08/08/2008, Kalabahi - ALOR
Today still in the Fjord at Alor Island anchored at Kalabahi. This is a smaller town although there are 175,000 people on this small group of islands with various regions. Interestingly some live by the sea and others in the Highlands. The boys we were talking to last night who are training to be English School Teachers walk 35 kms to get to the University from the highlands where their families are farmers. They had never been on a boat before and wanted to come and see Charmar. To our surprise they were a little afraid in the dinghy. We had assumed with the beautiful waterways and the tiny and big kids and adults that are constantly plying the waters in the tiniest of dugouts through to traditional fishing boats and Sampans that they would all be water- babies - but not so - the farmers do farming and the fishermen do fishing! The littlest of kids paddle out to our boat in the littlest of dugout canoes to sit on the back steps and wait for a talk or a chocolate. They have a great method of flick rolling their dugouts to bail the water out if they capsize or are capsized by their mates or crew!
Last night the Gala dinner had some wonderful performances with traditional music by the school children, traditional dancing in costume (pity I can't get photos on at the moment!) and singing and dancing.
Today we did the tour and went to the Museum and then to the highlands to a traditional highland village without power or any "modern amenities" where they and we danced and enjoyed their traditional lifestyle before we walked back down not exactly trusting the bus that didn't quite make it to the top. Then on to Mali Beach for a "Bento Box" lunch and more music from the local elementary school which was just wonderful using their traditional instruments with enthusiasm and gusto.
After that out to an area which I am not sure where it was exactly (didn't have the GPS with me!) where we planted trees that will have our names on a plate on them, Sandlewood. So it tramping through Indonesia in years to come look for the tree called Chris White and the one called Dianne White of Charmar in the Memorial Forest! There were giant Sandlewoods in this forest some 500 years old and 50 metres high with a circumference equal to a curtain fig. I guess we did this for our Carbon Sequestration or maybe just to replace the enormous amount of paperwork required to enter and travel in this country. Some people are still stinging from having our boats impounded but it really was not a problem. Personally I think it was just a sure way of keeping us in Kupang for four days minimum!!
We have a couple of more days here and then will press onto to Lembata on Pelau Kawatu about 80 miles east after passing a couple of other island and probably doing battle with the fierce tides and currents that prevail in this area. Despite all sorts of software and planning there has been more talk on the radio about the currents but few have been able to benefit from it and I think more luck and chance than science, but it certainly slows you to a snail pace when against and turbo charges when it is with you. Coming in here we had 9 knots plus with one engine just ticking over! (We also had 1.8 knots earlier with one engine running normally - which is NOT a fast way of getting anywhere. Still can't beat sailing with the fresh breeze where we get 9+ knots and better.
Still signing hundreds of kids exercise books with our names and residence - thanks teachers what a good idea!! Some have a little English but it is easy to lose them by asking their age etc. Nevertheless the Country clearly has a policy to teach all Children English and except for the remote villages many people speak a little or quite good English and there are many English speaking local teachers and many more studying for the task with a five year course.
We are still overwhelmed by the hospitality and friendliness and the effort made to make our stay rewarding for us.
|
Comments [2]
thank you from hardi alor
06/08/2008, Kalabahi - ALOR
Anchored in a magnificent Fjord or Sound deep in ALOR Island and Kalabahi Township. This is a fairly remote area. Yesterday they had their Annual Expo which is a bit like an agricultural show with all the produce, weaving and handicraft from each region of this local area and other displays and fun. We went around it last night and it was quite interesting. Had a Nasi Goreng (of course) and a barbecued fish for dinner at a small wharfside food outlet where there is a string of them possibly just set up for the occasion.
The children all obviously have a project or competition to get as many names and signatures from the foreigners as they can so we get swamped every time we hit shore with lovely little kids with exercise books introducing themselves o so politely and asking for us to complete their books. Sometimes the English doesn't go much past this though!
The anchorage is a part of a commercial port and very protected. As we travelled along the Fjord there were communities at every bay and large fish trap structures the size of a house on the water - they seem to light these up at night to attract the fish.
This morning was the official welcome and the warriors came around the boats in their traditional gear and traditional boat singing and drumming and took the captain of the first boat to arrive to shore for him to be the leader of our tribe.
This was followed by the official reception on shore with dancers from the school, speeches, morning tea and more dancing including us participants.
