Category Archives: Leslie’s Posts

Thoughts at Sea by Leslie

Sunday, March 25th 2018 11:17 am – 16th day at sea having left Cochin, India on Saturday March 10th.

We’re slowly but steadily making our way through the Gulf of Aden. Up until yesterday over the Arabian Sea, we’ve had a marvelous sedate ride traveling the Indian Ocean: motoring, gently sailing, motor-sailing. These last 4 days we’ve been just motoring. Only this morning the wind picked-up and we’re downwind sailing – the wind is behind.

Movie night starting at Sunset.

On Kandu, as with most sailing boats, downwind sailing is restless, uncomfortable business. After enjoying idyllic sea going for the first 15 days, rolling from side to side, rocking 30-40 degrees, sails filling and luffing, the movement is disconcerting and mind numbing. Stored food items bang around in their lockers while the clicking and clacking of the main and staysail add to the cacophony of sound. How can one think? And the crazy part was I had plenty of time to write and prepare the state and federal income tax returns before the incessant movement began – yet I didn’t. Somehow even in the calm, I couldn’t focus and center my thoughts. Perhaps we all needed some brain and body downtime from all the work accomplished in Malaysia, the massive cultural differences experienced in these latest countries, the fast-tracked sightseeing in India, and then the preparations for departure for 23 days across the historically notorious pirate infested waters of the Gulf of Aden.

Now after 16 days at sea when all the fresh fruits and veggies have been consumed and life aboard is rather exhausting because it’s impossible to sleep well for all the movement, it seems I can focus my thoughts. Silliness I know. Perhaps I can attribute it to a couple things: the fact that I’ve had enough mental rest, and the other, the heightened insecurity of having entered the High Risk Area (HRA) which is forcing me to be diligent and thoughtful. We’re sailing on the southern edge of the shipping corridor…closer to Somalia than Yemen. Yemen is presently in civil war. Six weeks ago, Yemenese soldiers tried to close the strait between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. We heard before leaving India that their efforts to control the international shipping lanes endured about 2 hours before international navy warships “scared them off,” whatever that really means.

Every hour on the VHF radio Channel 16 since we entered the Gulf of Aden we hear:

“Securité, Securité, Securité

All ships, all ships, all ships:

Please contact the war force coalition (31 countries) on Channel 16, of suspicion or illegal activity.”

Every morning a coalition war force navy plane circles overhead and contacts us to make sure we’re well. This a.m. it was a Japanese voice that hailed us directly, by our vessel’s name, and announced that the surrounding waters were clear of all boats (suspicious fishing boats). The day before, we had experienced a fishing boat and 3 skiffs approaching us within 1 mile. The mother ship stopped right in front of our path. We contacted the war coalition on VHF. I hailed them three times while getting no answer until in the heat of the moment, I added that we were “under attack.” Eric proceeded to change our course 180 degrees motoring full-speed at 2200 rpm away to see if they’d follow. It turns out that the fishing boats did not follow. The war coalition couldn’t hear our initial hails. When a closer merchant ship heard we were under attack, it relayed the message to the warship coalition. Eric explained to them that we were not under attack after all. Still, they wanted to know our position and details; they even sent the naval aircraft overhead to check on us. It was reported as a non-incident. I felt quite foolish, the excitement of the moment having gotten to my head.

The day after that incident, having experienced positive results, brought a sense of security due to the coalition’s dominating presence in the area and the additional piracy deterrent: the weather. Wind and seas increased making it difficult for skiffs to travel over the sea’s surface. These factors combined, our worry over pirate threat dramatically lessoned since entering the Gulf. Perhaps this lessoning of worry is what is allowing me to focus my prevailing thoughts: thoughts that have been swirling about my head these past months.

Thoughts such as: “Why are we traveling on a sailboat engaged in this around the world trip?” “What purpose is it serving?” Answers to those two questions are constantly changing. Most of the time, I find our travels with the boys are serving well. Other times, like in this moment, after spending 16 days at sea, as if standing still in time, I wonder “What’s it all about?” (That’s to be sung to the pop tune!! Haha)

Other questions that I have been chewing on during this passage in particular: What does this navy warship coalition think of our decision to sail in the HRA (High Risk Area) Gulf of Aden and Red Sea maritime corridor, and what does the UKMTO (United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations) with whom we’re regularly sending position reports think? Are we a nuisance or are the coalition and this incredible maritime protection community happy to protect all seafarers in the quest to allow world freedom of travel and commerce in the betterment of international trade and understanding? Are these just high-minded thoughts? Probably. However, I like to think that if the American belief of “freedom of speech” is a right, it follows that the “freedom to travel” is also a right. After all, a couple thousand years ago, the Romans worked very hard to create roads and to protect those roads to allow safe travel through their territories. Most certainly, there are risks when engaging in both practices. Are these freedoms ‘rights’ or ‘privileges?’ Either way, they constantly need to be protected, even when it’s uncomfortable, expensive and unpopular to do so.

Bryce Rigney presenting his Eagle Dive off the bow.
Trent Rigney jumping into the Gulf of Aden.

On one of the becalmed days of this passage, Bryce and I were together on the front deck. Looking out over the expanse of glassy waters, a light haze permeated the sky such that the horizon opposite the setting sun was undistinguishable. The color was so unusual: a very light purple-blue hovering closest to the water and a mauve to pink coloration closer to the sky—a magically serene moment. Thousands of schooling fish were running on the surface likely being pursued by predators…sunset is the best hour to catch fish, evidently known by the fishworld too. Individual trails of water marked the individual fleeing fish. In every direction we looked, we could identify large schools of these fleeing fish interrupting the mirror quality of the sea – the activity continuing on past sunset’s lingering light. Mesmerized, Bryce and I shared this delicious moment of wonder and peace, quietly chatting together in awe of the wondrous spectacle of nature playing out, seemingly just for our benefit. If we didn’t have the freedom to travel, this moment would never have been.

Life Aboard on long passages – a stream of thought…

One evening during our passage across the Indian Ocean/Arabian Sea, I popped up into the cockpit from under the cabin, from the galley where I was cooking dinner, and looked forward over the ocean towards the descending sun. The sun was fluorescent orange, radiating intense color. The ocean glistened dazzlingly like I’d never seen before in shades of gold, silver and opalescent blue. It reminded me of a book I read that said we on earth see things through hazy lenses. If we were to remove those glasses, we’d see that everything on earth including ourselves is sparkling and scintillating with energy. In that moment, I felt a little outside myself witnessing that magnificent, brilliant beauty.

The four of us have been occupying our time differently – sometimes together, other times independently. We come together in the morning to eat breakfast if I make something special. Today is so bumpy that we independently ate cereal and milk. In the late afternoon or early evening, we assemble together in the cockpit to share linner (lunch/dinner) or dinner over conversation and to enjoy the coolness under the setting sun.

Trent and Eric Rigney furling in the Genoa.

Eric spends a great deal of time communicating with our InReach Satellite texting system. He follows the weather, sends UKMTO position updates, posts to our RigneysKandu FB account and catches up with family and friends. Text-chatting with friends seems his hobby. Of course, he is regularly busy captaining our space/water vessel making sure we’re on course, that the engine and fuel are in order, making water, setting & trimming sails, etc. He’s been working with the boys on writing a paper about designing an act of civil disobedience, inspired by our visit to Malaysia and especially India and our study of Gandhi. We are all working on new vocabulary words. Today is a test on comprehension and spelling.

Trent Rigney boatschooling.

Bryce, Eric, and I are enjoying downtime watching episodes of the popular British television series, “Downton Abby,” sometimes together, but mostly independently during our night watches. We discuss together the characters, plot development, historical significance, English aristocracy, the World Wars, editing, acting styles, etc. . . . much food for discussion. Trent has been watching a video that my parents bought for us to improve one’s “mental math.” He’s been working those techniques into his math skills.

