Sumatran Cruise

[surfmachine]

This morning, surf on again, absolutely glassy, overhead barrels!!! 13 waves before breakfast

at 11.00am!! Asked some 9 yo groms surfing at kiddiland to buy me some bananas for brekky

with my porridge, "mau beli sepulah pisiang, terima kasih?", he paddled off and came back,

tidak adda! So, I gave 6 of them a lift in the zodiac rubber ducky back out to line up with all their

boards, one wearing my helmet. They piled off and paddled to the peak and 4 of them took off

on the first set wave together, and laughed all the way into the beach!!! Stopped a fisherman on

the way back to the yacht and bought a small mackeral for 10,000 rups, cooked him up with

garlic/onions/lime juice/butter and rice/cauliflower/cabbage etc... for brekky, then a read and a

sleep and back out to the right hander. It's hard when you at anchor?? Keith.

[Capn Morgan]

AWESOME Keith! Keep them coming!!!!!!

[Ex-Calif]

Originally Posted by surfmachine

Had a near death experience yesterday, friday, morning. was on my 8'8" gun and took off on wave number 6, a huge set wave, got down it and the lip came over and axed me, went down, then sucked back over again!!! Down for 6 or so seconds and start to pull myself up on the legrope, but the board is near me, underwater, next thing I am pushed against the coral bottom and laid flat on my side. Struggle around and get my legs under me and push up and start swimming up to surface. Can see the light and nearly break clear into the air when, whammo, the next bomb lands on top of me before I can get a breath... So down again, around and around, and finally come up about 15 seconds under water in total, a long time if you have been struggling for the surface all the time. The waves were like jumping off of a 2 story building!! But, back out again and wave number 7 was a barrel from start to finish, then 17 waves altogether in that session!!

Jeez - I haven't done that since I was a kid. Scary stuff, mate!

Hope the coral didn't take too much of your living wetsuit off...

When I lived in Hawaii I took a guy from the mainland body-boarding. After getting dumpud a few times and a few decent rides we called it quits.

He commented how the surf was intense. When he found out we were at Pipeline he freaked out - Oh, my God, I have a wife and kids at home. - LOL...

Originally Posted by surfmachine

on the first set wave together, and laughed all the way into the beach!!! Stopped a fisherman on

the way back to the yacht and bought a small mackeral for 10,000 rups, cooked him up with

garlic/onions/lime juice/butter and rice/cauliflower/cabbage etc... for brekky, then a read and a

sleep and back out to the right hander. It's hard when you at anchor?? Keith.

Living the dream, man. Even with the crew troubles...

[Capn Morgan]

Hi Keith

Good to read you are enjoying yourself so much.

Regarding crew, us and some cruising friends have found that sometimes people just go 'funny' when on a boat. One chap, friend for over 20 years, just would not stop wingeing on the trip to Butangs in January on my friends boat. Came over for a short passage to my boat and spent the whole day complaining about the other boat again. Another guy just didn't get the message that the trip was over and wanted to stay on board. He did it on another boat and stayed for 40 days without contributing a penny for food or anything.

We are very cautious now choosing guests.... good luck with the next one or just go it alone!

[surfmachine]

Thanks Mike!

The new guy aboard, I met at my home in Australia, so he is not a blow in! All the same, I think that you would need to be slightly crazy to hop on a boat you do not know, with a skipper you do not know and head off on a 90 day cruise?

Adam, is Canadian, and a good cook and asks "is there anything that needs doing?". He has been waiting to get aboard for 4 months! Will help me sail the boat back to Phuket and then go for a few scuba dives with the 4 tanks and 2 octopus's aboard. Also do a cruise of the Phang Rai bay again.

But, I will be a lot more discerning regards crew in the future. Old Fred, the Hawaiin/Mexican? supposed tug boat captain, was outright delusional, disfunctional, and maybe the most plucked person I have ever encountered on a boat. But maybe it's me and not the rest of the world? Anyway, I let him aboard!

I go to great lengths to explain to new crew that I am not interested in their opinion of me as a ..
a)skipper
b)human being
c)surfer
d)cook
e)or anything else.
I do not judge them and do not wish to be judged. I am a competent, functioning human being and just need some help with sailing the yacht on long passages and help with reprovisioning/refueling and the buying of the same. They get to enjoy all the facilities that this 250K yacht offers and enjoy world class surf, for far less than it costs to live ashore!

Very nice surf this morning at the point, out before dawn.

All the best Mike.

[surfmachine]

Hi Ex Calif, how is your son going with the surfing?

Seems that you are a hard task master taking the newby out at pipe!!! Wow!

Yes, I am finally relaxing and enjoying my cruise this year! Sorry to whinge about crew, but I suppose even the best chosen companion, like a wife, can go horribly wrong?

I am pleased to say that all the new electronics and solar panels and especially the new motor are working very well. Slowly beginning to understand the workings of a Mercedes OM615, 4 cylinder diesel, particularly, the fuel injection system. Motor is running way better and using a lot less fuel and producing a lot less smoke from unburnt diesel since the visit to Prima Jaya diesel mechanics in Sibolga. "Thanks guys"

Cheers mate, from Keith....time to finish my tax return as it has gone onshore here in the bay!!!

[Ex-Calif]

Originally Posted by surfmachine

Hi Ex Calif, how is your son going with the surfing?

