Thursday 20 November – back to our karst island anchorage

We managed to use our winch to wind the spare anchor up, it had got well and truly buried is some thick gloopy grey clay. It took us a while to manhandle the anchor back on board, with all the slippery clay spreading quickly all over the front of the boat. We then used a whole tank of water cleaning everything, washing the anchor with its chain and rope so that we can store it away again, crossing fingers we don’t have to use it again too soon. This meant we could get the old anchor and chain back on the windlass (anchor winch), so that we could use it immediately when we got into the anchorage. We headed straight back to our lovely anchorage under the cliffs with the roosting hornbills. Lioness (Rob and Pip) were in the anchorage too, we were so glad they had anchored the opposite side, so we could go back to our exact same spot. We will have a couple of nights here and head to Sorong on Saturday, overnighting somewhere en route, to be in the marina in Sorong on Monday. We have loads of things to get sorted as well as a big provision shop. Everyone we know who has been there says it is pretty uncomfortable in the marina, they have no water or electricity, and you have to use your dinghy to get to land. We have booked ourselves into a hotel for the few nights until Clinton (Rowan’s brother) arrives on the 26th.

Rowan had asked Ted and Anne-Marie for supper as a thank you for their help with the anchor, we invited Rob and Pip too, they brought a huge steak, we rustled up some burgers and meat for a BBQ. We had a very jolly evening full of sailing stories.