Speedwell of Hong Kong

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 »