svbeachhouse

Category: Ship’s Log

  • Bali Touring, Getting Ready for Christmas…..Part 2

    Bali Touring, Getting Ready for Christmas……Part 2

    7-10 September, 2012 (Eastern Hemisphere)

    Dear F&F,

    We met a few boats who would also be sailing to South Africa, but as it\’s a long long trip, we would mostly not be seeing each other.

    S/V \”Ainia\” with Bruce and June from Toronto (and crew of two more) as well as young couple Andrew and Diana from Seattle aboard their Hans Christensen 34 s/v \”Saviah\” would be sailing similar routes. \”Ainia\” might press straight through to Durban, \”Saviah\” will make the usual stops in Mauritius and Rodriegeous Islands (both French) en-route to Durban sailing south of Madagascar.

    Due to the more pleasant weather conditions and wanting to break up our trip a bit, Nikki and I will go the northern route up to Chagos Archipelago. Chagos is just south of the equator and in the central Indian Ocean. From there we will head to the top of Madagascar staying well away from places we don\’t want to be.

    Chagos is also home to the most secret US Navy base in the world at Diego Garcia Atoll. We\’re not allowed to go into it (unless emergency), but at least as we brush near bad guy territory, it\’s nice to know they don\’t want to be anywhere near the US or British Navies.

    So, our next post will be as we depart Bali for Christmas Island, Australia. Our planned route will take us to Christmas Island, Australia, Cocos-Keeling Island, Australia, Chagos Archipelago, North, then west Madagascar (Nosy Be) and finally into Richards Bay, South Africa on the northeast coast of South Africa.

    Stand by and KIT, Scott and Nikki

  • Bali Touring, Getting Ready for Christmas…..Part 1

    27 August – 9 September, 2012 (Eastern Hemisphere)

    Dear F&F,

    Well, I\’d love to tell you how wonderful Bali is. Unfortunately….not so much. It\’s over crowded in Denpasar, (the main tourist area), way too much traffic and rubbish everywhere. It\’s not just that everyone smokes and throws their rubbish out the window into the street. I\’ve NEVER seen so much junk floating in the water as I have in this country. I think I\’ve seen 5 times as much junk floating here in the water as I\’ve seen since we left California. That\’s saying a lot! Frankly, I didn\’t see the appeal.

    Nikki and Izzie had a day tour to Ubud which is a tourist haven; home to shopping till dropping and the famous \”Monkey Temple\”. The Monkey Temple is Balineese Hindu site which has as it\’s main feature, the local monkeys crawling around as they will. High enthusiasm did not seem to be the order of the day, but undaunted and at the suggestion of sailing friends with a little push from my cousin Janice, we decided to do a day tour up to the north end of the island to it\’s volcano. I believe Indonesia is home to more active volcanos than anywhere else in the world including the famous \”Krakatoa\” located between Java and Sumatra. The driver was nothing short of mad. His English was not quite as advertised and the traffic all the way was abysmal. We stopped at a few Hindu Temples along the way and finally reached the volcano which the restaurant we went to had a lovely view. It last erupted in 1998 and the light lava flows are still standing in sharp contrast to the vegetation in the caldera. The food was mediocre, the view worth an hour and back we went.

    Along the way, we stopped again in Ubud, the shopping here is good if you like that sort of \”chachkis\” (junk) shopping. While in Ubud, we met a friend of Janice and David\’s (Scott\’s Cousin), \”Kedek\”. Janice last saw her 14 years ago. She remembered Janice and David very well and was a lovely gal. We had a brief hug and hello\’s with quick goodbyes as we were exhausted and Kedek had to get back to work. The highlight of the way home was when our crazy driver was pulled over by a policeman and they almost got into a fist fight. The screaming match was ugly enough, but calmer heads finally prevailed and off we went.

    Our next several days were spent getting ready to leave for Christmas Island, Australia. The local guys, washed and waxed the boat and did the metal polishing; \”Beach House\” has never looked so good. Checking out of Indonesia required stops at the Navy, Quarantine, Immigration, Customs and finally the Port Captain to get our clearance papers. It went pretty well only taking about 2 hours with the local taxi.

