Sumatran Cruise

[silverp40]

I also enjoyed this thread and I am so very sorry about your boat, Keith. Please let us know on your condition when you can.

One thing I can say though is that this sailing+surf trip left you with something most dream of - perfect waves for months on end. You'll never loose or forget that!!

[surfmachine]

where I will be surfing most of the time! the Banyak Islands.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5LM6...layer_embedded

The new yacht!!
Pictures by keithstirling - Photobucket

Well shipmates, looks like I will be returning to sumatra this year on my newish, Feltz Skorpion 39' aluminium sloop, now in Langkawi.

With new radar and forward looking sonar, etc, etc.....

Get back on the ship and give it another try, older and wiser?

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

[surfmachine]

Avast, made a new 7'5" thruster over Christmas, 7'5" X 22" wide X 4" thick, a nice wide, round tail, goes off at Margaret river, also take the 8'8" thruster back, 23" wide, 4 1/2" thick, good for picking up the waves when it gets over triple overhead, or for busting through the crowds on the odd busy day.

Yatch will be refitted, davits, swim platform, in Langkawi, then off to Thailand, similan islands scuba diving with my daughter over easter.

Then plan the sumatran leg.

Cheers from Keith.

[surfmachine]

Ahoy, I have just registered my new yacht under the british ssr, small ships register, hope that it all goes well?
travel back to Langkawi on the 8th march for the final inspection on the hard stand and hand over on the 12th March.
A quick refit and then off to thailand for a month and then Sumatra!
Chase the rabbit down the hole and see where it goes?
Fair winds from Keith................

[felixqld66]

Hey Keith

Good to hear that you have another boat soon to be on the water, I have picked mine up and am working through a few teething problems. In Langkawi at the moment giving a mate a hand with his boat at Rebak marina. I have to go back to Oz to do easter with my little girl while the yacht is moored in Phuket then I hope to head down surfing.

I hope we can catch up for a drink.

Cheers Alex

[surfmachine]

Ahoy alex!
Good to hear from you!
My new yacht is moored out the front of the blue jetty at Kuah, looks like a hr39', blue stripe, owned by a german guy called wulf.
I was coming up to Langkawi on tuesday 8th, but have neen stricken with deep vein thrombosis, so have to wait for the meds to kick in and come up within 10 days to take final delivery of the yacht.
Good to hear that you are at Rebak.
so your yacht is in rebak or Phuket?
Looking forward to meeting you, we will be working on the alloy yacht at the "french yard" at kuah wharf, with barry, the south african guy, when we get her out of the water!
Pic of a sister ship on the hard.
Good luck Alex.

[felixqld66]

Hey Keith

The new new yacht has nice lines, we have just check out of Telarga and heading nth to Phuket again for a bit I have some davit up there to fit and had some new electronics from the states which I hope to fit as well in the next little while. Will catch up with you somewhere between Thailand and Indo will get that "Carte" (if thats how you spell it) contact of you for Indo.

Cheers Alex I will dig up my Thai and Malaysia mobile numbers when I find them and pass them on.

Cheers Alex

[downunder]

Hi Keith ,

Sorry to hear you picked up with deep vein thrombosis. You will have to play it safe scuba diving over easter and flying in the future.

Last long flight to South America I wore the elastic travel socks to be sure. Useful also to do a bit of walking around the cab on a long flight.

great diving,

john

[surfmachine]

Ahoy John.
Thanks,I will study up on the DVT and scuba diving, apparently it will all be gone in about 5 to 6 weeks? Already been scuba diving up in the similans and koh roc. Leg is looking a lot better as all the naticoagulants start to work!
Did you get custom made socks or over the counter ones?
Cheers from Keith.

[downunder]

Over counter.

most aussie chemists have them on the rack thesedays.

I don't know if there is a link between DVT and scuba diving but the point i was making was as we get older our bodies tell us things. Being 61 myself I know i can't dive depths and times I did when younger and will be spending plenty of time in shallows decompressing to be on safe side.

One of the benefits of Nitrox diving for us oldies is the improved safety margins.
To complicated and expensive for a smaller cruise vessel though.

cheers

[surfmachine]

Ahoy Vic, here are some pics of the formosa at rebak owned by noel bradley, runs the chandlery store there. He was only half thinking of selling her! she has alloy masts and is a cc. Appears to have transom windows?
cheers from Keith.

[surfmachine]

Formosa 51' for Vic.

[VirtualVagabond]

Thanks Keith,
Good pics. I'm also now reading your thread!

She is a Formosa 51 and is the centre cockpit version. That means she will have the three transom windows, almost 100% sure. Great for light and air.
I've got a few on my 'watch list' in the USA and Caribbean.
As a matter of interest, any idea how long a trip back to Aus would take, and what time of year? Assuming stops to enjoy the route, but keeping moving too. Eg Caribbean to Aus looks like 8-12 months.

Cheers,
Vic

[surfmachine]

Hi Vic, it would take about 3 days from kupang, East Timor, in Indonesia, to Darwin. Like the Darwin to Ambon rally does, but in reverse? Out of the cyclone season, nothing like 8 months?
From Langkawi to East Timor takes about 7 days? .... mainly motoring down the Malaccan straights and north of Java and the islands. Never done it myself so best to get expert advice.
If you go south, down to Perth from Langkawi, then best to go out of the cyclone season, from June to October.
Boats with a lot of wood in them are not warmly received in Australia by the quarrantine boys!
Best wishes from Keith.

[VirtualVagabond]

Thanks for all the info, Keith.
I'll shoot an email off to Noel and see where his thinking is now.
My house is on the market so I couldn't move until it sells anyway.
As for Aus Quarantine, it could be an issue so I'll have to weigh it up... it was behind the question about aluminium masts.
They'd want danger pay to send their sniffer dog up in a bosun's chair

Vic