Sumatran Cruise

[dirkdig]

Enough, i am freezing here in 13 deg water

[Surfer Girl]

Hey Keith, that photo of you holding the fish (Spanish Mackerel?) reminds me of that old Hot Tuna ad in the surf mags in the '80s .......
"Hot Tuna boardies keeps your mullet warm...."


And the photo of your belly reef scrape....... you're not allowed to take souvenirs from the reef, mate. Ha! Ha! National parks will be on to you!
Not laughing at the injury mate - those reef gouges sting like hell....

Go hard Keith and show those young blokes how it's done!!!

[surfmachine]

Ahoy Shane, thanks for your kind words of encouragement!
Had three surfs yesterday, out before dawn and scored 13 great waves, then brekky, a sleep, then out at 10.30 am for another 13 waves, some big bombs, and a huge squallc ame through and drove everyone else in, just the crew and I for 1 hr after the glass off.

Then back out for the evening session, another 7 waves, one perfect double overhead screamer of a barrel, went high to avoid running over all the hodads paddling up the face and unintentionally pulled into a nice barrel and was riding the foam ball until it opened up and spat me out. Had to claim it with my arms in the air!!!!?

Then, I caught the crews flu and had a rough night, doped up with 1500mg of aspirin every 6 hrs, rained all night and all day so far on Saturday. No trip to the market!! Surf up again tomorrow and fairly big on Tuesday!

It all good here, the anchorage is a bit rolly as the river is flowing strongly after the rain and holding to boat side onto the swell.

Ait temp is 28C and water temp is 32C.!!!

All the best from Keith.

[silverp40]

OOOH, three session in one day....I remember how good one sleeps after and in between those. Seems I was always thirsty too, could not drink enough water!

Hope you get better and instruct the crew to not pass any more illnesses to the captain...otherwise...well, you know.

Please get a set wave for me when you get back in the water!

Cheers
Ovi

[surfmachine]

Avast Ovi, I sleep and eat heaps between surfs, read lots of books as well, just finished peter carey's "true history of Ned Kelly", now starting on Ocscar Wilde's, "a picture of Dorian Gray".

Took all the crew's bed linen ashore for washing this morning after a 7 wave dawn session, surf is rising, absolutely perfect eave this one!!?? Crew has been warned about bringing the lurgi aboard!!!

Next set wave I snaffle I will yell, "this is for you Oviiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!!!!" OK?
Crowd is very well behaved, we all wait to take it in turns, about 4 to 6 out this morning. Beach landing in the dingy is a bit scary with the swell up, crew went to the market yesterday as well. It is a bit like the jack and the beanstalk tale, when he comes back with all this extra wierd veges that wer not on the list and we have to throw over the side after a while???

It's all good in this little part of paradise mate, I find it pretty close to a state of pure bliss??

Stereo is rocking out, nice and loud with Jeff Beck and Rod Stewart, blasting on the westmarine outside speakers, playing from the phone via bluetooth through the dvd player!!

Keith

[surfmachine]

This was your wave Ovi!!!
Taken this morning by Julius, from a canoe, at Lagundri Bay, Nias!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[surfmachine]

Ahoy ship mates, it's all good news here aboard Surfmachine!!

The net is very slow and pics wont load, so please click on the link to my blog below for the latest pictures of the surfing action for one morning at Nias, starring Captain Keith?

SURFMACHINE

Fair winds from Keith.........

[SurferShane]

Wow, Nias is still a perfect looking wave! I can't believe that after all these years it is not more crowded.

[rossad]

Im getting sick of these waves your showing us .... us poor blokes in NZ having to put up with these typical spring days of wind cold and snow....

[surfmachine]

Lost the Buegel, 25Kilo anchor in Lagundri bay!!
Took 4 hours of scuba diving to recover it, Phew!!!
The flamin anchor swivel snapped clean off just as the anchor was coming over the anchor roller!! No more stainless steel anchor swivels, or swivels of any type on this boat!! It was a 10mm stainless swivel bought from the yacht chandlers!

http://www.rocna.com/kb/Swivels

Always buoy the anchor now and just use a 10mm , tested shackle to connect the chain to the anchor, moused on.

Now sitting at Bandah Aceh, on the NW tipof Sumatra, waiting for the immigration to open on Monday. Got here on Friday, but they had decided to have an unofficial holiday.

The weather is perfect for a quick, two day dash across the Malaccan Straits to the delights of Phuket in Thaialnd!?

Fair winds from Keith.

[surfmachine]

Surfed Bawa and missed asu as it was too small, also afulu and Bangkaru was blown out is SW gales.

[rossad]

Nice pics' there keith, lots of work to reach where you go so you certainly deserve everything you get. Well done life is short ... i know you worked that one out.

[Capn Morgan]

Glad you got the anchor back, a real pain losing them.

Hey Keith, is your hol finished for the season or are you just taking a break from having so much fun?

[surfmachine]

Ahoy Capn... no, life is one big holiday until I start pushing up the daisys!!! Will sail back to Phuket, with my new crew , Adam, from Canada. Then reprovision and go out and do some scuba diving around the Similan islands, and points North. I have 4 tanks and two octopus's aboard, all tested and up to date.

Then back to Margaret river to re-visit my lovely wife and enjoy the delights of married life again! Or the mind numbing existence behind the blindfold of daily routine and dumb necessity!!???

What are you up to mate?

Fair winds from Keith........

[Capn Morgan]

Great plan! I like the Similans but I think you will enjoy further up north a bit more. No surfing though.

I got myself a couple of new tanks but still haven't saved for a compressor. Would love to one day. Managed to go out sailing near my home port the last three months so very happy. I even got a new old boat to look after so if I ever run out of things to do, you know, I can always find more. Talk about low IQ!

Not going to Phuket this season. Too busy having fun at the tip of the Peninsula Malaysia and hope to do a lot more sailing and diving as soon as the monsoon changes on the Eastern side next year.

On the boat, slowly re-rigging. Changing bits one by one. Loving it.

Cheers!