    Part 2 to follow….. Scott and Nikki

  • Bali Touring, Getting Ready for Christmas…..Part 1

    27 August – 9 September, 2012 (Eastern Hemisphere)

    Dear F&F,

    Well, I\’d love to tell you how wonderful Bali is. Unfortunately….not so much. It\’s over crowded in Denpasar, (the main tourist area), way too much traffic and rubbish everywhere. It\’s not just that everyone smokes and throws their rubbish out the window into the street. I\’ve NEVER seen so much junk floating in the water as I have in this country. I think I\’ve seen 5 times as much junk floating here in the water as I\’ve seen since we left California. That\’s saying a lot! Frankly, I didn\’t see the appeal.

    Nikki and Izzie had a day tour to Ubud which is a tourist haven; home to shopping till dropping and the famous \”Monkey Temple\”. The Monkey Temple is Balineese Hindu site which has as it\’s main feature, the local monkeys crawling around as they will. High enthusiasm did not seem to be the order of the day, but undaunted and at the suggestion of sailing friends with a little push from my cousin Janice, we decided to do a day tour up to the north end of the island to it\’s volcano. I believe Indonesia is home to more active volcanos than anywhere else in the world including the famous \”Krakatoa\” located between Java and Sumatra. The driver was nothing short of mad. His English was not quite as advertised and the traffic all the way was abysmal. We stopped at a few Hindu Temples along the way and finally reached the volcano which the restaurant we went to had a lovely view. It last erupted in 1998 and the light lava flows are still standing in sharp contrast to the vegetation in the caldera. The food was mediocre, the view worth an hour and back we went.

    Along the way, we stopped again in Ubud, the shopping here is good if you like that sort of \”chachkis\” (junk) shopping. While in Ubud, we met a friend of Janice and David\’s (Scott\’s Cousin), \”Kedek\”. Janice last saw her 14 years ago. She remembered Janice and David very well and was a lovely gal. We had a brief hug and hello\’s with quick goodbyes as we were exhausted and Kedek had to get back to work. The highlight of the way home was when our crazy driver was pulled over by a policeman and they almost got into a fist fight. The screaming match was ugly enough, but calmer heads finally prevailed and off we went.

    Our next several days were spent getting ready to leave for Christmas Island, Australia. The local guys, washed and waxed the boat and did the metal polishing; \”Beach House\” has never looked so good. Checking out of Indonesia required stops at the Navy, Quarantine, Immigration, Customs and finally the Port Captain to get our clearance papers. It went pretty well only taking about 2 hours with the local taxi.

    Part 2 to follow….. Scott and Nikki

  • The Wedding

    25 August 2012 (Eastern Hemisphere)

    Dear F&F,

    The reason we were on such a forced march to get to Bali was to attend Nikki\’s daughter\’s wedding here on this date. \”Mum\” was of course nervous, but who wouldn\’t be? We arrived early at the Royal Santrian Hotel in Nusa Dua. The venue was lovely, the place seemed to have few guests which made it quite private for the wedding party.

    Hollie, the bride was of course absolutely gorgeous in her stunning gown and groom, Adam was dashing as well. Both wedding parties were beautiful and handsome as expected, with Nikki\’s son Jak as one of the groomsmen.

    All the extended families were there, Hollie\’s Dad Neil, Adam\’s Dad Terry with current and former spouses. I was of course consort to the \”Mum\”….:-)

    The wedding was really fab, we got some good photos (as Nikki would not see the official ones for several months….she\’s off sailing don\’t you know!). Isobel – (Izzie), Nikki\’s niece arrived from the UK for the event and seemed to have a great time, staying a few nights aboard \”Beach House\”. Izzie took the photo of the day with Hollie gazing into Adam\’s eyes on the beach. One day!…..it will get posted.

    Sorry that we don\’t have any photos up at this time, but I think that won\’t happen till the season\’s end…..:-(

    Adam and Hollie came aboard \”Beach House\” a few days after the wedding for a tour and afternoon with Nikki and Izzie, hugs and kisses all around.

    More touring and some getting ready for the big trip to South Africa for us. Stand by!

