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.

October 31, 2006

Those of you who know Yu-ching are well aware that sailing around the world on a boat would not be high on her list of things to do.  She is afraid of the water, can’t swim and gets seasick.  She does not even like going to a beach resort.  For her an ideal vacation is visiting some place like London or Paris, staying in a 5 star hotel and shopping.  I would be the first to admit that I have done my best to spoil her.  My work overseas has allowed us to take vacations to many of the “must visit” places around the world and we have always traveled first class; staying in 5 star hotels, eating in the best restaurants and she was able to shop to her hearts content.

When we are staying in a ports like Hong Kong or Subic Bay things are much different than they are when you are at anchor.  The boat is tied up to a dock, you have shore power, running water and getting on and off the boat is simple – you just step off on to the dock.  When you are at anchor, as we are here and will be at most of the places we visit, you have to run the generator for electricity,  water must be toted to the boat from the land and getting on and off the boat means you have to take the dingy.  While true lovers of sailing adventures prefer being anchored in a quiet peaceful cove somewhere, for others being at anchor is more than just inconvenient

Over the last two days the weather in Puerto Galera has been less than ideal.  A typhoon passed over just north of here and we have had rain and winds that kept the boat rocking.  Going ashore to get supplies, water and to check our email has meant taking a long ride across choppy waters in a small boat while the rain soaked you.  All the makings of a divorce between a sailor and his land loving mate.

We talked about the possible hardships we would have as we traveled and agreed that if they became too much, Yu-ching would return to the states or go to Taiwan and come for a visit when the boat was in a port where she could be tie up to a dock.  As I watched the weather change from warn sunny days to wet ones I was afraid that the time was coming to book a ticket for her.  Much to my delight and surprise it turns out that she is much more of a trooper that I had thought possible.

She has learned to live with, or at least tolerate, being at anchor.  My biggest surprise is how well she has adapted to trips ashore.  Yesterday the rain was coming down and the dingy was being rocked by the waves and wind.  This didn’t phase her one bit.  She timed the rocking of the dingy, jumped into it and sat down on the cold wet seat just like an old sailing hand.  I don’t think I have ever loved her as much as I did at that moment.  I know she is did this with a smile, because she wants to be with me while I fulfill this crazy dream.

Tomorrow morning at first light we will leave PG and continue our trip to Borneo.  Our fist stop will be Paluan Bay (13º 23’, 446N - 120º 25’, 429E).  From there we will sail southwest to Apo Reef (12º 40’, 611N - 120º 28’, 443E) assuming the winds are in our favor.  If they are not, we will sail further south to either Sablayan Point or Dongon Bay where we will spend the night before sailing west to the Reef.

Apo Reef reportedly has some of the best scuba and snorkeling sights in Asia.  Because it is a reef and not an island with a bay it will mean that we will have to be very careful as we approach its shallow waters and the anchorage will be unprotected from the wind.  Despite this, everyone tells us that this is a “must visit” place so we will see if what they say is true.

From the Reef we will sail to Dibovovan Island (12º 16', 191N - 120º 05', 416E).  We will use the island as a base anchorage to make a side trip to Calauit Island (12º 18', 198N - 119º 53', 629E)  Calauit Island is located just off the NW corner of Busuanga Island.  On the charts it looks like it is part of Busuanga but it is not.  It is the home of a game preserve started by Marcos.  We are told that it is not what it once was but you can still see many of the animals they imported from Africa.  From Dibovovan we will begin our passage down the north west side of Palawan.

This will probably be our last posting for a while as we doubt that we will be able to get access to the internet for some time.

October 29, 2006

In our resent log entries we have mentioned a couple from Denmark and the owners of the French restaurant we have visited, but have not posted any pictures of them or given their names.  We usually take pictures and get contact information from the people we meet shortly after we make their acquaintance, but for some reason we were slow to do it this time – blame it on the good food and wine.  You will now find pictures of both couples in Blog Photos 9.

Last evening we had dinner again at Michel’s restaurant.  As you can see from the pictures he prepared Paella.  It was excellent.

