Passion for Cruising

The last lap, so we left Garry’s Anchorage at 5.50am to catch the incoming tide to cross the bar. No wind at all. We started down the “mad mile” towards the bar crossing – not for the faint hearted today, it was like a washing machine, however the largest wave we saw was about 3 metres. Finally [...]

30 October 2011 | Sandy Straits

Yankee Jack Creek

Off yet again at 5.45 am, I was almost sleepwalking as the skipper did his usual, go, go, now.........

29 October 2011 | Bundaberg

Nearly Home

We had a lovely quiet day in the creek, we even played cards and Scrabble, beaten again!!!

27 October 2011 | Pancake Creek

Dawn Start

Up at 4.30am [we must be mad]! To get to Pancake Creek before tomorrow, when a S Easter is forecast, means a very long haul today. We will pass Cape Capricorn at about 10am before sailing down the outside of Curtis Island and Gladstone etc.

26 October 2011 | Great Keppel Island

Another Ripper!!

Another day, this time up at 5am and underway at 5.40am. The water is like oil, not a breath of wind. The clouds are quite heavy at present, but it is very early yet.

Beaurocracy gone mad

03 August 2008 | Kupang

Stuart

Being the first few boats in we got Quarantine clearance by 11am and then two very polite Customs officers inspected the boat before apologising as they plastered up a big notice impounding the boat!!!! They could not tell us why - just that they had been instructed to impound each yacht as they arrived. Sail Indonesia was trying to find out what the problem was and was in constant negotiation with Customs and the NEW governor. We then went ashore to finally clear Quarantine and get our green book(more money) then take the green book and passports (including the usual multiple copies of every document we have on the boat) to Immigration to get our passports stamped after filling out the mandatory two or three forms at each table(more money) then on to the harbourmaster with green book and stamped passports (more forms and money) then back to Customs with all above documents stamped and multiple copied to get Import Manifest (more forms and money). But yes we are still impounded. After 6 days we hear that tomorrow an official will arrive from Jakarta with NEW forms and for some more money and 4 copies of everything (including 4 photos of the boat) we will get our sticker removed "soon" and be allowed to leave - What does Indonesian beaurocracy have in store for us next week? The Tourism Department is trying very hard taking us on wonderful trips and lovely gala dinners but the Customs Department is negating all their good work.
Yesterday we went on a 14 hour bus trip which went for hours along goat tracks over the mountains to visit the remote village of Boti which still practices Animism......... where we were welcomed and watched a haircutting ceremony (fresh pigs blood etc) and then they fed us!!!
Not enough space to describe all the amazing things we are doing each day - roadside food stalls are fantastic great dinner for $2 and huge bottle of beer for $3 Watched Ikat weaving - almost slave labour and have skirt that took two weeks to make $30 and have been presented with several scarf/sash/belts

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