Kroko Atoll

A long and hot day of motoring and sailing took us to an anchorage at Gedong. There was still enough light as we anchored, for a quick snorkel 'reccy' to inspect the anchorage and its environs for the true proximity to any bombies ,that could cause an issue during the night if we swung. The anchor looked good,holding in  sand
The only other boat in the bay was a local boat and as the evening drew in we watched as 8 canoes were loaded on board by the occupants , the canoes lying athwartships across the foredeck . We assumed, as we could count 12-16 adult males on board that they would shortly be underway to a village nearby. Wrong again! A meal was prepared in the aft (covered ) area, and somehow they all  fitted in and ate and then slept. I'm talking about an area that could not have been more than 4m x2m. There was no belowdeck space- it was an open boat , apart from the awning structure over the aft end. They departed about 0530, for another days work, I guess.
As they departed another deeply laden , local boat appeared in the bay. Ran its bow up on the beach and sat there. The nearby village, which was apparently over the hill, deduced as we watched a small 4wd appear, from that direction, was about to be re-supplied. We watched as the villagers appeared and via the age old human chain method , unloaded the boat. Fuel, masonry , pipes, food, all manhandled ashore ashore onto the beach, into the vehicle and away.

An excellent sail in the morning and afternoon, with the usual doldrum intervention as the wind changed from one direction to the other, took us to the gorgeous Kroko Atoll.

Kroko Atoll,  anchored in 13m.

Alone,as usual in the anchorage  on the south side of the island, we could see a phinisi and another dive boat on the northern side ,as their divers drifted along the northern face. We snorkelled in our own paradise.

looking south  across to Pulau Adonara

interesting looking creature- first time we have seen this one.

Adonara

The mainland of  the island of Adonara was a mile away to the south, across a fairly robust current stream, however we had more visitors at this anchorage than anywhere in Indonesia.At sunrise we were offered and bought a fresh mackeral and a bunch of bananas, from an early morning salesman- paddling home we assume. Next Rudi and his 3 boys, were after some water, and a spot of conversation,and whatever else we were willing to part with- which was another soccer ball.Just as we had heaved the anchor and were in the process of departing, a third boat arrived,but we were already underway. I hope he wasn't the crayfish salesman, but we will never know!

Tuna fishermen- Batu Boga

The duelling mosques and  crowing poultry, had us underway early , which was good as we had a longish day planned.

Did I mention early start?

well we might be underway early but this guy had come from somewhere even earlier, here he is inbound to the market

Batu Boga (west) was our next planned anchorage.

As it transpired, its a 'des res sleepover ' for the fishermen as well.
On arrival we found half a dozen canoes  at anchor. Sitting more to seaward from the anchored canoes, was a slightly more sturdy vessel, the crew of which indicated we should nose our way closer to the anchored canoes , "no problem ,not in their way".
This fine vessel, was a mothership /bunker station to the fishermen in their canoes.

As we sat watching the sunset,expecting the anchored canoes to begin dispersing for the nights fishing we realised these guys were different. Their day was done and they were in fact cooking their meal before sleeping. More and more canoes arrived at the mothership.

Now we haven't had a lot of success fishing this trip, despite dragging lures for a considerable distance. We have in fact lost a lure up in the Anambas Islands, then the weather was so dire, we didn't bother for a couple of weeks, as I wasn't going to be gutting and cleaning anything that actually suicided on the line in those conditions. Then we just stopped bothering.So the truth is we have caught nothing,zilch, zero, and had concluded it was nothing to do with our pathetic attempts at hunting and gathering, but more so because the seas were devoid of fish. I mean , look at the number of  FAD's we had passed and canoes we daily encounter all buzzing about  trolling lines- obviously there was little to be captured.
Well that convenient myth that we had invented to make ourselves feel less inadequate , was well and truly quashed in Batu Boga .
Canoe after canoe arrived with tuna. BIG tuna. So big I don't actually know how there was room for the fisherman and the tuna in the same canoe! Some had up to three tuna.

Each fish was lifted from canoe to mothership, amidst what we assume was much banter and noise.It  was then weighed, from the scales slung amidship on the mother boat, much scribbling took place and eventually a piece of paper was handed to the fisherman , who then moved off and either anchored or rafted  himself up to another canoe, and settled down for the evening.

