by Judy Handley | Sep 1, 2008 | Indonesia Rinca to Lombok, Sailing Logs Year 3 |
Day 115, Year 3: Gili Lawa Laut to Teluk Batu Monco (Montjo)
Date: Hari Senin (Monday), Bulan September 1, Pada Tahan 2008
Weather: Another Beautiful Day
Air Temperature: 84 degrees F + No Wind = Hot
Latitude: 08 degrees 27.034 minutes S
Longitude: 119 degrees 26.868 minutes E
Location: Teluk Batu Monco, NW Komodo Island, Indonesia
It is a good life out here. We snorkeled early morning, mid-day, and late afternoon today. Mark has decided that he is coming back as a fish in his next life and I’m right with him. We both really enjoy observing the underwater life and it is so varied and beautiful here. It is truly killing me that we don’t have our underwater camera. The Komodos have one of the best underwater environments in the world and we will just have to carry the memory with us with no photos. How sad.
We tried to do a drift snorkel between the islands of Lawa Laut and Lawa Darat early this morning. We went at low water slack tide, but the depths were too low. We ended up in 18 inches of water far away from the pass and had to paddle our way out. Evidently that drift snorkel must be done at high water slack tide. But no information we have told us that. Now we know. So we came back to the western most part of the bay where we were anchored and jumped in the water there. We just pulled the dinghy behind us and enjoyed the views. Our greatest find was a young green sea turtle. At first we thought it was hurt as it just did not move, but when Mark dove down she took off. When we returned to Windbird, we pulled up anchor and motored the eight miles to Monco Bay. It looked deserted which seemed delightful, but we knew Scot Free was there somewhere. As we entered further into the bay we spotted them and ended up anchoring near them in the southern end of the bay. Not long after we arrived Shirena came in followed by the Turkish boat, Kayitsiz. We had talked to Oskan while we were snorkeling in Lawa Laut this morning and told him about Monco Bay. He told us then that he thought he might come along later in the morning and join us. And then two more boats came in, Harbor Lights from Australia and Glass Slipper from the US. Unfortunately Harbor Lights lost their propeller on the way here and though all of us in this anchorage have spare propellers, none of us have an extra prop that will fit their boat. So they are going to have to try and sail all the way to Bali. They are a very light racing type boat, so maybe they will make it. I would hate to think that we would have to do that. We have wind here in the passes between the Komodo Islands, but once we head west across Sumbawa, I think the wind will die once again and we will be part of “Motor Indonesia.”
Once we got settled in here, Mark and I took off in the dinghy for the beach on the eastern side of this anchorage. We had read about others who snorkeled there and called it the “Japanese Garden” because of the beautifully spaced coral. We found it to be an interesting snorkeling area, and with a little imagination it looked like a Japanese garden, but the coral was not as beautiful as we had hoped. I did see a Map Puffer which was huge. It was a very special sighting. When we got back to Windbird we did a little snorkeling between the boat the beach just to check it out, but we didn’t fully explore the area until later in the day near low tide. It is so wonderful to be able to just jump in the water from the boat and see such beautiful underwater life. We are staying here tomorrow and will fully explore our back yard.
