Happy New Year

Together with all the Kinabatanga River Wildlife,
we wish you a Very Happy New Year.

Marijke & jaap and the Gang.

Salute

That was Xmas on the River

Well what's new and old here in Sukau?
Alishan got company just the day before Xmas.
sy Barnacle C with John and Jane ( from the UK) and
sy Tonic with Doug and Margret (from NZ).
The crew of the 3 yachts had a great Xmas potluck dinner. And of course there were the Kinabatanga river prawns;-))
We also did a couple of river cruisers together with Ahmed our River Guide. Esp the early morning one was super.
Orang Utans, gibbons, birds of prey, hornbill, pita, shama, monitor lizard, owls, crocodiles, kingfishers,... just to mention a few.
Pictures will follow. ( yes Marijke is battling with the HP update...)
Since this morning we are by ourselves again but no dull moment as heavy rainfall way inland produces heaps of logs and stick in the river to keep us alert.
Looks like we will stay here the rest of the year and then head downstream again.

Salute

Hey, psssst..........

Storm's Stork showing off

Getting ready for Xmas

Alishan hasn't moved since last blog. But we have! Especially Marijke as she made a Visa Run (for both of us!!). Our visitor's visa here in Malaysia is okay for 90 days. After that the easiest way is to jump the border, make a 180 degree turn and come back in. An other 90 days okay. Remember we have done so before (to Singapore, Thailand, Brunei). From here, in the Northern tip of Borneo...it's not so easy & cheap to do such a visa run. Now, we found out that we could BUY and extra 60 days visa. JUST at the Immigration Office in Sandakan for RM50/month/head. Good Deal. And for sure it beats bumpy busses, noisy ferries, expensive airfares and long lines at passport control. So last Wednesday Marijke got a ride into Big City Sandakan , spent some quality (waiting) time at the I.O. And got the stamps! Then off she went to a couple of supermarkets and came home to Sukau loaded with food. Meanwhile the Cats and I did an Oil & Filter Job for the Yanmar. When can we have some time to read a book? The other days? Well, like previous update. Mostly Nikoning for wildlife. Marijke got some great shots. Oh yes and a few days we had neighbors, sy PEWTER with Leo and Anne from NZ. Great to talk "cruising" again. The rainy season is indeed on top of us. Still not much water in the tanks, but sunshine is far and little. What will this year's Xmas song be? Salute

Our Daily River Things

Alishan is still enjoying the Kinabatanga River. The anchor has been here in the river mud now for over 2 weeks.
So you might think: What do you guys do all day?
Well, of course there is the daily (sometimes 2x) dinghy trip to go Wildlife hunting with the Nikon....
Usually using our own "wheels". But a few times we have used Ahmad Arsih.
He operates a small tour-bizz with his own boat. He can spot wildlife we would never ever spot ourselves.
Give him a call if you like to go on a tour: 019-8732925 We can highly recommend him.
Then there are the odd maintenance projects on board of Alishan, like varnishing (done), waxing (almost done) and oil jobs ( still have to be done) etc.
And as you can figure it out, it is hot here! So we produce heaps body fluids... and to laundry all those sweat soaked clothes is a daily job. The river is muddy colored, but it's fresh water and smells clean. Mind you, white clothes are a No-No....:

Then we try keep healthy and eat very local food, like here a decent meal of fresh water prawns ( 4 Euro/kg):
And of course sometime in the middle of the day when it's too hot to do anything else:

Salute

What did you say??

No rain, No shine...oh wait...

Yep, Alishan is still at anchor near Suaku village.
Daily activities?
Yes, dinghy trips to spot wildlife here on the banks of the Kinabatanga River. We also did a night trip and saw amazing owls, active snakes, sleeping kingfishers, hornbills etcetc. And yes there is also plenty of it IN the river: how about 3 meter crocs..brbrbr.
Some weather talk:The last few days were
No Rain (not good for our almost empty water tanks)
No Shine ( not good for a decent solar panel output)
At least the temperature was sort of okay, even went for a few small hike into the jungle...How many leeches you want to know?

Yesterday was the "Every Sunday Once a Month" market. So we are loaded again with fresh veggies.
Hmm, but that beautiful DURIAN didn't last the day. Indeed The King of Fruits. Anytime you can wake me up for some durian.

When i write this, rain is pouring down, at last...so that is good news for showers & laundry.

