  2 Comments »

Leaving Lombok

Author: Shirlz

July 2022

Life had become just a little too comfortable in the wonderful Lombok anchorages of Gili Gede, Marina del Ray, Gili Asahan and Gili Goleng. The SE monsoon was in full swing and it was time to shake things up and get moving again. My visa had been extended for another 60 days which was hopefully enough time for me to sail comfortably up to Malaysia. I planned to enter at Kuching in Sarawak on Borneo, making as many anchoring stops in Indonesia as possible along the way. Not being much of a forward planner, I decided to take things one step at a time. First stop would be the touristy beach town of Lovina on the south coast of Bali.

In order to get there I had to cross the dreaded Lombok Strait with its fearsome currents. The easy way to do this is to head up to the Northern Gilis and maybe a bit further on to Medana Bay or Siri Beach, staying close enough to the west coast of Lombok to avoid the worst of the wicked southerly current.

I made my farewells at the marina and set off heading north. It was a perfect day and I had a lovely sail, hardly noticing any adverse current. I had thought of possibly stopping overnight at Sengigi on the west coast of Lombok, as I hadn’t yet tried that anchorage, but the wind was more South than East and it didn’t look too promising. I carried on to Siri and anchored in 14m in the protected bay, surrounded by white beaches and tall palm trees. An interesting mixture of traditional fishermen’s palm thatched houses with outrigger boats drawn up on the beach and some rather exclusive resort establishments.

I had a cooling swim and enjoyed the sunset.

Next morning I rowed ashore early and had a walk all the way along the beach. The resorts all looked rather empty but the workers and fishermen were about and I found myself being shown a collection of beautiful locally produced pearls. Black, cream and pink. The prices were quite reasonable and I was tempted but I settled for some delicate macramé bracelets with tiny odd-shaped pearls involved.

After a couple of relaxing days I decided to make the leap across the Lombok Strait to the north coast of Bali and anchor at Lovina which many people had recommended as a comfortable place to stop. It was a distance of about 73 nautical miles which would mean 24 sleepless hours for me. With strong currents and lots of traffic, both big ships and small fishing boats. I would have to keep a continuous, sharp lookout. To add to the problem, there are numerous FAD’s or Fish Attracting Devices scattered along the coast of Bali. These are strange constructions of bamboo and palm fronds with underwater nets. They are not lit and quite impossible to spot at night. So it was with some trepidation that I bravely set off.

The crossing of the strait was easy with a useful breeze moving us along at a comfortable 4 knots, the full sail up and looking beautiful. It was great to be out at sea again. About half way along the north coast of Bali, the sun was getting low and the wind died completely. I had been expecting this and was ready to get the engine going. We were forced to motor the rest of the way. I was keeping a careful watch, sitting in the cockpit all night. A small bit of moon helped for a while but it was a dark night. I was about 5 miles offshore, hoping to avoid the FADs and had a beautiful view of the sparkling lights of Bali lighting up the mountainous coastline. There were many groups of small fishing boats out with very bright lights shining to attract squid, and were easily avoided.

By sunrise next day I was approaching Lovina. Perfect timing. I had recently discovered a wonderful app for my phone called Offline Maps which allows you to download satellite images of your destination and with GPS ability shows your exact position with respect to the reefs. A tremendous help in a place like this, where the sheltering reefs were not easy to spot in the early morning light and the Navionics charts give very little detail.

As I neared the entrance I had to negotiate a flotilla of outrigger tourist boats loaded with hopeful dolphin watchers. They crowded around, chasing about towards any possible movement of the dolphins. I could see quite a lot of churning about in the water where there was obviously a group of the creatures. I turned to avoid the crowds and suddenly to my absolute amazement and wonder a perfectly choreographed group of four big gleaming dolphins broke the surface in an elegant arching leap, lined up with military precision, looking straight ahead. It was stupendous. It seemed as if they knew exactly what was expected of them and were happy enough to oblige. But, just the once, and then they were off, duty done.

Lovina has a black sand beach which makes it difficult to judge the depth of the water by sight, but it was easy to find a good spot in about 9m of water and close enough for a short row ashore. The tourist industry is making a slow recovery after the Covid lockdown and one has to run the gauntlet of people trying to sell trinkets or taxi rides or guided tours. Many trendy restaurants line the colourful streets and the ornate Hindu temples make for an exotic scene. A tall column supporting a dolphin statue is a gathering place on the beach for locals and visitors to sit and watch the sunset before continuing with their more strenuous evening entertainment.

I was very happy to get the opportunity to meet up with Ruth again. She was anchored in the bay on her boat, Tropicali, and we were able to do some catching up.

Unfortunately the anchorage is a bit rolly and after 2 or 3 days I had had enough and moved 32nm further along the coast to a much more protected anchorage at Banyu Wedang. Again Offline Maps made it easy to navigate the reefs on either side of the fairly narrow entrance, but this time they were also easy to spot by eye. The anchorage is rather deep (19m) but perfectly sheltered with flat water. The wind had picked up and I decided to wait a few days for slightly calmer weather before setting off across the Java Sea.

