To Kumai 3

Beez Neez now Chy Whella
Big Bear and Pepe Millard
Thu 29 Sep 2016 22:57
To Kumai – Day Three
 
 
 
IMG_5317  IMG_5318
 
At 04:30 I was enjoying listening to The Steel Kiss by Jeffrey Deaver when I saw bright lights behind us two miles off. The AIS showed that Global 1201 was not only a very big chum but was heading straight for Beez.
 
 
IMG_5328
 
Call me chicken but not wanting to spoil a perfectly good audiobook I took a right turn. There is something a little unnerving when you can see red, green and white lights in perfect harmony – yep, still coming straight at Beez Neez at a thrusting 11.2 knots or twelve minutes to potentially being run over – much as I love my chums I have no need to want to lean out and stroke them whilst underway......... Unperturbed our faithful girl silently and efficiently stood off and slowly the giant beasts lights changed to green and white. As the behemoth passed behind I don’t think I have ever seen so many lights on a chum. Global 1201 was on her way to Johor, due in on the 2nd of October at six in the morning. A hefty 162 metres in length, 34 metres across the hips and a draught of seven metres.
 
 
IMG_5338
 
At 05:20 the sky looked very busy, a harbinger of what was to come in the early hours of tomorrow.
 
 
IMG_5336
 
As day began and now some way off my chum did indeed look impressive, a huge dangly bit hanging from her rear end ???? Time for me to get to bed.
 
 
IMG_5340
 
I got up to find us some way off the River Kumai entrance but already the depth below us had dropped to less than thirty metres.
 
 
IMG_5341
 
A ‘deep patch’ for a few metres as we went above thirty metres. We were puttering along at just over four knots with not a breath of wind.
 
 
IMG_5342
 
Well, jobs to be done. First, the skippers hair and beard mow – after he took the bin liner off his head............then he beat me at backgammon which put me right wrong. Humidity rose like a cloying cloak and we both put our feet in a bowl of cold water and drooped wet flannels on our shoulders.
 
 
IMG_5343
 
17:21 seems too early for sunset but that shows we are closing on the equator, just three and a bit degrees away to the north. A quiet start to the evening with just one squidman on the horizon.
 
 
IMG_5344  IMG_5345  IMG_5346
 
17:28, 17:29 and 17:32 took us through the pretty colours of sunset. Miles in twenty four hours = 107 miles in odd currents.
 
 
 
 
ALL IN ALL A WINDLESS DAY
            AN EXTREMELY HOT DAY