November 21, 2006

We left Puerto Princesa at first light as planned.  Cissy must have seen us pulling up our anchor because as we started to motor out to the channel she came roaring out in her speedboat to say goodbye and escort us out of the bay.

The sail to Rasa Island on Mantaquin Bay (09º 13'.888N - 118º 25'.713E) was very pleasant.  The wind, what there was of it, was to our back as were the waves.  We reach the island in the late afternoon and found a local fisherman to escort us through the reefs and shallow spots to a quiet anchorage.  Rasa Island is not much more than a mangrove swamp, but there was enough cover to provide a quiet anchorage.  The wind blew throughout the night but did not rock the boat.

November 22, 2006

We again left at first light for the short sail to Brook's Point on Ipolote Bay (08º 46'.199N - 117º 49'.661E).  The weather and seas were much the same as yesterday; the wind was blowing at about 10 knots and seas were running 2 to 3 feet. 

As we entered the bay we were hailed by the port captain of the commercial pier.  He told us that we could tie up at the pier and even had a large cargo ship move forward to make room for us.  Things like this just don’t happen in most ports and at first were very grateful.  As it turned out the cargo ship was taking on a load of charcoal.  By the time she was fully loaded Alchemy was covered with a coat of black dust.

Piers are one of two types, floating and fixed.  When you tie up to a floating pier you can make your dock lines tight.  As the tide comes and goes the pier rises and falls with it.  With fixed piers you have to adjust your lines as the tide comes in and goes out.  Last evening the high tide occurred at 10:30 PM and then dropped almost 6 feet over the next few hours.  I had to set my alarm and wake up every hour to adjust our dock line.  On top of all of this the current caused by the tide made the boat rock to an uncomfortable point all night long.  No one got a good nights sleep.

November 23, 2006 – Thanksgiving Day

As I said in the last post we are delaying our Thanksgiving Day dinner until we reach Kota Kinabalu.  We are spending the day making the passage from Brooke’s Point to the Calandorang Bay on Balabac Island (07º 59'.925N - 117º 03'.858E).  Our last stop in the Philippines before we head across the Balabac Straits on our way to Sabah, Malaysia.

The weather held and we had a quiet passage.  Little wind and the waves were on our stern.  Everything was going as planned until we reached the bay.  This had to be the worst anchorage we have experienced.  The bay is wide open to the seas and wind.  There were no little coves we could duck behind to find protection, the wind howled all night long and the waves kept the boat rocking.  We took turns staying up on anchor watch.  Not the way you want to spend the night before making a passage that could prove challenging.

The only bright spot was the dinner the Admiral prepared; steak on the grill.  Not quite the same as a Turkey dinner, but a good substitute considering the conditions.

November 24, 2006

We obtain our weather information from a number of different sources.  Satellite weather faxes, web sites and talking to others who have just made the passage we are about to make.  We have found that most of the information is good for about three days and for the most part is very accurate.  One web site we rely on is buoyweather.com.  It provides a map with virtual buoys located at strategic points.  When you click on one of them it gives you information on the intensity and direction of the wind and predicted wave heights.  For our passage through the often hazardous Balabac Straits it said the wind would be blowing from the east at 10 knots and the wave heights would be 2 to 4 feet with occasional 10 foot swells.  This was spot on.

I charted a course that kept the wind and waves on the port side of our stern.  This kept our rolling motion to a minimum and gave us a little push every time a wave overtook us.  We normally run the engine at about 1,400 rpm which pushes us along at about 7 to 7.5 knots.  With the help of the wind and waves we spent most of the day cruising along at 8.5 knots.  Not a big increase, but enough to make a difference.

At this time of the year, in this location; we have about 12 hours of useable daylight.  At 5:30 AM it is light enough to raise the anchor so we can get under way.  We need about an hour to do this and reach deep water.  I allow the same amount of time at the end of the day to find a good spot and make sure the anchor is set.  This gives us 10 or so hours to make our intended passage.  Using an average cruising speed of 7 knots we plan on doing no more then 70 nautical miles in a day.  The passage on open water through the Straits was 65 miles, so we were cutting it a little close.  As it turned, with the help we got from the wind and waves we pulled into Agal Bay ((06º 49'.137N - 116º 38'.974E) with time to spare.  The bay has a dog leg at the end which gave us shelter and provided us with a much needed good nights sleep.

