A rainbow of fishing vessels rafted-up
Feb 25th. Having completed our reprovisioning chores, the Brahminy crew were keen to take advantage of the favourable tides for an early departure. Rosi and Mike on Shakti were of a similar mind. So leaving the catamarans still at anchor, the deep keelers set off heading south along the west coast of Belitung. The passage between mainland Belitung and the smaller island of Mendenau had a cluster of satellite islets forming a well protected strait. With current assistance, we made a very calm but quick journey until finally gaining some light south-westerlies for the final run of the day.
Weather coming
The morning had been reasonably cloudy but with our approach to Tangung Genting, the conditions thickened and darkened. The point (tangung) provided sufficient sea wall to deflect the swell as was evident with
dozens of fishing vessels taking shelter closer to shore. Their colourful hulls rafted together forming a bright rainbow contrast on the turquoise seas. A long startlingly white band of sand was punctuated with those memorable granite boulders. Like our previous journey west along the northern shores, we were to experience a series of similar formations as our route ventured east along the southern coast.
And what of El Misti and Hybreasail?
They had remained in port attending to boat jobs and awaiting parts sent via mail…
⚓ 03.15.204 S
107.32.241 E
Sailing east into the sun, again
With rather limp sails and thin cloud, we ventured further east to our next anchorage near Tanjung Batu Hitam, a mere 30nm jaunt. Having virtualy no wind, Hans employed the desalinator while motoring and did some hand washing. Solar and motor charged the batteries well, as we glided passed the local sea port of Tg Batu where sand is regularly loaded.
Tg Air Hitam anchorage and sv Shakti
Tucked neatly off a fringing reef, we anchored near Shakti with a grove of coconut palms lining the beach. The afternoon rain clouds rolled upon each other but the little bay remained calm and comfortable. With an extremely low tide, the exposed reef became a meeting spot for locals foraging the shores. Several smaller fishing boats lay careened on the narrow strip of beach-head and we settled in for a quiet evening.
Lowtide foraging
It had been a very long time between swims in clean saltwater….
It looked inviting…
Our next planned anchorage was to a cluster of coral atolls off the south east corner of Belitung. We may have been able to swim there?
Shakti had up-anchored and departed to scout-out the possible anchorage while we went for a morning walk and explore. “Take the opportunity when you can”
The tide was high affording an easy beach landing for the inflatable where we had seen the boats high and dry the previous afternoon. It was the only break in the reef and the vessels were gayfully bobbing offshore. While Hans collected fresh coconuts, Burney pursued the birdlife in the surrounding trees. Not only did she identify a quail scurrying in the grasses, it was a Barred Buttonquail ( new bird for her) scampering for camophlaging brush. Squirrels piped an alarm call from branches and other colourful birds had Burney talking to herself while sharpening the focus on her bins (binoculars). Another lifer, the Sooty-headed Bulbul. How great was all that!!
Later after stretching the legs, we did a couple of laps in clean clear aquamarine waters before watching an elderly fisherman haul a small beach net of silvery fish ashore. There were challenging times and there were times when we loved this life.
Swim and swing in the shade
Local fisherman with a beach net
The giant white granite marbles that crowded the bay with tall palms seemed to gather into a postcard frame as we pulled out. With departing, heading just south of due east and passing numberous fishing platforms with suspended netting between their spidery legs,the main island of Belitung was left astern.
Destination: Pulua Ayermasin, one of several tiny islands off the south east corner of the coast. Our “Cool Cats”, the catamaran duo: El Misti and Hybresail were following a little further behind.
Detail: Ayermasin (Ajermasin) cluster
Departing for Ayermasin
Pulua Ayermasin rising up on the horizon
As we drew closer to the Pulua Ayermasin island cluster, low profiled islands rose off the horizon like down-turned saucers. Silica-white sand contrasted with a clear aquamarine sea. A mix of mangrove and scrub vegetated the islands with brown reef slowly becoming apparent with the out-going tide. Suspended between this seascape hovered Shakti on a hazy mirror surface. Following some very helpful wpts, Hans tippy-toed between reef and rock while Burney wore her polaroids on the bow watching for wayward bommies. “Turtle!!” she shouted as a magnificent 1 meter-shelled Green Turtle suspended in clear waters dove deeply from the surface to the depths beneath our hull. Wow!! A little later the occasional circular footprint of elluding turtles caught the eye. Exciting. But in the distance the skies grew heavy and rumbled. The daily afternoon rain was approaching.
It had been a very long time since we had enjoyed the underwater wonders of snorkling. Making quick work of digging in the anchor we were launching the dinghy and cleaning goggle masts soon after. The sandy atoll nearby was unreachable as more reef became exposed. Anchoring the tender just off the shelf, we finned towards the closest coral growth. Seriously, delightful – although not as healthy as we hoped. It appeared as if too many nutriments from the neighbouring fish farms may have increased the weed growth. Colourful corals and sponges were partially visible below layers of green grey growth. Plate coral still provided shelter for colourful fish although their numbers and species were minimal.
Fortunatly, the ” cat duo” arrived before a shower of rain damped our decks and made the anchorage slightly choppy. However being further south east of the landmass we experienced only an itinerant cell rather than the apparent downpour blotting part of our view.
