Our next leg was a short 25 mile stretch across to the island of Palau Madang. Again, with good protection from the SE winds, it offered a great overnight stop. We motored out of Potopaddu and turned N.E. towards Madang. Although the winds were a light 10 to 15 knots, we had a great sail across towards Madang with Shayile up on her toes again and loving it! We rounded the SW corner of Medang and motored up into the anchorage on the west coast. Madang is a relatively flat island, with natural scrub vegetation and coconut plantations. Although no signs of a village were evident, there apparently was one on the other side of the island. Again, Damai dropped anchor close by and within an hour we were all on the beach. With a slow accumulation of garbage on board, we took all of it ashore where we made a fire and burned it. Burned tins were separated and, later, we would sink them, way out to sea. Handing in our garbage at a village or town was out of the question. Within minutes it would be in the sea or scattered about, and burning it was a far better option. Another relaxing afternoon of playing on the beach and snorkeling the reefs and then back to the yachts for a traditional sundowner and dinner. Sundowners are very important as it is during such times that important strategic discussions and debates take place about the following days sail and destination!
B sampling a bit of her home brew!!
Pulau Satonda
Time waits for no man and next morning, after a cup of B’s Best Brew, we motored out of Madang on route to Pulau Satonda. This was another relatively short passage of 23 miles and within 6 hours we were off the island of Satonda in a very small bay off the SW tip. Again, the sea bed drops off dramatically going from 5 meters to 40 meters over a distance of some 50 meters! This kind of anchoring can be tricky as, should the wind change direction, your yacht could be rubbing its bottom over very nasty coral and rocks! Ashore, we could see a small jetty and a few men standing under the trees. One guy gave us a few directions on where to drop the anchor and so Damai went ahead, dropping where he suggested. I managed to tie up to the only mooring buoy in the bay. Fortunately the wind and current was holding us off and both yachts sat comfortably in about 40 meters of water. Satonda has a very interesting lake in the middle of the island. From the sea, it is not at all noticeable, but once you walk a short distance inland, there lies this huge lake! Surrounding the lake is a huge volcanic crater extending upwards some 150 meters or so. We all went down to the lake to check out this natural wonder. Apparently the water in the lake is extremely salty, but there is no access to the lake from the outside sea, proved as it has no tidal influence. The question is then why is it salty? A theory by a German scientist who spent a long time studying the lake was that a tidal wave, created from a nearby earthquake or volcanic eruption about 150 years ago, flooded the center of the island creating the salt water lake. From the lake, we walked up towards a lookout point which overlooked the small bay where Shayile and Damai were anchored. It was quite a pull up to the top but the views from the summit were spectacular. After a few pics and a chat, we slowly made our way back down to the yachts. That evening we took our sundowners and snacks and headed out to a point just to the south of the bay, where we sat about and enjoyed another great evening as the sun slowly went down behind Shayile and Damai.
On top of Satonda Island with the interior lake below
Pulau Banta
Our next planned anchorage was some 135 miles away and involved an overnight passage. At 11.30am, we motored out of Satonda and straight into a 15 to 20 knot N.E. wind. Engines on, sails up and we pointed as best we could into the wind. That afternoon, we decided to do what "real" sailors do, and that was tack our way along the coast! For the next 5 hours we tacked backwards and forwards along the coast of Sumbawa, and finally made 7 miles progress! When the wind calmed down, we put the engines on and motored into it. That evening the wind shifted and we were able to sail once again. Throughout the night, we sailed, motor sailed and motored, depending on the wind strength and direction. I managed to grab a few hours sleep early in the morning whilst B took control. At about 7am the next morning, the wind picked up and soon we had 2 reefs in both sails and engines on, beating hard into the winds and making our way down towards the southern end of Banta. Banta is situated between Sumbawa and Flores, along with many islands that dot this area. Famous amongst these are Komodo and Rinca, home to the Komodo Dragons. Our plan was to visit a few of the islands and then go visit a friendly Komodo Dragon. Unfortunately this area is notorious for its strong currents, rip tides, over falls and standing waves. It can be a "very confused sea" and not always pleasant sailing grounds. Prior to arriving in the area, Lucy had received a phone call from a friend in Bali. Apparently a boat carrying cows and people had gone down in the Komodo area. Its engine failed and, with the fierce currents, it was wrecked on a reef and then carried away by the currents with loss of lives on board. Not a pleasant welcome to the area!
