IMAGES of INDONESIA

FLORES-LOMBOK-BALI

                                                                                                       
                                                 
                                                                                                                                                                        August 2011
                                                                                                                                                                          Indonesia                                                                                                                                               
                                                                                         
 Selamant Jiang                                                                                                                                                                                         
We depart Lembata and sail along the north coast of Flores Island. The island is over 450 miles long with a skyline of spectacular volcanoes. The wind is up and Blaze sails in relatively smooth waters.  After a days sail we arrive in  Maumere. Maumere is a dirty port town with too many small concrete buildings. The litter and graffiti along with oppressive heat makes us wonder why anyone would live here.  A bit sketchy but people seem very friendly and curious. We are the only boat in port. As we are anchoring "Aladdin". (Yes his real name) comes along side Blaze in his long boat. He greets us with a big smile and "Selamat Sore"! (hello). He wears a Kufis (traditiona skull cap) and a loose caftan type shirt.  He wants us to use his mooring. We thank him but must decline because Blaze is too heavy.

Ann asks if he is Muslim. He responds "Yes...but no guns...no 911". (I guess he has been asked that one before).  We talk with Aladdin  and discover he was raised in Sumbawa. He has taught himself english and moved to Maumere for a better life. ( makes me wonder what his living conditions were on Sumbawa? ) The water in this bay is muddy and almost sticky. We don't want to put our dingy in the water. Ann asks Aladdin for a ride ashore. He offers to have his long boat to take us back and forth at anytime, for a small fee. That sounds great to us. Saves our fuel and we dont have to scrub the bottom of the dink!  We also planned to vist the volcano. Aladdin informs us he as a friend with a "good car for volcanoes"! We did not want ot leave the boat unattended. Aladdin said he has a " trusted"  friend who coud watch the boat. We have been in Muamere less than an hour  and Aladdin has arranged our rides ashore, to the volcano, has told us where the market is, the cash machine, and the port office. If he lived in the USA he would be a very successful entrepenuer!   When we arrive ashore Aladdain introduces  us to a group of men who have been watching us from the pier.  They are all curious and most welcoming. Each gives us a small bow and smile. The  Call to Prayer sounds from the minaret. Time for Aladding to get to the Mosque!  He apologizes he must leave but assures us he will return.  The only reason to visit Maumere is to see Kelimutu. This is a volcano with 3 huge lakes deep in a crater. Our adventure starts out with the usual first hour on a paved road next 3 hous in ruts. After our jaring but scenic drive we are rewarded with Kelimutu. We hike up to the top. As we stand on the rim we look down into a huge abyss. The lakes are each a diffent color due to the different mineral content. The water looks thick like pudding. The pools of Kelimutu are considered sacred. The locals believe the souls of the young go to the turquoise lake, the old go to the brown lake and evil souls go to the black lake.  Sadly, Peter is hearing the drums of Lake Washington. This is where the Chi of  all Real Estate Developers goes. Duty calls and he must leave. I will stay on with Ann to sail Blaze to Bali.( Someone has to do it !)

 

 We spend the week sailing along the north coast of Flores and then  Sumbawa.  There is not a breath of wind tonight as we motor sail along the rugged coast.  On  night watch I spotted a  red light in the distance. As we got closer I realized it wasn't a navigation light or marker.  With the binoculars I could see there were two firey balls of molten lava slowly sliding down the volcano. It all seemed to move in slow motion. I kept adjusting the binoculars to confirm the spectacle.  I spent the next  hour watching the "show" as Blaze slowly moved by. Such a powerful sight in the dark of night! The Rim of Fire (as they call Indonesia) is alive and eurpting! We worked our way along the north coast of Sumbawa enroute to Sontang Island.  Sontang Island is known for the sunken lake. We arrived late in the day as the sun was setting. As all wise sailors know....you drop anchor long before sun sets! We attempted a few times and managed a secure holding for the night. The next morning we were ready to explore.  We hiked inland to the center of the crater. The lake is actually at sea level. On our hike (a very easy walk) inland we find the saltwater lake. The water looks dark and murky  and not paticularly inviting. But is like bath water. The thermal activity below is providing constant heat for the water. Time for my first volcanic bath!
                                        

