Teluk Klabat, Tanjung Penyusu, Pulau Bangka Lat. 1 degree 32.0' S Long. 105 degrees 42.0' E

Hi all,
Well, here we are again. We left Tanjung Kelayang on Belitung yesterday morning intending to stop for a night at Pulau Gelasa which is an island nearer to the Bangka coast. However, as we approached in the early afternoon there was a strong active thunderstorm to the west of us and it was causing a strong wind from the NW which was blowing straight into the anchorage with corresponding big seas. We contacted "Santana" as they had left Belitung before us and their description of the anchorage was "diabolical"!! So we employed our old standby and hove to but after a couple of hours the wind dropped from 20 knots + to almost nothing so it was no longer possible to stay hove to. So we decided to carry on albeit in a big sloppy sea generated by the thunderstorm to the north. We motorsailed (mostly motored!) into the evening when the sea started to moderate. After that things settled down and the night was relatively benign. But the poor old Ford just kept on trundling along at 1000 rpm or less. We will owe that lump of ironmongery a big debt when we arrive in Malaysia. Thankfully there were no fishing boats but a few larger ships mostly represented on AIS so the night was reasonably stress free except that our "Smart Charger" decided to give up the ghost. This was potentially serious as we depend so much on engine generated power for our needs. However, the Skipper in his eternal wisdom managed to deduce that the problem was a wire that had come loose and once we had some daylight this morning fixed the problem.
Soon after that Jean decided to cook a roast chicken meal and we had some Australian chicken thighs with mashed potato and peas (both dehydrated!). But very tasty after a long night and very welcome.
We then carried on to this anchorage. As we are leaving early on the morrow we are not going ashore but there appears to be a resort of sorts - fairly decrepit and not obviously open. But a beautiful setting and it inspired Jim to say if he had been 30 years younger it could have been a project. But Takapuna Motor Lodge was enough at his advanced years some 13 years ago!!
On the way in we saw several out of commission ferries moored off the coast and they appeared to be carrying on some sort of industrial activity on board because there was a great deal of polluted discharge straight into the sea, some of which we were obliged to steam through. God knows what it was but there are times when one can be quite pleased to have the RMA in NZ!!
We are now anchored and for once the boat is still. We have finished dinner at only 1804 and the next chore is the dishes followed by bed ready for the off in the morning. Next stop Pulau Lingga ( 95 miles) and then only 230 miles to Nongsa Point where we will clear out of Indonesia.
More from us later...........
Lotsaluv
Jim and Jean
s.v. Tiare Taporo III
Pulau Bangka
Indonesia
www.tiaretaporo3.blogspot.com

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