We entered the huge bay on the southern end of Banta and made our way up towards the coastline and a possible anchorage. Again deep, but we both found a spot and soon anchored up just off a beach. I dived our anchor just to ensure all was ok. A few fishing boats were close by and one went across to Damai and offered them a beautiful fish. Steve went ahead and bought the fish. We now had supper and a beach so a fish braai was planned! That afternoon, armed with everything needed, we went ashore. Wood was collected and a fire started. Sometimes beach braai's can be over rated with more sand in the food than normally acceptable, wind blowing over drinks and accidental mishaps with plates of food and sauces! However, we all had a very enjoyable, sand free meal with potatoes and onions wrapped in tinfoil, fish cooked on the fire, salad out of tins and all washed down with a few sweet tasting G&T's!! We had no idea what fish we had just eaten and, later, B though it may have been a Red Bass, which on our Australian fish list, stated boldly, "do not eat!" (On later inspection of photos, it was identified as a Rosy Job fish)
Lucy, Tenzin and Steve
The Bentley Clan on the beach at Banta
That night, the weather appeared to be getting a bit nasty with a strong wind developing out of the S.E. This bay offered very little protection from the wind and decisions were made to head on across to Gili Lawa Laut, about 25 miles away with great protection from the strong SE winds.
Gili Lawa Laut
Next morning, we motored out of the bay and straight into the fierce currents. As we rounded the point on Banta, up ahead we could see a "river" of current as the water rushed past in a southerly direction. From a distance, it is quite intimidating with a stream of water rushing south and the wind blowing north! We entered the current and Shayile was tossed about, trying to maintain its heading. Hand steering and with full sails, we edged across the straits slowly getting out of the worst of the currents. However things did not improve and, although, the current eased a bit, the wind picked up! Soon we had 15 - 20 knots and then 20 - 30 knots hammering into Shayile. Well reefed, we fought our way up to Gili Lawa Laut until we had to turn into the wind and fight our way towards the anchorage. It was a very tiring day as we were hammered the whole way into Lawa Laut. Damai registered 40 knots as they followed us in! They, unfortunately had engine problems and had left the anchorage an hour or so after us. Once in to the protection of the bay, we motored passed a huge Pinisi dive charter boat and then picked up the only buoy in the bay. Although in the relative protection of the bay, the wind was funneling over the hills above and down into the anchorage. The good news was the swell and waves were no more, but bullets of 20 to 30 knot winds were slamming into us!
View out over the anchorage at Lawa Laut
For 2 nights and 3 days we sat in the protection of Lawa Laut as the wind howled overhead. We could not move and were grateful that we were tucked up in the lee of the island! One day, Daniel, Jenna and I decided to climb up the hill behind the anchorage. We motored ashore and then began our trek up the hill. It was quite a scramble and climb up to the grassy hill above the bay and on the way up we were buffeted by gusts of wind, threatening to blow little Jenna off the hill. However it was worth the climb and we enjoyed 360 degree panoramic views over the surrounding islands and a grand stand view of Shayile and the anchorage below where B and Lucy were having a quiet snorkel. We could see the waves of wind as they tore down the hill side and out across the anchorage! It must have been blowing in excess of 35 knots up on the hill! We returned to Shayile glad to have done it but relieved to be out of the relentless wind. After snorkeling and enjoying the time with Steve and Lucy, socialising on each others yacht, we decided it was time to move on. Although the wind had moderated, it was by no means gone and so the plan was to do a shore trip across to another well protected bay on the northern shores of Komodo Island. It was a 2 hour trip and we motored most of the way. The bay in to which we entered was shaped in a large U and offered excellent protection from the SE winds. We spent the night there and although tried our luck at fishing, no takers! Although there were no Komodo Dragons, we did see wild pigs on the beach.
B: It was great to have Steve, Lucy and Tenzin's company and, although they were pretty fearless sailors, it was great to be able to give them advice and be a voice on the radio if they needed a chat. Both Steve and Lucy have worked in Indonesia for many years and had some amazing stories. I loved that Lucy could chat to locals and find out all sorts of facts that we would otherwise have been oblivious to. Steve had so much technical knowledge at his fingertips and had completely re-vamped their boat. He clearly did a great job. Whilst we were in Komodo, Lucy received a scary phone call from a friend who told her that a ferry had lost its engines and sunk in the Komodo area and that lots of cattle and some people had drowned and been swept away. Horrible and not surprising in these conditions. Sometimes I do wonder what the hell we are doing here!
