This meant that after several days of freedom in the jungle, Esper‘s crew had the ‘graveyard shift’ from 01:00 till dawn. It was our job to be on full alert for strange activity.

We were expected to wake up the other yachts and inform the patrol boats should we see signs of unusual movement on the water.

This time, instead of staying up together, we divided the shift in half: Jamie from 01:00 till 03:00, then Liz taking over till dawn. These times work for us as Jamie is a night owl and Liz an early bird.

Rounding the worst part of the passage on Sabah’s eastern coast, we headed towards the relative safety of Lahad Datu accompanied by a storm.

But the inclement weather wasn’t our only company, we began seeing more plastic in the water. And as we made our way closer towards the town, rainforest morphed into palm oil plantations.

The post Followtheboat: Night anchor watch in a pirate zone appeared first on YBW.

But we had to move on and in this case it meant heading out into the Sulu Sea and the most dangerous waters in Sabah.

We made decent going and Liz caught a barracuda (her biggest fish ever) on the way, so we forgot about the danger.

At anchor in another stunning channel off the eastern most point of the state we were once again put on alert for piracy.

Our ESSCOM escort patrolled all night and it was anchor watch for most of us, with the sounds of the dripping mangroves to keep us company.

We were ready to leave early, but there’s a shifting sand bar beneath murky water to navigate first…

The post Followtheboat: Running aground and sailing defensively in pirate waters appeared first on YBW.

But first we had one more night in the tranquil jungle.

Before it was time to turn in, we took the dinghy though an overgrown tributary to an oxbow lake (or is it an abandoned meander?)

We tried to remember our geography lessons at school to work out exactly what we were seeing in this fertile flood plain, but didn’t stray too close to the river banks where crocodiles wait.

After the last night of silence, we made our way back to anchor in the pirate zone, where the night watches resumed as the ESSCOM military escort patrolled until dawn.

The post Jungle sailing: Followtheboat on hitting logs and running aground appeared first on YBW.

The Kinabatangan River has rainforest lining its banks, but just behind are vast swathes of palm oil plantations. This means the rarest animals are squeezed into a small area of what was once a vast rainforest.

On the plus side, it means the odds of seeing some wildlife might be in our favour.

The Borneo pygmy elephant, the smallest of its kind in the world, is officially endangered with an estimated 2000 individuals still alive.

Our chances of seeing them were deemed to be low by local experts who told us that they had headed hundreds of miles away. No guided tours were on offer.

Undaunted and with the fatalism of all seafarers, we headed off to look for them in the small tributaries of the river.

Although it is the smallest elephant species (30% smaller than Asian elephants) a full grown pygmy elephant can be around 8-10ft tall and weigh in between 6,500-11,000 pounds. If they were there, we’d see them.

The post Sailing up river: Followtheboat go in search of elephants and monkeys appeared first on YBW.

Sailing deep into the rainforest up the Kinabatangan River (Malaysia’s second longest at 342 miles) is like nothing we’ve done before in 15 years of cruising.

Jungle sailing was a little difficult, a little hazardous, but man it was worth it! The Kinabatangan River is bordered by mangroves, rain forest, limestone caves and swamps.

Sailing up river through the orange water and an occasional storm, we are on the lookout for crocodiles, proboscis monkeys, orangutans, pygmy elephants, hornbills, egrets and much, much more.

But first we had to get there. The entrance is shallow, so we kept a careful eye on the depth as we navigated slowly towards the river.

Once over the estuary shoal, we picked a meandering passage through the equally shallow corners of this amazing river.

The post Sailing up river: Followtheboat take their sailboat into the Malaysian jungle appeared first on YBW.

Like many worldwide destinations, Sabah’s tourism industry has been hit hard by the pandemic. With borders closed and the Movement Control Order in place for months, most hotels and resorts are closed. This means no income for owners and their workers.

We are trying our best to spend money with local people wherever we can and taking part in the Sabah Rally over the next few weeks should give the island a good PR boost.

