Jeff's Log ~ Sunday, April 20th, 2008

9 57.309N 119 06.268E Enroute to our next anchorage, which is undecided due to weather.

Port Au Princessa was an interesting stop. We proceeded past the commercial shipping area to a basin that contained some fish farms and the yacht club. The housing along the shore line is quite remarkable in the fact that it stays standing. Almost all of the homes are constructed of a woven bamboo over a bamboo frame. The roofs are palm fronds. The yacht club was constructed this way. The dingy dock was also constructed of bamboo platforms that were floating, and in some spots, additional flotation was provided by plastic barrels under the dock platform. All in all, things were built with what is available locally and with methods that have come down through the generations.

Once we were anchored and put the dink in the water, things happened quickly. There was a boat just off our port side from New Zealand called the “Charioteer”. When we arrived ,they were waving, so Mark and I stopped to say hello and get information about checking in with the authorities and so on. They introduced themselves as Bryan and Carol. After a small chat, there was a squall approaching so we had to get moving. They were so nice that they lent us 3700 pesos, so we could get our legal chores done.

Upon entering the yacht club by dingy, we met the manager Nanette, a tiny little lady who can weigh no more than 85 lbs. dripping wet. We told her of our needs, and she promptly made the necessary calls to set us up with transportation. Her cousin “Boots” was there before the second beer was finished. Before we left on our mission, we radioed the boat and asked if anything else was needed. Bill and Donna decided that they wanted to go to town, so Mark went and picked them up while I visited with the people in the bar. There was a fellow named David who walks everywhere he needs to go, and an English lady named Rose Marie who is putting together a small houseboat so she and her husband have an inexpensive place to stay when in town. They also have a house in Manila. Everyone was very impressed with Pipe Dream, and no one could believe that she is 12 years old. They all were saying that they never had a race boat in the anchorage before.

Mark and I took off for town and the first stop was the ATM. I figured that it would be less aggravating to have the boat’s money to work with than to have to keep track of an odd amount of some one else’s money. Then came immigration. The office was entered by going around the back of a small ,wood building, and up a flight and a half of rickety steps. Inside the office was a young lady amidst a bunch of forty to fifty year old office furniture, most of that being stacked full of old boxes of records. The forms were all hand written because the ribbon in the forty year old smith-corona had worn out back in about 1973. We had to pay her 1500pesos. There are about 42pesos to the dollar. Next it was a three-wheeler trip across town to the customs office. No typewriters here, either. They took us into a small office and went to find the guy who was supposed to check us in. Nobody knew where he had gone, so another guy had to do the job. After lots of forms and official stamping over signatures, we were told that now we had to get port clearance from the port authority.

We got back into the three-wheeler and went down there. The port is a secure port, so we were questioned at the gate by a guard who spoke no English. He let us into the secure port with no identification what so ever. At the port authority, they took us right to the inner sanctum and asked us for the exact paper-work from our last port as the customs guy had taken from us and said we wouldn’t need. I went out and got back in the three-wheeler and went back to the customs office. The gentleman that had checked us in was trying not to be found, so I went in and rustled him up. He told me that he would not give me the forms for the harbor master. I went to see the boss lady who then pulled them out of her drawer and sent one of their men to have copies made as they have no copy machines in government offices. He returned shortly, and I went back to the port authority where Mark had finished filling out about a ream of paper-work telling them that we had no live-stock or explosives or heavy machinery, etc., We then had to wait for several people to all put their signatures and stamps on every document before getting our port clearance. Their fee, including a charge for anchoring came to 158pesos…..less than $4.00!!

We went back to the boat and by then every one was getting ready to go to dinner. I was really tired, so I chose to stay on the boat and made a nice dinner from left-over’s that were in the fridge, took a shower, and turned in early.