Rinca Island
Our primary reason for visiting this part of the world was to see the Komodo Dragons! Both Daniel and Jenna were keen to see them and many an evening were spent talking about them. Now a bit about these wonderful creatures. Long before their existence was confirmed, fishermen and pearl divers in the area told tales of ferocious lizards with enormous claws, fearsome teeth and fiery yellow tongues! The Komodo Dragon is actually a monitor lizard. Monitor Lizards range from tiny 20cm creatures to the granddaddy of them all; the Ora or Komodo Dragon. The Monitors powerful legs allow them to sprint short distances and they can swim quite well. They are fearsome looking with their best weapon being their razor sharp teeth and dagger sharp claws, which can inflict severe wounds. Their saliva is apparently very toxic and once bitten, their prey can succumb to the effects of a single bite. They feed on other animals, from small frogs and birds to deer, wild horses and pigs and even water buffalo that inhabit the islands. Why they exits only on and around Komodo Island is a mystery, and why the males outnumber the females 4 to 1 is also a mystery! There are only some 3000 of these creatures in the area and, today, the Ora are a protected species.
Komodo Dragons
From north Komodo, we set off for Rinca Island, lying some 20 miles to the south. It was not an easy passage with the currents playing havoc. Although Shayile was pointing her nose in a certain direction, she was not necessary going that way and this can be quite deceptive when navigating islands! However we made it down to Rinca and into Crocodile Bay. No one has any idea why it is called Crocodile Bay as no crocodile has ever inhabited the area, but maybe Komodo's lying on the beach were mistaken for crocodiles! We entered a small estuary at the end of the bay and some 500 meters later came to the end with mangrove trees blocking any further progress. Off to the side was a small jetty with a few small local crafts tied up along side. We dropped anchor up against the mangroves and Steve and I went ashore. About 600 meters away was the ranger’s huts and there we organised a guided tour of the island for that afternoon. Apparently a water buffalo had been bitten by a Komodo Dragon and was at the water hole. We were told that, with the severe bite on its back, it was in dire straits and sure to die. The Komodo Dragons were on "stand by" waiting for the animal to succumb to the toxins now running through its body.
A Water buffalo with a bleeding bite on its back and one of many hungry Komodo Dragons lying-in-wait close by!
Although a costly affair, this was an opportunity and experience of a lifetime and we paid our fees to go see the Komodo Dragons. These creatures are not caged or "domesticated" in any way. They are out in their natural habitat and we were going out into the bush to find them and then watch them doing their thing. Excited at the prospect of seeing the Dragons, but not keen to see the poor water buffalo being devoured, we planned to be back at the rangers hut at 3pm with the rest of the clan. Back on Shayile, we all ate lunch and prepared for the afternoon hike, a bit nervous of what we would see!
Steve, Tenzin and Lucy – our traveling companions
At 3pm, we were back at the rangers hut. A guide was assigned to us and off we went into the bush. Those who wanted could take a long stick with a fork at the end. This was obviously for fending off hungry Komodo's! As we walked through the veld, the guide gave us a few details on the Komodo Dragons, its young and its eating habits. The females lay their eggs in large holes in the ground. They would make quite a few "nests" before laying their eggs in one of them. The rest are decoy nests as adult dragons fancy snacking on the eggs!. Incubation takes 9 months and once born, the young slowly make their way into the surrounding bush and climb trees for safety, remembering other grown Komodo's love meat, any kind!
Before we even left the camp, we came across the first group of Komodo Dragons. These were the “lazy ones” and hung around the camp waiting for any morsels of food! A bit disappointing to see them on the camp door step, but they did offer great photo opportunities! We then plodded on through the hot dry vegetation of Rinca and finally came across our first Komodo Dragon in the wild! There is was, this huge lizard, resembling a crocodile, camouflage to it surrounding and quite happy in the shade under a small tree. We crept closer and got a good look at it. What a wonderful, huge primitive creature, and we snapped away with the cameras. It looked extremely docile but apparently they can move very quickly when provoked. On we walked until we came to the water hole and, sure enough, there was a large water buffalo with a nasty bite on its back. Lying on the banks of the water hole were 3 Dragons, all lazing in the sun, patient that one day, their meal would be ready. Accompanying the water buffalo were others, all lying about chewing the cud, oblivious to the Dragons around them. We did notice a few of them also had wounds, which put a bit of doubt in our minds as to whether one of them was a possible meal in a few days time, or perhaps it was a "sales pitch" by the rangers. The water buffalo with the bite on its back, was looking rather tatty and on questioning our guide, and others, they confirmed that it had been bitten by a Dragon and that the other water buffalo were there to protect it. It would almost certainly succumb to the toxic bite and would end up Dragon food!
It was all very interesting and as we were leaving the watering hole and walking up the path, the guide shouted to us to quickly get off the path. There ahead was a rather quick moving dragon, making its way hastily down towards the watering hole! We all leaped off the path as it came scrambling past at speed! I managed to catch a bit of footage as it scuttled by!
The family with a friendly Komodo Dragon close by!
