A Quick Passage from Sarawak to Sabah via Labuan

Our Sarawak adventures were fast coming to a close and it was time to prepare for the upcoming Borneo International Yacht Challenge 2009. This event usually starts in Labuan and finishes in Miri but this year it started in Miri with a 100 nm passage race to Labuan followed by a passage race to Kota Kinabalu in Sabah and finished with two day races off KK. It fitted with our time frame so we duly entered and received RM1000 (about A$330) for doing so, plus free marina berth, hotel accommodation and several dinners. A good time to meet other cruising yachties and have some fun. Tweed is not a racing boat but somehow we ended up in Division A with six other boats of differing capabilities and handicaps.

We managed to arrive in Labuan just under the 26-hour time limit - the organisers forgot about the south setting current and that perhaps there would not be much wind. We came fourth in our division so no prizes there!! We entered the 'marina' outside the Waterfront Hotel in Labuan. This marina has been constructed since we were there in 2007 and is already breaking up. The original marina, which was breaking up in 2007, is nested inside the new one and although repairs have been undertaken it is breaking up again!! Such a pity that they can't get it right but we don't know who is to blame for this poor construction.

Tweed enjoys a short-lived sail with the 'Flasher' at the start of the Labuan to KK passage race

Half a day in Labuan and a quick trip for duty free before dinner out and then off the next morning on the 68 nm passage race to Kota Kinabalu. Conditions were fairly light to start with but along the way the wind picked up slightly so we were able to sail most of the way resulting in less penalty points and were awarded third place for this leg. Most boats arrived after dark and would have a lay day the next day except for the IYC boats. The lay day was most welcome as we and others had found the pace quite hectic and were pooped!

Two day races were held on Thursday - one in the morning and one in the afternoon - off Kota Kinabalu. The conditions were good with about 15 knots of breeze but we still couldn't fight our way past the two leading boats in our Division so took out third again. We were pleased with that. It had been a great few days but now we could look forward to relaxing a bit.

The 4095m peak of Mt Kinabalu, 88km from KK seen from the waters off the sailing club

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More Adventures in Sarawak

We left the relative calm of the Rajang and Lassa River deltas and did an overnight passage to Miri with the swell on the South China Sea giving us another exciting entry into the marina. With no time to waste we flew on a Twin Otter to Bario in the Kelabit Highlands close to the border with Kalimantan and the headwaters of the Baram River, staying in longhouses, bathing in the Baram River, walking in the jungle, playing host to leeches, and being made extremely welcome by the local people. Our 'guide', Reddish, was fantastic, taking us to places we would probably not have seen without him.

The longhouse at Pa Dalih

The walk in the jungle was theoretically done to see some birds - well, we heard several and saw three hornbills fly over the treetops. On the return walk, a 'shortcut', we clambered and climbed for about two hours behind Joseph who with his large parang slashed a new trail, now the Pamela Trail, up a steep ridge to the top, now Chris Peak, down the steep ridge, through some heavy undergrowth, across a creek over a fallen tree, now Jon Bridge, and finally (much to my surprise) back to our starting point. Lunch was enjoyed by the cool waters of the creek - leftover fried rice from breakfast eaten off a Kelabit plate. A large leaf is wrapped around the rice which when unfolded forms a plate. Great idea - no washing up and it is biodegradable!!

Trailblazer Joseph ahead of us in the jungle

Back at the ranch (Tweed), we made arrangements to visit the Niah Caves the next day (our time in Miri was running out). Six of us set off by mini van to travel the 100+ km to walk a comfortable 4.5 km over a new boardwalk into the Great Cave, through the totally dark Moon Cave and on to the Painted Cave. The Great Cave is home to thousands of swiflets and bats - the swiftlets produce birds nests which are collected from high up on the cave ceiling by local collectors using bamboo poles and hardwood ladders in what is considered a very dangerous occupation. The bats on the other hand produce guano which is collected in bags and sold as fertiliser.

We arrived at the Painted Cave about lunch time. We saw the strip of red hematite paintings depicting human figures, animals and death ships, and then the burial site with a human skeleton and several death ships or boat-shaped coffins. The site was discovered about 1957 and one skull has been estimated to be 40,000 years old. We sat and ate our picnic lunch in the quiet of the cave before once more returning along the boardwalk and home.