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01/02/19  Fri.  Today, I received the sad news of my sister-in-law's passing but I am unable to phone my brother Clive at the moment because I don't have phone connection.

05/02/19 Tues.  Went to the airport during the evening to meet Ana, did a little shopping on the way back to boat.

07/02/19 Thurs.  Despite many attempts to update this site, I am unable to connect some parts of the programme to the internet and files are disappearing in the process - I am not even sure if anything will work when I return to Malaysia and get decent internet.  Last time I tried to update, FileZilla (the ftp transfer programme) said the files were transferred but the webpage did not update and is still showing 18th December!  I will probably give up now until we return to Malaysia.

09/02/19 Sat.  We did some more shopping yesterday, buying 20 metres of braid on braid rope to replace the stbd. genoa sheet, some non-sag epoxy filler and various other bits and pieces.  We are hoping to check out on Monday and sail on Tuesday morning (weather permitting), heading for Rasa Island.

12/02/19 Tues.  With strong winds forecast for today, we postponed departure for a day!

13/02/19 Weds.  Slipped our mooring at 0715 in company with Neil and Phil onboard Shelley and made our way out of the channel before setting course for Rasa Island.  There was about a 1 metre swell but with the genoa out and the engine at idle speed, we made reasonable progress.  Both boats anchored in the lee of Rasa Island, in 9 metres of water, at 1530.

14/02/19 Thurs.  Weighed anchor at 0800 and sailed the 23 miles to Inamukan arriving there at 1215.  The anchorage here is now full of fishing floats/nets, cultivating kelp or something and we were unable to get completely around the island and were therefore not as sheltered as we would have liked to be.  It was a rolly night!  As when I anchored here some years ago, the sky turned black with fruit bats at dusk when they left the island and headed off to the mainland to feed.

15/02/19 Fri.  Again, at dawn, the sky was filled with thousands of bats returning to their sleeping quarters and we watched them for over an hour.  At 0730, we weighed anchor and sailed the 31 miles to Brookes Point.

16/02/19 Sat.  After another uncomfortable night of rolling, we weighed anchor at 0415 and headed south.  With a 2 metre swell and 20/25 knots of wind, it was a very rolly passage to Banggi Island, both boats anchoring in different bays at 2300 after a sail of 107 miles.  At least the Balabac Strait crossing was not too rough!

17/02/19 Sun.  Weighed anchor at 0800 after a good breakfast and made our way toward Kudat, again with strong winds and the boat heeling over to stbd pushing 8 knots at times.  We both anchored in the duck pond at 1230, launched our dinghies and then moved onto the wall opposite the 'marina'.

23/02/19  Sat.  We stayed 6 days in the pond, meeting and eating with old friends, John, George, Alain and Violetta amongst others.  Bade farewell to Phil from Shelley as he flew home to Darwin.  This morning we slipped and motored out at 0500 and headed towards the Tip of Borneo.  After rounding the tip at 0730, it was a downwind sail to Telek Usukan and we anchored there at 1600.

24/02/19  Sun.  Went over to Neil on Shelley and helped him take down his mainsail so the furling motor can be removed in Labuan and serviced.  Then we went ashore for ice creams!   Neil had dinner with us onboard Rhumb Do.

25/02/19  Mon.  Weighed anchor at 0500 and made our way south again, it was a murky day with poor visibility, Kota Kinabalu being almost invisible as we passed.  We arrived and anchored in Pulau Tiga at 1645.

26/02/19  Tues.  A later start today, weighing anchor just after 6.30am, the wind was a gentle 5 knots on the stbd. quarter with a rolling sea and the wind only picked up as we passed the northern edge of Labuan, giving us a 6 - 7 knot sail down to Victoria harbour.  We moored in the marina there at 1330.  A few notable changes in our absence, the Kraken bar has closed down, new toilet blocks are being built by the marina office and a few friends boats have sailed (replaced by others!)  Went to the main Digi office in Financial Park to ask (complain) about my old account, which I terminated with effect from 16/11/18 and which I am still getting bills for!

27/02/19  Weds.  Into town this morning to check in with Jabatan Laut and Immigration.  No promised call from Digi re my old broadband account. 

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For previous logs, click Here 

 

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