LOMBOK to BALI

Blaze is on the final leg to Bali. We sail to Pulau Moyo-a very quiet island. There is a very exclusive resort here.  We decided to stop and check it out.  For only $900/night you can stay in tent styled bungalows.  (this does not include food or drink!). There is a white sand beach with lounge chairs, a large open air dining room, spa (extra$) and a pool. You arrive by float plane (additional $800) and spend time sitting on the beach.  OUCH! Talk about rip off. But as the lovely lady explained this is about privacy.( Heck if you want privacy climb to the top of the volcano!  No one is there!) We left Moyo and sailed overnight across the north coast of Sumbawa and on to Lombok. We spent time on the Gili Islands just off the northwest coast of Lombok.  The Gili Islands have  beautiful  rings of coral around them. Ideal for snorkeling. The deeper waters are know for sharks, manta rays turtles, sea horses, bump head parrot fish, and a Japanese wreck. It doesnt get much better.
The Islands are charming with  horse drawn carts or bicylces to get around (no cars) The locals are happy to act as your taxi. We opted out. But after 15 minutes in the swealtering heat with no breeze we were tempted.  The currents in this area are very strong. You have to be careful not to get swept out to sea. On one dive I was swimming forward only to be gliding  backward with the tide. Not a very comfortable feeling. The underwater world of giant turtles, brilliant coral and colorful and unusual fish went streaming by me. The show was too fast! Back in the dink to drop in one more time for a view of the underwater world.  While drifting aimlessly  I can hear engines whizzing above. I cautiously pop my head or hand up so the "watcher" sees me. This is usually a young guy sitting on the bow of the boat on the lookout for bobbing heads.
This afternoon the wind has really picked up 15-20 knots on the nose. The currents in Lombok Straight meet the Indian Ocean and can make large swells.  Blaze is slamming into the waves.   With wind on the nose and rough water it is not a very comfortable ride. We sail south to Nusa Penida.  The next few days are spent  exploring Nusa Penida and then Nusa Lembongan-small islands off the coast of Bali.  The dramatic peaks of the Rinjan Volcano are visible in the distance.  At Bali we enter Benoa harbor. This area is riddled with reefs.  The markers are not always there. Even when there are  markers we rely on our own charts. Benoa marina is a small place with dilapidated dock with ‘fingers’ to tie up your boat. The power does not always work and you cannot drink the water. To add to the fun, check in requires a stop at the harbor master, immigration, navy, quarantine and then back to the harbor master. (none are in the same building or part of town). Five copies of the of each form is required so there is a stop at a "copy" shop. This obstacle of course requires a taxi and an entire day due to that long lunch break.  Upon departure you do the same drill.  As I said before bureaucracy is alive and well in Indonesia. After being at sea and interacting mostly with sea life,  this is a rude awakening. Thank heaven Captain Ann is organized and 4 steps ahead of the process!!

Blaze has just completed 1,260 nautical miles (1,300 miles) from Australia through the Eastern islands of Indonesia. It has been a challenge.  Blaze had issues with the water maker, ripped sail, the bridle chafing, and failure on the anchor winch. (to mention just a few items). We had some long sailing nights and tired sailors.  However we are thrilled we never hit a reef, lost the fishing rod, tangled with a shark,  spilled the wine or lost anyone overboard!  There are always too many wonderful things happening to ruinlife aboard Blaze!

Selamant Jalan!
Captain Molly and 1st Mate Peter

VOLCANOES

                                                                                  August 2011 .

Selamat Siang

We arrived at the island of Lembata and anchored by the sleepy town of Mawa. For some reason we decided to climb the smoking volcano( Why?) The locals were happy to take us. Off at 7am on motor scooters (which I vowed never to ride in a in a 'first world country let alone a third world!)  On the back of a scooter no helmet and we were off for the hour ride to the trail head .The road was paved at first but then we hit the the " Dust and "Rut" leg.                                                                            

                     

 

                                                                                                                      

Upon our arrival in a  tiny village, people came out to the road to see what the commotion was about. They  gathered around.--curious why we were there

 We greeted the elders with "Salamat Pagi"  and a small bow.  Thank heaven for our Kiwi crew member Joanne. She speaks some Bahasa and explained we wanted to climb the volcano. They did not understand. Who would want to do this? We finally communicated.  After much discussions among the local men we were given 3 " guides" and off we went. ( One young man had been up the volcano, another never and the third was barefoot!

