Thursday, 30 September
The wind died during the night and I lowered the main and head sails and motored with the mizzen on a SE’ly course direct towards Pulau Trewangan and the northern end of the Lombok Strait. By 0330 I was dead on my feet and hove-to in order to get some sleep. There was still no wind but the E’ly and SE’ly swells were still running, now about 1 metre in height.
I woke up after 2 hours and decided to get up. I tidied up the boat and after breakfast I resumed motoring at 0700. Not long thereafter I could see the island of Bali visible in the distance. At 0800 I took some visual bearings of the mountain peaks on the island but as these were partly shrouded in clouds the position I fixed was doubtful. At 1000 the wind started to pick up and I decided to raise the jib and motor sail with jib and mizzen (“jib and jigger” as it is known), and to head inshore towards the northern coast of Bali.
The wind continued to freshen and at 1130 I raised the main and stopped the engine. I still had the two reefs in the main because of the broken outhaul track and slide.
At 1200 I fixed my position again taking visual bearings of the mountain peaks, which were still partly covered by clouds. My position – 08˚06S; 115˚33E – was still somewhat doubtful therefore, but it fitted well with my estimate of where we were. I then spent the next 4 hours or so tacking along the northern coast of Bali with the wind a steady ESE force 4; and with the island of Lombok now visible in the distance.
At 1600 the wind eased so I lowered the jib and began motor sailing due east so as to cross over to the Lombok side of the strait whilst still well north of the entrance thereto. The currents in the Lombok Strait are particularly strong and there is a traffic separation scheme (TSS) in operation in the strait. Rather than enter the strait on the Bali side and then try to cross the TSS in strong currents, my plan was to cross over now to the Lombok side. I intended then, to heave-to for the night and enter the strait in daylight, passing down the coast of Lombok to Marina Del Ray, which is situated on the island of Gillegede on the western side of Lombok at the southern end of the strait.
At 1800 the wind began increasing in strength and veered round, becoming S’ly force 6. I was expecting this, as the wind funnels between the islands; and I took it as confirmation I was now crossing the entrance to the strait. I continued motor sailing until 2100, when I estimated my position to be 08˚09S; 116˚00E. I could not see Pulau Trewangan light but believed I was now over on the Lombok side of the strait; and as I was very tired I now lowered the main and hove-to.
Although the wind was steady, the sea and swell made for an uncomfortable night, but I went to bed excited about the prospect of reaching the marina tomorrow.
Friday, 1 October
I got up twice during the night to look around, and at 0330 I stayed up and set about sorting out the mooring lines and fenders ready for my arrival at the marina. I then had an early breakfast and resumed my passage at 0518 with the sun now rising. It was a clear day but the wind was now S’ly force 7, and there was now a noticeable S’ly swell of about 3 metres.
It also soon became apparent to me that I had mis-judged my position. In the early morning sun the highest peak on Bali – Gurung Agung mountain – was clearly visible and at 0600 it was bearing 210˚M. I was still on the Bali side of the strait and on re-working my positions, I estimated I was still some 30 miles NE of Pulau Trewangan. Clearly, I was not going to get to the marina today and this left me feeling somewhat deflated!
I raised the jib and stopped the engine, sailing now with just the jib and mizzen. I contemplated raising the main but as the wind was strong and I could steer 120˚M and the boat appeared to be making about 5 knots, I decided not to do so. My hope was that the wind would die away, but it didn’t and I resigned myself to a long day of battling my way across the entrance to the Lombok Strait.
As I passed across the entrance the wind veered round, becoming SSW’ly as it fanned out and bent around the island of Lombok. This lift, and the effect of the strong south going tidal stream in the strait, meant I was pleasantly surprised as the sun set and the night came on, to be able to see lights on the coast of Lombok. Not long thereafter, I was able to make out Pulau Trewangan light, and at 2000 this light was bearing 180˚M.
In the dark the shore lights of Lombok appeared much closer than they probably were, and to ensure I did not get too close inshore I used a clearing bearing and tacked when Pulau Trewangan light was bearing 230˚M. The wind had now eased, and I motor sailed towards the light on this bearing until I estimated I was about a mile away, and then lowered the jib and hove-to. It was now 2230 and the light was bearing 165˚M.
I sat a while in the cockpit after heaving-to, and it was my impression that Shahna Bacal was getting closer to the light. This could be because she was ‘sailing’ with the mizzen pushing the bow up into the S’ly wind, or because the tidal stream through the strait was still setting her to the south. Either way, I decided to make more sea-room before turning in, and proceeded to motor for the next 30 minutes or so in a NE’ly direction until I estimated I was at least 3 miles away from the light and the island.
How ironic: after 3 weeks of battling my way to get to Marina Del Ray in Lombok, I had just spent the last half an hour motoring away from it!