Sulawesi Indonesia

We caught up with Chad and Kelli from “Just Magic” at Tawau after first meeting them in PP. Another yacht heading in the same direction at the same time. It’s a Lidgard 36 with a fractional rig and quite a performer especially in light winds. We enjoyed the comforts and hospitality of the yacht club while sorting our entry visa to Indonesia, provisioning and getting as much diesel as we could carry. We had already received our CAIT (Cruising Permit) for Indonesia a month earlier after applying for it while in PP.

A farewell from the Malaysian Authority all very friendly

A weather window presented itself just at the right time as a low pressure system was expected to cross further north changing the wind direction from the prevailing NE through North and then West during our 500nm passage across the Celebes Sea. The Celebes Sea is reported to be “Not Fun” during the NE Monsoon and the North Coast of Sulawesi “Downright Inhospitable” according to the SE Asia Cruising Guide so our expectations were filled with trepidation and anxiety.

A "FAD" more like a torpedo which has to be avoided at night, they are spread all over the Celebes Sea and are unlit

Up early on departure day and the weather grib files indicated that we could expect heavy rain in the location we would be the first night and that the wind would still be NE at the top of Sulawasi when we arrived so we decided to delay a day and relocate to another anchorage 50nm ENE where we had overnighted on our way to Tawau. We set off at 0800 and motor sailed out of the harbour and then sailed with a light westerly wind. Clouds began to build and the wind freshened from the north then backed to the NW giving us a better angle on the wind and we then sailed at good speed all the way to the anchorage. A couple of rain squalls accompanied us along the way but we were fortunate to avoid the worst and set anchor before the heavens opened on us. The conditions had taken their toll as I had developed a sore throat and cough similar to the PP epidemic.



A hut attached to a FAD which is hundreds of miles from land and a guy lives on it

The next morning was overcast with drizzle but the gribs were good so we headed off for the NE tip of Sulawesi leaving Malaysia for the last time. After clearing the inner islands and reefs we lost our depth sounder as the bottom dropped away to over 1000m deep, its over 5100m at the  deepest section somewhere in the middle of the sea. The variable winds changed dramatically as a 30kt squall hit us from the NE as we approached the most easterly reef and with double reefed main and staysail we were closehauled on a course well south of our intended 107 degree track, drenched with rain and not happy. The squall lasted about an hour and the wind held in at NE for the rest of the day, we were also pushing against a 1kt current which made our progress SLOW!!

One of the westerly squalls which hit us enroute

By nightfall the wind had died and backed to the NW so we motored with just the mainsail up in sloppy seas left over from the earlier squalls. The head current persisted and at times increased to 1.5kt but we were happy to continue on at low engine revs maintaining visual contact with the other yacht and try getting some rest. At 0300 after the half-moon had set and all was dark and I was trying to sleep Jen calls out to wake me with the news that we have a ripped mainsail and that a storm is brewing with lightning to the north and perhaps I should get up. These are NOT the dreams I want to be weaving!! More like a NIGHTMARE!! The mainsail was pulled down and inspected, a seam had separated below the top batten caused by the flogging from the lack of wind and slop we found ourselves in. The sail could not be repaired during this passage but I thought it could be at anchor in Bitung, but at our current speed that would be another 3 days.

Chad helping stitch the mainsail, it's a 2 man operation trying to keep tension on the twine

After daylight the wind freshened from the north so we sailed with our headsail and set up our storm trysail which is a replacement for the mainsail when in storm conditions or when the main is damaged. It’s only a small sail and is hoisted in its own track which runs parallel to the main track up the mast. It helped to counter the roll from the northerly swell and kept us sailing all day and night at a slow but acceptable speed. We had to manoeuvre around several ships we encountered that night which were traversing across the Celebes Sea to and from the Makassar Strait, in addition to the ships we had to hope we didn’t hit a FAD (fish attracting device)  which are somehow anchored in this deep sea and have boats and huts attached to them without any lighting. They are hard to see in daylight and impossible at night.

