LWH - Week 10: - Perttimat - Tifore Island

Sat 8 Sept - Perttimat
We woke at 1.30am and could see a huge camp fire on the beach and bits of ash floating up on the hill. Two fishermen visited early in the morning and they said they had been cooking their dinner! The skipper gave them some fishing line and hooks and showed them how to tie the hooks. They left very happy. We reanchored as we had drifted around into 20 metres. Rubicon Star (Ruby) was the first of the fleet to come in and we were soon surrounded by seven boats. Ruby visited and Tim said he would have a go at welding our steel so the skipper went over to Ruby. As it turned out Tim's genny couldn't manage the welding but he cut the steel into the right shape so that was helpful. We went for a snorkel and saw lots of lovely soft corals and small fish. The crew saw a black and yellow square striped fish which we hav e never seen before and also a large pinkish starfish. And lots of nemos - the skipper saw one with a blue band on it. So it was a successful snorkel. We went ashore at 5pm with everyone for sundowners. It rained but we sat under a big tree. A lovely evening.

Sun 9 Sept - Perttimat
One more boat came in today to join the Sail Moratai rally boats. We did some computer work and went exploring in Bob and found the Jungle Resort around the next bay but it was too reefy to get ashore. We all went ashore when Tim and Jim started a huge fire for a barbeque and a really good night.

Mon 10 Sept - Perttimat - Bitung
01 26.952N / 125 12.674E
The fleet started leaving at 5.30am. We thought they may have been in for a windy trip. We upanchored at 7am and headed around the headland towards the Lembah Channel to Bitung. We had a good sail with headsail out but then it went on the nose and was horribly windy. Luckily we had a bit of current with us but it seemed a hard slog. We came into a very busy port and anchored near a lot of very colourful fishing boats and a couple of big ships. Anchored at 10.35 in 9m. All the fishing boats going past wave and give us the thumbs up. We spent the rest of the day sitting on board as it was just too windy to launch Bob. We can see a lot of welding going on in the ship building yards so that is encouraging. Also can see a couple of volcanoes.
Miles: 19 TTT: 1,264

Tues 11 Sept - Bitung
Happy Birthday Jackson
We went ashore early and got a motor bike ride to Immigration but it was the wrong one so we walked to the Port and Immigration was closed so we started with Quarantine. They weren't real sure what to do with us but when they saw our CAIT they wrote us out two lovely certificates which are nice enough to hang on the wall at home! We went to Customs and the other yacht, Escapades, which had anchored next to us was there so they bundled us all into the back of a covered ute and took us to our boats. One Customs officer was a lovely lady with long trousers and lovely shoes and we wondered how to get her into Bob without wading in the filthy water. So the skipper brought Bob around to the stern of a fishing boat and we clambered across two boats and lowered her into Bob. The skipper took them to our boat where they had a lovely time taking photos, looking at our family photos and enjoying themselves. After they had looked at both boats they drove us back and we went to Immigration. They didn't understand the visa thing so one of them took the skipper on the back of a motor bike to the first Immigration and they worked out we have 60 days from today so they came back and they stamped us in. The crew got chatting to an Indonesian man meanwhile who wanted to change our money to rupiah so we changed the rest of our Malaysian Ringetts to rupiah. Then we went to the Harbour Master who wanted two copies of the Immigration stamped crew list and told us to come back at 1pm. Immigration wouldn't give us another one so we got a photocopy. Then looked around town for a bit and had a lovely lunch. We went back to the Harbour Master but unfortunately Escapades was there also. We don't know if it had anything to do with it but it took them two hours to produce our port clearance. We checked in / checked out so are supposed to leave within 24 hrs. We are hoping they wont notice we are still here!! We caught a minibus back and went over to where they were welding a big ship and organised to get our welding done at 8am tomorrow. A quiet night on board.

