KUPANG to LEMBATA

      
                                                                                                         Indonesia
                                                                                                        July 2011
                                                                                                                      

Selamat Jiang !

 Upon arrival in Indonesia we have our  yellow Quarantine flag up and await the arrival of  Quarantine, Coast Guard and Immigration. You are not allowed ashore until checked in. Despite being organized with the rally the process was tedious and took the afternoon. They don't have computers so you fill out the forms for each division by hand. And of course they want 5 copies each. And no carbon paper. (do you even remember carbon paper??) Once completing this drill aboard Blaze we went ashore. Upon arrival we were escorted to the immigration office. Now the top dogs who flew in from Jakarta wanted us to repeat the process with them. The Wonders of bureaucracy!! Hours later we are "legal" and Indonesia awaits!    
                                                
                                        

Village Life





Spice Island Specialties

Curious Kids

                                                         


 The local people are shy....but warm up if you speak a bit of Bahasa. (for me that would be limited to Selamant siang -good day. Tolong-please and Terima Kasih-thank you. After that it was all sign language. But the younger kids were eager to practice their english.  We attended a dinner put on by Sail Indonesia at the local bar.  We were entertained byTraditional Indonesian dance performances, a local meal along   
speeches by government officials. Much like their  love for " check- in" bureaucracy  everyone must give a speech. (in Bahas. ) We met  other sailors "spinning yarns" of their sea adventures. No awards came our way. (They didn't have one for the "furniture" division).   Today we picked up fresh veggies and fruit at the outdoor market. Despite the charming people we were anxious to leave  the dirty harbor and littered villages. Off to Lembata on Flores!



Selemant Jalan

Captain Molly and Deckhand Peter!           

    

TIMOR SEA

           



Race "Strategy"

 
                 BLAZE
  Darwin to Kupang
        Regatta  



Where is the Wind?

 

Main Up!

 
 

The Chute  Comes Out




Up Goes the Sock

 



Tweaking Again



 



Blaze Under the Sun

                                                         

         




Spinnaker Run

  

DARWIN to KUPANG

                                                                                                                   Timor Sea
G'day Mates                                                                                                 July 2011

Our regatta event starts from Darwin Australia. Capital of the Northern Territory, home to Aboriginal tribes, crocodiles, and tropical bugs! Often referred to as the Top End-it is situated on the North coast. Darwin is our departure point for the Indonesian Rally. This event is sponsored by the Indonesian government to promote tourism. It is welcomed by many yachties for its organization to get you, your boat and crew cleared through custom quarantine, and immigration. Not an easy feat in a country where graft is business as usual.

Day 1

Blaze and crew are ready for the 11am horn signaling the start of the rally. We have an eclectic crew with Aussies, Kiwis, )Yanks and a new addition from Cambodia. The wind is very light and we drift across the start line. It is warm and sunny. Now we just need some wind. We are anticipating 4-5 days of sailing. Hoping to average 6knots.  The helm will be manned 24-7.  Watches are 4 hours on- 8 hours off. These run 6-10pm, 10-2am, 2-6am etc. You have 2 shifts in a 24 hour period. Its nice to have enough people on board to run this schedule. During your hours off you catch up on sleep, eat, shower, read etc. After an hour the wind picks up and we join 10 boat leading the pack. Behind us Darwin and around 80 other boats all heading to Indonesia. By nightfall all we can see is a smattering of lights behind us. The fleet has  thinned out after 8 hours. We set our course just off the rhumb line for a better point of sail.

DAY 2

Sun rises on our am watch. The sea is racing down the hull of the boat. Wind is out of the southeast. The main and spinnaker up and we sweep along at 7-8 knots. A 6 hour spinnaker run today. (Spinnaker is the brightly colored sail). Peter would love to keep the spinnaker up all night if he could. But the 'Admiral' (that would be me) does not allow it. Despite Swabbies' protest the spinnaker is down before sunset. A good day of fishing. Landed 3  Skipjacks. Dinner menu complete! Tonight's sunset is sureal. A giant ball of fire slowly dropping into the ocean. We all sit up top and watch the  spectacle.

