Conquest of the South China Sea 12th-17th June 2015

Nha Trang to Kota Kinabalu.

Weather forecast checked and seems suitable. We have waited a day to let a bit of a blow pass through, no point in venturing out for the first time into something unpleasant that we could easily avoid.

The voyage however, still took a bit longer than anticipated.

An untested brand new boat, with three or four day sails around Nha Trang harbour to our tally. That at least allowed us to make some educated guesses at estimating likely voyage speed for the expected prevailing wind , and probable fuel consumption, if we used the motor(s).

The voyage plan was based on the premise of  the SW'ly trade wind for the first day or two, therefore a nice easy reach across the breeze, then  probably not too much wind once we got over half way and then neared the coast of Borneo.

 The 600 odd mile journey I had planned, would take us not directly across to Kota Kinabalu (KK), which had been the original plan some months before, but a slightly wider track edging around the SW corner of what was quickly becoming "a bit of hotspot".

track of K'Gari across the South China Sea

The Spratly Island group, an infinitesimal speck on my childhood atlas, had been emerging (in the western news world) , as a bit of a contentious issue over the preceding months. In reality for those countries involved, its been ongoing for years. The islands, or sand cays and coral atolls, are actually claimed by each of the following countries, Vietnam, China, Philippines,  Brunei, Malaysia and Taiwan, for the usual chest beating economic reasons. As we were crossing, the Chinese are busy dredging up new additions to the islands they occupy and bunging on airstrips- obviously a new tourist destination is being created!
Various countries , my own included, are demonstrating their rights to send their vessels anywhere in international waters and  navigate through the oceans of the world, with the snappily named, 'freedom of navigation exercises'.

K'Gari however, would take a slightly wider berth and not potentially instigate an international incident, by being in a possibly wrong place, at a wrong time.

I  told my fellow adventurers, that we were stocked up for the extra miles, with suitable supplies of mungbeans, that were just itching to be sprouted, thus providing the daily "greens", chickpeas, and other yummies. Crest fallen faces, until it was divulged that "ok guys, no need to mutiny , there are some baked beans and eggs as well, in our well stocked supply cupboard- but if you want to eat that , you are cooking it , not me"

The  first afternoon we were trying to escape current running to north. I was aware of its existence, but not it's intensity. We estimate it was setting north at about 3 kts . Also surprisingly the wind was on the nose, when it should have been a gentle 10 kts from the starboard side, so basically it meant  motor "sailing" (ie sails up and one engine ticking away), for the first afternoon until about 10pm when wind swung and away we went from the coast at a lovely 5 kts.
That quickly gave way on the second morning to the doldrums for the next two days (Sat and Sun), in the area we should have had the wind, so a bit more motor sailing, and trying to work out how much fuel we were consuming.

The second afternoon, whilst having a snooze in dead flat glassy seas and motor "sailing" ,I  suddenly found myself soaking wet- not a hot flush, it turns out......we had encountered three waves , the result of wash from a ship which had crossed our bow about 20 mins before hand.
 He who was "on watch", was reading one of the many many equipment manuals, that we were still wading through, and didn't spot it. I had the hatch over my bunk open (totally in contravention of the very clear sign suggesting that hatches be kept closed at sea at all times) and we just ploughed straight into it, in a very submarine like fashion , apparently.
So boat duly christened-again!!

Passed through fleets of countless squid boats at night, which are a sight to see all lit up.

Took some brilliant underwater footage with go-pro, of the propellers in the most AMAZING blue water- (4000m of it).

https://youtu.be/wlHNTxdxVEE

https://youtu.be/40z2_VBG2pk

Finally the  wind came away from the correct direction and we had a great sail at about 5-6 kts in 8-10 kt breeze.

the first reef goes in the main

Here comes the first of a few fronts, as it turns out.

Did our first reef in the mainsail , as we watched a front approach, which quickly passed over us.

Perhaps I should have paid more attention in those meteorology classes,but it looks as though it could be a bit unpleasant in there.

The three reefing points on K'Gari

A reef for the uninitiated is not of the coral variety in this instance.It is a way of shortening down the sail. K'Gari has three reef points, so we can create as much, or as little, main sail as we want. Each reef point reduces the sail area by about 20%.The first reef point  removes the bottom metre or so of sail and number two a further meter or so and by the time you have put in reef number three the sail is less than half its normal size. Reefing allows you to continue sailing in control of the boat without overpowering the rig.


Day three and finally some wind but  not really at the correct angle but we were managing a steady 4 knots, in grey overcast conditions, a portent of what was coming. We altered from our pre planned course and cut through north of Bombay Shoal, to get a better wind angle and had a lovely morning sailing under increasingly grey skies. Just before sunset we prudently decided to take mainsail down to third reef, as a precaution. This left about 40% the mainsail set. On we tootled, making about 6-7 kts in 15kt winds.
Apparently we encountered a heavy shower during night, I didn't hear a thing.

Day Four: 0630 I was woken up suddenly as we needed to drop everything for a front which was definitely catching us. Seas getting considerably bumpy.
All done and about 10 mins later it caught up with us as we motored on at a steady 6 kts . As the front closed on us and then passed, the speed under our bare poles increased by a couple of knots, and then dropped back to the steady 6kts.

https://youtu.be/P0iwkRyCcvM

About 1100 the wind was suitable to set the jib alone, and having done that we hit 10 kts ( in a 25 kt gust) under jib alone, then it settled back to a lovely 7.5- 8 kts in about 16 kts of wind. Flying!!!!

Saw first birds for days.

That night we  continued much the same, under jib alone, making good speed. The oil rigs in the distance off  Miri and Brunei, a blaze of lights visible for miles.

Day Five;Wed morning 0300. We found ourselves in 35 kts and increasing seas, thankfully from astern.
We were all up. It was pouring with rain and we had about 2ft of jib out, to help with steerage,  the mainsail had been long ago stowed and a motor running and we were surfing down swells up to 4m at ( top speed recorded of 14 knots) it was unbelievable.

https://youtu.be/dohCS6w_Isk

Boat handled it all brilliantly! Crew handled it brilliantly! Autopilot was magnificent.

We arrived at 1300/17 which was 5days 1hr and 15 mins. Covered 634 miles.

Best part about rotten weather is, not a chance of opportune piracy, by bored fisherman!

Home for  K'Gari for the next ten months.

Five  hours after we arrived in KK, looking out to sea,from the very beautiful and friendly Sutera Harbour Marina, the sea was like a millpond again. How quickly and fiercely does mother nature change?

So K'Gari's first challenge was meet with aplomb!!

 The  choice  I made, selecting this particular brand of boat for future adventures, has been absolutely validated by its maiden voyage performance.

More later, have to go see Customs and Quarantine to check in to Malaysia.