November 25, 2006

After spending a very quiet night we headed out to make our last passage for a while.  We could not have asked for a better day.  There was virtually no wind to contend with and the small swells (2 to 4 feet) were on our stern.  Alchemy chugged along at 7 knots and we completed the 70 NM trip in a little less than 10 hours.

Spending 10 hours driving a boat is not the same as spending 10 hours behind the wheel of a car.  I charted a course that was far enough offshore so that we did not have to contend with reefs, shallow spots or local fishing boats.  Once on course the boat can be put on autopilot.  At that point you can set back and relax.  We watch DVD’s, read books or enjoy the scenery as we sail down the coast.  There is always someone in the helm seat but that person’s sole responsibilities are to occasionally glance ahead to make sure there is nothing there that would require a course change and to check the engine gages.  Alchemy has a depth sounder that will warn us if the water is getting shallow.  On passages such as this I usually set it at 60 feet so we have plenty of time should we be approaching an uncharted reef.  In addition, she has radar that will track other vessels so that we will know if we are on a collision course.

At about 2:30 PM we made a course change that brought us into Kota Kinabalu’s harbor and towards Sutera Harbor Marina (05º 58'.022N - 116º 03’.380E). The marina is located deep in the harbor on its southwest coast.  After the course change it took us an hour to reach the marina.  Several days ago we sent an email to the harbor master asking for slip reservations so they were expecting us.

The marina complex includes two five star hotels located on each side of the yacht club.  In back of the hotels and club there are two golf courses.  The complex also has an internet café, weight room and a number of bars and restaurants.  Visiting yachts have free access to all of the facilities and receive a 25% discount on food and beverage.  After spending several nights anchored in questionable spots, the Admiral feels like she in now in heaven.

We will be stay here for at least a couple of months.  My brother and his family will arrive on December 20^th to spend the holidays with us.  The Chinese New Year falls on February 18^th this year and Yu-ching’s family are thinking about joining us at that time.  The location couldn’t be better.  The weather at this time of the year is great for sailing and the northern coast of Borneo has lots of places to explore including Brunei, which is only a day sail from here.

Today we are going to take the shuttle bus from the marina and explore the town.  Tomorrow we have to go to the customs and immigration offices to let them know that we are in the country and do the necessary paperwork.

November 26, 2005

I woke up this morning to the sound of call to prayers.  Malaysia is a Moslem country, but very laid back when compared to some place like Saudi.  For example, beer, wine, etc. are available in the stores and restaurants and they observe a western work week.

I have been told by others that they were disappointed by KK and I can understand their feelings.  It is a modern city with its share of high rise buildings and shopping malls.  At first glance it appears to lack the character of places like Hong Kong.  If you come in on a cruise ship or stay at one of the resorts you often don’t have the time or ability to search out sections of the city where the people of KK live and shop.  If you do have time, KK and the surrounding area have much to offer.  There are night markets and the Kota Belud Sunday Market with their food stalls and local handicrafts.  Offshore there are beautiful islands with sandy beaches and coral reefs to explore.  Inland there is Mount Kinabalu., the highest mountain in Asia.  Borneo is the home of Orangutans and Proboscis monkeys and while it is rare to see them in the wild there are wildlife centers where they care for orphans and prepare them for release.  You can take a steam train into the interior of the island and visit the ancestral home of Monsopiad, the infamous warriors (read headhunters) of the Kadazan Dusun tribe.  In addition, when you are on a yacht you can travel along the coast and visit other towns and villages that would be impossible to see in any other way.

We are looking forward to seeing these and other attractions when our families visit over the holidays.  In the mean time we have a number of maintenance projects which will keep us busy.

November 27, 2006

Yesterday we took the shuttle bus to the downtown section of KK to have lunch and look around.  There is nothing too exciting in the main part of town, but it will be a good place to re-provision and pick up some spare parts we need.  We had lunch in a restaurant that served typical Malay dishes, taking a pass on gourmet places such as McDonalds, KFC and Pizza Hut.  Over the years we have visited Malaysia several times and I have always thought that the country had some of the best food I have ever tasted.  The restaurant we ate in and the ones at the yacht club confirmed my feelings.