At this resort island the local fishermen fished for supper and at low tide whole families scoured the rocks for shellfish. It’s a tough life over in Borneo for many right now.

We took a breather here before the rally and lived like privileged holiday-makers for a few nights at anchor.

Then we headed back to Gaya, where we found some wind and managed a small sail. On the way Liz rediscovered her fishing mojo and landed a nice skipjack tuna for dinner. Jamie did his best Millie impression and jumped about with excitement.

This is what we’ve been missing for the past few months.

The post Followtheboat: Is this South East Asia’s answer to the Caribbean? appeared first on YBW.

But first we must navigate for the next 22 hours through oil and gas rigs. And we need to time our arrival at Miri Marina just right because the sand bar in front of the entrance is a mile wide and treacherous in any kind of swell. That means sailing nice and gently to arrive at the precise time we have in mind.

With the transitional monsoon period now in full flow, it was essential that one of us remained on watch at all times to deal with any sudden changes in wind direction. But we had left the worst behind us and finished the 500-mile passage with a slow daytime sail and gentle motor-sail overnight.

At a mile and a half out from Miri Marina, the depth drops to 8m, shelving to 3m. Our plan to arrive on a rising tide worked out just fine, and as it was a spring there was enough depth. The water was like milky coffee as we approached slowly.

After arriving we began preparations for the hike to Japan and PNW next year. Of course, one of the main jobs is going to be installing a heating system. But of immediate importance was to seal the overhead hatch in our saloon which has been leaking on and off for ages.

The post Followtheboat: A new country and a new project appeared first on YBW.

Miri Marina, our destination, is notoriously difficult to enter. There is a long, shallow sand bar on approach and a narrow channel into the marina only navigable at high tide. Any kind of swell makes it impossible.

We would be arriving on a Spring tide, so needed to catch it at the right height and current. We had three days to go and needed to arrive at around 9am.

When we left the shelter of Serasan a light breeze and sunny skies allowed us to shake out the sails in the blue waves. Dolphins played at the bow and we all enjoyed some peace.

But PredictWind was showing storms along the Borneo coastline. Through the binoculars, anvil-shaped clouds built in the east. Perhaps this would be the shape of things to come now the southwest monsoon had finished much earlier than expected. In the transitional period all bets are off. With binoculars at the ready, we kept a wary eye on the horizon.

Apart from the weather, this coastline has other hazards, in particular oil and gas rigs. Some are on the charts, but many don’t appear, have moved or been replaced in a slightly different position. Some have even been cut down with just their legs left behind at wave height.

The clouds gathered overnight and before dawn we were in the middle of it. The good news was that the wind picked up to more than 35 knots, so we made good speed.

The bad news was that we were now ahead of schedule and needed to reduce speed to ensure we wouldn’t turn up at the marina too early.

The post Followtheboat: What we learned from our worst storm in 13 years appeared first on YBW.

This episode is all about sailing as we make passage from the Anambas archipelago to Borneo. With an early monsoon transitional season kicking up all kinds of capricious winds, we knew we were in for an unpredictable crossing.

It would almost certainly mean both of us on watch together for much of the time. The angle was too acute to take us to our first waypoint on the southwest side of Natuna, so we recalculated and aimed directly towards Sarawak.

But sailing through three lightning storms at night sapped our energy. The tiny haven of Serasan lay in our path and it seemed serendipitous to make a stop there.

At daybreak, a storm five-miles wide hung over the reef-strewn narrow entry to Serasan’s natural harbour. With 100m visibility, it took all our navigational skills to reach safety.

The post Followtheboat: How we sailed through three lightning storms at night appeared first on YBW.

But all the time we were there, smoke from neighbouring Borneo’s rainforest fires drifted across the sea blanketing the island in an eerie pall. It’s something the islanders have become used to seeing every year, but it doesn’t make them any less angry about it.