    KIT, Scott and Nikki

  • The Wedding

    25 August 2012 (Eastern Hemisphere)

    Dear F&F,

    The reason we were on such a forced march to get to Bali was to attend Nikki\’s daughter\’s wedding here on this date. \”Mum\” was of course nervous, but who wouldn\’t be? We arrived early at the Royal Santrian Hotel in Nusa Dua. The venue was lovely, the place seemed to have few guests which made it quite private for the wedding party.

    Hollie, the bride was of course absolutely gorgeous in her stunning gown and groom, Adam was dashing as well. Both wedding parties were beautiful and handsome as expected, with Nikki\’s son Jak as one of the groomsmen.

    All the extended families were there, Hollie\’s Dad Neil, Adam\’s Dad Terry with current and former spouses. I was of course consort to the \”Mum\”….:-)

    The wedding was really fab, we got some good photos (as Nikki would not see the official ones for several months….she\’s off sailing don\’t you know!). Isobel – (Izzie), Nikki\’s niece arrived from the UK for the event and seemed to have a great time, staying a few nights aboard \”Beach House\”. Izzie took the photo of the day with Hollie gazing into Adam\’s eyes on the beach. One day!…..it will get posted.

    Sorry that we don\’t have any photos up at this time, but I think that won\’t happen till the season\’s end…..:-(

    Adam and Hollie came aboard \”Beach House\” a few days after the wedding for a tour and afternoon with Nikki and Izzie, hugs and kisses all around.

    More touring and some getting ready for the big trip to South Africa for us. Stand by!

    KIT, Scott and Nikki

  • Medang, Gili Air arrival in Bali

    16 – 19 August 2012, Eastern Hemisphere

    Dear F&F,

    Well we arrived in Medang Marina (which wasn\’t really a marina!). The \”dock\” was completely exposed to the wind and sea and looked like a bucking pony ride at the fair. We opted for a mooring which unfortunately wasn\’t much better. The facilities were lacking to say the least and we stayed for just the one night.

    We then made the very short trip to Gili Air which is a noted tourist destination here in Indonesia; only 25 miles from Bali. It too was a great disappointment. All the worst sorts of tourist stuff and of course the ever present rubbish everywhere on land and in the water. The local boats thought nothing of coming within 15 feet of us at 20 miles/hour setting up very uncomfortable wakes much of the day.

    On shore, they had a pony pulled cart around the island as a tour, so everything smelled like horse leavings. As well, the restaurants appeared to be nice on the beach, but the food was way below what we\’d hoped, the \”free wifi\” didn\’t work and the crowds, backpackers and the thirty dive operators who all catered to brand new divers was just too overwhelming. We stayed a day, but moved on to Bali as we hoped this would be the place to be……

    We arrived in Bali and immediately were overwhelmed by the tourist infrastructure. It reminded me of Cabo San Lucas at the tip of Baja, but five times worse! Para-sailors, jet skiers, banana boat rides, the whole nine yards. The boat drivers NEVER looked where they were going, only where they\’d been – watching the guests. They also only had the driver and rarely a spotter which is standard safety protocol, but hey….Welcome to Indonesia.

    We pulled up to the marina and were offered a slip inside (thankfully) versus the outside docks which were non stop tourist boats, barges, etc. It was actually pretty bumpy on the outside of the docks. The entrance was very small and the current was ripping, so it was an exciting entry. All went fine. We\’d been told the marina wasn\’t the best, but it was better than we thought it would be. We had electrical power, but only 10 amp service. The water was non potable, but the water maker would handle our needs; their water was good for washing the boat. The marina has a restaurant which was okay. The guys at the marina were very helpful. We got the boat washed and waxed, the metal polished and had our first real time to catch up on maintenance, load fuel and propane.

    Several friends were here ahead of the rally including \”Serenity\”, \”Georgia J\” and \”Ainia\”. Bruce and June on \”Ainia\” would be doing a similar trip to ours at about the same time.

    We arrived 4 days before Nikki\’s daughter Hollie\’s wedding and took advantage of the few days to fly to Yogyakarta on the island of Java about 250 miles west of Bali. The worlds largest Buddhist Temple at Borobudur is there built in the 9th Century. As well, there were some very large Hindu Temples of a similar age. Soon after both Temples were built, a large volcano erupted causing the entire population to essentially re-locate. Primarily, the Buddhists went west to Sumatra and the Hindus went east to Bali. The interesting find for me was that I thought that Bali was a large Buddhist center. It\’s not, it\’s actually one of the higher concentrations of Hindu\’s in Indonesia. Buddhists are only 0.5% of the population. About 9% is Hindu and Christian. About 90% is Muslim.