Yesterday, Eric and I finally showered after several days. The night before, I could hardly sleep against my own stench. Showering is a bit of work. We have a shower inside, but it is currently utilized as our large item storage locker harboring our Hookah air compressor, two folding bicycles, extra life jackets and other bulky items. So, we shower outside on the poop deck where a large cooler is stored and acts as a seat. When it’s windy, the experience can be very refreshing. The shower water is warm if the engine has been running. And, of course the boat is rocking. We sit lightly atop the cooler and wash positioning our feet in such a way as not to slip on the soapy, slippery deck. The boys go down below when I shower. I go down below when they shower. Only Eric has the luxury of not caring who’s showering or if he’s showering. We are all careful with the use of water as it takes hours and precious gasoline to convert salt-water to fresh with our reverse osmosis desalinator. Yesterday, two large ships were motoring at full speed past our starboard side as I was showering. They were a minimum of 4 miles away but I wondered if anyone aboard had binoculars – our lovely colorful gennaker was flying. Someone might have enjoyed a couple shows.

Bryce and Trent often say to me these days “Mom, you’re so small.” I reckon that’s their way of telling me they love me because it’s said in such a loving way and often accompanied by a squeeze or hug. Or perhaps they’re pleased with their growth spurts. Either way, as small as the boat is, we find ways to be kind to one another. We also find ways to carve out our own space. Half a day might go by and I won’t have spoken or related to one or any of them.

Bryce and Trent Rigney: Kandu Crew!

Passage life makes one lethargic. Accomplishing something is by shear will of spirit. We all try to be complimentary to each other and outright thankful when one of us has completed a necessary but challenging task (everything is challenging when the boat is rocking even 10 degrees): making water, transferring diesel, raising the gennaker, jibing, cooking, washing dishes, vacuuming, doing homework, etc. Watching movies is the easiest thing to do. Even reading can be difficult. By being outwardly thankful to one another, it’s our way of encouraging and being encouraged…even taking a shower gets praise!

Kandu making it’s way through the Gulf of Aden.

During my ‘study time,’ I’ve been dividing my interests into learning the geography and world history of the areas we have recently seen and are soon to visit: Indonesia, Malaysia, India, Somalia, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Sudan, Egypt, and Israel. The depth of ancient political and religious diversity and trade is so profound. It’s no surprise these countries struggle to find themselves and prosper. In North and South America, the indigenous cultures were basically destroyed and/or blended by force, and the colonial enforced languages (English, Spanish, Portuguese, French) dominate their modern communications. Although more are spoken, there are 23 languages officially declared in India, each protecting special long-standing cultural traditions. But if an Indian wants to communicate widely, English is their go-to language. Ashamedly, I thought most East Indians spoke English, but only the higher educated actually speak some English. A similar situation exists in Indonesia and to a lesser degree in Malaysia where Bahasa is considered the official language. Various dialects of Bahasa make communicating widely difficult…so many Malaysians prefer to speak their local village tongues and then English. Some we met speak only English.

In the US and Canada, cultures are allowed to thrive. However, looking in from afar, I see that through our mass-education system and the media, we are brainwashed, which isn’t always a bad thing. By such a process, we have a more homogeneous society, blending traditions and religions together. Recognizing our similarities is the key, trying to understand each other’s cultures, being forgiving, accepting and especially being open-minded. Of course, problems pervade. The fear-based human condition of greed and cruelty is challenging to conquer.

My other, for lack of a better term, ‘hobby,’ or interest, is soul-searching spirituality. During our passages, lacking television plus other distractions, I have been reading a myriad of historical religious, but mostly spiritual related books: “Great Lion of God” by Taylor Caldwell about Apostle Paul, “Harlot By the Side of the Road” uncovering and explaining hidden biblical scripture by Jonathan Kirsch, “Siddartha” by Herman Hesse – read after we visited the Buddhist temple Borobudur in Indonesia. “The Story of Mohammed” by Harry Richardson a disturbing book which Eric read to me about the beginnings of Islam, “The Good Earth” by Pearl S. Buck that all four of us read and studied together, “World Without End” by Ken Follett about English middle ages and the Catholic Church, “Bridge Across Forever” by Richard Bach regarding a soul-mate couple that struggles to understand and to bring out the best in one another spiritually. Most importantly, a friend suggested that I read “Journey of Souls” by Michael Newton and “Same Souls, Many Bodies” by Brian Weiss.

These two latter books have answered so many of my questions about life’s purpose on earth, collective thought, quantum physics, existence after death, our soul’s earthly struggles, and the pervading message of: living on earth together in peace and sharing the planet healthfully while learning, teaching, and understanding each other. Love, kindness, generosity, compassion, forgiveness, anger-management, empathy, patience, free-will, open-mindedness, inner-contemplation, prayer, meditation and spiritual connectedness – these concepts have been utmost in my own learning.

“The past is history; the future, a mystery. Today’s a gift, that’s why it’s called the ‘present.’”

With all this soul-searching, I remain at a loss as to what I’m to do when we return home. I’m certain to continue to be involved in music, making and teaching, plus of course, helping the boys to achieve their educational goals. I’ve decided that I want to be more politically active in legislation regarding environmental issues,  and gun control, and religion. Plus, both Eric and I will need to return to work . . . perhaps more travel once we’ve financially recovered. In any case, it’s a mystery. Appreciation of what we’re doing right now is paramount. We don’t want to miss experiences and possibilities presented in the moment. Even during these active travels, complacency abounds and the draw of comfort is all too real: escaping into sleep, losing self in games and/or movies (entertainment), not exercising, becoming irritable and picky, and a general failing to be grateful for the opportunities, beauty, protection and love that surrounds us. In our little space capsule on the open ocean – alone to ourselves – there is so much beauty and there are so many lessons to learn if one choses to be present and aware.

Leslie Rigney in India.

Delorme LogNotes: Ketawai & Bangka, Oct 2017

Oct 10 2017 – Arrived at Ketawai, small island à la Gilligan’s Isle, anchored in shallow water, rather exposed to the mostly benign elements. Hope the wind doesn’t turn on us.

Oct 12 2017 – Organizers of the Ketawai rally stop boated over a make-shift stage, pavilion, kitchen, & store to this uninhabited island. Fed us all day yesterday, guided us on snorkeling tour, and had a young dance troop perform trad’l Indonesian/Sumatran dances for us accompanied by trad’l orchestra. Plus another band of excellent contemporary musicians & singers performed hits from Beatles, Bob Marley, country, & today. L & B took turns performing on stage. Earlier in the day, the boys & Uncle Nick had fun getting up to speed flying the drone, capturing cool images. Boys & friend Rainer r camping ashore tonight.

Today, organizers plan to shuttle boat us to main island, Bangka, for a town & mangrove tour. Marine police r on hand to guard our boats while gone. Mostly in case of weather, but maybe to keep the fishermen honest. The gov’t really takes care of us, insuring we’ve nothing but good experiences. It’s been off-the-charts great, especially the friends we make on each island. Astounded how quickly solid friendships can be formed over such brief periods. With sailors, I get it, but with locals, 2-3 days & you have a possible lifelong friendship. I think often the community’s brightest people are paired with us and those that speak English, of course, since we only know a couple words in Bahasa. Maybe that’s why it’s so easy.

Oct 13, 2017 – A police boat brought us cross the channel to main island Bangka. Police escorted our 2 busses to mrkt place. More police in mrkt including undercovers to insure nothing goes wrong. We are considered tourism emissaries, thus must have nothing but good to report. Indonesia even has its own special tourism police branch to help tourists, often young & attractive, English speaking.

Nick Rigney featured on left in photo.

Many photos taken of us by press & locals wanting selfies w/us. We made the paper twice. Gov’t wants to show they are developing tourism in their remote regions. Vocational High School went crazy for boys again, especially when Rainer quickly kissed a girl’s hand. CRAZY!!!

Once again Kandu Crew is surrounded by the ladies!

This region is more conservatively Muslim, but no feeling of tension, perhaps because we dress & act appropriately. Indonesian smiles are infectious.

Organizers had us take a panga boat thru narrow, windy mangrove waterway to an eco center for lunch. Elevated wooden walkways thru thickly forested mangroves, made for a magical adventure as we made our way to a treehouse restaurant.