Salute

Yes, yes, yes...elephants

Stopped by the power lines

Alishan dropped anchor at 5 degree 30.5N 118 degree 17.3E We can't go further as there are power lines across the river just too risky low for Alishan's mast. Maybe we could, but as it is the eve of the rainy season...water levels could rise quiet a bit..and so we could be trapped. Anyway, from here we gonna do some dinghy trips and/or even hire a local boat to show us around. The other day we met Ikki Matsuda ( we were able to use our rattling Japanese a bit). He is doing research on the proboscis monkeys. Great to hear all his "inside" info 'bout these amazing animals. Yesterday we were invited to join him on a small field trip: And he knows were to find the proboscis monkeys! The town, ahum, here is called Sukau. It's booming ever since the government tar-sealed the road to/from Sandakan 2 years ago and so daily loads of fresh tourists come here to see the Kinabatanga River and wildlife. Good and bad of course, but it's work for the locals. Looks like we will be here for a few days, the Internet is very slow but we'll try to upload some more pictures. Salute

Kinabatanga River

Alishan on the River Fly

And you think all we have is Fun?
Come and join us with the 3754 alive and 268 dead flies that hang around (inside and outside) Alishan.
These flies might have to do with the upcoming Rainy Season.
Oh yes already biggg rains way-way inland..that brings huge trees down the river..jamming Alshan's anchor chain...especially at night of course.
And of course here above us....it doesn't rain...Our water tanks are almost empty...But it gives me a chance to varnish the toe rail!
Position:
5 degree 33.3N
118 degree 20.1E
At Google Earth you can see a small side river... Lots and lots of wildlife. To mention a few: Pigtail and Probiscus monkeys, Stork billed kingfishers (sooo pretty), Oriental Darters, Monitor lizards....
Poor Nori and Wakame are not having much fun..with all those flies and scary jungle sounds.

Salute

Elephant Alert IN the Kinabatanga River

There are many " dangers" when traveling by yacht.
One of them could be: Elephants.
Please mark your chart with our present position:
5 degree 38.5N
118 degree 21.4E
We had dropped the anchor here as we had seen some elephants ashore!
And then, last night at 3 am, a bunch of elephants swam across the river about 50 meters right in front of us.
It was easy for them to get into the water but at the other side the river bank was a bit steep.
More than an hour of struggling, huffing and hooting kept us awake. An awesome experience.
Mind you, we are NOT complaining: That's why we are here.
But, what would be the newspaper headline if we had been hit by one of them?

Salute

On the Move at the Kinabatanga River

The other day Alishan made a move. We left Sandakan loaded with food for a few weeks.
Across a lumpy sea, over the bar, onto the Kinabatanga River and into the jungle.
At the moment we are at anchor at
5 degree 41.2N
118 degree 26.0E
We woke up with rain an sunshine, there was a perfect double rainbow right in front of us.
Wildlife?
Oh yes, plenty of monkeys (boy can they keep us awake), bearded pigs, wrinkled and rhinoceros hornbills, loads of kingfishers, birds of prey and more to come...
Sometimes a local fishing boat zoeffs by, but that's it.
The river and jungle are ours!

Salute

Mountains Everywhere

The flag of Sabah has the contour of Mt Kinabalu in it.

Of course Alishan has Mt Alishan in its mainsail.

And here below you see Mt Kinabalu on a clear morning when we were sailing along the NW coast of Sabah. Beauty neh.

Sailing the Sulu Sea

Alishan spent a few days at anchor in Kudat. Did it rain those days! And wow, on top of that, heaps of thunder and lightning. We thought we had left that scary stuff behind us at Singapore. But in between all those downpours we indeed had some good quality time with Aslaug and Kari of sy Lady Ann. Thanx guys for showing us around town. Even managed to do some shopping. (fruit, veggies, bread and ....fuel). Monday morning we woke up with a blue sky, so it was time to move on and.... We had a good trip over the Sulu Sea (3 days). Of course the little wind we had was on the nose, this time it came from SE. Mind you the conditions were good enough to do some varnishing ;-)) Alishan is now at anchor in Sandakan. 5 degree 50.4N 118 degree 07.4E The town looks good for a few days, we hope to make some short inland trips to some national parks around here, but then ASAP we want to move on to the Kinabatanga River. Get the camera ready! Salute

From Kota Kinabalu to Kudat

Yes we did get away from Sutera Harbor Marina. Not easy at all as it's so nice to be there. Just the whole set-up, the swimming pool, good showers, gym, good marina and very very friendly people all around us. Staff and visitors. And of course there is the mountain , very special for all the birds and the hiking. BTW did you enjoy Marijke's latest pictures at our HP? Anyway, Alishan is now at anchor in front of Kudat Town: 6 degree 52.3N 116 degree 50.6 E The trip took 3 days, ( we stopped at 2 very nice bays with great views on mount Kinabalu) and it was mostly motor sailing into N-wind ( as in: on the Nose) and boy were we happy to be here. When we rounded the Top of Borneo, only 5 minutes later the sky came down with solid rain and even stronger ENE winds. Zero visibility! In the next few days we will see what Kudat can offer us. Oh yes our good friends o/b Lady Ann are here on the hard stand for boat repairs. We gonna have to give them some moral support. But soon we will be heading further east towards Sandakan. Salute

The Day After

Exhausted and Excited. Yes after all those years of dreaming about climbing Mt Kinabalu, i made it to the top. Okay, now the legs are a chippy sore with muscle ache, but i'd like to do it again. Anybody out there? Marijke has been busy with the new Q update, take a look as already some is uploaded. Mind you it is still under construction. ( Q3 report 2009 etc) Salute

Toppie Mt Kinabalu

That's the goal.
Next morning, 6 am!!

