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The Voyages of SV Island Time;

     18-22^nd April 2012

Hello from Tarakan, our first official “Downunder Rally” stop. Tarakan is small oil rich border town, the seascape is dotted with oil rigs, and on land small “donkey style “oil pumps appear everywhere.  We arrived late afternoon but had to wait for all the officials to come and clear our boat – 12 people in total on our little boat clambering everywhere! We had forgotten what a novelty we are as “white faced yachties” to the locals and they all wanted photos of us and the boat. Our “Downunder Rally” organizer had everything sorted for us with officialdom so no problems there and when we got ashore nibbles and drinks provided as we were all hot and tired in this doldrums area.

I have been feeling extremely hot and bothered the last couple of days, and a bit run down I think with an ear infection,  on top of this I came out in a sweat rash/prickly heat, and ulcers all over my tongue. The last few stops in Malaysia had been rushed stops with lots of heavy lifting of fuel and water/groceries onto the boat my shoulders and neck sore were aching as well.  Matt has been having haemorrhoid issues again, is itchy from bites and had lots of boat jobs to do again recently in the heat - so we were both feeling a bit irritated with each other. Anyway I read up my Ships Doctors book about prickly heat which recommended “removing patient to an air-conditioned room”, and for my arthritic neck and shoulder rest so decided that when we arrived here it was time for a “boat holiday” and some down time in the cool of a hotel along with a visit to a Doctor. The sailing rally organizer (Raymond Lesmana) sorted a hotel for us. Very comfortable -big bed, cool room, nice food and I had a massage the 1st night so slept much better. We went to the Doctor the next morning, both of us coming away with medication. He recommended I will need to see an ear specialist again when we get back to NZ, as I have been having lots of on-going issues in this department in recent months. Another night here in the hotel and perhaps we will be both feeling happier.

We came briefly back out to the boat last night to get some things, only to discover the freezer did not work! (The electric one is OK, it is the engine driven one again) Matt stayed behind from the group dinner (BBQ fish) and removed the expansion valve (whatever that is!) cleaned it, re-gassed the unit, and seems all well again. That is good, but we did not need this in the heat here, with the freezer jam-packed with goodies to get us back to NZ.  It is up to 35 in the day, and thirty at night, and very humid. It is almost too hot to do anything! Anyway, we had another night in the hotel - somewhat shorter, due to Matt’s late night working on the freezer!

We joined the rally group the following day for a tour of the highlights of Tarakan. First stop was the inner city Mangrove and Proboscis Monkey reserve, which is an oasis for the monkeys, crabs, tree snakes and ‘Ikan Temakul” a fish exclusive to the Kalimantan area that crawls over mudflats on its fins.

We then did the WWII museum housed in a disused Australian Army bunker (see pic).  It housed a small but interesting display of memorabilia, and historic photograph display of the development of Tarakan as an oil town

Whilst we were here the skies opened up and it poured with rain, it was decided a stop at a local Kopi (coffee) house was in order before we headed off to the next destination. We enjoyed some good hot coffee here and a variety of steamed buns.

The rain eased and we continued our travels to a replica traditional style village with representatives from the local tribe, along with a Sanpan boat moored in the manmade lake.

Following this visit the bus took us out past the new mosque under construction to the WWII gun emplacements with a pretty view out over the sea. Then this was followed with a few stops to pick up supplies (beer and groceries) and more money for our on-going travels– you can easily go through a million rupiah in a day ($150NZD), and most ATM's only issue a maximum of 1.25million rupiah at a time.

That evening the Sail to Indonesia group were hosted by the Major of Tarakan to a meal, cultural show and song and dance evening. The food was good, speeches not too long and translated into both languages – it was a fun night out and not too late.

Our last day was spent picking up our fuel supplies, fresh fruit and vege, laundry, port clearance documents, and for Matt and I some time at an internet hotspot updating the website. Our final meal here was a renowned crab restaurant where we ate our fill of crab served in a variety of styles. We enjoyed our 4 day/5 night stop here in Tarakan, Indonesia . Although we don’t speak much Indonesian the locals have bent over backwards to help and accommodate us making us feel most welcome. They are intrigued and interested in our lifestyle – they have been incredibly hospitable.   It has been great to have the rally organising team here sorting our documentation, fuel, water, laundry, shopping taking us on guided tours and out to the best local eateries, or sorting whatever our needs are. It takes so much hassle out. The last couple of weeks getting here have been rushed to make the deadline with the pressure on to keep moving along. It’s been nice to have been in one place for more than a couple of days, and the hotel stay was just what we needed – a holiday from the boat!!!

10^th-12^th April 2012

Sandakan (population 470,000 approx.) harbor is at the end of another large river delta so the water is dirty and brown. We could smell the pollution, and see the rubbish floating out from the harbor and river delta for miles before we arrived! It seems the harbor is used as the local tip, even though the city streets themselves were clean and tidy. If you ignored the rubbish, our arrival up the river and into this port city was quite picturesque as you sailed past a large rocky island that was formerly a leper colony/WWII Prisoner of War Camp with the city emerging behind it as you went further into the harbour.  Matt said the rock “reminded him of Ayers Rock in Australia.” Both the yacht Gypsy Rose and ourselves both had issues with sucking up rubbish into our engine water intakes, which required changing water pump impellers and a swim over the side – in the filthy water - not pleasant!

On arrival we anchored outside the Sandakan Yacht Club, as there are no marina facilities here. It is a local drinking spot/club for this predominately Muslim area where alcohol is forbidden. It has a nice little swimming pool, ablutions block, restaurant, and is very cruiser friendly. For a small fee ($30 NZ for the year), we were granted free use of the facilities along with a free club hat and polo shirt. The staff were most helpful and attentive. This is also the only recommended secure anchorage here in Sandakan, as it is right beside the marine police base. Never the less, a yacht was robbed here last week!  The waterways are frantic with a variety of vessels from large ships, fishing vessels coming in at all hours of the day and night along with local fishermen from the nearby fishing villages and the nearby Philippines. It is renowned for being rife with opportunist petty thieves (see above) who will stealthily climb aboard your boat at night when you are sound asleep and take what they can find, especially electronic goods. Thankfully the police and yacht club security staff keep an eye out for you and your belongings.

Unfortunately with the pressure on to meet the start of the “Downunder Rally” date in Indonesia mid-April it is a very quick 2 night stop here to refuel and get fresh supplies before the next leg down to Tawau.  Sadly not much extra time for sightseeing , however we did manage part of a historic walking city tour , and visited the historic Agnes Keith House with English style restaurant and gardens that overlook the city. Agnes Keith was an American who came to Sandakan in the 1930’s and wrote 3 books about her and her husbands’

experiences here in the early 1930’s as the first Forest Conservator for Borneo, their years as POW’s during WWII, and their return to and rebuilding of their lives and house following the devastation of WWII. The two story-wooden villa has now been renovated as a tourist attraction with Museum, and English style restaurant with the waitresses wearing colonial style serving staff uniforms.

Ivan and Cheryl from the yacht Thumbs Up have purchased all 3 books and are sharing them around the 4 boats we are now travelling with to the “Downunder” Indonesian Rally start.

12-15^th April 2012

After leaving Sandakan we were soon back in cleaner waters so decided to put out a fishing lines like all the local boats around us. Around mid-morning we caught the first fish we have caught (on a line) since leaving New Zealand 2 years ago! There was enough fish to offer to feed the group of 4 yachts we are travelling with along this coast. (10 people)!

n a lagoon at the Mouth of the Kanabatangan River at top North Western point of Kalimantan, Malaysia (old Borneo), where you can apparently  see Pygmy elephants, Rhinos, crocodiles, monitor lizards, otters, many tropical birds and even orangutans and Proboscis Monkey’s  that come out of the jungle and along to the river around dawn and dusk.  We anchored in the swiftly moving river, and were about to launch our dingy and head to the yacht Thumbs Up which was the designated “Party Boat” that night for the fish BBQ, when down the river we observed a small floating island of palm fronds coming down the river aiming directly at us!  (see pic opposite) Thankfully it missed all four yachts and happily continued its way out to sea. We did see a number of these in the river, and out at sea along this coast.  

Our next stop was into a quiet little bay called “Dent Haven”, which hooks into the mainland. We anchored under a cell phone tower and managed to get internet and catch up on our mail. The following day we headed down to Gaya Island, which is part of the Marine Reserve area around the world famous dive area of Semporna, and the outlying island of Sipadan. Gaya is a pretty turquoise coloured  reef with high rocky bush clad hills coming right out of the sea in a horse shoe shape. We enjoyed a cool night here with a good breeze flowing through the boat , making sleeping much easier.

The next day was interesting weaving through the narrow passage between the mainland of Malaysian Kalimantan, the fishing village of Semporna, and various island and coral cays in the National Marine Park area.

After passing through this channel we ended up anchoring off in the shelter of a submerged reef. Following  being checked out by the local marine Police boat,  Matt and I enjoyed a snorkel to the reef and viewing a wide variety of colored coral. Then we came back to Island Time and gave her a clean and polish of the hull which had become discolored after staying in the dirty waters at Sandakan. We ended the day with sunset drinks onboard the yacht ‘Gypsy Rose’.

15-17 April 2012

On again down the coast on the morning of the 15^th in very light conditions. It certainly feels like we are sailing in the “land below the wind”, as they say -blue skies, calm seas and very light breezes.  An interesting sight was passing a group of fishing/squid boats anchored miles off the coast over a low lying coral bommie. After a night of fishing that they were anchored at this location in the middle of the day getting their sleep before heading out again for more squid again at night.

The sailing in this region has been in flat calm conditions with very little wind (under 5 knots) and so to cover the distances we need to travel it has been mostly motorsailing. We have undertaken lots of repair work and cleaning jobs while we have been going along in the cool of our self made breeze and feel Island Time is Ship shape and organized for her return down under.

Tawau is our last Malaysian port before we head across the border to Tarakan, on the Indonesian side of Borneo (approx. 82 nautical miles away).  The yacht club here (no marina again but an idyllic sheltered anchoring spot), is the local drinking hole for the mainly Chinese people in this town. The club is super organized, clean and tidy with a full bar, internet, gym, sauna, steam room, pool, pool table and tennis courts, along with a yummy cheap Chinese restaurant. The yacht club committee, management and the youth training squad (racing optimists, lasers and 420's) were all incredibly friendly, helpful and informative. We thoroughly enjoyed our very brief stay here while we resupplied before crossing the border to Indonesia. The town is also clean, tidy, well laid out and organized so easy to find your way around and not too far to walk from the centrally located yacht club. Tawau is recognized as the “Cocoa Capital of Asia”, and has a big Cocoa factory which I was hoping to see but we didn’t get time to do (when I learned from the locals that it only produces Cocoa Powder and not chocolate I wasn’t so disappointed!). On our last night at the yacht club I was plied with several offers of drinks by the locals at the bar so went to bed very relaxed and happy!!!

7-9 April 2012

Our 3 day and 2 night coastal passage to Sandakan was a very easy motor sail in flat, calm conditions with very little wind, but just enough to keep you cool. Having spent the last few weeks a bit marina/land bound sailing up the East side of Malaysian Borneo where there are many large rivers that are full of lots of tree debris and brown silted water from the deforestation that stain and litter the sea with rubbish for quite a few miles off the coast, so not very inviting to swim in.   It was fabulous to be back in clean, clear waters again weaving our way in and out of the numerous little islands and coral reefs. I enjoyed some snorkelling and saw a beautiful coral garden and tropical fish life at the anchorage stops. Matt spent one afternoon re-plumbing one of our toilet breather lines – the vented loop on the outflow pipe was leaking bad odours into the boat. It now breathes through a through hull fitting, so that any odours released go outside!  

28^th March -7^th April 2012

It was a 2 day coastal passage from Kota Kinabalu to the top of Borneo and around to Kudat, with an overnight stop at the offshore island of Mantanani. We hoped to get a nice island anchorage here after being marina bound for the last couple of weeks. When we arrived at this island mid afternoon we found it difficult to find a sheltered anchorage due the wind conditions, sea state. The next location for a possible anchorage was back inwards the main coast of Borneo several hours away. We eventually found a location off the long coral reef at the end of the Island. It was a bit roly at first in the afternoon breeze, but it did settle down overnight.  We had a swim and gave the bottom of the boat a bit of a wipe down of underwater growth after it had sat in the marina at Kota Kinabalu for a couple of weeks. That evening we enjoyed a very enjoyable BBQ meal in the fading light of a glorious sunset, and then enjoyed an outdoor movie on our computer in the comfort and cool breeze in the cockpit – a lovely way to end a day sail.

The next day we headed around the top most northern point of Borneo. We sailed through a passage between a nearby outlying island (Kalampunian) and the main coast of Borneo to the little town of Kudat. Kudat has a very secure and sheltered anchorage called the “Duck Pond” that we have been told about by other yachties. That afternoon as we sailed along the coast we sailed through several torrential afternoon heat rainstorms that reduced visibility to 100metres at times. It did however fill up our spare water cans on the deck from the improvised rain collection system Matt made which is a good thing.  

By the time we needed to anchcor in the Duck Pond” at Kudat the weather had cleared up.

The “Duck Pond” is a very sheltered anchorage/proposed marina location at Kudat. Yachts simply tie up stern to the sea wall at this stage, and at present there are currently no other facilities available. However they are currently driving in the pile moorings for the marina berths, so there was lots of large banging noises and vibration going on with this process.  Because it is so sheltered there is very little airflow here, especially mid morning before the sea breeze starts. It is fortunate the hotel next door is very yachtie friendly and happy for us to use their pool; we support them of course by buying food and drink. Have been spending large parts of the day poolside to escape the heat (35 deg C + in the day, around 30 at night, very high humidity). The hotel manager is involved with the local Tai Chi and Yoga classes and we have participated in those, as we have both feeling our flexibility is much reduced with our current cruising lifestyle.

Kudat is a very small town (you can walk the old and new town sections in about 10 mins each!), with not many local attractions/sightseeing available unless you like golf. There is a very pretty but quite a challenging golf course that backs onto the marina and hotel complex. Whilst we were here filling in time before we had to drive back to attend a meeting in Kota Kinabalu about the Indonesian Sailing Rally we are doing from mid-April to July, Matt did some work on our refrigeration system which has had a few glitches lately – mostly just being low on gas again - thankfully he now seems to have this sorted. With our freezer now jammed packed with 

food to get us through our sailing passage in the upcoming months through Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon’s where supplies will be hard to source it would be very sad and expensive to lose/replace all this food.

On the 5-6^th April we had an enjoyable overnight trip back to Kota Kinabalu for the Indonesian sailing rally meeting. As you couldn’t hire a car directly in Kudat we hired a taxi mini van and driver to get the group of 8 of us from 4 different yachts that are doing the rally and are currently in Kudat to get us there. It was a 3 hour trip with the road rather washed out in places as they try to repair damage from the last wet season in time for the next! They don’t have precast concrete culverts etc to use here so are having to use manual labour, using shutters and making up iron reinforced bar frames before pouring in concrete to form them so the repair job is a long slow process.

Disappointingly the meeting in Kota Kinabalu turned out to be an organisational flop (not that this was totally unexpected from our previous organisational experiences of Sail Indonesia we must say). When we arrived at the hotel we asked about location of meeting, having previously been informed of a time to be there but not a meeting room location. The hotel staff knew nothing about it! When we got hold of the organiser he informed us the meeting had been postponed from 2.30pm till 5pm, and to gather at hotel restaurant. Matt headed out to the marina office to pick up his new electronic chart update software package that had been delivered there, and then enjoyed some air-con time in the comfort of the hotel room updating his computer while I enjoyed the hotel pool facilities. Late afternoon we dressed up for the meeting having been told that a number of dignitaries/Minister of Tourism etc were going to be in attendance.  However in the end only the organiser and one minister came to the so called technical/publicity briefing. The meeting itself was a very casual and short update, question and answer session of the rally event before the minister and organiser went off to another meeting with other local dignitaries for later in the evening! Most of our meeting could have been covered by email without the expense for many of us coming back to Kota Kinabalu or held at Tarakan where all the yachties will be present prior to leaving mid April. On the plus side we enjoyed the break from sweltering Kudat, the luxury of hotel accommodation along with a fabulous buffet breakfast with a large and varied selection of foods from Asia, Indian and western countries. We made the most of the decent free internet coverage as well updating our computers and having skype catchups with various family and friends. We also treated ourselves to another lovely meal at our favourite Italian restaurant here in Kota Kinabalu. Before heading back to Kudat we filled the mini van up fresh groceries ready for our next passage - to Sandakan.

18-28^th March 2012

Kota Kinabalu is our last major city and marina stop before we head off to the more remote locations/countries that we will be travelling through over the next 6 months or so. Our main priority here is to ensure we have all the goodies and things we need before we leave for more barren destinations. Kota Kinabalu, the capital of the Malaysian state of Sabah, was prior to WWII known as Jesseltown. It was completely destroyed except for one building during the Japanese occupation in WWII. As a result it is now quite a modern city but is somewhat lacking in character with a haphazard and uncoordinated design and layout from its rapid rebuild after WWII.

The marina here is a high end resort, and country club facility. It has numerous pools to chose from, a gym, sauna, cinema room, spa facility, badminton and tennis courts, a bowling alley, numerous restaurants, karaoke, a variety of speed boat water sports that you can do along with a top class golf course –in fact whatever you want they can organise! That being said it is all pretty pricey for our budget, and the food is not particularly startling for the money. All the same we did enjoy the upmarket location and made good use of the pools with the free unlimited free water supply, Island Time got a good cleanup while we were here.

 On arrival here we found ourselves berthed beside the catamaran Orono 1, which belonged to a family we had known through the Sail Indonesia Rally in 2010. They are now living here in Kota Kinabalu, and have put their two children into school.  When we caught up with them they offered to take us round town and show us the better shopping places, which was very useful. They also offered to pay Matt for doing some work on their boat computer system so this kept him busy for a few days and put of extra cash into our pockets :-)

While here we took a day trip out to Mount Kinabalu -the highest mountain in Malaysia. We did a circuit trip there and back managing to catch glimpses of the Mountain in the morning as it peaked out of the clouds, before it was totally shrouded in a layer of cloud by the afternoon. It was dramatic but stark vista, but also seemed to be somewhat menacing in its appearance.

At the National Park Headquarters we did a couple of easy walks around the base of the mountain. Sadly in typical Malaysian style with nothing ever maintained once it is completed and so the place was pretty rundown, with neglected tracks, poor signposting, map layouts and with no information centre.  Really it quite disappointing as it has so much potential with its designation as a world heritage site. However that being said the walk we did was incredibly green and mossy with great biodiversity of plant life, and enjoyed the cooler climate. The drive through the mountains took us through interesting local habitats and market gardens terraced on the hillsides. We purchased some fresh produce from the roadside stalls which was beautifully presented and very tasty.

 On our way back we eventually found the memorial site and gardens at Kundasang. This was one end of the Sandakan Death Marches during WWII. This site had been recommended to us by other yachties as well worth a visit.

Towards the end of WWII the British and Australian POW’s were forced by the Japanese to do these long marches under atrocious conditions, and when they were already in poor health after their time already spent in the POW camps. Out of 2400 men only 6 survived, due to the fact that they successfully escaped, and were hidden by local Malay families until the final surrender of the Japanese.  In recent times it has been lovingly restored as a memorial site with 3 uniquely planted and themed gardens to represent the British, Australian POW’s, and Malay families that assisted the escapees. There was also a room with an interesting documentary video giving an overview of what happened, along with detailed information boards. It was a surprisingly emotional and stirring site to visit. A very bad time for the mainly Ausy soldiers, being their worst military losses ever. 99.7 percent. A real black mark in Japanese history.

 

Our return trip back we drove over a windy and at times narrow, poorly maintained road with patches of low cloud and rain that at one stage that made driving very treacherous. Finally on our safe arrival back in Kota Kinabalu we found a fabulously delicious Italian restaurant for a meal that was a real treat - with the best fresh bread we have tasted in a long, long time.  This has become our favourite eating place in Kota Kinabalu. (Its called Little Italy)

Another day trip experience we had in during our time here was to the nearby Ko Lawi wildlife park. It looked quite impressive on the outside with a flash entrance ticketing, carpark, shop/gift area. However once inside we found many of the main animal enclosures could have done with upgrading and given larger spaces for the captive animals to roam in. Perhaps the whole place is slowly being upgraded from the entrance first, but it would have been good to see the animal areas done before the people places in our view. That being said the staff were very friendly and seemed to be genuinely interested in the animals. The wildlife/bird show was quite entertaining and well put together.  I got selected to participate in the show with the Macaw parrots which I’m sure my parrot mad daughter Sue at home in NZ would have been pleased to see.

15-18^th March 2012

After the uncomfortable conditions of the previous day, it was a pleasant ½ day up to the Island of Labuan (just off the coast of Brunei). This is another Malaysian duty free Island that we wanted to make the most of for replenishing our alcohol supplies. Being a largely Muslim region getting alcohol is generally not easy to source and usually very expensive, so worthwhile stocking up when you can. We had to anchor in the busy port area as the marina here is closed and under repair. There is lots of traffic as the port is used as a service port and shipyard for the large oil well industry in this area. Also there are numerous ferries coming in from Brunei and Malaysia to obtain duty free supplies, cruise ships and many small local fishing vessels from nearby fishing village (where they have their houses built on silts over the water).

We did hire a car from a local for the day to enable us to tour around the islands highlights (there are no hire cars on this small island only taxis). Our only request was that it have airconditioning however when it arrived it turned out to be a bit of a wreck, and although it did have airconditioning like we had specifically asked one of the windows wouldn’t windup, so it wasn’t terribly effective. Also the suspension was broken making for a rather uncomfortable ride with 4 of us in it. However there weren’t many options so we made the most of having it.

26^th Feb-13^th March 2012

Miri is an oil industry service town with a mix of ex-pats and locals, and large range of buildings -from simple shacks, to high rises and very salubrious homes. The marina here is secure and one of the few in Malaysia we have come across that is properly constructed. Unfortunately it seems the money for the marina development ran out before proper office and ablution blocks could be completed. The toilets and showers are in a container shed and the office is a 5 min drive away in another block of shops. There are a number of yachties here who have been here for some time - they are very friendly, knowledgeable and helpful about the area. After securing our marina berth it was a relaxed afternoon to recover from our overnight passage and drama of hitting something in the dark of night.

We organised a hire car the next day with Thumbs Up and headed into town to get our bearings, some money and a meal at a friendly outdoor cafe called Ming. (Ming was recommended in lonely Planet). The next day I did a bit of on-line research and bookings to get us organised for a trip to the World Heritage National Park of Gunning Mulu, which has been highly recommended to us. It requires flying in and out and there is very limited accommodation available at the park so you have to book ahead.

 Cheryl and I left the lads to do “boat jobs” and we headed into the local markets to get fresh fruit and vege supplies, and also found a good mall and supermarket. Matt finished off servicing the toilet pump, did Engine Oil and Refrigeration Anode changes and checked the Keel bolts. In the light of the early evening we all headed into town to have a walk around the Civic Fan gardens, which are quite interesting, having a varied formal layout and style. Following our evening stroll we went back to the Ming restaurant we had enjoyed the other day.

On the 29^th Feb we had a day’s outing into the Niah National Park and caves approximately 100kms out of Miri. This cave area is of particular interest to archaeologists, who in 1958 discovered evidence of human occupation dating back some 40,000 years.  It is dubbed as the cradle of human civilisation in the region.  The vegetation is dense with the call and sounds of the wildlife surrounding you and following your progress as you transverse the raised boardwalk.

On reaching the cave entrance you pass through what is known as the ‘Traders Cave’ where bird’s nest and guano collectors used to carry out their transactions. This is followed by the Great Cave which is 250 metres wide at the entrance and up to 60 metres high. The track meanders through the cave and past various rock formations and overhead vents where the sunlight penetrates the cave gloom. Bamboo platform constructions reach up to the ceiling that the locals use to collect Swiftlet bird nests for the Chinese delicacy ‘Birds Nest Soup’. Matt and I also headed down a rickety and very dilapidated board walk a further 1.4 kms to the painted cave, which was is a burial site with some rock drawings, and remnants of tribal boat coffins, which were used to send the spirits off in.

We had sore legs by the end of the 10k walk, which included many steps up through the caves. It’s been a while since we walked that distance in our current lifestyle. Got a freshwater tropical shower on the way out which helped clean us up from the bat and bird shit, and helped to freshen us up a bit.

Another couple of boat job days along with outings to locate various bits and pieces. We also paid a visit to the Petroleum Museum up on Canada Hill behind the town. The best part about it was the views over the countryside and coastline. The museum itself although only 7 years old and quite a grandly styled architectural structure was in true Malaysian style badly dilapidated with no upkeep. Many of the interactive exhibits did not work, and there were rain puddles on the floor- it was disappointing.

The 4^th March we headed out for another exploration of a local National Park –Lambir Hills. We did the waterfall track which was short and pretty but water conditions not particularly inviting for a swim. So we then decided to do the loop track back to the headquarters. After a climb up a path of 120 steps to the sign posted canopy tower we discovered it had been closed and partially dismantled as it was no longer safe. We completed the remaining loop track in just under 3 hours. However it was quite a walk clambering up and down hillsides, with the shallow tree roots acting as steps. The humidity was very high on this day and we certainly had quite a workout on this trail getting our heart rates up and the sweat pouring out of us. We slept well that night!

7-9^th March we flew out for our 3 day/2 night stay at the World Heritage Gunung Mulu National Park. We stayed in the park in nice bungalows and got to visit the four “show” caves. Each cave has quite unique with different features. One of the most famous and unique features is the rock formation in Deer cave which resembles the profile of the former American President - Abraham Lincoln. (see pic below). Lang Cave has numerous stalactites and stalagmites formations to admire and see different images in like the jellyfish, mushrooms, Chinese emperors.

 We had a local boat trip ride up Wind and Clearwater caves, where the rainforest drips down into the water beside you as you journeyed up the river. Clearwater cave is a large cavern that has been formed by an underwater river with crystal clear water that we got to enjoy a most refreshing and cool swim in. Another highlight of this park is the early evening bat exodus, with approx. 3 million bats leaving the cave most evenings in search of food. They look like a trail of smoke as they fly out the cave entrance in a number of wave formations. We also completed a tree canopy walk which gives you quite a different outlook and perspective. While doing this we got to see several young tree lizards and witnessed their amazing colour transformation, to suit the environment (green amongst the leaves, brown on the planks). We unfortunately missed out of doing a night walk which is the time when the wildlife comes alive, due to torrential rain. The park information centre was very well done and informative with several good video’s to watch.

We enjoyed our time in Gunung Mulu National Park. The park is managed by an Australian couple and is extremely well run, organised and maintained. It certainly stands out as an example to other Malaysian parks on how to do the job properly.

Following our return from the National Park we were just waiting for a suitable weather window to head up the coast further. We have decided to give Brunei a miss (we have already seen the highlights of here during our stopover back to NZ December 2010 anyway). Also it would avoid doing another customs and immigration procedures, and we have been advised that the opportunity to buy cheap fuel in Brunei has now become a very difficult process for non-nationals, making it not worth the effort. We finally got away on the 13^th March, planning to do an overnight sail to the duty free Island of Labuan off the coast of Brunei.

21-26^th February 2012

After a delayed start in getting away from Kuching, as Ivan from the yacht Thumbs Up couldn’t start his motor that morning – a dead solenoid. Fortunately Matt had a spare one and did a repair job for them, but it meant we arrived at the Rajang River mouth (in the dark) following a full day trip up the coast from Kuching. Not the best of scenario’s entering an unfamiliar river bar at dark, but with our forward sounding sonar we are able to accurately read the contours and depth of the sea/river bed along with radar to see the coastline and other boat traffic we were able to safely make the entrance.

 On waking the next morning it was wet with poor visibility so we decided to delay further travel and have a lazy day. However Matt ended up doing yet another toilet repair job when the seal of our rear toilet failed!  We did have a lovely BBQ meal that evening with a lovely sunset over the river mouth, and saw fireflies flitting around the boat in the night light.  This was quite exciting as I’ve never seen then before. The next day following a pleasant relaxed special breakfast to start our 27^th Wedding Anniversary day (23^rd Feb), we headed further up the river system. We passed tribal longhouses, a variety of river traffic and dodged lots of logs. Our navigation computer died 20 mins after starting the trip, so I had to drive and navigate while Matt worked on the computer to get it running again. When we got to the anchor point we had the added bonus of internet reception to pick up anniversary messages. It is amazing that even in these remote river passages we have cell phone internet coverage!  Had planned to have an el fresco cockpit meal and drink of wine to celebrate our day, but the mozzies were so fierce we had to hide below instead! 

It was the last leg of our inland river passage today. This morning we joined another river that exits out to the coast it has been interesting seeing the local boats plying the waterway, the community longhouses which have up to 100 rooms, and we have even seen some rare Irrawaddy river dolphins.  There are supposed to be croc’s in these waterways also but haven’t seen anything, perhaps because it is quite a busy river highway. The locals standing fishing in the water so can’t be too much of a problem.

Unfortunately our navigation computer packed up again this morning shortly after starting, Matt was quickly able to get one of our others connected, and once we were anchored just inside the river mouth exit he spent more time investigating the problem. It turned out that the cooling fan was overheating after a short time and stopping/slowing the computers processing. This has now been cleaned out and hopefully will continue to work properly now without stopping.  Following that he cleaned out the inlet hoses on the front toilet, which had some sort of our blockage (smelt like a dead fish!). It seems our toilet issues are never ending, and not one of Matt’s favourite jobs!

 It has been an interesting change taking Island Time up a river system, and certainly a change from doing sea coastal passages. The currents running up and down the river with the tides are quite something – up to 5 knots we have had at times. We have had to clear away river debri/logs that have piled up against our anchor chain. Back out to sea again tomorrow for an overnight passage up to Miri, the next main port.  

25 and 26 Feb, Rajang River to Miri

Left at first light in fog. Less than 100m visibility, so radar on. The tide changed as predicted and gave us a ride out to the outer bar, 16nm from the actual river mouth! That is the end of the delta and the "dangerous shallows" which can be broken water. Nothing like that today, and very light winds (again), so still motoring. We have to be at Miri between 12 and 4pm tomorrow to get in as the entry s shallow, so we have to maintain a 6.2knt average. The wind is helping, blowing first from the SE at about 4 knots, then slowly during the day moving around to be a NW! This is supposed to be the NE trade season, but as we are travelling NE, anything other than that is good! We had a good day and on into the night. The wind stayed at NW, about 8 Knots into the night. Lots of lighting, fortunately none of it close. However, at about 1am there was a great crash, quickly followed by another. We had hit some semi floating object. It was enough to temporarily slow to boat from 7 odd knots to 1!! A quick check revealed no water coming in, but on inspection of the engine bay we found a broken engine mount. Engine off, engine mount removed (after lashing the engine in place)  to discover a broken bolt. Fortunately we had a replacement, so after about an hour we were off again. Made Miri marina about 12:30 pm today.  We'll be here about a week I guess...

10-13^th Feb 2012

We had a very pleasant 3 day passage from Singapore to Kuching. We had two days of good tropical sailing conditions with 10-15 knots of wind, generally with a bit of rain. Leaving the coast of Singapore was very interesting with the city landscape and skyline as a backdrop while we weaved our way through the complex shipping channels surrounding this world shipping hub. Matt reckons we must have passed at least 1000 ships of all shapes, sizes and condition sitting at anchor while we passed along the coast.

We arrived at Kuching around midday on the 13^th, after making our way about 14 km’s up the river to the town and marina area. The river made for an interesting trip with numerous ships ploughing the waterway, industry and power stations along the riverbanks. As it is the monsoon season here at present the water is littered with logs and rubbish that is being washed out to sea. The marina which is located on the edge of town  is subject to the tidal current and river flow. During spring tides the current can run at a speed of up to 6 knots (12 Km’s), rubbish that is flowing down the river piles up around your boat, including whole palm trees with root and all as you can see in this picture on the right.

13-20^th February

We tied up safely at the marina and then located, and completed the necessary documentation with immigration, customs and the harbour master. We got caught in the afternoon tropical monsoonal downpour so had fresh water showers to clean ourselves up in.
The next day after an enjoyable sleep following our passage we arranged to hire a car through the marina manager here. Unfortunately it broke down at the service station after we filled it up with fuel– a flat battery and alternator that wouldn’t charge it. We had to then wait for another car from the hire company!.Anyway the service station attendants were very helpful and presented my friend (Cheryl from Thumbs Up another yacht that we are travelling with and sharing car hire with), and I with fancy heart shaped Valentines days balloons and took photos of us “old ladies” with them on their cellphones. White tourist faces are a bit of a novelty here!

Once we had another car sorted we headed into the centre of town and got some information from the visitor centre and had a bit of a walk around the riverfront. Then we headed out to the new mall here for dinner and some groceries. They had this cool Valentine ’s Day idea organised by a non-profit group to raise money for heart surgery for locals who can't afford it. They were selling heart cookies and cakes, t/shirts and doing romantic look photos for a small charge. I thought this was a great cause and idea for Valentine’s day and indulged in some of the baking which was delicious I must say.

The next morning we headed back into town and did the the historic inner city/waterfront walking tour outlined in the Lonely Planet guide. We also went to a very interesting Chinese museum about their integration and populating of this area. Approx ¼ of the population here in Kuching are Chinese.

 Following this we found a lovely little riverside restaurant to enjoy lunch. We planned to do a river tour mid-afternoon but it started to rain so decided to postpone that till the next day and headed to the main museum instead. This was a good place to spend a couple of hours while it absolutely poured down with monsoonal rains. It was still raining very hard at 5pm so we decided to head back out to the new shopping mall to see the Star Wars movie (Phantom Menace) that has been re-digitised in 3D

16th Feb -we picked up newly printed boat name cards (much better than our homemade ones that we have run out of). Then did the river cruise in the town centre on one of the local river boats. This was quite relaxing and gives you a different view of the inner city and variety of buildings here.

After an early lunch at a riverfront restaurant we enjoyed so much the day before we headed out to the Sarawak cultural centre.

This centre has an array of the different styles of traditional housing from the various regions, many which are still in use today in Borneo. Each house had members of the “tribe” available to talk you about their way of life, type of house and demonstrations of their art forms and culinary delights which you could buy bags to sample. They also had spear and blow pipe making, spinning top making and games that you could try, as well as local indigenous instruments. At the end there was a 45min cultural show in a lovely air-conditioned theatre which was a nice way to end the afternoon. They explained the dances and each one was nice and short and interesting dance interpretation of cultural event such as wedding/funeral/harvesting.
We returned to town and had a very enjoyable Lebanese meal at a waterfront restaurant which was a nice change in diet options and it was pretty to see the waterfront at night which is lit up with highlight lightening adding to the atmosphere and making the old castle and walkway look very striking.

17th Feb - Ivan (from the yacht Thumbs Up), and Matt want a boat maintenance day today and so Cheryl and I enjoyed a girls shopping day.

18^th Feb – Today we headed out to the Bako National Park, which is a small national park located on a jagged jade peninsula that overlooks the South China Sea only ½ hours drive from Kuching. It has a great bio-diversity and a range of trails.  You take a 20 minute small boat ride out to the park, from the nearby local fishing village passing a variety of fishing boats and net systems.

The rivers in this area are home to crocodiles, but we saw no evidence of them on the busy river highway, only some quite graphic blood and gore pictures displayed in the information centre! However like Australia the crocodiles are now protected in this region and have consequently thrived in recent times, with a rapid increase in the number of deaths in the last 10 years as a consequence.

Once out at the national park we registered at the Headquarters, choosing to do the trail recommended in The Lonely Planet guide that would show us a good variety of plants and wildlife to see. Around the park HQ cafeteria there was a very friendly (and overfed by the tourists), bearded pig that was cruising around the grounds. From here we made our way along the mangrove boardwalk out to the start of our trail out along the peninsula. The “walk” was very interesting with a great variety of flora and fauna to observe including bull ants, swallow and bat caves, long-tailed macaques monkey’s, the rare proboscis monkey, brightly coloured dragonflies and mud crabs.

We enjoyed the exercise however it was more of what I would call a trek than a walk. The trail was only 800 metres with an estimated park walking time of 1 hour which seemed very generous for this distance. However we soon discovered that the at times quite steep rocky and tree root covered path to clamber up, and the humid conditions made for slow going. It did take us 1 hour to complete the 800 metre trail with Ivan and Cheryl (from yacht Thumbs Up), who opted to take a boat ride back to the Headquarters rather than walk back out. Matt and I however walked back completing the trail in 35mins, but we certainly got a good sweat up! We returned back to our yachts just as the late afternoon monsoon torrential downpour started. I had a rain water shower on the back deck and washed my clothes at the same time it was so heavy!

19-20^th February – These two days were spent on boat jobs by the men and shopping expeditions by us women, as well as the necessary port clear out procedures with the officals. Matt did a rigging check and readjustment, as well as checking over the steering system in the sheltered conditions of the marina, also some more repair work on our dingy. He also spent about 1 ½ days helping Ivan on Thumbs Up with various jobs. We want to ensure both boats are fully checked over and well prepared for the trip “Downunder”, as once we leave Malaysia we will be travelling in some very remote and isolated places where getting jobs done and sourcing parts will be very difficult or impossible. There will be no more supermarkets for around 4 months!!! so our boats need to be filled with the necessary food supplies to last during this time.

Kuching means “Cat” in Malay and so there were lots of kitsch style monuments around town at various locations including a Cat Museum that is devoted to all things feline!

Kuching is a historic river town with an interesting mix of old and new. This Malaysian state of Sarawak was originally under the control of the Sultan of Brunei. Following a period of history involving considerable tribal infighting the arrival of James Brooke in 1839 , in his well armed yacht ‘The Royalist’ the Sultan of Brunei asked for his assistance to settle the rebellious tribes. The spears and muskets of the local tribes were no match against James Brooke’s well armed ship and the conflicts soon ended.  As a reward for ‘bringing about the peace’, the Sultan of Brunei awarded James Brooke the status of “White Raja” of Sarawak in 1841. For generations, in fact until the invasion of the Japanese in WWII, this family strongly influenced this area, building and setting up Parliamentary and Court systems, a ship yard along with grand castles to live in.

31^st January -10^th February 2012

After negotiating the busy shipping lanes surrounding the waters of Singapore  (see insert navigation screen pic of a section of the Singapore waterways showing all the ship identification symbols), we arrived safely at the One°15 Marina at Sentosa Island that we had heard rave reports about from other yachties. We completed the necessary arrival and clearance documentation and then headed to the nearby infinity pool for a swim.

It is a very pleasant marina environment here at One°15 Marina, with a free shuttle bus that takes you across the bridge to the main part of Singapore and the shopping centres. Our days here have been spent sourcing the remaining boat parts we require before heading south to the more remote areas again. After numerous reports of burglary off boats in these areas, with opportunist thief’s stealthily coming aboard while you are asleep Matt has made up some stainless steel mesh doors for our main companionway hatch and bars for the hatch above our bed, plus have now secured our spare fuel cans and dingy with locks and wire cable to make our yacht less attractive as a target. We have caught up on some of the latest movies and I have enjoyed time poolside relaxing.

Matt and I had a day at Universal Studio’s to indulge me in my Theme Park thrills. We spent the whole day doing the rides and waiting in the queues. I must say the Los Angeles and Gold Coast Australia Universal Studios parks have much more on offer, but I enjoyed my day out.

We also took a trip to the Night Safari Zoo staying till the close at mid-night. It was interesting to see the nocturnal animals out in their environments at their awake and active time. We saw animals we have never seen before including many varieties of Cerval Cats, Sloth Bears, Pygmy Elephants, Bongo Antelope, Rhinoceros, Slow Lorus. We also paid a visit to the local maritime museum here which was interesting to view as it covered many of the ports we have visited in our travels

29-30^th January 2012

We had a couple of easy day trips with overnight stops at these islands groups. Both are very picturesque and tranquil little islands and were pleasant anchorages to break up the passage before the business of Singapore and the shipping lanes there. There were lots of fishing traps in these waters (little wooden stake structures with a shelter hut or platform on top – see pic), so you had to keep a watchful eye out for these that are scattered down the coastline and are quite difficult to spot until up close. Also there is a myriad of local fishermen out in their little boats with nets and floats strung out for quite a distance. This is one of the reasons you don’t want to sail through these waters at night, as the boats are small and unlit and a real danger to your boat to get caught up in their nets.

23-28^th January 2012

It’s a very nice facility here, as you can see by the pictures. The marina here has a properly built seawall and new docks so is very secure. The staff are all friendly, and the pool is very inviting, shady and cool.  An added bonus on our arrival here was to catch up with the crew from the yacht Whisper HR that we had spent some time with during the Sail Indonesia rally in 2010. During 2011 they did the East Malaysia rally, which is where we are heading next and so we were able to pick their brains for information on the best things to see and do.

Matt has spent time as usual doing boat maintenance including some dingy repair work using some new glue we purchased in Langkawi. Unfortunately there was a particularly potent chemical in one of the solvents that he was using to get rid of the old glue which burnt patches on his skin on his hand, back and thigh. Some of these blistered and so he has been a bit tender and sore on these spots for a few days, but is improving now. He also altered our wet weather cockpit screens so hopefully they won’t drip onto our seating anymore. Waiting for a thunderstorm to test them in now.

26th January 2012

We shared a hire car with Ivan and Cheryl from Thumbs Up for a change of scene and Cheryl was keen to revisit the town before we left this area of Malaysia. It was also a good distraction for Matt as his hand and back have blistered from the burns and so he is a bit tender and sore – he is feeling better today though.

We had a pleasant drive on the side roads from Port Dickson where we are (you get to see more of the real way of life for Malaysians than driving on the toll road) – though I must say the road was a bit beaten up and the hire car we had was a bit dilapidated with little suspension in the back with the four of us in the small car so we felt the bumps very harshly. Anyway it was supposed to be a 45min trip but we got a bit lost so ended up with a scenic detour through some local seaside villages/resort areas. Once we got to the centre of Melaka it was traffic gridlock due to the Chinese New Year celebration holidays here, and Melaka is a popular tourist destination. Anyway we eventually got a park and headed out find a place for some food. We walked along the pathway of the waterway where they have now painted the backs of all the buildings with interesting and bright murals which look great.

However as many Chinese people often take an extended 2 week holiday break during this New Year period – although the official public holiday is only 4 days many of the shops were closed as they are Chinese owned and operated L. We eventually ended up at nice restaurant  called “1673” – the oldest in Jonker Street,  for what turned out to be a very late lunch (3pm). After that we wandered down  Jonker Street some more –but it was hot packed and crowded. I did find a new top to buy however to buyJ Then found a chocolate shop where we indulged in some free tasting, and of course some delectable purchases!  There was lots of interesting signage on the walls about the health benefits of chocolate to make you feel OK about your indulgences!

After that we found a building that was originally built in the 1600’s which had been abandoned during 1990-2005, but has been recently restored. When it was abandoned the local Swiftlet (like swallows) birds started to make it their home building nests in the rafters etc. Swiftlet bird nests are a popular and expensive Asian delicacy,  and so therefore this house was restored without turning the birds away from their new abode. Instead it has been turned into a operational manufacturing and visitor information centre about the processing of the nests for the market place.

We have seen many commercially designed birds nest buildings in Asia but you are not normally allowed inside to disturb the birds as it is such a lucrative business. So it was very interesting to go through this restored house and see the birds in action in this habitat that has been carefully restored around the birds environment. In the wild they live in caves, which are very inaccessible to get to.

It was also interesting to see the very labour intensive manufacturing process to clean the birds’ nests of feathers and dirt, and then remould the remaining birds nest tissue into shape, dry it and package it for the market. We did not try any of the soup having had our fill of late lunch and chocolates and it is a very expensive dish. We then drove back to Port Dickson along the toll road so we wouldn’t get lost in the dark. I hadn’t taken my phone with the navigation maps which had been a mistake!

22^nd January 2012

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We used all the daylight hours we had today to make the long passage of 81 nautical miles from Pangkor down the coast of Malaysia towards Port Klang. The conditions were overcast with a few light showers to cool down the temperature, which made our travels quite comfortable. In the afternoon as we drew closer to the narrow coastal waterways around Port Klang we were sucked in by the tide which assisted our speed by up to two knots. Therefore we were able to anchor further down the coast than originally planned, which would make our passage the next day considerably shorter.

We anchored in the mud near the mangroves opposite the main cruise ship terminal of the port area. This is the major port for the region and has around 10 miles of fwharfs and cranes, so is very busy. It is interesting passing through this area and watching the variety of shipping and tugs in action.  

19-21^st January 2011

We ended up spending an extra night in Penang that we didn’t plan for, as Matt helped sort out a few issues out on the yacht Thumbs Up (they kindly paid for an extra night in the marina as a result.) We then headed down the coast of Penang Island and anchored at the far end ready for an early get away for the long leg down to Pangkor the following day. It was a spectacular sunrise view the next morning as we headed out past the construction of the new Penang to mainland bridge (see pic).  When completed later this year this bridge will be the longest bridge in the world.

After a long day of motor sailing we reached a very pleasant anchorage at Pangkor, pretty beach and rocks with bush down to the waterline. The next day we headed ashore for lunch enjoying stretching our legs along the sandy beach. After a tasty chinese meal we relaxed for the afternoon and shared a meal with Thumbs Up that night followed by a game of Yahtzee. As it is the Chinese New Year celebrations at present we witnessed a great display of fireworks that evening from the comfort of the cockpit.

The next morning Matt and I took the dingy around to the bay we had passed the day before that has another one of the many problematically designed and built Malaysian style marinas. Of 10 built around the coast of Malaysia in recent years only two are still operational. They have been either constructed with poorly designed seawalls that allow the wave action to surge through them breaking them apart or are located in areas that frequently silt up and which they don’t seem to dredge so that yachts are unable to enter them. It’s such a waste of money and resources. This particular one was only open a year before the pontoons had broken away.