Repairs to the mainsail seam and patch on the luff, the sail then had to be hoisted so the leech line near the batten could be stretched and secured

On day 3 the wind backed further to the west as predicted so we played with a few different sail combinations which proved to be successful as we were still keeping up with our companions, the sloppy seas were slowing them more than us and by dark we were actually ahead. A westerly squall hit us just before dark at 30kts but passed quickly and then the wind dropped to about 6kts so we motored through the night and at 0200 the head current weakened then by daylight changed to a favourable current of 0.5-1kt and the seas calmed to a more acceptable state.

Everything hoisted at the bow running with a westerly wind and our little storm trisail replacing the mainsail, this combination kept us sailing much longer than we expected

We continued motoring all day and saw land at 1600 to the south east, a prominent volcano which is typical for Indonesia, we rounded the northern tip of Sulawesi at 1800 then headed south towards Bitung through a maze of brightly lit fishing boats and finally dropped anchor at 2345. My flu had worsened and moved to the chest so as well as the panadol I was on a course of antibiotics. Thankfully it was time to get some real sleep so after a couple of beers we both crashed out till the following lunchtime or later.

The anchorage in Bitung and 'Just Magic' in the foreground

When we arrived at our anchorage we were tired and it was dark so we could see very little we had pretty much sailed in by instruments, in the daylight we were surprised to find ourselves behind this beautiful small island covered in greenery and situated in the Bitung Channel with clean blue water and surrounded with lovely lush rainforest hills and two dormant volcanoes in full view, simply stunning.

Survival training at the Academy where we left our dinghy for the trips to towns with the girls

After a full 36hr rest we set to mending the mainsail, so with the help of Chad and Kelli we first glued and stitched the separated seam and glued a patch over a section of sail which had pulled away from the luff. This took 2 days as the winds had again freshened from the NE and it was hard work with the sail partly raised. The sail was finally repaired and fully zigzag stitched then the stitching covered with sticky-back sailcloth courtesy of 'Just Magic' who had a large piece tucked away for such emergencies. Our stock of sticky-back was depleted at Kudat where we had patched up some small sections of the mainsail after hauling out.

A local lunch in town, we actually ordered 4 ice waters and this is what we were served, it was shaved ice with toppings and who knows what but was absolutely delicious

The next job on the agenda was to clear in to Indonesia, a daunting task we believed after our previous experience at Kupang with the rally. We had only a general idea where to go so Chad and myself headed to the port 2nm away in our dinghy. We decided to leave the dinghy tied to a large police boat thinking this would be safe and to our surprise they offered to give us a lift to Immigration our first office to call on. All was good till we arrived at the office only to be told it was the wrong office, however the Immigration Officer offered to take us to the right office which happened to be just 100m away from where we had left the dinghy. Immigration was easy and we had our passports stamped within 30 minutes.

The locals are extremely friendly and love getting their photo taken, this one was at the local Pasar (market)

 Next was Customs which we were told was around the corner about 500m away. The Customs Officers were great, we had an informal interview sitting on a lounge and filled in our declarations and handed them our ships papers, etc. They insisted on coming out to our boats which was a concern when they declared that their boat was broke and could they use ours. Surprising how quickly it was repaired when they heard we only had a small inflatable and our yachts were 2nm away. The visit was brief and we actually caught both ladies coming back from a kayak adventure, in fact the trip to the yachts and back took longer in their poor excuse for a Customs boat. We had a few laughs with them which broke the ice and all in all it was a pleasant experience. We avoided any contact with the other authorities Quarantine and Harbour Master as they are usually the ones who cause the most grief and we don’t need their clearance to get back out of the country. We hope!!

Chad and Kelli share a bike taxi our main means of transport in Bitung

After clearance was completed we needed to find a fuel supplier to fill our drums, we headed to the shore and after a couple of attempts to land and find a service station we found a fuel depot on the water front which would sell us diesel for 8000Rp/litre which is about A$0.80/litre. We arranged to return at 0800 the next morning and fill all our drums.