?????

????
No indeed this doesn't look like Borneo at all.
But it is Maassluis the Homeport of Alishan, at least on paper.
Jaap flew back to holland to visit Mom and the Gang, all went well.
Loaded with chesse and "WITLOF" he returned and is now getting over jetlag.
Marijke in meantime did heaps of socializing, yes SHM is good for that.
Tomorrow ( monday oct 19) we are booked for Mount Kinabalu Park.
Birds and hiking trails are gonna be explored.
Salute

SHM by Google Earth

Google Earth shot from our present location. Great place for boat, crew and cats.
See the swimming pool?
So nice to go for a splash after an early morning jog.

Sutera Harbour Marina

The trip from Labuan to the next port was a fast motor sail. The bigg swell from the last days was mostly gone. 4 am was the kick off time and by 1500 we were in KK waters. ~ 65 miles. Not bad. Alishan picked a parking box at Sutera Harbour Marina. Alishan will get a good cleaning and a wash and then a rest. Nori and Wakame will be busy checking out the other few boats here. But of course most of the hours in their day will be spend sleeping. And we? We will be flat out. Of course because of that washing and cleaning. Then there is a super swimming pool, a perfect gym, and in the far distant we can see Mount Kinabalu. Hmm, Alishan asked me to check out her Big Brother, especially the top. Keep you updated. Salute

Ehh, Solar Run?

Since last report a few things did happen. After a leisurely week in Labuan, Alishan sailed back to Brunei. And from there back to Labuan again. Was this going back and forth just because of a visa run? Booze run? Cheap fuel run? Wrong. We went back to buy some solar panels. Just before the start of Hari Raya we found out that there was a company in Brunei selling their stock of solar panels. ( during the HR week of parties the company was closed). The panels went for a price Too Good Not To Take. So yes, we now have 2 more 75 watt plates...still in the box as it takes time to install these beauties. In between here and there and yes, now back in Labuan, we had a few nasty short storms, all thanks to that typhoon that set Manilla awash. And yes, we sadly had to say good bye to sy Silent Wish; Ellen and Jits thanks a zillion for the good times we had buddy-boating with you. The weather forecast looks good for the next few days so Alishan will continue moving north: Kota Kinabalu is on the list, about 60 miles from here. Salute.

LABUAN, Malaysia

Alishan dropped anchor in Victoria Harbor, LABUAN 5 degree 16.5 N 115 degree 14.3 E A tiny bit of "rolly polly" due to a small swell. And heaps of "rock 'n rolling" due to the fact that we choose a spot in the middle of 3 mosques...right at the end of Ramadan. Oops, that was NO sunday morning sleep-in for us. We went ashore this morning to check-in, but of course the offices were closed. Hmm, tomorrow is an other day. The trip across from Brunei was uneventful, mind you our navigation computer decided to have a lay-day, so we had to do it the old fashioned way. Okayokay, it was easy as always as sy Silent Wish was heading the same direction ;-)). By now we know their transom! Salute

Water Village BSB

We took a boat ride to, around an in the watervillage at BSB, the capital of Brunei.

Hmm, heaps of gold on 1 side of the river, back to basic on the other.

But for sure a lot of happy people here in Brunei. We are pleased to have made a stop.

It looks like Alishan will Move Again, this time to Labuan, duty free happy port of Malaysia.

Salute

RBYC

Alishan is at anchor in front of the Royal Brunei Yacht Club. A veryvery cruiser friendly yacht club. TOP indeed. 5 degree 00 N 115 degree 04 E We can use the club facilities for free ( clubhouse, Internet, swimming pool, showers, washing machine, just THE things a cruiser needs now and then) and they are all keen to help us with whatever. Last Sunday together with Ellen and Jits from sy Silent Wish we took the bus into town. It all looks a bit like a Baby Singapore. Well maintained, clean and many signs. Found a good shopping center and scored some bits and pieces for boat and crew. Probably 1 more trip to town is on the list to play the tourist (on Sunday many things were closed) and then around the weekend make a move for Labuan, a Malaysian island about 30 miles from here. Salute

Brunei Ahoy

Alishan is in Brunei.
4 degree 57N
114 degree 49E
Hmm, this harbor..So big, clean and comfy! They should built them every 30 miles along the coast. See Google Earth.
BUT we can't go ashore! As this harbor is Royal and the grounds are off limit.
Mind you we still have to check-in as well..That's what we will do that after our next trip today, about 30 miles to go to the main port of Brunei.
Delayed?
Indeed that last weather picture turned out to be a little worse than Not-Too-Bad. It gave us a lot of wind, big seas. heaps of rain and worse of all: A Fat Cold. So we stayed put in Miri Marina and slowed down for a few days. Unfortunately the sand flies weren't effected by he weather and made "live" more scratchy.
All in all we had a very good time in Miri with old and new friends. Marijke with birding buddy Steve and Yap with the HHH group. And of course Nori and Wakame enjoyed their pontoon runs;-))
Now we are looking forward what Brunei will bring us.