Unexpectedly this really is a cultural tour where each village or town (and each one has its own culture - they are quite different) visited has gone to tremendous effort to welcome us and make arrangements for our visit. This area is beautiful and also great for snorkelling and diving and very "original". The people are traditional and delightful.
There goes some kids in a dugout canoe! "Hello Mister, Hello Misses".
Tonight we have the gala dinner welcome hosted by the local mayor.
We are absolutely blown away, overawed, amazed (and any other adjectives) by the hospitality, the arrangements and the effort by the Indonesians towards this tour. I can only suggest that if you have a boat or can get on one do it and book now for next year it is truly outstanding and a lifetime experience.
We have found that communications are not that great here, as expected. The Telstra message bank system does not seem to work despite it leaving a message that it will call back with the messages it never does! On querying Telstra they have recorded a complaint so it may be fixed by the time we are home.
If you need to contact us the most reliable will be try my mobile 0418 772 601, or our Indonesian number dial Indonesia (I am not sure of the code then (0) 81353 779312 probably dropping that first (0) by normal convention. Satphone is an option if we are onboard but the most reliable is email to vzn6971@sailmail.com
|
05/08/2008, Alor
Yesterday, Tuesday we weighed anchor, with a plan to go to Alor. We had intended to day sail along the coast, anchor and then cross to Alor today. BUT, we left with a glorious 10/12 knot favourable breeze and sailed along and north, north east beside the west coast of Timor in perfect sailing conditions just cruising along at a steady pace on flat water. Later in the day the breeze dropped out a little and we put the MPS up to boost our way. As we had been progressing steadily on flat water we decided to continue on over night to arrive at Alor in daylight the next morning.
The wind faded and we kept the MPS up for the night. At about 10.00pm Dianne was sitting on the front deck keeping an eye on a couple of close boats and reading when she was surprised by a loud, "WHOOOOSH!" right next to her. When she looked around she saw a massive phosphorescent image in the water heading towards us and then it moved right under her under the front decks and hulls. Obviously a whale on the surface that then swam under us.
As the night went on the wind died out but the seas became very sloppy. At about midnight a couple of boats in front that had set out before us were reporting 25knots on the nose so we thought it prudent to take in the MPS and return to the Genoa. An hour or so later the wind piped in and from about 2.00am we had about +/- 20 knots and about 9 knots of boat speed. It was great. Earlier in the day we had tides and currents of up to 4 knots against us! The tide turned to help us also.
Just now it is 0800 and we are entering the channel towards Alor about 20 miles to go and a big pod of dolphins leading us in .
A really mixed night with calm, flat, rolly and windy but a good sail at the end and wind is dying out again now.
We have a couple of volcano to port and the channel and a small island to starboard.
|
04/08/2008, Kupang
In Kupang we spend the afternoon unsuccessfully trying to clear email and update photos to the blog. Internet is not common in Kupang!!
Sitting down on the waterfront in the late afternoon we were approached by students, teachers and others from Kupang who wanted to "practice" their English and talk to us.
Debbie, Karen, Sandy, Andy and Lucas stopped and talked with us for some hours and we learnt a lot about Kupang life and other things. Sail Indonesia is the one big tourism event in Kupang each year and is welcomed by the whole community. It was interesting for all of us to compare notes about our lives and conditions in Australia compared to those in Kupang. Few people have a computer and/or access to the internet, not even teachers. At uni they get to use a computer "a little". But they sure do have good family values and a sense of their community. Mostly the people in Kupang are Christian. The schools have a few weeks holiday in June/July and four days at Christmas. School starts at 0730!
Sitting and talking has been another one of the highlights of Kupang. Interestingly many of the people we spoke to had origins in Alor where we go to tomorrow. The Japanese and Dutch have had an influence in both these area.
For the people here they can only dream of visiting somewhere like Australia, despite the fact that they have, through their own efforts, very good English, which they see as the universal language and work hard at learning.
|
04/08/2008, Kupang
Monday today and we are in Kupang. I have found a wifi internet connection and thought I would upload some photos. Well after an hour over lunch and a Bintang beer or so I have one photo on, I thought I had three so sorry about the lack of photos but the internet is just tooooo sloooow to do this. Yesterday we attended to some cleaning up and other things and finalised our immigration paperwork and boat release forms - 4 copies of everything we could find and several rubber stamps later and it was agreed we could be released and "maybe tomorrow my friend will come and take the impounding sticker off your boat".
