-
02/11/19 Sat. Did our usual monthly check out today, sail tomorrow for Brunei.
03/11/19 Sun. Slipped our moorings around 0845 and motored out across Victoria Harbour - against the tide and wind! We could hear a Russian warship calling Muara Port as we left the harbour, and when we got nearer to Brunei, we could see her anchoring outside the port channel. She was the Admiral Panteleyev, a guided missile destroyer. Inside the harbour were three Indonesian corvette type warships and a larger Russian ship - a Slava Class guided missile cruiser, the Varyag. Being Sunday, the crew were all on the flight deck in dress whites....ah, Divisions....I remember it well! Dropped anchor off the yacht club, Serasa in about 5 metres and let out 30+ metres of chain.
07/11/19 Thurs. A long day spent going to town for shopping. Normally, we would borrow a car but on this occasion, none were available so we had to take the public transport option. First a bus to Muara, then a second to Bandar and from there a third to Gadong. Maybe one hour shopping and repeat the bus routine - total time taken 6½ hours. Had a drink with Barry and Paul on our return to the yacht club.
08/11/19 Fri. Time to go back to Labuan. Took the dinghy to the ferry terminal to start the long process of checking out. They really are drowning under a sea of paperwork - it's a 35 foot boat with 2 people onboard but.....Health Department, fill in 4 forms, get them stamped, Marine Department, fill in 3 forms, get them stamped, Customs, hand in said forms, Immigration.....questions, get passport stamped, return one form to Marine Department, hand in crew lists to every department. And all the forms are exactly the same as the ones we filled in on arrival. The mind boggles. Weighed anchor at 0915 and motored back to Labuan, with no wind and a 1 metre swell running, it was a rolly passage. It's about the same distance as a Channel crossing from Dover to Calais, without the shipping lanes but with the addition of numerous oil platforms, associated support vessels, tugs and buoyed exclusion zones. You cannot follow previous tracks because the exclusion zones change with every crossing, so it's a case of spot the buoys and re-route around them.
09/11/19 Sat. Into town for the usual check in with Jabatan Laut and Immigration - quick and easy (unlike Brunei!). The weather is not so good, gusty winds and showers all day.
10/11/19 Sun. Under normal circumstances, we would be attending the Remembrance Sunday Service at the cemetery this morning, but we had many things to do in preparation for leaving again tomorrow. We will be flying down to Kuching to help Brent with his 'broken' engine.
Some very sad news today too, my good friend Barry from Brunei arrived in the marina onboard Fourth Dimension and an hour later had a fatal heart attack on the pontoon. He will be sorely missed by all his friends. R.I.P. Barry.
The time onboard is..........
Time elapsed since leaving Gillingham....
Did you enjoy your visit onboard? Please sign my Guestbook
For previous logs, click Here