Yesterday I helped Clement install a wind indicator on Kuro-Shio.  Blog Photos 9 has a picture of him at the top of her mast.  No, I did not venture up – tall masts that need to be climbed occasionally are just another reason we are now sailing on a trawler.

Another typhoon is on its way, but this one is predicted to pass well north of us.  However, we are beginning to feel the effects of the edge of the storm.  The skies are cloudy, the wind has picked up and there are occasional rain squalls.  This is not all bad because the cooler temperatures feel refreshing after days and days of hot humid weather.

More later.

October 28, 2006

We have decided to extend our stay in Puerto Galera for a few more days.  The PG yacht club is hosting a major sailing regatta this weekend.  Boats from all over Southeast Asia will be competing.  The big boats met last evening in Manila and are having an overnight race from there to PG.  They are expected to arrive here about noon today.

There will be other races held each day.  These will include dingy races for the kids and competition similar to the Americas Cup for the larger boats.  Consideration was given to entering Kuro-Shio, but after we thought about the amount work it would require to make her completive we abandoned the idea.  She is a steel boat and is very heavy.  All of the stores and other gear would have to be off loaded.  Several local boat captains have asked Clement and I if we would like to crew on there boats and we are thinking about it, but have not committed to anything yet.

In addition to the races during day, there will be a series of parties each evening.  They began last night with a BBQ at the club for those not participating in the first race.  Events like this are a great chance to meet other cruiser and learn more about interesting places to visit.

Tonight’s party is being held on the water front.  Each of the restaurants is preparing a special dish.  We can’t wait to see what our friend from the French restaurant makes.

As we were plotting our passage to Borneo on the chart plotter, we discovered that the chip that contains the maps of Palawan had a flaw.  Every time we tried to zoom in on the southern half of the island the plotter froze up.  We contacted the manufacture and he is sending us a replacement by FedEx.  It should arrive today or Monday at the latest.

Clement ordered a wind indicator for Kuro-Shio and we are going to install it today.  It is not a major task but it does require climbing to the top of the mast to drill a hole so that it can be installed.  As I look over at his boat the wind and waves from passing boats are causing the mast to swing about 5 feet in each direction.  We may have to wait until the wind drops a little before one of us climbs to the top.

On Thursday we sailed Kuro-Shio to a small beach just outside of the PG harbor to do some diving on a coral reef.  The sea life was amazing, every color you can think of including bright blue starfish.  As we were getting ready to sail back to the harbor a local fisherman came by with a freshly caught Spanish mackerel.  We purchased it from him and that evening Yu-ching prepared sashimi and we grilled the rest.  I have never cared much for mackerel, but then I had never had any that was this fresh.  It was delicious.

I spent most of yesterday trying to figure out how the water maker works.  The instructions tell you about the settings for the valves, but do not indicate the direction they should be turned and none of them are marked.  After several hours of trial and error I think I finally figured out the proper settings.  The water we produced tasted good to me, but Yu-ching thinks is still had a little salt in it.  I will install new filters and make another batch later today.  Our water tanks hold 300 gallons so making water is not critical, but it would be nice to have it as a back-up just in case.

More later.

October 25, 2006

Did you ever have a meal that was so memorable that you knew you would never forget the evening?  Good food, in a beautiful location and stimulating conversation with your dinner companions are what make such a meal memorable.  Last evening we had such a meal.

A few days ago we met a Frenchman who lives in Puerto Galera.  He opened a restaurant because he loves to cook and share his creations with friends.  When he travels out of the country he closes the restaurant – it is more of a hobby for him than a business.

He goes to the market in the morning to see if he can find fresh ingredients for one of his creations and when he does, he invites his friends to join him for dinner.  Yesterday morning he found fresh Green Lib Mussels for sale.  By noon he was inviting friends and we were fortunate enough to be included in his guest list.  Besides Yu-ching and I the list included Clement and Sarah, a couple from Denmark, two couples from the Yacht Club, the owner/chef and his wife.