So today we went to the local markets after travelling round the town in Bemo Bus (this is a small van with a guy who hangs off the side and solicits business. It has 1000 watts of music booming inside and out (it doesn't need a motor other than to power the sound system which bounces it along the road with the base, it has many aerials and at night flashing neon lights all over it, and stickers all over, (Lachie eat your heart out) the driver peers out between sticker with hand on the musical horn which talks to the other drivers as you weave your way around the traffic and myriad motor bikes. Well we finally got to the local markets, great, and then we went to the local mall which was great as well. Even had KFC which was empty, but with Bird Flu not our choice either!!!
This afternoon, yes, "my friend did come to the boat, and he, the customs man, was green seasick, but he did allow us to remove the sticker impounding us and we have gave them some treatment with seasick bands, they got their colour back and we took them onto the next boat.
Thought I would do a quick Blogsite and email check but, hey, the speed is so slow forget that. Only one picture on the Blogsite and time to go. Couldn't even attach to the email.
Tomorrow we may move onto Alor, but we are in cruising mode now so difficult to rush anything, we'll just see what the day is like.
Alor looks like a good anchorage but we'll probably do a day sail up the coast from here, anchor somewhere for the night, and then across to Alor the next.
Would like to be there for the celebrations, tour and an agricultural festival they have.
In th meantime it has been great mixing with these wonderful people here and exploring the local area.
|
Joanne Cooney
02/08/2008, Kupang
The experience of Kupang has been somewhat mindblowing. From arrival of course we had all the paperwork including customs, quarantine, Health, migration and harbour master. We still haven't completed our migration but will catch up with that tomorrow or next day. EVERYONE has been so extra-ordinarily courteous and helpful with this complex and bureaucratic process - well it has almost been a pleasure as much as dealing with bureaucracy can be! But certainly the help and courteous approach from all the officers has taken any pain out of the process. (Even though we are temporarily impounded it has no adverse consequences on us!) Tomorrow we will take on some "Sola" diesel at about 55cents per litre.
So first night here we caught up with some people we had not met but had been in contact with well before the Rally and had a few, maybe even quite a few, beers at $2.50 for a largish bottle at Teddy's Bar on the beach which led to a slow start to yesterday morning.
Last night the provincial Governor hosted us for a dinner and entertainment which was spectacular with gifts for all participants, dancing and welcome ceremonies that the local people seemed to enjoy as much as us. There was much laughter and merriment. Music on traditional instruments was fantastic, including a rendition of Waltzing Matilda on one simple instruments that sounds like an orchestra.
Today the Ministry of Tourism put on a tour for us. Well we started at 0700 and have just returned at 2230. We must have been right aross West Timor and visited traditional villages, the Highlands - and they are high - and what I think was the end of the road, four wheeling at its best, and a wonderful Timorese Village. It is a very humbling and levelling experience that these people with so little gave each of us a beautiful welcoming gift, and treated us to the traditional welcome ceremony, the annual children's hair cut ceremony (each person only has their hair cut once in their life at about 2 years of age) complete with the sacrificing of a pig for the occasion. We then experienced a wonderful traditional feast of their local foods. Years ago these people were headhunters - fortunately for us they have retired in that regard. But we were given freedom to roam the village, see them at their traditional weaving which we each had a gift of, visit their traditional housing and "women's work place" or pantry/kitchen a dome shaped thatched building quite large with only a very small low door to crawl through and enjoy foods including cassava and paw paw leaves and flowers, cassava, banana, mandarin, meats, corn dishes, rice dishes etc.
Interestingly the housing although simple and traditional all the way along the route often consisted of the sleeping living area, the pantry/kitchen (women's business area), the shade and meeting areas and were beautifully maintained all round, clean and tidy with swept earth and an obviously industrial persons who take pride in their dwelling. We saw many villages and these typical housing establishments "hanging"off the edge of the mountains and hills in the highlands, talk about a house with a view, but the lasting impression is of these wonderful sharing and happy people who truly welcomed us along the way and at every stop in a very personal and caring manner.
It is ironic that those with the least share the most, and those in the world that are the "haves" as opposed to the 'have nots" are least willing to share not only the material goods that they have but also the spiritual warmness and common kindness and acceptance of mankind. Their parting words were often, "thank you for coming to see us and to share our lives, you are welcome back at any time and are now part of our family, we apologise if we have not done as much as possible for you or if you are disappointed with anything you have had or seen today, but we are only people and not perfect". I would add "but more perfect than many in the western world!"
