All at sea

Part Two

It seems half a lifetime since I wrote the first part in Darwin, but it was just fifteen days ago. We are now safely in Singapore after the first 1,850 miles of sailing. Actually, sailing is not quite correct, but more of that later.

There were all the usual delays in departure from Darwin. Last minute provisioning, Formal clearance from Emigration and a fishing competition that meant we couldn’t take on diesel fuel until late afternoon. I had a real streaming head cold and would normally have welcomed a short delay, but in the delivery business – particularly at the wrong time of year – you achieve nothing until you are making miles towards the target.

Eventually of course, we did get away, to a ‘Strong Wind Warning’. In fact, it turned out to be very strong, gusting to 40 knots, which is around gale force, but it really didn’t matter because the wind direction was favorable and we were making good miles away from the Australian coast and towards Sri Lanka.

Everything was looking good for a fast passage until, on day two, the wind failed, and that was that!

On with the ‘Iron Topsail’ and we started motoring across the Indian Ocean with 3,500 miles to go. We had plenty of fuel and were confident that we would have a fair wind again within a day or so. Five days later, with considerably less fuel remaining, we were somewhat less confident! I decided the risk of being becalmed for a long period at the start of the Cyclone season was not acceptable so we altered course towards the Java Sea, intending to make Singapore our first port of call.

It took two more days before we were able to make the Selat Lombuk, the passage between the islands of Bali and Lombuk, which allows you to enter the Java Sea from the Indian Ocean. Even then, we had a fierce current, which tried to keep us out. At one stage our ship’s log showed a boat speed of eight knots through the water while our satellite system showed our actual speed over the ground as less than one knot! We struggled against it for twelve hours and then, as suddenly as it had started, the current was gone and we were through and into the Java Sea.

As it turned out, all that did was change one windless sea for another. We still had to keep motoring and the fuel levels got lower and lower, as we had day after day of flat calms. If motoring across a flat sea on a sunny day sounds fun, consider that the temperature is rarely less than 85 degrees in the shade – and there isn’t much shade!

The nights are something else though. We had no moon and when the sky was cloudless it was like sailing on a huge flat mirror with the reflected tracks of a million stars radiating off in all directions. Wonderful! On other nights, when the sky was cloudy, we were treated to a continuous display of lightning as the heavily charged clouds tried to balance their electrical potential. Quite amazing to watch and really awe inspiring because the display is mostly many miles away and there is no sound of thunder to accompany the flashes.

Just occasionally however, the storm clouds gathered right overhead and the flash and the crash of thunder seemed simultaneous. The noise left us stunned and the smell of the electrical discharge made us very aware of how close the strike had been and also that our two aluminium masts must make the most attractive electrical target for a hundred miles around!

Unusually for someone like myself, used to empty oceans, we were rarely without sight of a local fishing boat or three. At night we would sometimes have the lights of twenty or thirty boats around us and it showed just how dependent people in this region are on fishing, and how heavily fished these waters are.

Another unexpected sight in these waters was the surprising number of oil and gas fields. The flares of gas burning of from the rigs means that you can often see the loom of the lights at distances of sixty miles or more.

From the Java Sea and into the South China Sea, but still without any sign of wind and our fuel reserves at a dangerous level, I decided we would have to stop somewhere. Now on a yacht, visiting another Country is a complex operation which requires visas and visits to Port Police, Emigration, Customs, the Harbour Master and anyone else who might want a say. All these visits also have to be repeated when the yacht departs, and the whole process can take several days.

Not having planed on visiting any of the Indonesian islands, we didn’t have visas or any large-scale charts. In addition, we didn’t speak the language and were only carrying US dollars. However; with all these fishing boats around I thought it shouldn’t be too difficult to slip into a small fishing harbour, do a quick deal for a barrel of diesel fuel and exchange dollars for miles. I looked at the small scale charts we had and thought there was sure to be something suitable in what looked like a huge natural bay. Wrong!

