Lifestyle Sailing Blog

We made it to Malaysia yesterday, we still have about 150NM to KK where we plan to park for awhile.

We left Bitung  Indonesia in a blistering 30kt breeze blowing up the Lembeh Straight, once we rounded the top end of Sulawesi Island the breeze died to zero, and it stayed that way all the way to Malaysia, except for about 5 hours we were able to get our Gennaker up and turn the engine off, we put on about 100 hours on the engine since leaving Cairns.
  

On the way across we encountered about 200 “FADS” (fish augmentation devices) and some were lit some were not, very stressful at night as we zigged and zagged our way through.
Indonesian FAD

We stopped along the way to Kudat at some really nice Islands. We were usually so tired we just anchored, had dinner and movie and were fast asleep, only to leave at first light the next AM, to the next beautiful anchorage.

We actually planned to clear into Sandakan, and we did stop there, but when we tried to get a taxi to customs and immigration the driver said it was a 3 day Muslim holiday starting today and no one would be there! So we took off for Kudat stopping at Islands along the way to rest at night.
 Island in Sandakan

Lankayan Island was a nice dive resort, and we were invited ashore but said we would be back, we were just too tired after 2 days of motor sailing to get there.
 

Kudat is not a real nice stop, no pictures yet, its a good place to get cleared in, the customs and immigration was so easy it was unbelievable, very friendly.

We will make the final assault to KK tomorrow and will do the next update then. We will round the NE Point on Borneo and head 70NM upwind to KK. I am off to work for 8 weeks after arriving, I may have 5-6 days to check the place out then its up to Raewyn to hold up the fort until I return.