The hole in the wall natural archway close by to the anchorage

With the fuel run completed the next chore  was provisioning with fresh produce again, this time the ladies came with us and we secured the dinghy at The Marine Academy jetty adjacent the anchorage and under the watch full eye of a local boatman. We then tried to catch a taxi but were informed the only way into town was on the back of a motorbike so we hailed down 4 bikes and were delivered to the local fresh produce market. We became the days entertainment for the locals as we traversed the market buying our fruit and veges. Next was a taxi down to the main street and supermarket to get some basics and beer, then after some lunch at a local restaurant we caught another taxi back to the dinghy landing and then back to the boat for some well earned R&R.
Bye for now,

Beers and Cheers with a 3 Amigos beer at Bitung

J&J

North East Borneo

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Yachties entry point at Tawau Yacht Club jetty

Bye for now.

 Beers and Cheers from Tawau Yacht Club

  

J&J

Farewell Philippines

Now where were we?? Ah yes, post Typhoon Botha, heading north to Coron for some diving, well unfortunately we didn’t make it. 2 days out of PP and more problems with the new anchor winch saw us returning to PP in the night and thankfully for the saved track, radar and a bit of guess work no incidents.

It is possible to catch a fish here but we're still not desparate enough for this barracuda

By the time the anchor winch and replacement deck switch were completed and operational the NE trades had kicked back in preventing another attempt north. Our only hope was another typhoon to pass north of us again. Anyway Xmas was almost upon us and the club was always open to keep us amused, so we settled in and did some touring of Palawan by motorbike.

Imagine this in OZ

The bike was similar to a trail bike, not so good on the bitumen/concrete but necessary on the off roads which are pretty much rock spoils which develop because the roads or tracks are totally washed away. One trip to the west coast had to be abandoned because the road was so bad and steep Jen refused to go any further. Another trip was to the Underground River which is a huge limestone cave network accessible by river from the sea in a canoe. Interesting but not breath-taking and very tourist oriented.

Inside the Underground River looking out

Another trip to the west coast was to a totally deserted lovely beach where surprisingly a good swell was rolling in offering the opportunity to do some body surfing. We were hoping to take the boat around to the west coast when returning to Malaysia but after seeing the swell it changed our minds totally.

Nice location for a weekender, totally deserted

Xmas was a gala event at the club but as our 2012 bad luck continued we both became quite ill with a stomach complaint on xmas eve so missed everything even a beer. We had bought some local ham from a German expat and think his curing process or the pork must have been suspect or else we just over indulged. It took 3 days to recover so at least we didn’t miss New Year as well. It was spent at the club till 2am after a very impressive fireworks display which was viewed from the dinghy. The cost of the fireworks could have feed the whole of PP for a month.

Still very traditional living away from the city

Another low pressure system came threatening and crossed just south of PP and we were hoping it would track north so we could ride the back of it again but it lost momentum and turned further south once it entered the South China Sea. It did give us stronger winds than the typhoon but from the protected NE direction. This was our last chance as Jen was booked in for her dental treatment and our visa was running out, we could have renewed our visa’s for another 59 days for about $200 but we were becoming Philippined out. The beer is not great and the food even worse. The money is filthy and we believe partly responsible for our ongoing poor health. Every country takes a while to acclimatise to but we just couldn’t in the Phillipines. Palawan is the poorest place we have visited in Asia by a long way, only topped by New Guinea.

Local living

The anchorage in PP was bad for marine growth and the bottom had to be cleaned every 2 to 3 weeks to prevent major build up, so we decided that after the dentist we would return to Kudat, Malaysia and haul out at the hardstand yard. The trip back south was brisk as we had wind and it was from behind, our best sailing for a long time.

Rice drying

We are disappointed that our trip to the Philippines was not complete similar to Thailand and Andaman Islands in 2012 but it’s been a prick of a year and I am glad it’s over. It’s not easy over here for yachts, everything is a compromise and ours is showing its Asian signs after only 3 years, despite sorting some ongoing issues the prolonged haul out at Rebak probably hurt more than it fixed.

A cute little guy waiting for a handout

How many power sources does it take to turn on 1 light

Bye for now,

Beers and Cheers

J&J

Puerto Princesa

Well the northeast monsoon has come early this year or perhaps our delays in Borneo have now hindered our progress north. It’s our intention to push on further north to some other areas in the Philippines but again we have been delayed with some unexpected events.