In the afternoon we enjoyed a 1 ½ hour sail down to a nearby group of islands called the Kepulauan Sembilans and anchored just off Rumbia. This short trip and overnight stop would shorten our next leg down to the Port Klang area by 10 nautical miles making it an easier day. It was sundowners and a BBQ on board Thumbs Up this night, and another round of Yahtzee.

13-17^th January 2012

We had a pleasant day sail down from Langkawi to Straits Quay Marina at Penang Island. The day was overcast with drizzle off and on, but a good wind gave us several good hours of sailing.

 On arrival here in Penang Matt and I both went to the specialist centre here (it’s a great service – you just tell them what sort of specialist you want to see and they book you in, and you get seen the same day!) I went to a nose, ear and throat specialist as I have been quite deaf in my left ear for over a month following a head cold, but with no fever or discoloured discharges. Anyway following my check-up it was revealed I did have an infection. This was cleaned out, and now I can hear properly again. Matt got his haemorrhoids seen, and has been given a range of medicines to take when needed.

Matt worked on our steering/auto-pilot system as it started making an unhealthy noise when we were leaving Langkawi. This was the result of a magnet in the electric motor (on the hydraulic pump) coming adrift. He has fixed with some high temp epoxy, and changed the hydraulic oil.

 It is currently Chinese New Years in this part of the world at present – so lots of interesting cultural celebrations going on,   and special foods to try.  We watched a lion dance one night and Chinese acrobats another.

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9-13^th January 2012

We hired a car for a couple of days to complete the restocking of the Duty Free goodies obtainable here. We also got to pick up our new ‘Takacat’ dingy that we had arranged to have sent here from New Zealand. Our old dingy is on its last legs and constantly needing repairs, and a dingy is an essential item for our current lifestyle. We felt we couldn’t risk the old one making it back to NZ with some of the remote places we will be heading to in the next year  where it will be difficult to replace it if required.  

We had also had a replacement water pump sent for our electric fridge as this had been playing up as well.

We were also able to catch up with a number of other yachties that we haven’t seen for some time which was a bonus, and got to pass on various guides and resources for those who are heading up to Thailand now as we aren’t planning to be back that way. Next stop Penang Island.

3^rd- 9^th January 2012

After completing our clearance formalities at Chalong Bay in Phuket we made our way down the coast of Thailand stopping a several different locations that we hadn’t been to before. We had planned to get over to the Krabi Coast of mainland Thailand as we had heard this was quite spectacular and now is the season to head that coast. Unfortunately the wind conditions just weren’t co-operating so when we got to the half way point off the big island of Yao Yai we decided to stop there and review the conditions the next day. It was still no better the next day so instead we headed down to a quiet little bay at the Northern end of Phi Phi. The next day we had a pleasant sail down to Lanta Island which is renown for its long sandy stretches of beaches. We enjoyed a meal ashore that night and made the decision to stay an extra day here to explore the island by motorbike the next day.

On our tour of Lantra we first headed South to the National Park are, and then back up the coast and across the southern pass road to the old original port town for Lantra where we had lunch. We then headed up the Eastern coast road to the main village of Saladan which is the ferry access point for the island from the mainland. Then back down the western coast stopping for a swim and a drink at one of the long sandy beaches that you pass on this coast.

The next day we enjoyed another pleasant sail down to the island of Kraden which had surprising clean water to enjoy some snorkelling at. The following day it was down the coast a bit further and we made the decision to stop at the little idyllic tropical island of Bulon Le that we had enjoyed so much on our way up back in November spending the last of our Thai money on lunch at the resort of Pansand. Matt was feeling a bit under the weather that afternoon with his cold symptoms, so decided we would stay the night rather than head to Tarantao as originally planned. However late afternoon the breeze came up in the direction which would have made staying there uncomfortable so we set off for the two hour trip down to a more protected anchorage at Tarantao, anchoring in the last of the dying light. The next morning I enjoyed a walk down the isolated long beach in the hop of maybe seeing turtles which apparently reside here at this time of year – unfortunately I did not see anything, and the water here was not clear enough to swim in. It was then time to make the final hop down to Langkawi and back to Malaysia.

21 Dec - 3 Jan 2012

With the funeral of our friend Russell Delahaye on the 21^st December behind us, and with the bench tops in Island Time now completed (white with grey marble effect, along with new tap fittings), we were ready to get out of the marina and head round to Nai Harn Bay at the bottom of Phuket for Xmas celebrations. This is where we had been informed that many yachties gather for their Xmas celebrations.  We got there on Xmas eve and found a space in the anchorage which was quite full with around 60 yachts present. On Xmas morning after using up all our phone credit calling family back in New Zealand we caught up with various other yachties we knew in the anchorage enjoying a few drinks with them and sharing our candy canes which I’d managed to source at one of the supermarkets. The day ended up being a very low key affair, as despite what we had been told nothing was “organised” as far as a beach BBQ was concerned or anything else for that matter. So in the afternoon we made the most of the conditions and location and headed into the beach to enjoy a bit of body surfing. In the evening a group of us did gather at a local beachside restaurant to share a meal together, and so I used the Xmas cake I’d purchased to add some festive flavour to the local cuisine.

Daphne from Andiamo II had made plans to fly home to Australia on New Years Eve so she could make the arrangements for a memorial service for Russell with family and friends back there. However she really needed to get their yacht Andiamo back down to Rebak in Langkawi, Malaysia as it is much cheaper and hassle free to leave a yacht there. She had made a special impassioned request of Matt to help her and her son Gareth sail Andiamo back down the coast.  So it was back to Boat Lagoon marina we headed so Matt could complete this task. Matt was gone 3 days and in some respects it was quite good timing for him to be away as I’d picked up a head cold. So I spent the time sleeping, reading and cooling off at the marina pools. I  the evening of the 30^th December I collected Matt from the airport after doing a supermarket restock in the afternoon in anticipation of our return trip back to Malaysia ourselves. On New Years Eve we headed out of the marina on the high tide to the nearby island of Yang Rai. We celebrated the New Years by watching a couple of movies in the comfort of our outdoor cockpit theatre (Matt has organised our external navigation screen so we can use it for watching movies also), and observed the various fireworks displays we could see that were going on around the island of Phuket.

26^th November -21^st December 2011

Back in Chalong harbour again, we check in with the authorities which now have updated their systems to a computerised system which in the future will make things much faster. We arranged to get a marina berth for a week as we have quite a bit of work to get done on Island Time in preparation for her return trip down under, including getting our two most used sails into Roly Tasker the sail makers for repair, along with our dodger which is becoming unstitched in places and needs re-sewing. We shared the cost of hiring a car for the week with Ivan and Cheryl from Thumbs Up. Whilst waiting for our sails to be repaired, we show Ivan and Cheryl around the island of Phuket taking them to the various highlight spots, beaches, shopping locations, the Big Buddha statue and lookout and up to the national park and Gibbon Sanctuary at the top of the Island. During this week in the marina we sourced the various supplies needed from the chandleries, as there will be very little ready access to these supplies on our return trip until we reach New Zealand or Australia at the end of next year.

When Matt was sorting out repairs for the sails he was offered the opportunity to have a position crewing on one of the Kings Cup Regatta boats during race week 3-10^th December. It is a very prestigious event with a large fleet of yachts from all over the Asia region. It seemed too good an opportunity for him to give up, having the chance to sail on a top class modern race boat. While he was doing this I was offered the position of crew/tour guide on Ivan and Cheryl’s yacht “Thumbs Up” to show them around the Hongs and Bays of the Northern Phuket Bay area which we have already been to on several occasions now.

On Thumbs Up I headed out of Royal Phuket Marina on the early evening tide Saturday 2^nd December. The marina is located up a very shallow mangrove river channel that the two marina’s Boat Lagoon and Royal Phuket share access to. Unfortunately however they are in dispute with each other over the issue of dredging the channel. This has resulted in the channel being well silted up with shifting sand/mud banks that make it difficult to negotiate. After refuelling at the fuel dock Ivan took Thumbs Up out the channel but soon got “stuck in the mud” by taking the wrong angle on one corner. We managed to bounce off this with the surge produced by the waves caused by the large tourist speed boats returning from their days outings, only to get stuck again another 500 metres up the channel. Ivan called for a pilot from the marina at this stage and he was able to safely get us out of the channel. We spent that night and the next day at the nearby Island of Rang Yai. This is a pretty little day anchorage that has a small resort offering various activities for day trippers, along with a pearl demonstration farm and shop.

The next stop was up to visit the various hongs (Hong means ‘hidden room’, and are individual caves inside the structure of the main outer limestone rock formation). We spent 3 days touring the Hongs and then started to make our way back down to Chalong where we planned to meet up with Matt for the final day of racing for Kings Cup Regatta. On the way down we stopped at the Island of Yao Yai which has a lovely eco-resort and a long sandy beach to walk along.

I enjoyed my week crewing/touring with the Thumbs Up crew. It is always interesting being on another yacht and seeing different the facilities/equipment on-board. Also as they say “absence makes the heart grow fonder” – time apart for Matt and I, always helps to rekindle our love and appreciation of each other! – which isn’t a bad thing!   

Near the end of November I got an invite from Josh Tucker (booboo) of North Sails Auckland to help on a TP52 (race boat) for the Kings Cup. This is the major annual regatta for this area. It is not often these days I get to sail on a modern race boat, so of course I accepted. The boat was called Free Fire, out of Hong Kong.  Both the other 52’s in the regatta had full professional crews, so it would be a big ask to win. I was delegated the position of main grinder (working the mainsheet winches).

Practice day was very light, so we just did some manoeuvres, (Tacks, gybes, kite up and down various ways –tack set, gybe set, normal drop, kiwi drop etc) to make sure everyone knew their jobs. The conditions were really too light to get to grips with the performance of these boats.

Day one went well, with a win! We had various results throughout the week, ending up with third overall. We had mostly light conditions, but one day with up to about 18knots. We got just over 18 knots boats speed!

TP’s are very fast, up to around 9 knots to weather, at about 35 deg true to the wind, and more than 25 knots downwind in the right conditions. 10 – 14 knots boat speed downwind in 8-10 knots of true wind is normal.

TP’s don’t use Spinnakers, just Gennakers, which are faster on this type of boat. They are really just big dinghies, and sail like a dingy, usually planing.  In 18 knots of wind we were on the “heavy” jib!

The fleet was large and diverse, from cruisers, monohull racers, multihulls, dinghies, and even kite boards. There were parties every night, but I avoided those – the young sailors drink too much for me, and our cruisers budget does not allow the expense!

All in all it was a good week, and nice to catch up on some of the newer technology on a TP. Thanks Josh for the opportunity!

 Following the Kings Cup event we had Island Time booked in at Boat Lagoon marina to have work done on replacing the bench tops, which after 22 years had become very thin and porous and were difficult to keep clean and hygienic. Whilst this work is being

done we are spending the week in the resort at the marina, as we have no gas or water onboard while the work is being done. The resort has lovely tropical garden grounds and the biggest pool I ever seen at a resort. Along with two massage spa pools.

Andiamo 11, and the loss of Russ

Sadly the day after we arrived here we had a desperate call from our friend Daphne of the yacht Andiamo II to say that her husband Russell, had become unwell earlier in the day and she had taken him to the Phuket International Hospital, suspecting another heart attack. They diagnosed him with acute pancreatitis which then stressed his other organs and his already weakened heart. He went into cardiac arrest on Wednesday afternoon (15^th December) but they were able to resuscitate him, however he was ventilated and heavily sedated. At this stage the hospital rang us to ask us to come and support Daphne as the situation was dire. Their son Gareth who had recently spent a couple of weeks sailing with them was in Cambodia travelling with friends and was able to get back at midnight on Wednesday and was able to see his Dad before he again went into cardiac arrest on Thursday morning at around 7.30am. Sadly they were unable to resuscitate him this time, and he passed away. Their daughter Sarah arrived on Thursday evening from Oz, and we took Daphne and Gareth up to the airport to meet her. Daphne had also asked us to take Andiamo II from Chalong bay to Boat Lagoon which of course we did, and have been keeping in contact and doing what we can to assist. At this stage they are planning to have his body cremated here in Phuket and then will spread his ashes at various locations around the world that were special to him and the family. There will be a memorial service back in Brisbane in the New Year.  

This was all a real shock to us as well as the family of course. We had dinner on Island Time with Russ and Daphne the night before, and all was well. In fact the next morning, Russ was feeling fine, and suggested that they go for a sail as conditions were good. Just after lunch he said to Daphne he did not feel well, and they headed to Chalong. By 4pm he was in hospital, and 36 hours later he passed away.

We had met Russ and Daphne at the escape river on our way up the Ausy coast about 18months ago, and enjoyed their company at various locations on our travels. Daphne now has the normal emotional and physical hurdles to deal with with the loss of a spouse, but also the added difficulty of not being the sailor of the couple, and having a boat in a foreign destination.

RIP Russ. You will be missed.

This is the 3^rd year in a row we have had funerals to attend in the week leading up to Xmas, and reinforces for us again that our voyage that we are currently making in Island Time while we are still fit and healthy is the right things to be doing. You never know what tomorrow will bring and need to make the most of each day that you have. We miss our family and it will especially strange to celebrate the festive season this year without our daughters, but they are busy with their lives in Wellington and will having the usual celebrations with family there.

23-25^th November 2011

 We headed away from Rok Noi  and Rok Nai Islands at sunrise, passing through the narrow channel gap between the Islands. The conditions were ideal  with an average of 15 knots from just aft of the starboard beam. We had a whole day of sailing, as there was actually wind! It was the best conditions we have had in months, and such a pleasant change from motor sailing. Matt was in his element, constantly tweaking the sails to get the best performance out of the boat for the conditions. We anchored in main bay of Phi Phi Don late afternoon, and then once Thumbs Up were anchored as well we all headed ashore to explore this high profile tourist destination of Thailand and to find some good Thai food and a refreshing drink to quench our salt laden taste buds! After dropping off our laundry we took Ivan and Cheryl for a walk around the two main beach areas before settling on a place for a meal.

The next morning we all went ashore again to indulge in some shopping, get local Thailand phone cards a catch up on some decent internet access after being in the more isolated and remote islands for the past week or so. Cheryl and I also indulged in some spa treatments as it is all very cheap here. The guys did there own exploring and we back out to the yachts to do some jobs there.  We all had a meal ashore in the early evening, however when we went to retrieve our dinghies and return to our yachts we found it was high tide with a change in wind direction a strong sea surge was crashing against the seawall where our dinghies tied up,  and so they were bouncing around wildly. So we made the decision to go and have coffee at a nearby waterfront hotel for an hour and see if the tide/waves abated! Unfortunately things did not improve and so we just had to brave the waves and get our dinghies retrieved.  The Thumbs Up crew are not as agile as us in getting in and out of their dingy and through the waves so Matt got them safely into their dingy and on their way. He then retrieved our dingy which by this stage was swamped with water, with the fuel can floating around inside it upside down and with most of fuel leaked out! So it ended up being a long row back out to Island Time. We then found the Thumbs Up crew in a panic as their yacht had dragged its anchor and was not far from the reef against the shore. Matt assisted them to get the anchor up and away from the reef. Conditions in the bay were quite uncomfortable at this stage, and I found things had been thrown across the floor from our shelves while Island Time rolled in the waves! Even though it was late (11pm) we decided to head around the Island to a more sheltered anchorage for the changed conditions. Around 1pm we got anchored and then Matt once again helped the Thumbs Up crew who are not experienced in anchoring, let alone at night in a strange bay. He set an anchor alarm for them so they didn’t have to panic about dragging the anchor again and finally got to bed around 2pm!

We were all up again just after sunrise a bit bleary eyed. Today we needed  to head off on our next leg of the trip up the coast to the Island of Phuket so we can  officially clear in with the Thailand authorities.

21^nd - 23^th November 2011

After watching the sunrise, and a lovely ‘el fresco’ breakfast at our cockpit table, we set off from Bulon Le at about 7.30am to the outer Island Group of Rok Nok and Rok Nai. We had a couple of hours of pleasant sailing conditions again in the morning, but it dropped off in the early afternoon and so back to motor sailing. We arrived at this anchorage around 2.30pm, and once securely anchored in the lagoon inside the coral reef I was over the side for a swim and explore of the coral, while Matt wiped the algae slime that had already grown on the hull of Island Time in month we have been back in the water since redoing the anti-foul in Pangkor. The warm weather and water temperature here is a great growing medium for marine life that clings to your hull and slows you down. It was a BBQ dinner aboard the yacht Thumbs Up.

19-21^st November 2011

After consulting the cruising guide and the weather forecast we decided to make the most of the conditions and wind angle and head to Bulon Le Island, 30 nautical miles away as this would make a good easy day hop out to the outer Island group of Ko Rok Noi that we had enjoyed on our previous trip up the Thailand Coast. We set off after breakfast and really enjoyed the very pleasant sailing conditions (we actually got to sail for a change without the motor!). Unfortunately the breeze faded away around 10.30am to a calm mill pond, so back to motor sailing again. We arrived mid-afternoon to anchor just off the beach of a very idyllic looking tropical island. I was quickly over the side enjoying a snorkel into the beach. I was pleasantly surprised to find  quite a nice variety of coloured coral and fish to view on the surrounding reef, and a lovely laid back, nicely presented little ‘eco’ resort ashore that welcomed “yachties”. After my reconnaissance swim ashore I swam back out and told Matt and the crew from “Thumbs Up” of my find and we all headed in for a walk along the beach and sundowner drinks and a meal at the resort. The food was delicious and beautifully presented as is the Thai style, with discreet but attentive service from the staff.

The atmosphere and good swimming here at Bulon Le was so delightful that we made the decision not to rush on to Ko Rok Nok the next day, but to enjoy the amenities of this lovely little island environment.  The following day we all enjoyed lazy chill out day. I had a fabulous neck and shoulder massage under the shade of the trees, and we all enjoyed a late afternoon stroll around the Island to the other side where there are two more little resorts where we tried out the cocktails as the sunset. We had all enjoyed our day so much we agreed to indulge in one more day at this little paradise before moving on.

Much as we were enjoying our tropical island cruise up the Thailand coast to Phuket, you do need to keep moving on. The Thailand officials allow you a lenient 10 days approximately in which to make your way up the coast before you are required to officially clear in at Phuket, we don’t want to get into trouble with officialdom by lingering too long along the way!

    16-18^th November 2011

After our morning tour through the Mangroves we picked up the anchor and headed North to our first stop in Thailand waters at the Island of Tarutao 3-4 hours away. We anchored for the night just as a late afternoon heat thunderstorm and squall came through the bay. Our plans to go ashore were waylaid until the following morning as we battened down the hatches from the stormy conditions. At least after these tropical heat downpours the temperature becomes more pleasant. We had a very peaceful night here after the storm quickly passed through and I woke early the next morning, and enjoyed a pleasant swim around the bay while the “Thumbs Up” crew Ivan and Cheryl floated around in their dingy taking some lovely shots of the boats in the anchorage. After a late breakfast we all headed ashore to explore the historic remains of the penal colony that this island used to be used for. It is a very interesting walk in the bush and gives you an insight into the conditions and lives of the people who worked or were incarcerated here. After a quick swim on our return to the boats we up anchored again and headed up the coastline of this Island of Tarutao, to an anchorage a couple of hours away at the top end of the island. As it was dead flat calm I enjoyed the trip up the island swinging in my hammock on the foredeck (see pic). It was a very pleasant way to travel in the heat of the day with a nice breeze and a spectacular view of the island, its golden bush clad beaches and interesting rocky outcrops.     

10-16^th November 2011

It was a very easy trip up to Langkawi, from Penang (lots of motoring yet again as no wind, however it was great to get a good tidal push up the coast which greatly assisted our speed).  We checked into the Royal Langkawi Yacht Club in order to pick up duty free goods and new masthead navigation light that we had shipped there prior to our proposed trip back up to Thailand for Xmas.  Matt installed the new masthead light, and is very pleased with its new automatic light sensor function (it turns on when there is low light conditions, and also has a strobe light function which means we can be seen for a considerably greater distances than normal lights if needed.)  Everyone is very friendly here at the Royal Langkawi Yacht Club, and it is always a great place to catch up with other yachties you have met on your travels. After getting all our duty free supplies we checked out of Langkawi, Malaysia (along with the crew from the sailing yacht “Thumbs Up” who haven’t been to Thailand before and want to “buddy boat” with us.)

We headed around to the North side of the island for the night to what is known as the “Hole in the Wall Anchorage”, which is part of the National Park. You enter into the anchorage through a narrow gap between two large rock formations that opens up into a quite spectacular and very sheltered anchorage location. This area of Malaysia is renowned for the sea eagles, and as dusk fell they circled and glided around the large rock formations that surround this bay.  Cheryl (from Thumbs Up) and I went up in the dingy to the fish farm further up the channel to obtain directions to explore the mangroves, he caves and eagle feeding location that is noted in the guide the next morning.

Unfortunately the crew from “Thumbs Up” was not feeling the best for an early start the next morning up through the mangroves so Matt and I headed out by ourselves. It was a stunning ride up through the narrow twisting waterways of the mangroves, through the stunning scenery of bush clad hillsides, rock formations and cave systems. We followed the local tour boats in our own dingy so we didn’t get lost in this labyrinth of waterways! At the eagle feeding location the eagles swirled and swept with gracious wing movements above your head as they ducked and dived for the food the tour boats were feeding them. We really enjoyed our two hour tour, and took lots of photos so we could give the “Thumbs Up” crew a visual presentation of what they missed out on. It was also interesting to see the numerous yachts that are anchored and hidden away in this mangrove system. A number of cruisers leave their boats in this sheltered waterway where there are no fees to pay when they return to their homelands. Sadly many looked quite abandoned and in a very sorry state of repair – which is quite depressing to see.

Below is the Fishing Village at the hole in the wall, and the "gorge".

1-10^TH November 2011

Back at Straits Quay Marina again to enjoy the delights of Penang. The marina here is very nice, handy to everything including the great food which the island is famous for. A very diverse variety of people live here from many cultures so there is a great range of food options and people to mix with. We also plan to collect Cherly and Ivan from the yacht “Thumbs Up” here who are going to buddy boat with us up to Thailand as they have not explored that area yet. Also as they have a car here it is very handy for getting around.

Matt has done some more maintenance work while here – engine oil change and has once again had our toilets in bits sorting them out. Our electric “Letrasan” toilet treatment system keeps packing up and he has to keep pulling it apart to repair it. We really don’t like putting raw sewerage into the environment which many boats do. We want to do our bit to look after the environment that we live in. Unfortunately these systems do seem to require a fair bit of maintenance especially as it is getting older. We are trying to save our pennies at present as our budget is getting tight and do not really want to have to buy a new unit unless we have to. However as you can imagine it is not a nice job to do.  He has also been trying to get our battery charger repaired which suddenly died on our way to Pankor, unfortunately we have not been able to get this done. Matt has also invested in a new computer after leaving his accidently got wet. He has tried to fix that also but couldn’t get parts and they are now so cheap and technology in this area changes so fast that he decided he really needed a new one.

Cheryl and I from Thumbs up did restocking of food so we are all ready to go and spend a few days cruising up the coast to Thailand were we are planning to spend Xmas, and Ivan has had a health check-up We had three wet days in a row here recently and we are all beginning to feel a little marina/boat bound we are all looking forward to a change of scene and heading north for some cleaner waters and swimming again.

 18^th October – 1^st November 2011

We left Straits Quay on 17 October, and motored under the bridge down to Jerejak, and anchored inside that small Island. This was to make the longer passage (80 odd miles) to Pangkor possible in daylight. There are lots of fishing boats, nets, garbage and other hazards to avoid. As it was, we had only gone about a mike from Straits Quay when we got a large plastic bag around the prop. Jo's turn for the unpleasant task of diving under and removing it - the water is not clean! Anyway, that done, and we got to Jerejak fine. However, that night we had a large thunder and lightning storm, and several strikes nearby. It is quite frightening, with the closest ones actually shaking the boat! This area has the most storms of this sort, (in the world apparently), and the season is just beginning. Not looking forward to that, and we know of several boats that have been hit, often causing extensive damage. Hope it does not happen to us!

Next morning, early (alarm at 6am), we were off for Pangkor. An uneventful trip but this time with a bit of wind (6 knots/11kms!), and current to assist us which was nice. We made good time and James Khoo, the marina manager, guided us into the marina by VHF (radio). Safely tied up, we had a bit of a social reunion on arrival, as there were quite a few boats in this marina that we knew.

We are at Pangkor Marina to do our antifouling and annual maintenance (change anodes etc). It is currently the cheapest place in this area to lift out and get work done on your boat, but still Kiwi $400 for the haul out. The lift was done by a newish style sealift (see pic), rather than a conventional travel lift that uses a sling to lift boats. The process took about a day here because the system is still so new they are custom building cradles to hold the boats up on the dry dock area one boat at a time. Anyway, while the cradle was built we employed some locals to sand the hull for us ($60.00 kiwi for 2 men for a day!!)  Tried a new antifouling (for me) - Jotun Seaforce 90. There is a lot of it used on boats around here, and it seems to work well. The marina here is new and doesn’t have any chandlery/boat supply shops so we had to access stuff through the marina manager from the local small hardware stores. The rollers we had to use (for the paint) were not great - kept dropping material into the paint, and left quite a rough finish. However we had to do antifouling, so on it went. We were also fortunate that Bruce from the yacht Enchantress was there (he was a boat painter before retiring), as he had some special aluminium antifouling we could use to do the sail drive. You cannot paint standard antifouling on aluminium, as it will erode the metal!

 It took us about a week to finish the painting etc (We had to sand the keel back to the lead in several places, and re prime, undercoat etc before the antifouling), and then an extra day so we could stay on the sea lift overnight, and get two coats of antifouling on the places where the cradle props had been as well as cleaning and polish the sides of the hull. We really did nothing but boat work during our stay here this time. I (Matt) was a bit sick for the first few days with some type of Arthritic Flu - really sore joints (Knees and Hips). One night I felt really cold (an unusual bit of a whiskey session on the boat one night with some other cruisers, and drank way too much! Self

 induced illness that one! 

On the 1^st of November we left from Pangkor Marina and headed back to Straits Quay. Had some breeze to begin with, then motored the rest of the way, arriving just on dark, in yet another thunder/lightning storm!  We'll be here for few days, before heading North to Langkawi, then Thailand, with Cheryl and Ivan (Thumbs Up).

5^th – 17^th October

Headed into town on the 6^th  to clear in with the authorities. The Immigration Dept gave us a bit of a talking to by for not coming in yesterday on our arrival, as they informed us they are open 24 hours! However the marina office Manager had informed us not to bother checking in as the Harbour Master’s and Customs offices would be closed. Anyway, it was all sorted out OK. Lunch in town with Ivan and Cheryl (Thumbs Up), some shopping – a trolley for carting fuel jerry cans, another flexible gas line as a spare, and then some beers while we waited for Ivan’s Rental car to be available. Just as well they are here, as both Jo and I have misplaced/lost our drivers licences – replacements are coming from NZ, but for now we are unable to rent a vehicle.

 We enjoyed our two weeks here in Penang getting caught up on some boat jobs, doing a bit of shopping to replenish boat supplies following our trip to Indonesia where there is very little in the way of supplies. We also both had our teeth checked by a dentist that was highly recommended by other yachties and the ex-pat community here. One of the main reasons for coming back to Penang was to have good access to internet to update our blog, and so we could catch the Rugby World Cup games! It’s a very modern and new environment here at Straits Quay marina (a bit like the Viaduct Basin back home in Auckland). There are lots of bars and big screens to watch the games plus plenty of ex-pats to enhance the atmosphere as they cheering along their particular teams. “GO THE ALL BLACKS!”

We have thoroughly enjoyed spending time with Ivan and Cheryl (from the yacht Thumbs Up, who temporarily adopted Nicki for a while when we were away in Vietnam.) They have spent quite some time here in Penang having an engine rebuilt, and know the Island well. They have driven us to all sorts of great restaurants and around the island to see various sights, plus to various locations to pick up parts and bits and pieces for Island Time. Great chauffeurs and tour guides.

We have also been starting to formulate some plans for returning home to New Zealand in 2012. The situation in the Red Sea with piracy and political/economic instability throughout this region, and Europe as well has meant that travel to this area via a yacht is not at all recommended currently. We have therefore signed on with the Sail Indonesia organiser (Raymond) that we used last year to join a new rally called the “Down Under Rally”. There are now a quite a number of people/yachts in the South East Asia region looking at alternatives to getting back to New Zealand or Australia who don’t want to travel the very long way around South Africa and the Cape of Good Hope to return now that the Red Sea/Suez Canal option is so dangerous. It is also nearing time for us to come back to work/reality and replenish our funds!!!! We may even do some work in Australia on the way home if the economic situation in NZ still poor and our house hasn’t sold.

Following the Semi Final Rugby World Cup games this weekend we plan to plan to head down to Pangkor Marina where they have cheap haul out services to take Island Time out of the water and have her hull cleaned and new anti-foul applied again. We will spend the remainder of this year in the Malaysia and Thailand. Looks like Christmas in Phuket! We have to be in Northern Borneo for the rally at the beginning of April.

Jo on the Straits Quay/Penang Island Waterfront Walkway

7 October 2011 - Straits Quay Marina, Penang, Malaysia (Matt)

Jo is off to the dentist to see about getting a crown done, and to book an appointment for me for a check up. I’m here in the boat (air conditioned in the marina!!) catching up on this blog. The next bit will be the photos. It takes ages to sort, label, resize for the web etc. I’ll get on to that now...

6 October 2011 Straits Quay Marina, Penang, Malaysia

Into town this morning to Clear in with the authorities. Got a bit of a talking to by the Immigration dept for not coming in yesterday. The marina office (Straits Quay Marina again) had told us not to bother as the Harbour Master’s office would be closed. Anyway, it was all sorted out OK. Lunch in town with Ivan and Cheryl (Thumbs Up), some shopping – a trolley for carting fuel jerry cans, another flexible gas line as a spare, and then some beers while we waited for Ivan’s Rental car to be available. Just as well they are here, as both Jo and I have misplaced our drivers licences – replacements are coming from NZ, but for now we are unable to rent a vehicle.

13 Sept – 5 October 2011 Subang International Regatta

We left Penang for Langkawi, and the beginning of the Sabang (Indonesia) international regatta. This was the inaugural event of what they hope will become an annual fixture. The Indonesian government, both national in local, as well as various sailing and tourism organisations put up the funds. All fees were paid, including cruising permits, meals, transport and attraction entry, and even 250ltrs of diesel, all included for free!!

Jo had thought that this sounded good, and got me to put in an entry. I don’t think she really understood that this was a race event! It consisted of a 300 mile offshore race from Langkawi Malaysia, to Sabang in northern Sumatra, Indonesia. Then 2 inshore round the buoys races.

Sabang is a small Island 15 miles or so north of Banda Aceh, where the Boxing Day Tsunami was centred. Part of the purpose was to get Tourists coming back to the area after the Tsunami disaster and the end of the Civil war for independence from Indonesia.

We spent the first night in the fiord anchorage in W Langkawi, and then one night at the hole in the wall on the E side, before moving into the Royal Langkawi Yacht Club marina. A bit of time was spent doing stores and a quick tour of the Island for Nicki, who had not been there before. Then we had a very nice welcome dinner, and a good sleep before setting off for the start line the next morning.  I must say at this stage the rules were a bit unusual – for the offshore race you were allowed to motor, but your motoring time had to be recorded, and a penalty time given as compensation. Anyway, I stuffed up the start in the light and dropping wind, so we were a minute late over the line.  We sailed out of the Island’s sheltered waterways, then the wind stopped. As we could make no headway, we started the engine!  So did everyone else. We motored most of that day, but the breeze came up later that evening and we could sail again. The fleet (some 20 boats in total) scattered and we lost AIS (Automatic Identification system – class B, good for 4-6 miles) positions for most. Once the wind set in it unfortunately came around to the west (where we wanted to go!) and slowly built to 25 odd knots, reaching 30 odd just off Sabang itself. The passage was slightly over 48 hours, and we were surprised to find that only the Malaysian Navy’s TP 52 (a real race boat)was there ahead of us! So anyway, we got line honours for our division for race one. So far so good

.

Many of the other boats reported damage and rough conditions, with at least one withdrawing with sails damaged and no engine! I guess it is fortunate they don’t sail in Cook Strait! As neither Nicki, Jo, nor I thought it was a rough crossing, just a typical windward passage. It was really good to have Nicki, as the watch keeping on passage is much easier with three – 3 hours on and 6 off to sleep. Bliss.

Sabang is a picturesque Island, fairly steep and rugged, with beautiful clean and clear water. This makes a welcome change from where we have been recently. The Officials made a detailed search of the boat, and then we were able to have a swim and a snorkel. The water was cooler (about 27 deg C!) and the fish and coral were good. This is becoming a popular dive location. Most of the other tourists we met were divers.

Breakfast, lunch and Dinner were provided every day, and the food was very good for Indonesia. The locals and officials were trying really hard!  There was a welcome dinner that first night, which was a bit odd as some boats had not yet arrived! Day two was a free day, so a cleanup, more swimming, and a look around the local area with a free car and driver!. The boats were moored on new moorings, provided by the organisers for the purpose. Some were a little close together, but generally it was very good.

On the third day we had a trip to Banda Aceh, and visited many of the local sites, including a fishing boat on a house, the Tsunami museum, a mosque, the mass graves etc. The Tsunami was a terrible thing for this area, reaching more than 5km inland, and with most local families loosing at least one or more members. At it’s peak the Tsunami primary wave was 14m tall. This in reflected in the new Tsunami museum, where the entry has a 14m waterfall on one side. The photos and the models, plus other video and wreckage on display is a sobering reminder of the power of nature.  Following the Museum, we went to another museum in the making. It is a 130mx30m steel barge. It happened to be in the area with a 300Kw genset on board, and was dumped upright, virtually undamaged several km from the sea. Unfortunately it crushed a few houses underneath where it came to rest.  There are likely still bodies/graves underneath, which will remain, as the vessel is far too large to move, and there is no path back to the sea through the now repopulated area. The only good thing about it was that the rescue effort engineers rigged the genset on board, and it became the regions power station for quite some time after the disaster.

Next Day was race day for the inshore races. 20-25 knt SE, so good conditions. We had a good day and won our division again, after a very pleasant day. We had some extra crew, Ivan and Cheryl, from the US yacht “Thumbs Up”.  Thanks for your help guys!

Finally the prize giving. In typical Indonesian fashion, (they like uniforms and awards), there was silverware for every individual race as well as overall. The “small” ones were 3-400mm tall, and the large 5-600mm. We ended up with a table full, winning line honours and handicap for our division. (See photos).Following the prize giving we had a quiet word with the organisers about leaving the trophies for next year’s events, as we don’t have the space for storing this stuff.

To close the regatta there was a function on in town. It was mostly in Indonesian, with speeches by various people including the Mayor, so we could not understnad much of it. It was Very Loud!! And thankfully the bus left at about 11pm to take us home.

Final day we went swimming again, as we had decided to stay another few days. Nicki had booked a flight from Banda Aceh in a couple of days, so there was no rush. I repaired  a couple of Autopilots for other boats (Jellyfish and Thumbs Up), one with rusty circuit breakers, and one with a stuck brush in the motor and a magnet separated from the motor case. I also found and replaced a cracked flexible gas hose (from bulkhead to oven) on Island Time, as the old one had split and leaked LPG into the boat. Very Dangerous!  Other basic maintenance as usual...

For the last few days we did some more local touring, swimming and snorkelling and then moved the boat around the corner to iboh, a small village. We spent another day in Banda Aceh , to drop Nicki at the Airport. It was sad to see her go, and to know it may be a year or more before we see her at home in NZ , but she was off to start her new job in retail management. She had a problem leaving though – we had not been able to print her Air Asia boarding pass, and the website said it was already done. I have had this happen to me once before in Kuala Lumpur – no problem, the check in people just printed another. They would not do that for Nicki in Banda Aceh, and wanted money (in local currency), which she did not have. Took a while for her to get that sorted with the help of someone in the queue who spoke English. Not a good start to her trip! Fortunately the rest of it went smoothly.

Back to the boat for Jo and me though, and prepare for the passage back to Penang. We had decided on Penang, as we wanted to get Visas for Thailand. If you get them on arrival they are 30 days. This way we can get 60 days, with the right to 30 day renewal. Penang is a slightly longer trip (40 more Nm) and more southerly than Langkawi. Before we left we had a failed starter motor. I removed it, found that the oil cooler had been secretly dripping seawater onto it, and it was beyond repair out here. Fortuneately I was carring a spare. Fixed the leak in oil cooler (failed o ring) replaced the starter, all good.

We left Sabang on 3 October, and arrived late in the day on the 5^th. We were followed in by Thumbs Up, an hour or two later. The passage was good – downwind the 1^st day, although we pushed a strong current, slowing us considerably. As the current dropped away the further from Sumatra we got, so did the wind. We motor sailed the last day and a half, arriving here with no wind at all, and quite tired. Of course we were back to the 2 watch system, and there were many ships and fishing boats, so not much sleep!

September 1-12 2011

On our return from Vietnam to Penang, Malaysia we had the follow up appointment for Matt at the Dermatologist to remove his suspicious looking lump from his face. While we waited for the Lab results to come in we hired a car and took our daughter Nikki on an inland tour of Malaysia to see some of the sights.

 We headed over the Penang Island Bridge – one of the longest in the world - to the historic tin mining town of Ipoh. Once Ipoh was one of the wealthiest cities in South East Asia, but now just another small city, as the tin mining here is no longer profitable. After a brief look around the interesting historic buildings we went up into the Cameron Highlands area for the night.

The Cameron Highlands are one of the agricultural growing areas of Malaysia specialising in tea and strawberries. We stopped at a couple of strawberry places and indulged in Strawberry dipped in chocolate and a layered pastry filled with cream and strawberries – yum.  In the late afternoon there was a torrential downpour and the road became quite slippery and treacherous. It is quite steep in places, and very scenic. Instant waterfalls appeared on the hillside – it was quite dramatic and spectacular, and we began to wonder if we would make it to the top!  However, just as it was getting serious, the rain eased off, and we reached the summit. The rain cooled down the atmosphere, although with the higher altitude is much cooler in this region anyway. Very pleasant after the high humidity of the lowlands. After finding our accommodation we went out in search of a meal.it was OK, but more expensive than the lower areas, more tourist orientated, and a bit of a food factory, pushing thru the diners asap.

The next day we moved further South on the “toll road” to Kuala Lumpur. While this road system is reasonably expensive (around $40 NZ in total for our 800 km road trip), thankfully fuel is very cheap here! It was an efficient and fast to travel on a multi-lane highway in good condition. Speed limit is 120kph, which is about all our little car an do!

 We stopped off late afternoon at the famous Batu caves just outside of Kuala Lumpur. The entry is a bit tricky, and the GPS map we were using was not accurate! However, once we found the right entry road, all was well. These caves are a Hindu shrine with in a system of 3 caves that are guarded by a 43 metre ‘Murga’ golden statue (Highest in the worlds so they say)-and the Monkeys! They will steal food/bags/water right from your hand, and can be quite aggressive. You reach the shrine by climbing up a steep, monkey guarded flight of 272 steps which is a bit of an aerobic workout! The caves are well worth a visit – see photos.

Next stop was to find our accommodation in central Kuala Lumpur where we were staying for the next two nights. Unfortunately due to not arriving till late afternoon we hit the peak of the traffic flow and it was a slow crawl into the city centre. After a swim in the pool (great after the exertions of our earlier Batu stair climb) we walked from our apartment to the Famous Bintang Walk High End shopping area. Nikki enjoyed having a look around the shops and even found a pair of cheap shoes she claimed she had to have for when she got back working at home again! Matt found a replacement pair of bi-focal, polarised sunglasses that he was after, and I found a fabulous coffee/chocolate shop so everyone was happy J

The next day we used the hop-on, hop-off city tour bus to take us around the sights. Easier than driving around and trying to find a park! It covers the highlights of the city and gives you an informative commentary on the way. Nikki was keen to see the Petronas Twin Tower building and do the Bird Park  at the botanic gardens as well. Unfortunately her visit to the Petronas towers did not go as planned, as they have only a limited number of tickets per day, and we were too late. The service was poor, and the staff impolite to her. She got into a bit of a tizz, so we collected her again and went out for a nice coffee. The rest of the tours went well, and we all enjoyed the bird park. In the evening we went to a sushi train place for a meal and then back to my favourite coffee/chocolate shop!

Off to the historic port town of Melaka. We stayed in a large old hotel, and visited the Cheng Ho museum again. This is a must for anyone interested in history or in early sailing and discovery. Cheng Ho was a Chinese admiral, who, in the years 1421-1423, lead a very large fleet (800 ships) on a world-wide voyage that most westerners never heard of. He was responsible for the earliest navigational charts showing the modern world, and for the charts that Magellan and Cook had, showing places that they “discovered”. If you are interested in this, there is much information online, or you can try the book “1421”.

After the Cheng Ho Museum, we checked out the marina, to see if it was repaired form when we were there (work was underway, but with the same poor engineering standards – it will break up again...), the dinner at a great restaurant for Nicki’s 20^th Birthday celebrations. I can’t believe she is 20!! We then went on a good river boat cruise up the historic Melaka river.

Next day we did the literature and lithographic museum, then began the long drive back to Penang. On the way we stopped at Putrajaya and Cyberjaya, the Government centre. This is a planned, futuristic city, which is kind of bizarre. The buildings and bridges are architecturally very modern, and the city is based on a large man made lake, but there are very few people here. It is almost deserted, like something out of a movie. It is all touted as the “intelligent garden city” of Malaysia. It is also the official palace. But it is kind of weird!

Vietnam Tour Impressions (17^th-30^th August)

We had a very enjoyable time in Vietnam. We now understand and fully appreciate why everyone raves about Vietnam as a travel destination. Our tour which was put together by Active Asia (www.activeasia.com or www.activeasia.co.nz) was well organised, and efficiently run with no hiccups. We were in a small group consisting of 7, all Kiwis (New Zealanders). We all got on well together, and it was fun meeting new fellow travelling compatriots, and to hear some other non-sailing related stories for a change (I felt!). Our guide Mr Tach was courteous and knowledgeable answering all our queries and enquiries about Vietnamese history/lifestyle. He was responsible for organising our internal Vietnamese travel arrangements with local drivers, internal flights between destinations, prearranging tickets into the various sights so we didn’t have to queue and also for any extra side/extension trips you wanted during the well spaced and scheduled “free time” tour allocation during our 2 week stay. It certainly made travelling around stress free and easy when it was all so smoothly organised. We made the most of our 2 week stay and took in most of the countries highlights. Having a local guide - particularly in the North, where the communist era doctrine and mindset is still quite strong, is very useful. He helped us with everything, from officialdom to bargaining when buying things which was great.

The only thing we all did not like about this organised tour was that following the full payment of our tour fee the documentation we received strongly indicated that we were expected to tip the drivers/guide every day a minimum amount in $US that we all considered was too high based on the average income. On researching Lonely Planet and Tourism Vietnam websites they stated that tipping was not expected here. We did read however that some tour companies however use client tipping in lieu of wages for the people, and this practice is not encouraged. They would rather these companies pay a fair wage for their people rather than them relying on tips! We all agreed we would have preferred the initial tour fee to be bigger and upfront, and then if we felt we had extra good service from our drivers/tour guides you can determine what tip you would like to pay yourself. We have voiced our concerns to them about this.

The level accommodation was fine, (we had selected the 3 star option) and would have been mostly what I would classify as 4 star at home. The staff in these places were all very helpful and accommodating, with a strong sense of service and hospitality. We were kept well fed along the way going to a wide variety of food outlets, styles and types of local food including a number of non-profit places that have been set up to assist street kids/deaf/blind people to obtain skills and employment within the economy.  I particularly enjoyed the refreshing delicate tastes of the local cuisine which was a change from the more spicy Thai style food we had been experiencing in Thailand/Malaysia over the last few months. Also the general presentation of food was quite stunning - an art form in its own right.

 The variety and quality of fresh vegetables/fruit and seafood in Vietnam was some of the best we have seen in our South East Asia travels.  The fresh fish markets were great with no horrid dead fish smell – as the fish and shellfish were all kept alive in tanks or basins that were oxygenated with fish tank aerators or kept on ice. Many local markets we have visited in this region simply have wet fish stacked on tables or mats on the floor in the heat and are covered with flies, or else is being dried fish the smell of which to our kiwi noses is quite horrific. It was delightful to see good quality sized fish which smelt good and that was cooked beautifully and tastily and not fried to death as most seafood seems to be here.   

 The countryside is diverse with a variety of scenery from verdant green rice paddies and market gardens, white sandy beaches with turquoise sea, stunning rock formations and mountain ranges. The city life and motorcycle traffic in Hanoi in particular, was chaotic.

Halong Bay World Heritage Park was for us a real highlight, including staying overnight on a luxury style Junk boat and seeing some spectacular limestone cave formations.

The Chi Chi tunnels tour depicting how the local Viet Cong people lived and fought for their lives in this underground environment was fascinating. It gave you a real impression of how difficult their lives must have been during this time. They were incredibly ingenious in building this 250km, multi-storey system that included and hid trapdoors, weapons factories, hospitals and even kitchens with smoke vent disguise systems that made it appear the smoke was just fog or jungle mist.  No wonder the Americans had such difficulty fighting in this area. It was at this location that I nearly stood on a scorpion that was scurrying across the jungle path I was walking down. I did a very big jump and loud squeal when I looked down and suddenly saw this creature that I was about to stand on!

