Friday, 10 September
I didn’t sleep so well with the new routine and because the wind and swell was from the SE which made for a bumpy night. The rocking and rolling also caused the anchor chain to rattle against the inside of the spurling pipe, something I could do little about and eventually learned to sleep through.
The anchorage, whilst generally well protected, was exposed to the south whilst the Neptune Regatta is held in January during the NE monsoon! Rona had arrived during the night and had initially anchored close by, but she had later moved and re-anchored on the northern side of the island to get some shelter from the SE’ly wind and swell.
I got up at 0500 in time for my first rain squall which passed through at 0530 bringing heavy rain and westerly winds in excess of 30 knots. Fortunately, the strong winds died down after 30 minutes or so, but the rain continued for another hour during which time I closed up the boat, showered and had breakfast.
I weighed anchor at 0836. I had initially planned to re-join the Riao Strait by heading SE and passing around the island, but I decided to re-trace my inward passage so as to pass within hailing distance of Rona. I told David over the water that I intended to sail now directly to the island of Belitung, and that I would meet him there; and then continued out into the Riao Strait.
By leaving at this time I was hoping to catch the start of the south setting tidal stream but had not appreciated the tidal stream turns first at the northern end of the strait. As a result I had an hour of N’ly set, making only 4 knots over the ground. At least the wind was light with slight sea and low swell.
I was clear of the Riao Strait by 1100 and as the wind was now S’ly force 4 I hoisted the main and head sails, and turned the engine off and disengaged the autopilot (at 1136). Being a long keeled boat Shahna Bacal can only sail about 50˚ to 60˚ into the wind, and I was now steering about 120˚. This was fine however, as my charted course was 125˚. Unfortunately, as we entered more open waters the wind quickly backed around to the SE forcing me to tack; and then the wind died away and I was obliged to lower the head sails and resume motoring (at 1300). I adjusted course so as to get some drive out of the main sail and so as to keep the swell – now about a metre in height from the SE – at least 20˚on the starboard bow. Any less and Shahna Bacal would periodically slam into a wave and lose all momentum.
When lowering the staysail I lost hold of the end of the halyard which ran up the shrouds for the main mast almost to the lower spreader. Fortunately, I was able to recover it with the boat hook and make it fast again.
As the afternoon progressed the sky cleared and the wind died away completely. I decided to have dinner early so that I could have everything cleared away by 1800 when I was due to report in to Sue, and the sun would be setting; a routine I followed for the rest of the voyage.
I had agreed with Rob and Sue that I would use my satellite phone to report in to Rob every morning at 0700, and to Sue every evening at 1800. In this way they could keep track of my progress; I could get updates on the forecast weather; and if I failed to report in during this 11 hour period they were to alert the Indonesian Coast Guard. I kept these reports short but it was always nice to be able to speak with them both, albeit only briefly. These calls would be my only contact now with the outside World until I reached Belitung.
I encountered a lot of brightly lit fishing vessels during the night, all stationary and fishing for squid I believe. As it was a clear night and the visibility was excellent I slept in the cockpit, getting up every 15 minutes to check around, using the timer on my iPhone timer as my alarm. This sleep routine took some getting used to, but the whole trip was a “learning curve”.
At 2230 I went to transfer fuel from the main (sump) tank to the header (service) tank but the transfer pump was not working. On investigation I found a broken wire connection which I repaired, and then carried out the fuel transfer. The sump tank has a capacity of 300 litres and I fill this first. I then transfer fuel from the sump tank through a Racor filter into the header tank, which has a capacity of 100 litres and which is located on the port side of the engine room at a higher level than the engine. The engine draws fuel from the header tank through a Racor filter. In this way, the fuel passes through 2 x Racor filters and the engine fuel oil filter before use; and the fuel pump on the engine does not have to pull the fuel “up hill” into the engine, being largely gravity-fed from the header tank.
Saturday, 11 September
I motored through the night, sleeping in 20 minutes’ bursts in the cockpit. At 0400 I crossed the equator in longitude 105˚27.0 E; and as the wind was steadily picking up, I raised the head sails at 0500, stopped the engine and started sailing again. The wind was still from the SE so I was not making much speed in the direction of Belitung, only about one knot on the starboard tack. Shahna Bacal however, is a sailing boat and as I did not know how much wind I would get on this voyage I intended to sail whenever I could; and as the wind was steady I raised the mizzen. With all sails set and going to windward, it is relatively easy to balance the boat, and there was no need to keep the autopilot engaged.
During the late morning I noticed that the bottom sail guide on the main sail luff had come out of the track, and I put in a reef so as to free it up for replacement. This took more time than I expected because the screw shackle was seized and I had to use my hacksaw to cut through the pin.
