Estimate of costs ex Melbourne,
Australia, includine air fares, travel
insurance and visa/cruising permit/security clearances from federal Indonesian
government.
Maybe $2500 to $2800 total from Melboune return?
Mate, it will cost u air fares to KL and onto Langkawi and return flights from Sibolga on Sumatra, fly to Medan, then KL then melbourne with air
asia, with 2 boards, maybe $700 total? You need some travel
insurance from worlds nomads,
cheap for 2 or 3 months, maybe $200 aud?
Cost on the yacht is "free", only pay for food to keep you alive and half share of the
diesel and bribes for indo's.
A little bit, about 180 usd for your
security clearance from the federal indo
government to be able to
cruise in indo waters aboard the surfmachine and for your social visa and indo
sponsor,
Up front cost for first month is $1000 aud, payable by paypal, for a
single crew
member, after that only 50 % of share of
buying more food and
diesel, cheaper than living at home in Melbourne? At least $300 aud per month after first month? I really only need a
single crew, but we could
work it out, you would need to share a double
cabin in the forward berth, or there is another single
cabin, for crew, amidships.
It is not all palm trees and right hand barrels, with topless girls aboard and cold beers, it's hard
work sailing there, preparing the yacht.... which I do, often hot and sweaty, cook all your own food, do
washing, clean up etc. Surfing up to 10 hrs a day in the tropical sun can be hard, normally 2 or 3 sessions a day, every day, never seen it flat up there in mid season! Then you have to prepare some
meals, clean up, fix dings in the board, treat your
coral cuts! Lotsa close out barrels over live
coral, scary! Need good booties and full arm rashees, I wear a helmet.
It is a smoke and alcohol free yacht, strictly!!!!
If you can deal with all this, plus living in close proximity to a smelly
captain, all day, every day, no people on the islands, 24 hours
offshore from Sumatra, then it is a blissful existence, absolutely wonderful? Normally 2
charter boats in the vicinity and several private yachts, about 2 to 10 people in the line up.
Below is the standard reply to enquiries....
Yes, I do want a crew
member aboard Surfmachine, for about 5 months, for
the 2012 trip. I do not leave in 2012 until May, the yacht is now on the
hard stand in Langkawi. Mainly to help sail the yacht from Langkawi to the
Banyak Islands on the
West coast of Sumatra. And then to get the yacht
back to Langkawi, a trip of about 7 to 10 days each way. A month minimum
would be good, the full trip even better, if we get on ok?
Once in the islands I
anchor in a bay for 1 to 2 months at a time and surf
all day. I only make passages to move to another island or bay or go into
Sumatra to get a visa extension and re provision for food and fuel. About
2 months initially, then every month after that.
The trip is not free, as once we have got there all we do is surf all day
and sleep and eat. It is not a
charter boat, but as I want, rather than need
a crew I am asking them to pay for their food and fuel. The first month I ask
for $1000 AUD and do not pretend that the costs for food an fuel for the first month will be $2000
total. It is like an entry
money to the yacht and the use of all the systems aboard,
however, most of it will be spent, as it is a long way from
Malaysia to the Banyaks!
I have decided that the cost is $1000 aussie dollars up front for the first
month, to keep the dreamers and free loaders away? I am not selling
you anything, just the opportunity to share in the voyage. After 1
month has gone, then 50% share of food and fuel and bribes after that first month,
maybe 300 to 500 dollars per month each, depnds how much we
move. The yacht is very safe and comfortable, great place to live if you
enjoy
boating? The cost of $1000, up front, is refundable in the first week
if you dont like it, after that....... non refundable, payable by pay pal
on invoice. Monthly expenses after 1 month we each put $300 Aussie dollars in
local currency, rupiahs, into a jar and use that to buy food and fuel only.
I am responsible for all the
boat maintenance and all associated costs.
You dont need any experience, I will teach you all the skills, you must have a
good sense of humour, be non judgemental, happy, friendly and ready to rough
it!
It is not a charter boat and you have to do everything for yourself, we
share the
cooking on alternate days. You must enjoy sailing and being
cooped up in a hot,
small boat for months on end, often raining and sweaty!!
Anyway, if you are keen, we need to talk some more? How tall are you and
how much do you weigh? Please send a
photo.
Lots more info available. You get your own double cabin, with a door and
two
led lights, fan, 12V outlet and cupboards! There is
storage in overhead
racks for 4 more surf boards.
Food on the yacht is basic, or as good as you want to cook, banana porridge for
brekky, no lunch, just snacks as surfing, dinner is pasta or rice and stir fried veges in olive
oil, lots of fresh bread if someone can bake it and is not too tired from
surfing. Also home made ice cream, the boat is smoke and alcohol free.