This was a day we will remember for the spontaneous welcome we received from people who rarely encounter overseas visitors. How many wedding parties in the UK would invite odd-looking foreigners wearing inappropriate clothes to come and join in the dancing?

There were children running around the villages and tracks playing outside together. The internet is sparse and few people have phones in the Anambas, so kids make their own entertainment. Are children in more developed nations missing out by staying inside their own homes?

When we were growing up the only advice when we went ‘out to play’ was not to talk to strangers. We invented games out of our imaginations and were allowed to let our minds and bodies run wild. Is progress always a good thing?

The post Followtheboat: Borneo rainforest burns and we go back in time appeared first on YBW.

Sailing channels are selling a lie. We know from our thirteen years on the world cruising scene that the reality of cruising is very different to what most sailing channels tell you.

There are no stats available, so Jamie did a little research of his own. Bottom line? YouTube sailing channels are made by young thrill-seekers, while most cruisers are ‘old’ freedom lovers.

80% of cruisers are over 50. Most people living on sailboats are pensioners and we know cruisers in their 90s. Age is no restriction to sailing, in fact we’d say it is a positive strength.

Here are some ‘oldies’ with YouTube sailing channels:

• Adventures of an old Seadog
• Cruising Lealea
• Life in a Nutshell
• Off The Starboard Hull
• Patrick Childress Sailing
• Sailing Emerald Steel
• Sailing Infidels
• Sailing Kejstral Adventures
• Sailing S/V Double Deuce
• Sailing A B Sea
• Sailing Fair Isle
• Sailing Ocean Fox
• Sailing Salty Lass
• Sailing SV Sarean
• SV Impavidus (Ant & Cid Sailing)
• SV Make My Day
• SV Rock Chalk
• Umadum Sailing
• Wild Free Sailing
• Winded Voyage Sailing

For more on the subject, read our blog ‘5 reasons why you are not too old to sail round the world‘.

The post Followtheboat: How old is too old to sail around the world? appeared first on YBW.

Parasites and disease are rife in South East Asia, as Jamie found out when an uninvited ‘passenger’ climbed on board his foot.

Liz diagnosed hookworm, a parasite which is picked up from the sand where dogs are allowed to roam free. It is transferred from their faeces. Yuk!

An infestation must be treated properly and not allowed to progress before it can do serious damage. But were the facilities in the remote Anambas going to be able to help us? We went along to the local hospital hoping for the best.

Last time we visited these islands Jamie didn’t have much luck either, a small scratch on his leg turned septic and Liz put him on a strong course of antibiotics which we keep in our medical kit.

Have you ever picked up a disease or parasite on your travels? What were you able to do about it?

The post Followtheboat: Hookworm invasion and on-board medical care appeared first on YBW.

There are no hotels, no resorts, no settlements, no campers, no backpackers, no tourists (apart from us) in this part of the Anambas. Better known bays tend to be sought out by the cruisers who come this way, so there are hardly any sailboats here either.

A few fishing boats pass by. Sharks swim in the shallows, the coral gardens shelter reef fish, turtles and rays. This beach is a place for perfect relaxation. And peace. Finding places like this is one of the reasons we are cruising around the world, because at the moment you can only get here on your own boat.

But we heard about plans to develop this perfect archipelago from the new tourist board team in town. The local people we spoke to are divided in their opinions, some embracing new development and the opportunities it will bring.

Others, though, are dubious about their peaceful home being changed in any way; fishermen have already been barred from some of their regular spots, and one island in the south is now a private resort.

If you want to drop anchor here, the location is: 3°02’15.2″N 106°22’36.9″E

The post Followtheboat: The best beach in the world? Add this to your bucket list… appeared first on YBW.

It’s the new year, in fact it’s a new decade. 2020 here we come! To get us all in an optimistic mood (and out of the winter blues for those in the northern hemisphere) we’re taking you to a perfect sunny place.

