Speedwell of Hong Kong

On to Banggi

Friday, February 17th, 2023

February, 2023

The Duck Pond was becoming rather crowded with an influx of yachts arriving from the Philippines, many of them French. An interesting collection of boats; at one point there were three other bright yellow ones in the harbour. We were surrounded by a cat’s cradle of lines holding the boats stern-to the wall and anchors crossing over each other ahead, I had started to feel rather trapped. It was time to move on.

Tuesday, 7 Feb
I waited for a calm day and Tony on a neighbouring boat helped me untie my shore lines. I hauled on the Fortress anchor which had been set well ahead and Speedwell’s long keel slid easily over the other boats’ crossing bow lines with the engine in neutral. The Fortress had been set out one stormy day when the Delta had dragged, again with invaluable help from Tony.  Now, it came up without any problem apart from lots of mud. We had definitely  been in one place for too long, the stern lines were encrusted with growth and green slime and I left them piled up in the cockpit while I motored the short distance around to Kudat harbour. We moved smoothly through the calm water – the bottom and the prop had been very well cleaned by Craig – and we were soon anchored a reasonable distance from the fishing fleet and within rowing distance of the Police Dock where I was hoping to be able to get ashore.

Thursday, 9 Feb
I spent two days cleaning the shells and green slime off the lines. Not an easy job, which left the surroundings on deck in a real mess. At last all was shipshape again and I thought about getting ashore. But then the wind came up. Unless I’m really desperate I don’t choose to row my bouncy little dinghy in a busy harbour when the wind is strong and the water choppy. I decided to explore further up the bay and closer to the mangroves where there is a water-village on stilts.

Friday, 10 Feb
Further in, the water was calmer and I anchored in 5m in beautiful surroundings. Very happy to be in more open water again. I decided to just stay where I was for a few days. There are always enough little jobs to be done on the boat to keep me occupied and internet reception was good. I was anchored roughly opposite the stilt village but quite a way off so I was fairly suprised to hear a knock on the hull and someone shouting ‘hullo!’ It was a local guy who had swum out (about half a mile) with the aid of a blown up plastic sack for buoyancy and a pair of homemade flippers. He was very interested in my rig and didn’t seem worried about the possibility of crocodiles. Is this something they just tell the tourists?

I was planning to sail across to Pulau Banggi, an island about 23 nm away to the NE, but the wind was blowing steadily F4 to 5 from precisely that direction and there was some adverse current. I was hoping for a slight improvement as I did not want to arrive in the dark. I also needed to get ashore for supplies before setting off.

Monday 13 Feb
I moved back closer to the dock and found a good place to leave the dinghy while I went shopping. It was good to walk around the town with it’s lively market again and I stopped for a Kopi-0 at my favourite coffee shop. Everyone so friendly.

Back on board, I got the dinghy back on deck ready to leave early the next morning.

Tuesday 14 Feb
The wind had dropped a little and backed more towards the NW and it seemed about the best we could hope for at this time of the year.  I set off quite early in the morning and was able to sail out of the harbour with the full sail up. Just wonderful to be moving again. We were able to maintain about 3 knots until nearly 2pm when the wind started to strengthen and veer more northerly. If I was going to get in before dark we needed help from the engine. So, reluctantly, we motor-sailed the rest of the way. As we approached Banggi I had to slow down a bit to allow a big ship to cross our path. The Navionics charts of the island are a bit vague and the satellite images that I had were also very indistinct but it seemed that it would be fine to enter through the channel NE of Pulau Patanunam. The sun was still high enough to see where the reef extended and the water was very clear. Plenty of room and no problems.  I found a good place to anchor in about 12m in front of the water village and easy rowing distance to the ferry dock.

Wednesday, 15 Feb
A beautiful, calm day so I launched the dinghy and found a place to leave her on the shore next to the fish market.  rubble-strewn, but safe. The main attraction in the little town of Karakit is the big ferry dock that extends over the water with an interesting market and some restaurants. A ferry had just arrived and the place was busy with people arriving from Kudat carrying lots of baggage. Some of the planks are a bit rickety and it’s a good idea to watch where you put your feet. Closer to the fish market there are also a few small general stores and I was able to find an edible-looking block of cheddar cheese.

Thursday, 16 Feb
I was busy making some toast for breakfast when a small open boat with a woman and four children came alongside to sell me a big polished conch shell for whatever I had to offer. I had been told about the sea gypsies who live on their boats in this area. The woman was very friendly and the kids were all smiling. What can one do? I bought the shell and gave them some biscuits, soap and shampoo which they seemed happy with.

They had not been gone long, when the wind started to pick up and within about half an hour a very intense squall blasted the bay. I don’t have an anemometer but it must have been at least F10. Fortunately it lasted less than an hour and much to my relief the anchor held. I had 50m of chain out in 12m of water and would have liked to let out more but it was too strong for me to do anything during the blow. As soon as the wind dropped a bit I put out more chain in case there was more to come. That old ‘stable door’…

I was quite happy that the squall also brought plenty of rain which helped to top up my water tanks.

Tags: Banggi, Kudat
Posted in Cruising | 3 Comments »

Kudat and a Visa Run

Sunday, December 18th, 2022

December 2022

The ‘Duck Pond’ in Kudat is a very sheltered little harbour with a small marina mainly for power boats. It is possible to anchor outside of the marina and take stern lines ashore to the protecting wall that surrounds the ‘pond’. Not terribly exciting but it is a welcome opportunity to just stop for a while and take care of the mounting list of niggling boat jobs.

