Dianne
22/01/2013, Penuwasa Kudat

This is the only photo I manage to get



The delivery back into the water went well but that is all I can say

1 step forward two back!

Boat in water that went well.

Port engine no go - could be major problem may need to go back on hard stand!

Outboard seems a carbi problem - were going to use that to assist moving boat to anchor.

Tied to jetty with wind blowing us onto jetty

All very stressful and it is bl..dy hot! Just exhausted to say the least

Comments [1]

Chris
12/01/2013, Kudat

A week has passed in Kudat and what a busy week. Weather is ok, warm of course with occasional showers and nightly sojourns into town to eat at our favourite haunts.

But on board fun and games. Filled 440 litres of diesel with 20 litre containers and runs to each of the three servo's in town as they can only sell bottled diesel in 20 litre lots, so Dianne buys one, I buy one and we go to the next servo. 60 litres per run lug it on board and fill the tanks!

Bled the diesel through to the three engines, oil changes, checked all plumbing clamps, changed oil in V drives, checked gearboxes, all engine oil filters, oil and the five inline diesel filters have been changed and are all clear to go. Greased everything that moves and a bit more. Lots of polishing and cleaning go on as well.

Fitted the new mainsail, well sort of, of course it doesn't fit in the old boom cover so tomorrow we need to refine the design to take it all to KK for alteration - significant alteration.

Still have to add the reefing lines, run up the Genoa, run the the new anchor chain on and fit the new anchor - just an over cautious precautionary measure.

Then up the mast to change a few lights and get some others going and in a few days should be ready to splash, all going well.

Into town tonight, after two days sweating in engine rooms, for chilli crab, calamari, chinese style vegetables, rice and two tall Tigers, down the road for fried banana and coffee and over- ready for bed and another day tomorrow.

It must be fun or we wouldn't do it, but like all things boating it takes twice as long as planned and is two steps forward and one backward, too much pressure on the water strainer lid and it broke, now using the spare - lucky to have so many spares I guess, and what a job wrestling the battens into the main, three men and a dog job - took almost half a day and a lot of grunting but no new words just a few not used in polite company!

But it has been nice catching up with our Kudat friends at the various restaurants and eating places and around town. It is like coming home.

Comments [1]

Dianne
07/01/2013, Penuwasa Kudat

This is taken at the back of the boat where we access getting on an off! I felt that gumboots were a good investment of $4 so as not to have the polluted mud ooze through my toes each time I get off and on the boat and walk to the toilet!

Comments [1]

crw
12/11/2012, Sabah

November in Kudat is wet and sometimes very wet. But there is nothing like a good coat of anti-fouling to freshen things up ready for a re-launch in December.

Back to Cairns on Wednesday, then to Phuket for a conference, back to Cairns and then Kudat early December to start heading further south. Will be so good to be back on board again.

Comments [3]

Chris
21/09/2012, Kudat

Had another ten days in Kudat late Sept. Lucky, hope the tanks now ok but haven't filled them yet.

Job list is diminishing, then anti fouling to put on, new mainsail to fit. Hopefully a couple of weeks more to launch and then later in November to head back across to Tioman and Peninsula Malaysia>
thanks for your blog contact - hope all is well.

Comments [1]

CRW
07/08/2012, KK

Heading back to Kudat. This time via KL arriving this morning.

Have a new MainSail to pick up in KK. Hit the usual "14 doors" to clear things! Arrived at Terminal 2 with Air Asia, waited and went to T1 where the main was supposed to be, it wasn't so called them and was told it T2 so went back over to T2 where I found them to be told I had to go back to T1 to get customs clearance. Went back to T1 where I was told had to go to Malaysia Air Cargo, when to the office, they said go to a door around the back, that was not the right place of course and I had to drive around the back of the airport to Malaysian Air cargo base.

Found customs they said you have to use an agent so they arranged one for me and off I went with the Customs Officer to the Agent. We completed all the paperwork after downloading ships papers etc and transferring them onto his computer, in an hour or so it was all done after I lent him a memory stick to transfer the data!

Back to T2 with all the paperwork and get a Mainsail in return for MYR15 for Terminal Charges.

Stacked it in the mini Karcil and with a circle of rolled battens that filled the whole car headed of with battens around my head into KK. All good but the day is nearly done.