A mothership with her nest of spider boats

Firstly after 2 weeks of enjoying PP we were offered the opportunity to borrow a motor bike from Billy our Maggie Is friend who was flying to Manila for a week. The day I was handed the keys I returned to the boat feeling quite ill, thinking it was the food I had just eaten downtown, or an Oesophagitis attack from too much grog the night before. That night I had developed a raging temperature and headache. The temp maxed at 40C and didn’t go below 38 for 3 days and the headache behind the eyes was like a continuous migraine. I was so nauseous just the smell of food made me feel like throwing up. Jen washed me down with ice water bed baths in an attempt to bring my temp down. On the 4th day I broke out in a rash all over my head and upper body, small blister like sores with red blotches, similar symptoms to another yachtie nearby, who, on checking the internet concluded that we both had contracted Dengue Fever. I remembered being stung one night about 8 days prior to getting ill and had commented about my concerns when the sting developed into a blister. Needless to say we didn’t get to use the motorbike.

Sunday night roast at the club

The next 2 weeks were spent trying to recover from the first week, plenty of sleeping and trying to function properly without much luck. A trip to the immigration office to clear-in became an ordeal as we were requested by the female bureaucrats from hell to provide additional photocopies of customs papers, which we had to get photocopied across the road at a tourist shop and when we returned to finalise our arrival stamps we could only find 1 passport, Jen’s had disappeared out of its plastic cover. OH SHIT!!! With tempers frayed Jen raced first, back to the shop and then back to the boat hoping we had left it there and not lost it which thankfully was the case. After an exhaustive search of the boat it was found still inside our photocopier. All in all it took several hours to clear in rather than 15minutes. This event just highlighted how absent minded I was at the time as a result of the fever. Going back to sea was out of the question for a while.


Upstream fishing village we found this boat yard, interesting designs

2 days later we had to return to Immigration to pay for our 1^st visa extension of 38 days which was to be added on to our initial 21 days. Arriving with both passports in hand we expecting to pay the money, get stamped and move on to Customs which we didn’t bother with after our previous visit to Immigration. The woman from hell informed me that we needed additional photocopies of our passport with the arrival stamp in it she did 2 days earlier. I told her she was making the rules up as she went and that it was a ridiculous request, she laughed and turned her back, needless to say we obliged her, and with a few choice names for her in private, returned to get our extension. Customs was another matter altogether, very helpful and friendly, nothing a problem even had their own photocopier.

 

Buying rice in Philippines



And eggs



Another 2 weeks passed recuperating and trying to catch up with boat chores and general maintenance, getting fuel, cleaning the prop and bottom, etc. A major repair job had to be  undertaken one day to replace a broken stud on the 240 volt alternator, which had broken for the 3^rd time this year, something was definitely wrong?? It took the whole day to remove the alternator from the engine compartment and reinstall again. This time I tapped a thread in the base plate instead of welding the replacement bolt along with tapping the spacer to act as a locking nut. The welding process can weaken the strength of stainless steel and this could have been the reason for the previous failures. The new bolt is a bigger diameter so this should help as well. Fingers crossed all is running OK. It then took 2 days to recover from the physical ordeal my body had gone through in doing the work, in such a confined area of the boat.

Busy streets of downtown PP

A positive event which was enjoyed by all here at the anchorage was Jen’s birthday which although celebrated a week late, was a great night had at the yacht club. Another yachtie, Little John from “Sea Hog” had his birthday as well so a cake was bought along with a tub of ice cream and then devoured after a lovely meal and a few beers.

Another happy birthday

We had a trip to the dentist just after we arrived for a clean and check-up, Jen had a tooth out and a replacement front filling A$100 and has to return in January for 2 crowns and a bridge A$450. The dentist is excellent and could teach the Aussie dentists much about patient care. She also had an ear infection and went to the local hospital for a course of antibiotics and to restock all the drugs which I had consumed during my bout with Dengue. I still can’t understand the logic of why a nurse has to under medicate initially and then monitor a patients pain level, why not eliminate the pain altogether with the best drugs available and move on, no pain and no wasted time monitoring, simple!! I must admit I got 24/7 care with no complaints.

