06.51.623S  115.14.457E  Anchored off  Kangean Island – Thursday 23^rd October   We were two days late for our personal schedule in leaving Bali: we needed an extra day to clean the boat after all the deck men had left - by which time it was Sunday – so we agreed with Glendora to leave on the Monday at midday two hours before high tide.  All ‘ship shape’ we turned on the engine at twenty too…..nothing….. turned the key again……dead…….mild panic attack whilst we went through a mental check list of what could be wrong.  In fact two things had failed us at the same time: a loose wire on the starter motor and a faulty isolation switch.  Soon repaired………and we pulled out on the dot of 12.00 hrs……Penelope 3 had arrived with Cayuko, Jupiter, Miss Styx and Canapus (the  French contingent) were still berthed, Prew of Holland and Pelle V had sailed in the day before, Jenny was just throwing her lines to the quay and we could see Marianne and Big Blue motoring down the channel towards us.  Within a few days there will be twenty three Rally boats rafted up in the tiny Marina (less us and Glendora and Happy Wanderer with Spectra who headed off the day before us)…..a good time for us to move on as it will become very very crowded.

The first twenty four hours leaving land are always a hard adjustment but with five of us it was harder this time to organise sleep patterns, night watches and a semblance of routine.  Suffice it to say we failed!  Our situation was (is) not helped by the fact that the shaft seal on the propeller shaft is leaking badly and water was literally pouring into the bilges at such a rate that it would have burnt out the bilge pump had we left it on. The boys had to manually pump up to fifty times every ten minutes whilst we were motoring.  Once sailing, Paul could make an adjustment to stem the flood by turning the propshaft into a position where it didn’t leak as badly.  The longer term problem is that the company who manufactured our seal went out of business eight years ago and it is hard to track down a solution when we don’t have internet (only email by satellite phone connection).  It was obviously worrying and tiring and coupled with a dose of Bali belly none of us was feeling 100%. Dodging dozens of tiny unlit fishing boats all night lent another dimension!  The next day (yesterday) we hit 30 knot winds and squalls which threatened to dampen our spirits further so Paul found an island not far away where we agreed with Glendora to drop anchor and sort ourselves out. (They had a wave through the cockpit and soaked their saloon carpet).  Since then the sun has shone, I have cooked a pork sate curry for us all which we enjoyed last night with our ‘poddies’ Glendora who kindly bought wine, pickles, biscuits and cheese; we all had a really good sleep and today Paul is trying to minimise our problems……another two being a broken manual bilge pump where it was pumped too vigorously and a blocked loo!  Ohh la as they say in Spain!

Sundowners on Glendora were interrupted last evening when we had a VHF call from Oscar to say that six Indonesian boys had rowed out in a dugout canoe to Anahi and had (uninvited) boarded the boat – what should he do?  Paul and Vic sped back in the dinghy to help whilst Lee and Teri moved their boat closer to ours.  In fact the children were just highly inquisitive and were happy to leave with a sweet each and a pair of sunglasses for their ‘leader’ an older child – very handsome with warrior like markings on his face.  I, of course, was worried that a hundred more kids would arrive for a sweet and a pair of sunglasses but none returned and we continued with a night cap before a good night’s sleep.

We start a 350 mile journey today to Kalimantan, specifically Kumai and the Tanjung Putting National Park, a natural wonder located in the southern part of the island of Borneo which accommodates three separate countries – Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei.  Covering 415,040 hectares, the park is the largest single protected forest in the Province of Kalimantan Tengah (we will remain in the country of Indonesia) and the largest protected area of tropical heath and peat swamp forest in Southeast Asia.  We have a great guide, Gilang, recommended by BWR and organised by Teri and he has been writing to her enthusiastically each day;  yesterday’s email read as follows:

Dear Teri

So far we have no any procedure that makes more complecated in your journeys. because our government open the door with VISIT INDOENSIA YEAR 2008. so if any government men such immigration or harbor master, making their own rules, we will fight and report this men to Jakarta. Now is open world. just one click , every body knows. a few year ago, the immigration and harbor master would try to  make this complecate rule, but we don't care about it. also we have good reason whcih they can accepted. you will only have check in country and check out the country. it must be Kupang/Bali then Nongsa Batam. that is it. anyway, we have your ID's and that is enough for the permit or official check. we will make the report about it. on the other hand . it is not logic if every place within indonesia, you must go to immigration or harbor master, just showing your ID etc, it is not necessary. because they (immigration/harbor master) have done it in Kupang or Bali. Don't worry - No risk No fun we suggest you arrive on 26th of oct as we have already report to police about your arrival. so you have stay that police knows period 26th to 1st of Nov 2008. this is important IF there is something happen with such as crime etc (just in case). if you would stay longer than that, we must make new report to police (just let them know that you would stay a few more days).

we alwyas have cool box with ice cube in it. we use to do for cooling the vegetables and any food supply such as drink, mineral water etc. we can bring extra for the cool box for your drinks.

the trip begin on 27th to 30th of oct 2008 and already set well.

See you on 26th of Oct

we have the info about kumai river. Kumai river is big salt river which big ship often coming to this river. you don't need to worry to get in to kumai river. also we will go down the river to keluang bay by our speed boat then guide you to the kumai river. but you may read the instruction below:

The instructions for yachts wanting to sail upriver to Kumai are as follows:Using Admiralty chart 1964, proceed to the green buoy at 02 57’ .5 South,111 41’.0 East. As you approach the buoy, look for the leading marks (whiteTriangle) on the shore, bearing 023 True. Leaving the buoy to starboard, steer 023 True, parallel to the shore, for about 3 NM to Tanjung Keluang point, avoiding the shoal that extends from the shore. At Tanjung Keluang, alter course towards the next leading marks, which bear 335 True (small white post in front of white triangle on the far shore). These marks are difficult to see. After about 1 NM on this heading, you will see leading marks on your port side (white post and triangle) – when these are in line bearing 023 True, alter course to 030 True.Ahead you should see the next set of leading marks (two tall white posts) on this bearing, but they may be difficult to identify. Continue upstream for about 3.5 NM, towards the leads, then continue further upstream, staying mid-channel, to Kumai. There are no other leading marks or buoys. Do not anchor opposite main harbor of Kumai, just anchor down or up from the harbor. Big ship is coming often from java. Anchor opposite the town, close to the eastern bank of the Kumai River. Also just up from main harbor of Kumai, there is a office of national park with green house roof and they have a jetty where you can put your dinghy.

see you in kumai on 26th noon

regards,

Gilang

We have read the relevant chapter on the Borneo Jungle and the advice (too late for us) was to buy ‘leech socks’ preferably in white which stretch up above the knees so that you can more easily see the blighters running up your legs towards their dinner!  I had (mistakenly) believed the best way of leech removal was a cigarette burn on the back but apparently this causes such a catastrophic shock that they regurgitate the contents of their stomach back into their host! Yuck! 

The good news is that we have ‘western style’ loos on the boats…………..the bad news is that they are not enclosed!!!  I remember a peculiar voluminous bell-tent my mother made for our trips to the beach where we could change and dry ourselves in privacy whilst our heads pocked out of the top of the elasticised hole………..should I make one for the trip?  We will all know each other a great deal better at the end of our experience………….