Got the telephone and data sims sorted at the usual place, changed some cash at MYR 3.30 which is excellent and booked in. Down to the waterside for a fish for dinner and off to bed.

Comments [2]

15/04/2012

Two weeks goes quickly in Kudat. Following the Easter weekend we also did a "flying visit" to KK. In uor rented Karcil, which is a very small car, takes 25 litres of fuel and you can fill it up for about $15!, we loaded up with a three 45kig batteries and head and our boat cover and headed off to KK. Purchased one new 55kg battery and took the boat cover in for repairs, went for reflexology and bought some hardware. Went to our favourite Chinese restaurant, indian restaurant and stayed at the usual economy but reasonable spot in town.

Stayed Monday night and headed back to Kudat in the Flying Karcil on Tuesday night.

Back to work in the boatyard. A few good thunderstorms, with heavy tropical rain a great chance to "clean the decks" which we did in the rain. Had a yard worker for the week who polished paint, stainless the mast and boom.

On checking out the boom we found that sparrows had found it a great place to set up nests , several of them in the sail cover. Ended up taking off the main and sail cover and cleaning it all up, birds, with related ants etc etc a menangerie. All clean now and the main is coming back to Aus -squashed with very neat folding we managed to get it into a soft bag.

Completed the painting and fuel tank lids, couldn't put the fuel guagaes in as the drill and bit were too long so that is now deferred. Did a little but not much in the Engine rooms. and then it was about pack up time, always a big job.

Comments [2]

Dianne
09/04/2012

Good Friday:
The painting process was to begin but once again the dreaded diesel was back in the clean prepared back diesel tank - the saga continues. Painting on hold and thinking caps back on.  We went back to our original thoughts last year of putting in an inspection port on the deck as the best option to access the sealed compartment behind the fuel tank.  Sure enough just enough to be a nuisance about 1cm of diesel in the bottom, sponged and cleaned that out only to have diesel seep back in from the compartment next door.  Managed to drill a slit in the bottom of the wall between these two tanks to let the diesel seep through completely.  Back to steps 1 and 2 cleaning and preparing before the painting could take place.

Late morning the first coat of paint applied not only to the tanks but Chris as well, he now has grey painted arms!  Access to the tanks is only by the top inspection ports just big enough to get ones arm through.  After the first tanks application Chris was covered with long sleeves and everything he used such as mirror and torch I covered in glad wrap to reduce the spread of paint other than where it was required.  The first round of all four tanks took nearly two hours, we both felt rather light headed from the fumes and dehydration.

The second coat went much quicker as we seemed to know what we were doing and had a better rhythm sorted.  Decided we'd drive into town for dinner and go to our favourite indian where we were warmly greeted like long lost friends.  Definitely   been here too long when people remember you and welcome you back, also people in the yard call out "hello Chris"!

Saturday: Help at last with washing of the exterior, a yard worker has been allocated to us and he made good progress on the top sides finishing off the washing and then polishing the gloss painted surfaces - almost back to new.
Chris and I continued with the painting of the tanks and finished the last of the tin when we got back after another enjoyable dinner.  

We went in for dinner early as had down time between the coats but hadn't anticipated taking so long, being Saturday night and earlier than usual we had quite a wait for our meal.  We went back to the Chinese on the waterfront - you could picture something like the Cairns waterfront or Sydney waterfront - well not quite but equally as enjoyable after a long hot day in a dusty industrial boat yard.

We managed to sit at our favoured table on the jetties edge where we can observe the activity both on and off the water, all quite fascinating.  The kitchen that our meal is cooked in is about the size of a beachside change cubical, there are four of these each independently operated, not sure how one selects which one to eat at.  The one we choose is closest to the water.   The first icy cold beer went down very quickly, Chris said maybe it'll be a 3 tiger night and if it wasn't for the final coat of paint after dinner it may have been.  Being early we seemed to be hungrier so we added chile crab to our selection of dishes.  The food is so fresh, we saw the cook walk along the jetty and select our live crabs from a tank on the wharf.

Scraps go straight  into the water, the dishes are washed in large plastic bowls on the lower steps of the jetty, a small girl from one of the tables nearby needed to go to the toilet, the mother carried her down to the lower steps just near the dish bowls and squatted the child to wee into the deck! All so different here without the over rules and regulations that we have.  Lots of garlic, chile and ginger all aid  to naturally ward off germs one hopes!

