Arrived Kupang.
Ocean Rival Journey Log
Adam Power Diana Power
Sun 22 Sep 2019 06:25
|
22/09/19 arrived
midday (1.5hr time difference- so more like 10:30 local time)
position 10 09.380S 20 S 123 34.810E After another
windless morning and a stop for cleaning the port side bottom
the wind built gradually in the afternoon and became a lovely
12-15 knots on the stern -starting on the port side but soon
requiring a jybe and then a nice broad reach overnight. It
almost took me all the way to the Roti Strait between Timor and
Roti but died at around 6.00am leaving me a slow motor round to
Kupang with quite a strong current against.
The guide had
mentioned to anchor off Teddy's Bar which is easily spotted from
the sea due to the name being painted on the wall in large
letters. I scoured the buildings with my binoclars but couldn't
see Teddys bar written anywhere so dropped anchor near some
fishing boats where the chart marked an anchor symbol. I had
noted a number for a driver (needed for doing the rounds of
customs, immigration & quarantine) recommended by a yacht on
noonsite and tried phoning on my UK phone. I did get through and
between Sefri and his wife I thought we had understood that he
would come and meet me on the beach, near the fishing boats.
So when a man
appeared shortly after waving at me on the beach I assumed Sefri
must live just round the corner. I launched the dinghy and
rowed ashore in quite a chop. It is an exposed anchorage and
with the wind picking up from the west the dinghy ride was
lively. I am hoping that westerleys are not normal as that is
the direction in which I will be heading next.
When Sefri
introduced himself as Ayub, asking if I was James and saying I
had been in touch wih him via noonsite I was confused. Ayub's
hand written card states he is a yacht agent who arranges
paperwork for a fee and he is recommended on noonsite but he
dosn't have a car and uses the minibus' to get around (which is
fine). He assures me that he is honest and charges less then
eveyone else, but I don't know if Sefri put him onto me or if
Sefri is waiting for me on a different beach or if Sefri would
have been cheaper than Ayub. I do know that noonsite warns that
you can get stung by people offering to help on the beach but
hopefully Ayub doesn't fall into that category.
So far he has
tried to find me a sim card but the shops were shut, then he
suggested I buy some chicken and noodles from a take-a-way which
was nice, and then a phone call told him that CIQ were shut (as
I thought they probably would be) and to do the registration
tomorrow. So I will meet him again on the beach in the morning
and see how we get on.
I was going to
have a wander round town but Ayub worried that we would both get
into trouble if quarantine spotted me about before clearing in
so I am confined to quarters untill the morning.
Kupang doesn't have a very beautiful sea front-
sea views and strolling along promenades are clearly not
priority here. |
My neighbour.