He steamed the mussels using a mixture of white wine, butter, cream, onions and garlic.  The meal was accompanied with an icy cold rosé he imported from France.  I wish I could find words to describe how it all tasted.

As I said above, in addition to the food, the location and conversation are of equal importance in the making of such a meal.  His restaurant is located on the waterfront overlooking be yacht club moorage.  We gathered for dinner just as the sun was setting.  Enough said about location.  With dinner companions from 6 different countries and who are fellow world travelers; I don’t need to tell you that the conversation was varied and stimulating as we shared stories about our travels.

This morning we are having breakfast with a Canadian who has sailed in this area for several years.  He has promised to share his favorite anchorages between here and Borneo with us.

If we sailed straight through from PG to Kota Kinabalu it would take about two days.  The other day I was talking to a fellow at the yacht club who told me the last time he made the trip it took him 55 days.  Talk about taking time to smell the roses along the way.  He has also promised to share his favorite spots with us.

We have begun plotting our course to Borneo but have not included a time table.  We don’t want to make any overnight passages so each of the stops along the way is only about 50 miles apart.  How long we stay at each anchorage will depend upon how attractive we find it.  We have to be careful though, as we find ourselves thinking that each place we visit is paradise only to find that the next stop is even more beautiful.

October 22, 2006

As I write this Blog entry the sun is just coming up over Puerto Galera bay; the home of the Puerto Galera Yacht Club (13, 30.323N – 120, 57.230E) on the island of Mindoro Oriental, Philippines.  Alchemy is swinging happily on a mooring in the harbor.

The bay is surrounded by the greenest mountains I have ever seen.  The shoreline has sandy beaches with coconut palms and mango groves.  A gentle breeze is blowing now but as soon as the sun gets over the mountains the temperature will begin to rise into the 90’s.  Warm, but not too hot or humid.

We broke up the 2 day trip from Subic Bay with an overnight stop in Hamilo Cove just south of Manila Bay.  The cove provided a perfect place for an over night stay.  There were no other boats in the cove and only a few fishermen’s homes on the shore.

The seas were very calm which made for a very comfortable passage.  The color of the water looked like it came from a Hollywood movie.  So far we have not seen any sea turtles, whales or dolphins, but we have been told that the whale sharks should be migrating into this area at any time.

Kuro-Shio with Clement and Sarah made the passage from Subic Bay with us.  Shortly after we arrived in PG, Marc (who was tied up next to us in SB) arrived aboard his new Selene 59 foot trawler.

Last night we ate supper in a waterfront café with people from other boats moored near us and members of the yacht club.  The conversation centered on everyone’s favorite place to visit.  We now have at least a dozen “must see” places to visit on our way to Borneo.  Most of them are on Palawan, a large island between here and Borneo.

I’m not sure how long we will stay in Puerto Galera.  The town is small and the facilities are limited.  There is no dock to tie up to so you have to fill your tanks by ferrying water out to the boat in jerry cans.  Fortunately we have a water maker, but it is untested.  While the water at the yacht clubs in Hong Kong and Subic Bay was clean, it was not clean enough to run through the water maker.  I guess I will have to get the manual out and give it a try.

We were able to purchase some Cinnarizine (Stugeron) seasickness pills for Yu-ching in Subic and they seem to be working.  They make her sleepy and she has to be careful with what she eats, but so far so good.

We will be going up to the club for breakfast in a little while and I will try to post this message on our site.  If the dates on the posting do not match up it means that I was not able to get online.

More later.

October 19, 2006

At first light tomorrow morning (around 5:30 AM, October 20^th) we will pull in our dock lines and depart Subic Bay on the next leg of our adventure.  We will be sailing in convoy with Clement and Sarah aboard their sailboat Kuro-Shio.

