Sea Hazards and Some Duty Free Shopping

Very flat seas greeted us as we left the river mouth at Muara for our short leg to Labuan.  For a country that does not log its rainforests Brunei cannot escape the arrival of floating logs and other rubbish that litters this area of the world.  There are hundreds if not thousands of logs drifting around and it would be difficult to keep a watch where one would not come close to or actually hit the hull.  Especially if the seas are not flat or at night.  In the anchorage at Serasa we watched in almost disbelief as the incoming tide brought floating debris into Brunei Bay.  On one of our walks along the nearby spit of land we took a picture of this virtually unusable boat-launching ramp.

In the flat seas across to Labuan this large log and two clumps of Nipah palms were easily spotted but maybe not so if travelling at night.  We have seen much larger clumps of Nipah than this before!  Also notice the barge being towed by a tug.  These can be another hazard that one has to keep particular watch for at night.  Most do not carry AIS (Automatic Identification System) that allow us to track them.  The tugs are usually correctly lit with their three white lights one above the other and the usual nav lights but the barges usually have only the tiniest red visible at close range.  We saw one come into the anchorage at Kuala Belait recently and the light was on a stick stuck into the top of the mound of gravel but had fallen over! 

Just short of Labuan we were greeted by a 20-knot ESE wind which seemed a bit strange.  It was blowing straight into the anchorage at Port Victoria until it finally shifted to the NE later in the day, where it should have been coming from! 

This is a busy port with passenger and car ferries arriving from Sabah, Brunei and Sarawak all day and evening.  Tiny water taxis are on the move as well, ferrying passengers in all directions around the harbour.  The entrance to the harbour has about thirty rig support vessels as well as a couple of ships anchored about.  Labuan is a Federal Territory of Malaysia and enjoys duty free status so most yachties call by here to top up supplies of chocolate and other goodies ... oh, and alcohol. 

The marina here has broken up for the umpteenth time and is not available for yachts to berth.  We are anchored well up the harbour and just a short water taxi ride across to the town.  We just have to try and get one of the boatmen's attention. 

Christmas in Brunei

We waited six days for NE winds to lighten enough to continue our way along the Brunei coast. Kuala Belait is built around servicing the oil industry with many vessels located here providing ferry services for personnel and support for rigs and drill platforms, etc.

Here a drill platform is being constructed.  The oil industry in Brunei is alive and very well with new reserves being discovered.

There is not really a lot to see, however, we did pay a visit to Nautica Yachts where owner John is building a massive 200-tonne wooden sailing yacht. It is very impressive and we can't help wondering if he knows something the rest of us don't!



Just on sundown one evening we saw a flock of Asian Pied Hornbills feeding in the trees along the river.  A bit far away to get a decent picture though but here is one in flight.


So, on the 22nd December we ventured once more into the swells of the South China Sea for the 45 NM leg to Jerudong. It seemed a long day as we motored sailed with a light following breeze and then into a light NE. We have been taking it easy on the engine because of the prop shaft vibration so progress is a bit slower than normal when motoring. It was a very welcome sight to see the walls of the 'marina' at Jerudong getting closer. The large manmade harbour gets used by small fishing boats and passing yachts and is a bit of a royal folly. Inside the entrance lies a small wave break island where anchorage out of the swell promises a calm and peaceful night.




About dinner time threatening clouds had crept closer and although it looked like disaster was about to strike they only dropped heavy rain down upon us with barely any wind.







Sunday we were off early on the relatively short 25 NM leg to Serasa in Brunei Bay. A very light breeze and the seas had dropped slightly; we were anchored off the Brunei Bay Yacht Club about lunchtime. RBYC is very welcoming to visiting yachts and for a small daily fee we can use their jetty, swimming pool, restaurant, showers, washing machine, etc. During the afternoon we had heavy rain come through so it was Christmas Eve before we went ashore and organised our membership, checked in with the authorities, did grocery shopping and bought fuel (B$0.31). We also made a booking to have Christmas lunch at the club the following day.

 

Christmas lunch was a feast and we were lucky enough to be invited to share a table with some locals (mostly expats) along with another cruising couple. Although in a strict Muslim country, the club allows patrons to bring their own alcohol.











Miniature deep-fried ice-cream 'Christmas pudding'.


The winds appear to be lightening off again so we hope to depart for Labuan in a day or two.

Position: 5º 001 N, 115º 06 E.

And The Mat Came Too

We left the dock in Miri this morning just before 6:30 and managed to scrape our way out of the entrance on a falling tide and into the South China Sea. This time we remembered our rope mat which was on the dock and got left behind last week. Maybe this time we won't be turning back. We've had this mat since we made it in Fame Cove, Port Stephens, back in 2005 so would be a shame to get rid of it now.

It was good to get away early as we would arrive in Kuala Belait about 2:00 p.m. The skies were blue with some high cirrus cloud and the seas were flat in the very light breeze but that ever present South China Sea swell was there to ensure we had a rolly ride. Passing the shallows of the corner at Tanjung Baram the swells were bigger but no turbulence to trouble us. We must have crossed at least 20 NM of coffee-coloured waters, the result of the continuing destruction of the rainforests in the name of oil palm plantations. The heavy rains are washing the Borneo topsoil out to sea.


With the sea looking deceptively flat, Tweed's mainsail casts a shadow across the coffee-coloured water.





A line of cumulus was building over the land but by the time we arrived they were still far inland and showing no signs of build-up. We crossed the bar at the entrance to the Sungai Belait and continued motoring about 1.5 NM to anchor off the boat club. We are now out of Malaysia and in Brunei.

Position: 04º 34.488 N, 114º 11.720 E.

And Isis Makes Three

The comings and goings in the marina this week have matched the goings with the comings for several boats.

First, Auspray departed on Saturday for an overnight passage west.  It was a beautiful day and we envied them as they sailed off to the horizon.  However, a call later in the day revealed that the weather had turned upon them and rather than continue into the night with headwinds, thunder, and rain, they would return to Miri Marina.  They arrived back before sundown to find the entrance a bit rougher than when they left.

Second, we finally had a departure date, we had checked out, Tweed was looking very shipshape and the weather was looking good for a passage 30 NM to the NE to Kuala Belait in Brunei.  We left in calm, overcast conditions.  The seas were down but still quite lumpy but setting the mainsail helped quell the roll somewhat.  It was good to be back on the water.  We were only about 7.5 NM out when the dreaded sound of a surging engine sent Jon below to change the fuel lines over from the port tank to the starboard tank.  The engine was happy again.  Jon checked the fuel filter from the port tank and it appeared that it had the dreaded diesel bug in it.  Rather than continue on and risk the same sequence of events with the starboard tank, we decided it would be better to return to Miri where it would be easier to get the fuel system sorted out (once again).  Motoring back, the wind almost died, the seas glassed out apart from a long, low swell and we made the marina entrance safely and returned to our dock.

Third, Isis departed this morning, also for Kuala Belait.  We had all jokingly suggested that they too would soon be back and unbelievably it was only a short time later that they returned to the marina with autopilot problems. 

As they say, cruising plans are never set in concrete.

We hope to have the fuel problem sorted soon and be on our way once more!