The harbour is surrounded by an enormous golf course and from my cockpit I can watch the more affluent citizens buzzing past in their golf carts as they proceed to the next hole. All quite civilized and all rather different from my optimistic expectations of Borneo as a land of jungle and longhouses.

The water around the boat comes alive at night with shoals of fish leaping out of the water to escape some bigger predator beneath. From my cockpit during the day I’ve watched two enormous water monitor lizards stealthily looking for prey. One nearly caught a heron that was taking a break perched on a floating bamboo near to Speedwell. The bird just managed to lift off out of danger as the monitor made a treacherous lunge at him.

The small town of Kudat is a 20 minute walk away and has a very good fresh food market. The old part of town has some jam-packed traditional Chinese-style shops selling an amazing variety of stuff. The other end of town is more modern and has pleasant pedestrian areas with places to sit and relax.

Lots of small restaurants and coffee shops. Although, it took me a little while to understand the local coffee scene. In most parts of the world these days there is a bewildering choice of coffees and all I ever want is a simple black. Maybe a little sugar. I have found that the magic word is ‘Americano’. That usually gets me what I’m after. Not so in Malaysia. But at last I have learnt that here the thing to ask for is Kopi-0. The 0 presumably indicating no extras. Although a little sugar is part of the deal anyway.

The fishing harbour is always busy and crowded with boats supplying the big fish-market with an amazing variety of seafood. Small fish are quite artistically displayed in shining arrangements. Shrimp, squid, shark, rays, parrot fish, eels, tuna and so much more. All rather horrifying to a committed vegetarian (who does also occasionally eat fish).

My 90 day visa for Malaysia was due to expire in mid-December and as extensions are not easily given I decided to take a quick trip to Manila in the Philippines and hope for another 90 days on my return. Speedwell was safe and secure in the Duck Pond and friends on neighbouring boats would keep an eye on things. To add to my peace of mind I had also been able to seal some annoying deck leaks which had started to become a problem in the frequent torrential rain. I would have preferred to sail the fairly short, roughly 200 nm, distance to Puerto Princessa on Palawan but it would have been extremely difficult against the prevailing NE monsoon winds which had started to blow consistently and strongly. Not to mention a daunting SW trending current. And remembering that sailing to windward is not Speedwell’s strongest point.

All went according to plan and I spent an interesting week in Manila after a short flight from Kota Kinabalu. I stayed at the Malate Pensionne which is a very reasonably priced, old-style hotel in a convenient district. The interior was cool and fairly dark with solid wood panelling and floors. A security guard posted at the entrance kept undesirables at bay. The pleasant staff made for a very happy stay there.

Each day I walked through the crazily busy streets to visit the recommended tourist attractions. The impressive old Fort Santiago in Intramuros, the old walled part of the city, conjured up visions of a Spanish colonial past. Rizal Park is a big open area in the city and a nice place to get some street food and find a bench at lunch time. If I was lucky I could finish before the afternoon rain started. I also visited three magnificent museums clustered around the park.

The Museums of Fine Arts, Anthropology and Natural History are all in massive five-storey buildings which were destroyed during the Battle of Manila when American forces bombed them to defeat the Japanese occupying forces at the end of WWII. Photos show how they were totally ruined. Now they have been rebuilt and boast acres of gleaming marble, exquisite parquet floors and an awe-inspiring atrium in the Natural History Museum. Entrance is free but strictly controlled and I had to show ID and proof of full Covid vaccination. No food or even bottled water allowed inside.

A short walk in the opposite direction from the hotel took me through Manila’s Korea Town and down to the shore. An attractive ‘Bay Walk’ is still in the process of construction but I was able to walk along to get a look at the Manila Marina. Then back to a section where all plastic and other garbage has been cleared away and an artificial Dolomite beach has been created to provide a pleasant place to sit and watch the sunset. Access to the beach is as strictly controlled as at the museums. No food, no swimming…just sit and look at the sea, imported sand and the sunset when it comes. For all that, it is rather beautiful.

The traffic in the city is amazingly chaotic with a jumbled mass of cars, trucks, jeepneys, motorcycle- and bicycle rickshaws, tuk-tuks and of course jay-walking pedestrians. I am a self-confessed caffeine junky and I needed something stronger than the hotel provided. Disappointingly all the local coffee places only seemed to open at about 10 so I frequented a handy MacDonalds situated on a busy street corner where I could usually find a seat at the window to watch the passing parade as I re-caffeinated. Just opposite was ‘Robinsons Mall’ which is probably the biggest that I have ever experienced. The very well stocked supermarket had me considering doing some serious grocery shopping and paying for extra luggage in the hold on my return flight. Common-sense prevailed.

The return trip went without a hitch and I am now happily back on Speedwell with another 90 days in Malaysia.

Tags: Kudat, Manila
Posted in Borneo, Cruising, Malaysia, Philippines | 2 Comments »

Leaving Sarawak

Saturday, November 5th, 2022

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
Posted in Borneo, Cruising, Malaysia | 3 Comments »

Trying for the Rajang Delta

Monday, October 10th, 2022

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
Posted in Borneo, Cruising, Malaysia | 1 Comment »

Serasan to Santubong and Kuching

Sunday, October 2nd, 2022

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.

Posted in Cruising, Indonesia, Malaysia | 2 Comments »

Pulau Serasan, Last Stop in Indonesia

Wednesday, September 14th, 2022

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
Posted in Cruising, Indonesia | 4 Comments »

On to Belitung

Friday, August 19th, 2022

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.

Posted in Cruising, Indonesia | 4 Comments »

Bali to Bawean

Saturday, August 13th, 2022

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.

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Leaving Lombok

Thursday, July 28th, 2022

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
Posted in Cruising, Indonesia | 2 Comments »