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Dianne
08/04/2012

Tuesday 3rd April Drive to Kudat:
Another glorious hot sunny day without a cloud ion the sky, car loaded to the roof we set off for the 3.5 hr drive to Kudat.  Slight delay we have a parking ticket all of .25cents!  We drive around looking for the meter guy and pay our dues which we get a receipt for, one would hardly think it worth the paperwork! Half way we stop for fresh coconuts to drink and bananas to munch on, the road was relatively quiet and we arrived without any mishaps!

Spent the remainder of the day unpacking the car and the boat out of its mouldy dusty moth balls!  So hot we headed into town to our favourite place for ABC's to cool us off and then back again in the evening to the markets for dinner.

Wednesday: Started with Chris having to remark a couple of exams and answer a few emails, so I cleared my messages too, it was lunch time by the time we got down to some real work.

  The oil of cloves must have done the trick last time as the inside of the boat is virtually mould free but I will re go over everything to make sure it stays that way.  Chris set about preparing the diesel tanks for painting it is a 3 step process  while I started scrubbing the decks in bertween assisting Chris.  In the past Chris has had Johny clean prior to our arrival however he has just got a job working on a government boat and we really miss his excellent cleaning skills :-(.  

We didn't make it into town for dinner as I think I got dehyrated and just managed a few vegemite crackers, a cuppa and collapsed into bed!

Thursday: Kirsty's birthday but being 2 hours behind and she had to start work at 7.00am we had to wait all day before we could call her.  The day progressed well pretty much a repeat of yesterday - on the computer until nearly lunchtime answering emails etc.  Worked until 7.30pm cleaned up and walked into town for dinner.  

We decided on the Chinese on the waterfront which was not as far as our other favourite eating place the Indian in town.  Celebrated for Kirsty with two tall icy cold tiger beers and enjoyed delcious dishes of ginger prawns, mixed garlic veges and rice - oh so cheap $13 for the lot!  Lovely evening, cools off  with a gentle breeze blowing.  Many locals out enjoying fishing along the waterfront, karaoke, eating, drinking etc.  We ended up having dessert lightly battered deep fried bananas and ice teas - just as well we had a 20 minute walk back to walk our over indulgence off - but oh so nice.

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Dianne
07/04/2012

Arrival in Kota Kinabalu:
We were pleased to see that our bags arrived and all our belongs we set out from Sydney with were intact!

I was a problem at Sydney airport going through security, had forgotten about the toiletries in the back pack so had to get those out and then my hand bag seemed to be an issue too.  It turned out that I had a screw driver in it, shock horror it was a little brass one that was my grandmothers and had two smaller ones inside it.  It had turned up in a box of stationery from home that i was unpacking at the office and I hadn't wanted to loose track of it so put it in my handbag and then forgot about it!  

The security guy could see my horror at the thought of surrendering it and I explained that it was my grandmothers, he got his supervisor and amazingly they let me through with it!  

Chris hired a sardine can for us to drive to Kudat , just managed to squeeze our bags in the back.  First stop was to get the phone and data cards sorted at the celcom shop, no different than telstra - they were out of prepaid data cards.  Went to the next shopping centre to obtain but found that the data card wouldn't work in Chris's modem so we went back again to see about getting one for the ipad which is a smaller sim.  They are so clever they just punched the sim card to fit the ipad.  Chris was going to use the ipad as a hotspot so the  computer could use it too but that didn't work so we put the sim back into the frame from where it was punched from and inserted it into the iphone which we use as a hotspot for the computer and I pad.  

Technology sorted we phone Alvin the guy that had our sealant paint that was sent from Sydney for repair our diesel tanks.  Alvin couldn't deliver until 7.00pm so we went and visited the Marina.  Blue Moon had suggested we catch up with China Grove, we found the boat but it looked as if the owners were away as it was well locked up.

Visited our usual Indian Cafe for lunch for Roti Telurs and Ice Lemon Tea then onto the supermarket to purchase tea for Sarah from Blue Moon,  she was having withdrawal symptoms from the Boh Earl Grey and Tangerine. Couldn't walk pass the egg tart shop without indulging - its been a year since I was here last whereas Chris  visited end of August but that was Ramadan time so not many places were open.