The other place that made an impact on us was the war museum in Ho Chi Minh (Saigon). Some of visual pics and quotes from people were both enlightening and depressing – why do we humans have to keep treating each other so badly and committing such suffering to each other in the name of war? There was whole section on the on-going effects of the chemical ‘agent orange’ defoliation campaign during the 1960’s which is still being felt today with high incidents of birth defects and deformities. I shed a few tears looking at images of children and families that are trying to deal with this aftermath L    

Another thing I found quite fascinating is the way the locals here literally live their lives at street level. Most homes/buildings are on average only 3 metres wide, with a shop of some sort at street level and then accommodation for the extended family on the 2 levels above. Socialising is done on the pavement, meals are eaten here, games of chess played and I even witnessed a children’s birthday party going on in the middle of a main city street footpath. They are very industrious and hard working with long business hours from 10am - 10pm each day, or working in the fields from dawn to dusk.

Our overall impression of the local Vietnamese people was that they were very polite, courteous and service orientated but didn’t seem overly friendly or particularly happy people. When the opportunity arose to discuss their personal lives and situations, many quietly indicated to us they still feel oppressed and constrained by the “big brother” communist style structure in effect within this country. Things like independent thinking, and travel outside of Vietnam are still difficult or made impossible by the regime, this was more evident in the North despite the move to the more open-door liberal society, and style of leadership of more recent years. An example of this we personally experienced was trying to log onto open forum websites such as “Facebook” which was often blocked to log onto blocked here and without Matt’s computer skills we probably would have been unable to do so! There is also still some remaining tension evident between the north and south populace even after years of now being one country. There are two dialects with different word pronunciation, a variety in the styles of food and also climatically which effects rice productivity,  (2 growing seasons in the north and 3 in the south) and therefore economic prosperity. They are however very loyal and proud of their history and fight to remain an independent nation. Red communist flags flying all over the countryside with many stunning statues and sculptures in the parks to represent historical moments. They are also very aware of keeping fit and healthy as was observed in the public parks on our early morning and evening walks around the cities.  Here you could see a range of “keep fit” style classes, park gym equipment, martial arts classes and Badminton (the national sport) games going on during these times. It is a diverse and interesting place to visit we would recommend it to others in their travels.   

VIETNAM 17th-30th August: The following is our Itinerary provided by Active Asia tours www.activeasia.com  who specialize in small group tours throughout Asia. We are doing their "Ultimate Vietnam" 14 day tour.

Itinerary:
Day 1 Hanoi.  On arrival your English speaking guide will meet you as you exit the arrivals area at Hanoi airport for the transfer to your hotel.
The afternoon is yours at leisure to explore or to rest after your flight. 6pm Tonight dinner is at a local restaurant for you to discover the cuisine and meet the rest of your tour group.

As it turns out our small group (7 of us in total, Max. group size is 10), are all Kiwi's! We meet Clive and Georgia from Auckland, Mike and Maureen from New Plymouth. Our tour guide is called Thach.

Day 2 Hanoi Early start this morning to bring you a unique and magical insight into Vietnam’s people on a Good Morning Hanoi tour. Hanoi’ites begin their day early with many taking part in exercise around the picturesque Hoan Kiem Lake. Your walking tour visits the lake where you will see residents enjoying Tai Chi, exercise and meditation.You’ll get to see the inner city ‘old quarter’ as its narrow streets begin to fill up with the bikes and people of Hanoi as their day starts – a fascinating look at two sides of the city and daily life. We then return to the hotel for breakfast and to freshen up. Then it’s on to visit the cities main historical sites including the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and Ho Chi Minh’s house, where he preferred to live simply, which are splendid reminders of the great man who once led this country. One Pillar Pagoda is a small but significant pagoda with a Buddhist representation of the world and the Temple of Literature which was originally built in 1070. Our last stop is at the Ho Chi Minh Museum for a brief insight into the history of the man who has is recognised as the modern father of this country. We stop for lunch at KOTO – an opportunity for us to support a fantastic organization, KOTO is a not-for-profit restaurant and vocational training program that is changing the lives of street and disadvantaged youth in Vietnam. Late afternoon and evening is at leisure to enjoy Hanoi’s narrow streets and the fascinating old quarter - we
recommend seeing the Water Puppet Theatre (not included) – a colorful form of traditional entertainment.

Day 3 Halong Bay
De parting Hanoi this morning, we travel through rice fields and small towns to Halong Bay. Here we board a traditional junk boat for a boat trip through the magical seascape of Halong Bay which includes stops at various islands and caves. For those who wish, time is spent anchored for a swim or optional kayaking is available (payable to your guide). Overnight is spent on board in air-conditioned cabins with dinner on board.

Day 4 Halong Bay to Hue. Awake to the sunrise over Halong Bay for breakfast on the cruise back to Halong by late morning, where we head back to Hanoi with a stop to visit a local village popular for embroidery and textile products. Late afternoon arrive Hanoi for a break before transferring to Hanoi airport for the short flight to Hue. Transfer on arrival in Hue to your hotel

Day 5 Hue
Today explore the historic city of Hue – the former Imperial City. We start the day with a boat trip along the Perfume River to Thien Mu Pagoda, which was built in 1601. Then continuing by road to the Ancient Citadel, the capital of Vietnam from 1802-1945, which was recognized as a World Heritage Site, where the last King of Vietnam – Bao Dai King – abdicated on 30 August, 1945. After lunch at a rustic but delicious and popular local restaurant – visit Khai Dinh Tomb with its mix of Asian and Western architecture.

Day 6 Hai Van Pass
This morning we travel over the spectacular Hai Van Pass, once rated by National Geographic as one of the 50 ‘must-do’ journeys in the world. Stunning views await of Lang Co Beach and out to the South China Sea as we take the winding mountain road. Just after leaving Hue we make a special stop at Duc Son Pagoda. Run by Buddhist Nun Thich Nu Minh Tu. The Temple not only gives shelter to disadvantaged children, including Orphans and the homeless, the nuns have also
created favourable conditions for the children to attend classes and go on to higher education. A brief visit allows you to see the wonderful work and the temple. Active Asia supports causes around Asia including this orphanage. Continuing on we traverse the spectacular Hai Van Pass with a photo stop at the top, before stopping at China Beach, famous from the TV series and home to the American R&R post during the war before arriving in Hoi An. During the 17th and 18th centuries Hoi An was a major Asian trading centre and is now one of the most popular places to visit in Vietnam with its charming cobblestone streets and old shop houses. A wonderful town for getting clothes tailor made or for buying art and souvenirs, Hoi An also boasts an excellent beach 5km from town, which can be reached by hiring a bicycle or grabbing a taxi. Tonight experience some of the local specialities with dinner at a local restaurant.

Day 7 Hoi An / My Son. Today begins with a tour to the ancient ruins of My Son – the home to the Cham people centuries ago. The Kingdom at My Son dates back to the 4th century and remained fully occupied through until the 13th century which makes it the longest occupied of all the major monuments of SE Asia. Today the ruins show testament to the Cham with its sculptures and buildings. Back in Hoi An for lunch before a short walking tour introduces you to this ancient town’s old shop houses and the Japanese covered bridge. Late afternoon and evening is at leisure to enjoy this popular and magnificent town. Your guide is available to assist.

Day 8 Hoi An . Today is at lesiure for you to enjoy Hoi An. Shop, relax at the beach or beside the pool, enjoy the great local restaurants, get clothes tailor
made or explore the ancient buildings. Optional activities are available including a half-day cooking class where you’ll get to learn all about the delicious Vietnamese cuisine and hot to make popular dishes – or a cycle tour with your guide to the surrounding countryside, farms and home industries around Hoi An (payable to your guide)
Day 9 Hoi An - Ho Chi Minh (Saigon)
This morning a visit is made to Marble Mountain, made up of 5 limestone hills with marble outcrops and home to a fascinating village of artisans carving the marble into all manner of statues. Marble Mountain is also home to a Temple, in more recent times it was used by the Viet Cong, due to the view it has of the Danang air base which was home to the Americans during the war which at the time made it one of the busiest airports in the world. We then transfer to Danang Airport for the flight to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), on arrival transfer to your hotel.

Day 10 Ho Chi Minh (Saigon)Today we head out of Saigon to visit the Cu Chi tunnels one of the few intact monuments to the Vietnam War.Beneath the ground lie 200km of underground tunnels, dug by hand and inhabited by the Viet Minh during the US war. A video of the tunnels in use is shown, before walking around the area to view some of the tunnels, field kitchens and hospital. Crawl inside and experience life in the tunnels if you wish! On our return we visit the Cao Dai Temple, a colourful temple decorated with dragon’s, pillars and domes. Late afternoon and evening is at leisure for you to enjoy Saigon’s many cafes, restaurants and markets.

Day 11 Ho Chi Minh (Saigon)
Good Morning Saigon! – you have seen the traffic, now you’ll get the chance to really see the city with some great photo opportunities. You’ll be amazed at the deserted streets as you walk around the inner city with the chance to get up close to the historical buildings and experience Saigon as it awakens for the day. After breakfast a visit is made to the Ngoc Hoang Pagoda and the stunning Notre Dame Cathedral before visiting the War Museum – a stark reminder of the War.
Afternoon is at leisure for you to relax – or shop!

Day 12 Mekong Delta
2-day Mekong Delta Tour. A visit to the Mekong is one of the best ways to experience rural life. Driving through beautiful agricultural areas to the Mekong offers a great glimpse into local life. At My Tho town we board our boat to explore some of the myriad of estuaries and islands including home based industries such as coconut candy making, orchards and bonsai gardens where we get to sample the wonderful array of fruit.Back at our we transfer to Can Tho where we board a boat to the home of a local family. After arriving and checking in at the home stay, an optional bike ride for another chance to travel through the fruit
orchards. You spend the night in the home of a local family.

NOTE: Sleeping arrangements tonight are very basic with shared facilities (cold shower/toilet) and canvas stretcher type beds with blanket and mosquito net. Basic but an amazing experience TIP! You are welcome to pack and leave your main luggage at the hotel for your return, packing a small overnight bag for your Mekong tour.

Day 13 Mekong Delta – Ho Chi Minh (Saigon)
After breakfast a visit is made by boat to the Cai Rang floating market.The Mekong is a main tributary where the produce grown in the area is shipped and traded.
Masses of boats ply their wares in the early morning by boat. A brief stop is made at a garden for some morning fruits before returning to our coach for the drive back to Saigon by road with a stop enroute to see the colourful Cao Dai temple. A farewell dinner tonight at a popular eatery gives us the chance to share stories and celebrate our experiences.

Day 14 Farewell
Sadly today is the end of your tour. We include a transfer to the airport for your outbound flight.

16- 17 August. Nicki arrived this morning (16th) after an epic 4 days of travelling following her Camp America Camp Consellor experience in Northern Michigan. She has flown Detroit - New York-Turkey-Kuala Lumpur-Penang! Jo and I met her at the airport and are so excited to see her. We took two local buses down to the airport, then rented a car to put Nikki's luggage in, and to allow us to get to the airport early in the morning for our two week trip to Vietnam. As Nicki's visit was unexpected and only planned in last week , she will be in the boat for 2 weeks exploring Penang by herself. However knowing Nicki she will soon find someone to connect with. We also have the marina manager keeping an eye out for her! Jo and I (along with Jo's Mum Fiona) booked our tour of Vietnam (starting tomorrow) long before she decided to come. Anyway, after our return we'll have a month or so together, which will be great. Nikki will benefit from some downtime to get over her Jetlag and recover from her hectic Camp America experience. After getting back to the boat to get her settled, then, she was to hyped up and not yet ready for sleep that we went for a bit of a drive around the island so she can get her bearings. Nikki and Jo found a "spice garden" to explore which let Nikki stretch her legs after her travels before heading back to a local hotel for diner and an early night for us all.

12- 15th August. Motor sailed the 55 odd miles from Langkawi down to Penang, in about 5 Knts of breeze. We have come in to the new  Straits Quay marina, which is nice, and behind a properly constructed real sea wall which is a change for many Malaysian marinas! On arrival we were greeted by two Kiwi’s (Daryl and Laurel) on the 50ft Cat Cool Bananas.  We had an enjoyable meal with them that night -and the next two night's! Daryl is an electrican by trade but ended up getting involved in the Dairy and Kiwi fruit business instead. After selling these he became a property development investor. Laurel is early childhood trained, like Jo. It was lovely to share "kiwi" stories and our common interests. Daryl and Laurel also have a website – see http://coolbananas50.blogspot.com for details.  Matt managed to get a appointment yesterday (the day after we arrived – at home you would wait weeks/months for an appointment with a specialist!). He has burnt off numerous Solar keratosis growths on Matt’s face – they are small, scaly or flaky areas of skin. I also got a few age spots and bits done on my arms at the same time. He said I was too young to have these on my hands (cosmetic stuff only really). The Dermatologist has booked Matt in for a small surgery when we return to remove a small suspected basal cell carcinoma....

We are looking forward to seeing Nicki (youngest Daughter) in 2 days. She has finished her stint at camp America, and is coming to see us for a while. That will be great. We are pleased to have someone to look after Island Time while we are away in Vietnam, and there is plenty for her to see and do here for free/cheaply while we away to keep her occupied.

1^st -11^th August.  Langkawi Island, Malaysia.  After arriving back in Rebak Marina following our Cambodia travels Matt had some boat maintenance jobs to complete on his “to do list”. He removed and cleaned out the 3 heat exchangers on the motor (thanks to a special tool that our friends the Vlaars brought up to Phuket with them), did an oil change and rewired some of the plugs on the various electrical goods we have purchased during our time in Asia with New Zealand plugs (Thanks to the Norrie Family for bringing these up for us.)

Also our dingy is in need of repair after 10 years of hard use, it is starting to show its age. A dingy for a yacht is like having a car in your garage in that it lets you conveniently leave your home (the boat), to go and explore your location, get the shopping etc. Recently we keep finding it partially deflated (like having a flat tyre every time you want to go out!). There is a repair place here in Langkawi that has been recommended to us by another yachtie, so we have sent it off for some attention, which will take about a week. So we are somewhat marina bound now.

I spent the first couple of days back from our travels recovering from a head cold, and traveller’s tummy that I picked up during our time away and was laid low for several days. I then enjoyed some recovery time by the Rebak Resort  pool, reading my book, doing some yoga classes  and catching up with our website blog and photo editing seeing as we have FREE internet coverage here.  Sounds like a hard life doesn’t it!

While we were in Rebak Marina we caught up with various other yachties who are here, including Dale and Lorraine from Umbra Luna who we met in the Indonesian Rally (Lorraine  was the GP who helped us out with my Mum’s toe when she damaged it). Over lunch one day she observed Matt’s face and told him he really should get his skin looked at re sun damage, and also to get a biopsy of one area that she considered quite nasty looking on the side of his face. We took onboard Lorraine’s advice and decided  that as we were planning to get to Penang Island further down the coast so we can fly out from there to Vietnam, that we would just head down there a few days earlier and get Matt seen by a skin specialist before going to Vietnam. There is a great range of hospitals and doctors in Penang - it is a popular "Medical Tourism" destination.

After the return of the Dingy, we stayed the last night in Langkawi at anchor in the “fiord”, which is a steep to narrow passage on the north side of the Island. We took to the opportunity to clean the hull and make our trip down to Penang Island the next day faster. After this we then visited the Lake of the Pregnant Maiden. It is a freshwater lake held back from the sea by a narrow rock wall. Quite interesting, but very run down as much of Malaysia's construction seems to be. At some time quite a bit of money has been spent on it in the past with decking and walkways once almost encircling the lake.Now the boardwalk acces is limited to the  swimming platform at the end of the walk over the hill to the lake.

Cambodia Blog

23 July 2011 – 31 July 2011 After a sleepless night at the airport waiting for our flight we arrived in around 7.30am at Phnom Penh the capital of Cambodia. Flying into the capital it appears that the landscape is drowned with miles and miles of rice paddies stretching across the horizon. Following obtaining our visas and clearing customs and immigration we caught a local Tuktuk to take us to the hotel that our friends the Simmons were already staying in. We were impressed on our way in with the general cleanliness of the place – the cleanest we have seen in our travels through Asia so far.

We joined Lorne, Nicole and the girls for breakfast and then we arranged for us all to hit the two main tourist attractions of Phnom Penh - the S21 Genocide museum and killing field memorial. During the Pol Pot era over 3 million people were captured, tortured and executed during his reign from 1975-1979. The memorial is a stark reminder of the tragedy. It stands 7 stories tall and houses the bodily remains of some of the victims, in layers of skulls, hip bones, leg and arm bones and clothing. In many ways it is quite bizarre to see these remains displayed in glass cabinets as a memorial. Here is the “killing tree” where young children were killed by smashing their heads on the tree. It is all pretty depressing what people can do to each other. Our next stop was the S21 complex. Formerly this had been a school but was turned into a detention/torture centre. After “confessing” people were sent to S21 for extermination.

By this stage we had had enough of these depressing scenes so headed back to our accommodation for a refreshing swim/snooze before heading out in the late evening to the river side water front area where we enjoyed a meal at the FCC (Foreign Correspondence Club). After this we wandered along the paved path of the river’s edge to see the brightly lit up passing river boats doing their evening cruises. Phnom Penh has an amazingly high incident of street beggars – young children and amputees from land mines relentlessly perusing you to purchase their trinkets and wares or simply requesting money which is a harsh reality of the way and conditions of life here.  

Next morning we walked down the road from our accommodation to the National Museum. The building is a traditional Cambodian design with beautiful manicured tropical gardens. It houses many sculptures and relics from around the country side and the temples. After exploring the museum we headed to a restaurant called “Friends” that has been set up to educate and train street kids in the hospitality industry. We enjoyed a very pleasant lunch with a good selection of food and delicious fruit shakes on offer. They also have an outlet shop selling arts and crafts goods that have been made by street kids.

That afternoon we took a 6 hour bus trip north to Siem Reap. The road is constructed barely above the height of the rice paddies with an enormous range of housing conditions visible from grass/hay type constructions, wooden and corrugated iron shacks to quite elaborately adorned, gated buildings surrounded by barbed wire. Many of them are surrounded by pools of water as it is the wet season and the land is very flat for miles. The ditches alongside the road are filled with Lotus flower plants.

As we were approaching Siem Reap in the early evening the sky darkened with black bulbous clouds which were highlighted against the bright orange skyline of the setting sun – it looked very dramatic. Just as we pulled up to the bus station the rain came tumbling down and drenched the countryside. We were welcomed on arrival at our accommodation (Lotus Resort and Spa which Lorne and Nicole had secured for us all at a very good rate via a connection of one their children whose friend was a Cambodian refugee and had a contact at this hotel), with a delicious chilled sugar cane complimentary drink which was a nice refreshing boost after our travels on the bus.

Following a lazy start and laid back breakfast the next morning we made plans to hire a rental van and driver to take us to the Angkor Museum. The hotel staff had advised us to see this as a pre-requisite to heading out to the temple sights. It gave us a good overview giving us explanations of what we would see out at the various temples. It is a relatively new complex so lots of visual presentations to add to the static displays. While we were in here there was tremendous tropical downpour, so when we got out to the temples themselves they were quite sodden with pools of water lying everywhere. We visited 3 temples in the remainder of the afternoon including Thom Prom which was used in the Tomb Raider movie. The details in the carvings and the construction technique using simply dry wall technology- no cement is fascinating and quite awe inspiring how they trekked the sandstone from the hillside over 50kms away.

The next day we arranged a ½ day minivan and tour guide hire to take us around 3 more temple sights. We wanted to see the lady temple that is acknowledged as having some of the finest and most detailed carvings due to the more delicate approach of the women carvers.

We stopped at the Land Mine Museum. Land mines are a plague on Cambodia, with over 200 people per year still killed, and many more injured. There are large tracts of land unusable due to mines. This museum was set up by a local man, following his experiences as a boy soldier for the Khmer Rouge, wanted to do something to assist in making his countryside safer. He set about clearing land of mines – all self-taught! He personally removed 55000 landmines, without accident, before his government forced him to stop because he was not “qualified”!!! Since then his organisation has become internationally certified and, although he does not do this personally anymore, his employees do. They are locals only, and, at the current rate of clearance it will be 150 years before Cambodia is landmine free.... We made a small donation to this worthy cause.

In the evening we headed out to a Lonely Planet recommended restaurant named Madame Butterfly, which was great. Following this Lorne, Kendra and I headed off to a Blind massage treatment centre for a local Shiatsu style massage to complete the day.

We got up and organised a bit earlier today to make the most of the cooler morning temperatures to visit Angkor Wat, which is a very open temple with little shade. In the afternoon we had organised to take a bus through to Battambang, which was due to leave at 1.30pm, therefore we needed to make the most of the day. Angkor Wat is the biggest temple complex. It was a “hydraulic city” with running water, and a million people when London had 50,000!!! Due to our earlier start we were able to missed the heat of the day, as planned. It was actually quite pleasant meandering through the temple, and with a helpful breeze blowing through the place today it the conditions a lot more comfortable. The temple is broad wide complex (the entire city was 30,000 square kms!! Ankor Wat was the centre piece and main temple) surrounded by a large moat. It contained a great range of wall murals depicting beautiful looking women who were only costumed below the waist, and simply adorned above the waist with a stunning and varying array of jewellery. Matt and Lorne much appreciated and admired these stunning wall reliefs (see pics).  

It was another 6 hour bus trip to get through to Battambang, and once again just as we arrived a tropical downpour occurred which quickly flooded the streets, as there aren’t sufficient drains or storm water systems in place the streets quickly become flooded with water pouring off rooflines and building orifices in all directions.  (see pics for images) Also the sewerage provisions in these places are substandard. The sewerage overflow quickly runs into the pooling water, and the smell permeates the air. Unfortunately our accommodation tonight wasn’t quite what we expected based on the price and images shown on the internet. The pool was heavily discoloured from all the rain and our room had water marks running down the walls!

It was then time to head out for an evening meal in the town centre. Our Tuktuk dropped us off near the local markets, where there were a large number of locals purchasing their dinner from the vendors. We were quite interested to watch chickens being cooked on a portable rotisserie cart over hot coals (see pics.) We found a steakhouse operated by a local Cambodian women and her Australian husband. Lorne managed to sort out with the Australian information about how to get out to the Bamboo Train that we wanted to do the next day.

We got ourselves organised reasonably early again today as we wanted to fit in a trip on the Bamboo train before our taxi pickup time of 11am that was going to take us through to the coastal town of Kampot. We took a couple of Tuktuk’s out to the countryside where you can catch a ride on a Bamboo Train.  This is simply a three metre long wooden frame, covered lengthwise with slats made of bamboo that rest on two barbell like bogies. The aft one connected by belts to a 6Hp Gasoline Engine, which cruises along the track at around 15Km per hour. When one train that meets another, the one with the least amount of cargo is dismantled and carried off the track to let the other one past! It was a bit like going on some sort of theme park ride with the bushes on side of the track acted as a narrow corridor that you pass through click, clack on the warped and misaligned tracks.

At the turnaround point there was a refreshment stop and local women and children made crickets, rings and bangles for you out of palm fronds. They also took us on a tour of a local brick making facility, which produced rows of the standard brick from the local clay that they fired in kilns using the husk of the rice grain as fuel.  On the track down to the brick factory we passed a cart carrying blocks of ice that he cuts up on the back of his cart to deliver to the local houses. There is currently no electricity in this part but they are expecting to be connected to the grid in the next couple of months which will make life a lot easier for everyone.

In the afternoon we travelled via two private taxis down to the coastal town of Kampot. This 455kms trip take took us eight hours with the local road conditions. Each taxi cost us $97 for the distance which compared to what we would pay at home was an absolute bargain. We stayed a couple of nights at a fairly new upmarket seaside resort for $60 a night. There was quite a thunder storm overnight and it continued in the morning. Our Idea of spending some relaxing time at the beach and pool were thwarted due to the weather conditions. So we made plans to head into the nearby town Kampot and then to the seaside village of Kep. On the way to Kep we detoured down a muddy side road in torrential rain, thunder and lightning to visit some cave temples. The local boys followed us on their bikes trying to keep up with the Tuktuk, and then guided us up the track to the cave temple and used the opportunity to practice their English with numerous questions. The cave was quite interesting with a variety of rock formations that resembled elephants, and the Temple dating from around 600AD.

 In Kep we had a nice late lunch at an Italian restaurant and then completed the return journey back to the resort.

Another rainy start to the day today and we enjoyed a relaxed start to the day before packing up for our  three hour journey back to Phnom Penh. We planned to get there mid-afternoon so we could get to the afternoon open session of the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda. The Royal Palace has a classic Khmer roofline with ornate gilding. The roofline is held in place by sculptured ornate feminine figurines (see pics.) It has highly manicured topiary styled gardens. The Silver Pagoda gets its name from the silver floor tiles used to cover the floor and also houses a substantial collection of gold and silver ornaments. Following our tour of the palace we found a place to eat an early dinner, as none of us had had lunch today. After this Lorne, Nicole and I treated ourselves to a massage – again at the Blind massage place called Seeing Hands.

Last day, to the airport and off to Kuala Lumpur about 9am. Lorne and family flew from here to Singapore. We stayed overnight, and returned to Rebak and the Boat on 1 August....

22^nd -31^st July – Travelling in Cambodia. But first it was in to Kuah (we arrived at Rebak about 7pm last night) to clear customs. We also tried to arrange collection of the Dingy for repair (some seams need re-gluing, transom has a crack etc – it’s 10 years old!) but as it is Friday afternoon here now it’s like the weekend. We’ll have to do that when we get back from Cambodia. We also got new SIM cards for the phones – numbers are on the home page – as we seem to have lost our old Malaysian SIMs.

19-2^st July –  Matt here for a minute. This morning I fitted the new alternator (an alternator makes electricity from the engine – to charge batteries etc) – supposed to be a direct replacement, but of course it did not quite fit immediately – some wiring had to be moved and altered. Anyway, once this was done, installed fine, and tested, it all worked well. Generally it produces about 2x the amount of power that the old one did – at normal revs, so should speed up our recharge times significantly! For those interested it is a 600 series Balmar 70 Amp, and replaces a 55 Amp Ingram, now relegated to spares.

Jo Again -We cleared Thailand Customs and Immigration and prepare to make our back to Rebak Island in Malaysia where we will leave Island Time for the week we are spending travelling in Cambodia with the Simmons Family.  Left at 0600 on 20th. We motored the whole way due to the flat calm windless conditions. We did stop overnight at the lovely little anchorage spot between the islands fo Rok Nok and Rok Nai. We enjoyed the clean clear water and gave the hull a quick wipe over for better mileage while moving along.

18th July 2011

(Jo Agai n Now) After Matt was finished in the coolness of the Simmons air airconditioned resort room, along with free internet access, we made travel arrangements for our upcoming plans to head to Cambodia together. At lunchtime we headed out to a cheap and cheerful beachfront restaurant. I was astounded by the amount of rubbish, old fishing nets and lines the locals were hauling up off the beach following the effects of the stormier weather over the last week, as the beach had always been clean when we had been there before. Lorne generously booked me in for his complimentary daily 2 ½ hour spa session at the resort that day, while Matt and Lorne went back up to the middle of the Island to collect our new alternator.  Nicole and I enjoyed some relaxing spa treatments before we all headed out together for an evening meal. .

17^th July – The Norries, Vlaars and McNeils are due to return their yachts to Yacht Haven Marina by 11am this morning. The day dawned bright and sunny – the first one of the yacht charter week! The Norries, Vlaars and McNeils off loaded their remaining supplies to us and we sadly said our farewells.

We have more family friends (the Simmons family), who are currently here in Phuket coming out to join us for a day outing to the Hongs. So, collecting them from Ao Po Marina at 9am, we had a pleasant trip out to the Hongs and explored 3 or 4 different ones including a cave that we hadn’t been into before that had magnificent mirror reflections of the stalactites and stalagmites. It was really quite stunning. Mid afternoon we returned to Grand Apo Marina, and Lorne stayed onboard with Matt to help take Island Time back down to Chalong Harbour. I went with Nicole and the girls in the rental car back to their resort at Kata beach, and enjoyed a swim in the pool before we picked up Lorne and Matt at Chalong and enjoyed a meal at their resort.

11^th July – with the weather forecast looking good for some wind over the next couple of days, the decision was made to make the most of the conditions and complete a run down to the Phi Phi Don Island, approx. 33 nautical miles away as the first destination. After lifting the anchors we all set about putting up our sails. It quickly became apparent that something was seriously wrong with the rigging of the McNeils yacht. The forestay was so loose that Matt made me photograph it, as the threat of a rig failure and mast falling down seemed imminent. They pulled down the sails in a hurry, and returned to shelter. Contact was made with the Charter Boat Company. They came and looked at the situation – the rigging “repair” they had made had failed!  Another yacht was arranged for the week, a Catamaran this time. However this meant they spent most of the day getting this sorted and so they effectively lost a day. As there was nothing the rest of us could do to assist, we made the most of the conditions and headed down to Phi Phi. There was a good swell running and we had the tide running with us so we made the trip in good time, averaging just under 8 knots.

The McNeil family group joined us the next day at Phi Phi but due to an uncomfortable and roly night in the main anchorage the call was made to relocate to the other side of the island to Loh Goa Bay to get out of the swell.  Three days were spent around the Phi Phi Island group. The Norrie, Vlaar and McNeil families organised a day trip on the local Longtail boats to the tourist attractions at Phi Phi Le, took in some shopping at the main beach, and we did some snorkelling in the bay. The weather was overcast with passing rain squalls coming through at regular intervals. On the 14^th we headed back up near the top of Phuket into Phang Nga Bay to investigate some the Hongs in this location, visit the Muslim fishing village on stilts and to show them James Bond Island. Despite the disappointing weather everyone remained bright and cheerful, and we enjoyed each other’s company and the sights that were seen.

10^th July - We picked everyone up (the Norries and Vlaars) at 9.30am and headed up towards Yacht Haven. The next door neighbours of the Norries, and the instigators of the yacht charter concept the McNeil family, were due to arrive at the marina from the airport around 11am.  It was hoped that while the ladies went and got the fresh supplies the guys would be able to load up the boats and get the briefing session over and done with by the time we returned. Unfortunately the yacht the McNeils were scheduled to use required a rigging repair (Wires that hold up the mast!!) to be completed before it was fit to take out. This ended up taking till mid afternoon. When we returned from the grocery run around 3pm a heavy tropical downpour saturated us all as we loaded up the supplies. This was a foreboding start to the week ahead. Finally ready to get away around 4pm. With only a couple of hours left of daylight we all headed down the channel, with the McNeils having a few issues with the furling of their foresail. They finally got it furled and continued under power. We arrived at the bay to anchor in for the night, just as another squall came through to make for an extra dramatic and exciting finish to the day – 30 knot gusts, heavy rain, and little visibility. It is the monsoon season, after all!!

4 – 10^th July 2011 – We have been enjoying the company of our Kiwi camping friends Richard and Inez Vlaar and Cath and Wayne Norrie during this time. They had booked a week of resort accommodation at Kata Beach, and following this had arranged a yacht charter hire for a week.

As the night of the 4^th July was Stephanie and Rohan’s last night here in Kata Beach we arranged to have a final meal with them and our friends the Norries and Vlaars at the highly recommended Mama Tri’s Boathouse. Unfortunately when we got there the place was in the process of being renovated during the low season, so we headed further up the hill to Mama Tri’s Villa where they have a lovely hilltop resort and restaurant overlooking the beach of Kata Noi. We enjoyed a fine meal here and at the end each of the ladies was presented with a long stem red rose, which unlike the ones at home were beautifully scented. We thoroughly enjoyed sharing time with Steph and Ro here in Phuket, it was great having their company, and a special bonus was the numerous swims in their resort pool!

While the Norries and Vlaars were here in Kata beach, we would come across the hill each day from Chalong Bay, where Island Time is anchored, to meet them for a various day outings around Phuket on the scooters we had all hired. Our trips included a day tour of the Southern part of the island taking in the sights of Big Buddha where Richard and Inez took the opportunity to have an elephant ride, then the Southern beaches of Raiwai and then Nai Harn where we enjoyed some body surfing in the late afternoon. We also took in the viewing points of Phromthep Cape and Karon before completing the round tour back to Kata Beach.  We had a shopping trip outing to Patong Beach another afternoon enjoying an evening meal there, before taking in some of the atmosphere of the erotic nightlife that this location is renowned for. Another day we headed off to do a round tour of the central island west coast beaches, through to the middle of the island to the Heroines Monument and nearby Thalang museum. After that we headed out to Boat Lagoon where we had a boat part that we had ordered in to pick up. Next back down to Chalong where Cath and I had booked a 3 ½ hour ‘Perfect Massage’ at the “Massage by the Blinds” location. Richard and Wayne both had an hour Thai massage there while Matt and Inez went out to Island Time to fill in time before coming back to collect Wayne and Richard. They all then headed out for some fun at the local shooting range and kart track before picking Cath and I up at the end of our Perfect Massage session.

The supermarket was next, to get the non-perishable shopping supplies for the upcoming week’s yacht charter, as there are no nearby Supermarket facilities at Yacht Haven Marina, where they are collecting their charter yacht. As Matt and I planned to take Island Time up the coast the following day we figured it would be easier to transport the non-perishable goods on Island Time, as the 7 seater vehicle we had hired would be a tight squeeze for all the people and luggage. After getting the supplies we shared a meal and then organised some transportation down to the pier for the groceries. Everyone helped load up the dingy with the supplies.

Next morning it was a pleasant day sail up the coast to Yacht Haven Marina, where we caught up with Russell from Andiamo II (who was opposite us in the marina) for a meal that night. In the morning we completed a few jobs (such as filling up with fuel and water) in preparation for the weeks yachts charter with our friends, and waited patiently for the arrival of our new interior seating to arrive from the upholsterer. It is Matt’s birthday today and he was eagerly awaiting the delivery of his birthday present – the new seating! It wasn’t until 5.30pm that they finally arrived with our squabs! After getting them fitted and Matt approving the new level in comfort, we picked up the rental car and headed back down to Kata Beach, where we were to meet the Norries and Vlaars for a celebratory birthday dinner. We had also arranged to stay the night in a cheap hotel room to make picking everyone up the next day much easier. We enjoyed a pleasant meal out at Two Chefs, with our friends generously shouting Matt and I for our Birthday celebrations (mine is two days away on the 11^th).

2 July Slow start this morning after a bit of a rolly night. Updated the pics for the web, and now this. Going to Step and Rowan’s hotel this afternoon for a swim.

1 July Matt here. This morning Jo went out and had a haircut and did some shopping etc. I worked more on the Alternator issue. I had thought that the max  charge (50amp) was not being reached possibly due to a failed diode, but further tests indicated that this was not the case. I removed the alternator and cleaned all the electrical connections, replaced one of the neg terminal connectors, replaced the brushes (one very worn, other OK) cleaned and reassembled. Now working fine!!! Yay! However, in view of these issues and the fact we keep adding more electrical stuff, we have decided to get a better alternator and use this one as a spare. I’ve ordered a 70amp Balmar marine Alternator, which, although in theory is only 20amps more, has more than twice the output at usual charging revs. Should be a huge improvement.  It’s coming from West Marine to Langkawi (duty free), so we’ll pick it up late this month when we are back there.

30^th June - . We enjoyed our day out with Steph and Ro and I think they had fun with the sailboat experience and snorkeling amongst the fish at Coral Island. We took some bread to feed the fishes (just like they give to the tourists) and Steph was quite thrilled with the experience of having the all sorts of tropical fish come up around her to nibble the bread. Rohan was a very useful crew member (great having a strong young man around to help), lifting the dingy up and down the beach, pulling up the mainsail and helping with anchoring. He also had fun holding onto a rope behind the boat as we sailed along. It was good to share the with them again and after happy hour drinks and nibbles on board I let Ro drive the dingy into the wharf, and they then caught a taxi back to their resort for a fresh water swim/shower meal and massage. We are having a quiet evening onboard for a change.

29^th June - hired a car yesterday to pick up our headsail that had been in for a repair at the sailmakers and took Steph and  Ro for a bit of a tour around the lower half of the Island and to the Zoo where they wanted to go. It has been fun sharing our time/experiences with them and we have thoroughly enjoyed their wonderful company (good to have Kiwis to talk to and discuss things with). We did the Thai Dr Fish treatment - a fish tank you put your feet in and the fish clean them. An unusual slightly ticklish sensation, but it does leave your feet soft!

28^th June  - Matt spent the morning installing the new cabin lights, and the NZ electrical fittings that our niece and her husband Stephanie and Rohan had brought up for us.  I had fun catching up with various people on Skype. In the afternoon we headed over to Kata Beach to enjoy a swim in Steph and Ro’s resort pool and then out received from

27^th June - Up to Boat Lagoon Chandleries/Lunch with Daphne/Russ to pick up the lights Daphne had bought up for us from Ausy. One new saloon light, and new reading lights for our cabin. In the afternoon, Matt was keen to get on to the Alternator issue. We got the required cable and terminals at one of the chandlers while in Boat Lagoon this morning. Installation was a bit difficult as it has to go thru the under floor conduits to the switch panel. It took both of us most of the afternoon to do this, (one pulling, one pushing) using the old cable as a pull thru, and lots of perspiration! Anyway, it has now improved the alternators performance, although it is not totally fixed yet. Caught up with Steph and Rohan that evening for a meal and to collect the various bits and pieces they had generously brought up in their luggage from NZ for us.

26^th June – More boat jobs – like housekeeping they never end!!  Matt (and me too – it takes forever to charge the batteries each day)  is not happy at present with the way our alternator is charging so after some investigations and tests decided we need to replace the alternator main output cable, as it had high resistance.  I did the windows and outside salt crystal clean. Then lunch at our favorite air-con lunch/free wireless update computers/website. After that I helped Bruce on Enchantress with sails, and  Matt cleaned up the mess on Island Time. We had a quiet night on board

25^th June – Spent ½ the day doing boat jobs.  In the afternoon we hired a motor bike to go to Kata beach for a well deserved break from boat jobs and some fun in the surf and dinner.

24^th June – Off to Customs/Immigration at opening time this morning to complete our clearance requirements.  We then hired a car to take our furling headsail up to the Sail Makers, Roly Taskers. It is now showing quite a bit of wear and tear and had ripped its leech cord in the windier conditions yesterday. Russell’s friend Bruce we had met the night before also joined us as he had a sail to pick up from Roly Taskers. We also took the roll of fabric we had picked up in Langkawi, Malaysia to deliver to the upholsterer at the other end of Phuket, to enable them to get on with finishing our interior seating job.

On the way back down we stopped at Boat Lagoon Marina to pick up various bits and pieces we wanted while we still have access to decent chandleries. We also caught up with Campbell and Jenney from Charelle,  and got to view the completed woodwork they have had done to their boats kitchen and interior – it looks great, a huge improvement.  Bruce then showed us a number of useful little shops in old Phuket town where you can access cheap tools and boat supplies. Our last stop on the way home, while we have the use of a car instead of motorbike, was at the local supermarket to stock up on meat and groceries (including a carton of Weetbix  - our favourite and difficult to source breakfast cereal). We ended our day with a quiet dinner by ourselves over at Kata Beach. 

23^rd June – We sailed from Phi Phi to Chalong/Phuket today, as Russell was keen to get to Phuket with a bit of time to clean up his boat before his wife Daphne arrived up from Australia. I offered to crew for Russell as he was still quite tender and sore from his injuries. This was just as well, as once we got out of the shelter of Phi Phi Island there was quite a breeze blowing (25-30 knots) with some reasonable waves. It was quite stormy conditions for this area - it reminded me of Windy Wellington on a good sailing day!!  We got quite salt laden on our trip with spray and waves washing the decks, but soon dried out in the sun and heat. We wanted to get the paperwork for Customs and Immigration clearance sorted out on our arrival at 4pm to enable us to have a free day the next  day to get on with our jobs but once ashore we found they had closed at 3pm. So we decided to quench our thirsts at the Lighthouse Pub on the foreshore.  Russell met up with one of his sailing acquaintances and we all ended up sharing the evening together over some drinks and a meal. I also indulged in a massage while the lads swapped sailing yarns, as my shoulder had been quite sore over the last few days. The massage was wonderful and resulted in me having a very good night’s sleep that night. J

21^st – 22^nd June  (Jo writing again now) We had a lovely day sail to the Island of Phi Phi Don, we actually got to sail all day instead of motor-sail! There was finally a decent breeze blowing which makes a nice change for around this part of the world, I must say. When Russell from Andiamo turned up (his boat is a bit slower than ours) we all headed ashore.  Matt and Russell enjoyed the “sights” as this is a real backpacker’s location, so lots of beautiful young things to look at. (insert by Matt – Jo looks too, just not at the same ones!) I indulged in a much needed leg wax treatment at one of the beauticians. (I have found that getting waxing done here is not as readily available as at home, unless you are in a big tourist location. The local people don’t have a lot of excess body hair, and instead choose to indulge in skin whitening and slimming treatments at their beauticians). 

Unfortunately on our way back to the dingy after our meal, Russell tumbled down the steps of the seawall in the dark. He landed on some sharp rocks/concrete and gave himself some grazes and quite a shock. When we got back to Island Time I patched him up as best I could with medical supplies. I was pretty sure he hadn’t broken any ribs in his fall but he was very tender in this area. He didn’t sleep very well that night so the next morning we arranged to find a Doctor to check him out. They also confirmed he hadn’t broken any ribs but prescribed him some decent muscle relaxants to take to ease the pain.

19 - 20^th June –We spent the last two days at a more isolated and idyllic tropical island location. We anchored in a channel between the islands of Rok Noi and Rok Nok. The water here is crystal clear with golden sand and bush down to the shoreline. It is part of the national park in this area, but in this non-peak monsoon season it was very quiet and peaceful with just the local rangers and some yachties in residence. Being more isolated from the more popular tourist areas closer to the mainland the coral was much more pristine and alive which made for some great snorkeling. I must have spent 4-5 hours in the water on the second day– it was just the sort of tropical island retreat that you dream of finding but rarely do.

 On the first night we were invited to join another yacht for drinks (an American catamaran called Ocelot - many catamaran/multihull boats are named after the cat/feline family). We enjoyed their company and stories and ended up sharing a pasta meal with them.  When Russell and I went ashore on the second day the local ranger station they gave us a tour of the accommodation used in the peak season, and also the local wildlife – several Monitor Lizards and giant hermit crabs that lived around the rubbish areas disposing of the scraps! When we enquired about the fish and prawns we had seen drying in baskets from the trees. They generously loaded me up with crab, squid and tiger prawns to take away. I gave them some cash and invited them to come out and look at our yacht “bungalow”, but they politely declined. So we ended sharing the food in a communal meal with the crew from Ocelot and Russell from Andiamo, and had another interesting evening sharing stories.

 Unfortunately for Matt during our time here we had problems with both our toilets. So he ended up spending one afternoon sorting out this issue so that we wouldn’t pollute this lovely environment. It was a shame to spend his time in this stunning location doing such a shitty job (literally!!) but we didn’t want to harm the environment with our pollution. 

Matt writing now for a bit – for anyone interested in what was wrong with the toilets. Stop reading here and go to the next date below if you find toilets squeamish!

The fwd toilet was backwashing when pumped – the one way valve in the Henderson MK V pump had failed due to scale buildup. (all marine toilets using salt water suffer from scale) Removed the pump, disassembled, chipped off the scale with a screwdriver, and reassembled the pump. Unfortunately I put the flapper valve in backwards, so then had to do it again! Anyway, that fixed the front toilet, and this time I got away without using a rebuild kit.

The rear toilet has a lectra san treatment system. This had stopped working completely, no lights or sounds. Dead. Tried to diagnose it with no luck. I thought it might be a control board, and an electrode pack. I’d had enough of toilets by this time, and as we now had one working one, I left this until the next day at Phi Phi Don (see Below).

Once at Phi Phi Don, I decided to have one last try at repair, and to remove the unit. It is a very difficult thing to remove, as the heavy pipes for it have to be heated to be flexible enough to have a chance at getting them off the pipe fittings. I had to cut them off to get it out, as our inverter (1500w) is not powerful enough to run the paint stripper gun I would normally use for this. Fortunately we carry some spare pipe. Anyway, got the lectra san out, took it into the cockpit, emptied it over the side and flushed with lots of salt water until clear. Removed the top, manually cleaned the electrode pack and macerator motor shafts, reassembled. Then I cleaned all the electrical connections and re-installed ( I used a butane blow torch for heat – at bit primitive, and easy to burn the plastic, but it worked! Fortunately, once reassembled, it all worked fine. The control board and the electrode pack were over $1300 NZD so very pleased to avoid that, and worth a hard and dirty days work!

19 June - An early start today as we have to cover around 45 nautical miles to find the next sheltered island anchorage. We had light wind conditions but from directly in front which is not a good angle for sailing, so it once again motor sailing in order to make headway. There is still also quite an ocean swell running, so a bit of bounce which we haven’t had to put up with for many months. I had a cleanup session inside after all the dust made by Matt installing the new air-conditioner and did some computer work.

18 June

The next morning (18^th June) we headed up just 5 nautical miles to the bay in the middle of the island that previously was the port area for the Thailand vocational penal colony during the early to mid 1900’s. The island housed up to 3000 political and dangerous prisoners, along with pirates who used to be a real menace in this area (just like the Red Sea today). There was a large crocodile and shark population (all now eaten!), which made escape by sea perilous.  They built a sawmill here- had the inmates log the timber for crafts/furniture etc. Which the Government, ( and also corrupt prison wardens) sold for a profit. The area is now a historic national park and was very pretty with lush tropical rainforest. There is a nice paved path through the jungle that led you around the various old facilities, with informative notice boards at each location. The harsh environment meant disease and malaria a real problem here with over 700 deaths out of the 3000 inmates in one particularly bad year.  Punishments noted for bad behaviour included carrying a large wood anchor around for days on end, or until they dropped from exhaustion, being left on a rack in the sun for  10-15 days at a time, or placed in a pit. It was an interesting and informative walk but unfortunately at the end of the walk I found 3 leeches had happily attached themselves to both my feet under the straps of my shoes (yuk). It does seem in this climate that the mozzies prefer the taste of Matt’s blood, but that the Leeches like mine.