    The tour was whirlwind, but interesting and we got back to Bali with plenty of time to prepare for the wedding!

    More soon, Scott and Nikki

  • Medang, Gili Air arrival in Bali

    16 – 19 August 2012, Eastern Hemisphere

    Dear F&F,

    Well we arrived in Medang Marina (which wasn\’t really a marina!). The \”dock\” was completely exposed to the wind and sea and looked like a bucking pony ride at the fair. We opted for a mooring which unfortunately wasn\’t much better. The facilities were lacking to say the least and we stayed for just the one night.

    We then made the very short trip to Gili Air which is a noted tourist destination here in Indonesia; only 25 miles from Bali. It too was a great disappointment. All the worst sorts of tourist stuff and of course the ever present rubbish everywhere on land and in the water. The local boats thought nothing of coming within 15 feet of us at 20 miles/hour setting up very uncomfortable wakes much of the day.

    On shore, they had a pony pulled cart around the island as a tour, so everything smelled like horse leavings. As well, the restaurants appeared to be nice on the beach, but the food was way below what we\’d hoped, the \”free wifi\” didn\’t work and the crowds, backpackers and the thirty dive operators who all catered to brand new divers was just too overwhelming. We stayed a day, but moved on to Bali as we hoped this would be the place to be……

    We arrived in Bali and immediately were overwhelmed by the tourist infrastructure. It reminded me of Cabo San Lucas at the tip of Baja, but five times worse! Para-sailors, jet skiers, banana boat rides, the whole nine yards. The boat drivers NEVER looked where they were going, only where they\’d been – watching the guests. They also only had the driver and rarely a spotter which is standard safety protocol, but hey….Welcome to Indonesia.

    We pulled up to the marina and were offered a slip inside (thankfully) versus the outside docks which were non stop tourist boats, barges, etc. It was actually pretty bumpy on the outside of the docks. The entrance was very small and the current was ripping, so it was an exciting entry. All went fine. We\’d been told the marina wasn\’t the best, but it was better than we thought it would be. We had electrical power, but only 10 amp service. The water was non potable, but the water maker would handle our needs; their water was good for washing the boat. The marina has a restaurant which was okay. The guys at the marina were very helpful. We got the boat washed and waxed, the metal polished and had our first real time to catch up on maintenance, load fuel and propane.

    Several friends were here ahead of the rally including \”Serenity\”, \”Georgia J\” and \”Ainia\”. Bruce and June on \”Ainia\” would be doing a similar trip to ours at about the same time.

    We arrived 4 days before Nikki\’s daughter Hollie\’s wedding and took advantage of the few days to fly to Yogyakarta on the island of Java about 250 miles west of Bali. The worlds largest Buddhist Temple at Borobudur is there built in the 9th Century. As well, there were some very large Hindu Temples of a similar age. Soon after both Temples were built, a large volcano erupted causing the entire population to essentially re-locate. Primarily, the Buddhists went west to Sumatra and the Hindus went east to Bali. The interesting find for me was that I thought that Bali was a large Buddhist center. It\’s not, it\’s actually one of the higher concentrations of Hindu\’s in Indonesia. Buddhists are only 0.5% of the population. About 9% is Hindu and Christian. About 90% is Muslim.

    The tour was whirlwind, but interesting and we got back to Bali with plenty of time to prepare for the wedding!

    More soon, Scott and Nikki

  • Komodo to Lombok

    12 – 15 August 2012 (Eastern Hemisphere)

    Dear F&F,

    When we left Komodo, we had a nice sail across the channel to Palau Sumbawa Island. As we arrived we caught up to an old guy named Don from North Carolina. He\’s an expat whose been living on his boat based out of Bali for the last 20 years. He told us about the lack of anchorages along the 150 mile stretch of this island. We pressed on to Teluk Sanggar (Sanggar Bay). We knew we\’d arrive after dark which I hate to do in an unknown location, but the waypoint/guide info seemed pretty good. When we entered the bay, we came upon 30 of the trimaran type fishing boats commonly seen here in Indonesia. They were like a floating mine field. Some all lit up and others, no lights at all. After negotiating this traffic, we came into the anchorage. Adding to the fun it was absolutely pitch black with no lights on shore and the charts aren\’t exactly right!