 The trek was basically straight up a  trail for 45minutes. Next we were climing up rocks which gave way to dry grasses and dirt.  We all moved at a good pace. About 2 hours into it we came upon a bush section. The vegetation was thick like a brick wall and as tall as Peter! Our local guide took out his machete and started to hack down a trail! Another guide stepped in front of me and layed into the elephant grass with his whole boddy. This made a smoall impression so I could take a step forward.  It is similar to elephant grass. Long reed type grass anywhere from 1 to 3 inches wide with sharp edges.  (causing many cuts and scratches) I was thinking this was a good place to have lunch then head back.  (silly me! we didnt pack a lunch.) I didn't want to be the weak link so on we went.

 It took us about an  hour to forge our way through a section of this dense foliage. We  moved upward the entire climb. No switchbacks in Indonesia! At  a small clearing we stopped while one of the guides scaled a palm tree and cut down 6 coconuts. He deftly cut them open with his crude machete  and we slurped it down. Doesn't taste much like coconut.  Looks more like water. And closer to warm watered down lemon. It was refreshing after our last 3 hours. Enough rest! Time to wade our way through more jungle. It was slow going as the machete cleared our path. We moved over thick vegetation with roots tangling up our feet. We used our hands to pull ourselves along. We could not see where we were going.  I could see Peter's large sun hat up ahead bouncing across the foliage. I knew I wasn't the only nut out here! This section was in the stark sunlight and the air was still. I was drenched with perspiration. Two of the guides kept asking "OK"? I'm sure they thought they might have to carry me down the mountain! At last we hit an open space! We looked up and saw 300 a meter rock face above us. (Surely it was time to go back!!!!) The 3 locals guys easily climbed up. Peter, Joanne and myself  found ourselves needing to stop every 25 yards. Breathing hard and wearing down.  I like to hike but this was grueling. We kept loosing our purchase and sliding back.  We were coated with a film of dust. Our hands roughed up from rocks we grabbed  trying to pull ourselves up the volcano. We finally made it to a huge open space with panoramic views of the islands and iridescent  sea. Above we could see the edge of the volcano where the smoke spewed continuously.  Outside the cone a giant yellow "paint splotch"  covered the grey rumpled surface. The smell of  sulphur was in the air. Quite a sight!  We stopped guzzled water and took pictures to confirm we had actually made it up. I was proud to have reached the cone of the volcano. Peter wanted to climb up farther to the ridge. I opted out.(I still had my sanity).  Everyone left me to climb to the ridge. I layed down on a large flat boulder to rest. It was wonderful after the climb.  An hour and a half later delirious they returned. The saw more sulphur and a dry lake bed. (So who was smarter?) Exhausted we headed back. The downhill trudge was taxing. You had to place your feet carefully to keep from sliding. We all had several falls on the way down. At a certain point I hit the wall. Eight hours of trekking had broken my 'Fun' meter. We were  in zombie mode just trying to get off the mountain. the descent was a breeze compared to the uphill.  It was dark when we got to the village. Again the local people came out to see us. The women really looked bewildered. We were dirty, cut and scratched and dragging. One woman behind me touched my shirt which was soaked with perspiration. I turned and smiled at her. She just looked back at me with  sympathetic eyes. I'm sure she thought I was suffering from Dengue fever. We all dragged ourselves back on the motor scooters for our  hour long return ride in the dark of night.   

Selemat Jalan!

Trail Blazer Molly and my Sherpa Peter!!!

VOLCANO - LEMBATA

                                       ASCENT ON ILI API



SMOLDERING VOLCANO

                                                           



ALMOST TO HEAVEN



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.