DAY 3

6AM.  A brilliant sunrise chases the night away. We have a  morning visit with dolphins dancing with the bow.  A sight we always enjoy. Peter is already forward on the nets with spinnaker ready to go. He is like a little kid with a favorite toy. On Blaze we have the spinnaker in a long sausage shaped chute.  You raise the sail  with the halyard. When you  pull the chute up the spinnaker bursts out and up with the wind. It is an awesome sight for any sailor. We have a very happy swabbie he spends the day trimming the "kite". An 8 hour spinnaker run with 2 jibes. Well done!  Just before we drop her for the night we get a huge gust and the top quarter rips! The massive sail billows out looking to collapse in the water. We all scramble to pull the lower section out of the water and the rest back on board. Luckily our speed has dropped and we reclaim the sail.( Swabbie is very sad his toy is broken.) Time to put up the reacher (another type of sail). We continue  on through the night at 7-8 knots. Wing on wing. We are making good time and loving the sail.

Day 4

7am enter the Timor Sea in Indonesian waters.  7:30 am Land Ho! The sillhouette of the mountains appear against the morning sky. Another hot day with wind steady out of the southeast. The tradewinds have been consistent and make sailing effortless. In the distance we spot three other reggatta boats. Our wind keeps building and by 10am our speed increases to 9-10 knots We are flying over the water.  We roll up the reacher and still we are screaming along at 10 knots with just our main. We discuss reefing  the main. (making it smaller) when we  reach our next waypoint the wind slacks off.  We decide not to reef. Our SOG(speed over ground) is still 8-9knots. We are getting a nice push with the tide. We sailed over 490 miles  on a beam reach averaging 8knots. Warm breezes and sunshine during the days with star studded evenings.  We arrive at Kupang, Timor in Indonesia at 2pm.

Salemant Jalan!

Captain Molly

and Swabbie Peter

THE CORAL SEA

                                                                                  June 2011

                                                                                                  
                                                                                                 



Micaelmas Cay
Northern Barrier Island
 (aka Bird Island)

Peter playing in the boom.
                                                                        Tied up again

Should we let these people off the boat ??       

Cairns-Port Douglas

                                                                                         Australia           
                                                                                                               May 2011


G'day from Down Under!


We have spent the last few weeks cruising from Cairns to Port Douglas in North Queensland on the coast of Australia. We gunkholed along the Great Barrier Reef. The southeast trade winds have been wonderful. Each day Blaze is scooting along around 6 to 8 knots. Sunny tropical weather and turqoise blue seas. Cairns is a wonderful city along the coastline.The waterfront has an "Esplanade" that stretches for miles. Along this boardwalk are parks, public pools, workout stations, bike lanes, picnic areas with BBQ's, soccer fields, a skate park and bands in the parks on weekends. It is beautuifully maintained and lively. One day we rented a car to go to Barron Gorge National Park. Here you ride a gondola above the rainforest canopy. Along the way you can get off and walk through the dense jungle and see the huge waterfalls

plunging down into the gorge. At the top encounters with Koala Bears, Crocodiles and Kangaroos. The total "Aussie Outback"  experience.
 We are ready to leave terra firma and start sailing. On the the north coast Cairns is a gateway to  the  Barrier Reef.  We enjoyed a quick  sail to Green Island.The next morning we were off to Michaelmas Cay, a bird nesting sanctuary. Here thousands of birds congregate on a small white sand  motu. From a distance the masses huddled together looked like a huge swath of chared beach. We kayaked out to the island and found that the birds would come out in herds (not flocks) and dive bomb towards you and pull up at the last second. It was an erie sight (yes visions of the "Birds" were 'flying' through my mind. My paddle useless as a weapon.)  The noise was deafening.  We could hear them under water while snorkeling.  Blaze anchored different nights at  Hastings,  Saxon, and  Lowe Reefs..  Each gave us an oppotunity to skin dive and see a literal carpet of coral below us. 