I will probably take a break from posting daily accounts of our activities for a while.  Yu-ching will be flying to Taiwan in a few days to spend some time with her family and prepare for the arrival of my brother and his family.  Geronimo and I will be working around the boat, changing engine oil, giving her a coat of wax and doing other exciting things, so there will not be much to write about.

I have posted some more pictures under Blog Photos 15.

November 20, 2006

We have spent the last two days filling our water tanks, having our laundry done, restocking the galley, doing routine maintenance on the boat and in general enjoying our rest stop at the yacht club.  As is always the case, we have met a lot of interesting people and have renewed friendships with people we have met in other ports.  With 7,000+ islands, the Philippines provide route options galore.

In addition to the above we have also been talking to other cruisers about anchorages from Puerto Princesa to Kota Kinabalu.  We now have a route planned that will allow us to make day passages all the way to KK.  As a precaution, we have also noted addition spots along the way were we could drop our anchor should the weather turn sour.

The Philippines is not a place were you want to sail overnight unless you go way offshore.  The passages between the islands are littered with fish traps and nets set up by the local fishermen.  There are also “Pearl Farms” to contend with.  When you see one, it looks like you are about to sail into a mine field.  They are laid out in a grid patter with black buoys at each intersection.  The buoys are attached to each other with ropes and hanging from each buoy is a cage filled with oysters that have been seeded so they will produce pearls.  The farms are protected by armed guards in patrol boats.  They are not the friendliest people you will ever meet, but they will escort you around the farm if needed.

Our charts are marked with shipping lanes that are suppose to be open, but the fishermen and pearl farms pay no attention to them.  You have to keep a vigilant watch at all times and if you don’t you will suddenly find yourself in a maze.  On several occasions we have gotten half way through a channel only to find the end blocked.  Our only way out was to retrace our path and find another channel.

We plan to leave PP tomorrow morning and sail southwest along the coast of Palawan, stopping at Rasa Island on Mantaquin Bay (09º 13N - 118º 25E) the first night.  On the second day we will sail to Brooke’s Point on Ipolote Bay (08º 46N - 117º 49E).  From there we will leave Palawan and sail to Busuanga Island, the last major island in this part of the Philippines.  The island has three major bays along its eastern coast and we will stop in one of them.  We would like to sail as far south as possible, but this will be a long day, so darkness will make the decision for us.

From Busuanga we will say a fond farewell to the Philippines.  Our next port will be Agal Bay (06º 49N - 116º 37E) in Sarawak, Malaysia on the island of Borneo.  In making this passage we will have to spend about a half a day crossing the Busuanga Straits.  Because these waters can be torturous at times, we may have to delay our passage until the wind and waves are in our favor.  Right now the weather looks favorable, but we won’t be there until Thursday evening, November 23^rd, so conditions may change by then.

When we were in Subic Bay we purchased two Butterball turkeys, one for Thanksgiving and one for Christmas.  It looks like we may have to delay our Thanksgiving feast until we reach KK as roasting a turkey while sailing is not the easiest thing to do.

From Agal Bay we will only have to make one stop before we reach KK.  That stop will be at Teluk Usukan Bay (06º 21N - 116º 20E).

If things go as planned it will take 6 days to reach KK, assuming the weather continues to be in our favor.  As I have said before, we only sail when the conditions are next to perfect and since we have a lot of time before Yu-ching needs to fly to Taiwan to meet my brother and his family there is no reason to take chances.

When I post messages and photos to our Blog I also have the opportunity to see how many hits have been made.  When I checked yesterday the number was almost 2,000.  When I log on it counts as a hit, but I have not logged on that many times so it means that there are other people out their visiting the Blog.  WHO ARE YOU?  Below each entry there is a “comment” link you can click and leave a message.  So far only two people have done this.  If you have time, please leave a short message telling us who you are.

This will probably be our last posting for a while as access to the internet will be limited from here to KK.  I will try to write something each day and post them when I can log on.

We hope you and yours have a great Thanksgiving.  Please think of us as you eat your turkey.

More later!

November 13, 2006

In our last posting we said we were going to spend some more time in Coron City because of the weather and that our next port of call was going to be Halsey Harbor.  How quickly things change.