On each occasion they wanted to know what they could do FOR US, not what they could take from us.
Right down to the trip home tonight where at about 2030 the highway was closed off in one village as they performed a "departing ceremony"of dancing, singing and traditional music before we returned to Kupang.
I can only describe it as a very humbling experience to meet these friendly and happy people, who work hard at survival in the toughest of conditions but don't complain or moan and are so willing to share what they have with us, who they have only just met.
A wonderful, wonderful day.
|
Greg
30/07/2008, Kupang
Yesterday Wednesday was a fantastic sail all day running just with the MPS in very comfortable and cruisy conditions. This would be the most comfortable ocean passage (but one of the slowest) I have done, but great to get a good sail in at last. We sailed into the Roti Straits at the 'bottom' of Timor Island last night and trangressed our way carefully through a number of lit and unlit fishing boats to get around into the channel between West Timor and Pulau Semau Island at about 2.00am this morning. We dropped an anchor then and spent the night to awaken this morning and motor up the channel to Kupang. A number of the boats that we had been sailing with the past few days came into the channel this morning also and followed the way up to Kupang.
It seems some of the boats that came up the channel through the night had ïssues with local lit and ulnlit fishing boats so we were glad that we had anchored up.
We have cleared Quarantine at Kupang with two charming gentlemen and are just awaiting customs now, but their boat has been dragging anchor so they have had a few issues.
It was a very easy and smooth crossing, with the only bit of swell in the last afternoon but then a long rolling comfortable swell.
So here we are, Kupang looks interesting and the people are so friendly. Looking forward to getting ashore and having a look around.
|
29/07/2008, Nearing Timor
Again yesterday we sailed all day just under the MPS or Spinnaker doing maybe an average of just four knots with a breeze of variable 6 knots plus or minus, VERY light, getting up to a couple of puffs of 8 knots momentarily during the day. Nevertheless a great and relaxing day on the water with very flat seas. Same as the days before at 1900 or around 7.00pm the little wind that there was dies out to nothing. Dinner at the table as if we were in a marina, quite unusual when out at sea. So last night we ran one motor at low revs from 7.00pm until 6.45 this morning. (lucky diesel or "sola"as it is called is only about half Aussie prices at about 80/90 cents per litre). I was hoping not to buy any however we have used a bit already and will use more before we stop at Kupang.
So it looks like another lovely day with a nice sunrise, calm seas and light, very light breezes. We are ambling along with the MPS now and should reach Kupang probably sometime tomorrow all going well.
We have in company about five other boats in the same vicinity so we have been keeping each other company and watching out for each other. During late yesterday and last night we passed several fishing boats in close proximity and a gas well platform. It is a small world one of the boats with us just recognised another boat that they had sailed with three years ago but didn't know they were here, and a kiwi boat motored past us night before last and they had sailed at Paremata where Dianne sailed and knew "Scotty" from the Mata Club, Dianne's brother. There are a few Kiwi boats here and quite a few from US as well as a smattering from elsewhere. Norbert who we helped out of Bayview Lock is from Austria and sailing by himself, now on the homeward bound legs of his circumnavigation.
The ocean bottom here also has an interesting profile with some shoals (shallow water) and areas where it drops from 50 metres to 250 metres and back up again. But there is no impact on the surface.
It has been rather too light and slow for trolling although we have had the line limply out a couple of times I think the lure would not be attractive to any smart fish!
|
28/07/2008, En route to Kupang
After a steady and slow day sailing yesterday just under the MPS with 2 to 6 knots of breeze and 2 to 3 knots of boat speed at dusk the breeze, or what there was of it just faded out and the night has been flat calm. We started a motor about 1800 yesterday and have alternated running the motors through the night.
It is a glorious sunrise with a flat oily sea and not a flicker of breeze this morning. One yacht in front, one behind just going over the horizon and a gas well to starboard about 14 miles away which was a bright fire glow early this morning.
We don't want to motor all the way but not sure what we will do today, just hoping some sort of breeze will pipe in. We think many boats are motoring in these conditions but haven't heard the morning sched yet.
Many people ask what you do at night, well normally you just keep on sailing like you do in the day and there would be no thought even of just stopping and sleeping, but in these conditions you could do just that and a couple of boats we have passed have been doing it! Very unusual indeed.
