There may be 50 shades of grey as
well as 50 shades of black on this first day of may.
I awoke early before the black
had turned to grey. There were jobs to do. Hank the staysail on,remove the
mainsail cover,check the oil level in the gearbox and the oil in the auto pilot
with the aid of a torch,then the preparations for leaving . The navigation
program refused to work,a blank page is not very helpful. After sme fiddlingthe
map appeared and we were ready to leave.
May be it was not a good time as
Ilooked out to the south west the rain clouds were moving towards us,
Joshua may have been able to stop
the sun during the battle of Jericho but
there was nothing that I could do to
stop the storm from coming. The wind comes first causing small ripples on the
water,it keeps increasing until it is howling at 35 knots, wind waves begin to
form and then the pitter pat of rain drops . within seconds there is a deluge
of rain, vertical and first and then it becomes horizontal as the wind lashes the
rain into a frenzy.
Our course was south east through a narrow channel of 20
metres depth flanked either side by shallow banks of 4 to 6 meters depth. The
rain obliterated the coastline as we were buffeted by wind
I kept peering down into the
cabin to look at the computer screen to see the red icon of the boat to make
sure we were still in the white channel.
The wind was blowing us to the shore as we made adjustments to the
course out to sea. The tide had not yet
peaked and our speed was dropping t below three knots. I could at times just
make out the headland as the light o the
hill managed to blink in the grayness of the morning. The scene was akin to the
second movement of the William Tell overtute where the hero was being tossed
about in a boat during a storm .
Annick was down below riveted
between the bunk and the dinette as the rain was drenching me in the cockpit.
Driving rain, screaming wind, poor visibility and the prospect of being flung
on to the rocks puts concepts of life and death into perspective.
For me in a crisis like this a
calmness comes over me like a protective blanket. I focus on the moment,
Concentrating on steering, looking out for danger, trying to read the wind and
the waves, thinking this will all be over in a while, sunshine an calm seas will prevail.
The radar screen shows the
clutter of rain 1.5 miles all around but I can see a clear path ahead, just
hang on and things will be fine. And so it was several hours later.
The rain stopped, the seas calmed a
little a gentle breeze was blowing from
the south east as we passed a dozen or
so ships at anchor and two barges being towed north as I thought about Louis
Armstrong the late and great jazz trumpeter.
Did you know that he smoked pot? Just for medicinal purposes. He had calling
card printed. A picture of him sitting on the toilet with the caption
“LEAVE IT ALL BEHIND”
And so we did arriving at Pulau
Besar in the water islands just south of Malacca.
Just south of the town f Malacca
lie the water islands ,half a dozen
small rocky outcrops covered in jungle. Pulau Besar the larger island with a huge resort that has never had a guest, was
where we anchored in about 6 meters of water over a seabed of mud.
WE had our pre dinner drinks
grilled fish with potato, aubergene and
onion and went to bed early
So that we could leave at 3.30 am
the next day for the banana islands 70 miles away.
It was 3.00 am when we raised the
anchor and motored over still water
towards our objective. We were seven miles inside the shipping route of
Malacca straits and could see a dozen or so ships headingNorth.
In the dark we could see flashes
of lightening to the south west. At this time of the year the rain bearing
clouds travel north east. Before the sun came up the wind began freshening from
the south west so we rolled out the jib and our speed increased a few knots.
The morning was quite pleasant as we watched the huge
clouds with black bottoms pass by as we read a bunch of British yachting
magazines. Sitting in the cockpit in just
pair of shorts looking at armchair sailors in the latest fashion wet
weather gear was strange. They looked like spacemen to us as here in the
tropics the climate is such that you only need a pair of shorts. If it rains
then a very light waterproof jacket is enough.
We reached the Banana islands
well before dusk and found an anchorage in 7.5 meters of water on the north
side of the islands. Two other yachts arrived before dark as more clouds rolled
in.
Next morning a 6.30 am as day was
breaking we set off for johore baru 40
odd miles away. We passed a few coal barges
and could see ships in the distance heading north along the rescribed shipping rout of Mlacca
straits. WE were well inshore and could see the lowlying coast five miles to
the east.
AS we neared southern Malaysia and Johore strait and the western tip of
Singapore,many ships were at anchor and many more were moving. On VHF radio we
could hear ships calling each other,reportig their positions and directions.
Singapore Port control was also calling ships aking for their draft and next
ports of call. On the hour and half hour there was a securite warning of the
position of a crane anchored and warning ships to keep clear and slow their speed to 12 knots.
Vigilence is necessary both for noting where the ships are and the
black clouds were moving. The sky ahead was completely black and we could just
see the grey shapes of ships in out path. If the rain came
Visibility would be down to
50 feet ,so we have to know at all times
where we are and where all the other ships are. As luck would have it the
clouds moved to the north east across Malaysia and we just experienced a
sprinkling of rain. Me made our way past the navigational beacons and kept out
of the way of ships until we were safely in Johore straits and there were only
anchored ships along the way.