There were several varieties of hard coral: staghorn, pillar, table, brain, blue, tube and elkhorn.  The sizes were amazing. The table coral being large enough to "seat" 50! I was amazed at giant sized clams.Some larger than me with brilliant green and blue edges .The sealife was spectacular as well. In the crystal clear waters we spotted many huge turtles serenely gliding by.  Along with a few stealthy sharks, a motionless sting ray and  the repulsive sea cucumbers.  The tropical fish were constant colors surrounding us. We spotted Trigger fish, Banded Humbugs, Ragged Fin Firefish, and Hawk Fish to name a few. Lowe Island is charming with an old lighthouse in the center. We saw many sea tutles lumber by. There were also batfish about 2X2ft! (harmless but large). At dusk we spotted 5 black tip sharks circling under the back of the boat. They stayed for quite a while. Unusual behavior for this species However Lowe Island is a popular day trip for tour boats. The sharks are use to boats as a source of snacks. They wereh hoping for a meal which I did not want to be a part of.  After our time on the reef we sailed in to Port Douglas just north of Cairns. Port Douglas sits between two World Heritage  wonders. The Great Barrier Reef in the Coral Sea and the Daintree Rainforest. The town has the feel of a village. Locals lean towards boardshorts and barefeet instead of  business suits. A walk along Four Mile Beach was a nice chance to stretch our legs and enjoy the rolling surf. We had balmy days and evenings with warm breezes. The one evening we did not have a breeze the no-see-ums came out in armies. Unfortuately Peter got the brunt of the attack. Itching for days later.

 We  drove out to Mossman Gorge in the Dain Tree National Forest. A  beautiful hike menaders  along the rivers that have carved out the rugged gorge. The cool air under the canopy of trees was wonderfull. Time for us to depart Blaze II and check into the "real" world.  Looking forward to catching up with friends and family. Take care!


Captain Molly and 1st Mate Peter

BLAZE & BUCKET LISTS

                                                                                                                       Australia

                                                                                                                       February  2011

G’day Mates from Down Under!

Blaze is anchored in a small bay in Sydney Harbor.  It is odd to be aboard the boat and have a city all around us. Our previous anchorages have been calm turquoise water with sand beaches, volcanic mountains, coral reefs or uninhabited motus.  Now  Blaze is surrounded by a cosmopolitan metropolis.... city sophistication. The Harbor is frenetic activity  with ferry boats, water taxis, recreational craft, tourist excursion boats, and sailboats.  There are sailing  regattas, for every shape and size of boat occurring every evening of the week. At night the skyline is glowing with lights from the Opera House, Sydney Bridge, downtown skyscrapers and the Harbor. 

We hit a “Bucket List” item when we sailed Blaze past the Opera House and under the beautiful Sydney Bridge.  Definitely a thrill for any sailor.  We spent our next few days  just wandering the harbor and the waterways all around . There is so much energy here. Next off to Manly.  A small beach town with beautiful hiking out to the heads.  It  is a challenge to kayak here. You  dodge the ferry boats and power boats then try to ‘ surf’ ‘ their wakes

We are up early and moving out the headlands which seem to ‘guard’ Sydney Harbor.  We head north towards Pittwater. A sailing destination much like the San Juans.  As we head north the wind is blowing 15-20 from the west. Sun is shining and the breeze is warm. 

We have the Genoa and main sail catching the breeze and Blaze is moving through the seas at 5-7knts. I am a happy sailor. It is a good ride. An hour later the wind is up to a steady 25knts.  Gusts punch through 30+. This happy sailor is  not enjoying the 10-12knts as much. Time to reef the main! Our mainsail is about 1,200 sq ft . Our Mast is 82 feet from the deck and the boom is 26ft long. With the wind blowing it is like trying to contain a charging  elephant!