    First, we got in shallow water, down to 15 feet and back tracked out. We went around the reef which helped orient us, but as the water went from 500 ++ feet to 20 feet in about 30 seconds, it was a bit disconcerting.

    We got to where I thought would be a good spot but apparently it wasn\’t to be. We anchored, all was well. The wind was only 10 knots. At midnight (why is it always at midnight!???…:-) The wind started to blow hard from the beach. 25 with gusts to 30 knots. I watched the depth sounder and after about 5 minutes of this, it was clear that our anchor fell off the plateau and was hanging straight down in space. We had 150 feet of chain out and when Nikki went to up the anchor, it would barely move. I thought it was the chain stripper stuck again so I removed it. I then tried the windlass again making sure the chain wouldn\’t get jammed without the stripper. The windlass barely moved and the motor was getting hot.

    All along, Nikki is trying to keep the boat head to wind and away from reef and fishing boats bobbing about. Fortunately, the wind event died off as quickly as it arrived and after about 25 minutes, I was able to coax the anchor and chain back up to the deck.

    My summarization is that the motor didn\’t have the power to lift the combined weight of about 250 lbs. which it very definitely should. As we could not depend on another deep anchor attempt (we might miss the plateau), we decided to set the main with one reef and slowly sail toward Lombok, our next destination and about 110 miles away. We did this taking night watches and felt pretty tired as we\’d been moving without too much of a break for days.

    We arrived at Gili Lewang Island just off the northeast coast of Lombok the next late afternoon and were glad to anchor in a nice sandy shallow spot at 25 feet. This morning, I\’d neglected to put the chain stripper back on the windlass and when I went to raise the anchor it jammed immediately. Nikki and I played mechanic and got it back in shape pretty quickly. I may have found the chain stripper problem? Time will tell. The windlass worked perfectly and off we went. Next stop, Medang Marina in Lombok right off the famous tourist island, Gili Air.

    The internet is very good here and when next we write I hope to be tied up to a dock. We\’ll have several days to tour here before heading off the last 60 miles or so to Bali.

    KIT, write anytime, Scott and Nikki

  • Komodo to Lombok

    12 – 15 August 2012 (Eastern Hemisphere)

    Dear F&F,

    When we left Komodo, we had a nice sail across the channel to Palau Sumbawa Island. As we arrived we caught up to an old guy named Don from North Carolina. He\’s an expat whose been living on his boat based out of Bali for the last 20 years. He told us about the lack of anchorages along the 150 mile stretch of this island. We pressed on to Teluk Sanggar (Sanggar Bay). We knew we\’d arrive after dark which I hate to do in an unknown location, but the waypoint/guide info seemed pretty good. When we entered the bay, we came upon 30 of the trimaran type fishing boats commonly seen here in Indonesia. They were like a floating mine field. Some all lit up and others, no lights at all. After negotiating this traffic, we came into the anchorage. Adding to the fun it was absolutely pitch black with no lights on shore and the charts aren\’t exactly right!

    First, we got in shallow water, down to 15 feet and back tracked out. We went around the reef which helped orient us, but as the water went from 500 ++ feet to 20 feet in about 30 seconds, it was a bit disconcerting.

    We got to where I thought would be a good spot but apparently it wasn\’t to be. We anchored, all was well. The wind was only 10 knots. At midnight (why is it always at midnight!???…:-) The wind started to blow hard from the beach. 25 with gusts to 30 knots. I watched the depth sounder and after about 5 minutes of this, it was clear that our anchor fell off the plateau and was hanging straight down in space. We had 150 feet of chain out and when Nikki went to up the anchor, it would barely move. I thought it was the chain stripper stuck again so I removed it. I then tried the windlass again making sure the chain wouldn\’t get jammed without the stripper. The windlass barely moved and the motor was getting hot.

    All along, Nikki is trying to keep the boat head to wind and away from reef and fishing boats bobbing about. Fortunately, the wind event died off as quickly as it arrived and after about 25 minutes, I was able to coax the anchor and chain back up to the deck.

