The days are starting to develop a pattern. I'm up with the sun and by 7.30 I'm itching to head-off having been awake for a couple of hours while Ina blissfully sleeps on. As I mentioned in the previous entry, this isn't a problem on a boat - at least I thought not. With a gentle breeze blowing out of the anchorage, I decided to let Ina continue to dream while I silently edged the boat out of the anchorage under sail. All went according to plan, until having assumed we'd cleared the coral I engaged the wind-steering and went down below to study the course for the day. Suddenly the depth gauge alarm started bleeping frantically. Even a record-breaking leap from chart-table to helm wasn't enough to save us from the crunch and jarring stop, which finally roused the sleeping crew. Together we rocked the boat, and with judicious use of the engine, bounced off the bottom and finally silenced the alarm. Fortunately a later inspection revealed little more than a few scratches in the anti-fouling. Once we were clear, Ina seemed somewhat gratified that if I'd waited for her we wouldn't be aground.The wind also seems to have developed a pattern. Fickle morning winds in which we valiantly attempt to sail disappear by mid-morning when we give-in and start the engine. We motor until early afternoon when a decent breeze develops.
Today's anchorage came with a welcoming party.Initially two naked boys in a dug-out canoe met us, followed by four clothed men in two more dug-outs. The men invited themselves on board and after quickly exhausting our Indonesian, seemed content to talk amongst themselves, examining equipment on the boat and then debating it's purpose. In a role reversal, one of our visitors had a camera phone, and proceeded to take pictures of the visiting tourists and their boat.Finally with all equipment examined we were free to make the trip up the hill to the village. Our tour included the recently revived diesel generator, village meeting house/dispute resolution centre and the chief's hut. However our search for fruit other than bananas or papaya was unsuccessful.
The stony beach concealed hundreds of small snails clinging around the sides of the pebbles. The snails relinquish their grip just before your foot touches their stone, making an unusual percussion accompaniment to beach walks. Despite the potential for "bon fruit de mer" the snails remained uncollected.
Tanjung Gedong (30 August 16:00): S8°04.6' E122° 50.7'
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