by Judy Handley | Aug 31, 2008 | Indonesia Rinca to Lombok, Sailing Logs Year 3 |
Day 114, Year 3: Pink Beach to Gili Lawa Laut
Date: Hari Minggu (Sunday), Bulan Agustus 31, Pada Tahan 2008
Weather: Windy and Beautiful; Winds SE 15-20
Latitude: 08 degrees 26.856 minutes S
Longitude: 119 degrees 34.115 minutes E
Location: Gili Lawa Laut, Komodo Island, Indonesia
I think we have turned a corner. We are slowly, ever so slowly leaving the Komodos and when we do we will be leaving Eastern Nusa Tengarra behind. The next island is Sumbawa, then Lombok, and then Bali. And we are getting reports that the next island of Sumbawa is very different from where we have been. We know that Sumbawa is a very poor island, but what we didn’t know until this evening is that boats that are ahead of us have actually had their lines cut right off their boats. This means that all of the ropes that hang from our mast and raise and lower our sails (those are the halyards) and the sheets (ropes) that pull our headsail and staysail from side to side, could be cut and we would not be able to sail. Not to mention the cost of replacing those lines. So we are now seriously considering an overnight sail far offshore that will take us from the eastern most port on Sumbawa Island to Lombok. It is less than 200 nautical miles, but if we do that from port to port, it will take
us four days and lots of worries at night about what might be taken from our boat while we are sleeping. We have had no problems like this up to this point in Indonesia and it is really a shame to think that this kind of activity on one island could blemish the reputation for the whole archipelago. There were also reports of theft from boats that took the southern route from Kupang to here. Those were the surfers trying to get the waves that hit the southern coasts of these islands, but evidently they encountered theft from people posing as the Indonesian Coast Guard. As we suspected, it is probably best to come through this country following the rally route. This way we have the protection of numbers as well as the Indonesian representatives. Raymond and Dewi Lesmana are our “front men.” They reach each rally destination just before us and prepare the local people to welcome us. Sometimes that has meant that they have prepared the locals to charge us a little more than the local price for fuel and that infuriates many, but we figure that the increased price is a small price to pay for being welcomed in this beautiful country.
We actually got to sail today from the Pink Beach anchorage on eastern Komodo to this little island on the northeast coast. Gili means island and we are anchored in Gili Lawa Laut (laut means marine). This is the premier dive site in Indonesia, so there are lots of dive boats here, but the snorkeling is just so so. Shirena stopped in the island just south of here, Gili Lawa Darat. Safina went on to Monco Bay to join Scot Free II. We snorkeled here today plan to take a long dinghy ride early in the morning to do a drift snorkel between Lawa Darat and Lawa Laut. Low tide is at 6 am, but unfortunately we are in a new moon phase which means tides and currents are almost impossible to predict here. Two different dive boats in the anchorage today got the timing all wrong and had divers drifting very far afield. Their formula is that the least current is one to two hours after low or high tide. Our experience tells us that in the past couple of days, the least current is closer to 30 minutes
to an hour after high or low. So we are going to go with our “local knowledge” and see what happens. We have other cruisers here in the anchorage that we can call on our portable VHF if we get stuck somewhere, so I think we will be fine. After our early morning drift snorkel between the two islands, we will come back to Windbird and head to Monco Bay. The snorkeling there is supposed to be over what are referred to as the Japanese Gardens. Evidently the coral looks like it has been planted and spaced perfectly. There are not supposed to be the same number of fish that we have been seeing, but it sounds delightful. From there we go to one more island, then on to eastern Sumbawa and on across to Lombok. It sounds like a ‘drift sail’ across many miles to me. And I can’t wait to reach Gili Air in Lombok. I have heard such wonderful reports of this place and of Bali. I’m ready to get there.
by Judy Handley | Aug 30, 2008 | Indonesia Rinca to Lombok, Sailing Logs Year 3 |
Day 113, Year 3: A Walk on Komodo Island
Date: Hari Sabtu (Saturday), Bulan Agustus 30, Pada Tahan 2008
Weather: Rain Overnight, but Beautiful Day
Latitude: 08 degrees 36.352 minutes S
Longitude: 119 degrees 31.479 minutes E
Location: Pantai Merah (Pink Beach), Komodo Island, Indonesia
It is the dry season here and the locals tell us they never have rain this time of year, but we have had rain every day since we arrived in Labuan Bajo. We thought we were not going to have rain yesterday, but during the night we had a nice little down pour. We woke up this morning to low clouds hanging in the mountains surrounding us, but by the time we picked up anchor and headed north, the clouds dissipated and it was another stellar day. We arrived in Telok Slawi on the northeast side of Komodo Island by 9 am and worked our way behind the island of Punja. This anchorage is called Pink Beach or Pantai Merah, but so far we have failed to see the ‘pink’ in Pink Beach. Safina was already here and Shirena came in with us. Shortly after we arrived we got in our dinghies and headed into Soro Lia Bay to the Komodo National Park ranger station at Loh Liang. It was a long dinghy ride but the views of Komodo Island from Soro Lia Bay are striking and our walk on the island more than compensated for the long ride. We were connected with a ranger when we arrived and we set off on the “medium level” hike. We were immediately struck with the difference between Rinca and Komodo. Where we hiked on Rinca the land looked like African savanna. On Komodo, we were immediately in forest land teeming with Timor deer and lots of birds. There are no monkeys on Komodo, so the bird population thrives here. And although dragons are bigger here, there are not as many as on Rinca, so there are more deer.
