Huge apologies for our absence over the past few weeks. But now we’re back after plenty of sailing, passage-making and anchoring around the eastern tip of Borneo and we’re ready to rock.
The rally was so intense and loaded with stuff to do and things to see that we didn’t have time to get any editing done. But we took masses of footage and can’t wait to share it with you.
We are immensely lucky to have had the opportunity to get out and explore such an exciting part of the world during these difficult times of closed borders. So far, Malaysia has been kind to us in allowing sailboats and crew to stay here without visas. The latest RMCO (Recovery Movement Control Order) finishes 31st December and we are hoping the government will extend the same courtesy until it finishes.
After too many cocktails at ‘Secret Place’, the best beach bar in Sabah, it was an early start to sail round the tip of Borneo and hook up with the rest of the Sail Malaysia rally boats in Kudat. Here we learned about the birds and the bees of Borneo, and tried to remember where to put the lines when we Med-moored for the first time in 10 years.
A whistle-stop tour through that beautiful part of the island of Borneo took in some amazing sights including local community artisans, a traditional Rungus long house, wild honey production, the secrets behind birds nest soup, lunch at a stunning home stay with the owner and a sunset where the Sulu and Celebes seas meet at the tip of Borneo.
Then it was time to start the rally proper and work out how to untie those lines from the Med mooring anchorage…
Click below to watch the video…
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Liz and Jamie
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Hi guys … I have been following you for some time now (YouTube) and I enjoy your videos very much.
Can you show how you performed the med mooring with long lines ashore with only 2 people onboard?
Last year my wife and I chartered a boat without the anchor control in the cockpit and had to come up with a pretty interesting procedure for that. I am curious to see how others do it.
Many thanks and keep it up!
Ale
We don’t have footage, but in this case another boat came along in the dinghy and took the line ashore.
When we were in Turkey we anchored this way a lot:
You drop your anchor, dig it in without using the snubber and motor backwards towards the shore (you can have someone on the front paying the chain out, not necessary to do this from the cockpit). When you’re close in, one person (usually the one who’s already paid out the chain at the front) then swims to shore with the stern line (you can go ashore on the dinghy, but this is clumsier and takes longer). Once the stern line is secured, you ‘tighten up’ the boat by moving forward to tighten the stern or backwards to dig in the anchor. Once you’re happy secure the snubber. It is possible to do this as a solo sailor too, but with a crosswind it’s more difficult. Hope that helps? Liz
Very good pictures.
You were my neighbour at Penuwasa I remember.my boat,Colona II is moored inside the club Area .Boat no 5, 2 masts, 57 feet.
Nice to see here floating.!
What is the rules for getting to the boat? I live in Philippines and it is not
Posible even to Fly to Manila
When i left in February I expected to be back after 3 weeks…..
Hello again!
No, it is impossible to enter Malaysia at the moment unless you have a Malaysian passport. The border is closed until the end of the year, which is why we are still here – if we leave we will not be able to come back and there is no country we can sail to right now.
Let’s hope the situation changes in 2021.
Cheers!