Written by:
11/18/2011 8:18 PM 

November 12^th – 10:31

As I sailed out of Padang harbor the lightening expressed the feeling I had in my soul. Massive thunder heads billowed up into the sky. The moon should have risen at sunset, but the clouds reached up faster than the moon could climb and blotted out its light. Hell was raging over Padang.

I grew up in Missouri and always loved the spring thunderstorms. There was something about thunderclaps so loud they shook the house that made me sleep like the dead. It was a love that grew as I did. Unfortunately, with the transition from a cozy little house, comfortable couch, book, and cup of tea to a sailboat my love of storms has abated. That’s not true. I still get mesmerized by them, I just can’t enjoy them as I’d like.

Hell was gaining on me. In the calm before the storm there was no wind and the engine ticked over at 1800 rpm. I needed to put as much distance between myself and the mainland as I could before the storm hit. “Sumatra” means storm. The winds roll off the mountains with torrential rains. Storms with 50 knots are not at all uncommon. Call me a sham sailor, but I didn’t set a scrap of sail.

The effort of getting into and out of port in one day left me pretty dead. I ate a quick dinner of sardines and crackers with cheese then prepared for the wind. About 02:00 I got it all. The squall front had 35 knots and brought with it rain so heavy that it filled a five gallon bucket in less than one hour. Jargo hasn’t been in a rainy climate in so long I’d forgotten how leaky of a boat she can be. Not leaks like that will sink her, leaks that make it feel like it is raining inside. I got a few hatches tightened to slow the deluge inside the boat then began unplugging electronics. With no sails up, I had nothing to worry about on deck.

The lightening was generally all around Jargo and I consider it a lucky stroke that I didn’t take a strike last night. You know you are in trouble when there is no perceptible separation between the lightening and the thunder. More than one strike made me instinctively duck and cover my head. Not that it would help.

I’ve had a bit of a snooze this morning and needed the rest. I’ve just put down a massive breaky of corned beef hash with onion, zucchini, bell pepper, and onion. The feed was needed. One more sip of coffee and I’ll put a period on this update and go set some sail. Things are still a little unstable so I am thinking a single reefed main alone with a full jib should be about right. Good morning and welcome back to sea.

November 13^th – 14:00

Hell’s furry may have passed, but it is still as hot as Hades. I woke just after dawn to partly cloudy skies and no wind. I suppose I shouldn’t expect much else only five miles South of the Equator. The last time I crossed this big blue ribbon that runs round the world was on my way to the Galapagos Islands. That was my first and according to custom I did it right with a proper shell back party. Having just left Panama I was stocked with a nice strip steak and a bottle of champagne. This time will be a little more low key.

Luckily, I do have two cold beers in the fridge, one for me, one for Neptune. In another hour I’ll bake under the flaming equatorial sun and share a beer with the man down below. I hope he likes Bintong, the local beer of Indonesia. My meal will be a simple dish of bacon and fresh green beans sautéed in a skillet and served over some rice with a little soy sauce. The salty bacon and soy mixes nicely with the green beans. Maybe even a little honey if there is any left.

The engine drones on and I am making something right at four knots. I am now West of the islands of Sumatra and the current doesn’t seem to rip quite so strongly here. About this time tomorrow I’ll be around the North side of Nias. There is a little island there eight miles West whose shape I just can’t resist. It looks like an atoll, but seems out of place here. There is a small gap on the East side of the island that I may be able to slip into. There is one single depth reading of 7.3 meters in the center. If that is the case I’ve got a good 15 feet of clearance. The only concern is that the big quake and tsunami back in 2004 may have uplifted this part of the islands. I won’t know until I get there.

I don’t feel rushed or impatient, but am looking forward to making Thailand. It is supposed to be wonderful and is also a common cruisers destination. It will be good to reconnect with friends there. Until then, I’ll keep reading (just finished The Reluctant Mr. Darwin & No Country for Old Men), trying to catch a fish, learning to play a song on the ukulele, and scratching the backstay for a breeze.

