Report from 30.09.23 to 07.10.23
From: Malaysia/Borneo
Sailing trip
In the last post I mentioned Coco and Oliver Schon, and that they have a sailing boat (called Nosy Breeze).
Let's move on to how we met them:
We try to fly as little as possible, but sometimes it's difficult to avoid. You occasionally hear that you can travel by cargo ship, but that's not so common anymore and rather difficult to find. but we had another idea that we liked even better.
We wanted to go sailing.
It was really difficult to find a sailing holiday offer beforehand. We have been working on this project since Laos, i.e. for 5 months.
There are groups on Facebook that are all about this topic.
Janine spent days on Facebook in these groups. She looked through all the adverts every day. However, there were definitely 20 replies to each advert within just 6 hours. Apart from the fact that she spent several hours a day on Facebook reading through the adverts. There were adverts from all over the world in the group. About 10 new adverts every day. However, only very few in South East Asia (3 in 6 months). That's why she stopped after a few days.
Instead, we came up with a different plan, which was to go directly to the marinas (= harbours) and talk to the captains there.
We wanted to try it for the first time in Vietnam. But we were told by a captain on Facebook that it would be hopeless. There are only a few sailing boats in the whole of Southeast Asia, but especially in Vietnam the search is hopeless because the barriers to entry are very high. All right, then Indonesia.
3 months later, when we were in Bali, we set off. We fancied our chances as we had heard that many sailors pass through here on their way from Australia to Thailand. In most of Indonesia, you can only get regional produce, i.e. local fruit and vegetables. Everything else is very difficult. But here in Bali you can get a great deal because there are a lot of tourists here with the corresponding purchasing power. That's why we assumed that the sailors here like to fill the storage space with food that they wouldn't otherwise get.
Well, easier said than done. It took us three days to find the right harbour. The first two harbours we found on Google Maps were nothing. The first one we went to was for local fishing boats, tourist cruises and cargo. The second one in Sanur was even more disappointing, there were only 5 local boats. And even when we finally found the right location, it didn't get any better. Firstly, it took us an hour to pluck up the courage to speak to the captain at the next table in the restaurant. A Frenchman who was happy to talk to us, but who very quickly taught us that this would be a very difficult endeavour. Hardly any captains take crew on board. And if they do, it's only because the passages are difficult, so they need an experienced hand - not newbies like us. We left a flyer in the restaurant at the end, but we don't hope that anyone will answer it. - Nobody did either, by the way.
Nevertheless, we hadn't given up hope. We thought about a new change of strategy. Janine went back to Facebook and searched for captains who had posted in groups a few weeks or months ago that they were currently travelling in Southeast Asia. She wrote to them, introduced them to us and asked where they were and whether they were looking for someone. And we were successful!
Moral of the story: don't let it get you down.
The captain, who had already told us that we had bad cards in Vietnam, answered Coco.
The two of them are currently sailing through Asia, they weren't looking for a crew, but after we asked them again, they thought "Pourquoi pas" (why not). We had actually received another offer, but Coco and Oliver's itinerary suited us better.
Coco told us that they were still in France to visit the family after years, but that they would continue sailing at the end of September or beginning of October.
This fitted in well with our schedule and also with the rough idea of an itinerary.
After our visa for Indonesia expired, we jumped on a flight to Kutching, on the Malaysian side of Borneo. Here we were able to celebrate the Moon Festival until they returned to their boat.
And that's how we got into sailing. During this time we kept taking notes. This post, as well as the next one, I will throw both of our notes together and create a post for you. (Usually one of us writes the post, but it's hard to keep them apart when it comes to the sails).
30.09.23
The boat has 39 feet long or 42 feet - outside dimensions (estimated 25 square metres). Most boats have a template or are from a series, but this boat is a custom-built model.
When we arrive at the boat, we are first shown to our cabin where we will sleep and where we can store our belongings. We are then given a brief tour of the boat to help us find our way around. We then split into two teams to run a few errands. As they haven't been on the boat for a month, there's nothing fresh to eat, so we want to change that. We also need more diesel. We're on a sailing boat, but the wind isn't always what you need, which is why almost all sailing boats now have an additional engine.
After dinner together, we spend our first night in our cabin.
It rocked a bit, but as there are two of us in a cabin, there just isn't enough room to roll back and forth.
01.10.23
Fortunately, we are already used to sleeping in all the berths, so the night was quite restful. We cast off early so that we can leave the harbour. the harbour is quite far into a river that flows into the sea. But the tidal range, i.e. the difference between high and low tide, is 6 metres. That's as high as 4 standard bathtubs would get together. This creates currents that make it almost impossible to leave the harbour with a sailing boat if you're going against the current.
At the beginning, we sit in the corners most of the time and try not to be in the way.
When we reach the sea, the wind is favourable and we can switch off the engine and sail for the first time.
Until our dinner, which is rudely interrupted by a thunderstorm, we go below deck so that we are not in the way.
Janine is struggling with seasickness, which is why she lies down again early, because if you sleep you're not sick.
Seasickness occurs because our sense of balance tells us that everything is moving, but our eyes tell us that it is not. The brain comes to the conclusion that you must be poisoned. I always get tired, but otherwise have no particular complaints, Janine also has dizziness and nausea. the first few days are exhausting for her, but the brain usually gets used to it. But the symptoms can also get so bad that you'd rather throw yourself to your death than put up with it, luckily we're spared that.
02.10.23
We can't find any good anchorages, so we sail on, even at night. We've got used to a lot of freedom over the last few months, so the 25 square metres on the boat are quite a cut. it's not possible to be on our own for any length of time. Janine in particular feels very trapped for the first few days.