Red Cross volunteers were completing training in the water while we were there, all dressed in red Tshirts, black pants. The First Lady of the provincial governor was there to meet us & support the Red Cross volunteers’ graduating ceremony, placing red baseball caps on their heads as they exited the waist-high marsh.

The speedboat ride back was quick. The dinner ashore was bittersweet as we bid farewell to many. Some boats leaving that we won’t likely see again. Rainer, the boys’ buddy from Santa Cruz CA flies out today & Nick flies out tomorrow. So last night’s dinner was a farewell celebration, with promises of meeting up again some day and keeping in touch.

I must make reservations for the next 5 marinas in Malaysia that are part of the Rally, plus Thailand. 75 boats are signed up. Not enough room for us all in each marina. We expect to meet & make more friends & find the group to transit the Red Sea. Although so many boats have registered for the Malaysia Rally, experience shows us that less than 25% stick with it. In our Sail Indonesia Rally, USA boats were a minority, but almost all stuck with it, making US boats the majority.

Slow, easy day today at Ketawai. Three of the 7 yachts have left. Breakfast was eaten Indonesian style, on the beach under palm trees, served over banana leaves. We had a great time releasing baby turtles into the ocean. An entire crowd gathered around to pray for them and see them off. Evidently, the surviving turtles will return to Ketawai after 10 years to mate. Evening entertainment: a great 5 piece contemporary band, a traditional band & young dancers, speeches, and gifts of handmade batik scarves.

We’ll miss Ketawai. After brkfst on the beach tomorrow, Nick will depart aboard a speedboat loaded with a suitcase full of our junk to store in our storage space. He will be taking a plane to Central Java to visit the incredible Buddhist and Hindu temples. Kandu will also depart and sail two days to North Bintan, our last Indonesian Rally stop. Lots planned for us. Few boats remain.

Oct 15 2017

This is Leslie @ 3:40 am on watch. Stars showing in full force. Motoring as no wind. Experienced most fab time at latest stop Ketawai. Ketawai is similar to a motu. Very small fishing and tourist island for locals from bigger neighbor island Banka to get away for the day.

Nick’s visit was way too short. He left this am to Java to visit the Buddhist n Hindu temples near Yogyakarta. He brought us stuff and is returning w/ stuff as usual. The boys loved their bday cards as did I and the very nice letters you sent. I spent at least an hour pouring over your letters/notes. Very sad to say goodbye to Rainer. Boys really enjoyed his N. California Santa Cruz flavor.

Goodbye Ketawai!

Leslie’s Letters: Bali & Touring Central Java 2017

Sept 20, 2017   Hello Dear Shannon – I love it that you wrote me to tell how things are going back in Ventura, California!

It was a fabulous piece of fortuitousness that we got to meet up in Sydney over the X-mas and New Year’s holidays (2016).  I have great memories watching your daughter Hazel feed the koalas and wallabies, all of us eating together in downtown Sydney, and then having Charlie hang out overnight with Trent and Bryce. They were so happy together. Truly a magnificent X-mas gift for BnT!

The boys enjoy very much keeping in touch with Charlie through Instagram. Per what you said – high school seems to be working out for him. Terrific to hear how he’s doing in waterpolo. I really wanted that for BnT, but alas, there are a lot of things they are missing out on – their junior high and high school years. I just hope that what they are experiencing with us will work out well for them in the long run. So many people say what we’re doing is the BEST education our boys could experience – yet as a mother, I worry.

This last week here in Indonesia has been full of beautiful and arresting sights and experiences. For a reward due to all their hard work on the boat, BnT and I as chaperone headed down on a five hour drive to the southern section of Bali to catch some great internationally renowned surf (Ulu Watu and Padang Padang) staying in a hostel on the beach for four nights while Eric remained with Kandu in Lovina at the top end of Bali.

Trent and Bryce Rigney heading down to the Pedang Pedang Beach to surf Bali’s legendary waves in Indonesia sporting their Robert’s surfboards from Ventura.

While we were away, Eric had fun cleaning out our water tank of dead cockroaches. Not! The surfing was terrific – the boys’ hearts and bodies were full of peace & happiness from their exertions – I too enjoyed special quiet time not having to follow orders, clean, and cook. I read my book: Blue Lagoon – a free classic kindle download that was made famous by the child star Brooke Shields. Truly fabulous read and made all the more special since I was reading it with the sounds of tropical ocean waves crashing ashore.  Wow!

The night of our return marked the opening of the Lovina 2017 Festival. The Sail Indonesia fleet was invited for a Regent hosted dinner and then treated to a fabulous parade of local talent from the neighbouring villages, including drum troops, theatre like skits with masked performers, bamboo basket craft displays and a child marching band that was conducted by a young girl! The evening concluded with a professional troop of 12 Balinese female dancers enacting a beautiful and complex dance in traditional costume. It was truly spectacular!

The next day, leaving the boat for five days, Eric and I decided to end our pest problem once and for all by setting-off three roach bombs inside the closed boat. The poisonous air was so fierce that the four of us hastily escaped to catch a 17 hour bus ride (including a ride on a water ferry) west to Yogyakarta on Java Island for four days to visit the impressive Buddhist temple Borobudur and Hindu temple Prambanan both built in the 9th century. Our boat buddies Bolo and Natalia from s/v Wassyl joined us in the fun excursion.

24 hour busride to Central Java including a ferry ride.

The two temples were constructed nearby each other around the same time in competition (Borobudur was completed around 825 and Prombanan was completed in 850) and then 150 years after construction was completed, both experienced extreme damage by huge volcanic earthquakes and consequently were covered by thick ash due to the subsequent enormous eruption by the local Mt. Merapi volcano. The survivors left the surrounding area due to the bad soil quality – farmers could no longer grow food in the acidic ash environment. 150 years or so later, the environment became increasingly hospitable, but by that time, with no written records, the incredible temples were mostly buried until local Indonesians revealed their existence to British ruler of Java, Sir Thomas Stamford around 1814. Renovation was instigated by the Dutch colonisers in the late 1800’s, but the largest restoration project for Borobudur was between 1975-1982 by the Indonesian government, mostly funded by UNESCO.

Borobudur is the world’s largest single-structure Buddhist temple decorated with 2,672 carved panels and 504 Buddha statues – more than half of those are missing their heads. With a tour guide, we walked the incredible structure and learned by study of the panels about the early life of Siddhartha. Cool!

The restauration of Prombenan, the largest Hindu temple in Indonesia was started in 1918 by the Dutch. They began with the centermost and largest temple which is dedicated to Shiva and finished the one in 1953. Once the first puzzle was solved, the other 8 god temples were then reconstructed. Of the surrounding 225 priest temples, just three have been reconstructed. The two temples and grounds are truly wonders to see and visit. Both sites are incredible in their stature, intricate carvings, symbolism and holiness.

Straight away, we visited Yogyakarta’s Sultan’s Palace to witness their special puppet shows: Wayang Kulit. The puppets help maintain oral history and also recount stories like Ramayana – which is the one we witnessed. The action is extremely slow accompanied by music – interesting for about 1/2 hour. We didn’t stay until the end, but headed off for a visit of the palace filled with historical significance and artifacts.

Last night we ended our stay in the colourful Sultan ruled Yogyakarta by enjoying the famous Javanese ballet, Ramayana, about Rama and Sinta, a Hindu “Romeo and Juliet” type tale. It was terrific to witness in person their highly stylised movements and to hear the live Javanese classical style singing and orchestra. I loved every moment of the hour and 1/2 performance and could follow along the story pretty well after having read the synopsis. The boys were a little less enthusiastic, yet they seem to be absorbing quite a lot about the Indonesian culture, growing to appreciate it more and more.