 After enjoying a refreshing hose off from the freshwater hose at the end of the old wharf we headed out to the boat for lunch, and then made our way further up the coast to find an anchorage at the top of the Island for the night. Quite a swell was coming in the bay at the top which would have made an overnight anchorage uncomfortable so we headed back down the coast to find something a little more comfortable.  Matt did some boat jobs late afternoon and I had a swim and made a start on cleaning the hull of Russell’s boat that after several months of sitting in the marina had quite a bit of aquatic life stuck to it which reduces your speed through the water. However the tide was quite strong here and after an 1 ½ hours of battling the tide while trying to clean the underneath of the boat I gave it up and headed back to prepare dinner for our shared BBQ.

Phuket, Thailand to Langkawi, Malaysia (6^th June – 16^th June)

We cleared Phuket(customs etc) from Ao Chalong and headed out towards the Island of Phi Phi Don. About 20 mins after leaving the temperature alarm for the motor sounded. A quick investigation by Matt found the cause to be the Refrigerator Heater Exchanger which appeared to be blocked (it’s the only one we haven’t cleaned out yet). After doing a back flush through it using the salt water pump he was able to clear a lot of the grunge out and then reconnected it. He will do a proper cleanout once we get back to Rebak Marina and will also need to replace the heater hose which ruptured under the pressure. It was fortunate that there was plenty of heater hose to cut the ruptured piece out. We got to Phi Phi Don late afternoon and entered the harbour along with the Ausy yacht Windchimes (which we have been unintentionally shadowing over the last couple of weeks) as we have made our way around Phuket. When we passed them we made contact and agreed to share a meal ashore that evening. Phi Phi Don is one of the big tourist destinations so there was lot of tourist accommodation, dive shops and little restaurants to choose from. We enjoyed finally making the proper acquaintance of the crew of Windchimes – Greg and Janice.

The following morning we took our dingy out to the nearby Island of Phi Phi Le where all the tours go out to and spent a couple of hours exploring features. One bay is quite picturesque and was used as a location in the movie “The Beach” a few years ago. We went snorkelling in the clear waters behind Maya Bay and then down the coast to Hong Pileh. Due to the numbers of tour boats going in and out of here we had to wait for a gap in the ‘queue’ to make our way into the entrance. It was like a two lane highway! In fact due to the number of boats going in and out the air was filled with engine fumes, and this is supposedly the quiet season! We headed back past Viking Cave before going back to Island Time for lunch and to collect some information about anchorages further down the line from Windchimes.  Late afternoon we headed ashore again and went for a wander around the shops along with the Windchimes crew. We walked across to the beach on the other side of the island. When settling down for our evening meal we noticed the yacht Camille coming into the bay, so Matt went out and invited them to come in and join us all for dinner.

The next morning  we headed  south again stopping for the night at an anchorage off Ko Muk where Windchimes had told us about a Hong that you entered through a 80 metre pitch black tunnel that leads you into an enclosed cathedral type cave named Emerald Cove. This was once used by pirates as a treasure trove apparently. As it was a bit windy with quite a swell moving in and out of the tunnel entrance on the afternoon we arrived we decided to leave it and try again early the next morning.

The weather/sea conditions were better, so into Emerald Cave we went (in the dingy). You can certainly see was a wonderful spot for hiding treasure, with a hidden entrance (now marked by bouys), and near vertical cliffs all around, with a fully enclosed bay open to the sky in the centre, and a nice small beach. Well worth a visit.. After this, south again for Tarutao Island for our next overnight stop.

One Night (a bit rolly) at Tarutao, then today we headed the rest of the way to Rebak Marina. Had a thunderstorm just after lunch with great claps of thunder and bolts of lightning coming down and hitting the sea on each side of us. A short but dramatic show, quite scary. The following day (Friday) we headed into the township of Kuah to do our official business of clearing in, pick up our saloon seating fabric and to locate a replacement air-conditioner and necessary hardware supplies for making a cowling for it.

This has kept him (Matt) busy over the last few days installing it and the cover for our deck hatch. He has also completed the cleaning the fridge heat exchanger (shellfish growing in the entry pipe fitting!) so hopefully that will rectify our overheating issues. We plan to restock the supplies of duty free alcohol on Thursday and complete our clearance for heading back up to Phuket again ready to meet up with the various family and friends who are coming up that way over the next month.  

2 June -  We plan to make our way back down to Chalong via the Krabi Coast over the next week and will then clear out of Thailand to make our way down through the southern islands to Malaysia (Rebak, Langkawi again) as we need to renew our visas before heading back for the various family and friends who are coming up to Phuket in July that we plan to spend some time with.

1 June - It’s now the first day of June- hard to believe ½ the year is almost gone! We left the marina on the high tide this morning and headed back up to Yacht Haven Marina for the fitting session of the foam for our new saloon squabs this afternoon. Matt is very pleased with how it is all coming together. It should be far superior and much more comfortable than what we currently have which are only flat, unmoulded foam pieces with no ergonomic considerations. The new foam is twice the thickness, and better density so should feel quite luxurious when finished when we bring the new fabric back later in June.

27 May - 31May Heading back out to Phang Nga bay, we anchored off Ko Phanak East over night. downpour (Thunder storm), so  went around to a more sheltered/isolated spot away from the tour boats. In the cruising guide we have read that there was another Hong to explore – we found it but it was only accessible at High tide, so we decided to anchor in a pretty little bush clad bay we had passed on the way which had an inviting sandy beach off the island of Ko Khlui. I swam ashore and explored the beach and found the little tropical island paradise had a ‘For Sale’ sign. Swam back out to make lunch. Enjoyed a lazy afternoon reading and ended up spending the night here.

 After a peaceful night and morning swim, off down the coastline some more (of the island of Yao Nui) and ended up anchoring in the channel between this island and Yao Yai. It was quite breezy so it was pleasantly cool. We went into a local restaurant that was recommended in the cruising guide and I had Crab for dinner which they obtained from storage traps they had attached to the floating pontoon we had tied our dingy up to. You don’t get much fresher than that! We enjoyed a cool night’s sleep with rain squalls and I even had to resort to a blanket in the wee hours of the morning. Matt had had growing concerns about the efficiency of our portable air conditioner unit we had purchased in Singapore last October and was keen to take it to the air-conditioner technician in at the boat Lagoon Marina at Phuket. We needed to make our way through the channel between the two islands before 11am, so got organised and went. We anchored again at the island of Rang Yai North East so we could get the tide to go up to the marina early the next morning (it is a shallow and winding route best done coming up to high tide). I enjoyed a swing in my hammock in the shade of our foredeck shade rolling over and jumping in for swims to cool off.

 Next morning it was up to get up the channel (allowing for plenty of water this time so we didn’t hit the bottom. ) We dropped off the air conditioner and then had a swim at the pool and some lunch at our favourite fresh bread shop. The air conditioner technician contacted us and advised that our unit had no service valves and to look at the refrigerant levels they would have to cut the pipes and add the values but this was really an uneconomical option based on the value of the unit. As a result we hired a motorbike and went out hunting for a replacement model, which proved to be a mission to find. Ended up having dinner at the shopping mall and went to the cinema to see the latest Pirates of the Caribbean movie. The next morning Matt spent time on-line searching for a specialised air-conditioner shop (rather than the home improvement/department stores we had looked at the day before) and after locating one we headed to talk to them. Unfortunately as English is not the native language getting our message across about our requirement proved difficult, and with the pricing much higher than we would pay in Malaysia. As we are planning to head there in the next couple of weeks and aren’t really planning on spending anymore time in Marinas we will wait to purchase one then.

 As I wanted to get some fresh groceries before we headed out again so we stopped off at the mall to pick up some supplies, by this stage it had started to pour with rain so we had a drink and with no sign of it easing up decided to see another movie. It was still raining when we came out of the movie and so it was a cold wet ride back to the marina. We must remember to pack our raincoats now that it is the wet season!

23-26^th May – Yacht Haven Marina. We came back here to get the measurements done for our new interior saloon seating and to get our dodger windscreen replaced. We didn’t like any of the fabric samples that the local supplier had so organised to order some fabric from the USA through a mail-order company called Sailrite, they specialize in marine fabrics. Matt wanted to go for a creamy colour that would help lighten up the inside, however one we really wanted was discontinued so we decided to go for a pale blue that would complement the current decor. This also was unavailable! Now (3^rd choice) it’s a slightly darker shade of blue which they have in stock. The Material (an artificial leather, specifically for marine use) will be shipped to Langkawai in Malaysia (duty free there) and we will bring it back up here on the boat in July.

 Whilst here I enjoyed a day outing with our friends Pete and Judith from Camille (while Matt waited for the upholstery guy to make a pattern for the saloon seats – on the boat) in the air-conditioned car they hired to pick up essential food items (as this Marina at the top end of Phuket is isolated from the main shopping areas). We did a run through the Chandlery shops at Boat Lagoon. I picked up our replacement dingy propeller we had ordered, and also picked up our new camera we had ordered. We spent a day using our sewing machine to do some repair jobs seeing as we are hooked up to shore power. Some time also spent updating the website again, and giving the cockpit a good cleanout and cut and polish seeing as the dodger was away being fixed. We will head out on the tide today to explore some more of the islands before coming back into the Marina for a fitting of the foam squabs when they are ready next week. 

22^nd May – We need to head back to Yacht Haven Marina later today so we can dismantle the dodger ready to take up to the upholstery lady first thing on Monday morning.  So we headed off after breakfast and explored a little more of Phang Nga Bay by taking an alternative route back down. We stopped briefly at Ko Hong Island that proclaims to have the biggest Hong in the area. We had a brief tour of the area, then with  rain squall coming through we quickly dashed back to Island Time, as we had left everything open. It was time anyway to make the rest of the way back down to the Marina. We passed through a couple of light rain squalls on our way back and did put up the rain catcher but that always seems to chase the rain away! 

21^st May - This morning we up anchored and headed further north into the Phang Nga Bay area. The trip up through the rising pinnacles of rock faces that dot the seascape here are majestic towering structures and quite enthralling. On our passage we motor sailed through a good downpour of rain and as we still had our water catcher up we were able to collect a good 50 litres of water for our supply as well as a free shower each on deck! We anchored at Ko Yang bay and then further explored the region of Phang Nga Bay by Dingy, including a trip across to the popular tourist destination of “James Bond Island”, so renamed after it was used as a film location for the James Bond movie The Man with the Golden Gun.  We had a relaxed afternoon back at the boat with passing showers and thunderstorms passing over us throughout the rest of the day.

20^th May –We took our dingy on a tour around the island of Ko Phanak. With the arrival of the daily tour boats we were able to locate the various “Hongs ” (an enclosed internal lagoon inside the island which is reached through a cave entrance).  The Hongs can be hard to find, as there are many caves and possible entrances.  Most of the tour companies use Canoes to enter the Hongs, but as we only had a dingy we needed to wait for mid-tide in the late afternoon before we would have enough room to enter .  So, while waiting, we circumnavigated the island and found a lovely secluded little beach with overhanging trees and a stunning cliff face to shelter from the heat of the sun. An assortment of butterflies hovered all around us – a very nice little break here, in a beautiful environment.

We headed back to Island Time for a late lunch and then mid-afternoon once most of the tour boats had departed we headed back to the Hongs to investigate them further.  It took some negotiating to carefully get the dingy through the narrow, oyster and barnacle encrusted cave entrances which then opened up into small lagoons, with steep sided bush clad rock faces open to the sky. Quite stunning and spectacular.   

19^th May – I wanted to get a few bits and pieces of fruit to restock my supply before heading out again for a few days and so Judith from Camille showed me where to meet the Vege Van man. After waiting 40mins for his arrival we were informed by another local that there had been a death in the family so he wouldn’t be coming today. Judith then took me into the local village so we could look at the supplies there, but the cupboard there was very bare as well as it was a ‘holiday’.  We will just have to make to with what we have. After these ventures I figured I deserved a swim before we headed off and there was no rush to leave as we wanted to go out with the outgoing tide at mid-afternoon.  We paid our bill (at the marina) and headed on our way. The tide gave us a good push down the channel,  and we headed to the anchorage at Ko Phanak. The islands at this end of the Phuket are quite stunning. They rise with vertical cliff faces straight out of the sea, they have unusual overhangs at sea level were the sea has eroded the softer rock layer of the bottom of the island due to the constant tidal and wave action and has left formations of stronger types of rocks dangling from the eroded lip (see photo’s). Limestone formations have also formed on these edges and they drip down into the water. We enjoyed the setting sun in the cockpit and settled down for the evening.

18^th May – We enjoyed a bit of sleep in this morning in the comfort of the airconditioning (I even threw a blanket over me!), however by mid-morning the humidity and sun were beating down and our little air-con couldn’t keep up and was only maintaining a temp of 33°C so we headed up to the Marina Pool to cool down (after the upholstery lady had been to measure up for new Saloon Seating) . The heat kept climbing, along with heavy grey clouds and rolls of thunder. By lunchtime the rain had started so we escaped to the Deli for lunch while waiting for the rain to ease. Once the rain had stopped it was much a much more comfortable climate again. We headed back to Island Time and Matt did some more sorting out in his “tool” cabin, wired a power point into behind our saloon seating so we can power the computers without running extension cords around the cabin (much safer). It was my turn for an afternoon snooze as I’d had a headache all day that wouldn’t move so took some tablets and a sleep seemed to help. That evening we caught up with sail Indonesia friends Peter and Judith from the yacht Camille who are here also and we had drinks here and then headed out to a local restaurant/bar for a meal together. It was good to catch up with them as the last time we saw Peter was at the bottom of Malaysia where he was very unwell and had been sent home to the UK to recover with suspected Dengue Fever. It was good to see him fit and healthy again.

17^th May – We made our way up to Yacht Haven Marina today, this is the upper most marina on the Island of Phuket. As a result of the narrow gap between the island of Phuket and the mainland the current runs very swiftly up here and so we were advised by the Marina to wait outside till “slack water” (the time between the changes of tidal direction), before entering the Marina between 1-2pm. We did as advised, but decided to take the dingy in for a look around the marina while waiting. We enjoyed something to eat in the coolness of the deli, then registered and got the paperwork out of the way and then it was time to come in. The temperature had been rising all morning and it was cooking with high levels of humidity again as the skies filled with thunder clouds threatening a downpour.  This arrived mid afternoon thankfully and cooled down the atmosphere to a much more comfortable level.

We have made arrangements to meet up with a local upholster here that we have had good reports about to get a price for re-doing the seating in our main saloon/cabin area.   Matt did not sleep well last night and has a gripping story that he is reading so he retired to complete this while I took the opportunity with free internet to once again to catch up with computer tasks and communication.

16^th May – We left Royal Phuket marina this morning on the rising tide (to avoid hitting the bottom of the channel again!), and headed out towards Ko Yao Yai Island (the next biggest island between Phuket and the mainland). Having recently collected our new front hatch shade cover once anchored we decided to test it out. Matt had designed it so that we could use it as a shade shelter to go above my hammock that I like to hang between the mast and foresail when at anchor, and also so it can be dropped down to the deck to cover the hatch above our bed to give shade from the morning sun and to prevent rain coming in the open hatch at night whilst still allowing vital airflow. It works a treat. After a couple of hours R&R, we decided to go ashore and have a look around and perhaps to grab some lunch now that the tour boat had departed. Lunch was no longer available but we did get an ice cream and a drink.  Can’t say there was anything particularly attractive about this location to invite us back again, but you never know till you have visited! The wind had turned around by this stage so we headed off for an afternoon sail to the island of Ko Nakha Yai back on the Phuket side again as Matt wants to get to the Marina near the top of Phuket tomorrow for a meeting with an upholstery person.

14-15^th May – (Royal Phuket Marina). After checking the tide tables after breakfast we realised we needed to get away ASAP to get up the long river channel to the marina before the tide dropped too much. The channel is marked with a series of concrete posts that meander from the shallows of the outlying bay of Ao Tha Rua and up the river to the two marinas located there. We had made arrangements to check into the uppermost marina of ‘Boat Lagoon’, however about 200m from the entrance we kept touching the muddy bottom of the river. It was apparent that we were going to be pushing our luck to reach the entrance of the marina on an outgoing tide. We made the decision to turn around and go back down the river to the Royal Phuket Marina, where the entrance is in deeper water. This is the most expensive marina in Phuket, as the name would suggest, but I must say they offered impeccable service. On arrival we were offered on a tray cool and fragrant cleaning cloths to wipe ourselves down with, a very refreshing welcome. During our stay the staff bent over backwards to assist us, despite one of the days being a public holiday. Everything was done efficiently and on time (unusual in this part of the world), very impressive.

After tying up we signed in and got our air conditioner going once we were hooked up to shore power. We ordered filtered water to replenish our tanks as they didn’t recommend using the water on the wharf for drinking. We had also had a call earlier to say our shade cover for the front hatch was ready so we organised to hire a bike to go and collect it, and to also pick up some fresh supplies from the supermarket. While looking for the bike hire place we came across an acquaintance from the Sail Indonesia Rally who was having work done on his boat at Boat Lagoon Marina next door. It is the biggest marina here in Thailand, and is a real hive of industry for getting work done on your boat. It has numerous chandleries and associated boat shops and services along with eateries, swimming pools, beauty spas well as apartments you can rent while having your boat worked on! It is like a small town and the most comprehensive Marina we have seen since leaving Australia. Our friend Campbell gave us a grand tour of the place before we headed off on the bike after we had arranged to meet up for dinner.        

We got our supplies and stored them away before a quick shower to freshen up before Campbell and his wife Jenny picked us up in their hire car to take us out to the dinner place. We enjoyed a pleasant evening catching up on boating stories and what the various people we had met on the rally were now up to.

13^th May – Today we headed out to Khai Nui Island which is located in the middle of the channel between Phuket and the next biggest island of Ko Yao Yai.  Khai Nui is a very small private Island  (200mx30m=6000m2), that has tourist facilities and welcomes  private boaties. There is some coral here to view and the tropical fish are so used to having people in the water swimming with them that instead of the school of fish diverting away when you approach they surround you and let you swim as part of the school!  I did a circumnavigation swim of the island which was quite a work out and each end to get through the tide roaring around the island. We then headed into the restaurant for lunch (part of deal for picking up a mooring off the island is that you go ashore and partake in meal). The meal was very good, though a bit pricey but this is understandable due to the location. We also met up with the crew onboard the catamaran Divinci (a chartered yacht), they were a mixture of British and Australians who were giving us cheek about our “All Blacks” flag and our chances of winning the world cup. It was good banter and through our conversation we discovered that one of them was currently a Policeman in Hong Kong who knew one of our friend Russell from the Sail Indonesia Rally, who had also been a Policeman up in that area.  This island was not a suitable stop for an overnight anchorage and so after our late lunch we headed off to Rang Yai Island for the evening. On arrival I took the dingy ashore to explore this Island and was greeted by a local boy who escorted me across to the other side to the resort located there where I looked around the facilities. My local guide didn’t speak much English but we managed to make ourselves understood through gesture. On the way back to the dingy another local lad joined us who spoke much better English and was a real character. I invited them both back to Island Time to see our “Boat Bungalow” and they thought this was a real thrill going in the dingy and looking around onboard. They took lots of photos with their cell phone and mine, ate up our biscuits and then I delivered them back to their village at sunset. I feel it is a wonderful experience to share our lifestyle with the local villagers who are so openhearted and generous at sharing their lives and villages with us when we go ashore.  

12th May - We headed out to Coral Island this morning. This is a popular day trip location in close proximity to Chalong. On arrival Matt decided he wanted to finish cleaning off the Hull, while I explored the coral reef and tried out my new “inflatable toy” that Matt had bought me (see photo!) It’s a bright orange, submarine shaped “Divers Float”, that you attach to yourself and tow along when snorkelling to make you much more visible. Coral Island being a popular day trip location with numerous power boats coming and going was an ideal location to test it out. Also with the distances I tend to swim out to it makes Matt feel more at ease about my safety.  After our swims we headed into shore for lunch at one of the local beach restaurants and Matt enjoyed the best Green Curry he has had so far in Thailand. I was keen on another swim after lunch and explored the other end of the bay, where all the tourists go and feed the fish. The fish were so tame they kept coming right up to your facemask just about taping on it asking for food!  After this we headed away around the bottom of Phuket Island and up the coast to find a sheltered bay for the night.

10-11^th May – The weather forecast is not the best for heading out so we spent these two days enjoying the cooler conditions and continuing our cleanup and sort-out effort. I am more than ready however for a change of scene! I am eager to head out to explore some of the other islands around Phuket. Matt completes an engine oil change, and I’ve got all the shopping done, we are all ready and keen to go.   

9^th May -  The day dawned with blue sky and sunshine despite the forecast for stormy conditions.  After a much needed session onboard to de-clutter some of the surplus paperwork/brochures and gear we seem to have accumulated in recent times (a 40 foot yacht is just too small not to have regular cleanouts), we rented another scooter to make the most of the good surf conditions at the beach. We enjoyed our surfing at the beach, and then mid-afternoon a tropical downpour came in so we headed to the Mall at Patong beach to shelter, have a drink and use the free internet access. The rain came and went throughout the rest of the afternoon and evening. We entertained ourselves with a bit of window shopping and tried out a 4D motion picture ride, and Matt also had a session at a shooting range to pass the time away before we took a dash back to Island Time in one of the rain breaks. It appears the “wet” monsoon has arrived over the last couple of days with much more rain (good for the watertanks) and it has lowered the temperatures and humidity which makes life for us a lot more comfortable here.

8^th May – It was rather a stormy night last night and even though we are at anchor it felt like we were on a passage with the sea conditions in the harbour.  The overnight storm seemed to make everything a lot cooler today and it was comfortable enough to spend our day onboard updating and rearranging our website. It is actually quite time processing job sorting through and labelling photos, documenting and editing our travels then accessing the internet to update the information which if the connection is slow as it is here takes some time. It cleared up in the afternoon but there was still a good cool breeze to make life onboard more pleasant than normal, so we invited an American couple over from a yacht nearby to join us for “happy hour”.  It is always interesting to hear other people’s stories and experiences. We haven’t been onboard at this time most evenings to do this since being in Thailand so it was a pleasant change.

5-7^th May - We enjoyed a couple of days of blobbing out at a couple of cleaner bays within the main harbour area of Chalong to get over our ordeal of being evicted from the Similians! We now plan to head out to the inner island group. Then on the evening of 6^th of May our freshwater pump for the taps failed. Although Matt  was able to remedy a repair it was a fiddly process to go through each time simply to turn on a tap. The spare pump he did have he had already taken parts off to fix our salt water pump at an earlier stage so it was back into the chandlery shop in Chalong to get a new pump and workable replacement one for the spares. Just as well we weren’t still out at the Similan/Surin Islands as it would have been a pain having to use the temporary repair system all the time. Anyway after the chandlery we enjoyed a pleasant lunch at my favourite air-conditioned café.  Then while Matt replaced the waterpump, I bought a new snorkelling mask for myself as I’d found mine had got its frame smashed in the back locker when I went to use it the other day. After that we hired a scooter and headed over to Kata beach for some fun in the surf and relaxation on the beach. Just before sunset a tropical downpour came through, and Matt worried as always about his precious love Island Time, and  decided we should go back in the pouring rain on the scooter over the hill to check on her! I was not impressed with this idea and felt his earlier thought to sit out the conditions in a beach bar much more sensible! Anyway back over the hill we went and out in the dingy through the lightning strikes to check on her. Of course conditions were much more sheltered in the harbour compared to the exposed beach side!!! After the storm abated we headed back into town for a cheap meal and also I felt in need of a massage from the “blinds” people as I had twinged something in my back in the surf, so I enjoyed a relaxing after dinner massage to finish off the day with. Apparently according to the local weather forecast the conditions here aren’t the best for the next 3 days so we will probably stay around the harbour area so we can at least get ashore in the breaks to stretch our legs or go to a movie/mall if it is not going to be beach/island hopping weather. At least our watertank is getting refilled at no cost I guess!

Similan Islands (2-4^th May)

1^st May – We finally get our gear sorted from Roly Taskers  and fitting properly so we can finally get going (it is simply too hot here to leave without the shade covers,  as we would have cooked in an open cockpit without shade protection).  Our next stop is to get the last of the fresh fruit/vege supplies and drop our hired scooter back so we are all ready to go at first light the next morning. I had noticed a shop nearby that advertised “Massage place by the Blinds people” and had been keen to try it out so decided to finish our day with this relaxing experience.  It was much cheaper than other venues and miles cheaper than resort prices with the added benefit of assisting visually impaired people. It was my first Thai massage and a very interesting experience with my masseuse putting me in some very interesting stretches – a sort of cross between an acupuncture/osteopath/yoga session. I did feel well stretched and taller afterwards. They also offer what they call the “perfect massage” which is 3 ½ hours long. The lady on the bed beside me was having one of those and was blissfully asleep during the process – contently snoring away. I’m keen to try this one as some other stage.

30^th April -  We decided as this was likely our last day at Phuket for a while and as we were pretty organised to get going except for fresh fruit and vege and picking up our gear from Roly Taskers!,  that we would spend most of our day at Kata beach and even hire ourselves some beach lounges to relax in. We enjoyed the surf, reading and relaxing on the beach and then late-afternoon Matt went and picked up the Bimini (cockpit shade cover) -  it was finally ready. He then picked me from the beach and we headed back to Island Time to make sure it all fitted correctly. They said if any problems bring it back and they said they were working late throught to 10pm that night to catch up on some of the backlog and so we thought that if it wasn’t right we could still get it fixed that night.  Unfortunately one of the zips was in the wrong way round so we dashed back up to the factory on the scooter hoping to get it sorted. However they told us they were under pressure to get a particular job done that night and could not attend to our job until the following day. L After a hot afternoon spent re-fitting the Bimini and then disappointingly not able to get it fixed we took ourselves off to Kata beach again to cool off and had a pleasant meal enjoyed have a swim at Phillias Fogg on the beach front before going back to Island Time.

29^th April – We organised to refill our diesel tanks at the floating fuel barge and then filled our dingy fuel tank at the service station all in preparation for our planned trip out to the Similan/Surin Island groups where there are no shops.  Once this was done we got lunch then headed off to Roly Taskers to check on progress of our gear. They told us our gear should be ready for pickup by 3pm, but on arrival still not ready. We wanted to collect some other bits and pieces for the spares department – Stainless steel fittings etc which have been very difficult to source since leaving Australia last July and so we now wanted to top up the supplies where there was a good range. We hung around for another 1 ½ hours hoping they would finish the job before the end of day but it was not going to be. It was clear there was still a considerable amount of work to be done on the Bimini. Matt made arrangements to call back the next afternoon, which should give them enough time to complete the necessary work.  Disappointed we headed to the beach for a swim then went up to a restaurant up on the hillside above Kata beach which I had thought looked interesting and that we had passed on our Southern road route the other day. It was much cooler up here on the hilltop surrounded by bush rather than the sand and concrete of all the shops down at the beach front. The place seemed popular with tourists and locals alike (always a good sign.) We enjoyed our meal and it was somewhat cheaper than down in the resort area. Regardless however, eating out is very much a part of the lifestyle in this part of the world and is generally very inexpensive especially if you go with local delicacies rather than western style food.  Certainly saves me from slaving over a hot stove in this climate!

28^th April – It had been a stifling hot night with little wind flow last night and I spent a good portion of it dozing in the cockpit or my hammock up front to get outside in the somewhat cooler air. The humidity level has been rising and the air is thick with Thunder and Lightening but it has not resulted in any actual rain down here at the coast. We took ourselves off to the chandlery shop down the road to pick up the new mosquito screens we had ordered at the local yacht club open day. Finding a lovely little comfortable and cool cafe nearby, we had lunch. I had the best berry waffle I’ve ever eaten – it was scrumptious and Matt had a tasty chicken sandwich. They had a great book collection that we perused and will come back to another day to do a book swap. Then it was off to the beach via the most southern road. We went past Rawai and Nai Harn Beaches where the Royal Meriden Yacht club is located (at the end of a lovely little curving bay) and is not nearly as crowded as the other west coast beaches. We also went up to the southernmost  lookout point of Promthep Cape which has a display about lighthouses and a elephant shrine and seems to be a very popular place for both locals and tourists alike to visit to view the evening sunset. We continued to follow the road around the coast past pretty little villages and through tropical bush clad hills to our favourite beach Kata for our prerequisite end of day swim.

27^th April – Matt has been working on the boat computers this morning getting them all updated while we have internet coverage before our plans to head out to the Similian/Surin outer Islands once our gear is back from Roly Taskers. In the afternoon we went for a bike tour out to the coast beyond Phuket city to have a look at Asia marina. This is one of the marinas that the commercial and Fishing companies operate out of. It is dirty and has few facilities. After that we went to the Ao Po Marina. It was quite remote, yet still expensive we felt.  This is where the Yacht Charter companies are. Facilites are quite good. After that we headed back over to Kata Beach in the late afternoon for a sunset swim and meal at one of the local restaurants.

26^th April – It has been a bit more overcast today with rain threatening so we headed out to Roly Tasker the sailmakers to check on progress of our new cockpit squabs and bimini/shade cover. We were able to collect the squab seats but the rest won’t be ready till Friday they say. We decided to head to the mall up the road following this as the heat was quite oppressive and yet it was overcast and not really a beach day. We had a late lunch and then went to see a movie and enjoyed sitting in the comfort of airconditioning.

25^th April – We rode the scooter up to the other end of the island today to visit Splashjungle Waterpark. Before going to the waterpark we explored Mai Khao beach on the way as this is the longest and remotest  beach in Phuket. It was certainly quiet with just local’s there picnicking and no resorts cramming the beach front – so a pleasant change from the hussle and bussle of the main beaches. We then headed down the road to the more exclusive resort area and stopped for lunch at one of the cafes before heading to the waterpark for some waterfun for the afternoon.  There were two big waterslides in particular that were quite a thrill with one called the “boomerang” that had you sliding down the tube then dropping onto a large slide where you catapulted to the top and then slid backwards on into the splash pool. The other one had a big bowl that you dropped into like a sink and you spun around inside that before dropping down the dark plughole into the splashpool. It was a fun way to cool off for the afternoon – but quite expensive.

Sunday 24 April Up, write up this blog. The local yacht club has an open day today, so we'll go have a look at that...

Saturday 23 April One of the jobs I had done recently was to replace the cooling fan in the electric fridge with a spare (provided with the unit when new - they must expect this failure!), but last night, when checking it, the new fan was not going either!! So, today, back to Central Festival Mall to try to find another. Fortunately that proved no problem, and we bought two more. also bought me a new pair of swimming shorts (togs, swimmers, trunks whatever you call them!), and a present for our Daughter Sue's partner, David. Then we did a bit of  a scooter tour out to Asia Marina (won't go back there!) and around that peninsular. Finally, yep, back to Kata beach for our swim!

Friday 22 April Went to Rolly Tasker Sails to see if they could make us a new Bimini ( a sun shade over the cockpit - must have here!) as the old one was falling apart. They said yes, bring it in today, so back to the boat, strip it off, and the outdoor squab covers, bundle it up and, just like the locals, transport it by scooter back to the sail loft. Once all that was done, it was about 3:30, so back to Kata Beach! Dinner over at Kata.

Thursday 21 April We went to Central Festival, the main mall in Phuket, to try to buy a new camera (if you follow this blog, you'll notice no pictures for some time - our waterproof camera wasn't). We had found one we liked in a flyer from Banana IT, but their local store at A Chalong did not have it. Anyway, long story short, neither did anyone else, and they would not order for us. Hopeless. Back to Kata beach - too hot to do anything else!

Wednesday 20 April Took Murray in this morning to catch his taxi to the airport. Jo and I rented a motor scooter, and went up to Phuket Boat Lagoon to see if the electronics dealer there could help with our broken Sonar unit. No Luck, but we did have a nice lunch! Then on to Kata beach for a swim and a body surf. Very nice. Back to the boat for a simple dinner, and a movie on board.

Tuesday 19 April Slept in, Late breakfast, pack and checkout, return to boat. Dingy was at the wharf, called Murray, he was in a local restaurant for lunch. Jo and I took the dingy out to the boat to find that the hatches had been left open in the rain, and there had been quite a bit! The floorboard in the aft head was afloat, and there was a lot of water on the main cabin floor. So we spent a bit of time cleaning up - fortunately no real issues as the hatches over the beds etc had been closed. Anyway, cleaned up, Jo unpacked, and then I went in and got Murray. A few jobs, then ashore for dinner. Our shout, as it is Murrays last night. We went to a nice local restaurant, with real chefs, and had a delicious meal with complimentary Salmon starter, Lemon Grass Drink, and sorbet between courses! $150 NZD for three, including wine.

Monday 18 April This afternoon we went to Patong beach, the most famous of Phukets tourist beaches. It is a nice beach, but is crowded, has many touts, and a slightly sleazy atmosphere. The rows of beach chairs are 3-4 deep, and go for the whole length of the beach (about a mile). It's sure not like NZ!! Anyway, we had a bit of a walk around, ate a subway (me, not Jo), bought a lonely planet Asia, and returned via Tuktuk to the hotel.

Sunday 17th April Today Jo comes back. Tidied to boat a bit, did washing, made the bed with clean sheets - you know, all the stuff a man does when she's been out of the house for a while! Then Murray (he will boat sit for a few days) and I went and had lunch ashore. I got a taxi to the hotel Jo and I have booked for a few days, about half way up the Island at Kamala Beach. On the way up in the taxi we had a torrential rain storm - water flooding across the road, and fast in the hills! Anyway, made it safely and checked into the hotel. Air conditioning!!!! Stayed in the room for a few hours, then got a Taxi to the Airport to meet Jo. She came thru the arrivals gate before the info board had even said her flight had landed!! Really good to see her again, seemed longer than 6 weeks! Back to the hotel about 9pm.

Saturday 16 April Something I ate yesterday did not like me! Felt a bit off colour today, and I did basically nothing. Ate nothing all day until Dinner time. Murray rented a motor scooter to have a look around a bit further afield. Dinner ashore again

Friday 15 April Phuket is typical Thailand - busy with scooters everywhere, unbelievable wiring hanging from the telephone posts, hot, sticky, and crowded. Phuket really is a tourist island, with a huge amount of tourists from all over here. Today I did boat jobs, then we walked to the local supermarket, found a lunch place in an air-conditioned space, had a nice lunch for under $8, looked around Ao Chalong some more. Dinner in a local restaurant again

Thursday 14 April Up again at 7, off to Ao Chalong, Phuket. An easy 24 mile passage, arrived about lunchtime. Launched the dingy and went in to customs. Clearance all done in about 1 1/2 hours (had to wait 1/2 and hour because they were at lunch), all easy. Had lunch at a local restaurant, and a walk into the local town for ATM and a look around. Lots of little roadside bars - they look like they may be a front for local brothels!! Lots of girls out front with nothing to do... Back to the boat for a few hours, and to write this. Skyped with Jo.

Wednesday 13 April  Up at 7, headed to Koh Phi Phi Don, about another 50 odd miles. Easy days. Got in about 4 pm, and anchored on the W side of the bay amongst the moorings, in 20 Meters. Lots of local traffic and wakes, but a good night.

Tues 12 April Paid up the Marina fees, and cleared the marina entrance about 10am. Headed for Koh Bulaobot, about 50 miles away. Arrived about 5 pm local time, and anchored on the E side. Very calm and pleasant. Very steep amazing rock formations! About 8 pm the wind came up and shifted to the E, so we moved around to the W side for the rest of the night. All good, except the Sonar has failed and we have no depth finder. This is a bit unsafe!

Monday 11 April Got a car and went to Kuah to clear customs etc for tomorrow (yes, you can pre clear here!!). Did that, went to the supermarket and cruisers provisioning places and got what we needed. All ready now.

Sun 10 April Pretty lazy day. Filled with water, and another couple of odd jobs. Stores tomorrow, then plan to leave Tues.

Sat 9 April Did a few sail repairs, and odd jobs on the boat, to get ready for trip to Thailand.

Friday 8 April Got up about 7:30 to get breakfast before we had to get to the ferry terminal at 8:30. Ferry ride was OK, but next time I'll fly both ways. 3 hours on the ferry, and then a taxi back to Rebak.

Thursday 7th  AprilUp, breakfast, and to the embassy again by nine. Quite busy, probably due to being closed yesterday. Anyway, we had to queue, then had to go to the ATM as the visas cost more than we were led to believe (told they were free - and apparently they will be in another month, but not yet!). So did the application, and had to return at 3:30 to collect the visas. All went well, and we got the tourist visas (60 days, with 30 day extension available), which we would not have got if we had just sailed to Thailand (get 30 days there with a 1 week extension available).

Wed April 6 Got up at 6:45 to catch 9:15 plane to Penang to get the Thai Visas. Plane flight was good, no fuss. Hotel was Ok, and near the Thai embassy, but the embassy was closed!! Have to come back tomorrow, just as well we booked two nights. Murray met up with his friend Fely, from Singapore.

Tues April 5 Cycled from Rebak ferry terminal down to the Asia France boatyard with Murray and Bernie. Went to check on a boat for a friend (Mr P), and see what state his boat was in. He is home in the UK, and the boat is being worked on here. Took a few pics, and emailed them on. It was a good 30km ride in the heat, which is good exercise. I'd had enough when we got back though - its been a year and more since I did a good ride! Murray found it pretty tough. Came back about 2pm and had a swim.

Mon April 4 Had a telephone appt with the accountant to sort out a tax issue, and then just spent the day around the marina, pretty lazy!

Sun April 3 Bit of a late start today, up about 9:45. Spoke to Dad then Jo on Skype. Did some investigation about Thai Visas, and discovered that  the best

Visa needs to be obtained from the consulate in Penang. I have booked a hotel for 2 nights later in the week, and Murray and I will go down there by ferry to get the visas. Jo says she will most likely fly to Phuket on the 19th. Murray plans (at this stage) to leave for a tour around Asia on about 20th April.

Sat April 2. Got an email from Jo about an unexpected Tax bill. Had to go to the mainland to get cell phone recharge card, so Bernie and Murray came as well and we had a good bike ride around the local town, then over to Telaga Harbour to the bakery for lunch. Came back, and spent the afternoon replacing the salt water pump. All good now, self primes, and the pressure switch works! It will be good to have the deck wash hose working, as well as the salt water galley tap.

Fri 1 April. This morning we moved back to Rebak (about 8 miles), and have paid for a week in the marina. Some minor maintenance to do, and a few days relaxing seem in order!

Thurs 31 March. Arrived in Kuah, Langkawi. 9 days at sea, all very light or calm, with only about 30 hours sailing, and a LOT of motoring. Not much to say about this trip other than is was the lightest and calmest ocean crossing I have ever done! Coming back to Langkawi seems a bit like coming home with my tail between my legs! I'd have really liked to have continued to the Med, but is was not to be. Looking fwd to Jo returning in a couple of weeks!

We went ashore for a beer at the Royal Langkawi Yacht Club , and visited the chandlery in town for a new salt water pump.

Tues 22March.  Cleared Galle customs etc, and left the harbour at 10 am local time. Light winds, a bit of rain. Murray a bit sick. Gave him a scopaderm patch, and he seemed to brighten up.

Monday 21 March. Water day, filled up, Murray and Bernie went to town for more provisions. Leaving for Langkawi tomorrow, 1100 miles, probably 10 days, and likely to weather and windy.

Sunday 20 March. Slow day Today, Bernie went bike riding, I spent some time on the net etc. Dinner at the beach again.

Sat 19 March. Provisioning for trip, and also met with a shipping agent to discuss shipping Island Time to the Med. Dinner Unawatuna again!

Friday 18 March NZ lost at cricket to Sri Lanka! Man were they pleased about that! More diesel, then some of the afternoon an Marlan's watching the cricket. Murray and Bernie back in evening, then Dinner at Unawatuna

Thursday 17 March Not much to report, another 5 jerry cans of diesel. As the Tuktuks are not allowed into the port, you have to carry the cans to and from the gate. To is easy (empty cans), back is not. It is heavy hot work, and 5 a day is enough!

Wed 16 March  did another oil change, filters etc. Cleanup of engine room, and went to town via Tuktuk with 5 20 litre jerry cans for diesel.

Tues 15 March Bernie and Murray left this morning for a 4 day trip around the island, similar to the one that Jo and I did a few weeks ago. I've got some maintenance to do... I went to town and bought some refrigerant and a vacuum pump to finally fix the freezer.

Monday 14 March Today is water day. It takes a day to do everything! We went to the Agents office to check that he had ordered the water. He had not! Got that done and paid for, went back to the boat and moved her to the wharf. Then waited several hours - Bernie and Murray gave up and went into town to see the fort and museum. I waited more, and, just as I was about to go to the Agent again, the truck turned up. Got the water OK, and when crew returned, moved back to the floating pier, as it is quieter. Went to Unawatuna for dinner again.

Sunday 13 March. Waited for the Navy for a couple of hours for permission to move into the Harbour. Got that finally, got thru all the clearance procedures by about 1pm. Not to bad, and no bribes except a cap this time! Once cleared, we went to Unawatuna beach for a cold beer and then dinner at the German's restaurant. Had Schnitzel again, but not as good as last time!

Sat 12 March We have arrived at Galle, in the dark again, and anchored at the conical buoy outside the harbour, awaiting clearance in the morning. We actually had the motor off for a few hours today, but the whole trip has been very calm. The NE trade is simply not here. Mostly 3-8 Kn form NE. Still, better than a strong headwind!

Friday 11 March Same calm conditions, still motoring. More ships now. AIS back on transmit as we are really out of the pirate area.

Sunday 10 March Calm again today.AIS is on silent due to Pirate Threat. NE  less than 5 Kn. Motoring/motor sailing. Hope the diesel lasts if it stays like this! Water is low as well, and there are no fresh veges...

Sat 9 March. Well, this is a first! We have been kicked out of the Maldives!! We did breach the rules a bit, but it has turned into a real issue. As far as Customs are concerned, we left Uligamu with no permit. What the agent did or did not do is irrelevant. I was given a lecture about the rules (which are about to change anyway!) regarding movement within or between atolls,(forbidden!! without permit IN YOUR HAND) and made to write an apologising letter. Not to do so was threatened with the police, and a lengthy and potentially costly legal battle. We were not given the opportunity for fuel, water or provisions, and asked to leave immediately. In typical disorganised fashion, when we agreed to do so, there was no one to take our $8.00 anchorage fee, so we could not go! Took a few hours to sort this, and we left about 13:00hrs for Galle. I cannot say I am in a rush to come back to the Maldives. it is expensive, disorganised, not yacht friendly, and bureaucratic! That the agent that they Customs) recommended had told us we did have a permit was not even considered.

Tues 8 March No change yet, and no answers. Still sitting here at anchor, and really ready to move on!

Monday 7 March. Got call to say permit is ready! However, when I go in to collect it, Customs won't give it to me as they say that I left the Island with no Agent and no permit! Their head Office has to decide what to do about this. We cannot clear the Maldives, nor leave Uligamu until this is sorted out. It is another holiday here, so it will be tomorrow at least before this is sorted. I went back to the boat, found the emails, txts etc that proved that we had appointed an agent on the 24th, and that we understood the permit would arrive on the Sunday (27 Feb) in the afternoon. We had left on The Saturday, thinking it was only a day, and the permit was on it's way. We had to pick up Bernie from the airport, and needed 4 hours of daylight to get to the Airport in time. The agreement with the local agent's rep was that we would return to pick up the permit after dropping Jo off. I have dropped these docs and a covering letter to Customs here, and have o await their decision about what happens next, and if there is a penalty or what.

Sunday 6 March Still no permit. Have to stay here until we get it. We are really ready to leave!

Sat 5 March; Customs came alongside and are very unhappy with us leaving without a permit, and according to them without an agent! Rang the agent again. Seems that the Agent has not done his job! The Agent is Antrac Maldives Ltd, a Mr Sameer in Male. We had a "discussion" and the permit should be here shortly.

Friday 4 March; Had to go back to Uligamu to collect our cruising permit. which was supposed to be waiting for us since 27th Feb. However, we left about 10:30 am for the 4 hour passage, and arrived about 3pm to find that the permit was not there!. Chased it up with local agent's rep, should be here tomorrow - but it's a holiday again. Maybe Sunday...

Thursday 3 March; Dropped Jo at the Airport for her long flight home. A bit sad to see her go! Anyway, it's only 5 or 6 weeks I guess. About 4:30 Bernie, Murray and I went into the town. We went to the boatbuilding yard again and had a town tour by the owners, then a pleasant local dinner, for $25 for three! All Good.

Wednesday 2 March  Stayed at Hideaway, as have to take Jo to the Airport tomorrow, and it is convenient from here. Did a few jobs on the boat - the compressor fridge is playing up again, but unfortunately it is not just a gas refill this time. Bernie did the refill, but the unit's expansion valve is switching off when it should not. ING is not, unfortunately, a rumour, and things do not look good for the family on board. Imagine, another yacht we have met in Indonesia, also today narrowly missed being pirated, when a warship turned up just in time to prevent the pirates boarding her. I have decided  that the Indian Ocean, which is meant to be one of the easiest ocean passages, is too risky to attempt this year. Jo is flying home, and Bernie, Murray and I will take the boat back to Sri Lanka, then Langkawi. I really did not want to do this, but circumstances have changed, and I really have little choice now.

Tues 1 March;  We visited the 100ft dive boat, owned and built (locally) by a German. All Timber. Quite impressive for a locally built boat. We have given him a fuse he needed in the morning, and in return got the invite over, where we got a boat tour, a beer each, and a whole fillet steak!! for free.

Murray arrived a little late at about 2:30pm, and we upped anchor and went to Hideaway Resort, about 10 miles north. This is one of the Maldives most luxurious resorts, with rooms costing up to $4000 USD per night!! We went to happy hour (beers USD $6-10) and then went to look at the dinner menu - a Buffet for $130 USD each, PLUS 13% tax! We decided this is too rich for us, and returned to the boat. There is a marina here, quite good quality, but we are on one of the resorts moorings.