Whilst transferring fuel again from the sump tank to the header tank I noticed the glass on the Racor filter for the engine was full of “weed”. I drained the glass and removed as much of this “weed” as I could, then changed the filter and refilled the filter unit with fresh clean diesel. I then primed the fuel system and re-started the engine at 1630, and resumed motor sailing, now on the port tack. I was not make any easting towards Belitung on this tack, and as the wind had reduced I decided to motor sail, lowering the head sails.
Sunday, 12 September
I motor sailed throughout the night until 0600 when the wind started to freshen and I tacked onto the starboard tack, raised the head sails, fitted the new sail guide and shook out the reef from the main, and stopped the engine.
A rain squall passed over from 1030 to 1130 bringing rain and winds of 20 knots but after it had passed the wind died away and I was obliged to resume motor sailing, tacking onto the port tack and lowering the head sails. The engine was slow to start and I suspect this was a fuel oil priming issue but it is something I will have to monitor.
Of more concern is my lack of progress. In the past 24 hours I have only made good about 30 miles in the direction of my charted course to Lombok. With the short SE’ly swell however I can do no better by motoring. It is clear therefore, that if these conditions continue I will either have to take on more fuel, or be prepared to sail and accept the voyage is going to take much longer to complete. I was always planning to stop at Belitung but was not planning to take on more fuel. Fuel is available at Belitung however, and I have decided therefore, to carry on as I am, sailing and motoring as the wind dictates and to take on more fuel when I stop at Belitung.
At sunset the wind freshened and I resumed sailing on the starboard tack.
Monday, 13 September
I tacked onto the port tack at midnight and continued sailing on port tack throughout the night. At 0500 I saw a series of black clouds approaching and as they passed overhead the wind increased to 20 knots. The wind then died away as the rain came down, and I was obliged to start the engine and resume motor sailing.
I was planning to transfer fuel from the containers on deck into the sump tank at noon but as I was about to do so I noticed another line of black clouds ahead and decided to wait until they had passed. I was very glad that I did. The wind started to pick up at 1230 and was soon gusting of over 30 knots with heavy rain. I still had all of the sails up and the engine running (as a precaution but now out of gear) but Shahna Bacal was comfortable keeping the apparent wind at an angle of 60˚ on the port bow with the starboard gunwale dipping into the sea. I didn’t really need to steer but felt more comfortable holding the wheel!
During a temporary lull, I realised the wind had backed round to the north and we were now on a NE’ly heading. I quickly put in a tack, and eased the sails so as to keep the wind now 60˚ on the port quarter. The wind continued to back finally becoming steady from the NW at force 4; and on the starboard gybe we were making 6 knots in the right direction! My downwind sailing was a welcomee change and lasted for some 4 hours until 2000 the wind died and the swell reduced, the sea become almost calm.
This was my first real squall and I was pleased with how Shahna Bacal sailed through it, although I vowed in future to put one and ideally 2 reefs in the main before going through such squalls in the future. I remembered to close all of the hatches before the squall hit but I did not put the boards in the main hatch and as a result the chart and log book had got very wet; as indeed, had I. My heavy weather gear had spent the past 5 years unworn, hanging up in the wet locker on the boat and was now porous, much to my discomfort.
Tuesday, 14 September
I motored throughout the night making 5.5 knots and at 0415 I raised Pulau Longkaus light on the island of Belitung bearing 165˚M. I began my approach into the anchorage at Belitung at 0730. As the echo sounder was not working I planned my approach so as to be heading due south on a course which cleared the reefs, and which I was able to monitor from the cockpit by observing the longitude on one of the gauges which I had set up to display the boat’s GPS position. I eventually anchored at 0848 in position 02˚32.9S; 107˚41.5E in a charted depth 8 metres with 25 metres of chain in the water.
I was now able to use my mobile phone again and I reported in to Rob and had long chats with Sue and Alexandra on FaceTime.
I was now so tired – I think that having anchored, the adrenalin was gone – that I decided to get a couple of hours sleep. It was a pleasant change to be sleeping in my bunk again, and to not be waking up every 20 minutes.
I got up at 1400 and set about transferring all of the fuel from the containers on deck into the sump tank. This took a good two hours. I then pressed up the header tank (to 60 litres) and sounded the sump tank, and determined that I had 330 litres of diesel remaining on board. This was enough for some 110 hours of motoring which would enable me to cover 550 miles in ideal conditions – and I had some 650 miles to go still, to get to Lombok. I had already decided to take on more fuel here in Belitung; I just had to work out now, how to do so. How to launch the dinghy; get ashore, fill and then stow the containers on deck; and recover the dinghy. I had never launched the dinghy on my own, but there has to be a first time for everything – and this was my project for the morrow.
