Tual December
Blue Hound
Phil Marks & Rosy Jensen
Sun 25 Dec 2022 03:21
Concern over our visa renewals, an engine losing cooling water, and adverse strong winds made our decision easy to go back to Tual. Blue Hound is set up for downwind sailing and attempting to sail to windward is not an option without some engine help – and younger crew! Tual was not on our 'would like to return list', with difficult dinghy access to the shore, and a harbour full of plastic waste.
Christmas and New Year were non-events, with beer a poor substitute for bubbles, but our Christmas Tree had to come out as we had a new decoration from our NZ friends. Our visa renewals were processed, which left the engine. Most engineers like space to work, and Phil was looking forward to having the saloon to himself to take the engine apart. Rosy opted to escape back to Sydney while Phil carried out open heart surgery with a welding set on the 80 kg heat exchanger.
My travel was a memorable 24 hour journey. The first hurdle was getting safely ashore at low tide, across the customs boat and up 2m onto the wharf. Too high for me to scramble up, Phil lowered the suitcase down again onto the big black fender to give me a stepping stone. A push start for the airport taxi then 3 locals flights island hopping across Indonesia to Bali, a further two to reach Sydney.
Phil’s engine surgery was successful. In celebration he had a few beers with Lewis from 'Magic Dragon' until it was time to leave early March.
Phil’s 750 mile trip from Tual to Thursday Island was very challenging. Not because of weather – which was generally benign with 70% under engine. No, the challenge was navigating the huge number of fishing nets strung across the Timor Sea. Most of it was illegal fishing, and on an industrial scale. Fortunately,most nets were marked by AIS buoys (see photo), but threading his way through at night was tricky. He snagged one unmarked net, but got clear fairly easily, thank goodness. It was a ten day trip with rest stops... But he did spend a couple of hours with a pod of pilot whales! (photo)
Photos:
Kiwi Christmas decoration
Broken slippery landing steps
Precarious 2m climb across fender
Tual harbour
Magic Dragon at sunset
Illegal fishing x 2
Pilot whales