It was 24hr local bus ride to return to Bali from Yogyakarta with a 30-min inclusive dinner stop: rice, fried flattened tofu something, fresh vegetable soup, various chicken parts in flavorful sweet Indonesian kecup sauce, chili paste, shrimp chips, and sweet hot or iced tea. Excellent! After that it was only 10 hrs to go with a loud kung fu movie all in Bahasa! The traffic back was terrible and running very late, the driver was a crazy man honking and darting around scooters. It was miracle he didn’t hit one.  Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride!

Our luxury bus back to Bali. Huge compared to a scooter, right?

Before sailing here, I didn’t have any particular expectations of what we would discover except perhaps a bit of exotic asiatic influence. Indeed, the culture is asiatic as are the faces and smaller, generally lean bodies. Bryce and Trent are considered tall, as am I for a woman! LOL! Our last six weeks traveling from east to west have been full of amazing discoveries involving this country’s vast physical beauty and mixed yet well integrated cultures. If you didn’t know, Indonesia is 80% Muslim with the greatest number of Muslims living on Java, Sumatra Lombok and Sumbawa. The outlying eastern islands tend to be mostly Christian (Timor, Alor, Flores, Komodo, Rinja). Bali is Hindu with some Buddhist. I don’t know the statistics of Borneo, but I suspect it is predominantly Muslim.

Women everywhere you look have their hair covered except in Bali. When motoring on scooters, their colourful head & upper body coverings trail behind them, while the lower half is clothed in skin tight skinny jeans – an odd juxtaposition I must say….in the more conservative areas, we all wear long pants and I cover my shoulders and arms. I sometimes wear my red floppy hat, but in temples we’re instructed to remove hats. A little confusing considering the head coverings worn by the women. FYI – 35% of scooter drivers wear masks over their nose and mouth to protect against the carbon & burning plastic pollution. I find myself regularly sneezing and congested.

Young Indonesian woman transporting onions on her scooter in her skinny jeans and flip flops.

It is not at all scary here. We find the people generous, kind, modest, happy, and much less encumbered by stuff – although everyone has a phone! (The middle aged and older population tend to have a lot of missing teeth.) The most favoured shoes are thongs even when riding scooters. Scooters are everywhere with sometimes four people hanging on or a small kitchenette restaurant attached. I’m glad not to be driving myself.

BTW – the food is tasty albeit spicy. Much smaller portions than in the states: lots of tofu and rice. Meat is available but more like a supplement or flavor additive than a mainstay. Prices for us are fortunately inexpensive, however, bargaining is necessary to get the inexpensive prices! Outside the prominent sightseeing structures, kitch is everywhere for sale with hagglers holding up souvenirs and following you down the street to encourage you to buy.

Rice fields are a constant vision, along with some corn and tobacco crops. We are experiencing arid heat during this dry season; it’s hot and dusty. The cities are mostly cement block houses and buildings sometimes colourfully painted. There are few sidewalks, predominantly two lane highways except in busy highway type thoroughfares where there are two lanes on each side. Like England, you drive on the left side of the street – or as they say here: the “correct” side. The overall look of most city areas is rather dirty, unkempt with crowded conditions. Plastic trash can be seen everywhere especially on undeveloped lots and in riverbeds. Sailing the waters, we see plastic trash regularly floating on the surface. We worry about our prop getting tangled by plastic bags and nets.

Well – that is a lot more than I bet you expected to read. But since you mentioned that you are interested in traveling here to Indonesia someday, I thought I’d write a bit more about our insights and experiences. Big hugs to you, Leslie.

Oh – almost forgot – in Central Java one day near Borobudur we had the most incredible time cooling off and rafting down the local river in the very capable hands of Mendut Rafting with our travel buddies Natalia and Bolo from s/v Wassyl. It’s one of Bryce and Trent’s favorite foreign adventures so far!

 

Southern Bali: Padang Padang to surf

https://youtu.be/tcCtcmE1lrI

“Bali is a popular tourist destination, which has seen a significant rise in tourists since the 1980s.Tourism-related business makes up 80% of its economy. It is renowned for its highly developed arts, including traditional and modern dance, sculpture, painting, leather, metalworking and music. The Indonesian International Film Festival is held every year in Ubud, Bali. In March 2017, TripAdvisor named Bali as the world’s top destination in its Traveller’s Choice award,” pulled from Bali – Wikipedia.

For all their hard work on the boat, Eric Rigney and I wanted to reward Bryce Rigney and Trent Rigney with a trip down to Southern Bali to surf the famous Ulu Watu and Padang Padang breaks with their s/v Ocelot buddy Rainer Dawn. Eric stayed in Lovina to guard the boat and I went with them as chaperone. Our 5 hour drive south included a stop at the Twin Lake Trekking Point with pretty lake views where the boys goofed off a bit, and a fellow had bats to hold for a photo-op.

Trekking Point: Rainer Dawn, Trent and Bryce Rigney.
Leslie Rigney in front of the Two Lakes, Bali.

Then we stopped off and had a tour of a coffee plantation specialising in Lewak Coffee (a little catlike rodent critter who eats the fruity coffee beans and digests them whole. After coming out the other end, the beans are then cleaned, roasted to perfection, ground and voila…delicious tasting coffee!).

Rainer Dawn, Bryce and Trent enjoying their coffee tasting on the road to Bukit Peninsula, Bali, Indonesia.

Passing straight through Bali’s capital, Denpasar, and heading along the only route south, the Jelan Bypass Nusa Dua, past Bali’s Intl airport, we culminated our 5 hour taxi drive south arriving at the bottom of Bali on the SW corner of Bukit Peninsula.

SW corner of the Bukit Peninsula of Bali, Indonesia.

Just barely noting an unassuming wooden sign pointing the direction down a dirt road, our taxi driver hesitatingly drove the narrow route to a dirt lot on top of a cliff with a long dirt walking path heading down to the Bali Rocks Hostel. We unloaded the taxi and waved goodbye to our still unsure taxi driver. He was worried because the Bali Rocks Hostel was not a typical “hotel” with a typical hotel entrance. It is tucked away down a cliff – like most of the other homes/apartments/hotels along that beach, and literally hanging over the famous Pedang Pedang surf and beach, otherwise known as Labuan Sait Beach. The hostel manager was there to greet us with a smile and showed us to our very tidy two twin bed room with private toilet, sink and shower.

Two beds, two sleeping bags makes four sleeping accommodations – Bali Rocks Hostel was in the know!

We arrived just after noon. Having already eaten lunch along the way at McDonald’s the boys quickly got organized to surf. Leslie

Here is Trent’s journal account of the adventure:

The day after our boat Kandu arrived at Lovina Bay on Bali, Bryce, Rainer Dawn, myself and mom left to the southern end of Bali where there is great surf. On our drive, we stopped to look at really cool, tame bats. The bats were fruit bats. We could have held them, but I didn’t want to pay the money.

Tame Indonesian fruit bat ready for his photo-op.
Photo-op Indonesian fruit bat.

We got hungry, so our driver stopped off at a road side fruit stand for us to buy curious fruits and packaged snacks. We bought strawberries, passion fruit and delicious rice snacks to tide us over for the next couple hours of driving.

Just past noon, we finally arrived at the end of a dirt road. I got all the stuff I could carry and walked down 50 stairs to our hotel which was perched on the cliff right beside the beach. We arrived in the early afternoon at Pedang Pedang, which allowed us to surf until low tide when the waves became too small to surf. We walked up the dirt road into town for dinner. It was really expensive! The next morning, we surfed at “Impossibles” which is a little big for my BIG Robert’s epoxy board (hard to duck-dive) but still pretty fun. “Impossibles” is good at low tide, and at high tide, we moved over to the beginner/intermediate surf break toward the beach area. That’s where I caught a lot of waves.

Trent Rigney back to the hostel after some good surf.

On our third day, we surfed “Impossibles” in the early morning as the tide was coming in and the other intermediate area at high tide later that morning. We broke late and ate linner. Mom discovered a snack restaurant at the neighboring hostel. Boy, that chicken burger and fries never tasted so good! We ended up eating there for most of our meals. After a little rest, the three of us decided to rent long boards because after 2.5 days of boogie boarding, Rainer was ready to surf! The three of us headed out for the beginner spot. Rainer did great and I caught even more waves than I caught the day before. I also got huge rashes on my legs because the board was made of foam. Rainer stood up for the first time on his long board. The three of us even caught waves together – they call those party waves!