Decided it would be too late to drive to Kudat so we booked it at Hotel Fulla Hua right beside our favourite South Seas Sanctuary massage centre. Alvin  arrived with the paint which we squashed into the car. Alvin invited us to have dinner with him, we ate an excellent meal at a Chinese place nearby washed down with icy cold tiger beer. 

After farewelling Alvin off just enough time for two hours of pampering for me and one for Chris as he had emails to catch up on.  Needless to say after all that when the heads hit the pillow we went out like a light!  

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Dianne
06/04/2012

Our return to Kudat:
We started out on Saturday 31st March via Sydney where we watched the opera "La Traviata" on Sydney Harbour.  The weather was just perfect for open air viewing and quite spectacular with the opera house and harbour bridge as the backdrop to the stage on water.

Sunday Chris was lecturing for the day at the Uni whilst I spent the morning finalising last minute emails, online banking etc.  The afternoon I shopped for souvenirs, fiction books, vegemite, instant cuppacinos/ lattes and wine.  I read on our airline itinerary that we were allowed 25kgs so thought we take the max not realising that was 20kgs for booked luggage and 5kgs of hand luggage!  

We flew Malaysian Airlines Sydney to Kuala Lumpar, our bags exactly 50kgs , have no idea how much the hand luggage weighed but it didn't seem an issue all round.  The flight departed at 9.40pm and arrived around  4.30am, was a good flight and we seemed to get quite a lot of sleep.  

Monday: Flight to Kota Kinabalu was around 7.30 and our luggage was booked right through from Sydney.  The wait didn't seem that long by the time we took a shower had a chair massage and some breakfast it was almost time to board.

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Chris
28/04/2011, Kudat

Back to Kudat for a couple of weeks and prep for Anti Fouling Charmar.

Dianne and myself headed up and spent an overnight in Singapore, which we always enjoy this time staying near Buji. Up KK and Kudat the next afternoon. This time we hired a car in KK as they are quite reasonable even for a couple of weeks. But we enjoyed a night in KK attending to some matters there before heading off to Kudat. Beautiful weather here this time and we had a great couple of weeks pottering around doing the odd jobs. We have the diesel issue addressed now and solutions in hand, and we have ordered the anti fouling.

We had arranged for Charmar to be washed down before we arrived and it was so nice to step on board a lovely clean boat. For a few days we had some assistance completing some jobs which was very reasonable and made great progress.

The main issue now is just to put the anti-fouling on, change the engine oils etc and a couple of bits and pieces and we are ready to go again.

It seems we lost nothing really from the break in incident and it did highlight an issue with our alarm system which has now been replaced so it is an ill wind that blows no good as they say!

Enjoyed again our favourite Borneo cafe for Indian Food, the ABC's from our Malaysian triathlete and the Chinese meals at our favourite cafes. So good to be back!

But it is home again off to Canberra, then Mullumbimby and back to Scherger for the next month and then ...............

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Chris - Very wet weather
13/03/2011, Kudat - Penawasa

After one of these messages that you never want to get but you do appreciate being passed on I am on a quick trip to Borneo as it is apparent that someone has broken into our boat and taken some things. The Police already have the culprit but of course no-one only us knows what could be missing and Charmar is currently also therefore unsecured. I was up at Scherger whilst all this was happening. Scherger is a remote immigration detention centre near Weipa with limited communications.

So only one thing to do, head for Borneo at short notice. No flights available from Singapore to Koto Kinabalu so I take the alternate track Cairns>Darwin>Singapore>Kuala Lumpur>Koto Kinabalu. Double tracking a bit but not too bad apart from the waiting time - three hours in Darwin, bearable, and from midnight until 06.50 at KL Airport. Not exactly a good place for a sleep but survivable!

Arrive at KK at about 0930 after a good sleep on that flight and decide to hire a car which is quite reasonable for the three days rather than take the normal charter car to Kudat. Need to attend to some jobs in KK like getting a sim for the phone, and a new battery for the dual sim phone which appeared to be dead but was resuscitated with a battery. Then to Celcom where I found that I could change my broadband plan to a new prepaid plan which is much cheaper and better for our type of use and also get a phone sim that lasts two years without topping up that I can put in our boat sentinel that would have let us know we were broken into if the sim hadn't expired! Went to the wrong restaurant, looks identical to one of our favourite spots, but the food is not so good, but for $3 with coffee can't whinge too much (although it is the same price for the good food) and headed off for the 2.5 hour drive to Kudat.