Wed 12 Sept - Bitung
The skipper pulled the 'mesin knalpot' (exhaust water lock box) out and took it across to the big ship boys to get it welded. They had almost finished when the Korean foreman told him to get lost so he came back to the boat to await a signal from the boys to say it was ready. The boys took it to the little beach next door and called the skipper in. We had supplied the steel, stainless weld etc and the boys had supplied the labour and expertise. The skipper gave them 100,000 rupiah ($10) and they were really pleased. So was the skipper as the job was so expertly done he reckons we will get another twenty years out of it! The skipper then did the diesel run - two trips 200 litres - and everyone was very keen to help. In the afternoon we went for a walk. We were weaving in between the fishing boats under really disgustingly filthy lines and leaving Bob next to a wall near all the boats. The fishermen kept an eye on Bob and if he needed moving they would move him. We felt completely safe. We walked down the street and off to the left we noticed a bit of a market so walked through and bought our veggies. We asked where we could get fruit and the lady pulled her phone out and dialled up her daughter who spoke English and next thing we were sat down to await the arrival of the daughter, Yathi. Then Yathi was there saying what do you want, where do you want to go, I will take you on my bike. Write down what you want and my father will go and get it. She was in the Navy. They are so kind. We explained we needed to buy fruit for one days time, three days time etc. They are all amazed at what we are doing. We declined their very kind offer and a man who could speak English attached himself to us. He was loud and possibly had been drinking and we didn't care too much for him. We walked up to the rumah makan (basic restaurant) we had seen earlier and chose our meal. Unfortunately he came in too and didn't shut up the whole time. We would very much have liked to talk to the three lovely ladies there (two of them young) but he dominated. One of the young girls did have English and the older lady got annoyed with him too. As she said we learn from each other and this bloke spoiled the opportunity. One of his mates stopped him further up the road and thank goodness we lost him! Back to the boat watching this fascinating busy port. Fishing boats raft up to each other and when the inside one needs to get out they just all manoeuvre all over the place. Great skill and really amazing. And all so colourful. They all wave and yell in greeting when they go past.

Thurs 13 Sept - Bitung
We went to shore early and were about to get in a taxi when the guard on the gate told us it was walking distance so we walked to the big market. We found heaps of fruit and veg. The crew let the skipper do the meat section on his own and when she went looking for him later people were pointing the direction he went. So I was never going to lose him!! So funny - we were the only farangs in the place. We caught a taxi back and then the skipper did a water run to buy drinking water. The guard stopped a ute and got him to cart our jerries down to Bob. We then went to town for some last minute shopping and found a few cartons of Bintang cans of beer. But here they are $30 a carton! Caught a taxi (its a minibus but when we get in they don't pick up any other customers!) and stopped at our makan place and got some takeaway (the best chilli tofu ever!) and the skipper spoke English to the young girl and she was very happy. We walked back to Bob and manoeuvred our way past the disgusting lines and big fishing boats with a bit of a cheer from the guys on the shore and went back to the boat to prepare to leave tomorrow. The gribs are saying a good day to go. We have to say that the people of Sulawesi have been fantastic. They couldn't do enough for us and were so kind and helpful and we will cherish the friendship they have shown us.

Fri 14 Sept - Bigung - Tifore Island
00 58.077N / 126 09.489E
Happy Birthday Greg
We left as soon as we could see which turned out to be around 5.30am and motored past the port and all the big ships in the Lembah Strait and headed out into the Molucca Sea. We had good breeze - around 15 knots and the seas were 1 - 1 ½ metres. We had a great sail day (no motor!!!) doing around 7.3 knots. A pod of large dolphins (bottle nose I think) came and swam with the boat and the crew perched at the front and watched them play with the boat for around half an hour - magic! We arrived at Tifore Island at 4.45pm and were a bit worried as it seemed to be coral but the skipper checked and it was rubbly so we took a risk and dropped the anchor. A couple of villagers came out to see us just on dark but we told them it was too late to visit - felt a bit bad as they had got all dressed up but it really was too late. This island is in the middle of nowhere.
We forgot to mention that as we passed Bunekin Island last week we saw some fishermen flying small kites behind them. We have no idea whether this was to help catch the fish or how it could possibly work but it was interesting. Also for those of you who shared our puzzle of the loss of all navigation in the Celebes Sea Triangle, Debbie offered this explanation: "magnetic anomalies found in this basin (the Celebes Sea Basin - with a flat sea floor and depths of 4 - 5km) have been interpreted as episodes of sea-floor spreading. Seafloor spreading is a process that occurs at mid-ocean ridges, where new oceanic crust is formed through volcanic activity and then gradually moves away from the ridge. Seafloor spreading helps explain continental drift in the theory of plate tectonics." So we sailed over a place where new bits of the world were being formed and moving the continents around! Thanks Deb.
We continue our long journey home and send you all our love. See so many Rosies in the big cumulus clouds around us.

Fair Winds and Calm Seas
Dell and Peter

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