Salute.

Weather Picture

Just to show you what the weatherpicture is here at the moment... Doesn't look too bad.....mind you, right now at 8 am it is pitch dark due to heavyheavy rain! Poor Marijke was to go on an other birding trip...
Alishan will do the check-out thingies today and make a move to Brunei later this week.

ALISHAN SONG

We uploaded The Mount Alishan Song at our sy Alishan.com Just click HERE. At the bottom of the page you'll find the start button. Salute

Sky Watch

From the airplane: Down there are "our" twittering HHH hiking grounds!
The green hill is Lambir National Park, that brown spot a new palm oil plantation.
As you can see, the (due to the bush fires) haze has gone. Pritty clouds 360 around.

Caved Out

Wonder where we've been? Well, we've done The Caves. If you ever want to spend Quality Time in caves...for sure go to Mulu National Park. But there is more to do @ this Rainforest : Good hikes and a super canopy walk . Too bad we did not see much wild life, but we saw some interesting insects. And of course mosquitos;-)). But heyhey, no sand flies like the ones here in the marina. In the next few days a few boat projects are on the list, an other HHH crazy run, some more twittering and some socializing. All that done, weather permitting we hope to sail to Brunei.....a whooping 30 mile trip. Salute.

Miri HHH

There are indeed a few things you should try once in your life. For us , yesterday was The Day to join the Famous Miri Hash House Harriers for their weekly Run. Run?? JUNGLE RUN i should say. Okayokay, we know what it takes to do a (half) marathon, but this..... Up and down steep!! jungle hills, crossing muddy streams, fighting nasty under growth. Temperature and humidity sky high. Luckily (guess why) we were not in the lead, so it was not too much trouble finding the trail. Did we see any of the scenery? Don't think so! After more than an hour we got out of the jungle, veryvery tired, dirty, scratched and bruised. Thanks Wim for taking us along! Fun it was indeed, so it looks like we'll take part a few more times while we are here. Hmm, but next time we'll wear our old running gear. Salute

Nori vd H

The other day, Nori took a dive here in Miri Marina. Not only did he proof he STILL is a good swimmer but he also is a good climber as he got out of the drink all by himself.
Hmm, Wakame thinks he is a silly boy.

Miau

Miri marina

Miri Marina... Google Earth shot taken before pontoons etc were in place.

Moored at Miri Marina

2 days ago, the Rajang River Gang of sy Alk, sy Silent Wish and sy Alishan took up a marina box at Miri marina. Wow, now Beatrix would be proud: There are at present 5 Red White and Blue flags flying in this "Shell Town" marina. Hmm, the pontoons are okay, but too bad that they haven't installed any showers or toilets. Hey boss, aren't we somehow paying for that? Miri town is a 20 minute walk/1 RM bus ride away. So far we've been there once, just to do and get some basics! Before Miri, we spent 1 night at Bintullu Port...for sure a place you can give a miss! No more said. These days the people of Borneo are busy burning the bush, (guess why), so if the wind doesn't blow from the South China Sea,......... You can imagine how "hazy" it here is. It's hard work going for a run, even at 6 am. But by afternoon the sea breeze is pumping a good 15~20 knots, haze is getting less AND it becomes a bit cooler...CAn you believe that? We think we will stay here for a few weeks: enough boat projects to be done ( the anchor chain is already at the galvanizing shop) and we also would like to fly somewhere Into The Heart Of Borneo. (BTW that's a great book!). AND.... Nori and Wakame are happy to do some "boat shopping". Salute.

Almost back to sea level

Alishan and the gang moved further down stream.
Now position:
2 degree 24.8N
111 degree 24.3E
We're at anchor in front of Kampong Senop...and the locals tell us we are the first boats to stop here! It's indeed a nice place to walk around...that is, if you're not stopped by the people because they alll want to talk to you. AND that is so nice about cruising by boat: you get to places where no other "tourist" can go.
90% of the "town" is built on stilts...High tide can be really high by times. Too bad again that rubbish does end-up under those stilts.
Yesterday we made a sightseeing trip to the local Palm Oil Factory.

Salute.

Rajang River Rovers

With sy Silent Wish and sy Alk.

The Queen of Holland should be proud 'bout this small Dutch fleet of Rovers...like the Old Days?