As I meander down the various highways and byways north I notice that it is wet, it is raining, not like a shower but if Cairns and Qld has been getting deluged this is worse, much worse! The farm areas are flooded, water is cascading down the mountains and rushing along the table drains, at times the road is covered.

Logs are hurtling down the rivers and occasionally have floated onto the roads along with many coconuts and other debris.

Was stopped in queue of traffic by deep water on the road so pulled up with all the rest. Left the parkers on so as not to get run into. About an hour later when it was time to go and raining torrentially the battery was flat so here I was stopped in the middle of the road in pouring rain in a tiny car with traffic going around both sides of me, hopped out to put the bonnet up and got soaked. A car came slowly and and closely by and said in in my best Bahasa Malglish - battery any leads? And the two obliging guys stopped, looked at the weather, stripped off their shirts and jumped out to give me a push start. Next time I get held up keep the engine running!

Stopped at the usual Tanda (toilet) stop about halfway, a bit behind schedule but still expecting to arrive Kudat at about 1600. Fortunately bought a small packet of dried bnnana, some peanuts and bottle of water.

Headed of but not much more than 10 k down the road, in TORRENTIAL rain the traffic was stopped and building up. Ok so just stop and wait till it clears before carrying on. About an hour later when the rain eased I walked down the road, a long way to see what the hold up was but could not get to the end of queued cars before the rain came in again. It just got worse now there were literally hundreds of cars, buses, trucks, taxis all piling up in the queue. Well have a sleep. Awakened about 8:00pm as the traffic started moving so jumped into action and joined in as the hundreds of cars on the road and verges pushed and crawled their way forward down both sides of the road only separating to let the traffic sometimes come through from the other way.

Eventually we get to the cause a mud slide over the road being cleared by a loader and backhoe in between which we slithered and crawled our way over the mud to get back to bitumen. On we go in the torrential rain with the odd tree over the road, water cascading across and more hold ups whilst the water comes up and goes down.

The last major one we drove through miles of water over the road. I waited till a little car the size of mine, very small and low, and followed it trying to pick where the road was. It worked and eventually we ended up back just driving on bitumen.

As I get closer to Kudat we cross some hills so the road wasn't covered but there were some washouts and the rain was torrential.

Over ten hours for a normally 2.5 hour leisurely drive.

Finally arrive a bit after midnight, it is too wet to go to the boat and I cannot get the car into the boatyard at night so sleep in the car in the rain. Up in the morning and into Kudat for Egg Roti and copi Sweet milk coffee. $2.5o including two Koppi's. No wonder I love it here!

Go to Charmar, they have been in through a tiny back hatch and out the galley hatch and pulled a lot of stuff out of shelves and cupboards. Pulled out and cut the wires on the VHF but it is still there, and stolen the entertainment system. The TV is in the galley, obviously on the way out and other stuff such as binoculars and bits and pieces pulled out. It seems they may have been in and out more than once, maybe "selling to order". They were nabbed by the Police because they were trying to change an Aus $20 note at the kiosk and eating chicken every day and seemed to living a high life. The boat next door was also broken into, it was someone employed to work on a boat parked in front of us.

After a stocktake and tidy up there is not all that much missing - the CD/DVD radio, some money, maybe a computer and who knows what else??

Going to the Police tomorrow, they won't give the neighbour back his stuff until I have a look also!

So a bit tired and worn down the day is spent rejoining wires, refitting things removed, and putting things (where they belong and where they dont belong to get them off the floor!) Lunch with the neigbours and it is still wet and muddy here!

Tomorrow have an appointment with the boatyard office, and will be off to the Police to report and go through what they have and will take the neighbour so he can get his stuff back also.

An interesting few days!

Comments [2]

crw
18/11/2010, Japan

Late October and first half of November we sojourned to Japan. A little time in Tokyo, an Onsen in Niko and then two weeks with Yamagishi in Mie prefecture and we left from Osaka to return to Oz (by air).