Here come the cats
Talks that evening were of our intended route towards Kalimantan.
Which destination would it be?
Would we push on further avoiding Borneo completely as one skipper suggested? Considerations, decisions and differences of opinion…
Central to the discussion was a potentially alarming report Burney had noted from a previous sailor.
To quote:
“SV Island Pearl was sailing alone at the time just around midnight on the direct line route between Bawean Island and Belitung at coordinates 03¤08.380 S / 109¤01.998 E. This area is also not far from the route from Kumai (Central Kalimantan) to Belitung.
“From 4 miles away we noticed on the radar, a large fishing boat was sitting idle a quarter mile off our path to port, and a few smaller fishing boats scattered in the area. We sailed carefully past one small fishing boat by a good margin, and diverted slightly to starboard to leave the large fishing boat further to port. When we were about one quarter mile to the large boat it suddenly started moving into our path. Thinking nothing of it, we turned 10 degrees further starboard, but this boat simply steered further across our path and increased speed. To cut a long story short, this guy’s intentions were very aggressive and not good. We do not know why, as we are certain we did not cross any of his nets, nor do anything to harm him or the other smaller fishing boats in his area other than to sail through there.
What followed was a rather harrowing experience of trying to firstly communicate with the boat on CH16 which was ignored, we made multiple changes in course away from him, but each time he responded by turning his much larger boat than ours towards us and speeding up. We stopped almost dead at one point and he kept coming at us, so we had no option but to keep dodging him and to motor away from him as fast as we could (9.5kts) but were pursued with equal speed and him gaining on us. Unfortunately, in the heat of the moment we were not able to get any photos or video as it was pitch dark, and have no information which would identify this boat, but eventually, with our engine screaming at 3600 revs, we threw all sails up and in 15kts breeze in following seas and managed to maintain just over 10.5kts long enough to start losing him and get away, but were still pursued for at least 15mins. We were indeed lucky.
We write this not to be alarmist, as we are so enjoying our travels though this wonderful country, and this was only one isolated bad experience for us. However, we do feel it important for others to be aware of the incident as, since arriving here in Belitung we have heard of other similar recent incidents in the area, some of which did not end so well, and therefore we want to be sure that any boats following on this route avoid these waypoints if travelling alone at night. Once again, the coordinates to ideally avoid by a couple miles are
03¤08.380S / 109¤ 01.998 E.” End of quote.
Although there were no guarantees that the aforementioned location was static, we decided to follow a rhum line several miles away from the “hotspot” and remain in close proximity of each other. 5 knots was the agreed speed to ensure each vessel was on equal footing. Departure time was 6.30 am.
Strategies and risk management of what to do in the event of an aggressive boarding were also discussed. Being Australians we were not armed with weapons, we agreed to all converge upon the distressed vessel with every spot light directed at the aggressor in an attempt to identify and intimidate. Distress messages on channel 16 and flares were added into the action plan.
Hybreasail and Shakti close at hand
El Misti up close and personal
And so Feb 28, arrived with a supporting ENE wind of 10+knots. Anchors rattled and a careful choreography of boats circling each other to raise sails into the wind began. In close formation, we set off for our overnight journey to Kalimantan. With only a slight deviation for a reef and some current, we followed a rhum line to the cape, Tg. Nipah, the south west aspect of Kalimantan, Indonesia’s part of Borneo.
Our combined red track and vector crossed the south/north Java Sea shipping lane. Green triangles were approaching tankers.
By nightfall, we were half-way across the very busy south/north Java Sea shipping lane. With only a couple of days till the full moon, our bow plunlged along an illuminated lunar-stream. Such a comfort when sailing at night. Rumor had it, that fewer fishing boats ventured out with a full moon. Bonus!!
With each of us having 3hr watches, the night plodded along, in the company of our neighbours running lights, an occasional voice on the VHF radio and the dimmed chartplotter screen. The winds became lighter and swung. Puffs came from the north than the west. Hans tethered the boom to one side and hauled the genoa to the other, his goosewing formation. Our average speed decreased slightly but with the engine ticking over through the night the 4 boats remained loosely abreast.
Well that was untill the early signs of daybreak. Burney noted the engine temperature was high when an alerting lamp switched itself on. Rubbing sleep out of his eyes, the motor was stopped, up came the floor boards…and what did Hans find – the alternator belt had died. For the next couple of hours our ole gal sailed a sedate 4 knots while the engine cooled and Hans napped. Considering it had been 2yrs and thousands of miles since needing to change an alternator belt – we had done well. Fortunately, spares were always onboard.
As our anchorage drew closer, the occasional flicker of lightning from distant cells followed the fleet. Shakti, the fastest in our little convoy, cruised ahead to scope the depths of the chosen anchorage as the clouds banked into an impressive grey beast looming over our stern. The approaching storm whipped the bay into a rolling swell but delivered only a deck cleansing shower of rain and moved on. Murky brown Borneo waters took our anchor and chain as we nestled Brahminy by our sailing companions for an afternoon of napping. We had been delivered safely.
Photo by Rosi and Mike from Shakti. In the distance is Brahminy coming into anchor under the cloud
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