Captain Scott's Log ~ Sunday, April 27th, 2008

11:46 PM
Subject: Mindoro-Sunday

On sat we had an easy sail to Tara Island and found a perfect anchorage off
a happy village nicely laid out among the coconut palms. Many canoes
arrived packed with the entire family. This is the local hot spot for sat
night. By sunset children played in the surf with chatting adults watching.
A single dish fed a TV set that played a movie after sunset. Today we left
at first light headed for APO reef half way across the Sulu Sea. Its a
national park and looks much like Hogsty Reef in the southern Bahamas. We
felt our way 4 miles deep into this coral maze--anchored and snorkeled for 2
hours. A little disappointing but fun. Then on to the NW tip of Mindoro in
flat calm. We arrived a few minutes before sunset. 13 25n 120 19e After
dark the stars were especially bright. Something from space blazed across
the sky--very large and very bright with colorfull flames. Even as it passed
out of sight behind a mountain ridge, it lit up the sky. Anything in the
news about this? As an aside the autopilot has worked perfectly since
changing the board. Stu Hebs tip on the depth sound is logical and we will
work on it. Heading for a marina on Luzon tomorrow

Captain Scott's Log ~ Saturday, April 26th, 2008

4:38 AM
Subject: Coron Harbour

12 00N 120 12E Yesterday off the beach filled with coconut palms, the
natives who sold us the died squid returned wanting to sell us coconuts. I
guess they figured that if we'd buy died squid we would buy anything. They
also had some "coconut wine" in a 20 year old Clorox bottle that we passed
on. They were not inclined to leave so Donna was left on deck to chat with
them. Pointing to the coconuts she asked "So, where did you get these?" They
gave up and left us alone. A great 10kt sail at times brought us north into
the lee of Coron Island. Magnificent sheer cliffs and caves made for good
photos. Crystal clear lakes are in the center. Coron town is larger than
anything else around except Porto Princessa. Still it’s a rural sleepy
village. They got electricity 10 years ago and there is one ATM machine.
Anchored we watched life ashore---men working on their fish nets, children
swimming off the back porch, cock fights. A 100ft steel Vulcan War Bird
anchored so close to us that I was uncomfortable all night. All boats have
outriggers. There is a large Coast Guard boat nearby white with the red
stripe. It looks silly with outriggers. I had planned an extra day here but
there is not much to hold us and we will move on.

Captain Scott's Log ~ Thursday, April 24th, 2008

Sent: Thursday, April 24, 2008 4:25 AM
Subject: Muslim Separtists

In this area kidnapped resort tourists several years ago. So this resort has
2 platoons of soldiers that also work in the resort. Charity, a 19yo looker
and bartender, is one of our guards. Wed was total relaxation time on the
mooring. Best snorkling ever. The resort also had a large French wedding
party with several memorable women. High cliffs back the resort and a cross
is on one peak. While snorkling a praying angel was found in the depths
facing the cross. Today the 24th we left this special place and headed for
open water.19 kts`of wind on the nose no fun. Now at Cabulaun Island 11 23n
120 05e. A great natural anchorage. Several fisherman on shore supply
abundant flies but we are in a perfect semicircle of beach, palmtree, and
mountain.

Sent: Thursday, April 24, 2008 8:16 AM
Subject: Cabulauan

The depth sounder worked and we got into the lee and anchored in 20ft and
sand. On the beach ahead were 16 Vulcan war birds but different. These all
had curved outriggers that bent upwards from the one that went into the
water. Sort of a W on top of a M. Before sunset every one left the shore and
passed us close aboard. Each had exactly 6 crew. Now they are in sight off
shore with bright halogen lights--squid catchers. After sunset we were
cooking on the grill when out of the dark we were boarded by 3 men. Boarded!
They asked if we wanted to buy dried squid. Then added they did not have
enough money to buy rice. So I bought some. I have always said only 2 things
smell like fish and one of them is fish. Now I know there are 3 and one is
dried squid. Still a magic encounter. These men as poor as anyone on this
earth spoke English. They came from the mountain and invited us to visit
tomorrow.