    My summarization is that the motor didn\’t have the power to lift the combined weight of about 250 lbs. which it very definitely should. As we could not depend on another deep anchor attempt (we might miss the plateau), we decided to set the main with one reef and slowly sail toward Lombok, our next destination and about 110 miles away. We did this taking night watches and felt pretty tired as we\’d been moving without too much of a break for days.

    We arrived at Gili Lewang Island just off the northeast coast of Lombok the next late afternoon and were glad to anchor in a nice sandy shallow spot at 25 feet. This morning, I\’d neglected to put the chain stripper back on the windlass and when I went to raise the anchor it jammed immediately. Nikki and I played mechanic and got it back in shape pretty quickly. I may have found the chain stripper problem? Time will tell. The windlass worked perfectly and off we went. Next stop, Medang Marina in Lombok right off the famous tourist island, Gili Air.

    The internet is very good here and when next we write I hope to be tied up to a dock. We\’ll have several days to tour here before heading off the last 60 miles or so to Bali.

    KIT, write anytime, Scott and Nikki

  • Flores Island to Komodo National Park

    07-11 August 2012 (Eastern Hemisphere)

    Dear F&F,

    The wind on the north side of the Indonesian Archipelago is very light for the most part. In between the islands, we feel the effects of the SE Trade Winds, but other than that, it\’s pretty light. Motoring is more common than sailing.

    We stopped at the island of Flores in four different anchorages. Again, the friendly fisherman and locals, but nothing of great interest ashore. Virtually no one speaks any English outside of the big cites and our Indonesian is about as good. So lots of waves and smiles. I\’m sure there is good diving along this coast, but it\’s just not what I\’m about at this time.

    We arrived at Rindja (pronounced Rincha) Island in a very protected anchorage at one of the two main park offices where guided tours are offered to see the famed \”Komodo Dragons\”. When we arrived, there were about 8 large tour boats which were at the dock or anchored nearby. Nikki and I went ashore to check it out, planning on doing our tour the next morning.

    We were told the fees which amounted to around $40.00 for the two of for three days; most reasonable. They could take our trash, always a good thing and all the guides spoke pretty good English.

    The next morning, we went in early as the \”Dragons\” are more active before it gets too hot. A Komodo Dragon is really a monitor lizard; the largest lizard on earth. They are strictly carnivorous and have been attributed to 9 human fatalities (known) over the last 35 years. For the most part, they are quite lethargic. Our guides carry 6 foot long forked sticks, \”Just In Case\”!

    Their hunting style is to ambush a local deer, water buffalo, bush turkey or monkey, all of which are plentiful on Rindja, Komodo and a few other islands in the park. They apparently have a mild toxin and their saliva is laced with very aggressive bacteria. If the animal is small, they will kill it with their long serrated teeth and eat it on the spot. If the animal is large, they only try to wound it and wait till it\’s dies of infection, following it for up to 4 days. Larger animals are eaten by many \”dragons\” which consume the entire animal, bones and all. They only eat once/month and can wolf down up to 80% of their body weight. The largest of the lizards get up to 3.5 meters and about 150 kg (11.5 feet, 330 lbs.). There are about 1300 on Rindja, 2000 on Komodo and another 1500 scattered about the area. Do not leave your dog or your child in their presents! No Joke!

    We saw Komodo nests which are reused year after year where up to 30 eggs are laid. The small dragons often live at the top of tree where the adults cannot eat them.

    While we were here we met several tourists and two other sail boats arrived. As the experience was good, we decided to head for Komodo Island are repeat the tour.

    About 12 miles away, we motored through the strong currents and arrived at the day anchorage for the island. We had a similar tour and experience, the highlight of which was watching an apparently lethargic dragon only 10 feet away from seemingly unsuspecting deer. No attack was witnessed, but our guide told us in the two years that he has worked at the park, he\’s seen several. Again, the photos (if I ever get to it, say it all).

    After departing the day anchorage, we went around to the north side of the island and anchored for the night. For the first time, we started to see a lot of dive boats.

    The next leg of the trip seemed the most daunting as the island of Palau Sumbawa has very few anchorages along it\’s north coast. Stay tuned,

    KIT, Scott and Nikki