Salty tales from Bali Hai on Sunday

High speed travel versus slow

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Salty tales from Bali Hai
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It was 31 January 2016 and we were travelling on a wide bodied jet from Brisbane to Singapore at almost 900 km an hour, 38,000 feet in the air.

Looking down at the boats strung like jewels across the Singapore strait, it seemed strange that in under eight hours we had completed a trip that in the previous year had taken us almost five months, sailing in our yacht SV Bali Hai.

During 2015 we had participated in the Sail to Wonderful Indonesia Rally that had departed Cairns on June 30 and ended on 8 November, during which time we had travelled up the wild and spectacular landscape of Far North Queensland to Thursday Island and then across the Indonesian Archipelago through a series of amazing islands, each more beautiful and intriguing than the one before.

   

One of the many gorgeous Indonesian islands we visited

We were the last boat of the rally fleet to leave our final Indonesian destination and port of clearance, Tanjung Penang, as we had spent a wonderful week with our daughter sailing back to the perfect island paradise, Benan Island.

Beautiful Benan Island
Her good friend from school, in Singapore for a job reccy, also paid us a fleeting visit and we spent a couple of joyful days anchored at a tiny sand island just a couple of hours away from the dirt and noise of the busy port of Tanjung Penang.
Our visitors enjoying the boat
We had missed the start of the Sail Malaysia Rally from Puteri Marina, near Singapore, to Rebak Marina, Langkawi, but once we had cleared customs, passport control and quarantine (very smoothly thanks to our “Mr Fixit” on the Indonesian rally, Raymond, who had organised a lovely man from the tourist department to walk through the process with us) we set sail with the intention of catching up along the way.

 

Jonathan accompanied by a customs official and our friend from the tourist office
As previously documented, we checked in at Puteri Marina, and sailed up the West Coast of Malaysia, stopping at Pulau Pisang, Pulau Besar, Port Dickson, Port Klang, Pangkor Island Marina, Monkey Island, Penang, Pulau Bidan, Pulau Perlis and ending up at Rebak Island in Langkawi.

 

Jonathan enjoying an icecream at Puteri Harbour

 
We motored for most of the the trip from Penang with just a couple of short sails as there was very little wind. The Marina at Rebak was chock full of boats but fortunately we had booked our berth weeks earlier. Entry to the Marina was highly organised with two guys there to catch our lines and Richard from Charon also kindly popping out of the comfort of his air conditioning to lend a hand. 

 

Busy Rebak Marina on our arrival

 
 Our initial berth was horrendous- we were squashed in next to the widest monohull vessel in the Marina – MV Annie. We were concerned that if there was any wind while we were away over Christmas poor Bali Hai would get thumped and bumped as there was only inches between the two boats. Fortunately the Marina management moved us after Jonathan explained our concerns.

 

MV Annie (far right) not a lot of space left for Bali Hai!

 
The final days of the Malaysian Sail to Langkawi Rally were busy – a fabulous bus trip round the island, meals and celebrations. 

There were many farewells but also many promises of meeting up again. 

Then a frantic clean up of Bali Hai, a frenzy of Christmas gift purchases, fridge and freezer contents given away, a quick pack of clothes and presents and then a race to the airport for our flight to Brisbane via Singapore.

The Malay dancers put the younger crew members through their paces

 
We had loved our slow meander – sailing from Brisbane to Cairns, Cairns to Thursday Island, threading our way through the Indonesian Archipelago, past Singapore and up the West coast of Malaysia – but it was a wonderful feeling that we would soon see family and friends after just a few hours of sitting in a plane. 

   

Putting up the Christmas tree

 
However, before we could blink it was already the end of January and we were winging our way back to Langkawi via Singapore to return to our home Bali Hai.

  

View from Rebak Island

 
It was wonderful to get there and back so quickly but when it comes to the choice between high speed travel and a slow boat meandering – I think you know which one we would choose!

 

The carved fish that “found” Jonathan at the Langkawi Craft Complex
 
The pool on Rebak Island

 

Comments

2 responses to “High speed travel versus slow”

  1. Sally Arnhold Avatar
    Sally Arnhold

    Very well done to both of you for completing this amazing adventure! Hope it isn’t too much of an anticlimax that it’s all over now or are you already scheming your next trip?!

    Hopefully see you in March.

    Love Sally xx

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    1. Salty tales from Bali Hai Avatar
      Salty tales from Bali Hai

      Thanks Sally! Yes indeed will tell you all about it when we see you!!

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