Rainer Dawn up surfing!
Padang Padang Party Wave from left to right Bryce, Trent, unknown, and Rainer Dawn far right.

The next morning “Impossibles” was too big for me. Bryce had taken off before sunrise on his own to surf the famous waves of Uluwatu with his GoPro. Later we learned he caught a ride on a scooter and joined up with some French guys. He caught a gnarly barrel.

We had a crazy experience dealing with the macaque monkeys that morning. A bag of granola had been left outside the room from Bryce’s breakfast. A monkey must have found it, spread the word to the other monkeys, and it seemed like 25 monkeys swarmed the hostel to get their share. They made a terrible mess – turning over all the garbage cans, pulling out the trash, and scattering the oatmeal everywhere. Only a long stick or broom could actually scare them away. I tried to shew one away, and it lunged back at me baring its teeth. I dodged the male, but it spooked me enough, that I never approached one again unless I had the broom. I swept up the mess, and eventually the monkeys went away. Unlike the previous days, the beach in front of the hostel was swarming with all ages and sizes of monkeys the rest of the day. The local dogs had a great time chasing after them.

Agressive male Macaque monkey reluctantly allowing this photo.

Bryce returned later that morning. Because the waves were too big for Rainer and I, we didn’t surf again until after lunch. That afternoon, we all surfed the beginner spot. I surfed this time with my short Robert’s fiberglass surfboard and it wasn’t very fun. So I paddled back to the hostel and exchanged it for my boogie board and fins. I got a pretty cool barrel!

The next day our taxi cab driver from Lovina came to fetch us at 13h00. Unfortunately, “Impossibles” was too big in the morning and the other site wasn’t good either, so we didn’t go surfing. On our ride back, we went inside the coolest and biggest surf shop ever with a huge statue in front: Surfer’s Paradise.My mom wanted us to hold the bats, but when we arrived at the spot, they weren’t there. We took a detour to see a very special area of rice patties which was cool. The entire valley was so green. We also stopped off at The Temple on the Lake – Pura Ulun Danu Bratan. It was a pretty place and full of tourists. It felt good to be out of the car. The three of us joked around knowing that our buddy surf trip was just about over.

https://youtu.be/6BY-6K3VHb0

We dropped Rainer off at his aunt and uncle’s boat with the dinghy and unpacked to repack our sacks with clean clothes for our next adventure. The day after we returned to Kandu, we took off on another road trip to the neighboring island, Java. But this time by bus and ferry.

 

Christmas On the Hard “Argonaut” Newspaper Article

Rigneyskandu wishes a Merry Christmas 2017 and a Happy New Year 2018 to our dear friends, family and followers. We’ve experienced a formidable year sailing north through the South Pacific, Torres Strait, Timor Sea, Java Sea and the Strait of Malacca.

Christmas on the Hard 2017 at Pangkor Marina, Malaysia.

We made the cover of December’s issue of The Argonaut – a West Los Angeles newspaper. Have a look! Somehow it seems appropriate. The definition of the word ‘argonaut’ is: an adventurer engaged in a quest. RigneysKandu’s quest is to share to our friends and family that the world isn’t scary…it’s grand and awesome!

http://argonautnews.com/christmas-on-the-hard/

“I don’t feel I’m living a dream. I feel I’m living. I think we all are, in our own way, living our values. It’s not what we say, it’s what we do that matters most. I imagine no life is stress free. Mine is very stressful. We’re spending our savings to be with our boys as we explore the cultures of those with whom we share the planet. But I’m having to pass up a lot of special places along the way. Oh, poor me, I don’t get to experience Thailand this month. Sounds ridiculous, right? But think of all each one of us has, how we spend our good fortune too often thinking about what we wish we could do, not realizing we are already doing so much. Do we trust each has a purpose and God will provide or do we just hope it might be true for us someday in the future? I’m learning supreme lessons because this experience kicks my ass on a regular basis. But they are only learned if I put them into effect. I hope I do, or what a supreme waste. I think no matter where we are, the same holds true. You don’t have to spend your savings and leave home to take advantage of the beauty and the relationships that surround us. Your pictures of family and of sunsets show me that you are grateful for the life that is yours. Mine is not better, only different (more expensive!). We didn’t spend the holidays with family this year, but spent it with new friends. Not better, … different.” Eric

Here is the pdf version of the Article as printed in Los Angeles’ newsweekly paper “The Argonaut” :  Argonaut_12-21-2017 cover story found on pages 10-12.


Leslie’s Letters: Medana Bay, Lombok, Indonesia

Indonesian school teachers wearing jilbads.

Sept 5 2017   Dear Mom and Dad,

Now that we’re moving more west toward Bali, 85-90% of the women wear head scarves all day long…taking it off only for sleep. Even the very small girls wear the jilbad. Long sleeves and long pants and/or skirts are also the norm among the Muslim women even in the boiling humid heat. It is not required by law that they wear such coverings, but when asked, they find conforming is easier. In a fashion, it’s enchanting to see the women’s colorful head scarves fluttering behind while they drive on their motor scooters – the vehicle of choice here in Indonesia.

Kandu anchored at Medana Bay Marina, Lombok, Indonesia.

In Medana Bay during the day and night before the final day of Ashura on Sept 29th, the local mosque played practically nonstop cantored prayers over the loudspeakers. The speakers were blown, so the sound wasn’t pretty. Sometimes there was a decent cantor and the melody was clear, but when a young boy got the chance to practice his cantoring, it sadly sounded like a skinned cat.

The marina manager/owner Peter Cranfield of Medana Bay Marina recommended that we take a walk over to the local mosque early around 7:00 am on the final morning of Ashura to visit. As we walked through the small village, we noted the townspeople dressed in their finest. On a side note, a man who wears a white hat indicates that he has completed a pilgrimage to Mecca. As we approached, we were beckoned over and welcomed to participate in their service. Women worshipped upstairs.  Even though Natalia and I had made our best efforts to dress as conservative Muslims, we had apparently missed the mark and thus the women covered us from head to toe in their traditional white, hiding especially our hair and feet. The men worshipped downstairs in their dress-up street attire.

On small rugs, Natalia and I knelt and stood along with the women and children, obviously understanding little, but enjoying the spiritual community and the differences of worship. From Eric’s point of view, he said the men kept suggesting he move closer to the front, but he remained closer to the back. As the lead person spoke, it appeared as if the practitioners rocked back, cupping their hands open to the sides of their ears to capture more intently the holy words spoken. When it came time to bow fully down to the floor, men next to Eric and the boys spread their prayer rugs horizontally in front of them so they’d have a rug to press their foreheads against.

After the service, the congregation filed in a circular formation to greet each and every member.  Immediately upon shaking hands with a person of similar age, members brought their right hand to their breast as if to bring a piece of you to their heart. Younger members would bow slightly forward and bring the top of older members’ hands to their foreheads as a sign of even greater respect.  Adults did the same for the elderly, sometimes kissing the back of their hand before doing so.  Following the lengthy warm greeting procession, the six of us were invited to join in celebrating the end of the fast with an elaborate communal lunch or begibung.  Men and women grouped separately into clusters of 3-5.  Multiple plates of delicious food was placed center of the cluster.  A bowl of clear water was set for each cluster to share in order to rinse his/her hands before, while, and after eating. We each spooned ourselves portions of rice and then covered parts of it with various spicy sauced dishes of fish, chicken, and goat. The custom is to only eat with your right hand. With three fingers and thumb, we pressed the rice into the sauced meat, forming a temporary ball which we’d quickly bring to our mouths. We must have looked pathetic for soon they delivered us spoons. The special spiced hard boiled eggs and other delicacies, many fried, were easier to eat by western hand. We felt very special, indeed, to partake in such a rare cultural experience. Out of curiosity, I researched the meaning behind Ashura:

“Ashura Eid ul-Adha” is a festival of remembrance in Islam – but Sunni and Shi’a Muslims celebrate for different reasons. In Sunni Islam, Ashura follows the traditions of Judaism as Jewish people followed a day of fasting around this time of year (commemorating the parting of the Red Sea for Moses and his followers to escape the Pharaoh.) The Prophet Muhammad thought that this tradition was worth following so he fasted and encouraged his followers to do the same. Sunni Muslims fast and celebrate by reflecting and showing respect and thanks. For Shi’a Muslims, Ashura is sacred as a day of remembrance of the death of the grandson of Muhammad” abstracted from the website ‘The UK Sun.’