At the same time, the abundance of ‘food’ is why the dragons are bigger here. As we walked we saw lots of deer and wild boar, but no dragons. Iefan was our main guide and Usman was the guide that followed us. They never let you walk here without one guide in front and one in the back. They carry the big sticks to deal with the dragons should there be a problem. But we had no problems, just a delightful walk with lots of animal sightings.
By the time we returned to Windbird, it was too far into a rising tide to be able to snorkel off Pink Beach. Actually there was quite a rip tide there as we passed in the dinghy, so we are going to try an early morning snorkel here before heading further north. For the next four days, our daily objective will be to find the best snorkeling spots in which to anchor. We read today why the fish life here is so abundant. The Komodo islands lie in the pass between Flores and Sumbawa. The north to south currents are strong here and bring in sea water that is very nutrient rich. Therefore, we are finding abundant sea life. Unfortunately the information about where to find the sea life is not as abundant, so we have to search. Hopefully tomorrow’s search will be successful.
by Judy Handley | Aug 29, 2008 | Indonesia Rinca to Lombok, Sailing Logs Year 3 |
Day 112, Year 3: Beautiful, Peaceful Southern Rinca Island
Date: Hari Jumat (Friday), Bulan Agustus 29, Pada Tahan 2008
Weather: Beautiful Day; No More Dark Clouds and Sprinkles
Location: Lehok Uwada Dasami, Rinca Island, Komodos, Indonesia
We spent a very peaceful day here in Lehok Uwada Dasami. We tried to do a high tide snorkel on the bommie where we saw the unbelievable underwater life yesterday, but the current was just too strong. I was the sacrificial lamb that got in to the water, but I could only hold my own. There was no way I could swim forward. So we abandoned that idea and with Robert and Tina of Shirena, we headed to across the bay to the shores of Nusa Kode which is the island that sits in the middle of this bay.
It turned out to be a nice snorkeling area with lots of fish and even turtles. It was nothing like we saw yesterday, but it was good for a starter for today. We then went back to our boats to do daily chores and to prepare for the afternoon return to the bommie where we snorkeled yesterday. We returned there at 3 pm which we determined to be low tide. We simply have to use our observations for exact tide times and there is no “official” guide. Our timing was perfect and we all spent an hour in fantasy land. I have never even imagined swimming with so many fish. Today there were hundreds of fish in any direction we ventured. What an experience. I’m not sure we will ever see anything like this again in this lifetime and it was absolutely killing me that our underwater camera is not working. Tina does have an underwater camera and she did get some pictures today. I can’t wait to take a look at those.
We had Tina and Robert over for dinner and spent a lovely evening with them. One of the greatest things about cruising is meeting other cruisers and sharing these special parts of the world together. Jean-Pierre and Colette on Safina left early this morning but we will catch up with them tomorrow. This has been one of our favorite anchorages this cruising season, putting it right up there with Lizard Island. This one was even more special, however, as we had it all to ourselves. There was one live-aboard dive boat in the next little nook, but nothing else other than monkeys and dragons to distract us. Tomorrow we will move seventeen nautical miles to Komodo Island to an anchorage known as Pink Beach. We talked to Safina on the radio tonight and they reported that they arrived there today and find it a beautiful anchorage as well. Maybe it really does get better than this.
by Judy Handley | Aug 28, 2008 | Indonesia Rinca to Lombok, Sailing Logs Year 3 |
Day 111, Year 3: WOW!