A few words about Coron before I write more about our travels.  If you ever have a chance to visit Coron City make sure you stop by Sea Dive and their restaurant.  Not only is the food good, the sailing information you can receive from “American Jim” (the owner) is invaluable.

While we were enjoying a second cup of coffee after our breakfast we had a conversation with Jim.   He told us of 6 new places to anchor on our way to KK as well as making a suggestion on a different route to follow.

As we talked we were also watching the sea and clouds.  The weather outlook was improving, so much so that at about 1:00 PM we decided to put a few nautical miles behind us.

At present we are anchored off of the northeast coast of Bulalacao Island (11º 46’.129N - 120º 07’.908E).in a small cove that Jim suggested.  It is a very quite anchorage with little wind and no waves – the Admiral is very happy.

Tomorrow we will move further south and may, if the weather holds, reach Palawan Island.

November 13, 2006

As I write this Geronimo is in the engine room cleaning up pieces of an alternator belt that broke just as we were approaching Bulalacao Island.  Fortunately we have spares for just such occasions, but we will need to purchase more when we reach KK.  The one that broke and the two spares we had were made in China and are poor quality.  In trying to figure out why it broke, I noticed that the pulleys on the alternator and engine are not aligned properly.  We will need to inspect the belt carefully each time we do an engine room check.

I hesitate to write about where we will be anchored next as our destinations keep changing.  I do know that the next spot where we will spend a few days is Puerto Princesa as that is the last city of any size between here and KK.  It is also the last place where we can do the paperwork required to officially check out of the Philippines.

We would like to make it to Dumaran Island (10º 30’.098N - 119º 55’.250) tomorrow evening but it is about 80 NM from our current anchorage.  We like to cruise at around 7 knots so it would take us 11+ hours to get there.  If we are underway by 6:00 am we would not reach the island until 5:00 pm.  By that time it is beginning to get dark and I don’t like going into a new bay or cove at twilight – it is very hard to see reefs and other shallow spots when the sun is on the horizon.  Unless the wind and weather are right, allowing us to go a little faster, we may have to find another anchorage.  Fortunately, I have found a couple of places along the way where we could spend the night.

November 14, 2006

Neptune did not smile on us today.  The wind and waves made the passage very rough so reaching Dumaran Island was out of the question.

Dumaran Island is south and a little east of Bulalacao over seas that are unprotected by islands.  The wind and waves were coming from the southeast and hitting us on the port side just aft of the bow.  At one point we took a rouge wave that came over the bow flooding the forward deck and flying bridge.

It became very clear to us that we would be taking more waves like that one if we continued on that course so we promptly turned west and headed for Linapacan Island (11º 28’.001N - 119º 46’.687E).  Jim had told us about a small bay that would provide protected anchorage and he was correct.  We spend a quite evening while the wind and waves pounded the other side of the island.

November 15, 2006

More unsettled weather; not as bad as yesterday but enough to make us look for a passage that would put islands between us and the open sea.  Instead of heading offshore for Dumaran we sailed south to the east coast of Palawan Island, keeping behind the small islands that lie just off its shores.

The charts indicated that there was a safe anchorage deep in Calauag Bay (10º 40’.767N - 119º 34’.876E).  When I have time I need to write to the makers if the charts with updated information about this anchorage.  The cove they indicated was too shallow to enter so we spent an hour or more cruising very slowly around the bay looking for a quite place.  We found one that protected us from the waves, but not from the prevailing winds.  I slept in the Pilot House because I was afraid that the wind would cause the anchor to drag.  As it turned out the anchor did not drag but the strong winds whipping the boat back and forth kept me awake most of the night.

November 16, 2005

What a glorious day, little wind and no waves.  Blue skies and turquoise seas.  Today was the kind of day that makes you forget about the ones I wrote about above.  As we sailed south along the coast of Palawan we zig zaged around a host of interesting small islands and reefs.  Some of the islands were nothing more than a small sandy beach with a few coconut palms.  Others were not much more than a mangrove swamp.  The charts show that Johnson Island is about 5 miles long and 2 miles wide, but the actual land mass above water is only about ½ mile long and ¼ mile wide; the rest is mangrove trees that grow is shallow salt water.

