Sabang

Digiboat's "Product Testing"
Simon Blundell
Mon 28 May 2012 14:00
05:52.2824N  095:18.68E
 
28/5 1500LT
 
Nice sunny dry conditions mooring N to Pulua We until we started heading up E coast towards bay in the N where the anchorage is. Then hit by biggest storm so far, sustained winds over 30kn for an hour or more and almost zero visibility, so not a good time to head into the bay, up the channel to the anchorage. (Which truned out to be very wise as the charts are 200m offset here and we motored up the channel on the land!).
 
So once again layed off for a couple of hrs waiting for the squall to pass so we could make our way in.
 
Finally arrived to lovely protected anchorage at Pulua Klah a mile or so across the bay from Sabang.
 
Coast Guard, customs etc came out to the boat which started a relatively (from Indonesia) straight forward clearance process. I'd hidded the Johhny Walker Black and my Gin and left a few crappy decoy bottles of off red wine and cheap tequila scattered around for them to find.
 
Andy and friends joined us after a long travel-battle from Aus for the next 500miles of surfing down the Mentawai island chain off Sumatra's west coast. Fraser (Andy's kid) and his mate Zach were straight into the surf at a nearby break. Ed and Scott followed and all had a nice taste of what's in store.
 
Got black market fdiesel and petrol delivered at night (about 70 c/l) and today went into town for some last fresh suppliues. Will pull anchor shortly and head for Tadoh on Pulua Deudab about 20 miles S. Apparently world class surf from good ocean swell with a good abnchorage nearby...
 
Latest forecasts looks like 20kn head winds for the short trip to Tadoh - enough to give the guests a taste of the ocean sailing we have ahead...
 
SJB