Singapore to Bali via Lombok and Gili T
Digiboat's "Product Testing"
Simon Blundell
Mon 21 Nov 2011 23:31
00°39.9577N 104°01.2085E
22/11 0400LT
Departed Singapore 5pm yesterday for 950nm passage to
Medana Bay Marina in Nth Lombok. Then a quick stop over at brother Matt's resort
on Gili Trawangan before heading down to Bali to pick up the guests for a surf
trip to Sth Lombok.
It's like a mini-Myanmar sovereignty onboard with 4
Burmese crew and myself. A new Cadet, Wyan, from the Uniteam company in
Yangon, joins us along with our now very seasoned other Cadet, Win, who's been
onboard for a few months and 5000 miles. Evan and Han Thaung from the Yangon
NABU Shipyard round out the crew
list.
Feels good to be back on passage after our 3 week stop
at Raffles Marina. Busy with many repairs after our China Sea Odyssey. The boom
repair looks promising, a local metal worker welded it up and then put a giant
sleeve around the outside. It initially looked like a Frankenboom but after Evan
worked his magic filling, fairing and painting, the joins are barely
noticeable.
The other big-ticket job being construction of a new
freezer as the old one was not holding its temp anymore and sweated badly.
The new freezer not quite finished so will continue the fiberglassing en route.
Wilson, the freezer tech, has fitted quick connect fittings for the evaporator
plate and compressor so we can connect ourselves when construction complete,
then just need to find someone in Indo to vacuum and gas
it.
Unfortunately our autopilot didn't make it back from
repairs in time for this trip, so the Cadets (our new rice-eating autopilots)
will get much helming experience over the next 1000
miles!
Currently motoring down the W side of the Riau Island
group with no wind worth mentioning. Hoping for some good sailing over the next
week....
SJB