Monday 28 Feb Bernie arrive on time, no issues with Customs etc. All good. We stayed put for the day, weather still 10knts from North, 30 deg. Water here is not so clear, but still fine for swimming. Now awaiting Murray on the 1st March..

Sun 27th Feb. No Permit. Decided to go anyway, so left Uligamu for Hanimaadoo, about 23 Miles. Very Calm, motorsailing. Arrived about 2 pm, and anchored inside reef near a 100ft local dive boat. Went ashore and checked Airport - about 200m from the jetty! All Good. Bernie due in at 08:50am tomorrow.

Sat 26 Feb Another Holiday. Hope to get the permit tomorrow, otherwise it is not legal for us to go and collect Bernie! Nothing on the news re ING, so hoping it is not real!

Friday 25 Feb;  A holiday here, so nothing happening. We hear another rumour that another yacht (ING) has been taken by the pirates. It has Kids on board. No outcome yet, but again being shadowed by warships. 2011 is now the worst year for Yacht Piracy on record. Perhaps we will have to return to Malaysia or Thailand. Thinking on this seriously.

 Thursday 24 Feb No luck with other agents, although at fist one said he could do it for 1/2 the price. I said yes, then they called back to say they could not do it!! Back to the first agent, hope to have the permit before we have to leave  and go get Bernie on Sunday. There is a fine if you are caught by the security service without one. The Maldives are an unusual place. It is 100% Muslim. In fact, they have remove the passports and kicked out some of their own citizens when this rules was made! Until 2 years ago, government policy was to restrict Tourists to the resort Islands only, and not to allow any mixing with the locals. Now there is a democratic government, but other changes are slow to be made.

Wed 23 Feb  We have heard today that the crew of the Quest have all been Murdered. Dreadful news, and our thoughts are with their families. This is the first time a hostage from a yacht has been killed, and is making me rethink our plans some more, as we planned to pass through this area next. Bernie has sent an email saying he is no longer willing to do the Indian Ocean to Red Sea passage, which I understand in the circumstances. I do not want to do it singlehanded, and am reluctant to put a crew in this situation.

I spent the day Negotiating with Customs etc about cruising permit, trying to get the price down. No luck so far, but we have a list now of alternative agent so we may get a better price...

Tues 22 Feb. Cleared Customs at Uligamu, all very easy and friendly. However, if you want to stay more than 3 days, (which we do), you have to have a Cruising permit - $700 USD!! This is by far the most expensive we have come across yet, although we had been warned that the Maldives are not "Yacht Friendly". We later find out that this is the same price as they charge for a Cruise Ship!!. Anyway, we'll stay here a couple of days, get the permit, and then go pick up Bernie and Murray at Hanimaadoo Airport, about 20miles away on another Island.

Monday 21 Feb; Arrived today, finally getting to sail the last bit, and arriving an hour after dark. Sneaking between the reefs, we anchored near another yacht, Passage, from the US.  Off to bed.

Sun 20 Feb  Same conditions as yesterday. Still hot as well. Stopped in the afternoon for a swim off the back of the boat. Not so many ships around now, leaving the shipping lanes. Very poor radio Propagation, no sailmail today!

Sat 19 Feb On Passage to Maldives, light headwinds, Motorsailing. Lots of ships  around, still using AIS despite slight risk of Pirates here. Making OK time, but with headwinds, looks like another 3 days yet... We have heard today that the US Yacht "Quest" has been taken by Pirates! This is very bad, as we had all thought that the targets were really ships. It has made me re-think what we are planning next. Quest is being tailed by US warships, but this is a very bad situation for the family on board. All well on board Island Time Our thoughts are with those on Quest..

Friday 18 Feb. Jo left at 7am this morning to get the Veges etc. I'm due at Port Control at 8am, to start clearance, after which we'll be off for the Maldives. Should be about a 3 day passage...

Thursday 17th Feb. Finished the required work by lunchtime, and spent the afternoon at Unawatuna beach. Very nice, although a Tourist Area. We had a nice relaxing afternoon. Plan to leave tomorrow morning..

Wednesday 16th Feb -Boat cleanup day - planning to leave tomorrow. However, one the work was done, and things stowed away, it was after 5 and we still had not got the fresh veges etc, so we have decided to stay another day!

Tues 15 Feb We were to move to the pier at 10am to get water and fuel. However, at 9:30 we were yelled at from the pier – the water truck was here! We moved over, and filled with water. We could see the diesel truck refuelling another yacht, but by the time we had done the water it had gone! We waited, and waited some more. By 1pm Matt went to the agent’s office to find out what was happening. This time they said 2pm. They finally turned up at 2:30, but had no pump! They managed to borrow one from the harbour control guys, and filled our cans. However, they filled 9 20 ltr jerry cans, and said that that was the 200 ltrs we had paid for!! No arguments seemed to help – that is what we got! Anyway, the main tank is full and we have 2 jerry cans to fill at the local service station, which we will do tomorrow. Jo did more washing and Matt worked on a better photo album system for the website. We had the crew of Strummer, an English boat, over for drinks this evening.

Monday 14^th Feb Boat jobs again. Hot water heater failed. Matt took it to bits put it back together, no change. Next Morning, it worked by itself and has not (yet) stopped. Fresh water system blew a hose off and wasted a couple of hundred litres of water before it was noticed, as the engine was running to charge the batteries! Jo did lots of washing. Time spent also on this web site, both writing this and Matt trying to sort out all the photos!

Sunday 13^th – We headed away at 8am after a very pleasant night in our accommodation. Back up the road to Dambulla so we could take a different road from to the one we have already travelled on, as we head to the Capital city of Colombo. On the way we pass various different localities that specialize in various crops or industries such as Mangos, Pineapples, Cashews, King Coconuts and Rambutan (which is a most unusual fruit it had a green and red coloured prickly looking but not sharp outer husk, that when peeled reveals a clear pod of a sweet glutinous substance surrounding a large seed pod. They were much nicer than the oversweet canned variety we have sampled before.) We also sampled the large red skinned bananas that our driver had purchased yesterday and which had now ripened sufficiently to enjoy. We passed rice fields where the crops being harvested both manually and by machine. Local specialist industries included Rattan cane and wood furniture, and decorative mask and Jewellery making.

As we approached the city of Colombo (with a population of 3 million which has grown rapidly and haphazardly without much planning), the traffic became denser and more intense in driving styles. Horns were honked incessantly as many different forms of transportation (pushbikes, buses, tuk-tuks, motorbikes, cars,rotary hoe powered trailers!! and vans and more), all jockeyed for a position on the road at the same time on what is simply a two lane road! Our driver manoeuvred his way quite forcefully at times through the traffic flow, as he guided us past some of the sights of the city from slums through to presidential accommodation.

 Next we headed down the coast road past beaches with golden sands and with water that looks an idyllic and sparkly clean aqua colour. This is an area that was also hit hard by the Tsunami of 2004 and we had a stop at the Memorial and Buddha statue that has been erected in memory of the tragic loss of life that resulted.

Our driver Sampath wanted to stop at his house to give us a gift of some freshly harvested and ground coffee that his wife had prepared. His township was also devastated by the Tsunami and we saw the remains of his previous house that was damaged irreparably and got to meet his young children.  Sampath told us that at the time of the Tsunami he was out of the region on a tour resulting in many hours of anxious wait before he could return to learn the fate of his family, fortunately no-one in his family had perished, although his house was destroyed!

Lastly we stopped at a genuine Moonstone mine (a milky coloured gem with a blue sheen that that is apparently only found here in Sri Lanka). They still mine in the traditional way with a vertical open pit that is dug and operated with manual labour into the wet silt mud layer below to retrieve the slush that is then washed out in baskets at ground level (similar to gold panning) to reveal the gem fragments that resemble broken glass in their natural raw form.  We were shown the manufacturing jewellery process and encouraged to make a purchase as a special reminder of our travels Sri Lanka. Whilst a quite interesting and unusual luminescent stone, I could not justify the purchase of anything on our current budget – the memories and photos will have to suffice.

Nearing the town of Galle our driver had one more stop for us at the special Fishermans shrine, where he wanted us to make an offering to ensure our safe travels on the sea. Following this we returned to our yacht in Galle and invited Sampath aboard our ‘home’ to present him with a Rod and Reel that he indicated an interest in during our talks on our travels. It was really surplus to our requirements and we were happy to see it go to a good home where it would be of more benefit and help to sustain his family especially as they have very little themselves. Unfortunately when he tried to leave the port the officials would not allow him to take the fishing gear and he had to return it to us. We will have to find some other discreet means to get it to him before we leave the country.

We enjoyed our tour especially the opportunity to spend a few days in the much more temperate hill country away from the heat, humidity and constant sweating here at sea level. Overall it was a very worthwhile experience, but we are pleased to know that we have safely returned to our boat from the dangers of the road trip.

Saturday 12^th – We left Kandy and Sampath took us on an Avuretic Herb and Spice centre (I think he is very keen on this medicinal concept, as well as wanting to pick up some supplies for himself). This place is a 180 acre plantation from which they manufacture their own herbal remedies and medicines. Attached is a school for 500 students of Avuretic Medicine, which is a 7 year course of study to qualify (just like our Western doctors). We were shown the various herbs and spices in the garden with their uses explained. Following this we were given a presentation from the head doctor about the benefits of their various natural concoctions, and then naturally led onto the shop to make our purchases.

Our next stop was to drop our bags off at our hotel and then up the road to a local house that is a friend of our drivers where they provide a Claypot curry lunch for the passing travellers. It was much tastier than the fare dished up at Hotels.  After refuelling our bodies we headed off to the Golden Buddha Temple (largest in the world) and Cave Temples at Dambulla. The golden Buddha fronts the natural cave temple which you have to climb up the steps and rockface to reach. On the way up you passed women selling flowers for the Temple offerings, invalid beggars seeking donations, a snake charmer at work plus numerous crafts and souvenirs on offer. The five cave temples were used by King Valagambahu in the 1^st century BC to escape invaders from India. When he regained his Kingdom he turned these caves into a Buddist Shrine with innumerable statues of the Buddah posing in various positions. He also had the walls and ceilings painted with murals. This location is also where holy water is collected, to use for the various Buddhist ceremonies around the country. Sadly this Temple is also showing the ravages of time and poor maintenance. In appears that in years gone by the tendency has been to construct newer, bigger or fancier Temples rather than maintain what is already in existence, thankfully this practice seems to be changing now as they are making efforts to restore what is already in place.

Next stop was my eagerly awaited Elephant ride. We had the services for an ½ hours of an 25 year old male Elephant, and 2 Mahout’s (Elephant carer/driver) to go through a large paddock and local stream. Once the Elephant was garbed up in its attire we climbed up on board using a specially constructed platform. The sideways rolling gait of the Elephant took a little getting used at first as it meandered along but we soon became accustomed to the rhythm. Down the road a little way we stopped at a local shop to purchase some Bananas as a special treat for our Elephant friend. Then I was invited to sit up the front behind the ears and head of the Elephant like the Mahouts do. The Elephant reached up with his trunk to get the bananas. As we travelled along the Elephant stopped constantly to refuel with grass and leaves from beside the track (at 3 tonnes it takes a lot of food to keep moving- around 300 kilos a day!) It was fun and refreshing sloshing through the stream and on the return run Matt got a turn riding the elephant up front and giving him some banana treats. It was a special treat having my first ever Elephant ride (Matt had done it previously on a “business trip” to Thailand), they are such inspiring, gracious and gentle animals. It was wonderful to have this opportunity and you certainly felt quite regal sitting on top and with great views of the countryside.

Friday 11^th- Today was our around town day with visits to a local Batik, Gemstone, Wood Carving and Silk/Clothing factories where we got to see the largely traditional handmade processes still at work. We were of course encouraged to make purchases at each stop but we ended up only purchasing some items of clothing (mostly for Matt). Our next stop was the Royal Botanic gardens which were originally established back in 1371.  The 60 hectare park had an interesting variety of plants and was where the first tea seedlings were planted. I was keen to see what is debated to be the largest spreading tree in the world, a large fig tree reputedly covering 1600 square metres. We also got to see 1000’s of Red Faced Fruit Bats dangling from the large trees lining the river. One local man was parading a live scorpion around the park for which he wanted a fee for taking a photo of. After our 1 ½ hour stroll around the gardens Sampath our driver picked us up and took us to lunch at a riverside restaurant. Next we headed up 3 miles into the hills again to the Ceylon Tea Museum. This is a beautifully restored Tea Factory that exhibits vintage machinery and historical artefacts from the tea industry. Our guide was very informative, and at the top of the four storey building you get to enjoy the complimentary cup of tea whilst overlooking the countryside. Then returned to the hotel to get ready for the evening cultural show in town and tour of the sacred Temple of the Tooth Relic for which we were required to wear long sleeved tops and pants.) Due to the hassles with parking close to the Temple and cultural centre we walked down the hill from our nearby hotel and around the manmade lake at the centre of the town that was constructed in 1807 by the last King of Sri Lanka. It is suggested that the Kings concubines were originally housed in a building on the island in the middle of the lake!

The cultural show began at 5.30 and was a rapid succession of various dance and musical routines from Sri Lanka. This is followed by a fire dance and fire walking demonstration. Next we headed over to the Tooth Temple where you have to pass through security checks because it is regarded as Sri Lanka’s most precious object, in the past the place has been bombed. The tooth relic is supposedly the remains of Buddha’s tooth following his cremation after he reached the status of Nivarna (the ultimate peaceful state of mind, free from ignorance and the perceived human suffering cycle of death and rebirth). The tooth is entombed in 7 elaborate nesting gold and jewelled caskets inside a closely guarded shine that is covered by an ornate gold roof. It is regarded as a symbolic representation of the living Buddha. There were a number of other rooms housed in the temple, one that depicted the life of Buddha, a room holding ancient paper books written on palm leaf, a shrine for medicinal purposes, and also the original audience hall where historical documents were signed.   There we long queues of both locals and tourists there to view the precious treasure/make offerings with large drums being constantly beaten it was very hard to hear what our guide had to say. Once we had completed the tour we caught a taxi back up the hill to our hotel for our evening meal, which I followed with a swim in the pool before heading to bed.

Thursday 10^th February 2011 –Heading up into the hills to the Ella where we are catching the train - which is a recommended side trip in the guides, with great scenery. En-route we stopped at Ramboda waterfall (a stunning 2 tier waterfall, with 2 x 100 meter drops – see pics). While here touts offered us samples of a range of the local rocks that precious gemstones are extracted from in this region.

On reaching Ella, our 3 hour train journey in an antiquated train took us over the ridge tops of the ranges and through the agriculture region, where a variety of crops are grown on terraced gardens on the steep hillsides. Reaching the summit of 1987 metres, we then continued through some of the high country tea plantations, and passed through many tunnels (the locals all squealed and yelled as we went through the dark tunnels). We got off at the Nuwara Eliya station where our driver met up with us again and took us to our lunch stop. A quick walk around the town centre followed, then the market place to locate an ATM.

Back in the van and heading down winding hill road to our next stop at Kandy (acknowledged as the cultural capital of Sri Lanka) was interesting. As a result of the torrential rainfall in this area the road conditions were rather treacherous, with many slips apparent. I later read in the Newspaper at our hotel that night that they had declared a disaster zone in this area due to the high rainfall making the hillsides very unstable. It did mean however there were plenty of waterfalls everywhere to view cascading down the rock faces. Half way down the hill we stopped at Blue Fields Tea Plantation. We had a guided through the factory and explanation of the process of turning the leaf into tea followed by a complimentary cup of tea in their tearooms. A sample some of the expensive Golden Tip tea was included, which has quite a distinctive taste, and is supposedly good for your heart.

We then continued our Journey down the hill to Kandy, the second biggest city in Sri Lanka. It is a congested town with homes and businesses clinging to the hillside (reminded me somewhat of Wellington). It was clear that the issues with the rainfall are evident here as well with the river running very high and slips being cleared from the roads. One road that we travelled down going into the city had killed 5 people the previous week when they were caught in a massive slip and many houses were demolished as well. Our driver took us to a Avuretic herbal massage centre that provides a treatment using 27 herbs in the oils. After your full body massage you then spend 10 minutes in a steam room that has herbs dangling from the ceiling and lining the walls and floor. This is followed by a rub down with a towel. We tried a special treatment that is supposedly good for treating sinus and migraine problems using a liquid honey! It was a most unusual treatment system and something quite different to previous experiences. We also treated our driver to a session which he greatly appreciated. It was then on to our hotel for a buffet dinner and bed.

Wednesday 9^th February – An early start to be ready at 6am to meet driver. We watched the sunrise come up over the beaches as we drove along, stopping to see the unusual method used along this coast by the local fisherman whereby they sit on a stilt that has been driven into the sand in the shallow water just where the small waves break. In their sacks they had small sprat like bait fish. We then drove on to the Lighthouse at the southern most point of Sri Lanka at Dondra point, we were invited to climb the 222 steps to the top of the 50 metre structure where some great views could be seen (see the pics). Then down the road and inland a little bit further to the Budddist Temple at Wewurukana Vitara which is claimed to be the tallest in Asia at 8 stories high, we climbed to the top of this as well. The lower chamber beneath the Buddha has artwork which illustrates the 129 “sins”, along with an associated punishment that will be given in hell as a result. Some of the images where quite gruesome and vivid (see some of our pics). Another building held large painted plasterworks creations the depicted the life and times of Buddha. It was quite an astounding monument but sadly all very dilapidated and in need of repair.

We continue on our way normally at speeds of between 40-60 kms per hour. Even at these low speeds the roads are a dangerous place to be with vehicles often completing some very dodgy manoeuvres, including commonly passing on blind corners! There are no seat belts in back of the van so you feel particularly vulnerable when the brakes are applied in a hurry. I hope we manage to safely make it to the end! If you ask me the risk of pirates on the sea is less of an issue that driving on the roads!

We finally reached our final destination of Yala at 2pm. After quickly dropping our bags off at our accommodation we then headed out on our Jeep Safari to Yala National Park. Sri Lanka apparently has largest concentration of Leopards in the world, with a large majority of them here at Yala. They also have Sloth Bears, Elephants including largest elephant in world @ 25m tall!! – Ok, it’s really a rock formation!! (See photo), Water Buffalos (they live up to their name, and are often seen almost completely submerged, and in fact do completely submerge for short periods) Monitor Lizards, Monkeys, Crocodiles (Estuarine and Marsh), Mongoose, wild Pigs and much bird life – Peacocks, Pelicans, Eagles, Storks, Bee Eaters, Hornbills to name a few. Sadly despite the best effort of the guides we didn’t actually get to see a Leopards or Sloth Bears but it was a very interesting if bumpy trip. Our vehicle was a very worn out old open top Land Rover. Despite our concerns it surprisingly made it around the park with regular stops to refill the radiator as it had a leak and no radiator cap! (or instruments – did not work- broken door catches, crap seats etc)

We were pleased to get back to our accommodation at the lakeside waterfront lodge around 7pm having endured several hours of bumping along the tracks. After a much needed cleansing shower and a change of clothes we had dinner and then headed to bed – it had been a long day!

Tuesday 8^th February – We had a late start after the previous nights drinks session with Matt wanting another boat job day. He checked the rigging and steering over and gave the stainless steel work a cleanup whilst I did some washing ready for our travels. We then decided we should top up our fresh water supply. This however required carrying the 20 litre jerry cans in the dingy over to the wharf, up the wharf and then over to water supply area to fill and then back again to the boat. As one of our plastic jerry cans had already perished in the sunlight and I managed to drop and smash another one when carrying it back on our first trip this left us with only 40 litres to fill at and carry each time so it was going to be a time consuming and laborious task. The guy on Meridian then advised us that you could actually arrange to order a water tanker with a minimum order of 1000 litres for approx. $9 and simply tie up at the wharf to get filled. We decided this is a much better idea so will organise this prior to our departure from Sri Lanka. Next was a fridge cleanout and check over along with some of the cupboards. Matt decided he wanted to remount the salt water pump so it operated better so he did this. After our days work Matt thought we should head back to Unawatuna beach for another pleasant and relaxing dinner to finish the day off. Whilst Matt was having a shower ready to go out the fresh water pump decided to stop operating, and so it needed some attention also before we could head out for the evening. We really must endeavour to get to the beach in daylight hours before we leave to properly appreciate it and enjoy a nice swim there.

Monday 7^th February – Enough of boat jobs! – Today we confirmed our tour arrangements and then headed out to explore the local attraction of Galle Fort, which is an Unesco World Heritage site. On the western peninsula of Galle’s natural harbour this fort was originally commenced over 5 centuries by the Portuguese who had invaded this area. The Dutch invasion of 1640 saw this structure further enhanced and built upon with major additions that enclosed the peninsula to form a protected city with associated army barracks, housing, shops, courts, prison, hospital, churches and a cemetery. The fortification withheld the force of the 2004 Tsunami, with it being one of the few areas in this region to come away unscathed.  As a memento a broken clock tower is now set to display the time of the Tsunami struck. Numerous buildings have been restored into boutique accommodation, antique and jewellery shops, restaurants or museums while many have been left sadly to deteriorate. The walk around the top of the outer wall of the ramparts gives you good views and takes you past some lovely little beaches that looked quite inviting for a swim! We finished our tour by enjoying a very refreshing cool drink in the superbly renovated Amangalla Hotel. This hotel is a real step back in time to the regency/colonial era including appropriately attired, discreet staff to serve you. We walked back through the town to the port and so had tired feet by the time we returned. On our return we invited the crew from Meridian for drinks and nibbles as they wanted to have a closer look at our water catcher. Their yacht has been here for over a year following a dismasting in 2010. They returned to Australia to work in the mines for 6 months to fund the repairs and are now eagerly awaiting the arrival of the replacement rigging, and for the new mast that is slowly being constructed here to be completed so they can continue their travels.

Sunday 6^th February – Matt worked on more boat jobs again jobs sorting out my leaky sink taps which involved pulling the whole lot to bits but at least I don’t have a constant leak into my cupboards below now dripping into my pots and pans. He also removed and resealed one of the forward windows that had been leaking. I arranged to get the gas bottle and checked out local shops for food supplies. I also made enquires about organizing an inland tour. That evening we headed out to Unawatuna Beach supposedly one of the most popular beach hangouts in Sri Lanka to a place that our Tuk Tuk driver recommended. The beach front is dotted with accommodation and food outlets. There is a strong Italian influence shown with nearly all the places offering Italian food, so not much variety to choose from. We enjoyed a stroll along the beach following our meal, watching the fireworks being let off at each end and the laser light display from the beach night club before organizing our ride back.

Saturday 5^th February 2011 – Jobs/cleaning up day. The Salt Water pump had stopped, and Matt spent some time stripping and repairing it. It had been full of salt water! Ride into town in a Tuk Tuk (a 3 wheeled 125cc enclosed scooter – see photos) to locate some plumbing supplies and hardware stores, along with a guide book for the region,  as well as to get a feel for the locality. It is an interesting mix of dilapidated colonial and ramshackle buildings. The township suffered a lot of damage in the 2004 Tsunami that swept through the region on Boxing Day.  Sri Lanka suffered the most damage after Banda Aceh in Indonesia. Many locals have stories to tell of losing family, homes and businesses during this devastating event.  Some of the buildings are only just being repaired or replaced now seven years later. We walked to a local beach restaurant for dinner that night which a popular choice with the local male population (I was the only women in the place). It seemed to be a place to meet their mates and share a bottle of Whiskey (the drink of choice here it seems here) we enjoyed our meal before walking back again.

Friday 4^th February 2011 – (today is an official Public Holiday celebrating their Independence Day, luckily for us however the port is still being operated.) When arriving in Sri Lanka you are required to use an agent to handle the customs and immigration requirements which cost $200 US - we thought it was quite absorbent for the work involved and was our first experience of this type of system. Once we had arranged an agent we were escorted into the Port late in the morning by the Naval representatives.

We had been forewarned on the cruising website Noonsite that requests for and expectation of “gifts” to the numerous officials throughout the process in the form of clothing, cigarettes, alcohol or money were normal. This is despite the fact that warning signs are posted around the port stating that asking for or providing “bribes” was a crime. On the site at another yachtie had taken the foresight to photograph one of these signs and had posted on to the internet suggesting that you print out the picture and place it on a prominent position within you yacht for the officials to see. We followed this advice and as a result I think we got away quite lightly compared to many others that we spoke to, as we lost only a miniature bottle of Whiskey to one of the officials. Once the officialdom had been dealt with by late afternoon we were free to go ashore. However as the Port of Galle is a Naval base the place is ringed with armed guards and you are required to carry a pass with you to be able to get in and out of the area.

We headed ashore with large load of wet clothing, towels, sheets etc from trip across. Arrangements for them to be laundered by local family were made, before heading out to dinner at a local restaurant. Once seated we were presented with tray laden with a large variety of cooked curry type parcels they made on the premises, along with a plate of fried rice. They were tasty and surprisingly for me (Jo here!) I could handle the spices. I had read in the guide book that Sri Lanka is renowned for its hot and spicy curries and wondered if I would manage them as I generally don’t enjoy spicy food. It was also a very cheap meal costing approx $5 for both of us.

3 Feb 2011 Trying to make it in today. Morning started off good with 25 kn SE, then moved around to NE, and died away completely. Motored for a few hours, wind came back, 5 kn from the NE, then moved around to West, right where we are going. When we got to the southern tip of Sri Lanka, and altered course 30 deg North, so did the wind!! We then motorsailed the rest of the way to Galle, arriving about 2 hours after dark. The 2 Hours were sressfull, as not only were we motoring into 25knts and a chop, but there were 100's of poorly lit fishing boats around. We made it though, and were guided from the last channel marker to the anchoring point outside the harbour walls. (The navy closes the harbour at night, with a boom). The Anchorage was fine, and we slept well.

2 Feb 2011. Mostly head winds, which is not supposed to happen here at this time of year. Motor Sailing, wind has been from every direction 2 x in the last 24 hours. Sea state is a mess! Not feeling that good!

1 Feb 2011.  Very light winds still, although we did get about 4 hours sailing during the night. Passed the 1/2 way point of this passage now. Motor sailing again, sea state now dropping away. Hot and sunny between rain squalls, which can be very heavy!! Jo is making a quiche for lunch. 2-3 days to go dependent on wind.

31 Jan 2011. Light conditions today, wind from all over the place! Some headwinds. Progress not so great! Motorsailing.  About 6pm saw a ship (big, cargo, 300m long, the something Atlantic) on AIS, not under command, drifting towards our course. Although we are not yet in the real Pirate Area, it was a bit odd. I switched off the AIS transmission, and used no Nav lights until well past her. About 20 mins after that, she started up and proceeded on her course. I don't know what was happening, but it was certainly unusual.

About 9pm, just as the ship was disappearing, I saw some vessel lights fwd of our port beam. Nothing on the radar, or AIS. Watched them for a bit - they came closer, and we got a poor radar signal. Watched it some more - a large (30m??) Asian type fishing boat, on an intercept course. When he got close, I shined the big spot light on him, then our sails. Eventually, at about 400m, he turned on his searchlight and lit us up. Despite the collision rules he just kept right on, and I had to stop to avoid a collision!

30 Jan 2011 Pretty much the same as yesterday, with the odd rain squall coming thru, winds up to 35 at one stage in these. Running under main only, up to 10 knots at times. Fwd Head failed late in the day, as one of the lever pins in the Henderson mk5 pump fell out. Stripped it, cleaned, replaced pin with a bolt. A couple of hours of "undesirable" work! Jo cleaned up most of my mess with bleach, as the sewage from in the pump gets everywhere! Approaching Half way, so good progress so far.. Meant to be lighter tomorrow though.

29 Jan 2011 Left Great Nicobar about 10 am local time. 20 Knots NE, good sailing conditions, but sea state a little confused and lumpy as we got offshore. Still, good progress!

28th Jan 2011 We decided to stay here one more night. Conditions still about the same, wet and windy- Hot though! Refilled the Boat Diesel from Jerry Cans, used 30ltrs from Malaysia to here - for charging batteries. Cleaned up the engine room - I have a small leak (oil) thru the throttle leaver on the governor control box. It is an O ring, but on the old motor I've had issues with re-sealing this same issue, so it will have to wait to Sri Lanka, just in case I need some parts I don't have. It is not too bad, maybe 1/4 cup of oil in 15-20 hours running, but it is getting worse and makes a mess!

Jo restacked the freezer (looking for the bacon!) and for some unknown reason the electric fridge is working again. Weird!

After these jobs we slept, read, movies etc. A good quiet day. We did not want to go ashore due to the entry issues etc, and being wet and windy we did not feel like swimming! Planning to leave after breakfast tomorrow.

26th and 27th Jan 2011  Spent at sea, arriving at Great Nicobar about 4:30 in the afternoon, local time. Conditions had slowly deteriorated since leaving Malaysia, with frequent squalls (up to 35knts) and rain. Lots of Lightning, fortunately none to close! Finished the trip in steep 3m seas and 30 odd knots, with frequent heavy rain. We have anchored in Pemayya Bay. This is Indian Territory, and we have not formally entered the country, but hope no-one will notice! We do have Indian Visas etc, but the nearest entry point is several hundred miles away in the Andamans.

Seems the place is basically uninhabited, with many dead trees around the Island. I think that this is probably due to damage from the big Tsunami. For some reason the electric fridge was not working properly, slowly loosing temperature. I'll have to look at that.

25th Jan 2011  Got up this morning and Jo went and paid the final account for the Marina. I set a course for Telaga harbour, so we could top up with Diesel. The gas bottle was not ready - they had run out of gas!. Anyway, we took it back - it was still around half full anyway, and with the other bottle still full we should be fine until Sri Lanka.

About 10am we left Rebak for Telaga, and then refuelled on arrival. We also scraped together our last Malaysian Ringets and bought an ice-cream, some orange juice, and another few bits and pieces. No point in keeping any Ringets!

We left Telaga about 11am headed for the south end of Great Nicobar Island, 370nm away, or about 2-3 days. Weather was 15-20 knts NE, hot and sunny. Great sailing conditions!  We spoke to most of the family on leaving, just to use up the last of the credit on our Malaysian cell phones! It was good to catch up! It leaves both Jo and myself a bit sad after talking to the girls. We miss them, but realise they are grown and it is good for them to stand on there own feet!

Rebak/Langkawi 17^th- 24^th January 2011 – With our return to here we are gearing up for our onwards passage through the Nicobar Islands to Sri Lanka and the Maldives. Matt has put the new propeller blades on and sorted out our new waterproof and sunlight viewable screen so we can follow our sailing course and associated chart information without having to go below. I have been busy restocking the food supply ready for the next few weeks at sea. It’s been HOT.  Nearly ready to leave now, just collect the refilled gas bottle on Monday, planning to leave Tues Morning.

Jo is flying home from the Maldives to work for a few months, while Matt and a crew (Murray Hughes and Bernie ) take the boat across the Indian Ocean and up the Red Sea. We would like a small convoy of Yachts, perhaps 4 or 5, rather than the 30-50 in two other groups that are going! We intend to keep up to date with the recommendations (other than don't go!!) from the international Naval force patrolling the area. Matt has bought a laser as an alternative to a firearm, and we will do our best to avoid confrontation. Carrying firearms is to difficult with customs etc, and they are often confiscated while in a nations waters anyway. Also, the pirates tend to have more of them!!

We might be leaving here alone, as the boat we were planning to leave with, Whisper HR, are having 2^nd thoughts about crossing the Indian Ocean due to the Pirate issue.  Not sure what will happen yet!. But we will try to join up with a few other boats in either Sri Lanka, or the Maldives.

New Zealand December 17^th – January 14^th 2011 – It was great to be home and enjoy the company of our friends and family over the Xmas/New Year period. We stayed at our daughters flat (a house the two of them have rented).  We a fabulous time catching up with everyone and enjoying plenty of wonderful kiwi food!! It was great to have access to such a vast variety and range of good quality food again. We indulged the gourmet food on offer with great enthusiasm. We also needed to renew our passports and obtain Visa’s for India whilst home so got this done, and obtained a variety of parts and bits and pieces for Island Time. We stayed in Wellington until the 6^th of January, Matt resolved a number of car issues for our daughters while he was home and we sorted through and got rid of a few of the things from the move of our gear from our house in Lanyon Place, Whitby. We were reminded of the ferocity of the Wellington winds shortly after our return, with storm force winds of up to 170km/hr hitting the region a couple days after we got back. We also enjoyed a day trip out to Soames/Matiu Island in the middle of Wellington harbour which had previously been a quarantine station up until the mid 1990’s. We hadn’t been out to the island since its opening the public at that stage and so were impressed with the changes to the environment since then. The growth of native bush, return of native birds and we even got to see Tuatara which are now living out in the wild on this island.

Then a few days up in the Rotorua area from the 6-12^th January enjoying time with our camping friends the Vlaars, Lawsons and Norries and all their ski-boat toys. Our daughters Sue and Nicki also managed to spend some time with us there as well. The water was reasonably warm although a cold wind blew most days – it was good to be part of this annual experience. I ticked off a new challenge by joining Judy Lawson who is doing some triathlon training in a swim of the length of the Blue Lake (approx. 1.5 kms). I was pleased with my effort. We left New Zealand on the 14^th of January for our return trip to Malaysia. A bit sad to leave the kids again!

 As we a number of hours to spare in our stopover in Brunei we took the opportunity to explore the city with one of their transit tours. Visiting the National Museum, National Mosque, had a tour of Royal Regalia used for significant celebrations and viewed the Sultan of Brunei’s Royal Palace, which is claimed to be the largest residential palace in the world (he has over 6000 cars!!) We also had a ride over the waterways to the water village known as the ‘Venice of the East’ where we had afternoon tea in one of the local village traditional styled houses.

Friday 3^rd December -14^th December;  We moved over to Rebak Island Marina resort where we have organised to haul Island Time out of the water for some much needed maintenance and anti-fouling. We are here until the 14^th of December when we fly home to New Zealand to catch up with family and friends over the Xmas/New Year Period. Matt also decided he wanted to replace the propeller for the yacht as we still had the old one from prior to the engine upgrade which is underpowered for the current engine configuration. A new one would give us better speed and fuel economy and so pay for itself. Unfortunately we had a slight glitch with this propeller which we found out only when returning Island Time back to the water and found that the propeller sent had incorrect blades rh rotation which meant that we engaged fowards we actually went back and forwards became reverse!!! Hence Matt had to take the new propeller off again and we got a replacement one when we returned to NZ for christmas. Our auto-pilot had also packed up on us on the last few days in Indonesia and this had meant that Matt had had to hand steer most of the way up the Malaysian coast. As this most largely day sails it wasn’t too much of a problem, but this is something we cannot do without on long ocean passages so replacement parts for this were also installed. We did have some time off to explore the local environment and took a ride up the 919.5 metre long cable car into the mountain tops where the views of the island are extensive. The structure itself is quite impressive with a cantilevered cable bridge at the top which you walk over to peer into the cavernous rock formations below. We visited  the waterfall known as the Seven Wells, promising ourselves to come back for a swim on our return to Langkawi. Whilst here we also had our last functions with the Malaysian rally group which included a sumptuous banquet dinner and outing to the Mahsuri tomb.

Thursday 2^nd December;  There were pleasant conditions for our sail up towards Langkawi, arriving at what is locally referred to as the ‘Fiord’ on the outskirts of the Island group. The landscape was quite stunning and resembled our home cruising grounds in the Marlborough Sounds with even steeper sided, bush clad hillsides, and cliffs. The various differing formations of rock structures were great, and flying around the tops of them in the thermals were groups of the local eagles.  We settled here for the evening in this calm enclosed anchorage.

Wednesday 1^st December; Today we planned to a do a bit more exploring and set off firstly to visit the Pinang Peranakan Mansion. This which was built at the end of the 19^th Century and was the former residence of the Chinese Kapitan, Chung Keng Kwee a prominent and affluent family of the time. It features very elaborate Chinese carved wood panels, English floor tiles and Scottish ironworks. On display are numerous fine arts, porcelain, glass and furniture of the period that have been handed down through the generations.

Then over to Fort Cornwallis which as a wooden stockade was originally erected in 1786 by the East India Company of the British Fleet as their first military and administrative base. The wooden structure was replaced by a more substantial brick structure in 1804. We climbed up a nearby lighthouse structure that is built to resemble the mast and rigging of a sailing ship!

Finally  we caught a local bus to town  to get a few fresh supplies to take us on the next leg to Langkawi Island our final destination in Malaysia.

Tuesday 30^th November;  This morning we headed downtown to find the local chandlery shop, disappointingly once again there was little of value for us to purchase there. We found then wandered up to find the free around town bus service which took us around the central part of town out to one of the main malls. We explored the shopping facilities and then decided to catch a screening of the latest Harry Potter movie before a meal and back to the marina.

Monday 29^th November;  For those of us anchored at Jerejak the expectation was for us to proceed up the harbour this morning under the famous Penang bridge, (at one stage claimed to be the longest in the world)  that links the island to the mainland to the main part of town. As usual there was little to no wind so it was a motor procession. We obtained a berth in the central town marina, caught up with washing and odd jobs. That evening we enjoyed a nibbles and drinks session in the comfort of the air-conditioned marina lounge with a group of others from the rally before heading into town for a meal in the little India area.

Sunday 28 November ; Today we were hosted on an Island Tour.

Our first stop was at Pen-Marine Yacht centre (one of the sponsors of the event) to view their repair and refit facilities. They were interesting, but still not “modern”.  Next it was into town to browse through one of the local market places. We were provided with tokens to purchase local food. Having plenty of time, we ventured a bit further than most, to check out the shopping district. We found a chocolate and coffee tasting place and indulged!! ( and made purchases of course).

Next on the tour was a visit to the vivid blue Cheong Fatt Tze mansion built in the 1880’s. It is a grand piece of architecture designed for a Chinese immigrant who arrived here penniless at the age of 16 and became one of the wealthiest, most historic and flamboyant personalities of the era. The mansion has 38 rooms, 5 courtyards, 7 staircases and with 220 art nouveau stained glass windows. It was designed to have superb Feng Shui qualities. Our tour guide was highly entertaining and informative of the colourful life and times of Cheong Fatt Tze –it was a well worthwhile visit.

Next stop was a recently completed hospital (a bit of a weird destination!)  that specialises in Medical Tourism. This is a rapidly is a growing industry in this region. After an elegant afternoon tea our group was guided around the superb facilities with all the latest in technology on offer. It made our health care system look quite sad in many ways! It is certainly is an option worth considering if you want to jump the queues and delays at home, with very reasonable costs. A number of the cruisers took the opportunity while in Penang to get checkups and tests done.

 Following this we headed to the dinner celebration. This was held at the local Open University and the food was absolutely stunning. There was a vast range of local and western food - the best we have enjoyed yet on the rally. The evening was also the culmination of the photo competition so some stunning images to view, and awards presented. Each table was also given the task of designing and building a yacht out of a polystryrene sheet, bamboo skewers and a plastic sheet. There was then a series of races to in some specialty constructed water channels to determine the winning design. It was a fun night but unfortunately there was a torrential downpour for much of the evening and as the event was hosted outside in a large marquee the ground was soon sodden and we were up to our ankles in mud.

Saturday 27^th November – With around 64 miles to complete today we were away at first light (around 7am) to head up the coast. Another day of very little wind and so once again we were motorsailing. Fortunately we had a good tide push with us giving us around 2 knots for a good part of the day which is of considerable assistance. As we got closer to the island of Penang (also known as Georgetown) the sea was littered with the local small fishing boats and their nets. They were everywhere even throughout the main shipping channel which made navigation quite a task as we weaved in and out  to avoid their nets. We anchored at the recommended anchorage of Jerejak mid afternoon, and the high humidity soon eased with an afternoon shower that cooled the atmosphere. A quiet night on board ready for the rally tour the next day.

Friday 26^th November  - We enjoyed a lazy start this morning and awoke to find that most of the fleet had already departed for the next destination.  The young Spanish couple that Mei and I had met at the beach the previous day then appeared an so we showed them around Island Time and Matt gave them some information about the world of sailing. Matt was also still hopeful that a parcel of new equipment for our autopilot system might arrive and so wanted to wait till lunchtime before heading away. After tracing the parcel he was told it was still awaiting customs clearance so we topped up the water tanks, cleared out and headed the short distance of 15 nautical miles to the island of Palu Talang where we planned to spent the night before making the remainder of the distance up to our next destination of Penang the following day

Thursday 25^th November  Today was the official Malaysian Rally tour of Pangkor Island which Matt and I decided we would join even though we had already been across to the Island with Matt’s parents. We saw pretty much the same sights as we had previously but this time also viewed the colourful Chinese temple which claim to fame is the mini wall of China they have built in the grounds. It was an interesting sight and highly decorative temple. We were hosted for lunch by a local Chinese seafood fishing company and were offered a great number of tasty dishes that filled our tummies. After the luncheon we were welcome to return to the yachts or explore the island further at our leisure. Matt headed back to the boat while I decided to join Mei from Whisper HR for some relaxing time back at the beach. While at the beach we were joined by a young Spanish couple who were cycling through Malaysia and were very interested in the concept of sailing having found that the bike touring in this climate is extremely tiring and exhausting. Mei invited them to come over to the marina the next day and make enquires about possibly joining up as crew onboard one of the yachts.  We headed back across to the marina late afternoon to get organised for the official rally dinner that night. It was an outdoors function under the canopy of the ferry terminal and associated shops and we were once again treated to a very tasty meal with plenty of variety to suit all tastes. Just as the speeches were completed and things were getting organised for the dancing a torrential tropical downpour commenced bringing the function to an early demise as it was difficult to talk or hear above the clatter of rain, thunder and lightning.

Wednesday 24^th November  It was a quiet day today with Brian and Judith getting packed and organised this morning ready for their departure at lunchtime from the marina to the town of Ipoh, where they will fly out to Singapore from. After farewelling our crew Matt reorganised his tool cabin now that there is a bit more room in here with the surplus bags of B & J gone. I relaxed with a good read of my current book. We were invited onboard the yacht Mr Percival for drinks this evening and got to meet Peter’s wife Jill who had recently joined him from Scotland for this part of his travels. It was nice to finally meet his wife after hearing about her throughout our travels with him. After our drinks and nibbles we decided to head up to the shops where we sampled locally made burgers (I had Rabbit) and sate sticks for our meal this evening.

Tuesday Nov 23^rd: Caught the ferry over to Pangkor Island at 10am this morning, where first we did some shopping – Judith bought some T-shirts for gifts, and Jo got a wrap around skirt. Then we hired a one of the local pink taxi vans to take us around the sights and over to Coral Beach on the other side. We stopped and observed a local boat building yard, then headed over the steeply inclined bush clad hill with monkeys evident on the side of the road. We passed yet another Malaysian resort that is being reclaimed by the elements and bush before stopping at a Chinese temple on the beach front that appeared to be more like a mini theme park with figurines of Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse standing at the entrance! Next we headed down the road to Daddy’s Cafe, which is recommended in the guide book. On our arrival there we found the crews from Umbra Luna and Sasoon had stopped there also on their trip around the island on pushbikes they had hired for the day. We all enjoyed our beautifully presented and tasty lunch. Us Paulins then retired to the beach front of this very pretty and idyllic looking bay to relax enjoy an afternoon siesta under the shade of a tree. Jo went for a long swim (as is her habit), then around 4.30pm we hired another taxi and completed our tour of the island past other beach fronts and visited an old Dutch fort, circa 17thC, and then returned to township of Pangkor, where we had another yummy cold drink, prior to catching the ferry back to Marina Island. This is Brian & Judith’s last day here, as we are leaving for home at midday tomorrow. We quite sad that our lovely holiday is coming to a close. M & J have been excellent hosts, and B & J have immensely enjoyed their time here in Malaysia!

Monday Nov 22^nd: We had a cooked breakfast this morn8ing, courtesy of our chef Jo, and since then have been doing computer work – more on photos, and more diary. This afternoon we plan to take a fast ferry to the island of Pangkor and do some exploring, and perhaps have a swim, which would be nice. However, that didn’t happen, as we missed the ferry, because getting the tickets proved to be such a hassle. Instead we took a taxi to Lumut, had some lunch and then bought another lap-top, one for Brian this time. We got ourselves some groceries and then headed back to IT, where Matt spent several hours setting up Brian’s and Sue’s computers, so that they will be ready to take home on Wednesday. We finished the day with a meal at the local bar and then back to IT for a good night’s rest!

Sunday Nov 21st: Raising the anchor from the muddy bottom this morning proved tricky task because of all the old fishing nets and rubbish in the mud that we had hooked up, so some cutting was necessary! We got away early as planned and did the trip of almost 74 NM in record time, motor sailing, with a good tide behind us, and a little bit of wind, arriving at Pangkor Island just after 4pm. We were lucky enough to get a berth in the marina although we had been warned that we might not be able to get in until tomorrow. There are several friends here already, so had drinks before dinner with them, both on the boat and at the local bar-cum-restaurant. We came back for dinner aboard which had been prepared by Jo on the trip up as we had not expected to get into the marina. The boys had an early night, whilst Jo and I did work on our photos.

Saturday Nov 20^th: This morning we had breakfast and set off on the next leg of our journey, about 400 NM, today to the Selangor River, where we will spend the night. After leaving the marina at Port Klang we sailed into a huge delta area, where we encountered an amazing amount of shipping.  Port Klang is a huge container port servicing the Kuala Lumpur area, where we counted 16 container ships being loaded; by about 4 cranes for each ship, and that was only approx half of the operating port, on a Saturday!  The sea was like silk again today, and the tide helped us along, at an average speed of just under 7kts.  Now we are anchored in the Selangor River, in brown water, with greenery on either side of us, and lots of local fishing boats which come to look at us and say “Hello!” while we were having our drinks and nibbles in the cockpit. We intend to get away tomorrow about 6.00am in the morning, as we have 74 NM to travel to tomorrow’s destination.