The next day, as part of a privately arranged tour, we were invited to share a meal or ‘begibung’ with the family of our driver/guide. He and his family were delightful and their food was delicious. For six of us (including our 2 Polish friends Bolo (Wojciech Maleika) and Natalia Ptasinska from S/V Wassyl) to enjoy that intimate experience, we paid a little bit to cover the family’s cost amounting to US$23. We also brought many gifts for the children and 3 teenage girls. The toys and caps were ones saved from Bryce and Trent’s stock when they were little (the children were ecstatically excited), and I provided 3 binders filled with writing paper, 2 pens, coloured pencils, and plastic pocket. The older teenage girls were flabbergasted with the school binders. Natalia also brought paper products, pencils, pencil sharpeners and the like, plus some tea for the Mommas/Aunties.

Incredible traditional Indonesian family meal.
Our tour guide’s extended family on Lombok, Indonesia.

Our tour included an incredible morning at the Lombok Elephant Park where we rode, fed, and pet elephants. All four of us got hugged by Valent the friendly orangutan; Valent took Eric (Valent is short for Valentine) for a walk. Plus we goggled at the many birds who sat on our shoulders. Being led by a park guide, we witnessed private active shows from all the endemic zoo animals. We even got to feed the pygmy hippo. Getting a chance to ride an elephant was definitely on my bucket list – never know if we’ll actually make it to Thailand – so, no time like the present! For more fun pictures, browse our Lombok Elephant Park 2017 photo gallery.

Rigneyskandu feeding elephants.

After the family lunch, we then drove up the local Rinjani Mountain to make a 20 minute hike to the tall, very impressive waterfall Tiu Kelep. Plus, on our way home, we visited a nearby traditional ‘active’ village called Senaru Traditional Indonesian Village. It was a very full day!

After all that ‘busy’ness, I’ve come down with a cold – a little congested, a bit of sneezing, low energy. People eat communally, so germs get passed around pretty quickly. Oh well. Today – the guys are working on the boat. Bryce and Trent are cleaning our boat bottom for US$50 and then the neighbours smaller boat for US$30. This will be their first gig outside of our family. Pretty good!

I read your recent emails. Thanks so much for writing about all the things you’ve been up to and happenings: recounting the work weekend up at Tahoe, how hot it is in California, the fires, and the terrible hurricane that has hit Houston. I too did not know how large that city was – 6 million people!! So much got damaged by water. What terrible losses!

I’ve been reading outloud to the boys: “Old Man and the Sea” by Hemingway. It has a great message about endurance – and is a rather short book. We’ve read halfway. I’ll pick it back up when we’re sailing again. We haven’t played cribbage lately, but this next sailing leg, I know we will. Too hot to cook. Most of the time while I cook, my face drips sweat, even with all the port lights and hatches wide open. However, the air is a bit dryer here than in Polynesia so our clothes and bed linens don’t smell as bad as quickly. Not many mosquitos either – very happy about that.

Gotta go now, hopefully more time later,

Bryce Rigney storming the lookout on the way to Tiu Kelep Waterfall, Rinjani Mountain, Lombok, Indonesia.

Leslie’s Letters: Komodo to Sumbawa in August 2017

Kandu sailing away from Komodo Island, Indonesia to Sumbawa.

August 30, 2017  Dear Kathi,

Writing from Medana Bay on Lombok, just these last couple days while sailing from Komodo to Sumbawa Island, Indonesia, we experienced terrible diesel/engine problems. It was rather frightening being so far away from everything. We were hours away even under normal working circumstances from any village or town.

Out in the channel between Komodo and a small island east of Sumbawa our engine died. Without engine nor wind, we were without steerage and found ourselves rocking and drifting in the current. Such made it difficult to figure out the problem and repair it. All alone, we used our dinghy and 9.9 horsepower outboard to push us into a deserted bay about three and 1/2 miles away.

Trent Rigney steering Kandu with our handy dandy Wee Kandu dinghy and outboard.

Dodging by 5 minutes the cross current chop, we puttered along with Trent sitting in and controlling the dinghy alongside Kandu. Once anchored in the calm yet remote most northeastern bay (which looks like a hand and fingers) of island Labuan Gili Banta, it was easier to focus on what was causing our engine to stall. Two other rally sailboats, Wassyl and Burmese Breeze, heard our VHF call and sailed over to assist and provide moral support. Eric worked with Bryce and Bolo, captain on Wassyl, practically non-stop past midnight to solve the problem and went to bed thinking they had.

Small island Labuan Gili Banta figuring on our path between Komodo and Northern Sumbawa.

We spent the night and departed at 5:30 sunrise only to discover that the problem lingered. Instead of remaining in the anchorage, Bolo offered to tow us with his sturdy steel ketch Wassyl north to Bima, a nearby port on neighbouring island Sumbawa, but in the process of heading north the current was so strong, it put stress on our friend’s boat engine and wasted a lot of fuel going nowhere. Instead, we headed south with the current, and meanwhile Eric and his assistant, Bryce, continued working all day until, it turned out, they eliminated an air leak problem in between three diesel filters by bypassing two of them. It was a work around solution, but at least the engine was now running and we were back moving under our own power and sail.

Kandu being towed by Wassyl along southern Sumbawa.

Westing along on the south side of Sumbawa Island, we found the coast exposed to wind and swell. Up until yesterday, we had been traveling throughout Indonesia mostly along the northside of the Indonesian islands under engine power with a little bit of sail. It’s no wonder we experienced a problem. Our little ‘Yanmar engine that could’ has been working overtime. When a problem occurs with a car on the freeway, you pull over and call Triple AAA. When you’re sailing on a boat around Indonesia, when there’s a problem, Eric’s says:  “Oh S@#%!” and then he gets serious diagnosing and then figuring out how to fix the problem. Incidentally, our lives never felt threatened, it was more a question of remote problem solving.

Eric, Bryce and Trent struggling with the mainsail and furler, Sumbawa, Indonesia.

At the same time as we were being towed, our main sail furling stay came unscrewed such that our main sail foil (tube that holds the luff chord) was bending and banging against the mast and could have untied, cracked, or broken at any time due to the force of the full sail. In order to figure out how to fix that problem, the guys quickly pulled down the main sail, tightened the turn buckle and reset the set screws. They actually had to pull down the sail again to get it right – the second time at dusk. Crazy business! All that time being towed, we took turns hand steering at the helm to align ourselves with the tow rope. Normally, we are spoiled with either the automatic pilot (auto helm) or wind vane steering. Manually steering is exhausting, monotonous work especially with the hot sun blazing down with no refreshing breeze.

Kandu captain and crew taking turns hand steering Kandu.

Our saviours were Polish captain Bolo, and his Polish first-mate, Natalia on their steel ketch, Wassyl. What a magnificent and generous couple! Due to all of this business, our two boats, captains and crew disappointedly missed the next rally stop on northern Sumbawa where we would have seen a water buffalo race and enjoyed other local cultural traditions, darnit! “Can’t kiss all the girls or boys,” as Eric tends to say these days.

Bolo (Wojciech Maleika) and Natalia Ptasinska goofing off during our tour of Kelimutu on Flores, Indonesia.

