The last blog saw us reluctantly leave Pelangi in a marina and head off on foot to dryer land as we waited for the rain to abate. We had some air points that were about to expire so we dusted off the backpacks and flew off to Vietnam. The wet weather continued to haunt us (so much for dryer land!) and temperatures dropped too. Some of the cheapie places we stayed at might have had a certain “charm”, but lacked any form of heating prompting us to go shopping for jumpers for the first time in about 3 years!
Some parts of Vietnam are charming such as Hoi An and Hue, also the outer parts of Hanoi where Ho Chi Min is laid to rest. Unfortunately other places have chosen the path of mass tourism and “anything for a dollar” mentality. Encounters that would have seemed funny or quaint in our younger days were now just annoying and made us grumpy! So after numerous scams and rip offs we headed for the hills and lovely Laos! Refreshingly laid back, charming and cheap. After cycling round Vientiane, elephant riding in Luang Prabang and eating our fill of freshly baked baguettes in lovely roadside cafes we headed back to Terengganu in the hope that the rains had stopped and Pelangi hadn’t sunk!
The weather had indeed improved and Pelangi looked pleased to us again. After a week or so of completing minor jobs and planning our next route we provisioned and watered up and set sail for Tioman Island. Doing a steady 5 knots it would take us about 34 hours. We were sailing during a black moon (no moon in the sky at all), and decided to take advantage of an overnight anchorage off the small island of Tenggol eliminating 1 night’s sailing. So, we left the marina nice and early and were glad of the blue skies, although the water was a little rough once out of the marina entrance. Good job we’d learned our lesson from last time and had fueled up well because, just like last time, the wind deserted us and we literally motored for the whole 8 hours it took to get to Tenggol. Only a small island with 1 (yet to open) resort, we enjoyed a nice anchorage taking in the last of the day’s sun.
Next morning we set sail on what we estimated would be a 25-hour passage. The motor went on and stayed on, although we were getting some lift from a small amount of wind and were well ahead of schedule by lunchtime. About 3.00pm the wind decided to help us and we could turn off the motor. We were doing over 8 knots and Pelangi was pounding through the sea with little effort and really seemed to be enjoying herself. It was perfect; blue skies, moderate wind, happy boat, and happy sailors! I was on navigation duties and reckoned that at our current speed we’d be at Tioman by about 3.00am. Good news, except we would be arriving in the pitch black and were aware of rising reefs a good way out from shore. Also, there is an island just to the right of Tioman that we would easily miss if we stayed on course, but a bit too close for comfort if we were a few degrees out. We reefed in both sails, that is, we reduced the sail area in order to slow the boat down. This worked, but even then she was still running along at over 5 knots. This was the type of sailing we’d dreamed about, so decided to just let Pelangi go for it and enjoy the experience. The sun set on another day and it was very black without that big torch in the sky to show us the way, but with very few fishing boats on the horizon we could easily navigate our way through some oil platforms, and the stars did their best to give us some guiding light.
About 1.00am the wind left as quickly as it had appeared and after 10 hours of true sailing we put the motor back on and slowly continued on our way. We were about 2 miles from our entrance into Tioman at 5.00am and it was still too dark to navigate our way to anchorage with the other island somewhere close by. We could sense it, but not see it! Our decision was to turn off the engine and leave Pelangi to drift until sunrise keeping a constant eye on our position and ensuring we didn’t drift onto the island. As the sun rose, a breeze picked up and we were able to turn ourselves round, hoist the sails one last time, and head for land.
There were a number of buoys available just outside the reef that we gladly used. With Pelangi nicely secured it was fantastic to jump into the clear water and refresh our tired bodies and minds! There is a newly built marina here, but I’m a bit of a romantic and love idea of just “dropping the hook” (or tying to a mooring) and taking in the world from the cockpit, this after all, is what sailing is supposed to be about – freedom and scenic anchorages, so we stayed outside of it and prided ourselves on being true sailors!
However, we quickly realised that no amount of romanticism can make up for bobbing around in an open bay with a large swell. For 4 days and nights we endured Pelangi rocking side to side making it almost impossible to stand upright, let alone make a cup of tea. Getting in and out of Dolly Dinghy turned into a new challenge fit for the Krypton factor! And, when Pelangi did stop rocking the tide would push the mooring buoy on and off the side of the boat making it almost impossible to sleep. In fact, I would recommend sleeping on a boat with a buoy bashing against its hull all night as a new form of torture for Guantanamo inmates!!!
We surrendered idealism for realism and brought Pelangi into the marina where she’s stable and we can get some sleep (along with power and water, showers and the good company of fellow sailors).
Tioman is a pretty island, un-spoilt and covered in native bush. The marine park means great snorkeling and diving, which is the main attraction for most visitors. There’s also a turtle breeding centre. Best of all, it’s a duty free island, where beer is cheaper than soft drinks and stocking up captains locker hasn’t broken the bank!!
We’ve booked our berth for a month so we can enjoy exploring this and outer islands a few hours away and may have some friends coming to visit us early April. And, as always with a boat, there’s plenty of jobs and upgrading to keep us busy.
Lesson learned from this passage? Time your arrival with a few hours to spare either side so if you’re early or late, you’ve still got plenty of daylight to get you in.
Fairwinds
Capts J and G.