First L20 Shots at Sibu

Ready for On the Go

Sibu Sunday Market

Sibu River Scene

Sibu City

Alishan arrived at Sibu City ( not Cebu, that is in the Philippines). Position: 2 degree 16.9N 111 degree 49.5E See for info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sibu,_Sarawak The city is very Chinese, so we feel "at home". The daily market is superb with lots of jungle food for sale. Of course we will try them all...except the sago palm beetle larvae Too bad our Coolpix L6 camera died...but .....here we were able to score a L20, so pictures will continue to flow. This point is the turn-around for our Rajang River Cruise as there is a 10 meter bridge around the corner. It looks like we will be here a few more days as a trip by ferry to Kapit is on the program, and there is enough to do, see and shop here. 90% of all transport is done by floats..hence, for engine bits it is a shopping paradise. Salute

More Inland, not Island

To find out where Alishan is, you should Google Earth this position: 2 degree 10.5N 111 degree 40.8E AND again, what a charm this place is. Salute

Rajang River Relaxing

Alishan left Santubong last week, stayed 2 nights at Lakei Island (nice place, could have stayed longer!) and made an uneventful trip across to the Rajang River. Well, not really uneventful as we had a great sail for a few hours! As soon as we entered the river we dropped the anchor. WE?? Yes as we are buddy boating with sy Silent Wish with crew Ellen and Jits. Good fun indeed. Now we are at the small town Sarikei, and what a charm it is. Mostly thanks to the people! 2 degree 08.0N 111 degree 30.8E AND yes here we also have a super Internet connection so...we were able to do the final touch .. But OF COURSE you already have noticed it: Q2 report 2009 NEW This small fleet will motor further up the river some time this week. Salute

25 years On the Move

Yes that's us.

Today 25 years ago we left Holland on board of sy Jan Haring.

And still happily On the Move!

At longhouse SIMUTI

Santubong Update

Did we have a nice day when Caroline & family and Jan & family took us out into the Kuching wopwops. The main goal was a traditional LONGHOUSE. And indeed it was traditional. No tourist do come out so far into the jungle. But Jan and Caroline have special links with this longhouse. Of course Marijke took great pictures...I'll try to get some soon. And yes it was close to the border with Indonesia...as our telephones said: Welcome to Indonesia. On the way home we also stopped at a "commercial" longhouse ( we had to pay an entree fee to see the place..and hence empty beer cans left and right...) This week we also went to see the Urang Utan Rehab Center. A MUST if you are in Kuching. These boys and girls are so comfy up there in the trees... And we did the Kuching Cat Museum. A MUST if you have Nori and Wakame. Now it is Friday, day 1 of the Rainforest Music Festival. We might end-up there for a few hours... Salute PS the Q1 update is still at the printer. Stories are done and a few pictures are uploaded. The Internet connection works by times okay and suddenly...poooffff..grgrgr

Santubong Blues

Alishan lies happily for (behind) anchor here at the river entrance in front of the small town of Santubong. Did you Google Earth the place? Now about 35 yachts are here, all more or less ready to gear up for that Rainforest Music Festival. Dolphins and even, a bit more upstream, crocodiles are good for some entertainment;-)) Great place for pictures, walks, hikes and runs. Marijke is shooting new species and Jaap is gone every morning with Asluag of sy Lady Ann...Running! BUT ALSO: the new Q update is "at the printers" and that dirty diesel problem is under full attack! A trip into Kuching town..... hmmm, that's a bit of a Day Job. It's a good 35 Km. and there are far and few buses. Oh well, can't have it all. Again we are not bored with our life style, and that is good! Salute

Jumped the Pond

Alishan arrived this morning in Santubong, on the outskirts of Kuching, Borneo. Position: 1 degree 42 N 110 degree 19 E Our departure from Danga Bay was delayed with a few extra days due to Jetty Party Times. Yes indeed we had so much fun with the our cruising family out there. And of course Nori and Wakame enjoyed their walks and close encounters with the dogs off 2 of the other boats. So, last week Saturday we finally left to Sail around Singapore. Hmm, but somehow somebody somewhat made a calculation error and we did have the tide against us the whole way. (okay it is not easy as Singapore Straits has 10 hours this way and 2 hours that way currents ;-). Guess!! By the end of the afternoon we were tired and decided to drop the anchor near the river to Sebana Cove, on the eastside of the S Strait ( we had stopped here once before). There we spent an extra day relaxing before taking off for Borneo. Monday morning "early up we rises, set some sail and motor around the corner".....you know that song... Hmm, but only 2 hours later we were back at starting-point as we noticed very dirty diesel fuel in the filter. Blahhh, what to do? Okay, we just cleaned the filter and fuel lines as good as possible, we would see, and off we went again. All went well across the busybusy shipping lane and the first miles into the South China Sea. But 6 hours later, with little wind, not good enough for plain-sailing so Yanmar had to help us again . That went not so good as there it was again: dirty fuel!. So from then on, after about every 6 hours of engine use the filter had to be cleaned... I got pretty fast at it! Yes we do have a tank problem, grgrgr. But the radar worked fine ;-)) Beside 1 afternoon and night with serious thunder+lightning, heavy rain and strong winds, it was a slow boat trip to Borneo. Anyway, we are happy to be here! Of course we'll have to take care of that fuel problem but in the mean time we gonna enjoy this place as well. Oh and did you know: the Rain Forest Festival is coming up soon...tell you more later. Salute