Of course, we also want to learn something about sailing and boats on board, and Oliver is always happy to explain to us how to die on a sailing boat....
If lightning strikes you in a thunderstorm, you sink. If the lower part of the sail hits you because the wind swings it, the thing has such an energy, then you die. What we didn't realise is that if you fall overboard, it's usually not possible for the boat to simply turn around and pick you up again. Partly because of the swell, you are not always seen from the boat. And even here in these tropical latitudes, the sea is still so cold that you will probably only survive a few hours in a life jacket.
But as we are still writing articles, none of this has happened to us.
A loud rattling noise reminds us that we have cast a line. When we reel it in, there's no particular tug, which is why we initially think we've just caught a plastic bag. But to our surprise, it's a relative of the gymnastics fish, measuring just under half a metre. Just the right size for 4 people. We take out two decent sized pieces of filet, the rest goes to the sharks.
We still have a pah leftover, but we'll make the fish the next day.
03.10.23
Janine wakes me up to change shifts.
As we sail overnight, someone always has to be awake and make sure that we don't crash into anything. We have an alarm system that is designed to protect us from this, but it means that everyone else also has a transmitter and uses it.
Again and again we see fishing boats that may not want to show where their fishing grounds are. It can also happen that a boat doesn't even have a light. But the sea is calm and the moon is almost full. That means we have good visibility. The weather also plays along to the extent that it is pleasant and consistently warm.
Janine informs me that we are now entering the oil fields and can see the first oil platform. There is also a fire on the horizon. But it will probably not be clearly visible for another 1-2 hours.
In fact, we are not necessary for the shifts, but we can make it easier for the Kapteins to stay awake and keep an eye on things.
5 o'clock
We had a quiet and fairly uneventful shift. The fire is clearly visible. It shines so brightly that it lights up the clouds. The fire is at the flare of an oil platform. This is how surplus or unwanted products are burnt as they are less harmful.
Unfortunately, the weather forecast was surprisingly accurate. The wind broke shortly before 5 o'clock.
We're in the doldrums. And if the weather forecast stays the same, the doldrums will remain for at least 2 days.
Before we switch on the engine, I try to get some sleep.
5:05 a.m.
The engine is on and I'm 50cm away from it. Never mind, I'm asleep now. Janine gets up.
Later, there is finely breaded fish fillet, freshly deep-fried with rice and chilli dip.
The wind also came back after a few hours. The next few days we usually had no wind from 5am to 3pm. And from 3pm to 5am 7-10 knots.
Knots are a nautical unit of measurement that is still used today for ships and aeroplanes. One knot corresponds to one nautical mile per hour. A nautical mile is 1.852 kilometres, but to be able to calculate it better in your head, it is usually enough to remember that 1NM is about 2 kilometres.
04.10.23
Our cabin is so small, it's even smaller than the capsule we stayed in in Bandung. Even smaller than the capsule I stayed in in Kuala Lumpur. and we only have small windows through which it occasionally rains in. at least we have a small battery-powered fan. But there is no air con or anything like that on the whole boat. So our bed is more like an incubator. I'm practically sweating all the time.
We are now close to Miri harbour, but we have to wait for the tide to go in.
We use the second to take a saltwater shower. We don't get fresh water in every harbour, and we haven't been in one for days. so we can only shower with salt water... but there's actually no shower either. so we stand on the deck with a shower head. so we close a window beforehand, and of course the whole thing only works if the swell is right and we're not sailing. otherwise you could slip and fall off too quickly.
After entering the harbour, the first thing we decide to do is find something to eat, and as we walk into town, we realise that we're getting a bit weird.
I find it hard to concentrate and I feel dizzy and a bit nauseous. Janine feels similar and she described it very well:
We walk into town. Shortly afterwards, my body speaks up and says:
Janine, I think we're being poisoned." Before, the boat was always moving. That means your floor, your walls, your table, your kitchen were always rocking. Now NOTHING moves. And AT THE SAME TIME EVERYTHING is moving. Although I'm walking on land, on solid ground, it seems to move up and down. Swaying. My subconscious mind says again: "That's very strange, I don't trust it. I really, really think we've been poisoned." With is difficult and nauseous.
06.10.23
Today we're going to do some official visits, in Malaysia you have to register in every city when you enter it and deregister when you leave it. And in every country, just like at the airport, you have to register with the immigration authorities when you enter the country and deregister when you leave. We want to leave the country soon and travel on to Brunei, and as the authorities are not open at the weekend, we are doing this today.
All in all, it's very boring, but for us it's the first time, so we were very excited and took some pictures.
Later, we meet up with other people from the marina. There are some people here with their boats and others who live in the area and also have a boat or used to have one. And us.
This group meets once a week and everyone brings food, so there's a big feast and people swap stories. There is a lot of talk about boats, where we sometimes have a hard time joining in, but overall we are surprised at how warmly we are welcomed into the sailing community.
07.10.23
Before we leave, we want to visit a national park. This is particularly famous for its cave system. We walk along wooden walkways through the jungle until we reach the caves. There are some archaeological excavations here and you can still see the creepy wooden buildings that were once used to harvest edible birds' nests.
On the way back we have a chat about the costs. They tell us that they bought the boat for €40,000 but need another €40,000 to make it the way they want it for the long journey. But a new boat of this size can easily cost €800,000, 10 times as much.
The running costs, interestingly enough, are around €850 per person, per month. That's pretty much exactly the same cost as we have. What they save on accommodation and food because they can cook for themselves, they mainly pay for boat maintenance.
In the evening, Janine grabs her guitar and Oliver picks up his cello, and the two of them jam together for the first time.
We enjoy the evening, and the journey continues in the next post.
📷 You can find more great pictures in the photo album.
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