Selat Adi - Yachtmaster Master Class 6th December onwards
Blue Hound
Phil Marks & Rosy Jensen
Wed 7 Dec 2022 03:41
Tuesday, 6th December we weighed anchor, & motored south west for 2 miles, then there was a panic cry from Phil as the engine was overheating, so we headed back to Kaimana for another night and deliberation.
Fixing the engine in a small place like Kaimana was not a good option so we set sail, for the 40 nm passage to Selat Adi, the passage between the island of Adi and the mainland. A favourable light wind we made good 30nm over the first two days, but then the wind died completely or at best was variable & we were now at the mercy of 2-3 knot tides through Selat Adi aka the Nautilus Strait.
In addition the CMap e-chart was definitely inaccurate (about 0.8 nm out) and we were nervous of the accuracy of the B&G e-chart of the reefs. The chart screenshot shows the numerous places we dropped anchor, drifted back on the tide to a more secure spot, & got a better angle on the wind when it appeared! Compass bearings were taken, cocked hats drawn etc to determine our actual position! In addition the tidal flow round the islands & reefs were not always predictable! Sunday 11th December with relief we cleared Selat Adi & headed out to sea, destination Ambon, 300 nm to the west. After a few hours of decent sailing the wind started to die away.
Phil had plenty of time to try and figure out what the engine problem might be!