It took us another 2 hours to get back to the camp with Daniel complaining about the heat, and little Jenna striding ahead! At the camp, we had a quick drink before heading on back to the yachts. It was an extremely interesting and eventful day. Seeing these Komodo Dragons in the wild must be another "once in a lifetime experience" and once again B and I reflected on the incredible experiences that Daniel and Jenna were having.
Komodo Island
The next day we sailed down to the island of Komodo and on route experienced some wild currents. This time, however, we were sailing with the current and we literally flew across the straits to Komodo Island, doing some 11 knots and having to do some fancy steering in order to not miss Komodo Island! We anchored up off Komodo Island and spent the next 2 days there. We braaid fish on the beach and even did a bit of fishing ourselves. Although we did catch, there was nothing to write home about, but it was great to give it a go! Steven did a bit of work on Damai's engine and we generally chilled out. We even had a visit from the local harbour master and his 5 side-kicks and I was worried that he may want to see our Indonesian cruising permit (CAIT) which by now had expired. But as both Steve and Lucy confirmed, money buys one out of any problem in Indonesia! However the local harbour master was more interested in Damai and we cheerfully agreed to his coming to our boat next. However they must have thought we had nothing to hide and, as it the sun was setting, they left without hassling us further.
Daniel hanging on as we enter the anchorage
Flores - Labuan Bajo
From Komodo we motored most of the way up to Flores, about 25 miles to our north east. The trip up was a nightmare as we fought exceptionally strong currents. Just as we left Komodo and about 2 miles out, we struck the worst of it! Again, up ahead we could see this "river" of current streaming past. It literally looked as if someone had opened sleuth gates up stream and the water was pouring out, taking everything with it. With me at the helm and B up front, we entered the stream. Shayile was violently thrown off course and the speed bled off to 1.2 knots! Worse still, we were in a narrow passage between the main island and a smaller one. However, we made ground through the worst of it and when the sails went up, we picked up speed and got back on course. How anyone sails these seas without an engine, I have no idea. They are horrendous and very dangerous indeed! Every pilot guide to the area, puts out severe warnings about the rip tides and currents. On one island alone it is reported that 30 pearl divers have lost their lives to down welling, where under water currents prevent these guys from re surfacing! There are so many small islands in this area, a maze of them sprouting from the sea and, as mentioned, cause’s confusion when trying to identify them! We motored and sailed on and even had some 30 knots of wind beating us all the way into Labuan Bajo. Avoiding the town itself, we anchored off the Komodo Eco Lodge, just outside Labuan Bajo. From pilot books, we identified it as a good facility to stock up on a few essentials. That afternoon Daniel and I went ashore and introduced ourselves at the lodge. We teed up transport into town the next day and then booked dinner for that evening. We all needed a good restaurant meal, cooked by someone else!
At 5pm, we all went across to the lodge and the kids even had a swim in the pool whilst we enjoyed a beer on the verandah. Dinner was great and both families enjoyed a relaxing time together, celebrating our cruise from Lombok to Komodo and all the adventures we experienced together. Our plan was to head on eastwards whilst Steve, Lucy and Tenzin were going to spend more time in the area, before heading back to Bali. With dinner done, we went back to the yachts.
Next morning B, Steve and Lucy went into Labuan Bajo to do some shopping whilst I loaded Shayile with water. Once all stocked up, we said goodbye to Team Damai and upped the anchor. Our destination, Gili Bodo, lay about 25 miles up the Flores coast and would take us about 5 hours.
Labuan Bajo Town and anchorage
Thanks once again to Steve, Lucy and Tenzin for a great time spent together sailing those wonderful islands and we hope that they enjoy many more years of cruising on Damai!
Selat Gili Bodo
It was a quiet, uneventful motor up over the top of Flores and on to its northern coastline. Gili Bodo lies about 5 miles off Flores north coast and is uninhabited. However this does not mean no one visits the island as we were soon to discover. As we entered the shelter of the reef, up ahead we could see a fishing boat. On closer inspection we could see it had nets out. Worse still, they had literally netted the whole enclosure behind the reef. The net must have been over a km long encasing the whole inner part of the reef. We could see fish activity inside the net, signs that whatever was there was now trapped inside the net. Myself and B often debate the scenario. Fish must be caught, of this I have no issue and support it as means to a diet of fish and protein, essential to the villages in the area . What "issue" I have is EVERYTHING is caught and only then what is needed is kept. Seeing reef fish such as Triggerfish, Pufferfish, Humbugs, Butterfly fish, Emperor and the like been discarded dead, if not required, is a crime. So many fish are sacrificed in order to take home a catch of edible fish. However we then sit back and wonder about our ability to argue this discussion whilst we crack open a tin of Tuna in oil, only to discover the slaughter of other specimens caught along with the Tuna!!?? Who are we to crucify the Indonesian fishermen when we buy our fish, neatly wrapped in plastic and sold in tins, oblivious to the gross cost incurred in getting that fish into our stores. I will never be able to win the battle but it just destroys me in seeing this wholesale “take from the sea; she provides” attitude that so many people believe in. There is no idea of selection, just take, destroy and then decide what can be consumed! The nets remained there for the night, whilst the fishermen returned to Flores. No doubt next day they would return and haul up whatever was in it. For us it was just a stop over and we did not go ashore. Time to move on.
