This trip took off with a false start. Saturday morning, just after I got up, a squall came over. I am sitting inside contemplating to leave in the rain or not when I hear some shouting from the fishing boats docked nearby. I get outside and look around, just to notice that the docks were close and getting closer. That anchor was dragging. So I get outside in the rain in my underwear. The concrete dock was already too close to pay out more chain and hope the anchor would bite with that. So time to start the engine, of course that took too long, the concrete was literally one meter from the stern when the engine fired up. Motored away and then had to make up my mind. Try to anchor again or leave. Decided that leaving was the easiest. So starting winching the anchor up and motored out, with the kayak in tow. Once outside slowed down and lifted the kayak on board. 15 Minutes later things cleared up and we were underway.
For the rest of the day there was marginal wind. Did some sailing, since the engine is not very happy right now, but made progress only slowly. Late in the afternoon the wind became so light that I decided I might as well keep myself occupied and get the gennaker up. And, so I did, first time since the repair, took a little while to untangle it all, since the sailmaker had not folded it up such that it would come out of the sail bag ready to go. But the repair looks good and had about 2 hours of sailing with it. Then even the last bit of wind died and since the sky looked dark I decided to bring down and fold the gennaker before any rain or nasty weather.
Floated around for most of the night until somewhere around 3 in the morning when some wind appeared. Hoisted main and unfurled genoa for some sailing till that wind disappeared as well and motored the last 35 miles. Took me a while to make up my mind where to go in KK, there are a few marinas, and a number of possible anchorages in the pilot and from noonsite.com. But I had a hard time figuring what was where. Ended up going to the Yacht Club, where you can anhor off the beach. Dark clouds started to close in on me, and the engine started to struggle even more. Got the anchor down and when I tried to pull on it in reverse the engine left me. The rain was getting closer, and just managed to tie down the main sail before the storm got there. Did not have time to put the sail covers on, so my sails have been getting a wash down.
After waiting for about an hour for the worst rain to go by I paddled the kayak to the Yacht Club, and that is where I am sitting now, with live music and a meal later. Nice place. Tomorrow morning time to do the paper work and then I really need to find a good diesel mechanic.
The band at the Fortune bar in Kudat.
Ship on the horizon.
Mount Kinabalu (4100 meters high) in the morning.
Off shore supply ship on the way to an oil rig. There is some oil exploration in the area: Orient Explorer was shooting seismic only a few miles north of Borneo.
Dark clouds approaching over Kota Kinabalu.
Seems like the Morning Light and concrete have some kind of attraction…