The Anambas Archipelago is one of our all time favourite spots to anchor, as anyone who has been a regular follower of our adventure will already know.

During this second visit we found even more beautiful unexplored places. This cove at Pulau Akar has now swept into our top five all-time favourites.

But before we found Akar we had to wrestle with the mooring buoy in Tarempa. Do you know the best way to pick up to a mooring buoy on a monohull?

Jamie talks about how to take a mooring buoy properly with a little help from Vyv Cox of Yachting Monthly. You can read his top tips on our sister site YachtingMonthly.com

The post Followtheboat: Top sailing destinations, plus how to pick up a mooring buoy appeared first on YBW.

Cruising anywhere in the world means freedom. On your own boat, you can find and get access to those less visited and more remote areas. The Anambas archipelago, in the South China Sea between Borneo and mainland Malaysia, is one of those places.

We came here in 2017 and were thrilled to be going back again on our eastbound trip towards Japan. How much would it have changed?

One of our all-time favourite anchorages to drop the hook is at Pedang Malang beach on Jemaja. It’s not necessarily the most remote island in the group (the airport is now finished since we were last there) but it’s still beautiful and bathes the visitor in a warm local welcome.

A two mile white beach stretches towards uninterrupted views of distant rain forests. Hills shimmer on the horizon. There are no hotels or resorts here.

We stayed for days, enjoying the snorkelling and taking the oldest scooters in the world through the island’s interior. Reluctantly we had to leave because we needed to check in at Tarempa, the capital of these islands.

We heaved the anchor fast in 6m of water on firm sand and waved goodbye. But Esper‘s engine temperature began to soar almost immediately. We turned it off and set the anchor again.

Now what? What would you do in this situation?

The post Fixing an overheated engine, what do you check first? appeared first on YBW.

Three weeks prior to our departure there was a successful attack on a cargo ship slap bang along our route. The attackers were armed with one gun and several knives, more than enough to overpower our humble crew.

This threw up a dilemma – should we change course or risk it anyway? In the end, we decided to carry on with our best-laid plans, albeit with a few tweaks.

In situations like this, keeping a vigilant look-out is crucial, and we made sure we were ready to announce our presence to any ships or yachts passing nearby via VHF.

We had sailed this particular stretch of sea before, but this time was different, with 4 metre waves and 2 knots of current trying to push us north towards China.

This made for slow progress at first, but after dark, the winds picked up and Esper was in her element, rattling along at over 7 knots.

It would seem that modern day pirates don’t like the rough weather as much as their forebears did!

The post Anambas Islands: Sailing straight towards a pirate zone appeared first on YBW.

Every night on Pulau Tioman large flying-foxes (Pteropus vampyrus), with wingspans of up to 1.5m, leave the trees in their thousands on the hunt for fruit.

On the way they like to stop off on the masts of any hapless sailing yacht which happens to be at anchor. They’re big, strong and break important bits of equipment just by sitting on them.

Near-threatened on the IUCN Red List, the crew has to find ways of discouraging them without causing any damage.

Underwater at Tioman, the coral is vibrant and healthy. Jamie filmed shoals of reef fish while black tip reef sharks patrolled between the coral heads.

And we talked to the Juara Turtle Project, an NGO trying to save turtles by protecting their nests. Of the 27 beaches around Tioman used for nesting by hawksbill and green turtles only 5 remain.

But the project is doing a great job of protection and at the same time giving employment to the local community.

To find out more about the Juara Turtle Project, visit: juaraturtleproject.com

The post Bats, sharks and turtles: Close encounters with animals in Malaysia appeared first on YBW.

After the six month passage through Indonesia, we take a quick stop at Sebana Cove Marina in Malaysia to check-in and get some boat chores ticked off the list.

Liz goes up the mast to sort out the Aqua Signal tricolor which hasn’t been working for the last 500 miles. And while she’s up there we finally hose down and clean our mildewed spreaders.

After a few beer o’clocks and provisioning, it’s time to sail 100 miles to the paradise island of Pulau Tioman in the South China Sea.