19:30

I am agitated tonight. Not because I don’t have the wind I’d like or because I the seas are lumpy, but because of what I hear on the BBC. The HF is my source for news these days and I can’t even believe the conversations that I hear on the air. It seems that everyone is trying to fix the system that we are in, but no one is asking if the system itself is broken.

I have managed to live debt free for over six years. I do my own repairs and I do my own chores. Many boats cruising today are wealthy to the extent that they hire everything done right down to every day cleaning. I don’t fault them if they can afford it, but for the most of us, that is not an option. It is frustrating though that most people think you must be rich to travel the world by boat. It just isn’t so.

What it does take is something that the western world has forgotten. You must be self reliant and self sufficient. If there is a trade you don’t know, learnt it. If there is a task you fear doing, have it shown to you so you understand it. If you can’t navigate, ask someone for help or get one of the many self study books that will teach you. The sea, like death, is an equalizer. It does not consider how much money you have in the bank. Rich man, poor man, you’d better deal with matters as they arise or you jeopardize your life and that of your crew. Unlike life on land, you will be tested. Given enough time and miles, the sea will determine if you’ve got the right to traverse her waters or not.

It seems everyone is looking to someone else to bail them out these days. I’d recommend everyone steps up and take a bit more responsibility for their own welfare. Sure, today it may be difficult to begin saving. The best time to start was 30 year s ago. The second best time is today. If you are looking for a very basic introduction into managing your personal finances check out a book called The Wealthy Barber. I used to give it away to friends as Christmas and birthday gifts. It has about 10 dead simple strategies to secure your financial future. They work.

November 15^th – 09:15

I can say with near certainty that Neptune does not like Bintang Beer, the beer of Indonesia. Either that or I just set his expectations to high with the champagne from my last equatorial crossing and now he is disappointed in me. For the last 36 hours it has been nothing but calm, squall, set all sail for 20 minutes, calm for six hours, repeat. I’ve still got lots of fuel, but the writing is on the wall that Sabang will again be cutting it close if I can’t get a sustained sailing breeze. Like the sailors of old, I can just bob around on the sea until a breeze comes to take me North.

I sailed past the little island of Hulo Wunga yesterday and scoped it out. It does look like a pretty good natural harbor and the local fishing fleet agrees. The island was far from being the deserted oasis I thought I’d find. A half dozen fishing boats were moored and the shore was scatted with thatch huts. I was still tempted to explore the island and the people, but the effort of starting and stopping with so many more miles to go prevented me. The islands of Western Sumatra are beautiful and look to by idyllic cruising grounds. That said, poking into unknown shoals and poorly charted islands solo may not be the best of ideas. This seems to be a cruising ground for two.

The other concern I’ve got now is that my swimmers ear is back. I’ve never had an ear infection in my life but the bugs swimming in Serangan Harbor are resilient little bastards. I thought I had it licked, but two days ago the swelling came back and with it some pretty sharp pain. I’ve resumed a regimen of rinsing the ear four or five times daily with the acidified vinegar and hydrogen peroxide. The irrigation knocks the pain right out within half an hour or so. As long as I can keep it from getting worse it will be fine. I’ll hit the clinic in Sabang for some fresh antibiotic ear drops. Failing that, I’ll start an oral round of Cipro. It is just a nuisance health issue but in the middle of nowhere these things take on a greater significance. 300 miles to go.

November 16^th – 19:00

Not much to report. Had a 9 knot breeze on the beam for several hours and it was good to feel five knots of boat speed again. This is easily the slowest passage I’ve ever made. The motor is humming again and the GPS shows 4 knots. With no wind and little to tend to it has turned into a movie day. I’ve searched my old hard drive for movies not yet seen. A few gems, but mostly the things I’ve been ignoring for months.

In two more days I’ll have been three weeks on passage minus the 24 hour stop in Padang. Strange to think that if I’d taken that left hand turn at Christmas Island I’d almost be to Mauritius in the Southern Indian Ocean. Oh well, Thailand should be worth the trip

November 17^th – 13:45

My breeze is back! It is exquisite to feel Jargo power up under and into a 10 knot breeze. Now only 100 miles from Sabang I am making way under sail alone. If this holds I should make port easily tomorrow.

