Firstly, apologies for our tardiness in keeping the web pages up to date. We have posted some photos from our last few weeks in Thailand in that section as well as the July news below which details our last days when we had the strike.
After spending our first (rather wet) summer in the UK for 5 years we're now getting closer to the time when we return to the boat.
Dave still has to replace the navigation electronics and we also have a new trampoline to fit. At least we will now have brand new electrics and electronics on the boat. A small compensation for all the hassle we've had to go through and the delaying of our journey for a year, but the main thing is that no one was hurt and the boat only had electrical failures and no structural damage.
|
We should be relaunching the boat in November and will keep you all posted of our news when we do.
|
|
| Sunday 6th July
|
Back in the UK earlier than planned after a bit of a setback to our trip.
On our last night in Thailand, disaster struck. We were all enjoying a cup of tea after dinner, when out of the blue, there was a loud clap of thunder with a lightening flash overhead. As Dave nearly choked on his Chorley cake, this could mean one thing, we'd been struck. The boat was plunged into darkness & all alarms were sounding. Arming ourselves with torches and fire extinguishers we checked over Papillon's electrics looking for smoke. Thankfully there was none & both engines were working fine, a good thing as we were 100 miles away from the mainland & help. The main thing was that no-one was hurt except, perhaps, for Jerry's pride. He had somehow managed to plunge thru' the trampoline & ended up having an unexpected swim. Laugh! We thought our pants would never dry. The only thing left to do was go to bed, which we did, our circumnavigation brought to an abrupt halt.
Lucky for us, we had sailed over with Greg & Debra on Sonrisa & they were moored close by. Lucky for them we were there to attract the strike! They came over in the morning fearing the worst & we checked the boats systems again. Except for the engines, nothing worked. So Sonrisa were our escort, eyes & ears back to Phuket, where we were met with much surprise & sympathy by our friends whom we had only just bid farewell to days before.
Sadly this also forced a dramatic change to Jerry & Davina's trip. There was nothing left for them to do but leave our crippled craft & go on an impromptu tour of northern Thailand & southern India. We all said a sad goodbye as we limped back to the marina following Sonrisa. Without power none of our instruments worked, depth sounder, auto-helm, water pumps, drain pumps, fridge & freezer, lights. You name it. Once we arrived at Yacht Haven Marina, we checked in to a rather nice condo with a big fridge & freezer to store all our food.
Then began the long and arduous chore of repairing the boat. Firstly, liasing with our insurance company. Then assessing the full extent of the damage and then organising for parts to be either obtained locally or shipped into Thailand. Since there was little I could do on the repair side it was decided that I'd be better served returning to the UK whilst Dave got on with the repairs.
|
After a few weeks of frustration and effort, Dave was happy that the boat was repaired to a level where he was also happy to return to the UK. Since we had missed the weather window to transit the Indian Ocean there was little point remaining in Thailand until the end of the year when the next opportunity to do the journey arose. So, Papillon was hauled onto land once again to keep her dry and safe until we returned.
|
|
| Friday 29th February 2008
|
We're back! Sincere apologies for neglecting the website. We will endeavour to try to keep it updated more frequently. You can follow our progress by checking the "Our Position" icon on the homepage. As we will be mostly at sea over the next 2 months, please send us your email address if you want us to keep you updated by email.
So here we are, finally on the move after a very hectic trip back to the UK. Papillon is looking as good as new with brightly polished topsides & freshly painted bottom. Dave fitted the new rudder bearings without incident & they are now working very well. Once again we hit the ground running. In the space of 6 days have got the boat re-launched & ocean ready, with fridge, freezer & larder fit to burst with enough stores to get us to the Med.
