We had a pretty rough time getting away from Boracay, helicopters, vendors and urine smelling side streets, but staying at Villa Sunset with Adam and Gina and the team was great, very peaceful and very comfortable, thanks again to them.
The seas were huge on departure, in fact, I cancelled the first day of departure because I couldn't get more than 2 miles awa from the island the waves were so obnoxious. Sean flew in to Roxas to find out I wasn't there so he hopped into a car and returned to Boracay for the night. I wasn't prepared to risk his boat without him on board, so we left the next day and he immediately understood my hesitation of the day before. A lot of water was coming over the bows and I put on a life jacket for the first time in around 30 years I believe.
Maybe because of the rough stuff, but we had terrible engine problems all the way to Malapascua, where we limped in at 14 knots instead of 34 knots. Johnnie Walker met us and we stayed at Geoff Halls quaint resort called Kuan Ba or Wobbly Boot. Not much time to look around, but it's a very undeveloped place, so as far as I'm concerned, it is a good place to be.
Another limpy trip the next day to Cebu where we holed up at the Kiwi Lodge for 5 days and I spent the daytime at the wonderful Cebu Yacht Club watching Fin the Norwegian get his team working on the engines and fuel systems.
Next weekend saw us at Alona Beach on Panglao Island, Bohol, where we had a great meal at the Alona Palm Resort, one of my favourite places, here we are working hard at their huge pool!!
Next day, off to Siquijor where we decided to stay at another favourite, the Coco Grove Resort, so beautiful, and the new phase with the Coco Villa rooms is world class, thanks for your hospitality Joy, and thanks to Mike Butler for his vision in creating some of the most harmonious resorts in this area. A quick stop at another of his places, the Apo Island Resort, for lunch and beers, and we were on our way to spend a week with Nigel long hair at his lovely resort on the Southern tp of Negros.
Here's a pic of Michelle and I working at Coco Grove.....
This is the beach in front of the Apo Island Resort, it's a marine sanctuary and very famous for divers from the Dumaguete area, since it's only a few miles offshore.
Nigel helped with the refuelling and the fixing of the hydraulic steering, while I drank beer and supervised the changing of all four propellers, which got banged up on coral overnight at Panglao Island, due to bad info re the depth under a certian mooring at low tide!!!
I love his place and it's so much fun annoying him by asking for something as soon as he sits down...
Next weekend was off round the corner to Sipalay, an unspoilt area on the West coast of Negros, with white sandy beaches and the home of Arthur and Evalyn at Artistic Diving, who put us up in their resort for the night.
We were supposed to go to Cuyo Island the next day, but, of course, the wind and waves decided to come from there, so I thought we may as well head for Peter Harper-Bill's place, the Baras Beach Resort, tucked away in a pretty cove on the SW side of Guimaras, where we spent the night.
On the way we passed the smallest island I've ever stepped on, and a couple of hours later I don't think it was an island anymore. A good place for a couple of beers.....
Next day was calm all the way to the Cuyo group so we made good speed on this long leg of 140 miles or so all the way to Concepcion for a night with Mike and Liz at the Pier House Lodge, before they left for Sweden and 6 months work in the cold parts of the World.
We slowed down at the most expensive resort in the Philippines, Amanpulo, to take some photos from a kilometre away, and then saw a fast boat heading for us, obviously to chase us away. Off we went at 24 knots and he kept with us until we pushed Shakara to 32 knots and he gave up and went home again, ha ha ha.
Power was on at Mike's so we had a pretty good sleep and the next day was a glassy sea all the way, 40 miles, to El Rio y Mar and home for a break in the trip at around 1000 miles completed.
So many problems overcome with a bit of imagination, but the boat needs doctors and so is now in Manila, out of the water, having the structural damage and mechanical/electronic problems sorted in time for Sean's side trip up to San Vincente in the North for some serious fishing/
Kota Kinabalu is still on the cards, but the boat's condition was not good enough for that long run down, and back up, Palawan, where there are absolutely no facilities in case of further problems like the ones we had already encountered many times......
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