Dreaded 'Sumatrans' !

[surfmachine]

well, I shook off the anchor shackles and slipped the hook and made the jump across the Malaccan straights to Banda Aceh from Langkawi, 309 nautical miles in 2.5 days!!!
Didn't get run down or blown over, lovely crossing, mostly motor sailing, a few 25 knot Sumatrans, blinding rain, genny wraps, seas on deck.
Banda Aceh is being rebuilt very well, a good change?
Refuelled and now off down the west coast of Sumatra to the Banyak islands.
Fair winds from Keith.

[sarafina]

fair winds, and keep us all posted!

[Ocean Girl]

Godspeed.
Erika

[surfmachine]

Cheers Sara and Erica, the west coast of Sumatra is magnificent, a lot cooler than the Andaman Sea!!!!!

[scuba066]

I have looked at those islands of the west coast for a long time. It looks like the diving would be great there.

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by surfmachine

Banda Aceh from Langkawi, .

Hi Keith

Wow!!!

How was clearing in at Banda Aceh?

I would have thought that the last area in the world to try clear in!? (OK, Iran would be worse).

How did it go? No hassels with the CAIT?


Mark

[surfmachine]

Hi Scuba066, yep, the diving and surfing is the best, nice clear water, I did my open water diver's course last month in the Surin islands in west thailand waters, wonderful!!
Cheers from Keith.

[surfmachine]

Ahoy Mark, haven't cleared in, will do that at Sibolga. Just went ashore, pulled up at a jetty in the river and used a motorcycle side car to run into the petronas fuel stop, filled the cans, got an indo sim card and out again in 30 minutes. Everyone was nice!
Then anchored at the sthn end of the bay and got a lift onto the beach from a fishing boat, lift into town from a truck and got the net usb modem sim card, heap of mangoes and million rupiah from the atm, saw the big mosque, tusami museum, food, lift back with a motorcycle, filled his tank, but he wanted 100,00 rups, I just stripped off , pitch black, and waded out into the surf and swam out to the boat with my backpack, all stuff in sealed plastic bags.
You should have seen the look on the driver's face!!! Watched me swim for 4 minutes with his headlight, couldn't believe it?
West coast is very nice, big swell running but tucked into a small fishing village for the night.
CAIT is cool, no problems yet.............. social visas ok in Penang, all good, so far??????????
How was the anzac ceremony Mark?

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by surfmachine

How was the anzac ceremony Mark?

Dawn service was crass and tacky. They ruined that one.

The Lone Pine service was much better.

The cemetaries at Anzac cove were deserted Anzac day, thats how bad the set up was.
Anyway, I'm sure they will learn.

We had nearly 2 weeks there in a harbour a short walk from Anzac so we got to explore the whole area.

Was worth the trip.

this photo of the beach.



Have a great time in Indon

[surfmachine]

Ahoy shipmates, been surfing beautiful right hand barrels over razor sharp coral in the banyak islands, paradise found!!!!!! Often by myself in the surf, a fresh water stream for washing in and doing the laundry, only been monstered by the local harbor master mafia once.
Now in sibolga for checking in and then back amongst it.
Keith.

[pressuredrop]

Originally Posted by surfmachine

Ahoy shipmates, been surfing beautiful right hand barrels over razor sharp coral in the banyak islands, paradise found!!!!!! Often by myself in the surf, a fresh water stream for washing in and doing the laundry, .

sounds like you found paradise, where else have you surfed on the west coast of Sumatra?, and how were the crowds?, feel free to pm some gps coordinates for these surf spots i should be there in 3 years...

[surfmachine]

Ahoy pressuredrop, no crowds, crew broke his board after 4 days and i fixed it in the jungle for him, only surfed offshore at nias and banyak islands, banyaks has world class righgt handres, will pm the coordinates.
Cheers mate, tacking down the west coast of sumatra to sibolga to check in.
Bye......

[surfmachine]

Ahoy, my crew has abondoned ship at sibolga, citing a broken board, so I will voyage on alone.
Anyone fancy a few months surfing and cruising in the west Sumatran waters?
Have successfully checked in with the port authorities and immigration at Sibolga for 2 months.
Fair winds from Keith.

[Fast Forward]

Hey Keith!

I realise "surf's up"... but what are your anchorages like in surf season? Presumably you have enough protected ones to choose from? We have friends headed down that way from Langkawi in a couple of weeks time...

ENJOY!