Captain Scott's Log ~ Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Subject: Club Noah Resort

On Apulit Island. 10 57n 119 36.6e Last night in the mangroves and tonight
on a mooring jn the lee of high cliffs, sand beaches, and a resort built on
stilts over the water alla the south seas. We passes Paley Island this
morning which the guide book said had white beaches `and waterfalls. Finding
neither we went on to Tay Tay the old capital of this island. Old Spanish
fort overlooks this forgotton village. Lunch ashore and bought some fresh
veges and fruit. Then on to Apulit for the night. The resort was a suprise
and we were approached by a patrol who told us the resort was full. We said
we would pay for a mooring and dinner---and, they said they will pick us up
at 8 for dinner.As an aside, all the native boats have outriggers of
bamboo---even large boats. The bigger ones have high curved beams to the
outriggers and so look like a M when approaching. Neat but also sinister and
we call them Vulcan Birds of Prey

Captain Scott ~ Monday, April 21, 2008

Subject: Roxas and further north

The trip north from Puerto Princessa was easy in the beginning. Offshore the
depths went from 4000 to 16 feet frequently which made for some spectacular
tidal rips (like the hump off Marathon). A squall gave us 18kts on the nose.
Green Island Bay has numerous islands and shoals and we soon found our
charts and chart plotter suspect. Our GPS chart plotter showed us sailing
across an island that does not seem to exist. Roxas was found and we
anchored in 8.5ft well off the beach. Rosemary was delivered to her friend.
Jeff and Mark had a drink ashore and as foreigners became the town
attraction. The next morning it was apparent we had several problems. The
depth sounder did not work all the time, we were going east into the rising
sun and blinded, and the chart plotter was unreliable. So we chose a longer
safer route. Still I throttled back and slowly picked our way. In what
should have been 65ft of water, noted a water color change and pulled the
throttle to neutral. The depth sounder awoke and read 14ft. I reversed and
we hit and grounded at 3 kts. The sounder now reads 7.1 ft. We draw 7.5. So
after getting off we proceed very cautiously and found much wrong with the
charts. And the water is murky. Dumaran Island passage is narrow, reef
strewn, and charted by Capt Cook. We followed his route witch was fine
except for miles of unmarked fish farms. By early afternoon we were
exhausted by the slow pace and put into a nearly landlocked bay for the
night. Without depth sounder we used the Fortress anchor and line as a lead
line to find bottom. Now anchored in remote mangroves watching the natives
slash and burn the hillsides.

Captain Scott ~ Saturday, April 19, 2008

Subject: Puerto Princessa

We are anchored off a YC in a pretty bay with high mountains to the west.
9 45N 118 47E. There are only 3 other cruising boats here. All friendly and
helpful. We have found fuel, good provisions, a good restaurant and several
drivers. Most transport is by Tuk tuk (3 wheel motor bikes). Yesterday we
went across the island to a World Heritage Site--a park which features the
world’s longest navigatable underground river. We were told it was a 2 hour
drive which it was. Had it been driven safely (which it wasn't) it would have
been 4 hours. And if one of us drove it would have been 6. A white knuckle
hair raising drive on one lane dirt roads across the high central mountains.
Passing brightly colored buses that had seats for 30 and contained 90
passengers and their chickens. 30 in seats-30 on their laps-and 30 on the
roof. 3rd world driving is the real danger in sailing around the world—
forget pirates and typhoons. We called our driver "suicide Willy"
which seemed to make him drive faster. In the park we stopped for a
permit---then later stopped to pay for the permit---then later stopped in a
small town to pay for a boat. We were told the boats were all filled and to
come back in 4 hours. So we ate at a roadside spot that featured 2 pots. One
was a greasy wild boar stew and the other was greasy cooked vegetables.
Bill has relapsed and does not get far from the head. We finally caught our
boat--a canoe with outriggers that took us around to a beach. From there we
got into our 4th line for the one hour trip through the underground river.
Bats and Stalagtites I expected but my surprise was swallows. They flew
through the cave in large numbers obviously navigating the same as the
bats--by sound. Today we sail north to Roxas. We will take Rosemary. She’s a
British lady, who sailed here with her husband, then he died, and she’s here
alone on their boat.