They departed to start their day about 0200. We heard the engines ,as one by one they departed.Oddly we didn't see any of them the next day.I wonder how far out to sea they travel to land their catches?

Lingeh Bay to Riung

Leaving Waecica Beach we next anchored at Lingeh Bay.
Here we were visited by two kids, sister and younger brother,in a canoe,who paddled well over a mile to come and say hello.

soccer ball  in the canoe-time to go

They hung off the stern,and asked where we had come from and going to.We asked them about schooling and the village. Then I remembered that my nephew had left on board,a plastic soccer ball ,  which he had had a couple of years ago in KK. This we donated to the young chap, who was made up with it.It was far more of a problem to come up with something suitable for his sister, in the end the best we could do, which in reality was probably akin to forbidden fruit , was some chocolate bars.

Just on sunset, as the fishing canoes were setting off for the night ,we had one more visitor, a chap in his 50s paddled by and asked if we had a hat/cap. Unfortunately, due to natural attrition through out the trip to date, we did not have a spare, then he opted for a book, so he left with Stewart Grainger's biography! The local village here seemed to be Christian.

Next anchorage  was Riung.
A  pleasant anchorage , just off the village beach and jetty,which made access ashore a breeze. It's a regular stop for the rally which sails through Indonesia, so they were used to yachts anchoring off.
Deceptively large village, complete with ATMs, a village market, from whence we departed with bananas , mangoes, greens and a few vegetables to top up supplies. and a couple more balls which we purchased to pass on at another anchorage if  we had more visitors who would appreciate them. Dinner ashore on the beach at Rico Rico.

streetscape- solid fencing though.

Ssters- inquisitive and keen to talk to us in English, they even helped us ashore from our dinghy.

Spider boat- up close. this is what they fish from,and boy are they fast.

and even closer.

Waecicu Beach. Labuan Bajo. Flores

We anchored in this delightfully quiet bay, just a headland north of the port of Labuan Bajo on the island of Flores .We were working on the basis that if we needed to go to 'town' we could , by taxi (10-15mins ) and thus bypass the necessity (or otherwise) depending on your information source, of having to pay the Harbour Master a visit.

What we were in need of, was topping up the mobile phones.

We went ashore to the Plataran Resort which was nestled in the northern end of the bay. They were happy for us to be there , so we dined at the restaurant by the water (Atlantis on the Rock), which gave us a birds eye view of both K'Gari at anchor and the ominous grey clouds that were building steadily to the south. The meal was delightful although we did over indulge as Peter has a particular weakness for banana fritters, which unfortunately were on the menu. One dish between us would have been more than adequate, but we didn't know that, so instead in a moment of weakness I ordered a serving as well.

That's about 10 too many, on top of the nasi goreng and chicken satay.

It wasn't  your standard single banana fritter , it was an entire plate of them , or to be more precise two plates!

The incredibly helpful and obliging Anton at the resort proper assisted us with the mystery of the phone recharge- something that is still a total mystery to me, but we had discovered very early in the our time in Indonesia ,that resorts  seem to be able to add recharge amounts to your phone. Thus we left both sated and recharged and avoiding the necessity of going to 'town'.

Our first foray on Flores being concluded to our entire satisfaction

Changing an anode under water-chalking up another experience.

It was so beautiful at Sebayur Kecil, that we were in no hurry to leave.

Its a popular spot with the divers, there was a constant stream of boats, depositing their divers and drifting off after them. It's also obviously used for learner divers, as there were a couple of groups of them ,flailing around us, in one case.

With the water being as clear as it was and although it was a popular drift dive location, the mooring we had picked up was not in the stream, so I thought it was time to try an in water anode change on the starboard propeller.

I have hooker gear on board- worth its weight in gold, so I will, give them a free plug - Power Dive, a West Australian company. They call it a deck snorkel. Great product and just what I need for underhull work.
I had ummed and arghed for a while , trying to decide between a scuba tank or the Power Dive gear. In the end, the simple idea of endless air ( provided I have battery power), was a huge decider over the issue of a tank, which needs refilling, then a  b.c.d to attach said bottle to, the thought of the tank hitting the hull as I work below etc etc , all made the Power Dive unit a clear winner in my mind.

