2.33S 107.40E

8^th October, 2011

Arrived in Belitung after a very pleasant  sailing, wind was fine for ½ of the time which was nice.
As soon as we arrived the heavens opened and we had a chance to rinse the sails. Our new neighbours said they saw us arrive from the beach and, when they arrived to close their hatches, were slightly concerned to see us anchored with all our sails up but no-one on deck – we must have been sheltering from the rain at that time. Yet to go ashore but they say it’s very nice though we’ll have to go 26km to find a supermarket. Rain has now stopped and the wind in the anchorage is now less than 25kts.

C decided I should smarten myself up a bit, and a lovely lady agreed to help!

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I’m not sure I looked any more like James Bond, but everyone said it was an improvement.

K

0.30S 104.48E

13 October 2011

On the way to Singapore.  Full moon and the South China Sea is oily smooth.

We have been to our last ‘gala’ dinner. The usual interminable speeches (5 minutes of voluble Indonesian is translated as : “welcome”) but with extra after dinner entertainment by national groups of rally participants. We somehow missed the rehearsal for the British rendering of Spanish Ladies!

‘Sail Belitung’ (our rally!) is a big event with hordes of tourists from Jakarta and tents and stalls and street entertainers fire eating and eating glass. The president is due to arrive so they are frantically finishing a new road and jetty, which we could not use as the thunderstorms keep washing away the concrete (we might use that excuse for 2012).

The other end of the beach is lovely with 3 wooden shacks owned by Rusdi and his mother and aunt who did laundry, delivered diesel to the boat and cooked wonderful meals. Huge fresh prawns and crab fried with onion and garlic and chilli and the best fish soup I have eaten. And cold beer, all for next to nothing. There is no plumbing but satellite TV so they obviously have their priorities right. Sadly we were able to watch the England debacle but luckily no French were there to gloat.

C