 After a refreshing sail we drop anchor in Lovett Bay. The next days were spent gunkholing around Hawkesbury River.  So many bays and coves along with miles of hiking trails. (the ones that actually have signs and distance markers!)  On one of our hikes we came upon a  road sign with a large kangaroo  figure on it. I took a picture of the sign. Just as I did a Kangaroo jumped out on the road ahead of us!  We both froze. He stared at us not moving. We know they are relatively harmless…but the surprise and size kept us cautious.  Peter took a quick picture of the “Joey” (as they call them )  and off he went bounding  into the bush.  Yesterday we went to a small shop and rented some of the long boards. They look a like a long surfboard.You stand on it and use a long paddle to move around. Peter took off while I was still listening to the explanation on how to do this. I was cautious  to keep my balance to avoid the big  splash. I was managing great.I had good focus, kept my weight evenly distributed so the board stayed flat etc. Peter called back to me. "Hey Molly look down into the water!"  I did only to find my board seemed to be sitting on a huge white cloud. Actually there were hundreds of fist sized jelly fish all around me! Now the notion of falling was terrifying. I was trying to decide if they were 'good' jellyfish or 'bad' ones. But it really didnt matter. Either way I did not want to find out. With my legs shaking and a death grip on the paddle I slowly worked my way out of the mob of jellyfish. Once into clear water I looked for Peter.  Time to flip his board! Tomorrow we head out to the Tasman Sea and then south towards Sydney. Its hard to believe it is 2011! Our time aboard Blaze is swiftly  Blazing By............


Captain Molly
& First Mate Peter.

LAND DOWN UNDER

                                                                                Australia
                                                                                December 2010
G'day from Down under!

                                                                                         

Connor and I arrive Sydney December 17th joining Brendan and Ann aboard Blaze. We spent the day acclimating  and walking about. Blaze is in d'Abora Marina on Rushcutters Bay just east of Sydney. Sam and Lauren arrive late the next nite from London. Got out just before the big snow storm!

   Next am I  off with the boys to Uluru (Ayers Rock) located smack in the middle of this gigantic continent. Uluru is a huge red monolith erupting from a flat  arid desert. It is one of the natural wonders of the world. That nite we have dinner at the Sound of Silence. It is dining "experience" set up in the brush facing Ayers Rock. We are dining as we watch the changing hues as the sun set. Quite a wonderful setting.  Uluru is a red rock geological formation set in the middle of a flat,arid desert. We tour the rock one morning before bit the sweltering heat. There are hieroglyphics on the rock walls. The shapes depict the people, wildlife, and the celestial significance in their lives. The desert has had record rainfall the past few month. The landscape has some green vegetation and small flowers. These appear once in every 8-10 years! Only sections of Uluru are open to the public. The rest is sacred ground owned by the Aborigines. Nearby are the Olga's. There are 36 dome type rocks with steep valleys plunging to the earth.  We hiked one of the trails through    the immense gorges. A trekkers dream!

Back to Blaze with Peter and Whitney arriving to complete our family. We spent time walking around  Sydney. It is a young, modern city. There are stunning views of the infamous Opera House, the Sydney Bridge, Circular Key and all the water along the city. It is a busy harbor with ferries, tourist boats, water taxis, sail and power boats, helicopters and sea planes. The sailboat races are each evening just outside the main harbor. We took the infamous bridge climb and are happy to report everyone survived. (Thank you Nikey and Gene). We managed to tour Circular Key, Taronga Zoo, Bondi Beach, the Rocks and did some Christmas shopping in downtown. Sydney is heading to the top of our favorite city experiences. On Christmas Eve we went to a show at the Opera House. Just being inside this unique structure was an event in itself. The Great Christmas Caper was part Opera, story telling, Christmas choir, comedy and Santa all rolled into one. The sounds of the opera voices made vibrated through our bones! Later, Christmas Eve Service at St Mary's Cathedral ( a stunning Church). Then back to Blaze for dinner. Christmas morning it was coffee, mimosas and presents! It was a gift to have our entire family together for Christmas. And to think we arrived from Seattle, San Francisco, Arley Beach, OZ  and London!

Dec 26th is Boxing Day for OZies' and more important the start of the Sydney to Hobart Race. A 680 mile race that heads south towards  Bass Straits. This area is notorious for high winds. Many boats are forced to pull out each year.
 