Checking out of Indonesia is a must before I depart these waters for Thailand. This may be complicated depending on the hour in which I make port tomorrow. Friday afternoons are not typically working times in Muslim countries. It is possible that I’ll either have to pay overtime fees or even be forced to wait until Monday. The later is unlikely, but possible. With a little luck I’ll get the hook down early and head directly to the customs and immigration offices before noon. If I can do so I’ll head right back to sea for Thailand. It is only a 200 mile jump from Sabang to Phuket.

Once in Thailand the pressure will be off. I’ve got some repairs I’ll focus on getting done over the next several weeks in preparation for the Indian Ocean crossing. That will allow me to fly home for Christmas and New Years seeing family without projects looming over my head. On my return to Thailand I’ll be able to cruise and explore the country without rush. Come March I’ll head for Sri Lanka.

I spent most of this morning pouring over Cornell’s World Cruising Routes and various world charts. I’ve had a rough idea of how and when I’d make it back home from here, but the route is much more tangible now. Here is the general timeline I am looking at if I want to make it back to the States by June/July 2013.

Depart Phuket to Sri Lanka Feb – March 2012; Sri Lanka to Chagos April 2012; Chagos to Maritius May – June or Sept – Oct; Maritius to Durban, S.A. early November 2012; South Africa to Tobago February – March 2013; Tobago to Jamica April – May 2013; Jamica to Isla Mujeres, Mexico May – June; Isla Mujeres to Kemah, TX June/July 2013. That makes the whole loop done in about 4.5 years and ~ 30,000 solo miles.

There are many more places, countries, islands, and people I’d like to explore. Sometimes though a thing as it is, is enough. While this dream is still being realized others are growing. I want them to have time and space to root and flower as this one has.

November 19^th – 08:45

I circled the port twice never finding water less than 70 feet. The shores of Sabang Harbor are steep too and I’d no choice but to let fall the hook. 250 feet of 3/8 BBB chain now connects me to the sea floor below. It is going to be a real chore to bring all that weight up with a manual windlass. Still, better than doing the job hand over hand.

Approaching Sabang I was taken with both the landscape of the island and colors of the Dutch colonial architecture. When the region was under Dutch control before WWII they used Sabang (Pulau Weh) as a trading post for ships going into the Malacca Strait. They brought trees in from other islands, built up infrastructure, and generally did a lot to make the island appealing.

Eventually the Japanese came and pushed out the Dutch. The Indonesians then pushed out the Japanese and fought the Dutch keeping them from retaking Indonesia. Then over the past 40 years the most conservative Muslims in SE Asia fought for a special region known as Aceh. Aceh is different from the rest of the Muslim dominated islands in that it enforces a fundamentalist version of Islamic Sharia Law.

It is more foreign than anyplace I’ve been yet in SE Asia, but it also appears to be the most welcoming. There is zero trash in the harbor. The water is crystal clear. The streets are clean and tidy. People are friendly and although a bit timid at first, smile warmly when greeted with a smile and a hello.

There is of course the typical corruption within the government offices. A local explained that these guys are not welcome on the island and are sent here to do the administering by the government in Jakarta. He asked me not to take offense and understand that the locals hate the practice more so than even the tourists. I’ll have to pay some sort of fee for checking out of the country and the Customs, Harbor Master, Quarantine, and Immigration have all already made their presence known. I am a bit sick of the process, but may play hard this time. I may see what simply saying no does to the game. Worst case scenario I could up anchor and depart without clearing out formally and deal with the consequences in Thailand. A port much more familiar with cruisers. I imagine I’d still have to pay a few bribes there, but I’ve got to imagine they’d be cheaper than here.

Anyway, a strong wind is coming and I am not going to beat into wind and current. With that decision I’ve got four or five days to explore this island which I am looking forward to doing. I’ll leave the working port of Sabang and head 5 miles back to the West and anchor behind Pulau Rubiah. It is a spot with a beautiful beach, cafes, backpackers, and a few scuba operations. Looks like a nice place to hole up for a few days.

Imagine this, I am the only sailboat on the whole island. Beautiful.

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