Almost done in DB

Well, the radar came home again. Too bad it was soo expensive ( of course only a small item was broken but the whole LCD unit had to be replaced, grgr). And too bad that even though the job was done by a Furuno(t-so-good) specialist..i have to take it apart again because he forgot to remove the plastic protection foil! In the mean time we had a great time here with Antonio and crew from sy Sora Alice (Italy) Old cruising buddy from 23 years ago. Oh yes we are getting older, but at least we do it ;-)) Marijke got a Digi Pics Processor, so work will start on the new Q update, once she masters her new toy... Gas and fuel tanks are full. Just need some fruit and veggies, 1 more trip into S town and then Alishan will be heading towards Borneo. Oh yes i should not forget to see harbor master, customs and immigration. Salute.

So that was Sentosa Island

One of the "must do" things in Singapore is a visit to Sentosa Island. Singapore's Dream-away Island where you can imagine you're on a far away, uninhabited and tropical island. Mind you, in whatever direction you look there are skyscrapers, oil refineries and biggg ships. And zillion other Robinsons. So we did Cafe del Mare (oops a bit much run-down place), walked the nature walk (30 min.) and zoefffed the Luge (twice). The "ski lift" up the hill was probably the best what we did. The radar repair is still in the Furuno Wait Mode. Anyway, there are more things on the to-do list for Singapore. Salute

We are waiting, we are waiting......

The LCD parts for the Furuno(t-so-good) should be on their way to Singapore by now. Nothing else (?) for us to do than waiting. Than again, it is not a bad place to do so. Yesterday we made an other trip into S Town and met up with Heyko and Rose (sy Bavaria, now semi locals) and they took us to Pepper Crab Heaven. Yummmmmy. The return trip to JB was a new record. Downtown S --> back on board Alishan in 1 hour and 15 minutes! In total the return fee for the both of us is about 5 Euro, so that can't stop us to go again ;-)) Zoo, Sentosa, museums, more shopping..... Salute.

Alishan in a Can

Just Play, No Pay at Danga Bay

Alishan took up a slip at Danga Bay Marina, Johor Baru. 1 degree 28.4N 103 degree 43.3E It's a brand new place and to promote the marina, us yachties can use a slip for free for the time being. Unbelievable, also the water and power we use is for free. And even the odd visit by one of the local shore rats is free of charge! Our neighbors already plucked a couple of those nasty creatures from the cabin floor ( once the fellow got stuck to the rat-trap-glue). Brrrr. Anyway we feel on the safe side with Nori and Wakame on standby ;-)) Yesterday we took the bus into Singapore, so easy to do from here. From the boat to downtown S took less than 1and a half hour. The radar got dropped off at the service shop place as again it is Furonot-so-good. Sim Lim Tower and Sim Lim Square were visited for odd bits and pieces on our shopping list. Probably Alishan will be here for a week or so. Hope to make a few more fun trips into Slingapore. Salute for now.

By road to Melakka

Of course we had to go and see Melakka Town. So we rented a car and drove the 80 Km from Port Dickson to Melakka. Nice little town with Portuguese and Dutch history, hence the old European feeling. The weather was perfect, light overcast, by times a small drizzle rain so wandering down the alleys was a pleasure. BUT having seen Penang...Melakka just looked a bit too much like a dolls house. More on that later at our Update of course. Today Alishan will move further south and head for Johor Baru, area/town just north of Singapore. The weather forecast tells us: Zill to very little wind. Just keep the fingers crossed we won't get hit by thunderstorms. Tell you later, Salute

P-p-p-p-p-port Dickson

Yes Alishan is in Admiral Marina near the town of Port Dickson. The trip went well, even some breeze to fill the sails! 02 degree 28.5N 101 degree 50.7E Probably just for a week. Marijke is emptying the camera memory cards and filling up her backpack ...Fraser Hill here she comes. (mountain near KL, famous for birding). So what shall jaap do? Well the list is simple: Get fuel, clean Alishan inside and out, clean the propeller and yes more cleaning: the engine room. So no time for him to hang around the swimming pool. Salute.