We took Blaze out to the first tac on the race course. The first class to start were the Maxis. These are large, sleek, spendy racing boats.  (Think Amerca's Cup).  The start looks like a massive curtain of huge sails moving toward us.   The yachts are so close together you could jump from one to the other. A lot of yelling and screaming occurs as they battle to take the lead. There were boat names like Wild Oats, Secret Men's Business, Wild Thing and Vixen. A radio  

We took Blaze out to the first tac on the race course. The first class to start were the Maxis. These are large, sleek, spendy racing boats.  (Think Amerca's Cup).  The start looks like a massive curtain of huge sails moving toward us.   The yachts are so close together you could jump from one to the other. A lot of yelling and screaming occurs as they battle to take the lead. There were boat names like Wild Oats, Secret Men's Business, Wild Thing and Vixen.  

Sitting on the "sidelines" are hundreds of boats all jockeying for the best view  along the race course. We are all  bobbing up and down trying to avoid collision. Peter is remembering his racing days. I know he would love to be aboard one of these racing machines.

After our city experience  we sailed north to Pittwater. A scenic sailing area with many waterways. Reminiscent of the San Juans.  You could spend months exploring. The wind and warm weather were perfect. Great kayaking and swimming. Our time flew by and suddenly it was time to head back. On our approach Sydney we sailed  between the Heads. We had a fabulous view of the Sydney skyline. Truly impressive.

Our time in Sydney has exceeded  our expectations. This may be because we shared it with our family. We want to wish you all a very Happy New Year! May your lives be filled with good health, happiness and love in 2011!!

Captain Molly  First Mate Peter

WHITNSUNDAY WONDERLAND

                                                                                                            Australia

                                                                                                           November 2010

After our heart-stopping excitement with Brendan, we dropped him at Hamilton Island. (back to work.) We spent the next day reprovisioning Blaze and doing laundry. The day had turned cloudy with wind picking up. Our "true blue" sailing friends Brad and Alison joined us. It’s amazing they have come back! They have survived our toughest trips.  In 2007 they were aboard Blaze in the North Sea. Ugly-40 knot winds and breaking waves.  Next it was dodge ball with freighters in a night-crossing on the English Channel. Then the Bay of Biscay off west coast of France.  Poor souls, they have been aboard Blaze in brutal conditions!  Our next expedition found us in Antigua. We left port on a warm sunny afternoon...a snorkel in pristine water....and then we found a prop not working.   After days of making the "best" of it we headed home. Once again not a great sailing adventure. 

Brad and Ally have bravely joined us in Australia. As they say, Third Time’s a Charm??  That is exactly what happened. We set out for the  Barrier Reef under clear skies and 8-10 knots of wind. Main up with gennaker flying. Bait Reef for the night. A beautiful morning and we are ready to dive. A coral carpet stretched out below our fins. The rainbow of the colors magnified by the sunlight.  We floated over reefs teeming with iridescent sea life. As we drifted huge schools of brilliant yellow butterflyfish, odd looking pipefish, bright orange clownfish, moray eels, blue sea stars and jellyfish. The pond-like water gave us an awesome dive.

The next scuba dive found us exploring deep crevices and coral tunnels. Cousteau would have loved to join us. The dive was in another world. Huge lumbering turtles glided by. We had more sightings of sharks than anywhere else.  Usually, 1 or 2 at a time moving stealthily through the water. They look sinister and always on the hunt.  One afternoon we were finishing a snorkel when Peter spotted a "school" ??? of sharks.   These guys don't usually travel in packs. Obviously, there was a "Shark Convention" We swam splashlessly (?)  to our dingy and departed for the Mother Ship!!!