Its about time to go back to Borneo but a few things to sort out here first.

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15/06/2010

It's off to Vietnam, via KK, then to Malaysia to Kuala Lumpur, KL, then to Saigon or Ho Chi Min as it is now called and then to Da Nang. A big day but a good trip. Once up in this part of the world nothing is far away but it would be lot shorter to go KK to Saigon - only a couple of hours across the water and not too long a sail!

Vietnam is stunning and Oh!! What a cruising ground!!!! It is the missing link for the South China where now the East Coast of Malaysia is available, with the East Malaysia Rally, the West Coast of Borneo, the Phillipines, but how fantastic would it be to go from North West Borneo to Hu Long Bay, a paradise above all, down around Vietnam to Cambodia then east Thailand and back to East Malaysia!! The China Sea Circle - two years of the most beautiful and fascinating cruising!!!!! Different cultures, waterways, diving and snorkelling, rivers and islands - the most different and beautiful areas imaginable!

Comments [1]

05/06/2010, Kudat

How good to be back in Kudat, home away from home, just around the north west tip of Borneo. A small fishing village in Borneo with a shipyard, great tucker, friendly people - I love it! :-))

A trip up from Aus with Jetstar, we stopped over inside Singapore Airport at one of the internal hotels to catch our connecting flight to KK the next morning also with Jetstar. Very convenient! Two hours to KK and we have the day and night there, renew our Celcom internet account, visit the markets, and check out a few things in town including a quick trip to Sutera Marina. Dianne is suffering from Aussie Flu and not well at all. The next morning after doing a couple of chores we wanted to attend to in KK it is into a Toyota for the four hour drive to Kudat.

A great ten days in Kudat, catching up on maintenance, going into town to eat, and solving the riddle me do, riddle me don't diesel saga - a long and interesting story but too much for the blog.

Each day we do at least one bicycle ride into town for lunch or dinner, its not far, but the tucker is great. Have found the best ABC's or Ice Kuchang's (which they never call them up here) in Kudat and have a few favourite and well frequented eateries where we are well known. Catch up again with Peter the fountain of all knowledge and local taxi driver, and have the same workers Rusdi and Johnny which is really great and we get quite a bit done.

Just when we are back in the boatyard groove however it is time to go to Vietnam.

Comments [1]

Chris
08/03/2010, Kudat

It is interesting how we still get contact from people we met going through Indonesia now two years ago. Soleman the student in Alor, Cepy we met in Bima and others along the way. Txt's, facebook, email make it all possible.

Still working back home and commuting to Borneo at present. We will spend June in Vietnam and October in Japan with intermittent sailing in between. This month sees a few days in Korea and time in Sydney lecturing interspersed with visits home.

Comments [3]

Tropical Monsoon at present
27/01/2010

My oh my where do the days go to......it is Wednesday already and pack up day. Well now Sunday was ok with more cleanup and a couple of chores attacked. Why would they bring out a new model foot anchor switch and put a flange on it so you cannot fit into the same hole as the old ones!? I am sure they do it to make life difficult. Sunday night at the Golf Club for boaties dinner and met acquaintances from the rally Doug and Margaret on Tonic who are slipping here on Wednesday before a quick trip to Kiwi land.
Monday and assistant one started and more progress was made. He was the right size to get into the bilge and so he washed it all out again and all the aft cabin again and dried it. He then cleaned up all the accumulated dust in the cockpit and once it looked spick and span things started to feel better. Assistant two started on Tuesday by pumping out the remaining thirty five litres (of 200 to start with) from the tank and then totally cleaned out the tanks removing the peeling inner paint so I can ultimately have a go at sealing the tank from the inside as well. Rosdi did a great job of this while Johnno di general cleaning and then attacked the decks, windows etc. We fitted the anchor switch with a lot of manual cutting and filing but it is in and works and then decided to unload the anchor and chain to send away for galvanising in KK so we dropped it off into a box.
Must admit to spending a bit of time in the afternoon sitting on the foredeck under the shadecloth talking to Eric who owns the fishing boat next door. Picked up a lot of interesting and useful local information and all about the fishing boats and their "relationship" with the Phillipines only a couple of hours away.
Peddle into town most nights to enjoy dinner.
Wednesday the boys were into it and the final cleaning up of the now internally spotless tanks was completed, some polishing and cleaning and in the afternoon to while away the time some quick varnishing to seal some areas needing attention but they will need more coats on return but this will hold them in good condition in the meantime. Started to secure things before imminent departure.
Wednesday night Doug and Margaret called in and we walked into town for dinner.
As to bilge pumps and things. No I don't leave the pumps on although I do know of a boat that sank on the land when the cockpit scuppers became blocked and the water seeped in under the stormboards until the boat filled up with devastating effects. However because all our machinery and "wet things" are behind sealed bulkheads aft we don't have bilge pumps in the cabin areas so they were not there to do the job. I guess if they were at that stage the diesel would have still seeped over everything that it did before hitting the bilge and being pumped out anyway! So not sure they would have much use other than to create a big pool of diesel beside the boat rather than captured within the bilge.
Kudat is a delightful fishing town/village where westerners are still a novelty. An industrious and busy place with many comings and goings and very friendly people. Each time I come here I get more out of it.
Off tomorrow to KK and then to Singapore, Darwin and Cairns.

