8.22S 123.25E

Tuesday 9/8/2011

Lembata

In Alor we went on the statuary trip to a ‘traditional village’. No TV aerials but the traditional tribal chief did have a mobile phone clamped to his ear but not while doing the traditional dance.

On the bus all the chat was about possible anchorages and tidal streams for our next 90 nm trip. K couldn’t believe people could talk so much about the same subject.

We decided to leave in the afternoon and go overnight. It seemed to go O.K. We had the tide with us and were well offshore by dark, hopefully away from the unlit fishing traps and small unlit fishing boats…we didn’t see any anyway!

We slowed down overnight and came in here in daylight having avoided all the hassle of anchoring with lots of other boats in 20m. Apparently there is a really nice anchorage about 5nm away so will probably go there next so I can swim. No crocs or jellyfish here but there are occasional sharks and sea snakes.

Gala dinner last night with 8 traditional dances from all the cantons of the island…10 minutes each.  Had to stay as all these children had obviously been practicing for ages.

The hinges on the cockpit table snapped and the leaf dropped on my big toe.  Ouch, black and blue and swollen. Keith took the hinges into ‘town’ and found a metal worker who drilled them out and stuck in 3 new pins while we waited. Amazing.  He was really pleased to be paid £2.50. (A meal here in a café is only 60p).

Our new main engine has not been good again! The rev counter stopped working and after Keith mended it (it had not had a proper connection made in Mackay)  the batteries then stopped charging… Anyway having discovered a faulty fuse holder all seems to be well.

C

Clare seems to have listed all the repairs except that our nearly new 10hp Yamaha outboard still refuses to start. Various mechanics have said it’s the carburettor, the fuel’s too old, the plugs needed changing and/or the choke is stuck (on one occasion ON, and on another OFF!). One repair chap said all his work was with Yamahas but he never saw a Honda in his workshop. We might set off for the shore at, say, 09:00 and by 09:10 I’m sweating like a pig (they don’t, do they?) and am ready to go back to bed; added to which my right shoulder has started hurting. Using the v/old titchy 2hp instead (‘though it’s still a Yamaha).

I think it’s time to retrain the 10hp as a mooring buoy.

K