Our stay in Labuan was spent sourcing some spares, stocking up with cheap grog and food supplies which will be scarce from here on. In addition to stocking up we had to wait for our new furling UPS which surprisingly arrived on time and well within our expectations, Doyle Sailmakers in NZ did a great job in building the sail in such a short timeframe much quicker than any other could confirm, we just hope it performs as well?
 |
| A local boat perhaps not the winner it proclaims to be |
We checked out the island on the rented motorbike but found little of interest except for the WW2 memorials such as Surrender Point where the Japanese signed a peace agreement and the War Memorial Garden Cemetery which contains about 3900 graves mainly Aussies and Poms killed or tortured during their imprisonment and the forced marches across the rugged terrain of Borneo, only a handful of soldiers survived the horrific ordeal.
 |
| Memorial Garden for all the WW2 diggers |
To fill in our time, along with a few other boats all waiting for tax free parts to arrive we entertained ourselves with frequent sessions on each other’s boats sampling our duty free beverages. We even had a day playing tenpin bowls which was a real hoot, 9 of us played 3 games and rotated around on 3 lanes, throwing and bouncing the balls in a desperate bid to score the elusive strike. Overall bowls champion was ME!!!.
 |
| Jen shooting pretty straight |
John off “Miss Conduct” was nearly knocked unconscious when he forgot to let go of his ball and slid down the aisle then falling backwards he hit his head on a concrete column. Blood splashed all over the place but he was back tossing the balls again after a quick repair job to his head by the 2 nurses Jen and Kate. The only other injuries came the next day for all of us when the muscles began to tighten up.
 |
| Something different and great fun |
Every evening while anchored off the stilt village we were entertained (not )by 4 surrounding mosques, all out of sync wailing the ‘call to prayer’ sometimes for 10 minutes but many times much longer, along with the rubbish which is tossed out their windows is the only downside to this lovely place.
 |
| Stilt village in front of the anchorage |
It was good to be on the move again and with a 7kt easterly wind we hoisted our new sail for the first time. It was difficult even in this light wind as it had been folded up and had to be hoisted prior to being furled so in the process it decided to take off down wind out of control. Once the halyard was tightened and the sheet hauled in we had it under control and were sailing at 4.5kt which is about 1.5 times better than with just a headsail. It’s about the same as the old MPS but with this sail we could pull a rope and the sail would rotate on the luff rope and furl itself. The sail can be left attached and when the conditions are right it can be unfurled and used then quickly furled again when conditions change.
 |
| Dead down wind without mainsail, not the best angle for sailing but the only way to get a full view photo of the new UPS, our sailing companion was always too far away, maybe next time. |
We sailed most of the way using our UPS to Tiga Island our next stop and anchored on the northern side to avoid any squalls which usually come from the SW. The island looked nice and we wanted to stay a few days and explore, the water is much cleaner from Labuan north and a swim has been on the agenda for a long while. Thunder and lightning woke us at 0245 with rain but thankfully not strong winds as it came from the east and then again from the NW. At dawn it was still the same so our intended stay was curtailed when we up anchored and headed off to Gaya Island west of Kota Kinabalu the capital city of Sabah. It was only 25nm but it rained virtually all the way, we managed to sail a good part of it and arrived in a very sheltered bay anchoring in 18.5m, very deep but better than being close to the reef which fringed the shoreline.
 |
| A hitchiker who stayed with us for a good while |
Adjacent to the anchorage is a very expensive resort which is built over the water on stilts, from here we caught a ferry to the main jetty in KK. I had to pick up some dive tank compressor oil which had been prearranged with a local dive company and the other John needed some cir-clips for his throttle cable. The oil was collected and the clips located in a local hardware shop luckily avoiding a lengthy taxi ride which we were expecting, to the outlying industrial area. KK was nothing special, just another city with heaps of shops. The main attraction here is Mount Kinabalu which is the highest mountain in SE Asia and can be easily ascended by foot to the peak but it has a 3 month waiting list and takes 2 days to scale it. Needless to say it’s on our to-do list one day??
 |
| White hibiscus flower at Labuan Botanical Gardens - never seen one before |
The next day we decided to take the dinghy into KK as the distance from the anchorage was less than we had expected and the water much calmer. We tied up in the Police enclosure and wandered around the streets checking out the prices. The local wet market was good and cheap but the supermarkets were much more expensive than anywhere else in Malaysia.
 |
| One of the storms that seem to wash over us |
We decided to move on north as the nightly storms were continuing so we headed off at 0800 in light conditions, this soon changed as squalls developed to our south and washed over us lumping up the seas and drenching us with rain all the way to our next anchorage in a large bay well protected from the 3m swells. A huge typhoon east of the Philippines was sucking in a strong SW flow and the mountains close by were causing the cloud to build up and dump rain.
 |
| The Top of Borneo |
The next morning we awoke to unexpected sunshine so we headed off on the 60nm trip to round the Top of Borneo. It was a lovely day but with only light wind from directly behind which made it impossible to sail even with the new sail as we were rolling from gunwale to gunwale most of the way. Once we rounded the top the swell eased and the wind was on the beam so we unfurled the UPS and took off for the last 5 miles and sailed to our overnight anchorage. It was my birthday so a couple of well-earned drinks were downed while listening to a bit of rock and roll. A very pleasant day.
 |
| In party mood wearing my birthday coolie hat |
The anchorage at Kudat was 6nm away so we arrived mid-morning and found many boats anchored out the front while the new marina was empty except for 2 boats. We anchored while John “Miss Conduct” went in to investigate, he has been here many times before, he tied up and called us to come in which we did. The marina is very poorly built but adequate for us and better protected than out the front, it also negates the need to use the dinghy. No power or water but also no charge so what else can you expect for free.
 |
| The wonky marina in Kudat with anti-smuggling patrol boats behind |
That afternoon we caught up with friends from 2 other boats “Po Oino Roa” and ”Mescalito” along with “Miss Conduct” and enjoyed some birthday Margaritas before a meal at the Kudat Golf Club which is attached to the Marina, and then a few nightcaps. Another lovely birthday.
 |
| Local Kudat fishing boats loading up slabs of ice |
Two days later it was Wilma’s birthday and she provided us with some Filipino traditions, firstly a chicken killing birthday ritual which turned out to be 3 because she couldn’t buy just 1 at the local market. She did however get a free egg. The ritual requires the chickens blood be dripped onto her head, then wiped as a + to the forehead, inner elbows, knees and soles of feet. After that the chicken(s) were slaughtered and cooked as a soup and eaten for lunch. Very nice!! Jen offered to help clean up after the 6 of us but was informed that because she hadn’t slept in their boat the previous night she was not permitted to assist. Must remember that and be sure never to sleep anywhere in the Philippines other than on our own boat. Guest sleep-overs will be encouraged.
 |
| Wilma preparing her sacrificial chicken |
We finally cleared in to Sabah and we have 2 weeks left on our Malaysian visa so we will prepare for our departure to the Philippines, fuel up as the price of diesel is more expensive up there, and wait for the right weather conditions. At present we have several typhoons in the region which are influencing our local weather so when it clears we will head off.