Lingeh Bay – Flores N coast
The day sail, or should I say motor, as wind was on the nose and then died, was relaxing. Again a bit of school work and reading occupied most of the day. Daniel hooked on Harry Potter and Jenna occupies herself with her meager toys! We motored into Lingeh bay and noticed a coral reef virtually extending across the whole bay. Tucked up in a corner was a small village. We had to run parallel with the reef until a channel emerged. Into the channel we went, with B at the bow giving me directions on where to go and how best to avoid hitting the reef! Once inside we again ran parallel with the reef and beach until we found a suitable spot in which to anchor.
The small village at Lingeh Bay
No sooner had we dropped anchor when the sumpangs (local canoes) arrived, loaded with children! They tied up on to our stern but we prevented them from storming Shayile. The good news was that a few of them arrived with trade goods. Some had paw paws, others bananas and coco nuts. We traded with them, handing out pencils, fishing tackle, sweets and other bits and pieces. They were extremely happy with what they got and left with huge smiles. One canoe, the first to arrive at Shayile, did not get anything for some reason. As they moved away, B called them back and gave the 2 little boys a couple of Daniel’s old T-shirts. The joy on their faces was priceless. As they paddled back to their village we could see them shouting ahead and holding up the shirts for all to see. They were so grateful for their small presents. Interestingly enough, we were now entering the eastern parts of Indonesia and Christianity became the dominant religion on these islands. Well protected, we enjoyed a good night’s sleep behind the reef.
Lingeh Bay, to Monkey Beach, to Nagarujong
At 5.30am, B was at the winch, pulling up the anchor (her assigned responsibility) whilst I motored up. With the anchor up, we set off along the northern coast of Flores towards our next selected anchorage. We motored the whole day with wind on the nose all the way. Another ugly leg, where both myself and B cursed sailing and the wind! Being on a catamaran, the constant slamming under the bridge deck was enough to drive anyone back to terra firma! It is very demanding, both physically and mentally. I could not help but wonder how much pounding a catamaran can take until it eventually starts to break up! At 1.30pm, we approached the entrance to the anchorage of Monkey Beach. It was situated between the island of Flores and a group of smaller islands lying very close to Flores. The route in was fascinating and we slowly wove out way through the channels leading towards a stunning little anchorage. Once inside you are extremely well protected and have no idea what the weather is doing outside! Tired of the relentless pounding, we decided to rest up for a while. After a few hours, it appeared as if the wind was abating and at 5pm, we motored out of the protection of Monkey Beach and resumed our leg.
We intended an overnight passage all the way to Maumere, the town where we were going to check out of Indonesia. However this plan never materialised as we were clubbed by wild seas, wind on the nose and the relentless pounding under Shayile. With the pounding, I am unable to sleep at all. Fortunately, the kids are unbelievable and once down, only wake up the next morning although having their heads pounded under them! B sleeps a little easier than I do, but even she battles with the noise inside Shayile. It really is unpleasant and one of the few disadvantages of sailing a catamaran into wind.
At 2am in the morning, we rounded a point and motored in towards the beach. The charts did show an anchorage, although it looked rather exposed. Night entries to an unknown anchorage can be extremely dangerous. One never knows what may lie ahead in the dark, and it was pitch black that night! However looking at the charts and reading the pilots, there were no reefs about and it was identified as a safe and easy entry. About 500 meters off the beach, we dropped the anchor, exhausted after a long hard night of relentless pounding by the seas. After sails like this we just wanted the sailing to end!
Lonely fisherman on a floating raft, way out to sea!!
Maumere - Flores
Our visas were fast running out and this was part reason for our speedy passage over the top of Flores. Our visas expired on the 2nd June and it was now the 31st May! We would only get into Maumere with a day to spare before they expired! With not more than 4 hours sleep, we were up again and by 7am we motored out of the bay at Nagarujong on route to Maumere, some 40 miles away. With the weather over the previous few days, a larger than normal swell was running. Although big, it was relatively comfortable and we enjoyed a morning of calm motoring into wind. However things were to change - terribly!