Today, as we prepare to leave Thailand, Jerry & Davina Saville join our gallant crew. Davina is staying with us until we reach Kuchin, India, whilst Jerry will be on board until we enter the Med, we hope. So we have a merry band of 4 to cross the 3000-mile expanse of the Indian Ocean. This may seem a long way, but it is equal to the passage from the Galapagos to the Marquesas, which took us 19 days. We plan to spend 9 weeks on this passage, stopping at the Andaman Islands, Kuchin & the Lakshadweep Islands en route to Oman, the ports of Red Sea, Suez & beyond on the final leg of our great adventure.
| Sunday 20th. January
|
Belated happy New Year to everyone. We hope that is very happy & healthy for you. Another year flies by & another month since our last update, but we have been a bit busy.
After our chilled out Christmas in Yacht Haven, we flew to Bangkok to experience the bright lights of the city with friends from London - Sarah & Darryn with children Henry, Jasmine & Marly. It was here that I finally got to experience the famous Thai massage. While Dave took the relaxing option, I chose the genuine article. This involved being taken thru' the pain barrier as my muscles were pounded & stretched into submission. It was a very long hour!
We celebrated Henry's 10th birthday on New Years Eve with a visit to a Teppenyaki restaurant. With Darryn's family too, we made a very merry band of 10 & a hilarious time was had by all. After that it was back to the hotel for birthday cake & a fantastic birds eye view of the fireworks at midnight. With a day to recover by the pool, we decided to have another massage. After my previous experience I also took the relaxing option. On our way to the Spa, we passed Sarah as she was leaving, all glassy eyed after her massage. She was a little unsettled at having a male masseuse, especially as he paid special attention to certain parts. Next thing I know my feet are being washed & I'm being led to a chair for reflexology. After an exchange with the receptionist I explained that I wanted a relaxation massage. This is where something got lost in translation & I somehow ended up having a massage with an almost "Happy Ending". A bit of a shock even to the most broadminded. Next day, glassy-eyed, we were back on the big silver bird returning to Phuket via Kuala Lumpur. No we haven't lost our sense of direction, we had to renew our visa's. On arrival in Thailand we were issued with a 30-day visa, but we were planning to stay for 40. Hence the trip to KL, Malaysia to get another 30 days. A roundabout way, but far better than a 14 hour bus trip! So we had breakfast in Bangkok, lunch in Kuala Lumpur & dinner in Phuket!
Back on board, we were hot foot over to Krabi, 40 miles across the bay from Phuket. Here we met up again with Sarah & family to take them for a day sail, so they could finally see this boat we have been floating around on for the past 4½ years. After a slap up lunch & some great snorkelling it was back to shore where all too soon, we waved everyone off as they left for home.
After a couple of days to catch our breath, we welcomed our next guests, Sue & Peter, on board for a weeks cruising the southern islands of the area. We had more great snorkelling & saw some amazing sights. We swam with Leopard Sharks, saw giant squid mating & got up close to a beautiful Lionfish. Fantastic! Next stop - Sunny England, before which we have a week to prepare Papillon for her annual haul-out & maintenance.
| Tuesday 25th December
|
Merry Christmas everybody & very best wishes for all good things in 2008.
We've had a very busy month since our last update with 3 lots guests on board, it must be record.
Our 1st guests were Nigel & Gill who joined us in Penang for a week. Setting sail for Langkawi the next day, yes we actually sailed almost the whole way. Sadly it was beating into wind, so not the idyllic trip we envisaged. The difference in landscape was amazing. As we approached Langkawi we noticed lots of smaller islands rising up like pinnacles & covered in trees. Really unusual. It was at this juncture that Gill, who had been reading the guide-book, told us that Langkawi actually consists of over 90 islands, tho' most are tiny pimples. The anchorages were all beautifully peaceful except for the noise of cicadas & hornbills nesting for the night. During their visit it was my birthday & a few days later Nigel's too. We celebrated mine in Rebak marina with Midge & Michelle off Fourstar & Jo & Giles from Brother Wind. I got a cake with a few candles, a complimentary bottle of wine & we ended up dancing the night away. A great time was had by all - I think. Nigel's celebration was a more low-key affair spent at a lovely local restaurant. We are really enjoying the food here. The Malaysian cuisine is a mix of Chinese, Thai & Indian, so there is something for all. Delicious but no good for the diet. After a great fun week on board, Nigel & Gill checked into a hotel for a bit of luxury & air conditioning. It is very hot & humid here. Average temperatures are between 24-32'C with humidity around 70%. Thankfully it cools down enough at night for us to sleep, especially when we are at anchor.