Having temporarily repaired our fuel issue we made our way to the next rally stop, Medana Bay on Lombok Island to catch up with the group. Heading north at the bottom of western side of Lombok, we experienced a massive head current at 5 knots where during an hour we advanced at a speed of just 1 knot. At one point the powerful currents were swirling around us, fighting for way against each other. Indonesia is know for its insidious currents; the currents are typically two to three knots, sometimes as much as 6 knots, maximum 8 with or against! Ugh! Planning is imperative when your boat engine can muster a maximum of 6 knots forward motion at 25 rpm.

Kandu navigation indicating our SOG (speed over ground) was 4.7 knots with a .7 knot current against us. A slight respite while motoring around the southwest corner of Lombok, Indonesia.

We never know when this adventure can turn from joy to frustration. Just a couple days ago, anchored in idyllic Labuanbajo Bay on Flores Island, Eric said: “This is one of the best days of my life!” having scuba dived prolifically diverse and colourful Komodo coral gardens, swam with manta rays, and in the afternoon, walked among Komodo dragons at the Unesco Heritage Komodo Park on Rinca Island. It’s all part of our present family story – solving problems with the help of family and friends, growing together, and seeing this incredible world under motor and sail with God at our side.

Anchored one quiet night at Marina del Ray of southeastern Lombok while making our way north to Medana Bay.

Leslie’s Letters: Kelimutu, Flores Island in Indonesia 2017

Kelimutu Tri-coulored Lakes, Flores Island in Indonesia

August 24, 2017 – Hello from Indonesia!

We have left Alor to visit the famous Komodo dragons, the greatest and most dangerous of monitor lizards. Along the way, we sailed over the northern side of Flores and anchored at Wodong Bay on beach-lined Maumere Coast where we took a day tour to visit the tri-coloured crater lakes of Kelimutu and to see the inland rice terraced agriculture.

Flores, Indonesia countryside: terraced rice fields.

We had the most incredible tour across Flores Island two days ago to see Kelimutu: the tricoloured lakes. In a van/bus for 14 people, 13 of us from the Sail Indonesia Rally traveled 4 hours up up up on solidly paved roads to the volcano craters. Gorgeous sites. Evidently, the crater pools change colours during the seasons and they were steaming – so must have been hot. The liquid looked viscous and thick like paint. The sides of the craters were so steep, there was no safe way to hike down to test the temperature.

Bryce Rigney pointing out our hike to the trip-coulored lakes of Kelimutu.
Eric & Trent Rigney hiking to the top crater lookout of Kelimutu.
Eric & Leslie Rigney at the tri-coulored lakes of Kelimutu, Flores, Indonesia.

After leaving the Maumere coastline yesterday morning, we anchored around 4:00 pm in a lovely and wonderfully calm bay, Batu Boga East, last night on our way to Labuanbajo of the Western tip of Flores to try and witness some Flying Fox bats. No fox bats appeared in Boga but we got a chance to swim in unpolluted waters, take showers and get a great night’s sleep on glass as if we were docked in a marina. The surrounding countryside reminded us of California’s rolling hills or the Channel Islands like Santa Cruz or Anacapa, dry scrub. Civilisation felt very far away as there were only three minuscule fishing boats floating about and not one person around until we left this morning and saw those three fishing boats trailing lines or nets.

Batu Boga East, Flores, Indonesia.

It’s very warm out on the ocean – full sun from crystal clear blue skies. No wind – motor sailing on flat seas. Been having a little trouble with terrible noises howling from our engine room blower. Eric confirmed this morning that it wasn’t the water pump thank goodness. We will have to replace the blower sooner than later – maybe in Bali.

The locals have been extraordinarily friendly and helpful. Full of smiles. Apparently, Indonesia has the most muslims of any country. The outlying islands are 80% Christian, but as we approach closer and closer to Java, Bali and Sumatra, the muslim population will become more concentrated. Women and young women muslims wear scarves over their heads. The girls in Kupang, but especially in Alor were enamored with Bryce and Trent. They surrounded BnT constantly asking to take pictures. After the first hour, the boys lost their enthusiasm for it, but graciously continued to pose with them every time they were ashore.

Alor is considered the 4th most popular dive spot in Indonesia after Bali, Lombok, and Labuan Bajo. The four of us experienced the most marvellously scenic coral diving ever during two dives. The underwater flora was brilliantly coloured and enormously diverse due to the fast cool currents. There were no pelagic fish to be seen, yet the wall dive was swarming with small multicoloured specimins of the usual tropical suspects including banner fish, clownfish, moorish idols, etc.

We were in Kalabachi Bay, Alor when Indonesia celebrated their Independence Day on August 16th. Early at 7:00 am, an organised group reenacted the battles fought after WWII to become independent from Dutch colonisation…a five year bloody war. The spectacle was impressive.

The day after was truly incredible. We cruisers of the rally were treated to a beautiful opening rally ceremony complete dance troupe and special indigenous foods.
And later that afternoon we were asked to walk in their Alor Regency parade. It was a parade of all the peoples in costume, young peoples’ music bands, some cars but no floats. Pretty much everyone, even those from outlying neighbor islands and their small children under the Alor Regent seemed to be in the parade. It went on and on until dark…yet it was so very interesting as they all wore costumes from their region. We loved it. Then that night, we were invited to dine with the Regent of Alor and neighbouring islands…his position is similar to a Governor of a US state. The organisers of the rally dressed 7 of us cruisers up in their local costumes and we paraded into the dining hall as if in a fashion show. Eric and I actually sat at the Regent’s table, and while we couldn’t communicate directly, a translator stood nearby and helped the conversation along. A cappella, I sang “Quando m’en vo” from La Boheme as a surprise. The acoustics were perfect and there was even a stage. The Indonesians were quite astonished as were our fellow yachties! The food was spicy, many choices of meats and vegetables – lots of breaded and fried options. Instead of potato or taro chips, they serve deep fried shrimp chips and popcorn with peanuts. Tasty! No alcohol served. The prayers were Christian and ended in ‘Jesus Christ.’

Eric and Leslie Rigney dressed-up in Pantar costumes ready to dine with the Regent Governor.

Leslie’s Letters, August 17, Alor Indonesia

Traditional Nusa Tengarra, Indonesia headdress for men. Why is Leslie modeling it?

August 17, 2017    Hello Mom and Dad –

We have internet and I have a moment to write you a note.
Prior to arriving in Alor, we had used up all of our internet wifi credit – so late the first afternoon we arrived, we headed out to buy some ‘pulsa’ or phone and wifi credit for our devices. It’s all working great  now.
What a great few days we’ve been having since we arrived here in Alor, number four of the best dive sites in Indonesia. The first afternoon, after motoring just about all the way from Wini, we arrived around 2:30. We were anxious to head ashore, so the boys quickly unloaded the dinghy and attached the BIG outboard. We buzzed over to shore and were greeted by the tourist people who gave us the lowdown on the activities they had planned for us, where to pull out cash, to get diesel, to buy ‘pulsa,’ to get a friend’s front tooth veneer re-glued, to book a tour of the area for the next day and a scuba dive for today. So much to do!

Welcoming committee including our fabulous tour guide Itha Peni on the right.
Welcoming committee at the specially built Kalabachi dinghy dock.
 Yesterday’s tour started up the mountain to visit a rustic village. Not many people really live so rustic today, but it gave us an idea of what their huts looked like (raised with bamboo floors, a short ceiling on the first floor with a reinforced stone area for cooking all open air with a couple low partitions to designate kitchen and living spaces. A wood ladder directed to the second floor, where I believe they had their beds. A rather flat yet pointed in the middle thatch roof topped off the structure. Neat. There were women selling their wares and I bought an intricate bamboo specimen that I just couldn’t resist.
Rainer Dawn, Bryce Rigney and Trent Rigney at Kampung Traditional Village near Kalabahi.
Celebrated Alor Village wedding drums
Village Bamboo hut interior, Kampung Village, Kalabachi, Alor, Indonesia
Kampung village drums, Alor, Indonesia
Kampung Village, Alor, Indonesia.

The sights of the hillside were beautiful and then off to the hot water springs which were located very far inland via rough roads. It was rather underdeveloped as a tourist place, but interesting. Hot. Then to lunch on the beach. Lovely views under the shade.