As we rounded the point and angled in towards Maumere, about 11 miles away, the wind picked up. It then swung to a SE and intensified. Soon it was over 20 knots and then up to 30 knots! With the increase in wind speed, the wave and swell picks up. The punishment we took over the next 5 hours as we literally fought our way into Maumere was enough to put a seasoned sailor off sailing! With 30 - 35 knots on the nose and no where to run to, we fought our way on, pounding into the wind, surf and swell! We were only managing 2 to 3 knots with both engines giving it stick! It does not happen very often that waves break over the front of Shayile, engulfing and swamping the entire bow, and running up over the saloon roof. Seeing water surging over the windows up front was not part of our sailing plan! The pounding, the noise, the water soaking us to the core as we hand steered into weather! Not fun, not fun at all. Know the feeling, after a bad few shots of golf, when you just want to throw your golf clubs in the dam or sell them to the nearest caddie? Well, if someone was in the vicinity, they would have picked up a "deal of a lifetime!" We were "gatvol"! My log book reads : "Crazy, crazy beat into bay. Worst ever!" At 6pm that evening, we limped into the relative protection of Maumere. After searching for an anchorage, we eventually dropped our anchor in 20 meters and went off to bed, thankful that it was over and cursing the decision to sail eastwards in the SE monsoons!
Maumere, with Aladdin’s brother in the sampan
We had been given a contact in Maumere. His name was Aladdin and another self appointed yacht services supplier! We made contract in the morning and I went ashore and picked him up. Back on Shayile, with Aladdin assisting, we planned the next few days. As Maumere was our last "big" port of call in Indonesia, we needed to stock up on essentials such as food, diesel and water. We also needed to check out of Indonesia which did concerned me a bit. Our CAIT form had expired and uncertainty existed around what the Customs and Immigration departments’ reaction would be. On the 1st June, we filled Shayile's tanks with dubious well water and diesel was delivered to the dock side on motor bikes! It is always a difficult task and physically tiring as we have to cart 25 liter containers backwards and forwards in the rubber duck, siphoning fuel and water into the tanks on each trip. With 640 liters of diesel and 620 liters of water, it’s a long day! B spent the better part of the day doing the washing of clothes, forcing the kids to do some school work and cleaning and preparing Shayile for the leg ahead.
That evening Daniel, Jenna and I went for a walk around the town. We came across a sports field, with no field. It was a dusty, stony gravel area where the kids and local soccer teams were practicing. After watching them play for a while, we were called in to join them. Dan took off and Jenna and I followed him in. We all joined in and kicked a ball about with the kids. We must have had a following of about 40 kids! I even got involved in a soccer game! All good fun.
Jenna & Dan with a few local kids
Next day, the 2nd June and legally our last day in Indonesia, Aladdin took us to Customs and Immigration to check out. After handing in our passports and documentation, the waiting game began and looking towards the desks where the "official" looking officials were sitting, I could see there was a problem. Our CAIT form had expired 2 weeks back and perhaps they had picked it up. We were told to return in the afternoon.
After a trip to the market to shop for fruit and vegetables, we returned to the offices and a further waiting game commenced. B and I now acknowledged that it had been discovered and "negotiations" were about to begin. At home time, the office staff left the building and I was called across and explained that our CAIT form had expired. Looking rather confused and surprised, I tried to tell them that my passport was good for 3 months and so was my CAIT form. Today was the last day for my passport and why not the CAIT? I was told that the CAIT started and stopped on particular dates whilst the visa commenced on entry. I tried to explain what a foolish system this was as yachts really have little idea as to exact arrival dates in Indonesia based on weather. (It is a very foolish system indeed!) Anyway, we understood the situation and I was then called into an office with the "larneys". After idle chatter about the seriousness of the situation, I was told that an "administration" fee was required. It was a straight out bribe. The amount was 3 million rupee. (R3000) Showing total shock I suggested 2 million Rupee, which was immediately accepted! (I should have gone in cheaper?) The money was paid and the passports were stamped and all was well. After another small shop to buy anti malaria tablets for the trip east, we returned to Shayile with passports and food.
