2014 was largely spent sailing from Philippines to Sabah, Borneo via Sarangani islands, Zamboanga,Sulu sea, to Sandakan. Then across the north coast of Borneo to Kudat, and return to Samal by Palawan, Negros, Apo, Camagun, Surigao, Siargao, Buccas Grande, and east coast of Mindanao to Samal. We finished the year with a quick flying trip back to Adelaide for my sister's 50th birthday. Sorry it's been so long since the last update.
Terry, Gay, and Hazel living it p at Bahay Kubo (Little House) Swiss restaurant on Samal Island.
Miming enjoys hee berth above the sail locker.
Timber barge between Sandakan and Kudat, Sabah
Chinese Temple in Kudat.
Gay caught her shin on a concrete storm water channel, and cut the artery where it crosses the shin bone. Healed quickly, but spurting blood is a bit scary for the novice.
Big potatoes from Kudat, just right for baking
Miming up to mischief again.
After Sabah the Balabac Straits to Balabac Island. Mike rows across to speak to the Navy about a recent pirate / kidnapping event nearby.
Our first Selfie. Didn't know the meaning of the word a year or so ago, but Philippines is the selfie capital of the world.
Our chart plotter helps with navigation, but doesn't show all the islands or reefs.
Miming doesn't like being aground any more than we do.
Kids on the way home from school, by canoe, call in to see us.
We give a gift to a young girl visiting from Palawan. Thanks Liz for the pleasure this gave us and our little friend.
Mr. BLOB, made from leftover epoxy.
Time to have a sunspot removed from my ear.
Northern Palawan.
Northern Palawan, banka and some Karst Islands.
Visitors.
Palawan anchorage
Northern Palawan.
Sunset northern Palawan.
Palawan's world famous heritage listed underground river.
JB and April, Mike & Gay, George and Jean, Tony and Mel at the underground river, Palawan.
Another visitor at Bonbonon. We helped it back into the water with kitchen tongs.
I pull apart my Volvo gearbox.
Heading out fishing at Bonbonon.
A yacht without an engine was wrecked trying to enter Bonbonon at night in choppy conditions.
Beneteau 42 after a night on the rocks.
Farewell from our friends before departing from Samal to the north coast of Borneo (Sabah, Malaysia)
Get off the solar panel - You are blocking the electricity!
Waterspout in the Sulu seabetween Zamboanga and Sandakan.
The yacht basin at Kudat - lots of rubbish here after the rains. A lot of box jellyfish as well,s o no swimming.
For the first time in our yachting life we employed labour to clean and antifoul the hull - thanks James.
Big and little prawns too at the same reasonable price.
Helping us catch rainwater off the decks and syphon it into containers.
After Balabac some nice cruising up the east coast of Palawan.
Palawan when the wind is not blowing.
When the chart plotter DOESN'T show a reef and we were looking into the sun (and texting a friend) we run aground for 24 hours. Miming not happy trying to keep an even keel on a heled over boat.
Visitors, northern Palawan.
Visitors
Visitors.
Not everyone is happy to see long noses(Europeans)
Boy racers try to see how fast their banka can go, Puerto Princessa, Palawan
No Volvo agent anywhere nearby so we make our own air filters for the Volvo. Our last spare filter had disintegrated all by itself, before we even got to use it.. Hmmmm, Volvo.... Grrrrrr.
Nice to catch up with Claudia again, what can we say, shes from Brazil!
Ebony and Ivory, Claudia and Gay in a trike. The non frizzy hair flies in the breeze!
Plenty of pearl farms between Palawan and Dumaran islands
Picture, picture!
She paddles this across the bay to go to school!
Mel at the landing beach for the underground river.
Our gearbox failed (only 1100 hours) at the top of Palawan. We anchored temporarily in 110 ft of water in 50 knot gusts of wind, then sailed 300 miles to get to the protected harbour of Bonbonon at the south end of Negros Island. JB arranged a tow to pick us up in the entrance channel. Thanks JB & Boye.
Lots of bits in the gearbox. Friend Gunter remade our forward thrust washer and we got the box working again.
I went to help with Boye, Arlene & Claudia, but their rubber dinghy was capsized in the surf and I ended up with cuts, scrapes, bruises, sea urchin spikes, and a torn knee ligament.
East coast of Mindanao and we catch or first fish in ages, a wahoo