We were able to sail under Tuas
bridge and call up Puteri harbour marina. The northern coast of Singapore is
fenced by a 10 meter barbed wire sructure . Thre are signs indicating that
people entering Singapore illegally would be shot on sight. Also every 500
meteres there are black Singapore patrol boats
patrolling the coast line.
We entered Puteri harbour, a new marina/housing development and
there were two assistance to help us tie up, they even coiled our ropes(Cheesing)
on the deck.
Puteri Harbour has been carved out of the mangroves
with a resort shops restaurants and apartments s encapsulating the marina. Not
all complete as yet but five star quality. The only problems is that it is hot,
dam hot and the marina is males from anywhere, The staff at the marina are very
friendly, professional and helpful. On our second day there was Sunday May 5th,
election day in Malaysia. WE wanted to go to the shopping centre in the
morning. No taxi. Of course I understood, the Barisan ruling party as part of
their vote buying offered a new set of tyres to every taxi in Malaysia. Well
they had to vote to complete their part of the bargain so taxis were off the
road in the morning by government decree. However with a bit of negotiating at the front office
“Can you help me ? I need to go to the shopping centre today. Do you know any
smart Malaysians who would like to earn some money and drive us to the shopping
centre.” The girl behind the desk asked
“how many people” , I answered “two”
She said wait a minute. And then
we were travelling in her car to the shopping centre. When we arrived she
asked” when would you like to be picked up” about 3.00pm MR50 ringit changed
hands and we began shopping. AON shopping centre was like all other
shopping centre around the world. Air conditioned, a food court,
designer labels and a super market.
We filled our bags with frozen
meats, although we had to go to a small room off the supermarket to buy pork.
As we were carrying our bags down
the walkway a guy from another boat asked us over for drinks.
We stowed to groceries and meat
and returned to have drink with John. He told us his story.
71 years old ,his wife had
recently divorced him. He was a farmer in Yorkshire who sold the farm pocketed
$ 5,000,000 and set off around the world in a 44fit Moody. After his divorce
and bad property investments made by his “dick head son” (his words) John is virtually penniless. He has some property
But the loan to the bank is
nearly as much as the property is worth. He was beside himself about what to
do.” Why after 51 years did she decide to leave, I still do not know what the
problem was I am in a mess I have never cooked in my life and it is difficult
to learn at my age.”
After a few beers it became clear,
he had been unfaithful some years ago she had not let him forget it.
Annick did not like the Indian
food at the restaurant and she went to be while
John and I discussed hoe he could
get out of the mess he was in.
Next morning we departed Puteri harbor for Raffles
marina just an hour’s motoring down
Johore straits under the Tuas bridge and we were
there.
It was hot and muggy as the boat
staff took our lines and connected the electric power.
At the marina office the customs
and immigration guy stamped our papers was that was that.
Annick went to the pool and I had
a sleep for an hour. The pool was cool and a pleasant relief from the heat.
I joined Annick at the pool but
not long after I arrived the black clouds came closer and then the rain.
Down in the cabin it was still
hot as the rain pelted down. What to do in the rain.
A game of scrabble and a gin and
tonic was in order.
The following day we took the MRT
(train) into Singapore city to the port Authority to complete the check in
procedure. Now it is mandatory for all yachts to have AIS which is a
navigational radar aid
Which shows all ships in the area,both those that are
anchored and those that are moving. Our AIS is
reeive only but the port Authority said it wa ok. In addtion for yachts
crusing in Singapore waters it is now compulsory to have a cruising permit. To
gain the permit the applicant has to answer 20 questions about shipping rules and procedures in Singapore.
With the thousands of ships coming and going in Singapore this seems to be a
resonable regulation.
Waiting for a taxi out side a
bank buliding I could not help to notice how beautiful and well dressed the
women are.Singapore has to be one of the most sophisticated cities in the
world.
The Singaporeans are remarkably
well behaved as is the city, well planned. Trees, bicycle tracks, parks and
well maintained apartment blocks with nothing out of order.
The order,cleanliness and functioning of the
city is quite amazing but it comes at a price! ; excessive regulations.
The island of Singapore is
connected to Malaysia by a causeway that is very close to the water and
impossible to sail a boat under.To get to the east coast of Singapore by boat
requires a day trip of about 50 miles through hundreds of ships,some anchored
and some moving in and out of a half a
dozen of docks scattered around the island.
We are heading for Changi sailing
club on the north east corner of Singapore. Changi is a leafy green area of government owned guest houses and the
sailing club has a small white sand beach ,an excellent restaurant and a
swimming pool. We arrived at 5.pm in the middle of a rain storm,radioed the
club on VHF and a small boat came out in the driving rain to direct us to a mooring buoy.
Wow
From Singapore we head north along the east coast of Malaysia.