We spent another day in Maumere. We needed to load the balance of the diesel and I needed to service the engines before leaving. Aladdin dropped his daughter off on Shayile and she spent a few hours with Daniel and Jenna. Once B spotted her turning green, she put a pillow under her head and she went off to sleep! Ashore, I had done some fish shopping. Each morning, hundreds of sardines are brought ashore, prepared and then put out to dry in the sun. I love fried sardines and decided to buy some and cook them up for the family. Not having eaten fish in quite a while, we needed a bit of fish oil! Back in the galley ….. again, I got busy. Garlic butter and chopped up onions were delicately fried. Once seasoned and tasted, it was left on the side to mature. The sardines were butterflied and well salted. Once the salt had penetrated, they were fried in a little oil, skin side first. Nearing completion, a generous portion of the garlic and onion sauce was applied to the flesh of the sardines and allowed to gel with the now impregnated salt. Once lifted from the pan, slightly overcooked to allow for a limited amount of crispiness to develop, they were presented! Ok, so the kids didn't really go for them but I think B and I ate about 15!
Maumere market and a friendly lady at her stall
B: Well, we learnt a lesson too late. The first customs guy had apparently asked for cigarette money but as we hadn't told our 'broker' about our overdue CAIT, he ignored the guys request...big mistake. With hindsight if we had gone in prepared we may have gotten away with having to pay just the one guy, probably about R500 and he would have stamped us on our way. We had all appeared as the dutiful family and this worked but only to delay the sting. I spent 3 hours chatting to four lovely young guys who were so excited as they were off to America to study theology and become priests. Nuns breezed in and out and it was all clean and organised, so the blatant brides had to happen after hours. Hence we were told to return later that afternoon.
This town had the biggest and best pumpkins we have ever seen but we were told that the locals don't eat them, they feed them to the pigs! I also spent time stranded ashore with Aladdin's extended family of ladies who gutted, soaked in brine and dried thousands of sardines to sell to the mountain people in order to make some money. Although they were friendly, I was appalled at the squalor they were surrounded by. A deep and smelly drain runs next to the houses and it was full of plastic and disgusting unmentionable smelly stuff. Their children hop across it daily and I'm sure a baby would drown if he crawled into it. The yard was full of fish drying racks but the junk and litter tossed under them was a disgrace. I had brought some sweets for the hoards of kids but was wary of lice and catching scabies from the itchy scaly skin of the babies I was holding. Later I sent ashore bottles of cough medicine and lots of things I could spare, but what they really needed was good old health education and, as we couldn't understand each other, I couldn't really help.
Later on our travels, we spent time with kids in a rural setting with fruit trees and clean sand in immaculately clean villages. They had snotty noses but were all healthy, well fed and happy. As it was a Protestant village maybe they lived by “Cleanliness is next to Godliness”. I'm not sure what's next to Allah but if more time was spent tidying up and less time praying then maybe their neighborhood would be better and the children healthier and happier. I was amazed to see two boys with their evening plate of rice crouched in the dark amid piles of rubbish near the shore, they were eating sea urchins! First you break all the black spikes off, then you cut the bottom off, like a boiled egg, then you shake out a huge blob of sand. (? it was very dark) Then you scrap with your thumb nail and retrieve a vein-thin scraping of red stuff. It tasted like caviar or salty sea something, but it was a huge amount of work for very slim pickings. Poor kids but all the dangerous spiky black spines and shells were just left right in the path where everyone had to pick their way through the rocks and strangely knotted web of old clothes to the beach. Someone had also dumped a huge mound of susu (green veg) peelings there for the tide to remove. Sadly no pigs allowed in this neighbourhood. Flores was a beautiful island but it was a bitter sweet experience.
3rd June - Maumere to Gedong (Flores)
We upped anchor early next morning and set off in a NE direction. We had very little wind and what wind did blow, was on the nose! We rounded the island of Kaabah and on, up the coast. That afternoon at about 5pm, we entered the bay of Gedong. It offered us protection, but this was perhaps the start of many difficult anchorages to come. Closing in on the stony shoreline, we finally dropped the anchor in 15 meters of water, about 30 meters off the shore! Backing up, we settled in about 60 meters of water and the wind held us off the shore. Within 3 minutes the first sampang (local wooden dugout canoe) arrived and tied up. Soon there were four but we did not let them climb on board and they hung around for about half an hour before heading off home. That evening we could hear lots of brash shouting and laughter coming from the shore, but thankfully we were not disturbed on Shayile. As much as we appreciate the occasional visitor at the back door, constant harassment by visitors gets a bit much! We told them we would visit the Kampung (village) the next day but we had no such intentions!
Gedong to N.E. Adunara (Watu Peni)
We were all looking forward to our next anchorage. Looking at the file on my computer that I had of the area, it reported a stunning setting amongst islands and under a few volcanoes on the surrounding islands. We motor sailed the whole way with wind on the nose. At 3pm, that afternoon, we approached the anchorage. Up ahead surrounded by reef, we could see 2 small islands and a small sand bank. Just off the sand bank was a house on stilts, obviously used by fishermen in the area. Close by were a few pearl farms or some kind of shell fish farming arrangement. We dropped anchor just off the sand bank. The setting was truly stunning!
