Week 17 - Puerto Princesa to Ariciffe Island

Sat 28 April - Puerto Princesa

Happy Birthday Sandra
Ran the generator all day to get the batteries charged back up. Stowing stuff ready for the journey south. Went to the Mangrove restaurant again. Had dinomite which were long chillies stuffed with fish rolled in flour and fried - yum. A good night.

Sun 29 April - Puerto Princesa -Malanao Island
09°26.210N / 118°36.292E

Left at 8.30 - much grinding from the prop so the skipper dived on it but it seemed ok. Depth sounder is now working. Cilantro turned back with water intake problems. A big ship passed us coming out the channel. He tooted twice and we had to check the book to check what it meant! -He was going to port but he passed us first. We went past the point off Puerto Princesa and saw something big in the water. Thought it was a mass of dolphins but it was one big creature. We think it must have been a whale shark. It dived quickly and deep. We turned back to see if we could find it but no luck but a bit of excitement. Came around behind Malanao Island and anchored at 2.30 There were quite a few sticks and fish traps on the way in. Weather is lovely.
Miles: 26 TTT:1587

Mon 30 April - MalanoIsland -RasaIsland
09° 13.704N / 118°25.561E

Left around 7 - beautiful day no wind calm sea - motored all the way. Went past Sombrero Island- very pretty with a village on it and reef all around it. Then to Arena Island which seemed to have a resort and two people on jet skis going round it. We went closer for a look but too much reef so we kept going and anchored off Rasa Island around 1pm. A yacht called Piper was there. We enjoyed the afternoon and took a quick dip off the back of the boat. Saw a boat go up a tributary in the mangroves in the island - found out later it is a wildlife sanctuary and would have been worth a look but the skipper wasnt feeling well (flu). Lovely night- watched the last episode of Packed to the Rafters.
Miles: 23 TTT: 1610

Tues 1 May - Rasa Island

Boat day - skipper still crook. Cilantro came in around 12. Windy and overcast. Rained in the evening and a small bat flew into the cockpit and brushed the skipper's shoulder then settled near the light (off) and hung there till the rain stopped and then took off to the island. Calm night.

Wed 2 May - Rasa Island - NarraPort
09°14.375N / 118°24.346E

We motored across the bay and anchored in 3.4m just south of the pier where they were unloading a small ship. Cilantro collected us in their dinghy and we pulled up on blackish sand on a dirty beach - a lot of rubbish around and very poor huts. It was 10 in the morning but a batch of fishermen offered us beer as we went past! We walked past the trike drivers who helpfully pointed us in the direction of Narra Town - about 3km. It was very hot - the sun is fierce, in fact some of our new windows are starting to pixellate, but it was a very pretty and enjoyable walk and there were some very nice houses along the way. We bought some fruit at the market then walked back to a restaurant we had seen. When we went in we found the customs and immigration officers were also lunching - whoops! We had a wonderful meal- the calamari was perfectly cooked. It was a little windy, rainy and thundery over the mountains in the afternoon. It was a little swelly but not too bad.
Miles: 2 TTT: 1612

Thurs 3 May - Narra Port - Araciffe Island
09°05.475N / 118°09.348E

We left around 7 and motored in hot sunny calm conditions and arrived at Araciffe Island at 12.15. There was a lot of coral around and we anchored in 18m. Cilantro went over to the next island and anchored in 14m. This is a different Araciffe Island to the last unfriendly one. This one is a little sad as it has an abandoned resort on it. We took Bob around to the jetty at the front where there were three people- one with a spear gun and we asked permission to land. They had been spearing octopus and had been on the island for 3 years as caretaker/security. There were five dogs - not vicious - only to make a noise. We landed Bob near the sandspit. The beach mostly has weed growing all along in the water with coral further out. We walked on the beach seeing cement cottages with doors open and no track to them - unused and a large boat up on the island just disintergrating. There were a few other disintergrating boats. We walked past the double storey hotel style building and past the dining area which looked as if it would have been nice. Looked in a couple of the cottages along the beach - some still had furniture and others had their ceilings falling in. We motored around the outside of the reef and then the clouds came in and we had wind and intermittent rain.
Miles: 21 TTT: 1631

Fri 4 May - Araciffe Island

A beautiful day but oh so hot. Cilantro called up to say they had some visitors they couldnt get rid of so were coming over in their dinghy. We all went for a swim at the only bit of beach that didnt have weed. It was beautiful and so nice to be able to have a decent swim. Cilantro just got back to their boat when it started pouring rain- their visitors were waiting for them! We could hear the rain coming across the water and then we could see it so stood on the deck and washed the salt off in the pouring rain. Late in the afternoon when the rain had cleared we went ashore to look at the exposed reef area. It is spring tides- the highest high and lowest low so the reef is exposed. We saw an anenome under about 6 inches of water with a tiny nemo in it, starfish and the seaweed which the locals eat (and we have had in restaurants). Cilantro meanwhile decided to visit their visitors ashore and were shown a hut with only two real walls and a very leaky roof. And that was where they lived. No wonder they wanted to stay on Cilantro!! We thought how much nicer it would have been if they had been able to live in the abandoned resort!!!
Still heading south-motoring - no wind-but that also means calm seas so we are happy!

Missing everyone, especially Rosie, Jessie and Charlie.
Take care
Much love
Dell and Peter

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