We are spending the night in Green Island Bay.  North Verde Island (10º 06’.534N - 119º 13’.765E) is in the bay and we are anchored in the passage between it and Palawan.

While the charts we are using are the latest ones available, we have found that we cannot always rely on them for information about the depth of the water in places like this.  We have learned the hard way that it saves a lot of time and bottom paint to have a local fisherman guide us around the reefs and other shallow spots when we anchor.

It’s almost 5:30 am as I write this posting and the sun is just coming up. It rained during the night but has stopped now and it looks like it is going to be another beautiful day.  We are only about 40 miles from Puerto Princesa (09º 44’.943N - 118º 43’.515E) so there is no great rush to get underway.  I have arranged for a local fishing boat to guide us out of the bay.  Our course today will take us in a southeasterly direction which should put the wind and seas on our back making for a pleasant sail.  We plan to spend several days in PP re-provisioning and going through the formal checking out procedures for the Philippines.

November 18, 2006

We are anchored in front of the Abenica Yacht Club in Puerto Princesa harbor at (09º 45'.973N - 118º 43'.754E).

After spending a quiet night at anchor we set sail for PP at around 7:00 AM.  The sky was overcast, the wind was blowing at about 15 knots and the swells were 5 to 10 feet.  The wind and waves were, for the most part, at our back so we have a reasonably smooth ride across the Sulu Sea.

We arrived in PP’s harbor at 1:15 PM and put down a temporary anchor just off the main part of town.  While Geronimo and Yu-ching took care of the routine things one must do after making a short passage I set off in the dingy to find the yacht club.  I knew its approximate location, but the charts indicated that the path we would need to follow was littered with reefs and shallow spots.  When I docked at the club I was greeted by John and Cissy, the owners, handed a beer and made to feel welcome.  John volunteered to take his dingy out to the place where we were anchored and guide us to the club.  I was very grateful for this as I’m sure I would not have reached the club without scraping bottom several times.

To give you some idea of the kind of people you meet as you cruise - as we sat enjoying after dinner drinks and conversation, John & Cissy said that they were going to retire for the evening but we were welcome to stay as long as we wanted, help ourselves to anything we wanted from the bar and could settle the bill tomorrow.  When was the last time you had an offer like that from people you had known for only a few hours.

When we anchored in Green Island Bay I noticed that a sailboat (Stylopara) was also at anchor about a half a mile down from us.  Normally we would put the dingy in the water and go over to say hello, but we just didn’t’ have the energy.  As we sailed to PP we passed the same boat at about the half way point.  We finally met the couple, Tony and Valarie McDonald, last evening while we were having dinner at the club.  They are from Australia and have been cruising for the last 18 months in the South Seas.  Their next major port of call will be KK.

We will be doing our usual maintenance things today along with going into the town to restock our supplies.  Tomorrow will be a rest day and on Monday we will take care of the clearance procedures.  If everything goes as planned we will sail at first light on Tuesday morning.

Cissy and John have been sailing in these waters for a number of years so we will set down with them, planed the route we will take and noted the good places to drop the anchor for the night.

KK is about 280 miles south southeast of PP.  I think we can sail this distance in 5 days without killing ourselves.  As things look now we will have two days when we will need to log 70 miles or so, but this is doable if we get an early start.  Time will tell.

I have posted some more pictures under Blog Photos 14.

November 13, 2006

A typhoon passed through Manila yesterday and then broke up, which was good news.  The bad news is that it brought unsettled weather (winds and rain) to a wide area including the route we intended to follow today.  We woke up early to find strong winds rocking the boat and lightening on the horizon.  As a result we have decided to delay our departure until the weather improves.

Our next anchorage, Halsey Harbor on Culion Island, is only about 23 miles as the crow flies, but because we have to sail around a number of islands and reefs the actual sailing distance is more than double that distance.  We still have almost a month before we have to be in Kota Kinabalu so a delay of a day or two here or there will not make much of a difference.  We have promised ourselves that unless we can be assured of a safe smooth passage we will not pull up the anchor.

There is a hill overlooking Coron City and its bay.  The city/church has placed a cross on top of the hill that is lit up at night.  Last evening Geronimo climbed the hill and took some very nice pictures that I have posted under Blog Photos 13.