Dan & Jenna with a volcano off Flores
In the distant, we counted no fewer than 9 volcanoes on the islands that surrounded us. Best of all, in the distance, an active volcano spewed out clouds of smoke! We all climbed into the rubber duck and went out to the sandbank. We must have spent the better part of 4 hours swimming, playing, collecting shells and I even tried a bit of fly fishing. As great a setting as it was there was, again, no signs of much fish life. We were soon to discover why. There were a few small sampangs in the area and a group of fishermen had come out to the sandbank, obviously prepared to fish and collect throughout the night. I returned to Shayile, whilst B and the kids continued to play on the sandbank. All of a sudden I heard a huge explosion and, as I looked up, I saw the water "boil" just off the sand bank. The fishermen had decided to short circuit the traditional fishing process and resorted to dynamite! The explosion was a charge going off below the water. I looked towards B as she to had got quite a fright as the sand heaved with the explosion close by. We were in a tropical destination and a load explosion was the last sound we expected to hear. Fishermen were converging in on the area and I could see them starting to collect the fish that were now floating on the surface. Other fishermen had dived into the water and were also collecting fish. I picked up B and the kids and we slowly motored to the bomb zone. All around us fish were floating about, not all dead, most were just stunned. Daniel tried to grab a few but, interestingly enough, when they were touched they seemed to spring to life and swim away slowly! What a terrible way to catch fish, so destructive and everything in the area is effected. Small fish are killed instantly, shell fish and other mollusks are damaged and all fish in the area are targeted. We saw small colourful reef fish floating dead, certainly not destined for the pot! We returned to Shayile explaining to Daniel and Jenna that this was part reason, all contributing towards the overall lack of fish in Indonesia. I never thought I would see the day - dynamite fishing! That evening the wind picked up and, as we were not protected at all, it was a rolly night at anchor. Next morning, with our stern too close to a reef for comfort and, as the swell had not improved, we decided it best to head on again.
Shayile anchored off Watu Peni pearl farms
B: Once again Heaven had turned into hell. I was amazed at how many fishermen poured out of one little Muslim village to fish that night. We had been greeted very enthusiastically that afternoon by 2 fellows and I was not impressed to be pulled in for a big hug from one grubby, overly friendly laughing fellow! But what really pissed us off was when he grabbed my mask out of my hand, pulled it onto his unwashed face and then, horrors....stuck the snorkel into his red, beaming mouth where he ground his rotten teeth around on its silicone while expressing such joy. Well of course he immediately asked for it, after all, we had two! It was a near thing, if I wasn't so peeved I would have handed it over as I wasn't sure if, even after a thorough disinfecting, I could bare to put it in my mouth again, Aaaaarg!!!! They made some amends by bringing us a small hand of bananas but no amount of hugging Rob and pleading would make us give up our snorkeling gear. A nearby island provided an amazing spectacle of thousands of huge fruit bats circling around a big tree before settling down again. Standing on Shayile and being able to count 9 volcano’s was truly something special which I shan't forget.
The family off Watu Peni
N.E. Pulau Kawula (Tanjung Wa Lajar)
With a lesson in dynamite fishing and a rolly night at anchor under the belt, we headed on out of Watu Peni and eastwards towards Pulau Kawula. For most of the day we had very little wind and had to motor sail. It now appeared to be either on the nose or none at all. Either way, the motors were on for most of the legs eastwards. Most of the anchorages in eastern Indonesia where we chose to anchor for the night, I had found by scouting through various articles on my computer. These were usually articles written by other cruisers. However we were now entering an area where not much was written on and anchorages were few and far between. That evening, we were arriving at an island and planning to anchor in a bay that was not noted as an anchorage at all. From the charts, it appeared to offer shelter but we had no idea what the reef would be like or whether it was anchorable. We motored into the bay at about 5pm that evening and began looking for a safe spot to drop the anchor. We battled a bit as; again, it was all fringe reefs and dropped off from about 8 meters to 50+ meters. We finally dropped anchor as best we could and drifted off the reef into deeper water where, fortunately, we spent a calm and uneventful night. No visitors and no lee shore winds!
That evening, B and I commented on how we were now entering unfamiliar cruising grounds. This part of eastern Indonesia was not frequented by yachts. With little or no assistance from cruising articles, from here on we would need to be careful with choosing anchorages. Experience, common sense and access to local knowledge would be our guides to anchoring in these isolated islands in this part of eastern Indonesia.
G & T sundowner at Wa Lajar
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