Birthday bash at the yacht club

We met up with another Aussie, Allen who used to live in Townsville in the 70’s after Cyclone Althea, worked as a Civil Engineer with Thiess, moved south and was the Commodore of the Airlie Beach Yacht Club where he built the small dinghy harbour. He has just completed managing the design and construction of a silver mine in Botswana for an OZ consortium and along with his mate a Norwegian Civil Contractor, Lars, they are having a break away on his yacht till the lure of work or his Indonesian family beckon his return. PP is a bit of an out post and the Abanico Yacht Club a constantly changing mixing pot for people from all round the world with amazing stories and life experiences.

This is the second freedom rigged yacht owned by a Civil Engineer we've met, it's a bit like the camel/horse story don't you think.

Just as we were hoping to get moving we were delayed again with the development of Typhoon Bopha as it continued to move west across the Philippines. We were lucky with this one as it weaked during its approach to Palawan, the maximum wind speed we got was 34.9kt, but we were prepared for more as we had set a second anchor in addition to our main anchor, both on the same length of chain in tandem. The biggest problem we had to contend with was the fetch across the bay as the strongest winds which lasted about 6 hrs came from the SW and a distance of about 4nm which caused a rocking horse affect and put additional strain on the anchoring gear.

A beautiful evening the day before the typhoon arrived

Typhoon Bopha as it passes us in PP we were lucky to be on the southern side but the eye passed just north of us.

We are hoping to get away this weekend as the typhoon moves further west, which should provide a break in the northeast tradewinds for a few days, but these typhoons like cyclones are very unpredictable and can change from hour to hour.



Retrieving the second anchor of the blow

Bye for now,

Beers and Cheers after the worst of Typhoon Bopha

J&J

 

 

  

 

Welcome to The Philippines

We ended up staying 3 weeks in Kudat, melting most days and nights in the sweltering heat. When there was wind it was bearable but as soon as it dropped then nothing would help, not even the fans. The air con was useless without the shore power and was left on another boat which is remaining at the marina indefinitely, poor Giovanni  “Mescalito” has had to return to Germany and face reality (ie: get a job)

Kudat Marina office cost 90% of the budget. Why!!!!

A few other yachts arrived and some left, the social scene was vibrant which was good as we dined out most nights at either the golf club or at one of the many Chinese restaurants in town.

A few drinks on the dock before dinner

A couple of days before leaving we were invited to the local stadium to watch the Malaysian Prime Minister promote himself for the up-coming election which must take place within the next 6 months. We stood out in the crowd like the proverbials as all the followers were clad in supportive orange shirts. It was interesting to see the flag waving but typically boring as all political rallies are.

Malaysia's Prime Minister telling everyone how good he is

The wind had dropped out so we waited a couple more days and spent one lolling around the resort pool, soaking up the sun with a refreshing swim and a filling feed of local fish and chips.

This what happens when only 10% of the budget is spent on the marina.

We finally got going at about 0700 and left the marina which would be our last till we return to Kudat sometime next year, let’s hope the power ‘s on by then. The wind was from the SE and about 8kt so perfect for the UPS, we unfurled it and away we went, motor off and sailing again.

Off we go with the new UPS flying

The wind held in all morning and gave us a good opportunity to realise the potential of the new sail. It did everything we asked for.

Coming in for a rear assult

By late morning the wind had crept too far forward and was freshening so we furled the UPS and unfurled the genoa and continued all the way to the next anchorage at Banggi Island which was still in Malaysian waters 25nm from Kudat.

Building up speed

The anchorage was lovely and with the breeze coming offshore was refreshingly cool. The water was reasonably clear and much cleaner than the west coast of Borneo. We watched the sunset as the local fisherman started laying their nets and settled down for a few browns.

And off we go

Next morning at dawn we saw the wind coming north of east which was a shame as our course was north across the Balabac Strait which separates the South China Sea from The Sulu Sea and is strewn with coral patches further east. First of all we had to traverse a narrow passage and negotiate around some shoals adjacent another island then it was a 30nm trip across the strait to Balabac Island and The Philippines, at last!!

