Be The Jam

No diary for a few days – been busy getting this voyage underway. Mixed feelings. Not sure what to say. Maybe I’ll write something about this later.

No wind. Sails are flopping in the breeze. What could be called the doldrums. We have decided to start the engine as we are sure we will find diesel again before we make our crossing of the Indian O. It’s easier focusing on the here and now – we really are on our way. My Birthday tomorrow – don’t think the other 2 know.

Work today. Fiddling. If anyone ever tells you they would get bored on a boat all day, they are not boat people. There is always something to do on a boat. They don't keep themselves. So far on this boat I have repaired or help repair three water pumps, two sails, sheets - splicing, Desk light, spreaders lights, nav. lights, water out of the exhaust, filter on the engine, batteries - changed water once and then replaced with acid - this meant taking three tractor size batteries out three times, all sails taken out inspected and replaced, food shopping 6 times, water fill up endless times, fixed the log (Speedo), replaced the anode, patched the hull, scrapped down the hull, painted it......the list is too long to remember. This is on top of your everyday living, cooking, cleaning, washing, sleeping Not boring. It's quite difficult to find the time to sit down and write.

Anyway we are getting into a routine of going and eating at Mrs Esther. Her food is excellent. These aren't typical Indo dishes, but a bowl of rice and a selection of meats, fish and vegetables. Excellent! I prefer this kind of cooking to the traditional dishes of Nasi Goreng or Gado Gado; these mostly consist of peanut sauce.

The people of Karimun Jawa are friendly and most welcoming. Hardly any of them speak English, so we are all picking up Indonesian slowly. One chap called Bang Bang, is acting as an agent for us. He speaks quite a few words of English, in fact compared to my Indo, he speaks excellent English. He will be supplying us with a variety of things we need. We have ordered, 3 spear guns, a valve for the exhaust, Bamboo, wood, charcoal. I'm sure a few other things will be added to the list. Quite how he is going to acquire all these things I'm not sure, there are no shops, even the restaurant isn't really a restaurant it's Esther’s front porch to her house.

I’m rambling, enough.

I've got the hang of this kite surfing!! It's as easy as riding a bike. We organised a trip to a couple of the islands nearby for a spot of snorkelling, so I decided to kite surf my way there. I got about half a mile away and I came into the lee of the main island and the wind dropped. It was excellent! I must have travelled about 5 miles, what a laugh. Got picked up by the boat, a sigh of relief, as I felt like shark bate, being dragged along by the kite with not enough wind to pull me out. 'Here sharky, sharky, here boy!' the sort of thing running through my mind.

First island had a snorkel, saw a huge shoal of Napoleon fish each one must have been about 1m in length. They are funny looking creatures, coral eating fish, blue with a big yellow bump on their forehead. Really slow and gentle. Ate some sea conch on the barbecue. Drank coconuts and swam. Then it was of to the next Island which is owned by Giles. Giles' house is on it, in a poor state of repair. No-one has been there for 2 years, nature has done it's stuff: and the odd fisherman wanting good quality cheap wood!! Again a paradise island. Then it was back to the boat, leaving our guides to head back to the main island, nice bunch of people. Had supper later in the main village and had 'Chumy, Chumy'; basically baby squid (small like chipperones) fried with rice, really basic and really tasty!

Got the kite and board out today! Started on this small sand bank on the inside of the reef then proceeded to bounce my way over all the coral. My feet are cut in a few places, not serious. Had a few problems, got up, but couldn't stay up. Excellent time though, I ended up out in the middle of the sea on a coral head awaiting rescue!! Rupert turned up on the tender in the end. I'll have another go tomorrow, really good conditions for learning. Went into town today.

We arrived this morning in Karimun Jawa. It is a small Island about 60 miles of the North coast of Java , exactly North of Semarang. The place is paradise. Blue-blue waters and coral heads everywhere. We sailed through the night to get here, we weren't ready in Semarang till about 2100 hrs, but we were so fed up with the place we all voted to leave and put in a night sail. It was a real hole - Semarang that is. All that is behind us now.

We arrived at 1100 hrs this morning. Anchored, the engine wouldn't start, on closer inspection we found that water had backed up the exhaust pipe, so the engine failed. Had my first swim and my first snorkel. The water feels blood temperature.

1700 hrs

I just finished having the last swim of the day, the wind is blowing and I am sitting on deck, 'Am I cold?' No, I don't know any other place, I've experienced, where you can swim and get out in the evening and not get cold. It's bloody excellent!! As I sit here writing this water is dripping of my chin.

As for the wild life here I could go on and on. Excellent corals and fish. A little short on the fish, but I have only dived of the side of the boat on its mooring, more of that tomorrow!