Date: Hari Kamis (Thursday), Bulan Agustus 28, Pada Tahan 2008
Weather: Beautiful Morning/Afternoon; Dark Clouds and Sprinkles Late
Latitude: 08 degrees 46.529 minutes S
Longitude: 119 degrees 39.231 minutes E
Location: Lehok Uwada Dasami, Rinca Island, Komodos, Indonesia
We keep thinking that things can’t get any better. We have seen such beauty, but today we saw even more spectacular beauty than we have experienced in our voyage to date. Wow! Our early morning walk on Rinca Island was not as good as our shorter walk yesterday afternoon. But we did see mating Komodos and another very large male and a smaller female. We also saw Timor deer, but we didn’t see any water buffalo this morning. But even though we didn’t see everything, the walk was wonderful. You get a real feel for the life here as you walk across the island.
Once we returned to Windbird, we pulled up anchor and headed for the south side of Rinca Island. Safina and Shirena came with us but we left Scot Free behind. They are going to make a bee line for a beautiful anchorage in northern Komodo and stay there for a week. They should have really good snorkeling there and we will be there in three or four days, but will only stay two days in that area. Our course led us south and the scenery was stark and beautiful. This area reminds us of the Galapagos with a little Greece thrown in. Once we reached our bay on the south side of Rinca we searched for a place to anchor. There were no other sailboats here, but there were two live-aboard dive boats on the two moorings that are here. These boats are just like the one we traveled on for five days in the Galapagos-another similarity. Once we anchored we headed to a bommie in the middle of the bay to snorkel. The water is cooler here, so we were prepared for a short snorkel. Just as we were getting in the water, a diver from California surfaced close to us and told us that we were in for a treat. He explained that the water has been a little green here the past couple of days, but that there is plenty of life to view. We got in the water and were immediately transported to a fantasy world. There were sooooooooooo many fish and the coral was just spectacular. There were more anemone fish than I have ever seen and they were so big. And there was coral that looks like an amenone but it has bright white tips. The parrot fish were huge and there were Moorish Idols, and pink fish, and orange fish, and blue fish. A new fish first observed today was the blue tang or palette surgeonfish. This dark blue fish has a bright neon blue design that looks like an artist’s palette and then a bright yellow tail. It is stunning. And the different types of corals and sponges and feather stars were just overwhelming. We saw very small lionfish, huge parrotfish, and the most beautiful and varied coral of any place we have ever snorkeled. So needless to say, we are staying another day and doing an early morning and late afternoon snorkel.
When we returned from snorkeling, we attempted to take pieces of apple to the beach to attract the monkeys. But the tide was too low and there was just too much coral. But our little side trip gave us another beautiful view of the coral just under the dinghy. We can’t snorkel here close to the island as there might be Komodo dragons in the water, so we will just have to enjoy it from the dinghy. Once back on the boat, we saw monkeys on the beach, a Timor deer, and one dragon. We had hoped for more wildlife on the beach, but we can’t complain. All in all, it was one fantastic day.