Before - well consumed 

The anodes I have are changeable in the water, however , far easier to do when the boat is out of the water. As usual it was the amount of grunt I needed to undo what remained of the existing anode, that was the issue. Several different 'schemes' failed to start the undoing process, when I remembered some advice from Steve, that many things can be 'helped' to freedom, by a short sharp tap to break the tension. So hammer in hand, allen key in position and a swift tap or two, well , swift in the context of treading water in 15m depth to stay in position , whilst aiming to hit nothing more then the shaft of the allen key. It did the trick, and from that point on, it became a relatively simple task to remove and replace- and a judicious spray of WD-40 when back on board has actually prevented both the hammer and the sidchrome shifter (which I also employed in the initial attempts) from rusting.

Now replaced , shiny and new 

Thought I would add these as a small sample from Kecil

Yes , these are in the water-about 3feet down

Sebayur Kecil

              After the dragons we sailed for Sebayur Kecil only 9 miles north of  Rinca.
        I believe the saying is, a picture paints a thousand words, so I shall  say no more.

 Other than to say, a splendid day, dragons, a sublime anchorage,and my birthday -what a wonderful way to celebrate.

Dragon Day

Ok I will let you down gently- it's not real! Just one of a pair of "eco friendly" concrete dragons.

Up betimes, a load of washing done and hung and we were ashore on time and on budget for 0700.

At the jetty head we were met by our guide Agus, and away we went,having decided to book a medium length tour. This we were told would be about an hour and a half.

Apparently the dragons are at their liveliest early in the morning- which when interpreted,means you have more chance of actually seeing one move! As the sun rises, they move about to find the sun rays to warm themselves up.


The very easy rated meander took us through "woodlands" , which were relatively sparsely spaced trees, which then gave way to a moderate  grassy covered incline, which lead to a ridge with many, many palm trees.Then down again towards to a stream and water hole, and apparently favourite haunt of the dragons- but not this morning.They like to hang about the water source as every creature needs to drink at some stage, so when the pigs, deer or monkeys come for a sip, its an ideal time for them to inflict the bite which will eventually kill the victim. Apparently like that other ancient reptile the crocodile, the Komodo dragons have a very effective short distance to speed ratio, and can cover a couple of meters with surprising agility.

'Jessica' at home.

There was only one other group of early morning spotters about, but both of us were out of luck in the wilds. Eventually we approached the first of the two nests which were being occupied. The nest being made of earth. Nobody was home on the first nest, but finally just near the second nest, there taking in the rays, was Jessica. Both the nesting females have been named by the guides. Julia was the absent one.

Back at the Ranger station, there before our eyes, were a dozen of the dragons. Like most creatures , they have figured that there is a much easier food source around the camp, I suspect. It was by now 0830 and they were pretty inert already, so goodness knows what they are like when the day heats up.

Slightly more discreet clothing today!

Spot the log v  dragon

it's my best side!

Ah, shade- could be a warm day.

yes -there is another one.

Another big day at the office and its only 0830!

https://youtu.be/F0uHixDcLwY 
   

Pulau Rinca

As it turns out, despite being known throughout the world, as the famous Komodo Dragons, they are in fact apparently much easier to locate on the island of Rinca, where daily, masses of tourists descend on the island to see these ancient lizards.

So we headed off to Rinca.

Passing safely through 'Shotgun Reef' channel, so called for the speed at which one is expelled from the venturi like passage, as you pass between Gili Lawa Darat and Komodo Island, was thankfully uneventful. The clarity of the water makes it very hard to estimate the true depth beneath ,visually, so we just picked the middle and away we went . I was keeping a lookout forward, but its impossible to tell how deep it really is.All you can do is watch for the really shallow reefy parts!

Gili Lawat  Darat on the rhs, Komodo on the LHS. Made it!

Gili Lawa Darat is obviously  on the dive boat charter circuit for sunrise shots, with  a clear path leading to the summit of the island, and the number of  boats there so early in the morning led us to that conclusion.
Passing by the photogenic  Makassar Reef, surrounded by phinisi and divers doing their thing , we continued on to Rinca.