Not even going fast enough to trawl for a fish although there have been some in the water. Of course pods of dolphins just ambling around yesterday also.
|
27/07/2008, En route to Kupang
Monday morning at dawn, the sun has just come up across a flat and calm sea! After a VERY slow day yesterday we drifted into a lovely sunset under MPS and Main but not much breeze. At close to midnight it was TOTALLY CALM with the wind direction indicator as gravity took over from wind and we slightly rolled on the flat water. (Damn that wind generator - how long was the warranty!).
So we dropped all the limp sails back to their places of storage and motored for a few hours with one engine just on idle to chill the fridges and at least keep us pointing in the right direction.
About 0400 there was a slight breeze tight on so we put up the main and genoa to cover just a few more miles. Now with the sun coming up we have about 2.5 knots of breeze.
At this average speed it might take us about 230 hours to get to Kupang!
A good chance to read a few books, read one through last night, and at least cooking, eating and washing etc is easy as we slowly drift towards Indonesia. Fortunately the current is running that way!
Some boats must be motoring as they are moving ahead more quickly, but we don't want to burn all our diesel yet so are just running enough to keep the fridges and freezer cold - batteries are holding up well even with all instruments and autopilot going all night (and all day!) not that there is much to steer but it is keeping us pointing in the right direction.
Too slow to even put a fishing line out!
But as the old saying goes the worst day on the water is still better than the best day in an office - no egos and alter egos to deal with out here! just a happy dolphin or two, the sharks stay mainly out of sight!
|
Bruce
26/07/2008, Cairns
Saturday morning dawned a beautiful day in Darwin. We were up early to help a Singlehander Norbert on Sunny Side a Lagoon Catamaran out of Bayview Marina Lock. Knowing the difficulty of getting out in a wide cat and that he was a single hander we offered to go and assist. So it was up at 0600 across to the Beach into a cab and over to Bayview. We then came back to Fannie Bay on his boat and he dropped us at the beach at about 0930. This just gave us time to go and tidy things up at "home", raise the mainsail and weigh the anchor to leave with the fleet at 1100.
Vessels started ambling off at about 1030 and soon the bay was a wave of movement as 130 odd yachts set off for Kupang and some for Ambon. We had a light S=C9aster to start with and soon set the MPS (spinnaker) as did most of the other boats so it was a colourful and comfortable exit from Darwin.
As the day wore on the fleet broke up into two main groups with the cats and fast monos leading the way and the balance loping along in the light conditions.
We flew the MPS until about 1930 when the wind moved around a little to the front before dyeing off. It was a very quiet night at sea with little breeze and flat conditions but just enough to cause the mainsail to "slat" back and forth so we ended up dropping it. We motored for two hours with one motor just to bring the fridges down but didn't go very all night.
It was quite unusual to see so many lights on the water at night, at one stage with a string of lights off into the horizon looking like a highway to Indonesia!
Sunday morning we set the main in 4 - 6 knots of breeze, which in Charmar is hardly enough to fill it and reset the MPS at about 0900 after morning radio scheds etc. We have all of about 4 knots of breeze at present and after nearly 24 hours have only covered about 80 nautical miles so it looks like being a very slow crossing as similiar weather is forecast for the next few days.
Whilst we like the flat seas we could do with a few more knots of breeze to at least set the sails at present. But other than that all going well.
|
chris
Fannie Bay with the Fleet on Friday
|
24/07/2008, Fannie Bay
We finally escaped from the Marina on Wednesday night. Friends from Tiaka Peter, Jenny and Patrick came over for Pizza and to help us out at 9:00pm.
With less than three inches either side and some flat fenders we had acquired we managed to reverse through without damage and make our getaway. It took then a couple of hours to motor around to Fannie Bay.
Yesterday we fuelled up and completed more preparations and today we clear customs.
The wind generator has really worked, there has been a lot of wind here the last few days although it drops off at night (why we left the lock at 9.00pm). Not as bad as the east coast though which seems to be getting a flogging.
Tomorrow we have offered to go and help a single hander from Austria on a large Lagoon cat escape from Bayview Lock, as we did. It would be impossible to do it yourself without damage.
We are pretty much ready to go, although there is still 100 things we could/should do, but that is always the way.
|
Due to leave the lock this morning but cancelled out due to the wind, which would only exacerbate the 10cm freeboard we would have to get out! Pretty much loaded up with the groceries etc, still have to get the diesel tomorrow (if we get out of the lock). Most other plans on track.
|