Friday Nov 19^th: A lazy lie-in this morning, our last in KL. Had breakfast in the hotel, and at a quarter past eleven we left Maytower in their free bus, to visit Beryl’s chocolate factory, where we bought a wher1kg bag of mixed chocolates. We then headed to the famous Petronas Twin towers (The tallest twin towers in the world). The Twin Towers are an engineering and IT feat. The breathtaking 360 degree views were very impressive - it was a not-to-be-missed experience. Afterwards we watched a video about the conception and construction of the project, and then went to lunch in the very flash shopping mall of the towers. I have never seen so many people queuing up for lunch in my life! After lunch, Matt, Jo and Brian went to the Petronus hands-on science place that focussed on the oil and gas exploration of the Petronus Industry and was a mix of theme park type experiences and interactive science displays - it was a very comprehensive and interesting. I had 1 ½ hrs to look around all the famous label shops in the shopping mall which abounded there.  I saw handbags, jewellery and shoes by the thousand and for thousands of $$’s! When the rest of the family appeared, we got a taxi back to Maytower to pick up our bags, and then another taxi to the Main Railway station where we had a simple meal of Thai food prior to catching the suburban train back to Port Klang.

Thursday Nov 18^th: This morning we had breakfast at the hotel, and then went out by taxi to the National Monument (for the war dead), which had an immense bronze sculpture of fighting men (see photo) and several lakes, fountains and a sculpture garden.  Next we walked over to the Lake Gardens to the Butterfly Park, which Matt and I opted not to visit, I don’t like having bugs flying around my head!  In addition to the butterflies Jo and Brian said they saw huge beetles, grasshoppers, spiders & 18-inch long millipedes etc, so I was very pleased I had not gone in!  We then headed to the National Planetarium which was remarkably good. We saw an excellent film on the universe and space exploration, and learned about the Malaysian involvement in space exploration, and other interesting facts about space.  Next we walked to the National Museum which we had missed out on yesterday, and spent a couple of interesting hours there, studying Malaysian history.  By then we were once more footsore, so got a taxi back to the hotel for another cool swim before dinner.  Another thunderstorm came on so we shelved plans for dining at a different restaurant, and dined in again.

Wednesday 17^th November:  Got up early this morning ready for our trip into KL. We had a taxi booked for 8.00am to take us to Port Klang city where we caught a local commuter train to KL.  The train was very clean and tidy and the trip into the capital efficient journey (1 hour 10 mins). All the train station platforms were made of coloured concrete tiles, and looked very attractive, and some stations had attractive plantings around them, which made for a pleasant atmosphere. It was an interesting trip in via the suburbs and observing the passing countryside. We were impressed by the central KL railway station too, which is huge and is the hub for a variety of transportation systems for the city including – monorail, light rail, suburban, intercity, bus, taxi and transportation out to the airports. We secured a taxi to take us to our hotel, The Maytower. So we offloaded our bags here before taking a taxi to the National Museum, only to find it was not open as it is a public holiday today. While we rethought our plans we decided to grab lunch at a Dunkin Donuts outlet, which did nice filled rolls, and had an amazing selection of donuts, both plain and fancy!  During lunch we read in a local paper that the amazingly spectacular thunderstorm we had experienced in Port Klang the previous afternoon had caused traffic problems and surface flooding when it reached KL.  From here we headed to the well known Merdeka or independence Square. It is the historical heart of KL with numerous restored buildings from the British colonial rule, mixed in with the modern architecture of the current era. It was here that the Malaysians celebrated their independence from British rule on the 31/8/1957. After this, we boarded a special tourist bus called the “Hop on Hop off” bus which continually covers a circular route of 20 tourist hotspots. You can chose to either get off and take photos, or get off and visit the particular site, and then get back on the bus later, to carry on to the next site.  During the day we visited the National Palace, Chinatown, little India, the golden triangle of shopping centres, the Lake Gardens including the Orchid and Hibiscus Gardens, arriving back at our hotel for a cooling swim at about 5.30pm or so.  Later we dined at the hotel, and settled down for a good night’s sleep.

Tuesday Nov 16^th: We left the marina this morning at about 8.15am for a 46NM trip to our next destination, the new marina at Port Klang.  Another very warm day today, with little wind, and the water like silk!  With a bit of tide behind pushing us along quite well, along with some sail plus the motor, we made an average of 7.5knots today, making this the best trip since we came aboard.  There were lots of vessels en route today, many container ships, tankers, supply ships, and others from the Sail Malaysia group plus the local fishermen with the ubiquitous nets up to ½ a mile long. The vast array of vessels making their passages up and down the coast made for interesting viewing on our passage today. We arrived at the new marina at Port Klang late afternoon. This marina is still in the process of being completed and so it has no staff yet only the security guards who are minding the main facilities are still being completed and so the place is being looked after by security guards who are minding the place. The guards had rescued a young monkey that had been orphaned and were caring for it. It entertained us yachties by playing with the toys it had been given, and through its antics of swinging from the rope playground they had made for it. This marina is located at the end of the Klang river which winds up to the capital city of Kuala Lumpur and is on the out skirts of the greater Kuala Lumpur environs. Our plan is to leave the boat here for 3 days while we head inland to the capital city and explore what this city has to offer. That night we had yet another immense and scary thunderstorm, which lasted for about 20 minutes and thankfully cooled down the humid atmosphere somewhat, it was also useful in helping to fill up the water tanks again.

Monday Nov 15^th: Today we had to move berths due to the maintenance on the marina. Matt spent time tweaking the rigging, after replacing the baby stay we broke on the way here with a temporary rope one. Jo had a massage today, and Brian & I read our books in the garden and swam, had cool drinks served by the pool, and thoroughly enjoyed the leisurely pace.  We finished the day with another nice Kiwi BBQ meal aboard, and settled down for our third night here. That night there was another spectacular thunder and lightning show about 6.00pm, and the rain carried on all night – no wonder everything is so green and lush here in this environment.

Sunday 14^th Nov:  After a good night’s sleep in this peaceful, secure environment we enjoyed some time by the pool facility and explored the resort surroundings. We caught up on some boat jobs, emails and Skyped a few people on the computer as well. That evening we had dinner at the posh restaurant with Peter from the yacht Mr Percival, then headed back to our boat for coffee and liqueurs.

Saturday 13^th Nov:  This morning we set sail at 9.15am en route to Port Dickson, our next port of call. We motor-sailed about 48 nautical miles in very pleasant weather, with blue skies – the best day we have experienced so far, but very hot indeed.  I spent an hour whilst travelling, on the fore-deck in the shadow of the mainsail, in order to both be in shade, and to catch maximum breeze!!   The coast along which we travelled was a little more above sea-level than that which we have become accustomed to, as often there is so little land showing above the near horizon that it is reminiscent of Venice!! But what landforms do rise any distance above the sea have a definite volcanic look about them, so some parts look quite like home to us.  Nearing Port Dickson we passed some affluent-looking homes, and long beaches thickly clothed with beach umbrellas, and it all looked very civilised! Arriving at the Avillion Admiral Marina, we were delighted to find it very very nice indeed! Especially after our experience at Melaka!  The marina is lovely, in spite of being in the midst of some serious maintenance.  It is part of a large hotel- cum- resort, which has two restaurants, a bar, laundry service, and best of all, a chilled-pool complex, surrounded by beautiful gardens, garden furniture, and a free pool-towel service.  There are discreet security guards in smart uniforms everywhere, who are gracious and very pleasant. After a nice refreshing swim to cool ourselves down we followed this with a cold beer at the bar.  We finished the evening off with a leisurely meal on board, and a bottle of bubbly to celebrate our good fortune. This was followed by a wonderfully restful, non-rocky night, which was very welcome after our experience at Melaka!

Friday 12^th Nov: A very rolly night, with lots of rain and more thunder and lightning!  Matt has gone off on foot to buy an electrical plug he needs, and the rest of us are doing jobs – mine is to write the log! Think we will move on tomorrow. Went to town about 1.00pm and had an ethnic lunch in an ethnic food market before setting off to see a series of excellent museums, the first being inside the replica of the Portuguese galleon Flor de Lamar, which was quite good, telling of the sea-faring history of Melaka, and aimed at children – there were lots of school kids there.  The second one was adjacent to the first, and was fairly basic telling about local marine life, with good illustrations, and encouragement to treat nature with respect. Following that we had some more food in a charming local food-cum-B & B establishment just opposite our next and favourite museum, the Cheng Ho Cultural museum, which we toured with an excellent guide. It told of Cheng Ho, a brilliant administrator and the first Admiral of Melaka, who, tho Chinese born, and a eunuch, servant of the Chinese Emperor, together with the Sultan of Melaka, built Melaka into a powerful force with a large Navy, comprising a fleet of about 300 vessels, which controlled the Spice Trade in the 15^th Century.  This was a very informative session, during which we all learned history we had no idea about prior to today. These fleets carried livestock, including poultry, a good selection of vegetables, including some that were in cultivation on board, and of course much preserved and dried food, as they were well aware of the importance of a healthy diet!  Also they catered for entertainment, with games and music as recreational activities.  That evening we had a very ho-hum meal in a big shopping mall, followed by excellent tea and coffee at Starbucks, then home to a very rolly night again in this decaying marina!

Thursday Nov 11^th:  This morning there was a huge thunderstorm, with impressive lightning and torrential rain, which went on for a couple of hours or more, in contrast to the short sharp episodes to which we have become accustomed over here.  The marina we are in here at Melaka is only a year old, but it has been very inefficiently built, and some of the boaties refused to come in here, and are anchored out in the river inlet.  We and some of the braver ones decided to risk it, but it is very rolly, and we are tied diagonally across a double space, so are not rocking and rolling as much as some other craft.  Some of the crowd have even left their boats in Danga Bay, and have come up here by bus, and are staying in hotels!!  The marina does not have a solid wall between  the mooring areas and the outside river/ocean, and therefore a swell rolls in constantly, which has broken the walkways out to the mooring berths, whilst the rivets are all popping on the walkways, the cleats are not all securely fastened to their decking, and the whole place is a disaster.  The marina office building is very nicely designed, and has great air-con. It houses a customs and immigration office, but hardly any boats come in here because it is so dodgy, so they can’t be very busy.  We hear that a great deal of money will soon be spent here, to rectify all the obvious shortcomings, and it can’t happen too soon!  After the thunderstorm eased off a bit, we went to town by taxi, and did a bit of shopping.  M &  J bought a few items for the boat, and Brian bought some new jandals and a pair of sandals, and B & J bought a portable hard drive to enable us to do back-up on our computer, and a new memory-stick. We had lunch there and later B & J came home for a rest, whilst M & J set off on foot to find a hardware shop where they could buy a new shower head for their bathroom.  When they came home with their purchase, they had earmarked a nice-looking Chinese restaurant where we later had a very nice meal indeed! The restaurant, tho somewhat colonial in its architecture was recently built.  It had lovely green and white tiles on the floor, and linen tablecloths – always a good sign – and the service was great too.  Once again we were the only Europeans, the other diners being exclusively Chinese – another good sign.  We were able to walk both there and back, which B & J thought is an indication that they are coming to terms with the heat!

Wednesday Nov 10^th:  We have been in Malaysia for two weeks today, and it has flown, in spite of the extreme heat –to us – that is.  Today we got up early and left our Water Islands anchorage, to sail into Melaka to the marina there, in time to go on an organised bus tour, with the Sail Malaysia people – three large bus-loads of us, with a police escort in front, making all traffic give way to us, and ignoring red lights etc. The buses were brand-new, and beautifully appointed, even having decorative swag curtaining at the windows.  First they took us to a luxurious resort owned by the Prime Minister, and recently opened, as I think they perceive us as being very wealthy, and no doubt some of this crowd are, and they showed us around – great pool complex with waterfalls – wonderful spa & beauty therapy facilities, etc, but it was a very hot day, and it was not very interesting to us, tho’ we would have liked a swim in their pool.  There only seemed to be about 3 proper guests, and there were 201 chalets, ranging from the expensive to the outrageously expensive!!  Though they did tell us that they were almost fully booked. Following that we were taken to see a traditional Malay home, with a beautiful garden. We were able to see inside the house, and they gave us little sweet cakes and hot sweet drinks. Then came lunchtime in a big shopping mall, where we could choose and pay for our own lunch, following which we were taken to the former Sultan’s Palace which is now a history museum.  That was architecturally interesting, built in 1764 or so, and housed interesting diorama representations of Malay history, and some clothes and jewellery of the times.  Nearby was a historic fort which I (Judith) chose not to visit since it was up about 300 steep steps, and my feet were already quite swollen in the heat.  However Brian, Jo and Matt did so, and learned about Portuguese, Dutch and British local history.  Next, the boys went home for a shower, and Jo and I opted for some R & R in a big shopping mall instead.  In the evening we were taken to a floating fish restaurant for a rather uninspiring meal, with entertainment by a very loud, tho’ competent, Portuguese band.  Seeing fish  here is not inspiring, and we are becoming far more aware of how fortunate we are to have Cook Strait and its seafood easily available to us at home.  Brian & Matt were appalled sat how tiny the farmed mussels were (10mm long!), that were served as one of the courses. Came home and watched a movie before bed.

Tuesday Nov 9^th: This morning had breakfast and Jo & Brian set off in the dinghy to do a bit of a reconnoitre of the area, and find out the timetable for the ferry to Melaka.  Matt has done some maintenance jobs to the rear toilet, and I have done some hand-washing, and some emails etc., and this journal.  Good to have some time to do little items. Jo & I had a swim off the stern of IT, tho mine was just a dunking really as there was a quick current running by, & I was afraid of being washed away!  But this is the cleanest water we have been in so far, so it was good to cool off.  After lunch Jo and I went on some locals for a good explore of the island, which was very interesting.  We met a Tamil Hindu man who gave us some delicious coffee flavoured lollies, of which we bought more later.  We visited a shrine of a Moslem saint called Sarah, and had a short lesson on the Moslem religion from a local bigwig at the shrine/cum temple. Then we walked around a huge deserted resort, with marble floors and furniture still in place, huge pool complex, tennis courts, large lake, dozens of chalets, and all on a delightful tree-fringed series of coves, called Paradise Island, ironically, and we heard from some locals that the resort was closed because it interfered with the religious activities and aura of the shrine area adjacent to it. We had another couple of swims in the course of the afternoon, and on returning to the boat, had drinks with Mr P who was anchored next to us.  Later we went ashore again, to the island, and had a meal at a local very primitive Thai cafe, where we were the only Europeans, and a couple of skinny cats wandered about begging for food, which we didn’t supply!  The food was tasty and freshly cooked, and we enjoyed it, and afterwards we motored home in the dinghy under a relatively clear sky, by which I mean we could see a small number of stars!!  Like about three!  We watched a movie on deck, on the computer, before turning in for the night.

Monday Nov 8^th:  After a rolly night, we got up at 6.00am had breakfast and left at 7.00am on our longest sea-trip since Brian & I arrived, about 12hrs or so, approximately 70 nautical miles, to reach our nest anchorage, at Water Island, just off the coastal city of Melaka, which we will be visiting later. The ocean colour remained green during today’s trip, which was quite a comfortable one, in spite being a bit lumpy from time to time.  We saw several huge and ugly car-carrying ships, international vessels with not a graceful nautical line between them, and a small number of dead fish, also small,  three or four swallow-tailed sea-birds, and a number of local fishing craft, which are a danger to cruising vessels like ours, because they put out miles of nets, often not clearly marked at their end-points, so it is risky to sail between the fishing vessels in case of becoming entangled.  One of the local fishing craft followed in our wake for a few minutes, then passed us to starboard and crossed to port in front of us.  Matt said that is because they think they can pass off any bad luck they might have, onto the vessel they have passed!  We laughed!  Arriving at Water Island, we passed a peaceful night at anchor and slept well.

Sunday Nov 7^th: Judith is writing this in a lovely little bay at Pulau Pisang, where we have anchored after today’s sail from Kukup.  We had a leisurely sail today, and were pleased to see the water colour change from brown to green.  It is warm again, and overcast, and while I write, Matt is fixing the salt-water pump, Jo is in the water scrubbing the dinghy and a bit of the hull, and Brian is lying in the cockpit reading his E-book.  Mr P is anchored nearby, and we are just having a bit of time-out.

Saturday Nov 6^th: We left Danga Bay Marina about 10.15am to sail to our first destination, Kukup, a very ethnic Malaysian fishing village, with all the houses rising out of the sea, on stilts. We had a very relaxing sail of about 27 nautical miles, out of the Straits of Johore and into the Straits of Malacca.  I counted 34 large items of shipping, but on the AI*S or automatic identification system, there were 314 of them all identified by name and destination. The quantity of shipping is absolutely amazing! After we had anchored, Mr P came over for a drink, and also another skipper who was anchored near us, and we had a convivial happy hour prior to  our first BBQ with M&J since our arrival here.  We had sausages, potato salad and lettuce salad, and corn on the cob, and it tasted delicious after so much local food recently!

Friday Nov 5^th: The fridge repair man was to come today for some final enhancements, and to collect his money, so we  couldn’t leave today as we had planned. Therefore Jo and Judith set off by taxi for a special supermarket in a big shopping mall a few kms away.  The supermarket was called Cold Storage, and was the best of the three s/mkets we have visited to date. And we were aable to buy excellent ham, fruit, vegetables, milk etc.  Prior to that though we inspected all the promising shops we saw, and bought one or two gift items.  There was an excellent department store in the complex, with a different department on each level.  Saw a wonderful selection of handbags, all on sale as it is the end of the summer season here, and the best menswear dept we have seen in ages. Went for drinks with Karen & Jean-Francois on Intiaq, a big catamaran, at 5.30, while Matt contributed some IT expertise!

Thursday Nov 4^th: This morning we went on a very good bus tour provided by the Sail Malaysia people, which left at 8.15am. This suited us because the fridge man was coming to re-gas the fridge, so the four of us went on the tour.  First we went to view the new Govt Centre, both Federal and local, and the architecture and gardens were most impressive! (The Beehive looks so small!!) Then we stopped at a brand-new marina Putari, where we had a good look around- also most impressive. Then we went on to look at the Southernmost tip of Malaysia, where we took walk to the viewing platform where we could see both the Straits of Johore and the Straits of Malacca.  Also saw some monkeys, and saw the queues of tankers, barges and other shipping which frequent these shipping lanes.  Following that we visited a kampong or village where the locals put on a hot meal of local food for us, two courses, with fruit cordial, at the same time as a mock-wedding, so that we could see some local colour, and hear about customs etc.  This was very colourful and interesting.  After lunch we toured a pineapple museum, which was interesting, then bought some fruit at a local stall, including papya, watermelon and lady-finger bananas, and arrived back home about 5.15pm.  had a meal at one of the local restaurants and fell into bed about 9.30pm, well pleased with our day.

Tuesday Nov 2^nd & Wednesday Nov 3rd:  The heat has to be experienced to be believed, at 32C most days, and not much less at night.  The aircon has been wonderful, but still not as good as being in a big shopping complex!  We are both sweating so much that it must be slimming – we hope!  But it is too hot to eat much, & alcohol is not very appealing as we need lots of liquid – heaps more than at home – and they sell a huge variety of delicious drinks here, both fruit, soda types, and chilled teas & coffees, all yummy! Yesterday (Monday)we went to the Orchid Gardens and the Zoo in Singapore, and in the evening went to Raffles for a Singapore Sling,($NZ30 each!!) as you do... The orchid gardens and the Zoo were both excellent and I have taken lots of photos needless to say. In the Long Bar  at Raffles we fell into conversation with a handsome young man who was a Kiwi, and turned out to own a piece of land and a vineyard next door to our nephew Kevin Paulin in Central!  After that we found a wonderfully cheap food hall place where we had our evening meal and a cold drink for about $NZ12.  This was in a huge & glitzy shopping mall where most of the goods on display were too dear for me to even consider, tho’ many brand-names were the same as in the Porirua mall, but somehow looked a lot classier in S’pore.  Came home by two taxis, including a customs clearance each way of course, which makes it a bit tedious. It is strange to see S’pore from Danga Bay Marina, which is in Malaysia of course, and to know they are two separate  countries.  It is like looking at Eastbourne from SH One in Wellington.  We have been to shopping malls in Malaysia which are good too, and Malaysia – that is Johor Bahru, the area where we are based, is thriving and bustling, but S’pore is much more sophisticated, and of course it is all so densely populated that it is astounding to us.  Most people are very friendly and can hardly comprehend that Matt has sailed Island Time all the way from New Zealand. The Malaysian Ringgit is worth about  NZ32 cents, whilst the S’pore dollar is about the same as the NZ$.  Shopping in the local supermarkets is very interesting, and some of the fruit we have bought is peculiar to look at but tastes good. This morning we ate some passion-fruit which was khaki-coloured on the outside, but inside was just like our passion-fruit, & tasted just like ours.  Matt works terribly hard here not only maintaining his own boat, but also helping other people with radio & IT problems – he is much in demand, and should really be charging a fee!!  Contrary to our expectations, he does not while away hours drinking beer & G&Ts with other boaties, but every minute seems to be spoken for!  However we can sometimes drag him away for a bit of sight-seeing, as yesterday, and we are enjoying our stay so far. 

Monday Nov 1st:  Did a few jobs today, and a bit of shopping, and in the evening went to the Thai restaurant we had been taken to by Lia, for our evening meal.  They were delighted to see us, and once again we enjoyed the food and the company, as Lia and Amiro came to see us again as soon as the word spread that we were there!  The management had collected us, and also took us back to the boat, when we had finished – so very gracious and kind of them.

Sunday 31^st Oct:  Today did a bit of washing and then set off with Matt & Jo & Brian to Johor Bahru tgo do some shopping, and bought a lovely small pink lap-top computer, complete with pink mouse & carry-case, with some software etc.  We are thrilled with it, and it was remarkably cheap compared with prices at home. Matt later set it up for us, so that it is easy for us to use, and we are enjoying having it here, and practising daily!! In the evening we attended a formal dinner of welcome for all the members of the Sail Malaysia group, and it was most impressive.  There were about nine courses, each local cuisine and beautifully presented.  We all sat in groups of ten, at round tables with linen tablecloths, and were served a central platter, from which we served ourselves. Each dish was exquisitely presented, and before they began serving, all the wai sang and played Westernters came in doing a song-and-dance act, and twirling trays and napkins, just like a lavish Hollywood musical routine!  During the evening there were speeches from dignitaries, and beautiful local dancers  presented cultural items at regular intervals.  Local musicians sang & played Western items in between times, and some items were contributed by members of the boating fraternity, all in all a very interesting and enjoyable evening.

Saturday 30^th Oct: This am went to Johor Bahru with Jo and Brian on the bus, and posted a letter to Sue, and then walked not very far to visit the old Sultan’s Palace which is now a museum. Almost as soon as we arrived we met a lovely Muslim girl called Lia, and her brother Amiro, who were also visiting the museum.  Lia speaks very good English, and she & Amiro became our guides through the museum, which is very interesting, both in its history and its furnishings and architecture.  One of the previous Sultans married an English girl, and she became the Sultana Helen, and they produced some good-looking children.

Friday 29^th Oct: Went out with Jo & Brian today and bought some cheap shirts for B to wear whilst we are here.

Malaysian Holiday on Island Time: 27^th October -24^th November 2010

Wed-Thursday 27^th – 28^th

We – Brian & Judith arrived in Singapore at 7.00pm on Wed 24^th Oct, to be met by Mat & Jo, and taken to a very nice hotel the Golden Village Landmark where they shouted us a night of air-conditioned luxury to break us in gently to the new very hot temperatures!  We slept well, and after a tasty smorgasbord breakfast, set off on foot for a marine chandlery, where Matt wanted to buy a few bits for the boat. After a bit of a look around, we decided to visit the Jurong Bird Park, which is excellent, and well worth a visit. Afterwards, we returned to the hotel, where  we loaded ourselves, our luggage and the new aircon machine into a taxi van and travelled across the causeway into Malaysia to our destination, the Danga Bay Marina, where our new home Island Time is anchored for a few days. The marina is very very new – in fact not completely finished – but it is very pleasant, (and free due to its unfinished state),  all lit up at night with fancy coloured lights etc, and a string of air-conditioned restaurants which offer a variety of both Western and Asian food at very cheap prices.  The Malaysian Ringgit is worth about 1/3 of our NZ dollar, so things look dear but are in fact very cheap when converted.

That night we ate at the Italian restaurant, and came back to our newly air-conditioned boat for a much needed sleep.

Crossing the Singapore Strait - 23^rd October

We had originally planned to go to a marina in Singapore for our next stop as Matt’s parents are flying to Singapore on the 27^th October to spend a month with us. However we were informed by other yachties that customs and immigration costs to clear into and then out of  Singapore with a yacht would be around $500. As we had been offered a free marina berth at Denga Bay, in Johor Baru through the Sail Malaysia organisation, which is only which is just across the river from Singapore we decided to head straight for there. Apparently crossing over to Singapore via bus, train or taxi is just like going over the harbour bridge in Auckland to the North Shore, except that you have to do customs & immigration clearance in and out on each side. This is completed very effectively and efficiently for no cost as approx. 37, 000 Malaysians travel to Singapore each day for work. Also as today is the 21^st Birthday of our eldest daughter Sue, we wanted to obtain a decent internet connection to enable us to join in the party my sister Di was organising for her via a Skype connection which we would be able to do in either of these locations.

Anyway crossing over the shipping lanes of the Singapore Strait from Indonesia to Malaysia was quite an experience. This shipping lane is one of the busiest in the world, as it is the crossroads for shipping from the pacific and Asia travelling up to Europe, China and India. It is like crossing a multi-lane highway! The weather was very, very hazy on this day, with visibility of only about a mile. Using our electronic AIS (Automatic Identification System) Matt identified 281 ships showing up on the screen within the proximity of the passage we were going to make. We saw a huge variety of shipping, many towering above us like small cities on the move. We made our way across the strait in convey of five yachts and up the coast between Singapore and Malaysia. The Singapore border control vessels were stationed every couple of miles and would come over to inspect you if you ventured too close to the Singapore border. The international marine radio station was constantly full of calls between the various vessels and port authorities. It was very difficult to get a call in, all  different languages and with hardly a pause.

Across the equator and onwards to Malaysia -16-23^rd October

Belitung was our last formal Sail Indonesia location, and with our 3 month visa’s due to expire on the 24^th October it was time to move further north towards Singapore and Malaysia. We spent the next 7 days completing day sails up to the Straits of Singapore, crossing over the Equator on the 18^th of October. This was a memorable day as the weather conditions were ideal for sailing with the wind slightly behind us and blowing a nice 10-15 knots. Unfortunately our autopilot steering system has been intermittently playing up, and rather than holding a accurate straight course keeps steering off course 20 degrees one way, and then over correcting itself and heading out 20 degrees off course in the other direction. This makes us cover a lot more ground than we need to and creates a very wavy course line. Matt has been playing with the settings but nothing seems to fix the problem. So for the last few days we have had to manually steer which becomes quite mentally and physically demanding, thankfully we are only doing day passages at present! We will have to get a technician &/or replace the faulty part once we get up to Singapore/Malaysia. It is not safe do long ocean passages with just the two of us the way it is working at present.

Anyway the day we crossed the equator was lots of fun with the good sailing conditions, lots of chatter on the radio between the yacht fleet as each boat crossed the line and celebrated the event. Matt was enjoying steering in the conditions of the day and we were within shouting distance of the yacht beside us, a catamaran called ‘Ultimate Dream’, this made for some lighthearted competitive racing to see which one of us would cross the equator first. Then about 10 mins before going across the equator I went below to prepare our toast to King Neptune and noticed water bubbling up under the floor boards - not a good sign!. On opening the engine compartment Matt discovered we had blown a seal on the waterpump which was causing the leak. He completed a patch up repair job before we could continue our journey across the equator. This is another part we will have to fix properly once we get to Singapore/Malaysian where they have facilities to allow us to do this.  

So we belatedly crossed the equator at about 12.10pm, toasting King Neptune with a traditional tot of rum. In sailors lore this now means we are transformed from the status of “pollywogs” (sailors that have not crossed over the equator under sail) to “shellbacks” (sailors who have been initiated by King Neptune!) We had an enjoyable party on the beach that night with King Neptune’s representative (Dale from Umbra Luna -as he was the only one of us who had previously crossed the equator under sail) officiating at the event (see photo).

Belitung 12^th -15^th October

Belitung, (or in English, Billiton), is an island on the east coast of Sumartra, Indonesia, on the Java Sea. The island comprises a total area of 229, 369 hectares and is known economically for its supply of tin (mineral) and pepper for the world market. Approx. 150,000 people live here in around 40 villages. We were one of the later yachts to arrive in this anchorage as we had taken our time to sail from Kumi to here, opting to do day trips only and no overnighters as we were getting pretty tired of the constant travelling at this stage - Indonesia is a very spread out set of Islands to cover!

Anyway we were delighted to find on our arrival a beautiful white sand beach, in a sheltered anchorage with numerous large limestone boulders littered around the wide bay. It is certainly quite a different and distinctive landscape to any that we have seen on our travels to date. (see photos) The other cruisers also informed us that it was the best organised location they had been too, with dingy boys on the beach at all times to assist with your dingy handling and security of it while you are ashore. A diesel supply was readily available on the beach to refill your jerry cans, saving us having to lug these to the nearest fuel supply (no such things as fuel docks for yachts in these parts). The beach had a number of local food outlets and supplies for sale. The locals come here in the evening after a day’s work to watch the sunset and enjoy a meal by the beach.

The following day we joined a tour that took us around the locality to view the sights, and we joined a tree planting project that was part of the local initiative to reforest their environment. Large tracts of rain forest have been destroyed in this part of the world for the tin mining. That night there was gala dinner hosted by the local community for us with entertainment by local cultural groups and singers. It was quite an entertaining event with a special act put on by the two eldest cruisers in the rally who had both just turned 70 during the week. (Judith and Peter Boardman from the multihull yacht ‘Camille’)

The next day Matt and I organised with the local guides (which were provided by the Sail Indonesia organisers) to hire a local car and driver for some exploration of our own. We ended up with 3 delightful young guides joining us for the outing as most of the other cruisers had gone on an organised event that didn’t particularly appeal to us and so they had nothing to do! We wanted to go to a fresh water river and swimming hole that was promoted in the local tourism guide. We enjoyed being guided around in an air-conditioned car seeing the local terrain and being entertained with the local knowledge of the guides. Unfortunately because it had rained heavily overnight the water was a bit discoloured when we arrived there, but at least it was refreshingly cool. On the way back just on sunset they took us to a lovely little secluded beach that is a favourite spot of the locals – the rock formations were quite stunning. (see photos)

On our final day in this lovely location, buses had been organised to take the yachties into town (about 20 mins away) so we could resupply. We found the best bakery we have come across in Indonesia so far, - they had wholemeal bread which was a nice change from only being able to get white bread, a reasonable supermarket and local fresh fruit and vege market. While at the local market there was a monsoonal downpour which latest for about an hour. Everyone rushed to a nearby shop to purchase umbrellas or rain ponchos to enable to get back to the bus park dry. Matt and I also sheltered in an electronics store where we did some bargaining for a couple of blackberry mobile phones that we had promised our daughters for xmas - and we also got a new lightweight notebook computer to replace my broken computer -easier to lug around  on our travels when we need to update our website and emails. The pricing for this sort of thing is very good here.

Kalimantan/Borneo 26th -7th Oct

We left Bali for Bawean, making the stop at Palau Raas overnight to break up the voyage. We anchored at Raas about 4pm, but it was not great for swimming, and we just stayed the one night, leaving at first light for Bawean, still 140 odd Nautical miles away. This is an overnight passage, and we arrived at Bawean about 9am. The trip was interesting, with fleets of fishing boats out at night, all without correct Navigation lights, and some with no lights at all unless you get close enough - then they use a torch or a multicoloured strobe!. However, we have so far managed to miss the boats and their nets, although not all the rally boats have been so lucky!

We stayed at Bawean for 2 nights to get rested up and de-stressed, then left bound for the Kumai river on Kalimantan. This is another overnight passage, and we left at first light, arriving at the Kumai River anchorage, 20 miles up the river, about 4pm the following day. The river is large, several miles across in places, and is used as a commercial port. The river is dirty brown silt laden and mostly slow. About 2.5 knts max flow in the anchorage Large barges full of palm oil, and their tending Tugs, are commonplace here. However, the river entrance is only 4m deep, and it is surprising the size of the vessels they get in here! The barges are designed specially for this task, and therefore don't draw more than the 4m depth. Despite this it is not uncommon for them (and the ships) to go aground, or at least to bump the bottom! I did enjoy the experience of coming up the river by yacht - not something you can do in NZ!

We  arranged a jungle tour on the river - local tour boats- about 14m long, for a 2 night trip to see the Orang-utans, stared on the 2nd. Pics are here.

The jungle trip was great, with many of the fleet saying this has been the highlight of the voyage so far. I really liked it, but Jo just thought is was OK - its not really her thing. It was great to see and get close to wild Orang-utans, and we also saw gibbons, proboscis monkeys, several types of snakes, and several bird species I'd not seen before. Of course there are other animals in the jungle here we were not lucky enough to see - clouded leopards, rhinos, elephants, large pythons etc. If you are fortunate enough to find yourself here at some stage, make sure you do the overnight boat trips - you can do the same places in a powerboat, but at 30knts you'll miss at lot!

Following the Jungle trip we fuelled and watered, an headed off on the 7th for Belitung, several days sail away. The first night we stopped and anchored off the SW corner of Kalimantan - the sea here is very shallow, so we just stopped in the middle!! It is best to anchor if possible to avoid the possibility of becoming caught in the fishing nets that proliferate at night around here! Next morning, off again at 1st light (5am) to an anchorage at Pulau Gelum for the night before the very long day passage to Palau Pesen, where we spent the next night, then the short (20nm) hop to Palau Nangka, for the next day and night. I won't bore you with details, but all of this was done in winds of 5-10 knts, and mostly sunny, but a little rain. The only stronger winds we have had was coming in to Kumai river, where we had squalls of 25 odd knots! This place is nothing like NZ!!!

The Temperatures here have been hotter than normal this year, and there has not been a real Dry season - everyone is saying that the wet has now started early! It's been 30-35 deg C here most days, and "down" to about 28 at night. Humid as well, so it makes sleeping uncomfortable...

We are currently about 25 miles out of Belitung, so I'll post his when we have service again, should be later today (12th October)...

Bali 20-25^th September

An early morning start (4am) to make sail down the coast to Bali today. We enjoyed very pleasant sailing conditions and even got to sail properly for a while in 18 knots of wind from behind – a nice change not to be motor sailing all day. Arrival was  late afternoon at Lovina Beach, and we found a pleasant place on the beach for an evening meal.

The next day we took my Mum (Fiona) over the hill to Denpasar (a 3 hour car ride – for 100km!!). Matt and I had organised to stay the night in a hotel over there as Mum’s flight wasn’t until 12.45am the following morning. We enjoyed a swim in the hotel pool and lunch in a cool air-conditioned room. We then decided to get a ride out to the famous Kuta beach so Mum could have a look around this area before leaving Indonesia. We took a stroll up the beach but the surf wasn’t good enough that afternoon to invite any of us into the water - the waves were small and dumpy. We found a place on the beach to enjoy an evening meal before heading back to the hotel for Mum to sort out her bags and taxi to the airport.

Matt & I enjoyed a good sleep in our air-conditioned (what luxury!!) room and had a late breakfast before checking out at 12 noon to meet our transport back to Lovina Beach in time for the welcome ceremony/dinner. The scenery on the way (there and back) was quite stunning; the Hindu influence in this area the architecture of the buildings is very ornate. We passed through the mountain area and market gardens – the fruit and vegetables all look very healthy and a good variety to choose from.

23^rd September – This morning there was a cultural display and Bull racing demonstration for us to attend. The bull racing is a traditional art that has developed from the use of bulls to pull the ploughs through the rice paddies. The bulls were fine looking animals adorned in fancy harnesses and bells that pull the farmer along on a plough like frame (see photo).

That afternoon Matt did some engine maintenance, while I sorted out what our provisioning requirements would be for the next month. We then went for a short tour of the local area on scooters, spending some time cooling down at a local waterfall called Sing Sing before heading back for a meal.

24^th September – Today we shared the cost of hiring a car with driver with another couple from Gypsy Rose. We headed up into the mountain area of Gurung Batukaru to see more monkeys, visited a local Balinese temple at the lake of Banu Bratan, which was very peaceful and serene, then headed to the mountain markets and purchased some supplies, before heading back down the mountain road to stop at Gigi’s (twin) waterfalls. The path down to the waterfall was well maintained and edged with beautiful tropical plants – I enjoyed a cool swim in the mountain waters – the others thought it was too cold! I found it delightfully refreshing. Heading back down the hill to the town of Singraja for lunch, and then to the supermarket (the best we have seen so far) to restock with more supplies for our next month of travel where we will once again be in more isolated places. It was then time to get back to the boats for the early evening dance performance by some local Kindergarten children and a traditional shadow puppet performance before we headed out for dinner.

25^th September – a quiet day today getting organised for our next leg that will involve several overnight passages up to the area called Kumai where the Orangutans live.

 We’ll update the blog again from there if there is Internet Access!!

Lombok 14-19^th September

We arrived at ‘Medana Bay Marina’ late afternoon. Although called a Marina this is a developing facility, and not what we would normally call a Marina, -really just an anchorage. It had a few mooring buoys, a simple thatched building as clubhouse and restaurant, along with a toilet and ablution block. We headed ashore for a meal, to catch up with the various crews and find out what was happening here.

After enjoying a sleep-in the next morning (following the several early mornings to get here) we joined the free local cuisine cooking demonstration. This region is renowned for its Chilli’s – (Lombok means Chilli!!), so it was all quite hot and spicy! In the afternoon we arranged to get a Bemo (local taxi) to the nearest international ATM, as we all needed more cash.  

The ATM is in the main local town, called Senggigi, about an hour away. The trip took us through the mountain rain forest area where there were wild monkeys sitting on the side of the road and in the trees (see pics). On arrival we were accosted by ‘friendly’ hawkers selling their wares, bracelets, beads, watches, bookmarks etc. After being persuaded to buy a few things we found a lovely Swiss bakery for Lunch. It was very civilized compared to many locations that we have been too, and I discovered the ladies toilet had a shower in it and so enjoyed a pleasant shower before lunch. It was luxurious standing under the cool water without having to worry about turning off the water between lathering up and rinsing as on the boat (where we have a limited water supply). The place was also air-conditioned and we laughed to see that it was set to the cool setting of 27 degrees which felt very pleasant to us, now that we are becoming accustomed to 30-35 degree days!

After lunch we found a lovely little gift shop and Mum and I purchased a fan each, which is something we had been on the lookout for since arriving in Indonesia to help keep us cool. Our bemo driver then returned to deliver us back to the yachts. On the way back it hosed down through the rainforest bringing a welcome respite from the heat and humidity.

15^th September – Today we joined a tour viewing various highlights of Lombok, heading up the road to the rainforest area, and stopping to feed the monkeys with peanuts that were provided for us. The monkeys are very aware of humans, knowing this is a popular roadside stop to hand feed them. If you weren’t careful they would steal the peanuts out of your pocket or take the whole bag from you! One monkey even helped himself to a water container that some other people on a scooter had left in their bag – cheeky little monkeys!! They could be a bit aggressive if denied what they wanted. Hand feeding wild animals is bad.

Following the Monkeys, we then visited various villages that are renowned for their craftsmanship in furniture, pottery and weaving. It is very labour intensive handiwork they are creating in some pretty atrocious working conditions, however were impressed with the detail in the carpentry work -very fine and ornate.

Then a visit to the Kings Summer Palace, where he used to retreat to in the hot summer weather (before the Dutch took over and he committed suicide). It is now simply a tourist attraction with numerous pools and winding paths. One of the pools is claimed to hold holy water that if you bathe in will keep you young forever! I had a go on a large flying fox that went over the top of one of the pools for a bit of thrill seeking (see photo). We returned late afternoon along the coast road to the “Marina” and a welcome ceremony – dinner was also interesting (with the customary display of local music, dancing and fine costumes).

Next we had a laid back day sorting out washing, catching up with emails and our webpage. Matt fixed a couple of yachts computers (more weetbix! for the provisions). We also purchased a concrete block with our yacht name placed on it - this is part of the local village initiative to promote the re-growth of the coral in their bay. One of the locals invited us into their village and served local coffee and snack treats at his home. We reciprocated by inviting the guy back out to see our home ‘Island Time’. After he left, there was a heavy monsoonal downpour with thunder and lightning that meant we could top up the water tanks again – good free water!

We had moved in closer to shore to a mooring buoy that morning as several yachts had moved on and this meant we could get out of the rolly swell we had been experiencing at our location further out in the bay and would mean a much more pleasant night’s sleep. We enjoyed a quiet dinner onboard and had an early night to catch up on some of the lost sleep we had experienced in the rolly anchorage conditions of the last two nights.

18^th September - headed out to the nearby resort island of Gili Air, approx. 4.5 nautical miles away. We enjoyed two days in this very low key and laid back island resort. Took a cart and pony tour (locally referred to as Lombok Ferrari’s – a prancing horse is front, like the Ferrari logo – but only 1 hp!!) around the island, in the afternoon we spent our time cooling down and soaking in the Oceans 5 PADI Dive centre pool.

The owners of the facility were happy for us to use the pool for a small donation and provided we used the shower before getting in the pool (not a problem for cruisers who are happy to take a shower with no restriction on water supply!! :-) This complex has been only completed in the last five months by an Australian couple and was a very nicely finished and a great way to chill out and relax. We enjoyed gelato ice-cream, and met up with other cruisers for cocktails and a meal at one of the bars.

We had a good night’s sleep at the mooring, awaking the next day to overcast and humid conditions. Matt went for a dive with some others out to ‘Shark Point’ in the morning, whilst Mum did some sewing jobs for us and I caught up with the website blog and had a snorkel. We headed in for a lunch and a swim again at the dive pool for the afternoon, before Mum and I headed out for drinks and a meal in the evening. Unfortunately Matt was suffering from a bit of an upset stomach and didn’t join us this evening.

Komodo National Park 10^th—13 September

We enjoyed a good afternoon sail down to Rinca, our first stop in the National Park area, which is supposedly the best place to view the Komodo Dragons.

Just as we anchored a big rain storm with thunder and lightning went overhead and we hurriedly put up our rain catcher to help keep our watertanks filled up.

I enjoyed a snorkel to see what the fish life was like in this national park area. I certainly saw much bigger fish than we have seen anywhere else, as most places are seriously overfished by the locals. The conservation practices being applied in this region are certainly working. The local fisherman no longer have to spend a week out fishing to get a catch they can come back within a day with sufficient to meet their needs. We enjoyed evening nibbles and drinks with the crew from Umbra Luna (one of the crew is a GP and she has been keeping an eye on Mum’s health/foot issues for us which is reassuring) we could see Monkeys and local bird life fossicking on the beach as the sun set, before we headed back for our meal and an early night before the early start to see the Komodo dragons the next morning.

A group of us yachties met at the ranger station on the Island to join a morning tour of the local Komodo dragon community (morning being the best time to see these creatures before they head off to snooze in the sun). We enjoyed the educational wander through their natural environment and the rangers were full of interesting facts and information. It is currently the breeding season and we saw the nesting areas and even one protective mum in her nest who we kept a good distance from. Once the eggs hatch they have to quickly scurry up into a nearby tree, to keep away from their hungry mothers who often turn into cannibals after the young are born.  If they survive they stay up in the trees for the first 3 years of their life before coming back down to ground. The rangers also informed us that they had recently had a team of research scientists doing a documentary on the Komodo Dragons for the BBC. They have determined that the long held belief  that the Komodo Dragon were non-venomous, but had nasty bacteria in their saliva is incorrect. They do in fact have a venomous bite, but it is of a low toxicity. When their prey (primarily water buffalo) go into the water  the wound becomes infected, as the water is full of bacteria and toxic in this climate. This often leads to their death, following which the Dragons get their meal.

Following the morning tour we left the anchorage as it was very busy with tourist boats coming and going and headed out into the marine park area for a quieter anchorage at the top of the north end of the Komodo Islands, where one of the other yachts ‘Ultimate Dream’ needed some computer assistance. Matt fixed their system and we enjoyed a shared meal together before a very peaceful and quiet night in this anchorage. When we awoke the next morning the heavens opened and it poured with rain for about ½ hour. We replenished our water tanks and I got a freshwater shower standing in the downpour out the back - a great way to start the day! After this we decided to head on our way again, stopping briefly at the Island of Lawa Darat, a well known dive location, for a drift snorkel before the currents became too fierce. The currents around this area are phenomenal, coming from every which way, causing big tide rips and whirl pools that you have to carefully navigate through as they push your boat around quite dramatically and are impossible to proceed through if you don’t get them at the right state of tide. Matt and I really enjoyed our snorkel here with fabulous clear water and coloured colours with large fish everywhere (the biggest we have seen so far). Matt rated as the best he has seen so far in Indonesia. Following our snorkel we continued on through the passage between the islands, before the current became too strong, to our next anchorage at Banta Island.

We arrived mid-afternoon after battling the currents for the last few miles. It was a sweltering day with little airflow and so had motor-sailed the whole way. As soon as we anchored we lept overboard for a swim, the clarity was not the best and this bay seemed to be a natural rubbish collection point, with the currents collecting plastic rubbish from the surrounding area into this bay. It was quite horrendous with the water, coral and beach littered with it. I felt quite sickened by the state of this place. There was some sort of abandoned monument structure on the beach, that we renamed “trash monument”. I made the suggestion to the other 5 yachts that were also in this bay that instead of having a happy hour onboard that evening we have a beach cleanup as some sort of effort to enhance this location. Although I knew there would be more rubbish again the next morning at least instead of just complaining about it we had done some small thing to resolve the issue. Everyone joined in and we cleared a portion of the beach in front of the monument. Matt dug a large hole in the sand behind the high tide line to allow the plastic to disintegrate under the UV of the sunlight in one location rather than being scattered all along the high tide mark.

