Finally Sailing and Fending Off Shadows on the Way to Sarawak

We've rounded Singapore and are now heading toward Sarawak, a major relief simply because of the weather. While the temperature only "cooled" from a brutal 44 deg C to a merely scorching 40 deg C, the breeze coming off the sea was a welcome change from the oppressive humidity of the straits.

The Thrill of our First Sail

Shortly after Matt turned in, the wind began to show promise; it was beginning to hold around 11kts – wow!. Like a greyhound out of the traps, I unfurled the headsail, eager to finally get the boat sailing and continue our shake-down process. I was lucky enough to get a few hours of silent, no motor drumming, sailing; we were holding around 6.5−7 kts of boat speed in 10−12 kts of wind at 110 deg True. This speed was critical for maintaining our planned schedule. Unfortunately, as the wind dropped, even switching to the Code Zero couldn't keep our speed up, so it was back to motor-sailing.

A Close Encounter in the Early Hours

As night fell, we were motor-sailing in a light 6−8 knot wind on the beam. As I came on watch at 3 am, Matt’s hand over included a report of a fishing boat, a 20-ton Pinisi style boat that had tried to run us down.

Initially subtly lit, the vessel suddenly deployed blinding "stadium lighting" as it closed the gap. Despite Matt making significant course changes, the boat continued to alter its path to intercept us.

In this region, known for piracy against larger commercial vessels, one can’t help but wonder about the intent. Was it a failed attempt by a desperate crew, or simply a case of boredom and curiosity? I’m hoping it was the latter, as I had a similar daylight encounter where a fishing boat seemed only interested in getting a closer look at our shiny white catamaran. I will also add that since leaving Phuket, I have not seen another cruising yacht yet.

The Thrill of our First Sail

Shortly after Matt turned in, the wind began to show promise; it was beginning to hold around 11kts – wow!. Like a greyhound out of the traps, I unfurled the headsail, eager to finally get the boat sailing and continue our shake-down process. I was lucky enough to get a few hours of silent, no motor drumming, sailing; we were holding around 6.5−7 kts of boat speed in 10−12 kts of wind at 110 deg True. This speed was critical for maintaining our planned schedule. Unfortunately, as the wind dropped, even switching to the Code Zero couldn't keep our speed up, so it was back to motor-sailing.

Fuel and Provisions Update

Our fuel consumption is performing exactly as expected, confirming we can achieve our planned 950 NM range. Though our boat is new, we're taking a preventative measure against fuel sludge by topping up the tanks before they drop below 15%.

Finally, some of our provisions have started to develop an unwelcome over-fruity aroma and have been unceremoniously converted to fish food. Happily, the loss isn't a major concern, as the equatorial heat has significantly reduced both of our appetites.

Oh, I shouldn't mention that the second sour dough loaf turned out like a brick.

Next time, I’ll cover the “contact” in Kuching wanting money upfront wired, days before we arrive, for the $2,000 worth of fuel, our next leg to check out of Malaysia and avoid the pirates of the Sula Sea…