As we bade farewell to our, we had a few days to catch our breath, do cleaning & laundry & stock up the fridge before Philippa & Mark arrived for a few days. Thankfully there was a lovely pool at Rebak for them to chill by as we battled with our fridge which had suddenly decided to stop working. Then it inexplicably sprang back into life & we were ready for the off. Our 1st stop was the end of the airport runway. There was a big military air-show on & this years was particularly special as Malaysia celebrates 50 years of independence. The Red Arrows were there & it was wonderful to finally get to see their complete display, especially being so far from home. A proud moment for once. The rest of the visit was spent sampling the 5* resorts on the island. We anchored off the Anderman, went ashore for dinner at the Datai & had cocktails at the Four Seasons. Delicious. Then it was back to reality & Papillon sailing into the sunset.
As Philippa & Mark left us we got a phone call from a friend of Dave's who's touring Asia with his girlfriend & would be in Phuket the same time as us. So it was another marina visit to clean, do laundry & a supermarket run to stock up the fridge as we welcomed Gareth & Sylvia on board for a few days. They had just arrived from a trip to Cambodia, so we could compare notes on our upset tums!. We sailed to the north of Phuket & Phang Nga Bay, anchoring off James Bond Island, featured in The Man With The Golden Gun. The scenery was incredible. Souring rock pinnacles which having been ravaged by the weather, looked as tho' they were melting. After a fun few days we arrived at our current anchorage at Yacht Haven Marina on the northern tip of Phuket Island.
It is here that we are enjoying a few days staying still, spending a quiet Christmas in a lovely peaceful & calm anchorage. About to go ashore for a full hit roast turkey dinner at the marina's restaurant. It has just been taken over by an English guy, so we hope we are in for our 1st authentic Christmas dinner since we set sail. Little things! From here it's a flight to Bangkok for a few days over New Year to meet friends. Then we fly back here to meet the same friends at their hotel in Krabi. A few days later, our final set of visitors arrive for a week before we then prepare for the trip home. It's all go!
|
| |
| Sunday 25th November |
As usual, we haven't wasted any time since leaving Singapore. The great debate was how to negotiate the 120 miles along the Malacca Straights to Port Dickson, our 1st stop in Malaysia. Most yachts did it in 3 day-sails, but we decided to go straight for it overnight. Except for a huge storm, called a "Sumatra", with 40 -knot winds hitting us at 4am, we had a good passage along the world's busiest shipping lanes in our little yacht. We have since learned that this area is also known to have the most lightening storms and, as a result, most lightening strikes in the world. We are definitely very happy to escape from this hazardous area.
Whilst in Port Dickson, we did a quick trip into Kuala Lumpur for a bit of sightseeing. The famous Petronas Twin Towers were a beautiful sight & we were glad to be staying overnight, as they looked even more impressive; Like two giant crystal columns. Shopping in KL was also a far more relaxing experience than Singapore. Here they actually try to sell you exactly what you want.
Next stop was the holiday island of Pangkor, where we shared the anchorage with Four Star & Brother Wind after an overnight sail in convoy from Port Dickson. There's a luxury Spa resort once favoured by Pavarotti & Princess Di! Sadly they are not very friendly to us yotties, so we amused ourselves by hiring scooters for the day & exploring the island. By 3pm we had completed a circuit, which included a lunch stop. Not quite ready to end the day, as we approached the anchorage, we turned the bikes round & did another circuit back in the opposite direction, which took all of 40 mins non-stop.