Afternoon at Bangi Island

We managed to avoid the worst of the rain squalls which came our way, sailed for probably half the distance and motor-sailed the other when the wind headed us off which was generally associated with the squalls. We were heading for the town of Balabac but as we got closer we decided to head for a more sheltered bay a bit further south which offered better protection in these winds and the stronger NE winds which were forecast for the next couple of days.



One of the lovely islands we passed along the way

We dropped anchor early afternoon and were soon set upon by a couple of local kids in a canoe demanding practically everything we possessed, we finally agreed that if they return with a couple of drinking coconuts we would give them some biscuits and noodles. They obliged us with the coconuts which we weren’t really interested in but at least it’s considered trading, so they can have their respect and aren’t seen as just begging. Later a few older gentlemen came out and we made the same request and they too obliged us and we them, so we considered our mooring fees for the night were now covered.



Malaysian fishing boat taking refuge



The next day brought the stronger NE winds and squally showers so we hunkered down and stayed put. At midday we decided to take a hike with John and Wilma “Miss Conduct” in search of the old Spanish lighthouse we could see on the island to the west of the anchorage. We went in search of the track which was shown on the latest chart (1934) but our first effort was rewarded with a tromp through mangroves along a very makeshift path to nowhere.

Spanish Lighthouse (aka Holy Grail) with modern one behind

The second attempt looked much more promising as we followed a worn path through scrub which eventually led us to a fork. Thinking we needed to find the high ground where the lighthouse stood we took the path leading up, it took us up alright but the top of the neighbouring hill, when we reached a clearing we could see the lighthouse but to get to it would have required another couple of hours walk there and back, it was too late in the day so we conceded and headed back to the boat.

That night and the next day the wind howled and the rain pelted down, we had to do anchor watch as we were concerned that with the wind shifts during the violent squalls that we could swing and drag into shallows. Thankfully we were OK and by evening the conditions had settled a lot.
The next morning was marginally better and at 0700 we cleared the bay and had to tack out to clear the eastern side of Balabac Island and again having to negotiate through squalls, heavy rain and headwinds we reached a calm anchorage behind a lovely island NE of Balabac. It offered good protection from the NE but the forecast predicted the wind to head around to the NW and then west the next day.

Line sqall no 1 for the day, we left after this one passed over

We left at 0645 as we could see the reef and the sky was clear, we had worked it out that we should have tidal assistance across North Balabac Strait till about 1300 as we weaved our way through the narrow passages between the maze of coral reefs to the south of Palawan Island. Our plan was to reach the southern tip of Palawan at the change of tide and ride the incoming tide north along the SE coast. We hit it on the head perfect. The wind had freshened as we scooted past our first intended anchorage and onto the protected river at Rio Tuba further up the coast.

A local fishing boat, very much different to the ones in Malaysia and Thailand

Rio Tuba is a small town that resembles a scene out of a wildwest movie. The main street is a rocky dirt road which is infested with motorised tricycles which look like props in a Mad Max movie.

Main street of Rio Tuba Port Town

The town is a mining town where Nickel ore is barged out and loaded onto waiting ships offshore. The raw material then goes to a refinery somewhere for processing, probably China, to make low grade stainless steel. The local community is very poor and it appears gets little from the mining company. In the main part of town which has a bitumen road it’s where the living quarters of the mine staff are concealed within a large stone walled enclosure with barbed wire parapets and armed guard security.

A jeepnee nearly loaded and ready to go

We took a Mad Max tricycle into this part of town and purchased a new phone sim card so we could be in contact again, but no such luck with the internet, we had to resort to a local café, which was fine once we cleaned all the dust from the monitor. The dust from the passing mine trucks is so prevalent that they employ people to sweep the street all day and every day. The pay is well below a pittance and quite obscene when compared to OZ.

A tricycle our main mode of transport here in the Philippines

It was in the harbour part of town where we first tasted the Filipino beer, San Miguel Pilsner, 30pesos or A$0.75 a bottle, not bad. Our first local meal was a private affair provided by a local lady who owed the shop adjacent to the walkway we used to get from the dinghy landing in the stilt village to the dirt main road. It was a chicken dish and was lovely and because she thought it not enough she also provided 3 large blue swimmer crabs, and they were large even by OZ standards, so were a real treat.