Kalabachi, Alor countryside, Indonesia.
Bryce Rigney and Rainer Dawn building a rock cairn at the Alor hot springs, Indonesia.
Southern Alor beachfront – a perfect spot for our picnic lunch.

After lunch, we headed up the local hillside to a waterfall hike which was too much for me at a certain point wearing a dress and flip flops. The path was covered in slippery leaves and steep with no steps plus nothing to hold onto. I was certain to fall and didn’t like that prospect. The guys went (Eric was wearing his Teva’s and work shorts – well, and you know the boys – sure footed as goats). Off they went and had some great exercise visiting a small yet charming waterfall while I chatted with Ocelot’s Sue and John who are aunt and uncle to Rainer.

Eric Rigney and Bryce Rigney cavorting at the Kalabachi, Alor waterfall.
Today, we climbed aboard a very cool scuba dive boat, Indonesia style but designed by a German. The all day tour was GREAT – perfectly organised and wonderfully safe. The first dive was a fast current drift dive. I was wearing too much weight, so couldn’t get balanced right – yet I still enjoyed the absolutely stunningly glorious coral. The soft corals were the most alive and diverse I’ve ever seen. The second dive was even better as we swam about 55 feet down along a coral wall where the most beautiful ferns and glowing coral reflecting all colors of the rainbow were thriving from the cleanest and clearest water imaginable. Wow! The boys did great too considering how little dive experience they have had!
Idyllic blue waters of Alor, Indonesia.
Leslie Rigney getting mentally prepared for the first Alor drift dive.
Rigneyskandu Kandive Alor!
Polish friends Wojciech Maleika (Bolo) & Natalia Ptasinska from S/V Wassyl getting prepared for our first dive!

Daily Log Indonesia: Onward to Timor’s Wini and then Alor

Traditional Indonesian fisherman with his sailing outrigger.

8-29-2017

Much has transpired since leaving Rote Island. We sailed our way back to Timor and headed north of Kupang to a small village called Wini where the rally was scheduled to stop. Quiet place. Leaving Kandu for the day, we bus-toured east to the border of Timor Leste (East Timor). The previous Portuguese colony fought for independence during a twenty-plus year bloody civil war starting in 1975 until gaining full independence in 2002. Close to the border, a Leste guard beaming a smile, beckoned openly that we should break international law and come visit his country. We smiled back and waved.

Border marker between Timor and Timor Leste.

We also enjoyed a fabulous local market chock full of interesting vegetables and some tropical fruits we previously had neither seen nor tasted – the ‘specially fragrant’ and unforgettable durian being one of them. Once you smell it, you’ll never forget it!

Durian – the smelly tropical fruit prohibited on buses and indoor public buildings.
Bryce, Trent and Rainer eyeing the Indonesian pastries.
Eric Rigney befriending the Wini locals.

The Wini local rally organizers held a simple dinner for us with music and dance. They offered us gifts of their lovely scarves that the local women weave here in Indonesia.

Wini welcome dinner of Sail Indonesia Rally 2017. Pictured: Complexity, Grand Cru, Esprit III, Wassyl. Notice the colorful scarves around everyone’s neck.

Off to the island of Alor, we stopped briefly at a fisherman’s pearl farm bay for a night tucking in along the southwest coast. We all wanted to swim, but instead explored from the safety of the siderail the world of rather innocuous yet scary looking jellyfish with Rainer Dawn and Sue Hacking from S/V Ocelot.

Later that evening, the adults from Grand Cru, Esprit III, Ocelot and Kandu enjoyed cocktails in the roomy cockpit of Ocelot, the lone catamaran while the boys enjoyed popcorn and movies. Great hors d’oeuvres and conversation made for fun camaraderie and conversation among cruisers. We miss our Polynesian cruiser family, yet we’ve been learning a lot from our new cruising family and are enjoying meeting different, yet like-minded people. We come in many shapes, sizes and from different countries: that night from Australia, South Africa, Washington and California states.

 

Map of Alor Island, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia.

Motoring north around the western tip of Alor island, our next destination, Kalabahi, is located at the very end of a long wide fjord found on western Alor. The area is known for it’s spectacular coral gardens due to the cold swift currents passing by the islands generally from north to south. We were dramatically introduced to these currents on our way to the fiord pushing against their strongest at 5 plus knots on our nose. For hours we inched 100 yards off the bank of the channel in search of a counter current, which we on occasion successfully caught. What would normally take with the current a couple hours, took us against the current most of the morning. Once in the fjord heading nearly due east, the current abated significantly and we made excellent progress with just a one-knot counter current while dodging large anchored fishing platforms. From the entrance of the fjord, it took three more hours before we made the end of the bay and finally anchored off Kalabahi.

Fishing platforms in the western fjord of Alor heading to Kalabahi.

Kalabahi city is not a usual Indonesian tourist destination. The streets are not slick and tidy. It’s a bit dirty with plastic trash littering the sides of the street, river bottoms and the water where we anchored. It’s the principal city of Alor and the center of that region’s administration encompassing 4 to 5 neighboring islands. Many children on canoes approached our boat hoping for treats or gifts. We gave out writing pens and paper, some canned meat that I didn’t want, and a few candy bars. After that, whenever we were aboard, the children returned demanding more.

While walking the streets, our tall, blond haired, blue-eyed boys were sought after for photo ops by giggling girls. The local boys looked on in bemused and rather sullen silence.

Several boats of our rally arrived a day before schedule. Rally tourist organizers quickly finished a specially made dinghy dock for us and scrambled to push up events, setting us up with a nice tour of the island including a visit to a traditional mountain village known for it bronze drums and where the religious structures were built side-by-side, Muslim and Christian. The Vietnamese drums, likely found or traded centuries ago from Chinese ships, are today used by families to support marriage proposals.

Rainer Dawn, Bryce Rigney and Trent Rigney at the Traditional Village near Kalabahi.
Traditional headgear of the Alor regency.

Later that day, we were invited to visit the Alor regional museum that was heavily guarded and only allowed visitors by reservation. It was rather sparse and limited in local information. Pictures of the past and recent Regent Governors were prominent – all looking like military dictators. The tour continued with a boxed lunch on the beach and culminated in a rather arduous hike to visit a waterfall, especially enjoyed by our rambunctious boys. Sporting a dress and flimsy flipflops, after slipping and sliding on the muddy path, I opted out of that activity.

Eric Rigney and Bryce Rigney cavorting at the Kalabahi waterfall.

The next day with friends Bolo and Natalia from S/V Wassyl hailing from Poland, we headed off for a day of drift diving. The density and diversity of coral life and multitude of colors were beyond our previous diving experiences.

Polish friends Wojciech Maleika (Bolo) & Natalia Ptasinska from S/V Wassyl getting prepared for our first dive!

There were fernlike plants (actually animals) that curled up when touched, and thousands of small iridescent colored fish darting and swarming all over the underwater landscape. We later learned that all the ‘soft coral’ can move around to more nutrient locations like starfish. Neat.

Fabulous cultural interaction included witnessing the Indonesian Independence Day (August 16th) where locals reenacted their fight for Independence from the Dutch in the 1950’s – It was an amazing show!

Indonesian Independence Day Festivities in Kalabahi, Alor.

The day after, local rally organizers honored us with a beautiful welcome ceremony featuring two beautiful local dance troupes.

Bryce and Trent Rigney surrounded by beautiful Indonesian dancing girls.

Later that day, we were invited to walk in the ‘Indonesian Independence Day’ Regency parade where participants wear costumes representing their customs and traditions. Plus, that night to top-it-off the outstanding festivities, we were dressed-up in local attire to share dinner with the Regent Mayor. Wow! Our experience in Alor couldn’t have been more full and dramatic.

Eric and Leslie Rigney dressed-up in Pantar costumes ready to dine with the Regent Governor.

The three teenagers Bryce, Trent and Rainer escaped the girls to have a bit of fun one early morning before the wind picked-up skurfing behind Wee Kandu in the middle of Alor’s deep fjord adjacent to Kalabahi city.