After a couple of days R&R we moved onto Penang. We have sort of been following the Sail Malaysia Rally & chose to arrive a little earlier than the fleet to have more time to explore the island. The marina is very uncomfortable as it is right next to a busy ferry dock. So we decided that it was too uncomfortable to stay on board & booked a weeklong trip to Cambodia. Leaving the next day, our trip started in the capital, Phnom Penh where we visited the Kings stunning royal palace. In complete contrast, we spent the afternoon touring the Killing Fields & Genocide Museum; A chilling reminder of the suffering & torture of Cambodians at the hands of Pohl Pot & his regime. Early the next day we were on a fast boat, transferring us to Siem Reap for our temple experience at the old capitol of Angkhor. The journey took 6 hours, during which we saw many locals swimming, washing, cooking, drinking & defecating in the river waters. Small wonder that I was fighting to gain control of my stomach after a night spent in the bathroom. After eating at some very strange looking places throughout Asia, it took 2 French restaurants to make us ill.
Having been told Siem Reap was smaller than Phnom Penh, we were taken aback at the size of the place & it's still growing at an alarming rate to cope with Cambodia's new industry - tourism. There were crowds of people everywhere & lots of buses lined up at every hotel. Ouch!! As I write this sat at the table inside, Dave is cleaning the cockpit with gay abandon. Not realising that the windows were open I have just been drenched by one quick sweep of the hosepipe. Thankfully the computer is unscathed. So, back to Siem Reap, where Dave's stomach also took a turn for the worse & our sightseeing involved several visits to the pharmacy. One was slightly alarming as he issued medical advice, standing behind the counter bare-chested with a large fly on his shoulder. Despite our upset tums, we had an amazing trip & the temples were stunning. It's a shame they moved the capitol to Phnom Penh as the country seemed to go downhill from there. I think we could study the history of this country forever & still never fully understand it.
|
After our Cambodian experience, it was back on board in Penang to welcome friends Nigel & Gill on board where we sailed up to Langkawi. Yes! We actually sailed all day. We hope the winds have now settled & look forward to more sailing as we aim for Phuket in time for Xmas.
|
|
|
| | Friday 26th October
|
Greetings from the Singapore! We have finally left Indonesia and are nestled into Raffles Marina having crossed the Equator en route. We have also changed Papillon's registration. Having paid off the French finance, we debated whether to re-register the boat in England, but the decision was taken out of our hands. As we are not resident in France, we had to surrender the registration, so Papillon now has Manchester as her homeport& is now proudly sporting a new red ensign.
We dragged ourselves away from Bali, spending a few days island-hopping to Kumai in Kalimantan, home of the Orang-utans. We stopped at the island of Raas, one of the prettiest & peaceful anchorages we have visited. No noise from mosques & no locals petering us for freebies. Just a couple of fishermen offering lobster & squid. We bought the latter which was delicious. From Raas it was on to Bawean, another good anchorage after a very fraught overnight sail dodging fish traps. These are 30' long bundles of bamboo & branches with nets strung below, attached to the seabed with no markers to identify them. They lie just underwater & are only visible when a wave hits them. We definitely did not want to snag one of those between our hulls & thankfully we didn't, more by luck than by design. However the relief at finding another lovely anchorage was short-lived as 4 mosques geared up at sunset for another night of competitive wailing. It is advisable not to visit this area during Ramadan. After another sleepless night, we were off early the next morning for a 24-hour sail to Kalimantan & our Orang-utan experience.
We spent a day topping up on fuel, going to the nearest town for fresh food & much needed cash. What is a simple task at home can take all day in Indonesia. That done 8am the next morning found us climbing on board a boat called a Klotok, which was our transport, restaurant & accommodation for the 2-day trip upriver. We visited 3 different sanctuaries at their various feeding times. The animals are semi-wild, quite unpredictable & each looks very different with their own personality. They are incredibly like humans, but with a bit more hair. To make sure they all eat sufficiently, they are fed at certain intervals with whatever fruit is in season. The ones who are fending well for themselves stay away, but there are still some who are happy to sit posing for photos on the feeding platforms. We had such a fantastic experience & are still pinching ourselves at what we have seen.