The next morning we continued on, leaving early in the morning as the general consensus was that we would catch the current at this time. Unfortunately as no-one had accurate local tide information, this was not to be, and we ended up battling the current the whole way to Juli Point. It was a full on day passing some quite stunning volcanic scenery and spending our time changing sails trying to make the best of the light wind conditions and give us some more power to fight the currents. We arrived at the anchorage late afternoon and I went in for a swim, and a walk along the beach out to the lighthouse on the point. I got back just as it was getting dark, with the others well into happy hour onboard with crew from Gypsy Rose.

It was a long haul to the next anchorage of Medang today, with most of the other boats in Juli Point leaving at 5am. We slept in and didn’t hear them go and so got away late (7am) after also having to refill our diesel tank from the spare jerry cans on deck. We have had to motor sail most of the way through this area with very light conditions and the predominant local current on this coast flowing against us, so have been sucking up our diesel supply. It was a very hot day today sailing as the wind was light and behind us, so very little wind flow through the boat.  I spent the day cooking in the galley, bacon & egg pie for lunch, pasta and bread & butter pudding for our dinner and baked a cake for Peter on Gypsy Rose, as it was his birthday. We were invited to join him for nibbles at the anchorage that night (see next paragraph).

It had been a long day sail, but we’d made up good ground against others, making good use of our gennaker and spinnaker. Being a lighter boat than most we travel a bit faster..., but despite that, due to our late start, it was just after dark when we arrived and were assisted into the anchorage by the other yachts giving us waypoints and turning on their deck lights so we could see where they were. We joined Gypsy Rose and others for a couple of hours to celebrate Peter’s Birthday before all heading to bed for an early night as it was another long day of sailing ahead of us with most yachts getting up to leave at 3am the next morning to make the distance to the next rally destination (Lombok) the following day.

We awoke around 2.30am and there was a pleasant wind blowing in the anchorage so we decided to make the most of the conditions and head out. The wind stayed with us and so we made good progress under sail until dawn when it slowly disappeared to 2-5 knots. Another day of motorsailing and constant sail changes and adjustments to give us the best performance!! However, we did have a pod of pigmy pilot whales (we think) around the boat for a time, and then a real whale, first blowing a mile off, but slowly closing only to sound 30-40 meters from us with the classic tail up-dive straight down pose! That was a highlight for the day!!

 Arrival at ‘Medana Bay Marina’ (although called a Marina this is a developing facility, and not what we would normally call a Marina. It had a few mooring buoys, a simple thatched building as clubhouse and restaurant, along with a toilet and ablution block) was late afternoon.

Off ashore for a meal, to catch up with the various crews and find out what was happening in this location.

Labuan Bajo - 5-10^th September 2010

Upon arrival at Labuan Bajo we learnt from other cruisers that a meeting was planned the following morning to sort out details for visiting the Marine park areas and sanctuary’s for the Komodo Dragons, which is a world heritage site.

Arrangements were also made at this meeting for a trip inland into the cooler mountain rainforest area to see a local village and with a trek to Cunca Rami waterfall. We were keen to give this trip a go to get away from the humidity and heat at sea level, although it meant an early 6am start the next morning to fit in the days travels.

The drive up into the mountains was quite spectacular as the bus climbed up the steep road into the mountain area. We got a couple of good viewing points and photo opportunities on the way up before hitting the cloud and mist of the rainforest area. At one point we stopped on the side of the road to see candle nut trees.Prior to the introduction of other fuels the locals literally used these for candles. Inside the outer shell is a firm waxy layer of oil that they burn like a tea lite candle, with a seed on the inside that tastes similar to walnut.

When we reached our destination - the waterfall -, the track proved to be a steep downhill clay track. This was unsuitable for Mum to clamber down so she stayed at the top with the buses along with another lady who had a hip replacement some months prior to this sailing venture and felt going down the track was too dicey for her. They were soon inundated with local village children who kept them entertained with questions and wanting to practice their English skills.

The climb down the hill was quite treacherous with the recent rainfall and slow progress was made by some who had unsuitable foot wear. At the bottom of the hill we clambered across a local rice paddy field before dropping down into the valley of the waterfall.

The fall was stunning (see photo) and the water positively cool after swimming in the sea and our exercise of getting here! We then enjoyed a local packed lunch and were invited to join the rice paddy workers for a brew of their local coffee and cooked taro. Then it was time to climb back up the hill.

I decided to wear my togs on the way back as I knew I would be a sweating melting pot by the time I reached the top. It was quite a workout and certainly increased your heart rate, shame there wasn’t another waterfall at the top to cool off in. One of the local guides kindly assisted me up the track with a helping hand from time to time (I think he was quite taken with the large buxom lady in her swimwear! – see photo), so we were in the first group back to the top to the applause of the locals who acknowledge the steepness of the trek.

On the way back down the mountain the rain really set in, but we still had another local village to visit who were showing us their local whip fighting dance & had prepared us some of the local and very powerful palm wine, coffee, beatle nuts and bananas which we sampled as part of special ceremony. They also wanted to sell us some of their traditional woven cloths as well as vanilla bean pods from their plantation. We purchased some vanilla pods for our boat cooking. I know my mother-in-law Judith would have been envious of the bundle of them we got for under $10, as she reckons they are just about more expensive than gold back home. It was then time to head back to the boats to rest our well exercised bodies.

The following day was another full-on organised tour hosted by the local tourism office as part of our Sail Indonesia programme.

The first stop was at the local fresh food market (the best one we have seen so far)

Next we were taken to a recently opened plastic recycling bank that rewards deposits of plastics with cash payments. The dumping of plastic waste into the sea is a real concern here in Indonesia, after years of throwing local organic matter into the sea the practice has continued with the introduction of western ways and plastics into their culture which they still think they can simply throw away. I was really impressed however with the whole approach to conservation in this local area, with all sorts of action plans to limit the impact of humans on the environment, from limiting numbers of tourists to the national marine and Komodo Park, encouraging building of eco-tourism facilities to promoting recycling with and care for the environment in various ways through education of the local youth and tourists a like.

Next stop was to the limestone formation of ‘Mirror Cave – Batu Cermin’, which at certain hours of the day makes a shadow mirror like reflection on the walls of the cave from the light hole in its top. The cave has been pushed up from the sea floor and has a number of fossil formations in it including fish and turtles. The limestone formations themselves were quite stunning and it was an easily accessible cave to manoeuvre through, so Mum was able to join us. There was also a large Banyan tree above the cave the roots of which grew down underneath to form Tarzan type vines to swing from. (see photo’s)

Our next stop was to a tourism school, which is a local government facility to train local youth in the requirements for serving the tourist industry of this region. We were provided with snack boxes on arrival &, freshly squeezed fruit drinks. After watching displays of local cultural performances where we were invited to participate in also we were given a gourmet smorgasbord lunch followed by more cultural displays.

Next stop was to a local viewing point named “lovers hill” that overlooks the town of Lauban Bajo, then we headed to an orphanage and treatment centre that was set up by German Nun 40 years ago to provide facilities for those who would normally not receive them. This was quite a humbling experience meeting those in their care, but you could easily see that the children (up to 29 years of age) were well cared for & loved in a very pleasant and therapeutic environment. Donations were made by the group before we headed back to our boats.

The next day Mum and I went shopping to top up all our fresh supplies and shopping requirements till our next port of call whilst Matt did jobs on the boat. Late afternoon we headed into town to obtain the necessary permits and passes for entrance into the marine and Komodo park areas. We also had to buy new jandals for us all as these had been stolen out of the dingy when left on the beach the previous day during our bus tour. We enjoyed a pleasant meal at a cafe/bar with internet so were able to catch up with our daughters on Skype and they were able to give us a guided virtual tour of their new flat. It was great to see them and touch base as I was feeling homesick around this time of Nicki’s 19^th Birthday.  Whilst at this cafe I saw a sign promoting a massage facility that provides employment for blind and deaf masseurs. I felt in the need of the massage so the next morning Mum and I headed back into town to find this place for a well deserved treat before we headed out into the National Park area. The premises were very clean and cool with a young girl on the reception who spoke very good English, she had trained at the Tourism school we had visited earlier. Our massages were divine - both our masseurs were deaf but they certainly knew how to target just the right places. We got back to the boat feeling very chilled out, pampered and relaxed with Matt all ready to head out to sea.  

Travels to Labuan Bajo

Our first overnight passage on our trip down to Labuan Bajo was in very pleasant sailing conditions with 8-10 knots with the wind just forward of the beam.

A good clear night with a full moon to brighten the way to our first stop at Taka Lambaena Lagoon outside the Island of Karompa Lompo. There are numerous fishing vessels here.

The lagoon was very clear and the best visibility we have experienced so far, unfortunately the coral is nothing special but Matt did manage to spear a fish for us (our first!).

 A number of the local boys came out to visit us in their local canoes; one spoke quite good English and had originally come from the Island of Banda, so we were able to share our experiences and photos of our time spent there with him.

We then went into the village to make our introductions, asking for the local head of village. This is a pretty remote and unvisited location so English/Indonesian translations were a bit of a struggle! Our presence was welcomed however and we were kindly invited into the chief’s house.

Following our introduction, we had a tour around the village. The village was very clean and orderly with each home constructed out of local materials (Bamboo, Palm Fronds & local timber).Each yard was tidy and swept with timber for the cooking fires stacked up neatly under the houses, along with crops that they were drying eg Corn, fish. Also the two main thoroughfares’ were fenced off to form a sort of “main street” – a very organised and well laid out village.

The locals all greeted us in a most friendly manner throughout our tour, coming up to windows and doors to greet the ‘white faced people’, we were quite an attraction and must have had all the village kids following us practicing their basic English skills on us.

We enjoyed two nights here in the lagoon, along with the multihull Camille with us each hosting drinks and nibbles at sunset on our respective vessels a very pleasant way to end the day.

Our next overnight passage was to Lingeh Bay, on the main island of Flores. We started off in very pleasant sailing conditions but the wind dropped off and we ended up motor-sailing arriving at our destination of Lingeh Bay around 9am the next morning.

It was a nice surprise to find upon entering this bay a number of yachts that we had travelled with up the coast of Australia and who had done the other ‘Sail Indonesia’ passage from Kupang and up through the main island group.

We anchored off the coral reef and then it was time for a morning swim to freshen up and enjoy the underwater view of lovely coral and fish life.  

Soon we were visited by a local man with two of his children with freshly grown tomatoes to offer us in exchange for pens and paper, money for children’s immunisation, or a pair of glasses for his eyes (I think he really needs a cataract operation). We invited him on board to look at our floating home and exchanged what supplies we could for his tomatoes. He invited us to come ashore later in the afternoon to his home.

 A number of other local children in their boats came out looking for pens and paper for school also and we provided some to each before deciding it was time for another swim in these warm conditions. Later in the day we spent some time catching up with some other yachts we hadn’t seen since Darwin, and then headed into the village to meet our ‘friend - Blasius’ and his home and family.

We were escorted to his home by a girl who was on the beach helping her family sort out their fishing nets. This village was very primitive and not as clean as our previous stop, but everyone was friendly and welcoming. We saw a couple working on constructing new palm frond walls for their home which was interesting.  On arrival at Blasius’s home we were seated and offered a brew of hot locally produced coffee (in this area a lot of coffee is grown then sent to Java – where it is sold internationally). We were introduced to his large extended family, including two gravestones in his front yard where his parents were buried. They asked us to take photos of us with them all, and were all very intrigued with digital photo technology and looking at their pictures. We said we would print out a copy and bring it back the next day for his wall display of his yacht ‘friends’. Following this his eldest son took us on a guided tour of the village and into the crop and animals area, once again a gaggle of children followed us and people came out to shake our hands as we progressed around the village.

After heading back to the boat, we were invited to ‘Drinks and Nibbles’ on the yacht “Whisper HR’, a Halberg Rassy 42. As they had anchored closer to the village they were being inundated with requests from boatloads of children for supplies, mostly wanting pens and paper for school, with them continuing to come up even when it was dark.

After dropping a laminated copy of the ‘family photo’ into Blasius’s family we sailed down to Inca Village and enjoyed a more peaceful anchorage here without boatloads of requests for supplies! This village had a large Catholic based congregation with a large newly created church on the hill. An invitation was generously extended to join the locals at a wedding that evening, but we felt we didn’t want to intrude on this special event for the Bride and Groom and become a distraction to their special day. I enjoyed a pleasant snorkel into the beach and then headed back in with Mum in the dingy to spend some time under the shade of the trees with our books and beach chairs for the afternoon.  

Time to move on again the next day and so we made our way along the coast to Gili Bodo (an Island) As we made our way carefully through the reef into this bay it became obvious it was a popular stopping point with a good gathering of ‘yachties’ anchored there already. Both the coral and visibility here were stunning with white sand underneath to highlight the coral colours and visibility.

I spent hours in the water enjoying the view, and Matt speared a Bat fish for our food supplies (which are being to dwindle as we reach the bottom of the freezer and our meat supply from Darwin). Aas we had been forewarned, getting items such as red meat, dairy products etc are difficult here in Indonesia. The rally fleet is beginning to hang out for a decent supermarket when we reach Bali!

We enjoyed a couple of nights here in Gili Bodo because it was so picturesque and with no local village we could relax and enjoy the environment without associated Mosque Music at all hours, and requests from locals.

On the second morning I woke early to a lovely sunrise and convinced Matt we should make the most of the cooler early morning conditions and climb up the hill behind the boats for a viewing point. This proved to be a more challenging task than initially imagined looking from the deck of the boat, where it appeared that the hills above the bay were rolling pasture with a few trees scattered around. In fact it was large volcanic boulders scattered amongst ‘hook’ grass and made for quite challenging walking. We went as far as the first hillock, took a photo of the yachts in the bay and then headed back down as our shoes and socks were covered in the barbs of the hook grass and the temperature already rising to an uncomfortable level for climbing, so back to the boat for another snorkel in the very pleasant surroundings.

The next day we decided we should head on towards our next destination, Labuan Bajo, for the events planned buy the rally organisers, and to restock with fresh supplies.

The topography has now changed considerably in the region we are sailing into – it is much drier volcanic area with browned off grass covered hills and only a few trees at the bottom of each island, much different to the lush green bush clad volcano’s of our earlier travels.

We had very pleasant motor/sailing conditions today with the wind behind us making for easy progress. Part way along we heard a loud crash and I looked up to see our radar reflector falling down from the rigging and into the sea. I offered to jump in and try and get it but Matt didn’t want to pull down the sails and turn around so suggested I go and try and retrieve it the dingy which we were simply towing behind us today. Unfortunately by the time we launched the dingy I could no longer see it so I guess it probably sunk. It’s another item we will have to add to our list of replacements when we reach either Singapore or Malaysia, as there are no marine shops to speak of here in Indonesia. Matt isn’t too concerned about losing it as he wanted a newer, better model anyway, as tests on the old one had proven it not to be very effective!!

We arrived in the town of Labuan Bajo in the afternoon and found the Anchorage for the rally yachts. We sorted out fuel and water requirements and then headed into the eco-resort that was hosting us in this venue for a well deserved and cooling swim in their pool. We enjoyed a set menu 3 course meal, with linen tablecloths, serviettes, salt and pepper and glasses set on the table without even have to request these items. A real step up in the world compared to most places we have seen to date which only have plastic tablecloths and you have to ask for items like cutlery, glasses condiments.

Bau Bau

 19/8/2010 -26/8/2010

We arrived in BauBau, electing to stop with several other boats at Lakeba beach, a few miles short of the town centre. Good for swimming and no Mosque!! We had a couple of quiet days here. One night a local Norwegian who has a house on the beach here provided a spit roast pig for all us yachties anchored here, the proceeds from which were being put back to the local community. We also enjoyed a meal at the local hotel at the end of the beach. The snorkelling here was pleasant with some very interesting coral that appeared to change colour from purple to a blue/green hue as you swam over it, never seen anything like it before.

There was some official pressure to move to the designated anchorage, so we did this yesterday. I must say that the organisation here is a level above what we have seen in the other areas so far! We arrived, went ashore in the Dingy, and were immediately met by members of the Tourism department, and given a bus tour of part of the Island, complete with a police escort! No charge, and the Police seemed completely unconcerned about security - we think they have been assigned this task as we are officially guests of the governor here. On the tour we went to a local waterfall (see photo) which was made from limestone and had large stalactite formations cascading down it. Then we headed up to a local viewing platform that overlooked the city. Unfortunately it was raining rather hard by this stage so the outlook wasn’t the clearest. We have seen the first real farm stock, and the first real agriculture so far in our time in Indonesia, large rice patties, plantations and cattle.

22/8/2010 – Today a trip out to Lakasa Cave had been organised for the morning. From the tourist information that had been provided we were all expecting a walk in cave but in reality it was a potholing experience requiring us to clamber down a narrow entrance into the cave system that dropped down 120 metres to a pool. It was quite a physical workout. In the afternoon Mum and I participated in an inner city tour utilizing the local pedicab bikes which was fun.  

23/8/2010 – Todays tour was out to Nirwana Beach which the local people believe the waters will cure you from various skin diseases. Although the day began bright and sunny as we headed to the beach dark clouds appeared and our time spent at the beach was spent sheltering from rain squalls in between swims. The water was very inviting with a nice sandy bottom, Mum enjoyed her first opportunity to get in the water after damaging her big toe in Whakatobi. In the afternoon we participated in a local heads of villages ceremony that was to protect our travels and each presented with a frangi-pangi flower garland. Then we were whisked off to Keraton Wolio fortress (the widest in the world), it was quite a spectacular with a variety of entrances and a spectacular viewing point over the city of Bau Bau below. We were then hosted at a special ceremony where local girls had prepared a variety of food for us to sample, all presented on beautiful platters and glassware. As part of the tradition we were handfed our first mouthful and waited on hand and foot, with displays of local traditional dances to entertain us. It was a very special and memorable occasion.

24/8/2010- Today our tour took us out to a local Balinese community which has located to this area. The local architecture was quite stunning and we were hosted at the local school and treated to a number of cultural dance demonstrations before being provided with morning tea of some local delicious treats. It was then time to head out to a local pearl farm operation. That evening we were hosted at the Mayor’s official residence where dinner and various art performances were provided.

25/8/2010 – Shopping day today to restock on fresh supplies from the local market before our further travels. We will be going to some more remote areas next and supplies will be scarce.

After this we did a dingy trip up the river from the fishing harbour. See the pics of the kid on the banana tree raft.

26/8/2010 We leave towards Laubuan Bajo today. We have had a good time in BauBau. The local community and government have gone to great lengths to provide tours and services to us for little or no cost. BauBau is the cleanest of the larger towns/cities we have seen so far, and a large step up from Ambon. Food has been cheap when we have had to pay - NZD $3 for dinner! They are trying to promote BauBau as an alternative tourist destination to Bali, but they have a way to go yet, but the people were most helpful accommodating and obliging throughout our stay. 

Wangi Wangi

13/8/2010-17/8/2010

From Hoga, we moved north again the 20 odd miles to Wangi Wangi, the capital of this Island Group. Population about 30,000. The Anchorage is good, in a small lagoon next to the town, and still clean enough to swim in.

However, Wangi Wangi is very primitive for a town of this size, and the markets are an experience of small darks alleys between shacks. Also it is Ramadan, and the Mosques played really loud music (call to prayer) both during the day and at 2:30 and 4:30am!! Fiona and I found it difficult to sleep, but as usual Jo had no issues!

This is the first place in Indonesia where I felt the local organisers were just trying to extract money, and were not really interested in promoting Indonesia as a destination. An example of this was asking $50USD per person for a trip around the Island, and then when we explained we had only rupiah (the local currency) he stomped off.

14/8/2010 A group was planning to do a dingy tour of the local village Bajo Mola which is a tribe who have built their homes on poles above the sea and then planned to head out to a local beach to do some snorkeling. It was a pleasant trek and the villagers came rushing up to their windows and doors to acknowledge our passing, calling out and waving.

15/8/2010 – A trip around the island to visit various freshwater springs and Liya Fortress was on the agenda today. The springs were all underground caverns which the locals use for daily washing and bathing. There must be a reasonable flow through these pools as they remained relatively clear considering the amount of washing going on. The fortress was a bit of a disappointment being largely in ruins. Unfortnately during the tour Mum had her big toe crushed when the seat in front of her was pulled down on top it. When we returned from the tour she asked to see a doctor and they took us to the local hospital where it was determined that the best plan of action would be to remove the toenail all together! That evening we were hosted by the local Regent Major at his newly built resort for a formal welcome party. A large variety of food was offered, a slideshow featuring the highlights of the region and then a presentation of fabric scarves from the local textile manufacturing industry.   

16/8/2010 Today was a public holiday and carnival celebrating independence day. The event  was marred however by a small fraction of people we were informed who were protesting about the Sail Banda distribution of funds. The government have apparently provided $200 mil (!!!!) for this event, but the locals are seeing very little of it if any. Anyway, the protest at Wangi Wangi was becoming a bit aggressive, with the main stage dismantled at one stage which lead to a group of fleet members who had gone to attend the celebrations being escorted from the town back to the boats by armed police. The next morning there was first one Solider, then a platoon on the street at the anchorage entry, all armed with AK's. I felt, as did Fiona, that it was time to go. We had all had enough here anyway, so we moved on to BauBau, 75 miles away in SE Sulawesi the next morning.

PASSAGE TO WAKATOBI ISLAND GROUP

Our 3oo mile  passage to this Island group was in ideal sailing conditions with an average  15-20 knot breeze and well spaced waves making our travels comfortable.  Having made good ground during our passage in these conditions and with the tide assisting us much of the way we found a small reef to anchor on for the 2^nd night just as dusk was approaching. This prevented us reaching our destination in the wee hours of the morning whilst still dark and not safe to enter. The next morning after a good lie in we heard on the radio from those ahead of us that the anchorage with a dive resort a group of us had been heading for was in fact unwelcoming to visiting yachts. Several decided to anchor inside the safety of a nearby reef/lagoon (Karang Kaledupa) and so we joined them there.  We stayed here for a couple of nights – it is rather a weird sensation being anchored inside one of these surrounded by sea and with the land only visible in the distance. It was nice to have decent air flow through the boat and quite comfortable. We enjoyed some nice snorkelling conditions and with the camera working properly this time we had fun taking some photos. Matt also spent some time working on various repair jobs on other boats anchored here to assist them and make use of his large array of tools on board! After two nights in this location we have now moved on to Hoga Island which has a research unit attached to the marine reserve here with numerous overseas students here doing research projects during their summer break.

AMBON 2-6^TH AUGUST 2010

2/8/2010 we arrived in Ambon this morning and as predicted the crossing from Banda was flat calm – we motor sailed the whole way. On arrival we tied up to the designated spot on the wharf  (stern to a commercial wharf – with a large slop) then headed off to make the necessary port clearances.

 As the cuts my Mum received on the passage up from Darwin had become infected and were not improving with the treatment we had been giving,  (and she wouldn’t start one of the courses of antibiotics her doctor had given her for such circumstances without first seeing a doctor!) We arranged with one of the guides supplied by the rally organisers to take us to see a doctor/hospital.

 The hospital was some distance away, but on arrival we were immediately ushered in for attention by the doctor. It seemed quite obvious that due to being foreigners’ that we were being given preferential treatment over and above other locals who appeared to be in a much worse situation which we felt rather uncomfortable about. Anyway they cleaned and redressed her wounds and told her to start her antibiotics and gave us other ointments and dressings to apply 2x daily. Everything is clearing up nicely now.

When we returned from the hospital a number of yachts had already left the wharf for another anchorage as conditions at the wharf were proving less than ideal lined up next to each other and with large number of local boats and navy vessels in harbour for the celebrations with the president being in town it was very turbulent in this area with boats crashing about. Matt was keen to move out also and so we made our way further out as many of the others had.  

Rain started that night and it was not in ideal conditions that we joined the formal sailpast for the presidential reception. We were all expected to attend,following on in line astern after the official naval procession. We did our bit and joined the procession waving cheerfully to the president and his guests.

The rain continued to be quite heavy once back at the anchorage, so we made the most of the conditions using our water catcher to refill the water tanks. It continued to rain throughout the days we stayed in Ambon, with no improvement predicted in the weather forecasts. The only good thing about Ambon being that we had clean fresh rainwater for our tanks rather than using the local water supply, that based on the environmental conditions of the town and harbour would have been less than ideal healthwise. We caught about 600 litres..

That evening was the official presidential welcome and celebrations. For those yachts that had moved off the wharf cars were provided to transport us to the function. Driving conditions in Ambon are quite an experience with seemingly little respect for road rules, cars overtaking each other regardless of on-coming traffic and corners and with many scooters (with up to 3 people on them at a time) weaving in and out of the traffic all over the place and everyone constantly hooting their horns. It appeared our drivers were afraid of being late to the function and it was a rather spine tingling trip into the event! It was amazing we never saw any accidents during our time on the roads there but I guess this was in part to the average speed being no more than 20kms Limit is 80Kmh, but there is no room to accelerate!).

The celebration was an outside event under marquees, with the ground sodden and full of puddles and open drains all over the place. We were entertained with a variety of local village dance groups and types of music. Matt was called away to assist with a yacht that was supposedly dragging its anchor. When they got there they found all was well with the yacht concerned but another was drifting. They tried to assist but no-one was around to open the boat to enable them to use the anchor winch and too hard to lift by hand (its deep – 50m, and the chain was too heavy to move manually). On return to the function the food had run out, I’d saved a small bit for Matt but it was cold by now, and having had quite enough of the celebrations in these conditions we made arrangements to head back.

Ambon is the major city of the region with some supposedly good snorkelling and diving sites on the other side of the island however with the weather conditions experienced there it was not suitable for this type of activity. After hunkering down in the boat for a couple of days (we were actually quite happy to have a couple of quiet days after the busyness of Darwin and Banda.), with full water tanks we were ready to move on. We arranged clearance with the Harbour Master, purchased some fresh supplies and made ready to head off to our next destination of the Wakatobi Island Group as wind and wave conditions were easing.

OFF TO AMBON 1.8.2010

As it is only approx. 20 hours sailing time to Ambon, Matt and I decided to head into town this morning to have a proper look around the restored fort in daylight before leaving Banda. We walked around this impressive fortress and through another village area where the local lads were collecting coconuts and bought one of them before heading back to Island Time and setting sail to Ambon. Conditions are very light and it looks as if we will be motor sailing the whole distance. Most of the fleet has left today as we are expected in Ambon for the next round of celebrations and the arrival of the president of Indonesia who is going to greet us there at an official function and dinner.

Banda - Jo's version!

BANDA ISLANDS – 27^TH JULY- 1 AUGUST 2010

Hello everyone, we are now in the very remote Banda Island group of Indonesia (which isn’t even marked on many world maps) it was historically known as the Spice Islands - during centuries past the Dutch and other world powers fought and occupied this area in their eagerness to obtain nutmeg (this being the only place where it grew). After the great plague of the 1600’s nutmeg was renowned for its medicinal purposes making it a very marketable product, and worth more than gold at the time.

Anyway we arrived here after 3.5 days at sea from Darwin. We were about fourth or fifth over the start line, 1^st kiwi boat and 1^st yacht with our kite up. We had good sailing conditions on day 1 & 3, but day 2 was rather uncomfortable with 30knots and a lumpy sea. I sprained my ankle badly and Mum,  as yet without her sea legs took a few knocks and cuts to her skin (which is very thin and can bleed even when she rubs herself too hard).  Most people in the fleet were unhappy in the conditions with some saying it the worst they had experienced. Not unusual for Wellington sailors though!(I must say I still dislike these constant days at sea feeling that Ihave to be on duty all the time keeping everyone feed and watered so was very pleased to be back in harbour and on land again)

Our welcome here by the local community and officials was exceptionally friendly starting with boat loads of officials coming on board to clear our yacht into their country in smart uniforms. The yacht crews were feted and treated like royalty at the official welcome, with gifts and snack boxes of local food followed by cultural dancing and singing. These groups all had sumptuous costumes in bright colours and fine fabrics. They were immaculately presented and made-up with long skirts, shirts and even had stockings on their feet with high heels,  whilst we as the guests felt terribly underdressed sitting in the satin covered chairs sweltering in the heat in our shorts and t-shirts!

After the official ceremony they had local boats (koro koro) racing (similar to the Maori Waka), with each village in its own colours and individualised vessel. There was a huge fleet of local support crew out in their boats  -  which were loaded to the gunnels, and when they all leaned to one side to see their village boat go past it looked like they might sink. Following these celebrations we chose to have a swim in the clear waters of the harbour that due to the late running of the morning’s activities the culinary festival in the afternoon would be running late, sadly we were wrong and missed out on some lovely local cooking that was provided complimentary. We have made up for this during our time in Banda by eating out for lunch/dinner most days at local eateries for only around $7 dollars each. We have enjoyed the local cuisine and suffered no ill-effects.

 The locals are most obliging, bending over backwards to accommodate us and meet our needs.  On our second day we took the opportunity to make the most of the free internet site that had been set up at the local hotel for the media presence that was recording the various events that were occurring here during ‘Sail Banda’ week. We also organised getting our washing done by the villagers, and caught up with other cruisers and their experiences. That night there was a celebration at the restored Belgica fort,  which had been built by the Dutch during their occupation here in the 1600’s.  There was more local dancing and singing groups, telling the story of the history of the island through this medium of communication. As so called “distinguished guests” we were given the best seats alongside local dignitaries and were once again provided with snack boxes of local food to sample and enjoy during the entertainment. The evening finished with fireworks that were lit from the top of the fort. It was the first time they had experienced fireworks on this island and for some they found it a rather terrifying experience, running away quite frightened.

During the fort celebration one of the organisers suggested that she would organise a trip to a Nutmeg Plantation, for those who were interested. The following morning despite the rain, a group of us arrived at the designated time of 10am. As our guide was no-where to be seen we made enquires we were told she was getting dressed. We waited a further ¾ hour and still no appearance so gave up and headed off to the official ‘Sail Banda’ tour organisers asking them to help us. They made arrangements for us to visit a nearby island village via one of their local motorised boats. They took us through the village where there was quite a variety of architecture in the living accommodation, from quite upmarket to tin shacks. However they all had well tended gardens and swept paths. They showed us how they dry the nutmeg and cloves and offered us samples, which due to the freshness was so much stronger than we are used to purchasing at home. We then climbed up 230 steps to the remains of the Hollandia Dutch fort also built in the 1600’s, which lies directly opposite the one we had previously visited. My mum (Fiona) did extremely well tackling this quite strenuous climb at her own pace. Next we headed through the Nutmeg Plantation and observed an elderly local woman harvesting the nuts, using her specially designed basket and tongs for the task. Then it was then down the hill to the well of holy water that the local village ( with its strong Islamic contingent) uses in all their celebrations, before returning back on the boat. After climb up to the fort and back we all felt we had earned a well deserved swim before we headed out to dinner at a fine local guest house. There were more celebrations and dancing and singing that night but we were all too exhausted to stay long and were in bed by 9.30pm.

29.7.2010 -Today Mum and I arranged with one of the local guides we have met who is also local Junior High school English teacher to visit her school. Two of the yacht families who have children also joined us.  Matt helped another yacht out with some computer problems and maintenance jobs on the boat. We walked through the village and past the local Governor’s residence and village community hall before being warmly welcomed by the staff and headmaster in their staffroom. They  made us a cup of cinnamon tea and showed us some of the crafts the school children had been making and asked if we would like to purchase any to help purchase dictionaries for the school (very difficult to refuse the offer despite not really having room on board for such things) We were then led into one of the classrooms where the children had gathered and we were sat at the front of the classroom with a microphone where a question and answer session proceeded as they practiced their English, and sang us some songs both in English and Indonesian. It was extremely hot in the classroom as it was packed with students and teachers and did not even have a ceiling fan to stir up the air, and sitting on sticky plastic seats. The school day runs from 8-12noon Monday to Friday, and 8-10 on Saturday, with the families having to pay for their children to attend school if they can afford it or by getting a loan from the bank. The children we have met here on Banda are all delightful, well mannered and healthy showing a keen interest to practice their English with us. Following this we enjoyed lunch at a local pancake house that also makes homemade ice-cream, very popular in this climate! In the afternoon we took our dingy out to the harbour entrance to a local dive site, enjoying a couple of hours off the lava wall of the volcano observing the tropical fish and corals in very clear water that dropped steeply off the edge. On return to the yacht it was still hot so I snorkelled ashore to where some local children where climbing up the coconut trees and cutting them down and breaking them open by smashing them on the rocks below. They got one for me and shared it with me and then we had an impromptu English lesson introducing ourselves and singing ABC and counting songs while some of them were delighted to try out my snorkel gear. It was then time to head back and find somewhere for dinner.

The next morning we did some odd jobs getting ‘Island Time’ sorted and organised for our departure to Ambon the following day. Matt went in to see the officials and to arrange the clearance documents to the next port. In the afternoon we arranged for a guide tour across the Island to a beach with access to great corals for snorkelling over. Mum and I got a scooter ride from some local lads across whilst Matt and a lady from another yacht walked across with the guide obtaining some interesting local information on the way. The water was crystal clear with fabulous coral formations, sponges, sea anemone and of course fish. We spent a couple of hours in the water with the water temperature near the beach like bath water (so much so that I think there must have been some underwater thermal activity in this area). The guide then took us through his village and plantations showing us their various water wells, Koro Koro boat, cemetery and areas for drying crops before we headed back to our boat where I had arranged with the High School English teacher and some of her students to come out and see our accommodation onboard. They were delighted to be offered this experience and we shared another learning experience of questions and answers and learning each other’s language. It was then time to head out for dinner at our favourite pancake eatery before going to the hotel where a couple of DVD’s were being played about the Island.

28/7/2010  Here we are at Banda, a great natural harbour, although very deep! We are anchored in 45m, with all our chain out!!. The passage from Darwin was good, with one day a bit boisterous. We flew the Kite from the start, and a few others followed suit. At one stage we were the first monohull, but we were soon passed by more multihulls and one 66 ft ketch - cat rigged. That's very unusual!  Jo sprained an ankle in the large wake of an ocean salvage tug that cut thru the fleet (105 yachts) and passed us 30m away! Anyway, we finished the passage as 2nd monohull, disallowing for the boats that started a day early.

Banda (was the space islands) is a bit run down and remote, but the welcome has been great, and the bureaucracy has been nowhere near as bad as we had heard.

23/7/2010 Today we finished provisioning, washed down the boat , and then moved around the harbour to Fannie Bay Anchorage ready for the start  tomorrow at 11am. We had dinner at the Yacht Club, watching the sunset. See the Photos.

22/7/2010 I (Matt) went to the Doctors today as I have been suffering from a mild sinus infection since leaving NZ, and I can't seem to shake it. Another dose of antibiotics, so we'll see how that goes.

21/7/2010 - Today we spent at some of the attractions around Darwin, starting with the Aviation Museum. It was very interesting, including a B52, a Mirage A110, and many other aircraft and associated equipment. See some of the photos.  Following that we did the War Museum, which was good and help us understand the extent to which Darwin was involved in WW2. Then on to the Mindl Markets for dinner, and then to the theatre to see Shrek in 3D, as Jo is still in "professional Development mode! (She's still a Kid really!)

20/7/2010 – Today it was Tony, Di and Alex’s last day here as they are flying back to New Zealand in the wee hours of the morning. They enjoyed a quiet day at the pool,  We did jobs  and then went to see a movie at the outdoor (deckchair) cinema.

18/7/2010 – Fiona, Di and I headed into town today while Tony minded Alex as he still recovering from the “bug”, and Matt worked on jobs for the boat, including getting our new stack-pack sail cover installed that has arrived, which should make life easier when bringing the main sail down, it will now all just fall into a big bag sort of thing on the boom. Our old cover was at the end of its days  falling to pieces (literally) every time we used it – the cloth was rotten after well over 10 years of use. We had some girl time shopping and Fiona and I went to the foreign exchange to get some money for Indonesia – we are now both millionaires – Fiona with 4.5 million Rupiah and me with 7 million! Back to the apartment in the afternoon for a swim in the cool pool then dinner and a game of cards.

17/7/2010 – Today we all headed off to the Territory Wildlife Park. We thoroughly enjoyed our day there except for Tony who on arrival was suddenly struck by the tummy bug that has been going around our group, so he ended up spending most of his day near the entrance close to the necessary toilet facilities! – not much fun for him. It was a very well set up park with a variety of displays in a very natural setting. Matt particularly enjoyed the birds of prey display where they had various birds demonstrating their hunting skills, quite spectacular to see these birds close up displaying their skills. They also had a fabulous aquarium display (much better than the one we saw in Darwin) with a variety of fish and aquatic creatures and habitats on display (Tony was able to join us for this part as it was air-conditioned with facilities), we went through a large walk through aviary that had numerous local birds, another area had a billabong with crocs, catfish, pelicans and giant waterlillies. At the end of the day we went into the petting area and hand fed very tame Wallabies that had baby joeys in their pouches, and Alex and I braved having a snake wrapped around our shoulders! (not my favourite experience I must say, but Alex said she would do it if I did so hard to refuse the opportunity)

16/7/2010 – A sad start to the day today when we learnt the news of the death of our sister-in-law Karen Paulin father, this was followed by a call from Matt’s sister to say her husband was back in Hospital this time with suspected Kidney Stones. Our thoughts go out to our extended family back in NZ today.

It was a boat job day to day, obtaining our Indonesian Visa’s from the consulate and various tasks and shopping required for getting the boat ready for our up-coming passage to Indonesia. This included finally getting back the piece of steering equipment from the engineering shop that had failed on our trip up the coast, and Matt had temporally repaired. It has now been upgraded and improved so it hopefully won’t happen again. Then dinner at the apartment in the coolness of the air-conditioning of the apartment my family are staying at, and finally a nice cool swim in the pool to cool down in before coming back to the heat at the boat.

15/7/2010 – Although it was Matt’s day for the tummy bug session, the rest of us (Di, Tony, Alex, Fiona and Jo) headed out to ‘Aquascene’ the fish feeding location in Doctors Gully each day on the high tide has sessions for the public to stand on the water’s edge hand feeding and tummy tickling the fish. This was a real hit with my 5 year old niece Alex who revelled in the experience of being up close and personal with the fish. Doctor’s Gully has quite a historic background, originally a popular place for the local Aboriginal tribe to catch fish, then purchased by a Chinese family to use as a Market Garden, a base for the flying boats during WWII, and after that purchased by a local doctor who initiated the routine of the feeding the fish and then opening the area for the general public and it now one of the most popular of Darwin’s attractions. Following this we went to the Indo-Pacific Marine Centre that gives you an appreciation of the coral reef system and type of corals and fish that you might see in these waters. We had an unusual guide for this tour who was full of knowledge on his topic but would suddenly stop part way through his conversation and disappear leaving you wondering if the tour was finished but then would come back a few minutes later and start talking again – weird!! It was then back to the apartment for lunch, a swim in the pool before dinner.

14/7/10 Today we went on a trip to Litchfield national park, and had a swim in the buley rock pool, which was good. The rest of the park was interesting, but one of the main swimming locations was closed due to the crocs! Back home just before dark Jo and I have both had enough of the boat for the moment - small space, constant boat work in 35 deg, and too hot to sleep at night!!!.

13/7/10 Jo's turn today for the stomach complaint. She took it easy and I went and got a replacement inverter, true sine wave this time (both 1500w, old and new) and installed that. Microwave now works on mains or Inverter (batteries). That took most of the day, as I had to run control cables etc. I did take a break and had a swim at the pool at the apartment.

12/7/10 We bought a microwave ($45!!) and modified the shelf over the stove  to fit it. It took most of the day, including putting in an alloy heat shield under it so cooking on the stove should not melt it - in overhangs the back of the stove 100mm. The damn thing won't work on the Inverter, but works fine on mains. The rest of them did the botanic gardens, and all of us had dinner at the apartment again. Di had been off colour with a stomach bug - Alex had had it earlier.

11/7/10 Jo's birthday 47. Fiona and Tony arrived early, and were a bit shattered, so Jo and I just did boat work for the morning. Jo wants to fit a microwave, as cooking with gas makes it even hotter in the boat. She went for a drive around Darwin with the rest of them in the afternoon, and we had dinner at the apartment.

10/7/10 Today we organised a rental car and then went to pick up Di and Alex at the Airport. Fiona and Tony  arrive together in the early hours tomorrow. They all have a rented apartment, so we don't have to have them all on the boat, which is good.  It is HOT here - 32c most days, and up to 35c odd in the boat, often not dropping below 30 until near midnight. Hard to sleep!

9/7/10 My Birthday. 48. Bugger Had calls and txts from the family, which was nice. Anyway, I took the Autopilot ram off the quadrant and found a machine shop to change the retaining bolt from 3/8 ss to 1/2 ss, as this was the bolt that had sheared off. Should be ok with a 1/2 inch bolt.  I also took off the failed Wind Generator and looked inside. The Circuit board is burnt. I ordered a new Wind Generator to replace it. We had dinner at a local Greek restaurant, which was nice.

8/7/10 I have lost a day here somewhere -we made the final trip into Darwin, and, having called forward, we were fortunate to get a marina berth in Bayview Marina. All the Darwin Marinas are behind locks - because the tidal range is 8 meters! Our first experience in a lock, but it was easy, once we had called the lockmaster and got him to come down to operate it! Jo's family (her mum, Fiona, and Sister Dianne, with her partner Tony and their Daughter Alex) are visiting in Darwin from the 10th, so we have a couple of days to get sorted.

6/7/10 Another early start, and on the wind. 25 knots on the nose and a head sea. It was quite uncomfortable for the first 3-4 hours down the Dundas Strait towards Cape Hotham. The course slowly veered off the wind, and conditions improved. We arrived at Cape Hotham in company with Anui, a 50ft Crowther cat that was in the Alcaro bay anchorage with us last night.

5/7/10 Today, another early start, about 6:30 off the Anchor and bound for Alcaro Bay, electing for another long day so we could arrived in Darwin Earlier. The trip was good, in 15-18 knots, but coming on the wind for the last few hours. We anchored in 6m about 6:30 pm, just before dark.

4/7/10 We spent the night at Entrance Island, rather than go into the Liverpool River, as we saw a sheltered (relatively) bay there on the way in, and it saved us a few miles for today. Better sailing conditions today had the kite on for a while and decided to continue on for a late evening arrival at Malay Bay, after a passage of 86 miles. We hot in about 10:30 pm, and anchored in 7m.

3.7.10 Left Ngurubudanamirri Bay  for the crocodile islands about 9am. It’s a short day today, only about 35 NM, as there is no suitable anchorage further across before the Liverpool River, which is too far for one day. The Trip was OK, but the short steep seas (25 Knts again) meant hand steering for a few hours, and as I had previously done something to my shoulder it was a bit of a test. Its a bit sore again tonight – perhaps it was not as repaired as I thought.

2.7.10 Left Bosanquet Isle about 8am after a comfortable night. Destination today is Ngurubudanamirri Bay  on Howard Island, after passing though the Cadell Strait. The Cadell Strain is a narrow and long (approx 20 NM) passage, shallow in places and requiring constant navigation. It was a long day and I was pleased to see the end of it. The anchorage was good – quiet sea although some breeze.

1.7.10 We left Gove about 8am bound for Bosanquet Isle, In the English Company Islands. We passed some very interesting formations in the rock clifs of some of the Islands and Headlands today. Had about 20-25 Knts SW again.

30.6.10 Got in to Gove about 9:30 am, so 2 Days and 2 Hours for 355 NM, which is quite good for us. Gove has a the largest Bauxite mine in the southern Hemisphere, and it is a company town. The facilities ashore are quite good, but the yacht anchorage is 12 kms out of town and very run down. Anyway, we went ashore, did some washing, hitched into town and had lunch, supermarket etc, then back to the boat for a restful night.

29.6.10 Halfway to Gove by Breakfast time. Sea state is short and steep from several directions, wind still 25 Knts SE. I guess the sea state is because it is so shallow, being not more than 50m deep the whole way.

28.6.10 Left Seisia for Gove about 7am. Wind still 25 Knts for SE. Distance 355Nm. Once we cleared the land the alarms all set again (AIS, Radar, Sonar etc) and away we went. Done 100 miles by dinner time.

27.6.10 Still at Seisia, filled the Jerry cans this morning, filled with water etc, preparing for the trip across the Gulf of Carpentaria. Finished that and miscellaneous jobs by lunchtime, so we hitched a ride into Bamaga with the crew from Magnetic, Trevor and Yolanta (spell??). That was a waste of time, everything was closed!! But Yolanta got to do her email at a local Motel. Trevor gave me a spare bolt for the Autopilot - not quite long enough, but ok in the meantime.

26.6.10 – Another early start. Up at 6am for the trip around the top of Cape York, and down to Seisia, the port for Bamaga.  One of the other yachts from the Escape River anchorage (another Kiwi Boat, Magnetic, from Whangarei ) led the way out, but everyone followed, so we had a small fleet rounding the top today.    However, we got the jump on them all when they elected to use the southern channel to exit – that channel is marginally deeper, but now the tide was further in, we had no issues with depth. We carried the tide up to and through Albany pass (tide flows were 4-5 knots, a good boost), where we saw a small crocodile at the northern end. The north end of this pass is shallow, and the course thru a bit complex, so only one other boat followed us through, although neither of us had any difficulties. The passage around the top and down to Seisia  was straightforward, except for a large cross tide in the entrance to the anchorage. It was good to be the first of our fleet into the anchorage as it is small, and we got the pick of the locations!

As we were anchored not long after lunch, we went in to the supermarket (you can’t really call Seisa a town, but it does have a supermarket, gas station and a camp ground!) and bought a couple of things. An easy afternoon.

25.6.10 – Today we plan to get to the Escape River anchorage which will be our final destination prior to going around Cape York at the top. We had another good day of sailing and made good time to this destination, however the entrance is rather shallow with a bar entering into it and Matt had an anxious moment or two as we surfed in over the bar reaching a top speed of 15.6 Knots as we crossed the entrance (it was too shallow for these speeds!! But in 40 Knots downwind, could not really prevent surfing).