November 5, 2005

On November 2^nd at 6:13 am we sailed out of Puerto Galera to begin the next legs of our journey.  PG is located on the northern side of Mindoro Island.  The channel between that island and Luzon Island can be wild, especially when the current is flowing in one direction and the wind from the other.  Such was the case on the day we left.

We had picked out three possible anchorages for the evening.  The first was on the south side of Golo Island (13, 27.231N – 120, 25.219E), but as we reached the point to turn and head for Golo, it was oblivious that with the present wind and sea conditions the anchorage would not be comfortable.  The next possibility was a shallow bay on Pantocomi Point (13, 22.764N – 120, 23.619E).  Here again we felt that we would spend the night rocking and rolling at anchor so we moved on to our next option Paluan Bay (13, 24.524N – 120, 23.474E).  We found a quiet spot on the northeast corner of the bay and spent a quite evening.  Several small boats from the village located on the bay came out to try to sell us things.  We purchased some bananas and coconuts and had hoped to get some fresh fish for dinner but they did not have any.

Early the next morning we pulled up the anchor headed due south for North Pandan Island (12, 51.373N – 120, 45.299E).  We had been told that there was a good place to anchor in front of a nice resort located in this small island.  Both the anchorage and resort were a big disappointment.

The anchorage was between North and South Pandan and we spent a wild night swinging on our anchor.  Despite the fact that we felt Kuro-Shio and Alchemy were anchored far enough apart we managed to make contact at about 3:00 am.  Normally boats will swing together with changes in the wind and current/tide.  But at this anchorage we found that because of the big difference between the amount of area exposed to the wind that we have, as opposed to Kuro-Shio, the two boats were sometime pointed in different directions.  Neither boat suffered any damage so no harm was done, but the rest of the night was spent on anchor watch.  In the future we will increase the distance between the boats.

The “nice” resort was anything but that.  The huts used to house their guests have windows but no screens.  They use outhouses for bathrooms and the showers are saltwater.  Needless to say we moved on at first light.

Earlier we had considered spending a night anchored at Apo Reef (12, 40.611N – 120, 28.443E), reportedly one of the best dive and snorkeling spots in Asia.  From conversations I had with other sailors I found that a boat as large ours would have problems finding a good spot to drop its anchor without damaging the coral, so we decided to sail by the reef, but not spend the night, and go to Maricaban Bay on the island of Busuanga (12, 11.426N – 120, 05.985E) home of the El Rio Resort.

Maricaban Bay is the nicest place we have visited so far.  This small bay is protected from the sea and wind on three sides by high hills so the water is very calm.  The resort is upscale with a nice bar and restaurant.  The Admiral likes this place very much so we will probably spend several days here.

Close by (about 3 miles) is another resort called Club Paradise (12, 13.783N – 120, 05.089E).  It is located on a small island called Dimaquiat or Dimakya (depending on the chart you are using).  Because the island is small there are no protected places to anchor so we will visit this resort using the boat shuttle they run between the resorts.

We met a fellow known locally as “Tequila Mike” in the PG Yacht Club bar during the regatta.  Mike is a sailor and a real friend of cruisers passing through these waters.  He is the PR/Marketing manager for El Rio and Club Paradise.  Most upscale resorts welcome cruisers but do not offer any special accommodations.  Mike welcomes cruisers at both resorts and they are given free access to the swimming pools, showers and can refill their water tanks.  In addition he offers substantial discounts on meals and drinks.

When we last talked to Mike he told us to tell the staff at the resorts that we were friends of his so that they would roll out the red carpet for us.  We did, but I don’t think it was necessary.  We’ve been told by other cruisers that the red carpet is rolled out for everyone who anchors here.

When we arrived in Maricaban Bay we were surprised to find Ed Gebele, aboard his sailboat,  Alma’s Gift, was also at anchor there.  We met Ed in Subic Bay.  We are finding out that it is a small world as we keep running into cruisers we have met in other places.

Another nearby attraction is on Calauit Island (12, 15.881N – 119, 53.503E).  Hundreds of animals were bought to the island from Kenya a number of years ago so that the Marcos family could create a sanctuary/game park.  We will make this our next stop when we continue our trip.

I have posted some more pictures (see Blog Photos 10) of islands we saw along the way, places we visited, etc.

More later.