After all our travels, it was unfortunate that we were the victims of a mugging on this trip. Whilst walking thru' the jungle, minding our business, a female orang-utan swung down from the trees complete with baby clinging on for dear life. She sidled up to me, wrapping her hand around my leg & whilst everyone watched, she slyly slipped the other arm around Dave going straight for his back-pack, "Get off you bugger, it's mine!" Was Dave's calm reply & so the fracas ensued. His comments seemed to fall on deaf ears, as she let go of me & grabbed the pack with both hands & feet, whilst Dave clung on like a demon. Then, just like a petulant child, she wrapped her arms around the pack & curled up on the floor with Dave in tow. Nothing was going to come between her & that pack, but Dave wasn't prepared to let go. His wallet & 'phone were in there. (Or so he thought at the time. I'd already taken them out before we left!) Thankfully after much shouting, coaxing with bananas & waving of big sticks by the guides, she let go & slunk off into the jungle, sulking. Apparently they go for backpacks because the guides carry the food in them. We weren't told this at the time & on our next forays we only took our cameras, backpacks left safely behind on the boat.
The rest of the trip passed without major incident, but with lots of animal encounters & we have the task of editing the 200 photos we have taken. It's down to 120, but the animals are so photogenic it's hard to cut back. It's also whilst looking thru' the photos that the individual characteristics of each are plainly visible. We particularly liked the huge male called Alava-lager. Arriving back at the anchorage in the dark, we were treated to a spectacular light show from the hundreds of fireflies along the riverbank, quite an end to an amazing trip.
Still in a daze, the next morning we headed down river, making the most of the 3-knot current, heading north as we left the river mouth. The sky grew more ominous as we progressed & one look at the radar showed several squalls ahead lined up like soldiers. The rain we were grateful for, as Dave rushed on deck with soap & brushes to give the boat its 1st freshwater wash since we left Darwin in July. It was the lightening storms that followed which were the most worrying. All night we sat on watch as each squall passed over us, keeping our fingers crossed, hoping we didn't get a lightening strike, which would wipe out all our electrical systems. We put loose items like computers in the oven for protection, not sure how that works & we haven't needed to find out either, thankfully. We were very happy to see the dawn & clearer skies.
Whilst in Bali, we jokingly suggested that a few of us try to raft up on the Equator, not for 1 minute thinking it would happen. We didn't actually all tie up together, but Brother Wind, Four Star & ourselves all managed to come from different directions & meet on the Equator for a celebration. Dave entered into the spirit of things by dressing up as Neptune & seemed overly keen at the prospect of donning a skirt, necklace & funny hat. It's a good feeling to be back in the northern hemisphere & closer to home.
So here we are in Singapore, still battling with our temperamental generator, which we now hope is fixed, again. It's quite an assault on the senses to have supermarkets full of tempting food & huge shopping malls full of everything you never thought you needed. Our VHF broke in Bali & we have tried to fix it here & have discovered an interesting sales technique, which is widely used. If it isn't in stock, then we are told it's either obsolete or just no good & another, more expensive item is thrust in front of us as the only alternative. On our hunt for a new VHF one shop said the 4 series was no good. In other words, he didn't have any in stock. The next shop said the 4 series was the better radio & they did have stock! Whatever you think you're going to buy, you end up with something different plus every available accessory you really don't need.
|
Armed with a working generator & our new gizmos, we prepare to leave heading up the West coast of Malaysia to Penang & Langkawi.
|
|
|
| | Friday 5th October
|
Since our last update, we have enjoyed one of our favourite places in Indonesia so far, Bali. Despite being the most developed in terms of tourism, we had a great time as we avoided the real tourist hotspots of Kuta & Nusa Dua.
