This area has been of concern as there has been unrest and some armed combat with Filipino insurgents centred on the town of Lahad Datu. Boats in these waters between Eastern Malaysia and the Philippines are felt to be vulnerable. As a result the organiser of the East Malaysia Rally made arrangements for yachts to travel in convoy with Maritim Malaysia (Malaysian Maritime Police) patrolling the area. The convoy is as shown on the map with overnight stops/rendezvous places shown.

Trying to keep sailing boats together is rather like herding cats, it doesn’t work too well. Some are sleek and speedy, some heavy and slow or smaller than others and take much longer, some like to switch on the iron hammer and pound along at maximum engine speed. Some yachties like to rise early and go, others prefer to linger and go exploring in the dinghy. Whatever happens there is never a full complement of yachts in any one anchorage. Pulau Evans was an idyllic place with flat water and total peace so we chose to stay an extra night. We had the bay to ourselves and went exploring finding Macaques picking their way silently along the waters edge so as not to alert crocodiles. We most enjoyed the birds, watching a large sea eagle trying to teach its almost equally big chick to fly and the beautiful kingfishers which are bigger than their British brothers and less camera shy.

Peace was shattered when a roaring rib raced up the bay; we were greeted by a crew of Maritim Malaysia guys who came to see how we were and reassure us that they were about. They were as friendly as they look…. but they did have some nasty looking hardware lying in the bottom of the boat should any insurgents try to spoil our night.

We left at 07.30 next morning and had a thrashing sail beating through brisk headwinds and avoiding Hull Rock, an awash rock en route to Dent Haven our next rendezvous. We worked our way inside outlying reefs and anchored in what shelter we could find under a headland. Arrival at 13.15 nicely in time for lunch. Choppy and rolling night, we slept with the anchor drag alarm on but Gryphon II held ground.

Our next and main rendezvous point was at Tungku Lighthouse in Darvel Bay some 7½ hours further on with the promise of a very exposed anchorage. We groaned at the thought especially as the wind was against us and so was the tide. Motoring all the way, we anchored just off the village east of the lighthouse. The waves gained strength and whisked the boats about all night, we bounced rather than rolled. Anchor drag alarm on again, we didn’t move and slept remarkably well. Borneo is certainly windy on this coast.

Next morning was grey and the waves galloped in with their white horses. The rally organiser had arranged a bevy of dignitaries from Tourism Malaysia to meet the convoy yachties here and for some to sail out with us on this last leg of our convoy. Not a chance, there were no boats arranged to bring them out to the yachts and our rubber dinghies would have flipped in the swells. No one was very keen to have potentially sea sick passengers on board for 5 hours. They had flown in from Kuala Lumpur and Kota Kinabalu and ended up being ferried on the Maritim Malaysia ribs which can’t have been a lovely experience but was probably quite speedy. Our destination, Pulau Gaya, is a heavily reefed island, some reef lying well above water at low tide and great strands and patches of reef all fringing a lagoon where good light is essential to find enough sand for anchoring safely and not damage the coral. The small yachts left very early to ensure good light on arrival; Chris had been unwell with a temperature so I wanted to leave early in case anything happened en route or we needed to turn back. The problems were explained to the rally organiser (who is not a sailor), all yachts except the smallest left. The wind calmed down after about 2 hours but the sea remained frisky. Gryphon II overtook the dawn starters to arrive first in good light and found a secure anchorage in the lagoon, even that was choppy but a mill pond compared with what we had left. We wondered how our fellow yachties on the small boat were faring. As it was the sea continued to calm and they made a night crossing to arrive in morning light and with the small fleet waiting to guide them into the lagoon if needed. They were fine but tired.

The lagoon, fringed by hidden coral reefs.

Even below it was churned up and murky.

The weather had prevailed: what was planned to be a bright sunshine sail in convoy to a tropical island turned out to be a complete thrash up. Poor rally organiser, we never did meet the dignitaries who had to rush off just after our arrival at Pulau Gaya to get back to catch their return flights!

As ever with this sailing life, the wind and the waves have the last word.