Tags: Bali, Lombok, Lovina
July 28th, 2022  |  Posted in Cruising, Indonesia  |  2 Comments »

The Road to Mataram

Author: Shirlz

July, 2022

Due to the ill-timed problems with my ancient teeth I have been forced to make regular visits to a dentist in Mataram, the capital city of Lombok. It’s a one and a half hour car ride each way along a narrow, winding and busy road. Each trip from Gili Gede where I’m moored at Marina del Ray starts with a dinghy ride to the mainland where Hak, whom I have come to rely on over the months, will be waiting with his comfortable car, ready to do the driving.

The marina dinghy drops me off as close as it can get to the rough stone jetty, but sometimes if the tide is too low I have to jump off and try to reach the shore without getting my feet wet.

It’s not a boring drive. The road starts off very close to the shore where hundreds of colourful outrigger fishing boats are drawn up on the beach after a hard night of fishing in the strait. These are the boats that I had been so amazed at when I first arrived. It’s still fascinating to see them. Brightly coloured and well maintained with their crab-claw sails furled around their lowered masts. Most also have long-tail outboard motors but the sails get used if there is any wind. When all else fails, they can be paddled.

All along the road there are mosques placed at regular intervals. Sometimes there will be a man sitting on a chair in the middle of the road opposite the mosque holding a bowl or basket to collect donations from the passing motorists to help towards the restoration or upkeep of the mosque. A brave collector.

There is also a sprinkling of Hindu shrines with their very decorative stonework.

A little way along we come to the village of Tawun where there is a regular open market on Tuesdays. It’s a busy scene but much smaller than the market in Pelangan and easier for me to negotiate as being entirely in the open air it’s not quite so noisy and confusing.

Most of the traffic consists of motorcycles with every imaginable load. Fully draped women with hijabs and long skirts or sarongs flapping and one or two or three kids arranged front and back. Men with enormous loads of fodder which they have cut and are now taking back to feed their cows. The heavy green bundles extending for more than a meter each side. Then there are the snack vendors with their portable cooking arrangements strapped to the back seat of their cycles. Big square food containers. Crates of chickens. I haven’t actually seen this myself, but Neal Stephenson in his amazing book, Cryptonomicon, describes ‘Vendors with pushcarts loaded with boiling oil are not only keeping up with them but cooking fritters along the way’ which totally captures the scene.

All these motorcycles need fuel of course and informal petrol stations are scattered at convenient intervals. The blue tinted ‘benzin’ is sold in litre cool-drink bottles from small kiosks. Other small stalls advertise ‘cuci motor/mobil’ – cycle or car wash.

Chickens and laid-back dogs mingle at the side of the road. No one rushes. A dog will wander across the road, stopping half way for a scratch, and amble along to the other side, miraculously being avoided by the passing parade. I have seen a great big gas-tanker slow down to avoid a tiny chick struggling to keep up with mother hen.

Then there are the rice paddies wherever there is an open expanse which can be used. Wonderfully intricate water channels irrigate the fields as needed. The work of planting and taking care of the rice is all done by women wearing their characteristic pointy hats. The harvested rice kernels are spread out on tarpaulins next to the road to dry in the sun.

A little way along there is an area where salt is being traditionally processed from the sea water.

Approaching the harbour of Lembar the water is dotted with small bamboo huts on stilts which are used to attract fish. None of these are lit at night, which would make a night time approach to the harbour very challenging.

At one point the road climbs up a steep hill and winds down the other side. It’s a tricky section of road and all traffic slows down, either grinding painfully up or using low gear and brakes to control the precipitous decent. There are crash-bars along the edge of the road and these are a favourite place for monkeys to sit and spend a few hours watching the crazy humans.

All along the road there are small stalls piled with fresh fruit and vegetables for sale.

Its almost disappointing to eventually reach the outskirts of the city with its colourful welcoming construction of latticed arches. The traffic increases alarmingly but somehow or other we get through the chaos. Every traffic light has a platoon of hopeful snack sellers who offer roasted nuts, sliced pineapple or other strange-looking edibles. Then its a few hours of concentrated shopping or visiting the immigration offices before heading back to the peace and sanity of my little yellow boat.

July 12th, 2022  |  Posted in Cruising, Indonesia  |  3 Comments »

A Month on the Hard

Author: Shirlz

February, 2022

Since leaving New Zealand at the end of April last year, Speedwell had been through some rough weather and was looking a little the worse for wear. I had been putting off the thought of hauling out and doing a serious bit of maintenance but the move was forced on me after noticing a rather ominous looking hairline crack in the middle of the yard, where the halyard attaches. Something had to be done. I contacted Pete Hill who had made the yard for me back in 2005 and he suggested that a replacement might be in order. The lazyjacks also needed replacing and the anchor light at the masthead had stopped working. If I hauled out to repaint the topsides I could lower the mast and get all these jobs done quite easily. And so it happened.

