The sails are out and we are sailing and cruising west coast Sabah again!
Sailing days have been few and far between since you-know-what happened… and we are having a great time playing around in the blue, blue water.
During the temporary lifting of lockdown here is remote Sabah, we jumped at the chance to get out of the marina and spread SY Esper’s wings for a few hours.
We have been restricted to West Coast of Sabah Ports for all of 2021 and most of 2020. But this is OK because there are many small bays and islands to explore and it’s possible to find shelter within a day’s sail at every point.
We find a new nearby anchorage at Pulau Sepanggar, and Jamie talks through how he chooses a potential sheltered spot to drop the hook. We investigate the new island by kayak and capture some superb footage of this beautiful part of the world.
On the way there, we keep clear of a submarine which we spot through the binoculars. This prompts a discussion of the colregs and we wonder about right of way when it comes to submarines. When they’re on the surface, are submarines considered restricted in their ability to manoeuvre? We didn’t hang around to find out and made sure to keep well away from the ominous lump close to the coast outside Kota Kinabalu.
Come along for some sailing days with us…
Peace and fair winds, friends!
Liz and Jamie xx
If you like our content and would like to support us, we will give you ad-free access to our videos before they go live to the public, discounts in our shop, access to Jamie’s iconic full-res photographs, and supporter-only blog posts. Click our ugly mugs for more info!
Jamie, being a former submariner submarines are given no special privileges when it comes to Colregs. They are treated exactly tje same as any other commercial ship, where vessels are obliged to keep clear if a ship is restricted in it’s ability to manoeuvre. Submarines being low in the water and painted black are diffiult to see. They have a quick flashing amber light at the masthead to allow for identification. Indonesia has 4 submarines in service after the loss of KRI Nanggala in April 2020.