Seems that you are a hard task master taking the newby out at pipe!!! Wow!

Yes, I am finally relaxing and enjoying my cruise this year! Sorry to whinge about crew, but I suppose even the best chosen companion, like a wife, can go horribly wrong?

I am pleased to say that all the new electronics and solar panels and especially the new motor are working very well. Slowly beginning to understand the workings of a Mercedes OM615, 4 cylinder diesel, particularly, the fuel injection system. Motor is running way better and using a lot less fuel and producing a lot less smoke from unburnt diesel since the visit to Prima Jaya diesel mechanics in Sibolga. "Thanks guys"

Cheers mate, from Keith....time to finish my tax return as it has gone onshore here in the bay!!!

My son is still experimenting with his future personality. He lives in SFO with his mother now and has gotten into American Football this year. (He figured out chicks at school like that) He's mentioned getting more surf oriented but until he drives (couple of years) he's a bit challenged to get to the beach - I of course would prefer surf chicks to football chicks and hope he figures that out too - LOL

Of course the guy I took to the pipe now tells everyone how well he did Boogieing Pipeline - LOL... If it doesn't kill ya, it makes a good war story - LOL...

Here's a couple of shots of his first lesson in Bali. Jeez - 2 /12 years ago already?

Glad the boat is behaving itself. Life is a lot more fun when our machines aren't trying to make us broke...

[downunder]

Hi Keith,

Good to hear of your adventurers.

Don't know if it can help you but as a long time dive instructor I always found that those who skited about their exploits were the ones who needed watching. Those who were really capable did not need to say a lot.

Keep safe,

John

[surfmachine]

Thanks John.
Sounds about right, the departed crew was always telling me what a good tug boat captain he was and how long he had been surfing, and that he was not crazy!!! Where he had sailed to etc....

But as I kept telling him, "I can only see how you behave and what you do do here aboard my boat, and this boat is not putting to sea again with you as a crew!"

Thanks for your advice!

Fair winds from Keith.

[Surfer Girl]

G'day Keith, I haven't posted on your thread for a while...... good to see you are still pulling in to meaty pits and occasionally copping a set (or 17) on the head! Comes with the territory when surfing big waves, as you well know

You're a waterman, mate - and sounds like you're a bloody good one!

I'd crew with you any time.......

[surfmachine]

G'day Shane, good to hear from you. Has been a very interesting voyage so far, with some flamin epic surf. Wonderful stuff!!!
Cheers Bro, stay safe!!

[dirkdig]

Love your updates Keith.

Still working on getting my cat ready to head over to Indo and paddle into a few bombs too.
Once i get the little cash issue i have sorted i am there.
2013 here i come fingers crossed.

[silverp40]

Hi Keith

It's good to hear updates from your trip....keeeps me stoked thinking of when we make it to the south Pacific in the next few years.We are still in Florida where lots of surfer types and no wave but leaving in December.

Funny as to your former crew - I knew of an "older" Fred from Hawaii, former fishing boat captain who was back in Texas where we left in February. I am sure not the same guy though, but Texas Fred was quite loco also!

Keep the updates coming...


Best Regards
Ovi
s/v Silver Cloud

[surfmachine]

Ahoy Dirkdig!
Aaaaaahhhh, money's too tight to mention!!!!??
Another yacht pulled into the bay, out of Hawaii, "pearl hunter", a steel ketch, bought in 2003 and took until 2007 and many, many dollars to prepare!!! Weighs 30 tonnes @ 48' with the bowsprit.
The old surfmachine weighs 9 tonnes @ 40' and is now pushing along at 4.5 to 5.1 knots at 800rpm and sipping about 1.5 litres per hour! They are running a 100hp motor, recon from Phuket, but some problems. A nice tidy looking yacht, except for the 20 jugs of diesel on the foraward rails, nice jet ski hanging off of the davits!

Fred, the ex crew, was from mexico, frederick albert nunnez??

Another day of absolute glassy right handers, shoulder to overhead size, another 13 waves before brekky and another 13 before dinner, had 6 tuna cooked in butter and lime juice and a tropical fruit salad platter, new crew also cooked 2 loaves of wholemeal bread for tomorrow. Had a few slices , hot, with butter and mulberry jam, Mmmmmm!!

Market day tomorrow for my new crew, he is settling in ok!

Well, it's great to have a working wife, who stills supports me in my cruising pursuits, but wont join me on the yacht! Says that "she has done enough sitting and watching me surf over the years, wants no more of it!!? " .

The boat is rock solid and all systems working wonderfully, heaps of power and the new danfoss fridge is incredible!! Have had the two wind gennies tied off permantly, batteries always full by midday, all 450 amp hrs of them. Crew keeps the bootline clean of algae and the prop clean using the hooka, new boom bag and deck covers look very smart at anchor.

Adam, the new crew , will have to return to the manland in 3 weeks for a visa renewal, then we start thinking about the passage back to Phuket in mid November. Maybe do a scuba diving cruise of the Andaman sea and Similan islands off west coast of Phuket/Thailand? Get some use out of these 4 scuba bottles and 2 octopus's??

Until then, it is surf, surf, surf, eat, sleep, surf!!!

All the best from Keith aboard the Surfmachine!

[surfmachine]

Another great wave!