A Twofer
14 June 2016 | En Route Miri
Thursday 9 June 2016
Arrival inspection of moorings in Bawah lagoon found chain for 1 (of 10) attached to 2-ton block with chafed 13mm (1/2") line. A cautionary illustration of why it's often better, when possible, to use your own ground tackle instead of someone else's. Plus it allows others to sanctimoniously point out when it fails that you have only yourself to blame before surreptitiously checking their own anchors.
Coral was good shallow, but sometimes spotty with much dead deeper. Lots of fish. Reefs appear to have been bombed at one time. Good although not great diving except today north side, outside, saw a school of 30 huge bumphead parrotfish. Similar to, but not as large as mature Napoleon wrasse, they were way big and way lots. Cool.
Resort will max out at 70 customers and 130 staff. Cost is around 1000 SGD per day. Guests are expected to fly on a weed-whacker 160 miles into Djemadja from Singapore, then water taxi to the island, another 35. Target market besides Singapore will be Europe. Built by Javanese, the construction is rustic, yet intricately beautiful. Ownership passes to investors in October, opens in March. Will check their website periodically. Hope they make it, but if this thing's still in business in 5 years it'll be a miracle.
Friday
An aside before leaving the country. Trying to encourage Indonesian tourism, Jakarta has consolidated arrival documents into one on-line report requiring no cruising permit (CAIT) and no reporting in at every semi-major harbor. Still in transition, but if recalcitrant local officials get on board may ease our travel through the Celebes Sea and across Sulawesi to Raja Ampat starting late August.
After a leisurely morning, departed at 0830. It's about 48 hours to Kuching, Sarawak, averaging 5.5 kts. and we may do much better, getting us in at dawn Sunday. Light wind, but on the beam so throwing out all the rags saves fuel yet moves us right along motor-sailing. Sea is less than half a meter thus, except for afternoon heat and growling dinosaurs, very comfortable.
Monday
Long tour day, but fun, having nothing whatever to do with AC on buses. Big town at 800k so lots to do such as clear into Malaysia with bureaucrats. They were all very nice. Next, spent valuable eating time at the Sarawak Museum which was nevertheless very interesting and, significantly, not too large. After belated breakfast/lunch went out in the jungle to entertain some orangutans ("people of the forest" - apparently of Irish or Scandinavian descent). They didn't seem especially impressed and wandered off after awhile. Except for shaggy hair, impossibly long arms and a tendency to hang about in trees they're very human. Young ones are like children and adults resemble sullen teenagers.
One can tell Kuching is a modern city as it's infested with Pizza Hut, McDonalds, KFC and hardly any headhunters outside of boardrooms. Borneo natives once used the heads to bring luck, but now more often rely on oil wells. Also saw a "100% Discount" store. Regrettably didn't have time to find out what free things we could get. Given lack of activity locals may have been waiting for a "110% Discount" place to open so they could be paid for carting stuff away. Perhaps, however, there's more of a religious basis for lack of interest.
It's Ramadan so few people outside of Chinese, sailors and the odd Anglican were milling about. At sunset, however, we visited one of several temporary Ramadan cafes (large tented area with every kind of street food), which was abuzz with really hungry Muslims. They fast for a month during daytime so pack it away every evening. Great food and way cheap.
Tuesday
It's 280 NM to next stop, Miri, and rather than hop along the coast (like most of the others who prefer to watch the fishing boats and their nets while trying to avoid them) we're making another double overnight sail. Although temperatures have been pretty darn comfortable last few days (even without bus AC), 6 nights on a dock with power won't suck. Good chance to recharge batteries (all of them), get gas (not just from food) and chill (except for doing battle with officialdom) before next stop, Brunei, with its balls-to-the-wall scheduling (no Cal, that's actually not naughty).
This should have been 2 messages, but never got around to sending first one. Sorry.
Jack