Paradise because of its clear water, coral reefs and white-sand beaches, but also for its limitless duty-free booze available to boaters.

But first we have to get round the cape through the rolly seas and big swell. With 4m waves on the beam and the sails prevented, it was a fast ride.

The post Followtheboat: Climbing the mast, sailing 4m waves and dealing with flying foxes appeared first on YBW.

Billed as the ‘busiest shipping lane in the world’ (although those of us who have sailed across the English Channel might disagree) we weren’t looking forward to dodging between the behemoths in this narrow channel.

Those bulk carriers, containers, tankers and passenger ships push through in fast and relentless caravans from east to west and west to east. We were heading south to north.

In addition to the motorway traffic, tugs and barges slowly skirt the edges of the lanes at their own angle, while ferries cross-cross the waters between Sumatra, Singapore and the Malaysian peninsular.

And then there are the tiny Indonesian fishing skiffs which sit in the slim buffer zone between channels. To make this a smooth operation, you need to use every navigation system at your disposal.

We rely on AIS, radar, Navionics, binoculars and the most important resource of all: Mark One Eyeball.

The post Followtheboat: Insane and scary crossing of the Singapore Strait appeared first on YBW.

That’s when all the maintenance pays off. If we hadn’t kept our Beta engine in full working order we would still be stuck in a deserted bay somewhere in the Java Sea!

Continuing north through the Java Sea towards Malaysia conditions became more treacherous. Waterspouts are scary things best avoided on a sailboat and with one hanging over our intended anchorage we idled in a rain-driven bay wondering what to do next.

But that wasn’t the worst of our worries. Uncharted reefs and rocks scattered the seabed so running aground was a distinct possibility and in a remote part of Indonesia with no-one anywhere near to come to our aid we would have been in a precarious position.

The post Waterspouts and running aground: The sailing hazards of South East Asia appeared first on YBW.

Just as we think this sailing life can’t get any better, a fierce squall hits as we sail into trouble inside a rocky anchorage.

This is a desolate part of Indonesia and we can’t afford to have any big problems here because there will be no-one to help.

With reefs sprinkling the seabed, it’s about the worst place for our genoa furler to seize. The only thing we can do is get out of danger fast with the foresail fully extended and run straight into the storm.

With the boat moving forward, we jump into action and pull down the sail in gale force winds. Our major concern was not to let the sail fall into the water as the boat bucked and rolled.

It took all our strength and team skills to get the job done. With the sail securely fastened to the guard rails we were clear to head into the cove and work out what had just happened.

The post Followtheboat: How to sail goose wing with a poled-out headsail appeared first on YBW.

We had to employ some careful anti-collision tactics to avoid sailing into them. We had checked out of Indonesia, but there was still a long way to go before leaving Indonesian waters. From experience, we knew the authorities were quite relaxed about giving small sailing yachts plenty of time to leave.

We estimated it would take about a week to Malaysia if we took day sails and anchored overnight in the lee of places you won’t find in any cruising or pilot guides.

We began on a sunny day in 12-15 knots of south-easterly wind, giving us a consistent 5 knots of speed. The first stop was just 38 miles north-west of Belitung, a small rock named Gelasa.

An hour away from the island a storm blew up, but once safely inside the cove we shared just enough shelter from the swell with local fishing boats.

After a decent night’s sleep, we weighed anchor at 6am the following morning ready to make our way towards more desolate anchorages in this desolate area.

To stay on top of the weather, we use an Iridium Go with Predictwind. This gives us a good overall picture of wind direction and speed and has helped us plot anchor points in these remote areas.

The post Followtheboat: Dodging trawlers and tugboats in the Java Sea appeared first on YBW.

Typical life at anchor next to a tropical island in the Java Sea: bit of boat work, bit of beach walking, bit of beer drinking.

Pulau Belitung was a surprise because it doesn’t get talked about too much in the cruising community over here in SE Asia.

