... try and find us

Komodo National Park..   this is officially cool! We bashed across the Sape Strait into the Tradewinds to a group of very different islands.   Gone were the dark greens of the lush tropical forests, the soaring volcanos and rugged coastlines.   The Komodo Islands lie in a rain shadow and their rounded and surprisingly low forms are golden with dried grasses and orange clay soil.   A few brave trees cling in the valleys where what water there is must run. Loh Serau at Komodo Island Twenty metres of chain down interesting coral lots of fish, too. Sunsets ... volcanoes ... ho-hum. We anchored for three nights off Komodo Island and, with the exception of a dive Phinisi as a neighbor one night, we had the bay to ourselves.   We snorkeled, kayaked and explored the beach, keeping a good eye out for the famed Komodo Dragons.   We saw deer and pigs on the beach in the mornings and evenings and enjoyed stunning sunrises and ...

Sean: Man, I can’t get that song out of my head. Kate: Totally, I’m going again…. I love volcanos I love the sandy beach I love the palm trees I love when monkeys screech I love the whole world So many things to see Boom De Yada Boom De Yada Boom De Yada Boom De Yada I love the Trade Winds I love our #4 I love Navionics I love our crew rapport I love the whole world And being part of it Boom De Yada Boom De Yada Boom De Yada Boom De Yada volcanoes ... sandy beaches ... monkeys ... Navionics ... Number 4 headsail ... (with kudos to our  favorite Discovery Channel theme song for inspiring our little ditty)

Blue sky ... nice sand ... you get the idea. Western Lombok was marvellous.  The island of Gili Air is blessed with a deep channel (over 2,000 metres deep at some points) and strong current close by, which keeps the water clear and largely rubbish-free.   We picked up a mooring on the east (windy side) and went ashore to find that this motorized-vehicle-less island was navigable by foot, horse-cart or bicycle.  We opted for the latter and made our way to the western, wind-free side of the island to enjoy a rest day ashore.  Sandy beaches, fair snorkeling and a quiet packed lunch rounded out our day ashore.  We had our evening scrabble game interrupted by a honking dive boat that returned to claim its unmarked mooring ball ... well after dark.  This could have ended in confrontation as they insisted we move (even though it was dark and we told them we wouldn't be able to safely put down an anchor), but we negotiated beautifully.  We had them find...

Today, we crossed the Lombok Strait.  With Bali and Mount Agung in our wake, we headed due east towards Lombok and the towering Mount Rinjani.  With 25kn of wind on the beam and a timid half-heady out, we scooted across the mere 25nm in four hours.  In doing so, we have crossed: A strait that experiences some of the strongest tidal flows on Earth One of the main channels for the Indonesian Flow-Through where water from the Pacific flows into the Indian Ocean A body of water that has ocean transport rates of between 2-4,000,000 m3/s And we have crossed the Wallace Line which separates the ecozones of Asia and Australasia.  So it is farewell to the monkeys, deer and squirrels and hello to possums, cockatoos and wallabies!

Kate: It never gets old, huh? Sean: Nope. Kate: it kind of makes you want to.... Sean: Break into song? Kate: Yep I love the ocean, I love the clear blue skies, I love the dolphins, I love when fishes fly, I love the whole world, It's such a brilliant place, Boom De Yada, Boom De Yada, Boom De Yada, Boom De Yada ...  

We had a smooth 224nm trip from Bawean to Banya Wedang Bay on the NW end of Bali.  Other than a short stint of 10kn on the nose with a steep chop due to current, we had smooth motoring for the journey.  Crossing the Bali Sea, we were treated to whales surfacing and pods of dolphins playing allowing Heather to tick of a couple more items from her bucket list! The anchorage is in a beautifully protected bay surrounded by high-end resorts tucked in behind trees.  We were anchored of the gorgeous Menjangan Dynasty Resort which offers an eco-firendly, glamping experience.  We planned a two-week stopover to arrange visa extensions. We are here! Heather and Charlie 'jumped ship' and parked at a resort complete with a bed that doesn't rock, hot shower and foo foo drinks!  Being weekend, we arranged to all go sight-seeing.  Heather organized a driver who picked us all up and took us on tour! Our driver Nyoman ( balidriverhire ) was fabulous.  Between ...