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.