After our long day sail, dodging fishermen along the north coast of Lombok, we found a beautiful bay on the NW tip close to the popular Gili Aer. There were 2 lovely hotels in the bay, one of which allowed all sailors to have free reign of the facilities. Whilst some went off on island tours, we had a peaceful day sitting around the pool of the Medana resort, arriving at 12 noon for lunch & finally climbing back on board at 9pm, after too many cold beers with fellow cruisers. It was a great stopover. The next day we took some friends round in Papillon to explore Gili Air. Here I risked another Benhur journey, thankfully it was a lot more pleasant than the nightmare in Bima. The island is another peaceful haven where time literally stands still. We stopped at a pretty beachside restaurant for lunch at 1pm & finally got served at 3.30pm. No one is in a hurry here.
After this relaxing time, it was off to Lovina on the north coast of Bali. Here we were made to feel like royalty, with all the stops pulled out in our honour. New fountains & pavements suddenly appeared a few days before our arrival & hundreds of chairs were lined up along the beach for a gala evening. We were very moved to be so welcomed & had great fun shopping & bartering with the local stallholders. With sarongs costing £1.50 and pure cotton tunics at £2, we probably paid over the odds, but it was all so cheap. You find yourself arguing over 20,000 rupia (£1), but to the locals, that is a small fortune. I went out for dinner wearing my new purchases. My whole outfit cost £10 - incredible. Lovina is a really great place. Just enough for the tourist without losing its identity. We happened upon the Hotel Chonos, owned by a Dutch lady called Susan, she also made us most welcome & we made good use of the restaurant, massage facilities & the pool, tempted to stay in the lovely air-conditioned rooms. Dragging ourselves back on board, we enjoyed an amazing evening of music, dancing & food, laid on in our honour. Dave & I were interviewed for the local TV & radio, our interviewers becoming very animated when we said we were from Manchester, inviting us to their homes to watch the United-Chelsea game that night.
The next day we went on a bus tour, an unusual departure for us & one we will not repeat in a hurry. What started out as our own tailor-made cultural tour ended up with our guide dragging us from one shop or gallery to another. Having left Lovina at 7am, we were at the end of our tethers when we were finally deposited back 14 hours later. The highlight of the day was a visit to the most revered temple in Bali, Pura Besakih or Mother Temple. On the day of our visit, there were major celebrations taking place for the harvest & the new moon. It was quite a spectacle watching the locals dressed in all their finery, praying & giving offerings to their gods. They aren't in the least bit camera shy, which made for some lovely shots.
Despite the long day, the following morning we were back on the road with Midge & Michelle from Four Star. This time we had hired a car, heading inland for a few days R&R in Ubud, the arts & crafts centre of the island. We found a beautiful hotel in the heart of the town, with an infinity pool overlooking paddy fields. Here we did yet more shopping with Dave purchasing an interesting Venetian style, blown glass vase for £10. We also bought a couple of beautifully carved figures & more clothes! We are finding that our regular gear is just too hot & heavy in this climate. As a mark of respect to their religion, shorts & sleeveless tops are a no-no. With the car heavily loaded up, we ambled back to Lovina after being thoroughly pampered during our 2-night visit, stopping for lunch en route at an hotel with the most breath-taking views of the mountains & rice terraces.
|
So onward we travel, sad to be leaving Lovina behind, we are now island hopping to Kalimantan (Borneo) where we plan to do a trip upriver to the jungle, home to the orang-utans. Our only bug bear as we sail thru' this Muslim country during Ramadan, is the incessant chanting from the numerous minarets. In our current anchorage, we have 4 in competition with one another, the main one of which had chants at full volume from 5 till 8 this morning. Ramadan finishes in a week, when we hope that we may finally get some sleep.
|
|
| Tuesday 18th September
|
Another late update after Dave stayed on board whilst I returned to the UK for a whirlwind visit. Internet access here is extremely limited at best. Many in the fleet have got SIM cards for their mobile phones and with a lot of help from Dave, are all accessing the internet from the comfort of their boats. Downloads are as slow as they can be, very much like the Indonesian way of life. So updating the website has been nothing short of impossible. That's our excuse anyway.