This area is the base for local pearl farming and there was row after row of nets as you headed up the river which in the fading light were quite difficult to pick up. There were 5 other yachts in the river some of which had been waiting for up to a week for the weather to improve before making  the next leg around the top. The forecast is still the same for the next week. We’ll continue!

 24.6.10 – We made the passage of approx. 75 miles north to Margaret Bay just inside of Cape Grenville today. We quickly discovered after getting out of Bathurst Bay that the wind abated quite considerably from the 30-35 we had been experiencing down to a more comfortable 20-25 Knots. This made it quite apparent that Cape Melville acts as a wind funnel to cause the localised effects that we experienced here. We had a good passage today making good time in the conditions, but nearing the end of the passage the autopilot failed! The Autopilot tiller to Ram atachement failed, shearing off the 3/8 SS retaining bolt. That bolt is supposed to hold it on, not take the steering load, so I'm not sure why this happened. I scavenged a bolt from elsewhere and got it working again after we had anchored. I'd had a few hours of steering  before then!

23.6.2010 – Today we headed into Bathurst Bay inside Cape Melville, which is listed as a Dugong Sanctuary. As we headed around the point of the Cape the wind really started to blow, gusting 40 -50 knots as we tried to enter the bay. We ended going quite some way down into the Bay before being able to head back up to the anchorage. The scenery is quite spectacular here with the hillside a mass of boulders toppling down the hillside. There were a couple of local fishing boats sheltering here and another yacht (Son of the Sun) came in on dark, but could not make the anchorage against the wind and ended up a long way down the bay. The wind continued throughout the night and was still strong the next day so we remained anchored for another night. The forecasts continued to indicate that the wind was going to remain strong so we made the decision to tackle the conditions and continue our path north.

22/6/2010 Still crap in this anchorage. We decided to go anyway. 35-40, with some gusts to 50 Knots as we left, 10 miles out was 25-30, and stayed that way. We arrived at Morris Island about 4:30. Only one other boat here, a 60ft Cat. It’s another Windy anchorage, but not as windy as Bathurst Bay- about 20-25 knots. There is no shelter from the trade wind at all, but the reef breaks up most of the sea. As I am writing this it is high tide, and a bit bouncy! Hope it improves as the tide goes out and the reef is exposed giving us more protection, so we can get some sleep tonight.

21/6/2010 I spent quite a bit of time on the SSB getting weather faxes etc. The forecast is still for 25-30 Knots SE, but we were experiencing 40 knots, so I called up a passing ship who confirmed the conditions were bad further out so we decided to stay put.

20/6/2010 We left Lizard island about 7am bound for Cape Melville. Again conditions were 25-30Knots, except at the end. As we rounded Cape Melville for the anchorage in Bathurst Bay, the wind lifted to 40 then to 50 Knots. Very steep seas made it hard to come back in the final mile or so to the anchorage, as the wind was on the nose. Anyway, we made it, but are again anchored in strong winds – the odd gust of 45 knots. On our way in the Wind generator has failed – braking system not working, and bad noises. I have lashed it down.

19/6/2010 Today we explored (some of) Lizard Island, and spent a pleasant couple of hours on the blue lagoon beach, then walked back to the resort (where we weren’t allowed in!), so back to the boat. We had evening drinks with the crews from Thumbs Up and Balu, both of which are doing the sail Indonesian rally as well, a very pleasant time.

18/6/2010 Left Cooktown about 6:30am, headed for Lizard Island, arriving about 3pm. The weather was not nearly as bad as we thought it might be, but it was still 35 Knots when we left Cooktown. Mostly we had had 25Knts, so we made good time. Jo had a swim and a snorkel, and I cleaned the hull, with Jo’s help.

17/6/2010 We stayed in Cooktown again today, as it is still up to 40 Knots here in the anchorage. We went into town again for lunch and paid a visit to the local supermarket for some extras.

16/6/2010 Today we headed into town, wandering up and down the main street reading the local historic information signs. {Cooktown was where Captain Cook spent 48 days repairing his vessel the Endeavour after damaging it on the Barrier Reef).  As I remembered from my motorcycle tour up to Cape York some 15+ years ago, it is still a quiet little backwater although it is busier than I remember due to there now being a sealed “all weather” road into town from the south. We had a nice lunch at one of the Hotel, and then spent some time looking around the local historical display in the old Westpac Bank.  

15/6/2010 We left Port Douglas about 7am, headed for Cooktown.  As we came in to Cooktown, the entry is very shallow, and was made difficult in the breeze which had built to gusting 40 Knots.  The anchoring area is very small, and we (me) managed to go aground about 3 times. After an hour or two, the tide changed, we swung around and hit the bottom again. It was now getting dark. I tried two anchors (one up, one down the stream) but the wind was now 40Knots + in the anchorage and we did not hold well. There is an alternative spot to anchor, but it is over a sandbar, and the chart is poor. I decided to try it anyway, and we made it into a better spot, although we got abused by a woman from another boat for being too close. So we moved again, 30 meters further away to avoid the stress! Cooktown is a very windy anchorage – it seems to be a natural wind funnel, although this is not mentioned in the cruising guide.

14/6/2010 We left the marina at Cairns about 8am, and made the fairly short trip up to Port Douglas. We anchored up the creek (river?) in the mangroves. We went in the dingy down to the small town, had a bit of a walk around, posted some mail home,  then had dinner at local RSL

.

13/6/2010 Today I spent mostly on boat work, with Jo going to the markets in the morning. We had lunch at the botanic gardens, then returned the car and finished getting the boat ready for the next leg to the top of Cape York.

12/6/2010 Today we went out to Kuranda. Jo was keen on the butterfly house, so we went there followed by Bird world. Both are well worth the visit. We looked around the local markets, then walked the Barron River falls walk. That was cool, a very impressive series of drops and good viewing platforms.  Jo then went back down the SkyRail gondola through the rainforest canopy - I’d done this before, so at $43 per person I drove the car down and met her at the bottom.

Next to the lower Skyrail station is the Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Centre, and we went there for the rest of the afternoon. Their shows are interesting, and we had a go at boomerang and spear throwing. Lucky we don’t have to rely on that for dinner!!

11.6.10 – We continued our journey to Cairns today in order to resupply. This is the last city before Darwin, which we need to be at by the 10^th July. This morning we experienced our first fly-by and check up from customs service, who wanted to know our plans, port of registration etc. There were 3 yachts that they checked in on this morning within VHF range of us. We had been informed by other cruisers to expect frequent enquires from the customs service/planes once we reached the northern waters of Australia so will expect now to hear from them every couple of days as they check your progress and whereabouts and ascertain that you are doing what you are supposed to! During our stopover in Cairns we plan to do a couple of highly recommended tourist attractions, including the Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Centre which is a multi-million dollar centre showcasing the history of the local people in an interactive approach that is rated as one of the best in Australia. I also want to visit the Australian Butterfly Sanctuary located just outside of Cairns.

10.6.10-We had a shorter passage today so didn’t set the alarm waking when ready, and getting away around 7.30am. We planned our route to arrive at Dunk Island in time to have lunch at the local resort. This made for a nice break in the day after several days of sailing all day, we enjoyed a short walk about the Island after a nice lunch on the beachfront, and then I swam out to the boat, while Matt rowed, to continue our journey further north to the small natural harbour Mourilyan which is a small commercial port dedicated to the loading of sugar.

9.6.10- Off again at dawn.heading to  Orpheus Island in the Palm Island group. Very light wind conditions 5 knots, so motorsailing today and we have topped up our fuel tank with some of the spare fuel that we are carrying. The weather is definately getting warmer as we head north, 26 degrees yesterday and 27 predicted for today. We had a giggle when we were listening to a local radio station the other morning and they were complaining that it was going to be a chilly high of 23 degrees that day! We think 23 degrees is a warm day in the middle of our summer, and this is their winter temperatures - I do like this climate for winter but sound like the summers are very hot and uncomfortable even with the high levels of humudity they experience at this time.As conditions calmed off this afternoon and we were once again motor sailing, so we decided to take the narrow passage between the Mainland and Hinchinbrook Island for a change of scenery (the Alan Lucas Cruising Guide we are using had dedicated several pages of his book to this area). At the Southern entrance is the world’s longest offshore loading facility at Lucinda, with a length of 5.76 kilometres - it actually dips two metres off straight to follow the earth’s curvature!  It contains a large conveyor belt that used for loading up to 25 tonnes of sugar cane per day- it is quite a structure (see photo in gallery). We followed the channel which offers quite a different type of scenery to that which we have seen previously with large granite mountains, native rainforest and mangroves coming right down to the edge of the sea. Apparently it is generally overcast in this area, due to the rainforest which it was for much of the afternoon, though still warm at 28 degrees. We anchored just on dusk for the night at Scraggy Point, where some ancient Aboriginal fish traps are located..

8.6.10 Up again early to head off to Magnetic Island, just outside of Townsville. Another good morning for sailing we arrived in Horseshoe Bay on Magnetic Island just on lunchtime, and so headed ashore to check the place out and get something to eat. The local beach hire equipment guy recommended a place called "Noodies". We enjoyed lunch here - and no we didn't have to take our clothes off! After lunch we wandered down the beach and found a walking track that headed over the hill to the next bay. The landscape on this Island is made up of large granite boulders, and so our walk over the hill through the rock formations was very interesting with the steps on the track made up rocks. When we got to the top the path divided, with one track going down to a bay we had passed on our way in that looked rather attractive- it was also labelled as the local nudiest beach. We got to the bottom and there was a couple of other people there both clothed and unclothed. The water looked very inviting so Matt and I both got in for a swim before making our way back up the hill and on the track to the next bay, which was lovely also but not as enclosed and idyllic as the previous one. At this stage Matt's knees had had enough of climbing up and down on rocks and so we decided to take the road to head back to the boat. On our way a local couple stopped their car and offered us "oldies" a lift.(there we quite a number of backpackers around the Island looking for rides, but they thought we probably needed it more than they did!!) Anyway we accepted their kind offer, and they were kind enough to offer us a guided tour of their Island, as they were planning to head out to the other side to watch the sunset. We stopped at a bottle store on the way and we purchased some refreshments to watch the sunset with. We enjoyed their company,hospitality and local knowledge and got to see a lot more of the Island than we would have seen by foot before they dropped us back at Horseshoe Bay and our yacht for the night. 

7.6.10 We are getting into the routine of rising at dawn to make the most of the wind that seems to come up at this time of the day. We have found that the wind is the strongest in the morning and dies away in the afternoon, which is the opposite to what we experience at home. Today we have quite a long leg to complete as we know we still have some considerable ground to cover to reach of our destination of Darwin by 10th July, in order to be there for the required prepartions and documentation for the Indoenesain sailing rally, as well as meeting up with my family (Mum, Di, Tony and Alex) who are joining us in this part of the world. We orginally thought we would stop at Cape Upstart for the night, but later in the day due to the good conditions decided so keep on going into the night to Cape Bowling Green. Our morning sail started well with a good breeze, which quickly developed into a 20-25 knot southeasterly, with quite a well developed quatering sea of 1.5 meteres which gave us good downwind surfing conditions. We had put the bigger geneka up to make the most of the breeze for the distance we wanted to travel, but then got overpowered with the rising wind and sea that saw us taking a wave over the back of the cockpit that drenched one of our cockpit squabs and went through the downwind cockpit cabin window that we still had open drenching the bed below, and nearly going down into the main cabin. Tine to reduce sail, and Matt took over the steering from our autopilot to make the most of the surfing conditions. The breeze did drop back to 10-15 knots in the afternoon and we enjoyed having a day of sailing rather than motorsailing. Our approach into Cape Bowling Green around 10pm caused Matt a bit of grief with a number of unidentified fishing boats in our path off the top of the cape and then as we rounded the cape finding ourselves in considerably shallow water than we expected as we entered the suggested anchorage for the night. The sandbank at the end of this cape is considerably longer than our chart indicated and after some quick manevouring we anchored for the night behind 5 other boats who were tucked in behind the cape for the night also.Matt was releived to put the anchour down and go to bed that night

6.6.10 This morning we continued on exploring the Whitsunday group of Island, heading up to Hook Island, and into Nara Inlet to see the aboringal rock drawings that the people from the yacht 'Blue Loon' had told us were worth seeing. It was short scramble up the hill over a well laid rock step path to this cave location. There was lots of interesting information boards from the local tribe of the area who had used this cave in days gone by as a stop-off during their fishing expeditions of the area. There was also an audio commentary from a number of descendants sharing tales of their tribal anchestors. Following this we decided to head further around the island to another, less roly anchourage named Stonehaven. In the 1930's this bay had been used as a mooring area for the Hayman Island  flying boats which took people out to the what is now a very exclusive resort in the area. There is a Marina there for those with $$$'s but you can only use it if you rent a room for the night! -the prices whcih are well beyond our budget! We did see lots of very flash launches and yachts coming and going from this area so there is still quite a market in this area for this form of accomodation. I spent the afternoon snorkelling around the reef in the bay, which had the best coral and sealife that I have witnessed so far in our travels. Lots of different colours and forms of coral and fish, with good clarity. It really is an underwater world  extravagasna the coral reefs, and I often think of how my Dad would have enjoyed exploring these enviroments with his interest in tropical fish that he used to have.

5/6/10 we headed around to the world famous Whitehaven Beach that is renknowned for its fine white sands and crystal clear waters. It is the spot that is most photographed for tourism is this area and used for modelling/swimwear shoots. We headed ashore to the national park information area and then wandered the length of the beach to the lagoon at the other end. It was further than we anticipated being a 12 kilometer walk in total, so our legs were rather weary by the end of it. I spent the rest of the afternoon on the beach and doing some snorkelling, while Matt hid from the sun for the rest of the day after getting a bit too much exposure during the morning from our  walk along the beach (first dose of sunburn he has got so far!)

04/06/2010

We spent 3 nights at Mackay Marina, which was built in 2002, and I must say one of the nicest marina’s we have ever been in. Very nice facilities, a variety of shops and cafes/restaurants etc. Everyone was very friendly and helpful, with quite a number of live-a-boards staying there. I meet up with a couple of interesting ladies in the ablution facilities, 1 who was doing the cleaning (she was Canadian,  and her and husband -an Auzzie cabinet maker, they had built their yacht to live-aboard and travel around, however they had only got from the Sunshine Coast to Mackay in 3 years!.( A distance we have completed in just over 3 weeks!) Another women I met was a very interesting and dynamic  lady, who had a background in finance and even spent time with the BNZ management in the 1970’s, then had married and settled on a outback station where she raised her family. Her husband and her both got into flying and are involved in organising flying rallys around Australia (having a plane each!), both own a large cruising motorbikes that they tour around on, and their other passion is game fishing (hence a launch at the Marina). She has been involved in real estate, designing and building several homes and also designed her own home furniture. While Matt was doing boat work she took me out one afternoon for a tour around the local highlights, to her home which was one of a small number in a small cove out at Dolphin Head with private beach access. I really enjoyed sharing time with her and getting the inside local information.

We also managed to get a replacement modem for our sailmail email system, so we are now back in communication at sea and able to get weather forecasts/maps etc., at a cost of $1600 later unfortunately-however a necessary item for our travels. We hired a small car for the day and zoomed around the area getting the supplies we needed to restock the boat for our next 2-3 weeks of travel up to Cairns. We also bought some more fuel cans which Matt has lashed to the deck, (he always swore he didn’t like this idea), but with the light wind conditions we have been experiencing and the distances we need to travel to get to Darwin before mid-July we are needing to do a bit of motor saling. We also purchased some more mosquito netting to make a new one for our front hatch, and repair some other ones, we are definitely in Mozzie territory now and Matt has been suffering from numerous bites. I also sewed (altered) the nautical duvet cover I’d brought in Mooloolaaba to fit the front cabin. It has a white background with blue shells on it and looks much more fitting for our environment than the old one, and has lightened up the cabin with it’s white background.

Today we are off to the well-known tourist base of the Whitsundays – Hamilton Island. It is part of the national park system here, but in the 1970/80’s a somewhat controversial consent was given to develop this area into a tourist hub with a marina, airport and resorts. We visited the chandlery,  had quick look around the shops and luxury boats in the marina, stopping for some lunch at the newly opened cleverly architecturally designed yacht club that sits prominently on the entrance to the marina (see photo) After a quick look around the island on the free shuttle base we headed off to nearby Gulnare Inlet on Whitsunday Island for the night. We had a very peaceful night here in this enclosed anchourage, with high hills, similar to what we get at home in the sounds.

3.6.10- Up early today to sail to Shaw Island, we had excellent sailing conditions 20-25 knots from the south, so a great downwind sailing experience and NO motor for a change. I headed ashore on arrival for some beach time, and Matt joined me later. We invited the couple from Blue Loon who were anchored next to for drinks and nibbles. They were from Sydney and have taken a few years out like us to do the sailing thing, following the unfortunate death of his 20 year diabetic daughter last year. Their travels plans are only sailing up and down the East Coast of Auzzie and then to sell the boat and go to Japan for 3 years, where her family are from. He also was in the IT business and she was a Japanese/English language tutor. We enjoyed sharing the evening and experiences with them and quizzing them about the best things to see and do in the Whitsundays, as they have spent quite some time in this area.

2.6.10 – We headed away from the Marina today out to Brampton Island (approx. 20 miles), we anchored just off the bay from the resort that is on this Island, and headed into shore as there are some walking tracks to do and hoping we might get a drink and some nibbles at the resort. Getting closer to the public wharf we observed it had obviously suffered considerable damage from the cyclone that passed through this area in March. The rock wall, and small tramway along the main pathway was also being repaired and the salt pool on the water’s edge at the resort had also had to be rebuilt.  When we arrived at the resort we were greeted by the duty manager who informed us that they were unable to serve us, as their licensing requirements were for guests only, not casuals. We explored the island a bit more and then headed back to the boat for our refreshments! I then decided to have a quick swim before dark, and saw the biggest turtle I have ever seen resting among the weed and coral.

30/05/2010 Another 10 odd days since my last post. We are now in the Marina at Mackay

In Bundaberg we got the supplies we wanted, then early on the 20^th we left the marina for Lady Musgrave Island. This is a day trip of about 50 miles. We had a reasonable breeze in the morning but it died off early afternoon so back to motor sailing, arriving about 3pm.

 Lady Musgrave Island, is a coral cay and atoll just before the start of the barrier reef chain. We tucked up inside the coral reef around the island for the night, then got into the water after anchoring, to give the hull a good scrub down as it had a bit of growth on it and was dirty brown colour after sitting in the Mooloolaaba River for so long.

This was our first opportunity to do this in some decent clean, clear water where you can see what you are doing! 

The next morning we went for a walk around the island and had a closer look at the coral. Considering the relatively easy access by a large local population, the coral and the fish were not bad! We even saw several live (but small – 300mm long) giant clams, which are apparently a sign of a healthy ecosystem. Jo saw a few coloured bits and pieces and lots of little fish- also a small turtle.

Jo took a couple of under water shots and then my little "tough" camera packed a sad- doesn't look too good. Got the images that she took off the micro-disc, but the camera seems to be a no go. Not very good - we only got it at Xmas and it is designed for going 10m under water, being dropped etc and so thought would be pretty good value for what we are doing- not happy that it has packed up when only snorkeling along the surface, will have to get something arranged to fix/replace it.

Later in the afternoon we went for another walk through the interior of the island and came across a group of young people camping there, very basic facilities-only a composting toilet and no running water. They were right into their spear fishing and invited us to share a meal and some of their fish bounty with a bonfire on the beach. We took some of them out to the boat and supplied fresh salad, fruit and bread and some cold beers that they were missing after nearly two weeks on the island. We enjoyed the fish baked in tinfoil on the coals, and potatoes done the same way. The downside of course being that you get covered in smoke, so I got a bit of washing done on the sail the next day out to Cape Capricorn (67 Nautical Miles- so quite a sail) We anchored that night in a little bay under the lighthouse just on dark. I went for a swim and and explore up to the Lighthouse, and along the beach this morning a which gave me a great vista of the local surroundings. Matt did some odd jobs and then we headed off further and are now at Great Keppel Island which is claimed to have some of the nicest beaches in the area.

The big resort at Great Keppel is closed and dilapidated, having been uneconomic. It would need some serious money to get up to a good standard again. We met a few people at the beachfront café, and managed to get a can of flyspray which Matt wanted to fight the midges. He’s had a few issues with them!

During our last night, the wind changed and we ended up moving twice, early evening and then again in the middle of the night as our anchorages were a bit uncomfortable.  

Time is marching on, still a long way to Darwin, so the next morning, another early start and we were off to Port Clinton, another 45 odd miles. You cannot go ashore here, as it is a military reserve, but it provided us with good shelter for the night. A sleep in the next morning was in order, as the plan was to only go about 15 miles this day to Island Head Creek, but Jo decided that we should look into Pearl Bay on the way past. We did, and ended up staying the night. We met some nice people from the Tasmanian Yacht In Decision, Kate and Robert, and their son Tim. Jo went for a beach walk with them, then we all had drinks together. They loaned us a USB disk with ½ a terabyte of movies and music on it, so we have copied that and added substantially to both our movie supply and our music. We now have about 40 movies, and a weeks worth of music! Next morning we were off again, along a section of coast with few anchorages for 100 miles. We studied the cruising guide and decided to try South Percy Island, about 45 miles off.

South Percy Island was good to us – we had a good swim on a deserted beach, walked around the beach area, and had a calm night. Off Early again (these 6am starts are getting easier!) toward Scawfell Island, 60 odd miles off.

A calm day. Motor sailed all day, arriving at Scawfell about 7:30 pm in the dark (it is dark here about 5:30).  On our way there we stopped off for a short stop at Middle Percy Island to go ashore to the little A-Frame Tin Hut that has been erected there by the local farmers for passing yachties to leave a memento of their visit. Several other boaties had told us about this stop, and we thought as we were passing we should add a record of our visit to the collection. On our way there Matt used his soldering iron to mark an old chopping board with our details, which we took ashore to hang with the varied collection of other mementos. It was really interesting to see the variety of items used to record your visit, including such things as old EPIRB's, toilet seat covers, oars, fishing floats, flags, items of clothing,embroiderey and even a discarded lower leg prothestheses!! After a good look around  (see photo) we headed off to Scawfell Island The anchorage here was a bit rolly, but it is all there is! In the morning we moved a few hundred yards for more shelter, as we had 25 knots from SW. We wanted to go SW to Mackay, so waited until after lunch to leave. This was a bit too late, as it calmed right off and we again had to motor sail.  Not much of this trip (since Mooloolaba) has been sailing yet, using lots of diesel!

So now here we are at Mackay, to refuel, re-provision, and hopefully fix/replace the faulty Pactor Modem which has prevented us from having email or weather files on the boat.

Our new fridge/freezer set up seems to be working well and keeping things properly cooled, and you don't have to run the motor all the time which is a bonus. 

19/5/2010  As planned, we left Tin Can Bay on the 17th at 6am. The day was a bit cold and grey. We motored, then motor sailed down the bay to the great sandy strait again, and headed through the narrow winding channel through to Kingfisher Bay, Fraser Island, ariving there about 2 pm.  Fraser Island is predominately a sand dune covered in native forestry along with numerous crystal clear lakes and creeks, it has been listed as a world heritage park.We went ashore to KingFisher Bay Resort, which is an eco-tourismLodge, to book a 4WD tour of the Island's highlights for the following day. We also booked into a number of free ranger talks about the islands wildlife- Dingo's, Snakes, Sharks and Rays  We also participated in a Bush Tucker talk and taste experience that offered a range of interesting culinary taste sensations The afternoon turned quite wet, on and off, and it began to rain heavily in the evening, so we made the most of topping up our water tanks by using our rain catcher. That night we had planned to do another 1 hour tour, looking at local nocturnal wildlife, but it was cancelled due to weather.  We're-booked for the next night.

The next day, (18th May) we did the 4wd drive trip around the Island, which was quite good. Our first stop was at Lake McKenzie (a dune enclosed perched lake, which is esentially a sand-dune enclosed lake formed by the accumlation of organic matter (humus from the forest) and sand cementing together to make a impervious seal called "coffee rock"  that fills up with rain water - these are really rare). The water is claimed ph level of 4.5 which makes it very soft and silky to swim in, which we did. We also visited several other points of interest, including a wreck, the forestry centre,coloured sand pinnacles, 75 mile beach, and Eli creek where we saw a Dingo. The trip was good for the comentary, and local knowledge of the driver who was quite entertaining. We would like to visit at some other stage to stay a bit longer to explore the place further with your own 4WD vehicle.This morning, we arose early again to head up to Bundberg - the home of Bundaberg Rum and Gingerbeer - a 53 Nautical Mile trip. Our anchour light needs replacing, and it appears my snorkeling mask was not packed with the diving gear. We need these things before we head out to the more isolated islands at the start of the Barrier Reef. We were able to get some good sailing in this morning but the wind died away in the afternoon so it was back to motor sailing. We are now in the Bundaberg Port Marina, and will go shopping for the things we need in town tomorrow, and update our website.

16/5/2010 Its been a few days since I updated this. Yesterday we finally got away from Mooloolaba after eventually getting our gear thru customs. Although there was no duty or GST in the end , it still cost $600 AUD to get the stuff out of the container, just for Ausy customs etc.

I got the heat exchanger back from Brisbane on Friday, and it looked good until fitted. It had a pinhole leak in one end plate, despite the engineers saying it had been pressure tested. Buy the time I found this out, it was 4pm Friday, and everyone had gone home. As the leak was only in a soldered joint, I have repaiered it inside the heat exchanger with "epoxy metal repair". It's working so far!

We have also bought and installed an Ozefridge multi voltage electric eutectic freezer unit into our existing freezer cabinet. The hope is that it will help stabilize the feezer temps. The engine driven unit has been struggling, so this should help.

We left Mooloolaba for the great Sandy Strait and Fraser Island about 6am on the 15th, with a forecast of 10-15knt SE. That did not eventuate, and we ended up motoring most of the way. We had another technical issue on the way - the alternator stopped charging, and the tachometer would drop out, then be ok again. I noticed a red hot area on the front of the oil cooler - with sparks jumping out! Before I could figure out what was going on, the copper cooling pipe feeding water to the oil cooler burst. No Motor. Bugger. Depression. After a bit of time for it (and me) to cool off, I removed the alternator to look at the oil cooler , and found the cause of both issues. The + terminal of the alternator had a longish crimped connection on the wire, and it had rotated unitl it was close enough to short out to the copper tube. In turn, the copper tube, mounted to the the oil cooler with a rubber sealing ring, had shorted to the cooler body. then arc across that gap, it had heated up, finally eroded itself and failed. So, after some more thought, and replacing the alternator terminal I filed off the rough end of the copper tube, and metal epoxied it into the cooler.  We then waited an hour for it to set, and tried again. Fortuntately it all worked, and we could motor again.

We really needed the motor, as, with no wind, we had to cross the wide bay bar, at the southern entrace to the great sandy strait. The bar entrance moves due to it being sand, and the charts and leading marks are wrong.  While in Mooloolaba, we had bought the cruising guide "crusing the coral coast" by Allan Lucas. As he sugests in the guide, we called Tin Can Bay Coastguard on VHF and got the latest entry information. I really recomend you do this if you are to follow us, as the chart info would have you in the breakers. The entry is between two breaking sandbars, almost paralell to the beach. It is quite interesting. However, once safely inside, the sea is flat and we had a pleasant night in pelican bay.

This morning we went for a walk along the inskip penisular. It is a really nice beach, and a great camping area, with basic amenities. We saw a snake in the grass beside the campground, but we had no idea what type (brown and black..)  After our walk, we took the boat the six miles up the shallow inlet to the small town of Tin Can Bay, where we saw a turtle right beside us in the anchorage. It is very sheltered here, and has a very quiet feeling. 

We refueled  then visited the Yacht Club - said we would return for dinner. Then a short trip to the supermarket for a couple of things. While walking back we saw a flock of Sulphur crested Cockatoos, and a flock of parakeets. On returning to the boat (to put the food the freezer) we found the rudder just touching the mud. We moved the boat 50 meters into deeper water, then returned to the Yacht Club to find it closed despite the sign outside saying it was open till 8pm (this was just after 6pm). We had dinner on board instead

Tomorrow about 6 am we will leave for the narrows, and possibly Kingfisher lodge on Fraser Island. It is a long way to Darwin, and we are about 2 weeks behind due to the hold ups in Mooloolaba.

8/5/2010 STILL in Mooloolaba, Awaiting the arrival of the container. Getting very tedious! Fortuantley we have some friends here, Larry and Mary Haines. They run the apartment block "Windward", right on the front street by the beach in Mooloolaba (www.windwardapartments.com.au)

Mary's son, Jono, is also married to one of our good friends daughters, Katie Vlaar. Katie and Jonno to have been more than generous with transport etc. We have taken them out sailing, and while doing so we have had an engine cooling problem- so for the last few days I have been working through the cooling system to isloate it. It turns out that the "recondition", done last year by Ovlov Marine in Auckland, did not include the cooling system. The oil cooler was full of calcium (from sea life) and gunk on the salt water side, as was the main heat exchanger. I stripped the heat exchanger and cleaned it with acid (muriatic) - but now the damn thing leaks! Today it has been sent to Brisbane for a recore.

We should have the container stuff early next week, as it cleared it's customs hold up late on Friday. Our intention is to leave Mooloolaba as soon as we have it, and the engine/heat exchanger sorted out.

25/4/2010 Still in Mooloolaba. We are awaiting the arrival of the container from the Solo Tasman, which has our Dingy, Dive gear and assorted cruising stuff in it. It was supposed to arrive on the 22nd, but the ship has been delayed, and it is now expected between the 29th April, and the 1st of May. This is a real nuisance as we have a long way to go to Darwin for Sail Indonesia, and limited time to get there! We have also moved from Mooloolaba Marina to Laurie's Marina, as it is considerably less expensive. We have spent most of the time so far doing odd jobs and fixing the things that broke in the Tasman crossing. The Spin halyard problem turned into a bit of a saga, with the sheave being damaged and burred (that's what was chafing the halyard) and the axle being frozen into the masthead. It took some time and ingenuity to get it out and repaired, and my thanks go to Rhys (from the Solo Tasman, Yacht Spellbound) for his significant assistance - including more than 1/2 a day at the top of the rig!

Most of the other race yachts are either down at this marina as well, or have been berthed and the owners returned to NZ for a while.

We have met another boat who are intending to do the Sail Indonesia rally as well, they are currently here for repairs, and hoping to get away in  he next week, so we will likely have company at least partway up the coast. 

Most of our repairs and alterations have now been done. The sails are back from the sail maker, the kicker fitting has been fabricated at a local engineering shop and refitted, I've fixed the Spin Halyard, fixed the stb aft lower stay which was leaking at the chainplate, fixed the gooseneck bolts that had broken, the leaking tap in the fwd head, the toilet seal in the fwd head, fitted fans to the fwd and stb aft cabins in preparation for the heat (it's ONLY high twenties here!), and bought 9 new steps for the mast to enable me to climb to the top easily. However these are not fitted yet, as my (new in NZ before we left) 1/4 inch rivet gun failed after about 30 3/8ths rivets (in NZ on Trysail track) and ONE 1/4 inch monel rivet here. A casting broke rendering it useless. The 1/4 inch capable hand riveting tools are hard to get, but I hope to borrow one from the local rigger on Tuesday (Public Holiday here tomorrow) or find one somewhere here.

The sunshine coast has not really lived up to it's name over the last week, it has rained on and off most days, except today which was hot and sunny - we spent the afternoon at the beach today.

We'd like to get going  - it is expensive staying in marinas, especially with marine stores around us! Hoping now that the container is not delayed again...

15/4/2010 In Mooloolaba marina cleaning up. Thoughts on the race;

 Island Girl was effectively removed from the race a day or two from the end when she broke an intermediate stay. She was lucky not to lose the rig. All the boats have come in with some type of damage. It is interesting that the two boats in front of me are stripped out racers, so I feel I've done ok. The conditions have been typical Tasman - too much wind or not enough. I should have done more research on the East Ausy Current. Despite the breakages it was really that that cost me the race - I lost 30 miles or more to soothsayer on the last day. I also note that my average speed was slower than most of the others, yet I crossed the line third - so my route planning was better than theirs. It's all a learning curve! I could have pushed harder, but you also have to get to the end. My Autopilot is now excellent, and the electronics (especially the radar, AIS, and wireless remote system) allowed me to get better sleep than most - Although none at all for the last 30 odd hours.

14/4/2010. Crossed the finish line at about 0340hrs this morning, third over the line behind Apriori and Soothsayer. Both these boats are sailed by local Ausy sailors. I'm sure that the local knowledge of the east Ausy current has helped them significantly in the last part of this race. Jenny on Soothsayer had gone in so close to the beach her tracker shows her on shore! (Rob sent me and email with positions from the web - thanks Rob!)

13/4/2010 Strong winds (30Knts) from directly behind. Against the East Ausy current - steep and sometimes confused seas. I REALLY would not have liked to beat into this wind and sea! Surfing often up to 13 odd knots. Still no one in sight, not sure where they are now, as only one or two have kept the proper radio scheds. Still, they can't be far away.. About 6pm, now close to the end of Morton island, I raised a triple reefed main, as the wind had moved more toward the west rounding cape Morton. Maybe it will get me to the finish line if I'm careful. Out of the really big seas and most of the current now. Not far to go.

12/4/2010 Rob has sent me the positions, man this is a close race. There is less than 20 miles (distance to finish line) between the top 5 boats. Got to keep pushing. I think that some of the skippers have elected to go too far off track looking for wind, and are finding that the distance covered has not been worth it for the speed gains. I still have a shot at this! 25 kn southerly again, moving to directly astern slowly increasing. By 6 pm, 30-35 knots and large (3-4m) steep seas. Wind against the current (1.5 - 2 Knts)

Crap!!! Fell off one of the larger waves and gybed out of control. It ripped the kicker fitting from the mast step, snapping a piece of 10mm stainless. This fitting also holds the forward mainsheet block. No mainsail available now. I feel like that's the end of my race... I have lashed it together as best I can.

11/4/2010, pm The southerly is here - come in quite light, supposed to strengthen. I have flown the gennaker from the spare Genoa halyard. it is less than ideal - a shorter hoist, and as the halyard is under the forestay attachment, I have to make sure the sail and halyard do not cross the forestay. Sail set is not great, but better than nothing! it is good to be moving again

10/4/2010 Calming off was an understatement!! Today was very calm, slating sails all day. I managed the worst 24 hour run I have ever had with Island time - 57 miles! It would have taken little to convince me to chuck it in and motor!! There is another southerly forecast for tomorrow, looks like it might be quite strong. Anything is better than this!!

9th/4/2010 Fortunately today has been a  2 sail reach - to tight for downwind sails. A good day calming off in the evening.

8/4/2010 Wind has dropped right away to 3-4 Knts. I did not have the kite ready from yesterdays problems, but at first light I sorted the kite and hoisted it for a good speed gain. Slowly the wind came further fwd, so I could not hold the kite any more, and I changed to the gennaker. The new gennaker seems quite touchy re setup and trim, but when you get it right it sure has some power! Unfortunately after about an hour the kite halyard broke - inside the mast. I cant fix that at sea unless it's dead flat (unlikely) and it is much easier if there are a couple of people. This could cost me the race!!! No proper downwind sails...

7/4/2010 Winds have slowly moderated to 20 - 25 Knts. I've had a long debate with myself about putting a kite back up, and every time I decide I should, the wind goes back up over 25knts. Eventually I did put it up and had a hourglass twist in it - I had to take is straight back down! Lots of work singlehanded!

6/4/2010 The southerly came in this morning - gusts up to 40 knts, (some competitors reckon they saw 48) but, for me, mostly 35 and gusty.  Was a bit bumpy for a time, but I made good progress. No issues with sea-sickness either - I'm using a scopaderm patch. Running before it with triple reefed main and small jib rolled out. Good speeds under autopilot - 13.7 Knts!! This turned in to a good day, logging 178Nm, which is good for Island Time.

5/4/2010 - Early morning kite problems - I got a really good wrap around the forestay - took an hour and a half to free it and retrieve everything. Trying to make ground west to find the southerly, as are most others.

4/4/2010 Race day. Did customs ashore as a group. Not much wind. Said goodbye to everyone - perhaps for some time, although it looks like we'll have a week at home in 5 or 6 weeks to sort out moving out of the house and the purchase of a rental. Our current house is under a sales contract. The race start was in the fairly narrow harbour entrance. 5 -8 Knots  almost on the nose. I decided to stay on the mooring, sails up, ready, for as long as possible. This was partially due to the congestion, but also because my mooring was almost right on the starboard layline! Anyway I got the timing a bit wrong and had to do a 360 to waste some time. It worked out pretty well, and I crossed the line 2nd I think. However, 500m out from the breakwater the wind stopped! The course was along the waterfront, outside a coastguard boat, then around a mark on the main city foreshore. Eventually (several hours later, only about a mile covered) the committee shortened the course by moving the mark to the coastguard boat. It was a very slow start! As we got further out the wind came up a bit, and I went from gennaker to spinnaker. Everyone was looking to go south of the rumbline to find the predicted southerly. Start Pic Below

3/4/2010 Spent this week doing last minute stuff (nothing critical!). A very rolly anchorage, and not great sleeping aboard, When Jo and family came up to see me off, I went ashore and spent the final two nights at my uncles house with Jo.

27/03/2010 Left Port Hardy motoring (no wind!) about 9am for New Plymouth. Breeze gradually increased to 15-18 KN just fwd of the beam. A very pleasant sail , finishing in Port Taranaki about 3am. We picked up one of the race moorings. They are very exposed, with no shelter at all from northerly sectors. 

26/03/2010 Left Mana with Neil as crew. Forecast was 10 kn NW, but leaving Mana we had 35KN!It slowly moderated as we crossed to the sounds, and then was pretty much gone as we passed through Stephens passage bound for Port Hardy on Durville Island. Spent a very calm night there on the club mooring in the SW corner.

23/03/2010: The Cat one is finished, and the boat is nearly ready, just food and clothes to go. No real issues with the rest of the inspection except the inspector was not really happy with the primary chain plates. He thinks the bottom bolts are too small, and that the load is taken primarily by the lower bolt. I don't agree with that, but he passed the boat on this point due to historical use. The race numbers (8) are on, the new jennaker is here, the electronics are all working. Sounds ready to me. Weather here in Wellington has been crap lately, 50 Knot NW yesterday, 30 gusting 45 in the strait today, forcast for more again tomorrow. I'm planning on leaving for New Plymouth Thursday 25th as I have to be there by the 28th. Weather permitting!

18/3/2010: The SSB problem is solved! The rudder feedback unit was the problem, and following the install of the new one, all is well. The rigger has been, and checked over the rig, the boat builder has been and we have reinforced the primary winch bases. I've wired up the VHF for DSC with GPS, replaced the on board printer with a small HP unit (DeskJet 3325), updated the PC with current Anti Virus, patches and versions of everything. Currently have an issue with drivers for the Quatech DSU 200/300 RS422 to USB converter. I may have to roll that driver back tomorrow. I have also changed the blades on the Air-X Marine wind generator with some from www.silentwindgenerator.com . They are blue, and significantly quieter than the original blades.

5/3/2010; Ok, I'm getting there with this. Navico have given me the following info;
Simrad RF300 rudder feedback units were modified in 2004 to pass new RFI requirements. The case and the product codes did not change, but if you have one where the letters between the Part no and Serial no are not FA, and you have an RFI issue, you need to replace it with a new one.
product code between the p/n and the s/n, i.e. XXXXXXXXFAxxxx.
This is not in any book or documentaion I can find, but this info came direct from the Navico Technical Team leader.
I have a new one on order..

4/3/2010; Got the plugs sorted, engine now working fine, and I'm happy with the connections now. The SSB  interference with the autopilot has turned out to be a bit of a major. I've had a radio tech look at it as well as me, and he's spent most of a day on it as well. The problem is the Rudder Angle indicator moves when the SSB transmits, despite the fact that the rudder is NOT moving. Here is what has been done so far.

1. Connect shielded dummy load direct to transmitter output. Rudder indicator output is stable, so issue is not within the SSB transceiver.
2. Connect shielded dummy load to ATU antenna output. Rudder indicator output is stable, so issue is not within the SSB transceiver or the ATU, or the coax between. Problem source is the Antenna or connections.
3. Replace Antenna from ATU out with Shielded  coax (shield connected to Counterpoise and batt -), then connected that to Glass Whip Antenna. Problem is present with either Antenna. Problem must be RF feeding back into Autopilot from the antenna.
4. Tried RF bypass capacitors on Rudder Feedback cable, + to -, + to Shield, and - to Shield. No help
5. Tried rerouting rudder feedback cable as far from radios as possible. No change. Removed Rudder Feedback  unit (Simrad RF300) and  put it in the oven (connected to Batt -, as a makeshift faraday cage) no change.
6. Disconnected Rudder Feedback unit completely, set autopilot to virtual feedback mode. Tests fine!! This means the problem IS in the cable to, or the Rudder Feedback unit itself.
7. Sent an email to Navico explaining issue. Awaiting response.

I've also removed the Autopilot ram and had the seals replaced, ram repainted. A new hose was required for the port side connection, and I've had a spare made.

22/02/2010; Today I sorted the Radar. The Kodan agent was not much help, so I stripped the unit myself. The problem was a bearing in the small stepper motor. I replaced both the bearings, and with Jo's help reinstalled the radar. All working 100% again! $20 repair, so that was good. I've also isolated the electrical problem to the relay socket on the engine loom. One of the connectors on it had been pressed out the back (out of site of course!). I have removed the whole connector frame from the motor so I can see it, and bent the spade terminal retainer back into place, then re-clipped it in. It is a bit dirty, so tomorrows job is to clean it all up and reassemble it. Hopefully that will fix it once and for all. Following that, I'll get on to the SSB/Autopilot interference problem that stops me transmitting on SSB when under autopilot. I have to have this fixed for the Solo Tasman...

21/02/2010; Today I removed the radar, and found that the scanner unit was not turning. Seems to be a fault in the actuator motor. The head unit is a Kodan, and there is a Kodan agent here in Porirua, so I'll take in the unit tomorrow and see if we can get that sorted.

The Issue I had with the engine not charging I have traced to the loom connector to the engine. Tomorrow I'll remove it and order a new plug and socket, that should sort it out.

20 Feb; Got back today from the 500 mile solo voyage, having left on Tues 16th. I just went out to a point 250NM from Mana, about 130 Miles from New Plymouth. The trip out was good, but a bit light, however the last 12 miles were a bit unpleasant, as I had 25Knts on the nose and quite steep seas. Off Stephens Island a car carrier (Morning Mermaid) came up close behind, then turned toward Nelson. Man that is one ugly ship. Then, off cape farewell, I was passed by a huge cruise ship, the Queen Victoria. I had her on both radar and AIS, and she altered course when about 5 miles away so she'd miss me by about 4 miles. Looked like a floating city!

 About 2:10 am Thursday morning I reached the outer waypoint. It was good to turn around and go downwind - downwind is much more pleasant! However, just before the turnaround, I lost the radar system. That's a problem as the radar (and AIS) keep a watch when I'm asleep! They had proven their worth the previous night, and it means only 20mins sleep at a time until fixed.

Conditions continued to deteriorate over the next 24 hours, but to begin with it was a good downhill ride, beginning with the kite, then, as the wind strengthened, a fast 2 sail broad reach. The sea state was quite big, as there was an approaching depression further out in the Tasman. The surfing was fun.

By lunchtime on Thursday morning I had only the deep reefed main and a near storm jib size piece of headsail, and was still managing spurts of 11 or 12 knots. The wind was North to begin with : ) but then went NW (right behind me) which is rolly. A few hours later it was 25 Knots on the nose ( SE) again, but in worse seas. The Maritime NZ forecast described it as very rough, and the forecast was for gales in both the Stephens and Cook areas (where I was and where I was going!) I put up with this for few more hours, then, as I could no longer make my course, I bore away into Tasman bay. I hoped to find better conditions there, which I did, eventually. The wind rose again to 30 Knots SE - just the way I wanted to go! As I got into Tasman bay further, the Wind came around more towards the east, and I managed to follow it around until I made the entrance to French Pass. About 10am on Friday the 19th I motor sailed thru French pass, then sailed again, hard on the wind AGAIN, along the top of the South Island, concluding the 500 Miles just short of Cape Jackson. Being rather tired, I decided to go into Queen Charlotte Sound, and spend the night at Ships Cove. A very nice and peaceful night on the club mooring, and them home today in a Northerly which is much easier than anything from the east!

Here is a screenshot of the 500 mile qualifier

12 Feb; Got the Trysail track, and fitted to mast. Seems to work fine. Test rigged both the trysail and the storm jib, both fine. Test rigged the sea anchor, with bridle and float for the snatch block. Hope I don't need any of this stuff!!

30 Jan 2101; Hull is sanded, re antifouled, with Vivid White.

28 Jan 2010; Engine out, the oil leak was a missing "O" ring between the front flywheel housing and the block. This was confirmed by Phil, from Strait Marine www.straitmarine.co.nz. The "o" ring was left out by Ovlov Maine in Auckland, when they reconditioned the motor last year. I have put the "O" ring in, and now reinstalled the engine.

26 Jan 2010;

Today, the local Cat one inspector came and began the stringent checks required for a NZ registered yacht before it is allowed to leave the country.  All is well so far, as I expected. As Island Time has had Cat One before, much of the structural stuff has been checked several times already, so major changes are not required, which is good. All I had to do so far was to replace the mast step screws with 10mm coach screws, and put spectra straps on the engine mounts (so they cannot fall off if inverted and the vulcanised rubber breaks). I've done that.

The antifoul needs another coat or two, and there is a bit of sanding to do. I also have an oil leak in the back of the engine, between the flywheel casing and the block. The engine has to come out to fix this gasket!! I'll start that tomorrow.