Safina is moving on tomorrow, so it will be just Shirena and Windbird will be left here to enjoy the beauty. And that we will.
by Judy Handley | Aug 27, 2008 | Indonesia Rinca to Lombok, Sailing Logs Year 3 |
Day 110, Year 3: Fantastic Snorkeling, Komodo Dragons, Water Buffalo, and Monkeys
Date: Hari Rabu (Wednesday), Bulan Agustus 27, Pada Tahan 2008
Weather: Beautiful Morning; Cloudy Afternoon; Rainy Evening
Latitude: 08 degrees 39.132 minutes S
Longitude: 119 degrees 42.817 minutes E
Location: Lehok Buaya, Rinca Island, Komodos, Indonesia
What a fantastic day! Windbird decided to make a stop at Kelor Island on our way to Rinca. I had read that a couple of years ago there were really nice coral gardens there just teeming with fish and I just had to see for myself. There was a caution in the recommendation saying that the fishermen were winning the battle against those trying to protect the reefs, and when we arrived the first thing we saw were fish traps. So I guess the fishermen are winning. But even with fish traps there was
still some great snorkeling. I saw a few things today that I have never seen before. There were anemones with bright neon green and bright, bright blue bases. They were so bright that they looked unreal. And we saw a small white fish with a bright yellow top and turquoise pectoral fins. I can’t find this fish anywhere in the books, but I will keep looking. We saw Mustache Triggerfish which are just fascinating to watch as their fins flutter as they move through the water. I didn’t know what
they were until I got back and identified them and I am really glad the ones I was following were not mating or guarding a nest. Evidently these guys can bit through metal and can inflict a wound needing many stitches if you get too close to them at the wrong time. Good information to know. And the most outstanding fish of the day was a juvenile Harlequin Sweetlips. These beautiful fish look a bit like a clownfish except that they are brown with white splotches outlined in black. Klinton, Donna
and Gerry’s son on Scot Free, literally jumped ship and came snorkeling with us. We anchored Windbird and then circumnavigated Kelor Island pulling the dinghy behind us in case there were currents and we couldn’t make it around. We snorkeled for almost two hours and then headed to Rinca with Klinton.
Once we got anchored in Lehok Buaya on the north side of Rinca Island, we went ashore to check in with the National Park Service. Scot Free, Safina, and Shirena were all waiting for us on the dock. There was a good sized Komodo dragon lazing on the rocks by the dock to greet us and a family of long-tailed Macaques. These little monkeys are fascinating to watch and they look at you and study what you are doing with great intensity. Once we pulled ourselves away from the dock, we walked to the
park office. Indonesians have learned the value of their resources and are now charging the equivalent of about $38 US for an eight-day pass. Figuring this out was a bit of a hassle, but then we were taken on a two kilometer walk as our first introduction to the island. Raymond and Mister Monco were our guides and both men were actually born here on Rinca. We walked by the housing for Park personnel as well as the cabins for tourists and observed three good-sized Komodos who evidently live right
under the houses that are on posts that are about four feet off the ground. I guess this keeps the wildlife out. We then started climbing a hill that gave us a great view of the housing area and the anchorage. Rinca is a very dry, hilly island. This being the dry season, the hills are a golden brown and the green mangroves around the edges make it quite picturesque. We climbed up and then down to a dry river bed where we saw our first water buffalo. These guys have huge horns and are very substantial
creatures. We walked on and spotted our first dragons in the wild. We actually came upon a pair that was mating. July and August are the mating months, and the pair that we spotted allowed us to walk around them to take pictures and video. The guides carry a long stick with a fork at the end and are always ready to hold the head down of any dragon that becomes aggressive. Actually Mark, Jean-Pierre, and Robert also carried walking sticks today as well as the guides, so we were well protected.
As we walked we saw orange-footed scrubfowl like the ones we first saw in Australia, more dragons and monkeys, but no Timor horses or wild boar.
All in all, today was just great. I feel like I visited Disneyland and Epcot all in one day. We get up early tomorrow to go on the 6:30 am five kilometer walk around the island. It should take us two to three hours. The dragons are much more active in the morning, so hopefully we will see more of them as well as other wildlife. But even if we see none, we feel like we had quite a show today. When we get back to Windbird, we will pull up anchor and head for the Lehok Uwadi Dasami. This is the
southern bay on this island where we have read that we can sit on our boats and watch the dragons, water buffalo, and monkeys all foraging on the beach. It’s a wonderful life out here.