Because the progress of Kuro-Shio is dependent on the wind we have changed our next stop to Batangas Bay (14, 20.698N – 120, 36.393E).  We expect that it will take about 8 hours to reach the bay so we should be there well before darkness overtakes us.  We will spend the night there and in the morning sail to Puerto Galera (13, 31.229N – 120, 57.562E).  There is going to be a major sailboat race in PG this weekend so we have decided to skip Maya Maya for the time being (it is only 16 miles North of PG so we can always visit it during our stay in PG).

Today we will spend our time checking all of the boats systems one more time, go to the store to purchase additional provisions, stow all of our gear and make sure the vessel is ship shape and ready to go.

We will be taking lots of pictures and making log entries that I will post as soon as we can get internet access again.

More later.

On May 26, 2006 we took delivery of USMY Alchemy.  On that date we moved her from Zhu Hai, China (22º 15’ N., 113º 24’ E.) to Hong Kong with a brief stop in Macau.  The trip, including the 2 hour stopover in Macau took 13 hours.  We docked her at the Gold Coast Yacht Club (22º 22’N., 113º 59’E.).

 During the next month and a half we spent our time preparing the boat for the voyage to the US, learning as much as we could about the equipment and systems and practicing docking and other vessel handling techniques.  In addition to preparing the boat and ourselves, we explored the city of Hong Kong and its many islands.

 During our stay we also had a number of visitors including Yu-ching’s cousin Paula and her boyfriend, Yu-ching’s doctor and his family from Taiwan, Yu-ching’s sisters (Yu-fong and Catherine) and Rong Rong, a student of ours at the American University in Bulgaria.

  On July 18^th we filed the paperwork to leave Hong Kong.  On July 19^th at 09:17 we cast off the dock lines and began the trip to Subic Bay on the island of Luzon in the Philippines.  On board were Gordon, Dave Negle and Randal Johnson.  Dave and Randal are having boats built by the same yard that constructed Alchemy.

 On the 22^nd at 12:35 we arrived in Subic Bay (75 hours and 18 minutes later) and docked at the Subic Bay Yacht Club (14º 49’N., 120º 17’E).  All things considered, the trip was thankfully uneventful.  There was a tropical storm coming up from the south that was expected to follow our intended path late in the evening of the 22^nd but we felt that it would be a safe passage as long as we reached our destination early on that day.  As a back-up we plotted several safe harbors in the Philippines we could pull into along the way in case the storm moved faster than expected or in case we had mechanical problems.

 The seas were rough but Alchemy handled everything Neptune threw at her.  We got tossed around some and on one occasion while Ed was off watch and trying to catch some sleep he found himself air born.  It was not a trip we would like to repeat, but it is reassuring to know the vessel can handle big waves and keep going.  We did not experience any mechanical problems and only a few minor problems with the auto pilot.

 In Subic we are doing routine maintenance, making a few changes in the electrical system and exploring the area around the bay.  We had to order some spare parts so our departure has been delayed.  At this point we expect to begin the next leg of the trip in about 10 days, on or about the 23^rd.  The exact date will depend upon the delivery of the parts and of course the weather.

 From Subic we will head south to Maya Maya (14º 06’ N., 120º 36’ E.).  The trip will take us about 8 or 9 hours as it is about 50 nautical miles from Subic.  After spending a day or two there we will head to Puerto Gallera which is another 50 miles south.  From Puerto Gallera we will head southwest for the island of Palawan. We will skirt the southeast coast of the island and do our clearance paperwork at Puerto Princesa (9º 44’N., 118º 44’E).  From there we will sail to the island of Borneo.  We will travel along the north coast and make stops in Kota Kinabalu and Brunei among others.

 In general, we are going to harbor hop, traveling during the day and trying to avoid overnight passages whenever we can.  Needless to say, weather is always a determining factor in our travel plans.

 As you may have gathered, Yu-ching did not make the passage with us.  The day before we departed from Hong Kong she flew to Taiwan.  She went there to help her parents move into their recently renovated home.  She is now making preparations to join us so that she can sail with us until we need to make the next long passage.  The Admiral is missed by the crew As well as the vessel herself.  She keeps the crew in line and makes sure everything aboard is shipshape.

 More later!