Crew's responsibilities are to keep the dingy dry and full l of fuel, clean
the
galley every day and keep the
stove topped up with kero and take
watches as determined by the
skipper when under way. To be friendly and cheerful
and not drop in on the skipper! It is hot and stuffy aboard and always rains
at night and sometimes dingy is half full of
water, a smallish yacht, about
40', but has separate cabins with doors, lovely
saloon and
cockpit, really
well set up. One day a week is a make and mend day, when we work on the
yacht, clean the
hull etc.
Costs. Well, what do you eat? If you live on rice and dive for
fish, then
maybe $5 a week, Realistically, around 50 usd per week at anchor, minimum,
when we are moving we burn fuel, so about 250 usd per week per person, dont
need to run the
motor at anchor as
solar panels and
wind genny pumps
in the amps, I also have a gen set,
honda 1kilowatt.
Yacht will be fully stocked with fuel and food when I start, so
to come aboard would cost about $1000 usd, this will see you right for the first
month, includes entry
money to the yacht until we need more, when we start
sharing the costs for food and fuel we
purchase when the initial stock is reduced.
I return to sibolga, on the sumatran mainland, three times for re
provisioning and to renew my visa.
Oh, and there is a 18,000,000 rupiah , $180 usd, charge to get you a
security
clearance from the federal indoneasian govt' on the boats cruising
permit and set up the
sponsor for a 6 months social visa for indo..
You would also need to apply for a social visa at your indo
embassy/consulate in
Australia to get a 60 day visa on arrival in
indo. I have a sponsored visa, which enables a 60 day on arrival and
4 X 30 day extensions, you could get one of these from my agent in Jakarta, along
with me, over the
internet and visit penang to get the visa. We check out
of
indonesia after 60 days, or longer, and take 6 weeks to get back to
Malaysia, but staying in indo offshore islands where there are no
officials.
As to the condition of the yacht and recent maintenance?
Well, it was
on the hard stand for 2011, feb/march and major work was done.
new dripless
shaft seal
new alternater, plus spare
new smart voltage
regulator
new fresh
water pump on
motor
replaced new impeller in
water pump">raw water pump
starter motor overhauled
fuel injectors serviced and calibrated
new
diaphragm in fuel
injector pump
oil and filter changed
new air filter houseing and element
new dripless seal on
rudder shaft
all new zincs on hull/prop/rudder
hull sanded back and outifouled
some
corrosion inside hull welded and cleaned
new
stainless steel davits for dingy and surf board racks and
safety rails
redid all the fresh water
plumbing and installed manual sea
water pump to
galley.
serviced kero stove and replaced 2 burners
replaced all nav lights with led's and all inetrior lights with led's
installed new
raymarine st700
autopilot at
helm and new 300 kilo push
linear drive directly to the
rudder ahft with x10 course computer, and
new rudder bump stops all on massive stainless stell frame, under aft
bunk
Replaced all suspect through hull clamps and made sure all double clamped.
installed
dvd music player and boom box speakers in
saloon, linked via
bluetooth to
phone and
remote speakers.
installed new xantex linkpro
battery monitor system
installed new a50
raymarine chart plotter in cockpi, linked to
autohelm, can control the
helm from the
chartplotter.
Installed new forward looking sonar, interphase in
cockpit.
installed data repeater for all
instruments in nav station
installed new
chartplotter over aft bunk to
monitor course/speed etc,
also as an anchor watch
alarm for when sleeping at anchor
reconditioned loffrans anchor
windlass, 1500 watt, with 90m of 10 mm
stainless steel chain and 30kilo buegel anchor, new s/steel hawse
pipe.
Had new
radar 9 months ago,
furuno.
Sails are all 1 year old.
Standing
rigging is 4 years old, replaced in
new zealand
Had mercedes diesel
mechanic check over
engine, gave
compression test,
old, but running well, smokes a bit, uses oil. May fit new pistons and
liners before I leave in May? Otherwise good, new
exhaust mixer
elbow,
serviced flexible coupling to prop.
Removed prop shaft and welded minor pitting, polished, checked
alignment, new cutlass bearing and grub screws on proprellor.
Re-glued the dingy, an aluminium hulled NZ dingy with
inflatable sides.
Serviced the 2hp and 8 hp motors and spare
inflatable dingy.
Got 4
scuba tanks and 3 bcd's and 3 octopuses serviced and certified,
tested in
Thailand.
In short, a lot of time and money and effort went into her, I bought
he off of a german couple who have sailed her here from
Germany via
the pacific.
has a pur
water maker, 240v air
compressor hooked up to 20 metres
of hose and a dive
regulator as well.
Has a spare rear anchor ready to go on the stern and a spare 25kg bruce
anchor.
Has a 4 man life raft, flares, harnesses, jack lines, personal
epirb,
2 portable vhf's,
HF radio,
vhf with
dsc, cebtre cockpit, all sail
handling at
mast, except
jib,
cutter rigged with removable fore stay
and storm
sails.
