To Belitung
Beez Neez now Chy Whella
Big Bear and Pepe Millard
Thu 13 Oct 2016 22:57
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To Belitung
  We get up this morning to see a kingfisher surveying his lot and a monkey still sleeping.
  Then the incredible noise of fishermen returning after a night out.
  As we get ready for the hundred and
fifty mile journey to Belitung a youngster passes washing
his nets.
 We leave at seven thirty and pass
a friend having to be towed in. Below us one point
seven metres.
  We follow our
track in. Plenty of day fishermen wave
enthusiastically.
  The marker
buoy and seawater beyond. a whopping four
metres below.
  River water
becomes the sea and we drop into seven metres
deep.
 A lady being
tended as we got into seawater.
 The first time Beez Neez is
on the South China Sea (on the
chartplotter).
  A peaceful afternoon – gusts to three
and a half knots and a tug and tow, this time not a
coal tow but a small chum, depth now a massive fifteen metres below......... One
all at backgammon and a successful seven on the trot at Tri-ominoes sees me pull
slightly ahead overall. Huh. I’ve been losing ever since
that gibbon took four of the pieces. I’ve ordered a new one and Alex
will bring it out in January. Huh and thrice Huh I
say. Time to watch a gentle
sunset.
  I get up to begin my 02:00 to 06:00
shift to have Bear point to a light behind us. That’s
Dockwise Vanguard – colour me semi-happy, a favourite chum and
goliath of the sea. Nothing for it but to look her up to put her glorious self
on the blog.
 Dockwise Vanguard during her build.
   Dockwise Vanguard carrying an
oil rig platform, the cruise ship Costa Concordia and another rig (carrying as she passed Beez). WOW, how I
would love to see her.
   A fair way off I could see a ship on
the AIS. At a quarter past four the radio chirped.
The captain of Erik Spirit (tiny dots four
miles off) called to ask if I would pass to stern, I promised faithfully to do
so and wished Erik Spirit a safe onward journey. A voice like Omar
Sharif wished me the same. A full colour me happy and a quick look at her stats.
    All night I had storm clouds and
lightning to my left, I listened to a good Harlan Coben, a
dark daybreak and bed at six.
 I got up at ten to
a very troubled sky and after breakfast a harrowing five nil loss at
backgammon........ Growl. Tough.
Steady.
 14:30 we are heading along the north coast of Belitung.
 We pass a local
lady.
 The lighthouse on
Lengkuas Island a must visit..............
 ..........as are the big boulders that look like we are approaching the Baths of
Virgin Gorda, BVI’s.
 We settle far behind all the other
rally boats in the anchorage ‘C’. It is not on our
itinerary but we so wanted to visit Belitung.
  A bit rolly so Bear went off with the stern anchor. A
big moon to our left.
   We could then settle to enjoy the sunset and I got my backgammon revenge. Huh, time for bed said Zebedee.
 ALL IN ALL LOOKING FORWARD TO
EXPLORING BELITUNG
A BIT OF A SLOG AGAINST THE CURRENT NOW THE SEASON HAS
CHANGED
EARLY |