We motored into the bay on the very last of our fuel, only to find a fleet of Royal Indonesian Navy ships, on exercise, plus a very efficient Harbour Master. So much for a quiet visit!

In fact, it was very pleasant with everyone trying to help – once we had come to terms with our language problems. It was obvious that this was not a place previously visited by foreign yachtsmen. The Harbour Master and Chief Customs Officer studied our Ship’s papers and our well used passports and decided that they should have three photocopies of everything. Fine, except that they had no photocopier and the nearest machine was in a local village, some 5 kms. away. No problem, the Harbour Master organized the Assistant Customs Officer to take me there. Thus it was that your Captain was next seen riding pillion on a ’Chicken Chaser’ (a 50cc moped) holding a very large briefcase in one hand and holding his bush hat on with the other, as we weaved in and out of the traffic, which seemed to have somewhat uncertain road traffic rules. Talk about living dangerously!

That I made a – fairly unusual – sight like this seemed natural to me, and I was not too surprised when the young girl in the photocopy shop (which was actually a general store) seemed to be having hysterics of laughter at the sight of me, she explained that she had never seen anyone before, with such a red, sunburned nose!

With Captain and photocopies safely back at the Harbour Master’s office, everything went swimmingly. A price was agreed for everything, including 200 litres of fuel, at a fraction of what I had expected to pay. Forms were signed, and hands shaken once again. Just one small problem remained, they explained…….. They weren’t sure what to do about emigration procedures because they had no resident officer and the nearest office was over 50kms away. I suggested that we forget about it but this was not deemed ‘correct’ so the office was ‘phoned and an emigration officer agreed to drive across to met us. I asked about additional cost, but was assured that this was ‘on Government Service’ and no charge would be made!

When, some two hours later, the officer arrived, he looked at our passports and smiled. Oh dear, I thought, but not so. He handed back the passports and wished us “Salamat Jalan” (literally, ‘goodbye’ but actually ‘may safety go with you on your journey’) and we were away. No stamps, no problems, just ‘have a safe journey! In, in the morning and away again before dark. Thank you all gentlemen!

We were very glad of that extra fuel because the winds continued not to blow, and the last 250 miles was all under motor. This involved crossing the Equator, but because both Leo and myself have crossed the equator a few times before, we were not afforded a visit from Neptune. Actually, I think the Old Boy is really a deep water man and doesn’t think too highly of these tropical, shallow water seas.

Because of the complexities of approaching Singapore (as it’s founder, Sir Stamford Raffles had forecast, it is just a natural trading port because it has to be passed by ships sailing from almost every point of the compass) I spent the final fifteen hours on the wheel, judging other ship angles, trying to keep clear of one ship’s track while not putting ourselves into the path of another one. If that sounds dramatic, consider the official figures which show one ship entering or leaving Singapore controlled waters every four minutes, twenty four hours a day! This area is one where you can expect every ship’s Master to be on the bridge!

We finally made our entry into the marina here at first light and suffered our first mechanical problem when I was unable to select astern (reverse) gear. Of course, almost for the first time, we had wind! Stopping a 24 ton yacht with the wind behind her, while trying to get into a narrow marina berth is one exercise best avoided if possible, best forgotten if not! Anyway, we are here and no damage, so much to be grateful for.

What to say about Singapore? I used to describe it as ‘The Twenty First Century, arrived early’. Now that everyone else has the 21^st. Century, that no longer applies, so I will have to think of something else. It is as modern as tomorrow. Spotlessly clean, super efficient, almost crime free and beautiful in the sense that if flowers can be planted to hide concrete, they are.

What of our delivery? We hope to push on to the port of Galle, Sri Lanka, tomorrow. I am keen to get a few more miles under our belts (Sri Lanka is about 1,500 miles from here) and hopefully, get into a safer weather pattern. It will also be cheaper there, if we have to delay for gearbox repairs (Galle is a harbour where we have to lay off at anchor, so having no astern gear is not such a problem).

Hopefully, more to follow……….

Part 3 ....>>>>

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