After days of Nirvana, we sailed back to the Whitsundays. Enroute we snagged 3 tuna. The usual  Chinese fire drill ensues. ( Pull-in the Main and Genoa.... gaff ready!) Hook that baby! Brad and Peter get quite the workout reeling them in.  Lunch and dinner menus are set! We take a quick stop and walk along Langley Beach. They call this long strip of white sand “Bali Hai”.  The sand spit looks suspended in the sea. It will soon disappear as the tide rises and consumes the beach.  A change in weather is approaching. Time to high tail to Cid Bay... wind quickly bumps ups to 20knots. Rain is pounding on the boat. It is warm but wet. We  Drop the anchor, attach the bridle set in for the night. Rain continues. ( nice thing about the rain-it rinses salt off the boat.) After a drenching rain overnight, we find a leak in the aft cabin and leak in the galley ceiling. The joys of boat ownership! Today the forecast is for high winds gusting up to 35mph. The yacht charterers are being told to tuck away for the night.  We liked that advice and headed for the marina at Hamilton. The town of Haley is Ann’s home port. And everyone knows Ann.! With Blaze secured to a dock, there is no stress. (A luxury we truly appreciate.) We spend the next few days hiking to Cook Lookout and Passage Peak. A tough uphill climb but spectacular views of the islands. It has been an amazing trip with exceptional diving, serious sailing, beautiful beaches and hiking. We are also thrilled that Brad and Allyson finally got to experience "Sailing in Paradise ".  
We have seen boats we met in Croatia, Panama, and Tahiti. The farther we sail the smaller the world seems to be. 

Once again our time has raced by.  We have been blessed with our wind, weather and good friends. G'day from Down Under!

Captain Molly
 First Mate Peter

BLAZE ESCAPADE

                                                                                                                        Great Barrier Reef
                                                                                                                        October  2010

Hello All

Our adventures on the Great Barrier Reef continue aboard Blaze. Since Brendan has arrived the scare factor has gone up exponentially.  There was the day we went snorkeling. We dropped Brendan and Ian off to go spear fishing.  Ann and I opted to snorkel in another location.(Survival instincts at work!).

After we finished our amazing  snorkel we went back to pick up the guys. As we approached Brendan vaulted into the boat with spear gun in hand. His eyes were gigantic, hands shaking  and face pale. What was going on?

Shark Leftovers!



 Brendan had successfully speared a 35lb grouper. The fish fought hard to get away. The grouper managed to dive down in a crevice between two rocks.  Brendan reached down hoping to pull the spear out. A shark suddenly shot by and took a chunk out of the fish! Brendan snatched his hand up and froze. He watched in shock and incredible anxiety as the shark circled below his fins. A second shark appeared and attacked the grouper as well. The deadly animals continued their vicious attack. They darted in and out of the rocks to devour their prey. The frenzied feed continued until only the head was left. The sharks retreated and Brendan could breathe again. He was still afraid to move. Were the sharks finished? He spotted us approaching and leapt into  the zodiac. He still had the spear gun in hand. Ian pulled in the line. The  fish still had  the spear  stuck through his head. A gruesome sight! That was too close a call. We all shuddered as to what could have happened -thanked our lucky stars ( that would be God) everyone was safe!

After so much heart stopping drama,  Brendan toned it down for us. The next evening we were having a BBQ on the aft deck. Brendan and Dane had the fish head hanging on a line from the steps. The small fish are attracted to the lights below the boat but no interest in the fish head. Suddenly there is a large splash followed by Brendan yelling shark! We all jumped up and stared into the darkness. We could see a large shape moving back and forth in the water. The shadow approached again and we could see it was a Hammerhead! He viciously ripped the fish head off the line. We all jumped back shaking in terror.

Hammerhead Hello!



A hammerhead is a prehistoric looking shark. Their snouts are expanded laterally. There jaw looks like a gigantic head on a vacuum cleaner. Only there are teeth that snatch up their victim. They look vicious and can be quite aggressive. They are not a speices you often see.  Our only other sighting was in the Galapagos. After 3 days of frightful excitement with Brendan we dropped him off on Hamilton  Island. Actually he had to go back to work! Thank our lucky stars.

Wishing Everyone a Happy Thanksgiving!

Captain Molly and 1st Mate Peter