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23/01/2010, Kudat

Saturday, up and back into the bilge with washing materials. Joy of joy and how thankful we can be for small mercies the water is on so I can get a few bucket loads for bilge cleaning.
After watching the wall of the aft cabin last night for over an hour to see where the diesel was coming from not a drop appeared. Today there are puddles again! Clean them up and pull off some more panels on the search. Feeling and looking as there is no sign of a source but towards the back and the furthest corner from where the diesel was gathering the wall feels slippery,,,,,,,diesel. On the trail now it follows back to an aft corner weld just at the level of the bottom of the tank. Pull out some more foam and interestingly find Les has marked this very spot with an arrow! And there it is a pin hole in the corner weld with a little flow of diesel coming from it right at the bottom most corner of the tank. Out with nead it, just a little to block the flow and then clean up the surface and apply a larger section which later I cover with metal epoxy. The leak has been stemmed but there is more cleaning up todo. Diesel is found seeping out of the insulation glass at the back of the genset cabinet so off with more panels and pull it all out and trash it the bottom is saturated as the diesel soaked up it. The cabin is pretty well stripped.
Mix up batches of hot water, bilge cleaner and citrus and again flush the bilge out hoping to vacuum the floating diesel off the top of the water - we'll see tomorrow.
At this stage I can see or feel no more leaks!
Onto something productive fit the new sternlight. Apart from some frozen screws requiring the impact wrench to loosen them at least this all goes well and the new one works fine. This is a second light but useful when using the dinghy at night also.
Then to the anchor switch. Make a start but enthusiasm is waning and it is getting dark. Get on the skype for a while to home and the family and then peddle into town on the folding bike to our favourite Indian restaurant for a $1.80 feed including coffee which was great after a low food day! No rain today which was good. It was hot tonight it is cooling down as there has been strong winds here today although where we are in the yard is quite sheltered.
A little progress at last and a full belly so feeling better. Tomorrow, Sunday night, is yachties social night over at the Golf Club across the road so looks like I will get fed tomorrow night as well. Monday morning I have a boy coming to work at 0730 so I'll have to be up early as well.
Water is on but not enough pressure to run the shower but at least could run the low taps to fill a small bucket for a decent wash off tonight. I probably needed it although I couldn't smell anything except diesel!
Sunday tomorrow but not a day of rest over here!

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22/01/2010

Friday, where did that go to? A quick scout around the yard, go and pay the bills and buy a heap of rags. Arrange for a pump and a drum and three boys who pump the diesel out of the boat and do a bit of a clean up, Well that was a start and then the investigation.

Diesel being diesel it seems to be coming from everywhere but it has soaked into insulation wool, foam and cork tiles so it oozes out. Great day for cleaning the water is off but it is raining but not enough to fill buckets. So there is no water for cleaning and too damp to do outside jobs, With a bit of rain water and degreaser do the first attack on the bilge, aft cabin berth which fortunately we did not have a mattress in and cleared before we left. Removing panels and cleaning up little pools of diesel. Oh what joy. But I cannot find the leak.

The day is spent cleaning washing bilges and other. Can't even have a shower to clean the diesel off me as the water is off! Have rinse down before hitting the sack early.

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