Loading nickel ore from barges at Rio Tuba

The next day we headed off and with headwinds wind motor sailed most of the way to Sir Brooke’s Point another 30nm northeast. The anchorage is located behind a partial stone wall which protects another nickel ore loading facility. We didn’t bother going ashore as it was just an overnight anchorage.

Boat building in the stilt village opposite town



At 0300 we were rolled out of bed and had 3 hrs of torture as the wind had shifted to the SW and freshened producing a swell which invaded the anchorage, we left just after dawn and throughout the day we experienced rolling swells drenching squalls, lightening, thunder, wind from all directions of the compass and strong winds over 30kt from the east. We sailed at every wind angle and every conceivable sail configuration and reefing level. The only thing we didn’t do was hoist our UPS or spinnaker.

Nearby hills a stark contrast to the flat indescript scenery of Borneo

We tucked in behind Rasa Island which was 45nm northeast of Brooke’s Point just before a huge squall crossed over. We had to rig up a rope brace from the port stern to the anchor chain to offset the boat so that it would point into the rolling swell and not the wind which was at 90 degrees. This worked quite well till the wind shifted during the night to 180 degrees off the swell.
By morning the sky had cleared to the east and the low pressure system that had formed there had cleared west wards. The wind was about 10-12kt from the ENE so we tried sailing for an hour or so but gave up when it dropped below 7kt, it was too forward for the UPS so we motor sailed and continued to all the way to Puerto Princesa the capital of Palawan State. A large well protected bay with a typhoon anchorage further upstream should the need arise.

 

Abanico Yacht Club waiting for our Sunday roast

This will be our base for a few weeks as we get established, clear in with Immigration and Customs and suss out what is available in this new country. Across from the anchorage is a small yacht club which provides secure dinghy tie-up, wi-fi internet, access to town, showers, cheapish beer, meals and a great Sunday roast. Run by an expat pom John and his wife Cissy. It costs 500peso per yacht for the services and extra for the beer and food. Town is a Mad Max tricycle ride once you hail one down which may take a 10min walk to find but it’s cheap and there are plenty to choose from.

Inside a trike looking forward

The Abanico Yacht Club is also a watering hole for a few expat Aussies now living in Puerto Princesa one of whom we met was a longtime resident of Magnetic Island, his name is Billy Fields (not the singer) but goes by the nickname of “Bad Habits” just like the song. In a past life he worked as the Nth Qld sales rep for XXXX beer, and established a reputation in the 80’s and 90’s for being a bit of a rogue. He knows many of the people from Townsville and the far north good and bad that we have known and associated with in the past. It’s such a small world really.

Says it all

Another expat Aussie who up till 4 weeks ago was living here in the Philippines.  Joe Adams (Yacht Designer) was murdered with a machete while trying to defend himself from an attack. A cowardly act upon an old man of 81. It’s unfortunate we didn’t get to meet Joe who was a revolutionary designer well ahead of his peers at the time. He designed yachts to sail fast in all directions and we can attest to that as Joe designed “Dreamweaver”.  We just hope the culprits are found quickly and dealt with appropriately.

 

The Philippines is full of corrupt officials (fixers)

 

So far our impressions of the Philippines is that the sailing is good, the landscape and anchorages are a pleasant change, the people are very friendly despite living in virtual poverty, the climate is better than Malaysia, cooler with more wind. The beer is OK, the rum is very good and cheap ($3.75/750ml bottle. The dining out food is not as nice, a lot of fast food outlets with small napkins and even smaller menus. Grocery choices are very limited and generally more expensive than Malaysia. Fruit and vege’s are limited in variety but the quality is good, the meat is very good with a wide variety, the eggs are excellent and stark white in colour. The prices vary greatly depending on whether the item is imported or local and lastly the money A$1 = 41pesos is filthy dirty. A germ for every centino in value, 1peso = 100 centino. The probable cause for most of the yachties in the anchorage to have either a stomach bug (me for one) or a severe dose of the flue.

The Philippines was and still is a pirates haven

 

That’s about all for this blog, bye for now.

 

Beers and Cheers with a San Miguel

at the yacht club