Back in Kudat again after some of our best sailing since leaving OZ. The trip down from PP was quick and despite some strong head winds on the last day relatively relaxing and enjoyable.
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| Kudat Marina basin just after hauling out |
We anchored overnight inside the channel rather than going into the marina and were hauled out at 0930 the next morning after giving 30 minutes notice, hassle free and thankfully before the onshore NE wind set in which would have made the entry into the haul-out pen a manoeuvring nightmare.
The haul out facility at Kudat is run by Chinese and as is typical with the Chinese they find the most cost effective way of conducting their business, so here don’t expect costly fabricated steel frames to support the boat, instead you’ll get large concrete blocks which have been pilfered from the sea wall which surrounds the facility and paid for by some other party, probably the Malaysian Government.
The haul out facility at Kudat is run by Chinese and as is typical with the Chinese they find the most cost effective way of conducting their business, so here don’t expect costly fabricated steel frames to support the boat, instead you’ll get large concrete blocks which have been pilfered from the sea wall which surrounds the facility and paid for by some other party, probably the Malaysian Government.
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| They should call it the Bedrock Hardstand, it's what you would expect to see on the Flintstones |
All went well with the wash down and wet sand despite not having a hose point and having to bucket water from the closest single tap point 50m away, another Chinese cost saving measure. We did have 240v power supplied after we ran out all our leads and waterproofed the joints. We also re-rigged the freezer/fridge cooling system and recirculated it through a 20ltr water drum which worked really well and will be adopted for future haul-outs, it also serves as a water heater for showering providing the drum is topped up after.
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| Small by our standards but nice all the same, purchased from a local enroute to Sandakan |
Back in the water again after 1 week with a clean bum, plenty of rain but relatively unhindered with our progress, we lifted the centreboard out and scraped the casing but haven’t fixed the problem of the board catching half way down, may need further work next time out. We slotted into the marina and while we were away in the Philippines the owners had stabilized the pontoons by welding some extension brackets around the piles, very agricultural but effective for the moment until they break or rust away. It made walking along the fingers upright possible for the first time.
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| The sons of the Sea Gypsie fisherman who traded the crayfish |
It was only a short stay at the marina to catch up with some friends and say farewell, get provisions and set sail again. We headed east along the north coast of Borneo and found a couple of nice protected and isolated anchorages but only stayed overnight at each. Moving on we anchored at the Sandakan “Yacht Club” on our third night out of Kudat and stayed for 4 nights. The weather had deteriorated with rain squalls and swell rolling in from the NE. The masses of local fishing boats and ferries milling around our anchorage didn’t help the situation either but we know we are in their space and can’t really complain.
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| Fisherman are the same all round the world just different boats |
With the weather improving we headed further east to the NE tip of Borneo and then around the corner pushing current and wind the whole way. After 2 days we were in the lea of the NE swell and the anchorages became more pleasant, we found a lovely island anchorage just north of Semporna which provided us with marina like conditions and completely isolated, no local boats, just birds and clear skies, it was by far the most relaxing anchorage we had found in SE Asia. We stayed 4 nights and thoroughly enjoyed the peace and quiet.
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| Timbun Mata anchorage, a sanctuary once safely through the seaweed farm |
Our trip through Semporna Strait was uneventful despite the mass of rubbish we had to traverse, clean water sadly cluttered with heaps of garbage, mostly plastic bags, we were surprised by the quality of the stilt villages we saw and how opulent they appeared in comparison to those on the west coast. Rather than stopping early in the day we continued on towards Tawau the most SE city in Malaysian Borneo and situated on the border with Indonesia.
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| Built on the side of a coral reef at the entrance to Semporna Channel this stilt house has everything even a large modern speed boat parked in the garage |
We anchored off the Tawau “Yacht Club” another Chinese run elitist club similar to Sandakan (left over from the British Colonial era) which surprisingly doesn’t particularly like to cater to yachties. The anchorage is subject to some fierce tidal flows especially during spring tides which was the situation after we arrived. The current can flow at greater than2kts making it difficult securing and getting in and out of the dinghy especially at the clubs jetty.
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| Yachties entry point at Tawau Yacht Club jetty |
Beers and Cheers from Tawau Yacht Club
J&J
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