Sumatera Sunsets
Rhiann Marie - Round the World
Stewart Graham
Sat 22 Jan 2011 03:52
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Saturday 22nd of January 1004 Local 0205
UTC
08:18.44N 099:50.41E
Here we are anchored up and cleared into Malaysia
at Lankawi. The second day of our sailing up the Malacca Starits was a pleasant
day and with the amount of traffic all around there was never a dull moment. The
area was chocka block with small trawlers which we weaved our way in and out of.
They all seemed a happy bunch and excited enthusiastic waves were the order of
the day.
Technical section relating to wind (of the
atmosheric type not the biological type) :- the NE monsoon wind generally blows
in this area of the world. So as we were heading NW and NNW that should have
been a help to us. As the shores on the Malaysian side of the Straits are
shallow for a long way out and tacks off the Rhumb line would be towards
the Sumatera side of the Straits, or more westerly to seaward if you
like. Sort of hemmed in on one side so to speak. The wind generally blew
off the shore in the NE ish monsoon direction through the night and then
gradually, it was facinating to observe, was backed around through the North by
the component of the building seabreeze each day. A seabreeze remember is one
which is generated by the heating up of the land relative to the sea
temperatures, causing the air above it to rise generally through the middle
of the day. Because this sucks the air in from over the sea this causes the
wind to blow towards the land at more or less right angles to the shore. At
night as the land cools down this happens in reverse. So as the seabreeze builds
depending on the angle of the shoreline relative to the NE monsoon wind, it
either largely cancels the wind out, overpowers it or reduces it, which
happened the first day. Or in fact if the two winds are blowing at slightly
different angles because of the shoreline angle not being at right angles to the
monsoon wind then a component wind will form. This happened the second day and
we had 10 - 12 knots from the WNW. Too tight to sail on the port tack
because of the shallow shoreline and heading us back to southern
Sumatera if we sailed on Starboard tack. So we motorsailed.
At night, (by the way are you keeping up with all
this?) the seabreeze dies out and again it is facinating to watch the
component wind angle veer round to the gradient NE monsoon wind before being
supplemented and reinforced by the land breeze (remember the reverse of the
seabreeze - stay with it...) which then alters the angle of the NE monsoon a
little to be???? Come on work it out! Yes correct - slightly east of its
gradient direction! We however on the second day were travelling NNW and this
left a monsoon wind of 15 knots, reinforced by a land breeze which took it
up to 25 knots and off course where else but just off the port bow and forming
an uncomfortable chop. (Bali - Batam nightmares just popping their heads into
the back of mind then) However it was only just under a hundred miles to go
so we bashed on.
Earlier that evening we had for a second night in a
row a beautiful sunset to the west sinking down behind a natural disaster
ravaged Sumatera. This is the area, on the west side of the island, where
the recent violent volcanic eruption claimed many hundreds of lives. It is also
the area where the great Christmas Tsunami of a few years
ago mercilessly claimed tens of thousands of lives. The beauty
of Thursday nights sunset balanced by a blood red rising moon to the east
over the Malay peninsula belied both these recent tragedies. It also gave no
clue to the lumpy beat we would have through the night.
Over the two nights Trish took the two night
watches - Midnight till Five the first night, and 0200 to 0500 the second
night. She is an excellent watchkeeper and a dab hand at the
radar and as long as the wind is not swinging around I can sleep
securely.
We approached Langkawi in the dark but with a
georgeous full moon shining through clear skies sufficient for me to enter the
shallow waters of Lankawi and weave my way up to the anchorage in front of
the Port of Entry - Kuah. I plonked the anchor down with only a couple
of metres under the keel at the bottom of a spring tide, and went to bed for a
few hours.
In the afternoon I knocked a couple of jobs off the
list and only two additional were added on to it so no progress, but no slippage
either! Clearing in was simple, friendly and efficient. We then went to a cafe
where there was wifi as the boat computer had gremlins again (hence the
intermittent blogs). We chatted away to the friendly girl behind the
counter and over an hour or two got quite friendly. The upshot was that we were
invited tonight to an Indian Wedding which is to be a large affair on the
island. We can't wait and will let you know how we get
on!
While Trish did the wi-fi thing I went out and
rented a motorbike, more like a scooter actually, for 40 Ringit which is
about £8 per day. I also had to refuel our RIB and replenish our petrol
supplies. So after taking about 20 to 30 seconds to get used to the bike
and the traffic, and now being in a country where you would not be beheaded for
even glancing sideways at a Chewing gum advert, I quickly got my old
misspent youth motorcycle skills back! Weaving in and out of traffic, attempting
Grand Prix starts at the count down traffic lights and off course
balancing my two five gallon jerry cans on the bike. Just like a local!
Next I will be carrying five people and a hundred chickens on the bike to
immitate a south east asian local! I am building myself up to the skill level of
the Balinese guy we saw with a whole roasted pig on a tray on his head while
riding...... just give me a few days!
Last night we spent with a German cruiser who new
the "in" restaurant where we had a banquet and six beers (no, not each - in
total) for twenty quid! The food was stunning and the discussion
stimulating. He was coyly asking me why Britain was so laggard in its economic
output .............. talk about touching a raw nerve - and another thing .....
When will we get it? A country nor an individual cannot spend more than it earns
except for investment which must give a return. You cannot pay people to nothing
with the money generated by the people who do something. I tell you, they
are laughing at us, and I don't blame them.
Tonight at the wedding I will try not to get into
any economic or political discussions with
anyone.
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