Medana Bay Marina on the Northwest corner of Lombok has a haulout facility and had been recommended to me. It seemed like a good place to try. I needed to arrive there on a day when the wind was not blowing on shore as this creates problems with waves on the slipway. I waited a week or so for favourable weather before heading north from Gili Gede.

While I was waiting for the wind to change to a convenient southerly blow, I took a day to do a walk all the way around the island, something that I had been meaning to do ever since I first arrived. It was an interesting day. There are no cars or horse-drawn carts on the island and for most of the way there is a footpath. The path is also used by scooters and bikes and in some places the beach made a more enjoyable way to go. I love just paddling along the shore but have to restrain myself from collecting too many shells and pretty stones. Storage on board is very limited. The path goes through a few small scattered villages and some closed-up and empty tourist resorts. Lots of outrigger fishing boats are hauled up on the beaches, ready to head out to sea in the evenings.

At one point my path was cut off by a river that was too deep for me to wade through. A pont made of some planks of wood lashed to barrels was floating at the bank, but I wasn’t sure if I would be able to operate it myself. Some friendly picnickers gave me a hand and hauled me safely across.

A few days later the wind changed and I set off early to do the 30nm trip to Medana Bay. It was a slow day with a 1 knot current running against us which created an uncomfortable chop and really slowed us down. On top of which, I was a little concerned that the yard might choose this little trip to collapse. But all went well and we picked up a mooring off the Medana Bay Marina at about 5pm.

The next morning workmen were out early clearing the slipway of sand which gets washed ashore by the wave action. Soon all was ready and I was guided on to a long trailer hauled by a massive tractor. It took a bit of work to get the supporting arms of the trailer correctly positioned to safely hold Speedwell’s narrow hull.

All went smoothly and I left the team to give the hull a thorough pressure-wash while I went for lunch at the marina’s Sail Fish restaurant. Eating at the restaurant was to become one of my almost daily treats as the food was delicious and very reasonably priced. Much easier than walking to the village to go shopping and cooking on my hot little boat. Not to mention the icy cold Bintang!

The marina is owned and run by Peter Cranfield and his wife Ibu Ace. A rather lovely park-like garden and restaurant make the agonies of living aboard a small boat on the hard in a tropical boatyard reasonably bearable. Speedwell was given a site on a grassy field close to the security guards at the entrance. I was happy there and there was always someone ready to help when needed. Thank you everyone!

One of the first jobs to tackle was to lower the mast. A fairly easy job as the mast hinges in a tabernacle and can be lowered using a line attached to the base of the mast and another to the top and led back to the sheet winches. I have done this a few times now and it is almost becoming routine. Helpers were readily available and all went smoothly. Pete Hill did a wonderful job when he built the mast and tabernacle for me back in 2004/5 when I converted Speedwell to junk rig.

Peter put me in touch with a skilled carpenter who was able to make me a new yard using teak. We decided on an exact copy of the original but I did not replace the stainless steel U-bolt which I had used before to attach the halyard block, but opted to use a strop constrained by ‘thumb cleats’, or really just a little block of wood either side to prevent the strop from slipping out of position. The yard hauling parrel is also connected directly to this strop. I was tempted to varnish the new teak yard, but finally decided to paint it white as the old one had been.

While waiting for the yard to be made I kept myself busy sanding down the topsides ready for repainting. I was using my handy battery operated orbital sander which does a very good job and isn’t too heavy for my ancient old arms. I only have one rechargeable battery for it which will do about 40 minutes sanding before it dies. A recharge takes about an hour and a half which is just enough time for me also to recover for the next round.

Before putting on the new yellow paint I hired a man to do the awful job of sanding the old antifouling on the underwater part of the hull. A truly horrible job that I had no wish to do myself. It needed to be done before the topsides got their new coat of paint as it makes a dreadful mess of everything.

Work progressed steadily. Before long I was able to finish off the yard and fit it to the sail. All looked good. The mast was hauled back up, yellow paint and green stripe applied, two coats of antifouling rollered on. There were many, many more jobs that I could have tackled, but I could do those while afloat and was longing to get back on the water. I re-attached the battens to the sail while spreading it out on the grass and then hauled the rolled up sail-bundle aboard using the halyard.

The weather was kind and on 23^rd February, after just over a month, Speedwell was relaunched. The trailer was carefully backed down the slipway until we were in water deep enough for me to test the engine and to my great relief it started without any problems. Many thanks to Peter and his competent staff!

After spending a day at Gili Air to do some shopping I had a really lovely fast sail back to Marina del Ray. The new yard seems just fine and the patched up old sail was looking rather handsome.

March 4th, 2022  |  Posted in Cruising, Indonesia, Junk Rig  |  5 Comments »