Arrived in the anchorage at the head of the bay just after lunch, and watched the non stop arrivals and departures of the tourists, until we decided just after 1500hrs  to go ashore and book our tour for the following  morning at the ranger station.

just a sample of the comings and goings for the afternoon.We particularly liked the 'floating wedding cake'

Who is that?
Might tone the dress code down a bit tomorrow, just in case bright colours frighten them.
Hmmm, perhaps slightly more 'sensible ' footwear wouldn't go astray either .This was after all,only a reccy/booking foray though . Didn't seem to scare the monkeys which abound.

Pulau Medang to Komodo- Loh Serau

Another cracking sunrise- but by far the coolest to date

Sailing for 24 hours, a great sail,almost cracking 10 knots at one stage, had us arriving at 0700  in the very beautiful bay of  Loh Serau  which was completely devoid of  any other boats.The last few hours from about 0400 onwards, were the coldest I have felt since starting this adventure.
Piece by piece I found myself adding to my attire. No sarong, or shorts and shirt this morning.Sunrise found me in long jeans, a jumper and wet weather jacket, just to stop the chill factor. At eight and half degrees south of the equator I wasn't expecting to be quite so cool.

During the night we had passed a real live smoking/active volcano, Pulau Sangeang. Using my night vision scope, it was easy to detect the lava at the summit.

Who put that anchor down aft? I'm sure it was at the other end last night!

The water was stunningly clear- again. I keep saying it,but when you are in it, or on it, and it is so clear, its just worth spruking about it.

https://youtu.be/O4c4u-1JfiA

The bay may have been devoid of boats but there were fish a plenty, (its a National Park) and something was stirring up the wee ones who were putting on a stunning display for us as they tried to evade what ever lurked beneath. They were up and out of the water, making it shimmer as the "flew" trying to escape.None of the video really captured the almost sine wave formation they were moving in.The noise they made was what alerted us each time to their activity, as they moved out of and above and then back into the water in pack formation.A definite case of safety in numbers I suspect.

The land surrounding the bay  itself hardly resembles a verdant tropical paradise.It seems relatively tree less- whether this is natural or not I don't know. It is certainly mountaneous, but very very dry.
 We walked along the beach , inspecting the "finds" - just the usual, plastic ,plastic ,plastic and oh yes, more plastic,with the odd shoe/sandal thrown in for variation. Sad, but true.

We slept,explored the beach- keeping a very weather eye out for the famed lizards and snorkelled, and later in the evening a couple of Phinisi - Indonesian traditional boats, arrived to also anchor in our bay.
These Phinisi , were engaged in the dive tourism industry.

One of them was stunning- obviously the way to do a dive trip, if you can afford it. Si Datu Bua- look it up if you want. It'
s available for charter from $84000 per week- and  that isn't Indonesian Rupia!

Sunset at Loh Serau

A rather piratical looking Phinisi if the foreground, with a real smoking volcano behind
Pulau Sangeang

Lombok to Sumbawa

Crossing from Lombok to Sumbawa we had an excellent sail and anchored about 1600 for the night in a bay at Medang Island. Another peaceful bay,and this one afforded the chance to get at that duckweed.

https://youtu.be/gAjNjs1q3dk

Damn duckweed -it just loves this water temperature

  

The first attempt at anchoring , sounded a bit 'corally' although it had appeared to be a sandy patch. That is the trouble when arriving with the sun at a low angle, its very hard to see the bottom unless the water is crystal clear.

Having let go in 10m, but not quite able to make out what I could hear the chain scraping over, the easiest solution was into the water with face mask and fins to survey the situation.
Sure enough, we had dropped the anchor on sand but there was a bombie (coral head) that the chain was scraping near. Back on board to report and we heaved up, moved a little further away to the west and re-anchored, this time in 7m,  without the accompanying scraping noises.

The first anchorage would probably have been fine, but as , as was usual for us , we were the only boat in the entire bay, it was easier to heave up straight away , before the boat swung around and ensnared the bombie with the chain which would possibly have meant having to dive on it in the morning, if we couldn’t heave the anchor.

Next destination , Komodo ,an all night sail away.

Gili Lawang to  Pulau Medang