Port Klang

For a moment we thought all jobs were done! WRONG The toilet pump played up. Grgrgrgr. Oops, jaap had to go over the side in that horrible Penang Marina Water... And no, the water-intake was clear. And yes, the impeller of the pump did have a bit of junk in it. About the size of a peanut, but it took me the whole day to take the pump apart and assemble it again. Who says cruising is fun! Marijke didn't feel too well that day, so she benefited from a lazy recovery day. The trip from Penang to Klang went well. Even had a few hours of good wind so we could sail. No rain or thunder, only blue skies and full moons. Now at anchor at: 03 degree 01.33 N 101 degree 20.31 E Soon heading for Port Dickson. Salute

Almost done in Penang

Almost all the jobs here in Penang are done. Dentist, cat food, cat toilet stuff, new DVD player, on board Internet connection , new glasses, new galley carpet, DVDs burned, generator cooling problem solved, leaking windows fixed and plenty get-together's with cruising friends. Pff, who says we have nothing to do! Oh yes and of course many GFM: Good Food Meals. Penang has them all. And NOW the weather is playing up a bit, but as soon as this little black cloud moves off the chart Alishan will sail further south. Boy-oh-boy have we had heavy thunder and rain the last couple of days. But al least it is "coolish" ;-)) Salute

On the Move to Penang

Ahoy out there, And yes we are indeed On the Move at the moment. The nasty weather of the last 5 days (with too strong NW winds and huge seas) has cleared..and now we are moving towards Penang. COURSE: SE, Wind OF COURSE: SE. Ah well, we'll get there. The final days at LAngkawi were beside the weather super. Had a good time with the crew of Ninth Charm, Ouma and Zorana. Cruising is all about making friends and...sniffsniff, saying good bye again. But hey, there is the Internet;-)) Nori and Wakame will miss Rebak marina with the great runs ashore and on other boats. They won't miss that visit we paid to the local VET for their once yearly Rabies vaccination. Penang...well we think we'll stop there for a few days, maybe a week to do some medical work, new reading glasses, more shopping and for sure some GF: good food. Keep your informed. Salute.

Getting Ready for the Run South

Alishan if at anchor at Telaga. From here we will do "some" boat projects and stocking up. For the trip South. And Nori and Wakame will get their rabies shots... Of course Marijke is running around the local trees and fields with her camera, and Jaap is exploring the odd mountain top. All in all, we are enjoying Langkawi till the bitter end. Salute for now.

In Fukuoka.........

Taken from the 35th floor of the Seahawk Hotel



Timing neh:full blossem

Back Home after our Sushi cq. Visa Run

What a timing! At Fukuoka the cherry blossom was at its peak. Too bad we had to enjoy the pretty flowers during a cold weather span. It was only 9 degrees C when we got off the airplane. Even the inside of Alishan's fridge is seldom soo cold! BUT seeing all our friends and family made us feel warm indeed. The paperwork=visa stamp thingies were done in a day, no problem. Even Jaap's drivers license got a 5 year renewal, no sweat. Of course we ODed on japanese food...and for sure the meals were super. Thank you Fukuoka for looking after us! On the way back, we stopped for a few hours in HK, just to do some shopping (yesyes, Nori and Wakame's favorite cat food) and to see Janice and her family. Alishan will be at Rebak till the end of the week, then go back to Telaga and... Salute for now.

Back in Rebak

Alishan is Back in Rebak.
When we will fly home to japan, Dave and Marcia of sy Strider will look after the catss and the boat.
Nice neh.
But we also have here a few days of HOTHOTTERHOTTEST days to do some boat projects.
And to organize ourselves for springy Fukuoka...can/will it really be soo cold??

And Suddenly Alishan is in Telaga

After a few great days at Koh Rok Nok (who is there?) we had to jump away from a nasty bumpy lee-shore. Of Course in the middle of the night. So we let go of the mooring line and used the wind to make the miles in SE direction. Of course the direction the wind came from. Anyway, after 10 hours of (motor) sailing, with the last few miles @ 25 knots on the beam, we arrived safe and sound, but sleepy at the Butang Group. Oh yes even had some dolphins playing at the bow!! Luck was with us as we found a very healthy looking mooring buoy on the W-side of Ko Adang. Nice and sheltered from wind, waves and swell. Friends on sy BAVARIA who had left Rok Nok a few hours later than us, had a bumpy ride and as they opted to anchor at the S-side of Ko Lipe...had an even more bumpy night. The next day we moved to the N-side of Ko Lipe and yoho-yoho found an other safe and sound mooring..though 1 night we had to share it with a live-aboard dive boat. No Problems. Ko Lipe is indeed a little charm, some lay-back tourism to make it even more charming. And now Alishan is (back) in Telaga, Langkawi. Next week we'll move the boat and cats to Rebak as we fly "home" to Japan for a few days. Salute.