Does not leak, can sleep sound and dry with 6 fans. 3 sleeping cabins.
etc etc, a very well maintained and fitted out yachgt, was factory
built in Hamburg
germany by a professional ship yard, in aluminium,
and was fitted out in
holland by danish craftsman, a really superb
finish inside, luxurious!!!!
I am 61 yo, had my 60th here on nias last year,
married, with 2 duaghters. retired farmer and high
school teacher.
short, 5'5", 63 kilos, strong surfer, likes the bigger waves, makes my
own surfboards.
Been sailing for 10 years now, mainly coastal stuff in australia, have
passed the coxswains exams in austrlia and have advanced
safety at sea
and first aid certificates, all
current and international
radio
operators licence. Can navigate by
charts, but use chart plotter and
previous tracks and
radar in offshore passages. will not move yacht at
night or in low visibilty, always arrive early and anchor early.
Never had the anchor drag, seen plenty that have!!
check out my photoblog ..the link is
http://surfmachine-surfmachine.blogspot.com/
Pics of last 2 surftrips here....
http://photobucket.com/eloise_01
I am happy by myself , but would really like a hand to Sumatra and back to
Langkawi in Malaysis, so I am prepared to take on
a crew if they commit to the return
passage. All the hard work has
been done now, for 6 months, time to enjoy and surf the amazing
uncrowded breaks around Sumatra.
*Surf Breaks*
The waves in the Banyaks are generally in the head-high to double-overhead
range. There are places that handle three-four times overhead conditions.
Generally, most people bring a standard shortboard and something with an
extra couple of inches, but it never hurts to be prepared for a bigger day,
especially in August, which is peak swell season.
*Treasure Island *- Known to be one of the best right-hand point breaks
in Indo, consistently offering up to four mesmerising barrels a wave with a
nice almond-shaped ripable face. This is one of the jewels in the crown of
sheer Indo perfection running a few hundred yards down a perfectly shaped
reef. Always a favourite amongst guests as it satisfies all abilities. A
taste of “Treasures” has you hooked for years to come.
*Indies 1 & 2 *- “Indies” get their names as being the outside breaks
and indicators for “Treasures”. These two waves are for the experienced
only and produce heart-pumping barrels over shallow reef. The bigger the
swell the better!
*Minis *- Located deep in the bay “Mini’s” is a playful right which
peaks up offering a short barrel and workable face which starts working on
larger swells as it picks up half the swell of Treasure Island.
*Gorillas* - An untamed right-hand beast that is rarely surfed and will
sort out anyone’s ego. If you are keen- make sure you pack your peanuts!
*Cobra* - A world-class left-hander which can produce an epic 8-10
second barrel or nice ripable face depending on swell direction. Cobra’s
clean blue lines peel down the reef into a channel, which can provide a
perfect
photo opportunity.
*Warren's* - A fun right-hand peak opposite Cobra’s breaking over a
combination of reef and sand which can finish on the beautiful white sandy
beach.
*Turtle's *- A fun, playful left-hand peak which peels along finishing
on the beautiful white sandy beach. A great take-off and workable wall
which depending on swell direction can produce a nice barrel also -
*Clarets* - A beautiful long left-hand point which peels down the line
offering a perfect open workable face. You will be able to perfect your big
carving turns or hunt out the inside barrels.
*Joysticks* - A super fun right-hand peak which produces a perfect
barrel on the take-off going into a nice wall for some turns. If you have
enough speed you can link up into the inside bowl for a nice long ride.
*Toytown Lefts* - A perfectly shaped peeling left located deep in the
bay which starts to work on larger swells. You can
cruise down the line or
hit the lip over and over again.
*The Pig* - A deep water right-hand break exposed to all possible swell.
Rarely below head-high and will give you some exhilarating drops and big
open faces.
*Migilas *- Located inside of “The Pig”, Migila’s is a right-hand peak
with a short perfect barrel on take-off and peels off slowly to the beach.
*Lizard's Nest* - Somewhat fickle but if the conditions come together
you will experience one of the best waves in Indo. Known to produce a magic
10-second barrel and any of those who have seen or surfed it are simply
awe-struck!
this is the inside right, can paddle to it from the yacht, or use the
RIB
tender.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&feature=endscreen&v=M6O9-xwnEa8
Lagundri Bay, on the island of Nias, I anchored here for nearly 2 months in
2011, and had epic surf.
http://surfmachine-surfmachine.blogspot.com/
http://photobucket.com/eloise_01
Just booked my flights to Langkawi with airasia, was $204 aud from
perth to kl, and $35 uad from kl to langkawi, 30th april,2012.
All the best from Keith.
keithstirling at hotmail .... com
"But I was born very young and grew up knowing little of the world!" 
Linear Mode
Recent Discussions