The way of life here is very basic & with an average wage of 50p a day, the locals are very poor. This means that, in certain anchorages, the yachts get mobbed. Rather than wait for us to go ashore, the locals race out in their canoes gathering around the boat like kids around Father Christmas, asking for any handouts, whilst bashing & clambering over the boat. Sadly this has the reverse affect as we all just leave to find a more peaceful place to stay. Sadly we are taken advantage of in most places we visit. Whilst the prices are very cheap, we have noticed some hastily handwritten menus with inflated prices, created on our behalf. Diesel prices are 50% higher than at the pump, but it is delivered to the boat & still only 25p a litre. Not content with such profits, we find our jerry cans are not filled to the top, so we are short changed as well as short measured. Once or twice this is acceptable, but it happens at every place we take on fuel, practically every stop, due to the lack of wind resulting in us motoring between the islands.
Despite these minor irritations, we have really enjoyed sailing thru' Indonesia. Dave has been well looked after in my absence, having buddied-up with a few boats in the fleet. They nearly killed themselves hiking up a volcano on Lembata and then hiking around the 3 lakes at Kelimutu. In Lembata, there was a fete in honour of the fleet where the children dressed in local costumes, played drums & danced, leading a procession to the local governors residence. There have been several gala dinners in our honour, however if you're not at the front of the queue, there's no food left. Not sure if that's due to the large appetites of the fleet, or Indonesian haphazard organisational skills.
Since my return, the antics continue. We have dived off the Komodo Islands. One of our best dives to date, in crystal clear waters teeming with huge fish, many of which we have never seen before. The snorkelling has also been great. Whilst in this area we took the opportunity to see the famous Komodo dragons in the wild & from a distance! They really are quite big & thankfully the ones we saw had already eaten. We have ridden in a Benhur in Bima. These are 2-wheeled carts dragged around the town by small ponies. With the dock being too far away, we had no choice but to risk life & limb riding these uncomfortable carts to get our provisions. Quite an experience & one I do not wish to repeat in a hurry.
Despite so many boats travelling together, we have found a few anchorages to ourselves. However, the other night we were more than grateful to have boats around us. Arriving at 4pm after a very long day sailing & motoring, we dropped our anchor between 2 other boats close to the shore. During the night the winds picked up, as is common here & we all started swinging on our anchors. By 10pm all seemed well as we went to bed, despite the non- stop singing from the shore as the locals celebrated Rammadan. The next thing we knew, we were woken at 1am to hear air horns sounding & see lights flashing. It was a boat called Second Winds, trying to rouse us. We had dragged on our anchor & were on our way out to sea, fast asleep & oblivious. We are eternally grateful to Brian & Glee. If he hadn't gone on deck after being woken by the boat next-door letting out more chain, we dread to think what might have happened to us. Thankfully no harm was done except to our nerves.
|
Getting between the islands is challenging due the amount of debris, rubbish & fishing nets in the water. On our trip across the top of Lombok, we had to thread our way around the numerous little fishing boats guarding their nets like a mother & her chicks. These drift nets are up to 100m long with a small marker buoy at each end. With so many in the water it's quite hard to distinguish the ends from the middle. Tho' it's owner is very quick to chase you away, sometimes pushing you towards a rivals nets. We were very happy to arrive at the Gili's, a trio of beautiful small islands off the NW coast of Lombok. Here we look forward to another gala evening, tho this time the fleet have taken control. Getting a little tired of turning up at towns & villages for the various functions, only to find that the anchorage is too small or uncomfortable or out of the way, certain boats have organised buses to take us to Sengiggi for our next do. Tho' I am sure the businesses there were looking forward to having 60 boats anchored near their shore. It seems the government are trying to turn our visit into a large PR campaign to encourage tourism back to the islands after the bombings.
|
|
|
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