YotReps: 2009/03/17 00:07:23

AIRMAIL YOTREPS
IDENT: pc2134
TIME: 2009/03/17 00:07
LATITUDE: 06-29.61N
LONGITUDE: 099-17.70E
COMMENT:

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On our way South

Alishan left Ao Chalong this morning with a good 15 knots of wind. Almost On The Nose, of course. But luckily, later on we could lay an other course...as we have a few options. Right now we are heading for Ko Lanta. The morning breeze has gone and we are waiting for the afternoon sea breeze..mean while the Yanmar is making the miles. From the Similans we had a good sail towards Phuket. EVEN managed to get 2 unlucky fish in the bucket! OH SASHIMI OH SASHIMI Our 2nd night at Patong was veryvery little fun and lots and lots of rolling! Big heavy thunderstorms all around us. Bit scary indeed. Later we heard the sad news that only a few miles away from our anchorage a dive boat had rolled due to the heavy seas and 6 people drowned. A reminder that we have to stay alert for the sea. BTW on our way south we passed Nai Harn Bay, where we spent Xmas with 80 other boats..now only has 7! Oops it is HOT in here, 34 C. Time to go on deck. Salute

Similan Islands

8 degree 40.5 N 97 degree 38.7 E Koh Bangu is the name of the island and it belongs to the Similan group. It is a national park, 99% marine park, so you have to "do it" in the water. Alishan is hanging at the end of a mooring line. Right under us it is 15 meters deep and we can clearly see the bottom. And the zillion and zillion fish swimming by. These islands are very popular for scuba diving, but even for snorkeling it is GREAT. Yesterday we went for a 4 hour hike over the main island. Destination was a great look-out point, over viewing the other islands belonging to this group. Underway we spotted the odd monitor lizard, saw some bird and squirrel life and Marijke had a close encounter with a killer bee...but luckily it was no direct hit. Friends Danika and Sten of Mata'irea where here also for a few days and of course we compared snorkeling notes: More variety than in our fish books ! Tomorrow we will head back for Phuket. Hope today's nice E breeze will help us along. Salute.

Ban Thap Lamu

No this is not a Thai food dish. It is the name of a small village near Alishan.... 08 degree 34.1 N 98 degree 13.1 E The people are very very friendly, hardly speak any English and don't try to push you a TukTuk, Massage or T-shirts You should Google Earth this location to see this beauty. Mind you, the village is NOT beautiful at all, but the location is. We just came back from a 4 hour mangrove dinghy trip. Tomorrow early we will make the jump to the off-shore islands, either Similans or Surins. Depending on the wind direction. From there on, sniffsniff, Alishan will sail south again.

DONE

25 bottles @ 20 liter of drinking water hauled by dinghy from the beach.. Replaced 2 x engine oil, oil filters, fuel filters, coolant, water filter... Cleaned the waterline.... Who says it's only play.. Anyway, these jobs are DONE and yes, we will go back into cruising mode. There are a few more islands and beaches to be explored.. and of course we could do with a nice THAI MASSAGE.... Here we come.. Salute.

Back to the 4 of us...

Oops, a bit behind with the updates. Sailor Tom, ehh, Diver Tom, ehh, Sleeping Tom left for New Zealand a few days ago. And yes, we did have a good time with him on board of Alishan. Indeed a great way to get to know each other. The last stop we made was at Phi Phi Don. A must for the younger generation. We all went for a long walk and enjoyed some of the Phi Phi dining and shopping. Now Alishan is "back" at Nai Harn. Here to R&R , clean the boat and refill the water tanks. Still no rain since that 1 shower 1 month ago.. An extension for our Thai Visa is in the passports as we took the decision NOT to sail to the Andaman Islands. So from here we will back-track North, maybe the Surin Islands again: Great Snorkeling and Birding. Salute for now.

On our way to Krabi

Alishan is making "waves" while moving to Krabi area. ZERO wind at the moment, seas like a mirror. Position: 8 degree 02.5 N 98 degree 44.81E Doing 4.9 knots thanx to Yanmar Power. 3 wonderful days/nights were spent at Phang Nga Bay, nice places indeed. For Tom a first, for us a repeat. After Krabi we hope to sail to Phi Phi and do some more snorkeling. Salute.

Sunday February 8th

Yesterday Sailor Tom became Diver Tom. Phuket is loaded with dive companies (and dive sites of course) and the deal they offer is too good not to take up a PADI dive course. After 1 day in the classroom and the swimming pool off he went on board one of the dive boats to do his first open water dives. Nice to listen to his stories..reminds us of our own first dives somehow. However we did our training in freeeezing Holland! Meanwhile Alishan was relocated to Ao Chalong (east coast) due to an un-comfy swell at the west coast of Phuket. From here the plan is to sail into the Phang Nga Bay (NE of here) and explore the beautiful islands there. Salute.

pictures Surin and Patong (of course)

Nice place those Surin Islands


Lunch stop.


Tom with .....



A toast at the THE bar in Patong

Sailor Tom Phuket 2009 Pictures

Phuket January 2009


Learning the Trics


And indeed it is hard work.....







Fresh White Meat (in Thai fishermen pants )