It’s either on the route east to Australia or west to Thailand, just one of those places you might stop off for a night along the way.

But we think it deserves more attention than that; we’d say it’s a destination in itself. Fabulous beaches, gin-clear water and thriving coral surround this green and plentiful island.

And the welcome, like everywhere we’ve been in Indonesia, is second to none. As so often happens, we ended up staying far longer than we had intended, so took advantage of being at anchor for a while to get some jobs done.

Poor SY Esper‘s hull was in need of some TLC which meant Jamie got out the Powerdive hookah gear and set to work. It’s a useful tool for working underwater, especially if you don’t have the room for a compressor and dive tanks on board.

The post Followtheboat: How to use a hookah to clean your hull at anchor appeared first on YBW.

In this week’s episode we start off anchored next to a pencil dot of sand and rock surrounded by reef, then sail 180nm north east to Pulau Belitung in the Java Sea.

To be honest, we’re running out of superlatives for Indonesia and it’s going to be difficult to say which is our favourite place here.

The islands of western Sumatra were remote and untouched, Krakatoa was awe-inspiring, Jakarta was insane, the Thousand Islands enchanting and now Belitung looks like it will be a gentle haven.

We’ve heard that Indonesia was voted one of the safest places in the world for tourism and yet people still worry about coming here.

It’s a shame, because the country is like nowhere we’ve been in terms of the welcome we have received.

There’s something for everyone, from natural wonders to extraordinary and unique fauna, diverse cultures and an immense history, stunning beaches and clear blue water.

It is a country of seafarers so turning up in our boat has guaranteed smiles, gifts and curiosity. If you ever get the chance to sail here we say do it!

The post Followtheboat: Exploring an uninhabited private island appeared first on YBW.

We sailed into the deep bay next to Pulau Macan (aka ‘Tiger Island’) for the night and stayed for a week. The only difference between this tropical island and a boat is that it’s permanently moored. Just like us, the island has no shore power so they use solar panels to generate power.

Water is a precious commodity, so it’s used sparingly. They only eat fish they catch, and they source all other supplies locally. Yes, it has trees. And there are monitor lizards. But let’s not get too picky about it…

Few people outside Indonesia know about the Seribu Archipelago (aka ‘Thousand Islands’). According to the owner, no other sailboats had anchored next to the island before, so we were somewhat of a curiosity. The welcome could not have been warmer.

If you are looking for a taste of tropical peace and serenity only normally accessible by sailboat we’d recommend Pulau Macan as the next best thing.

Two hours by motorboat and you’re slipping into the sea straight from the island’s deck. If you’re lucky you’ll swim with a turtle and watch rays glide by, just like we do on our boat.

And no, we’re not being sponsored by the resort, we just love the place.

The post Exploring Pulau Macan: The tropical island that thinks it’s a sailboat appeared first on YBW.

As much as we love anchoring in the remote and white-sand bays of south east Asia’s islands, we never pass up a chance to drop in on some of the towns which make up this diverse part of the world.

Being a born and bred Londoner Liz is partial to a capital city, so we berthed SY Esper in the centre of Jakarta’s waterfront at Batavia Marina.

The marina sits in the ancient port of Sunda Kelapa, home to Indonesia’s iconic Phinisi boats. Originally plying their trade in the Java Sea by sail, they were converted to engine power in the ‘70s, when their masts were removed or transformed to cranes.

Jakarta is a city of contrasts: poverty sits next to wealth, beauty and squalor share the same space and the Dutch colonial old town faces modern shops and hotels. We walked and soaked in the vibrant atmosphere, invariably met by smiles and a welcome.

In this episode we have tried to capture something of the spirit we found in Jakarta. But big changes are coming: President Joko Widodo recently announced that Indonesia’s capital is being relocated to Kalimantan on the island of Borneo. What will happen to Jakarta then?

The post Sailing Jakarta: Polluted, noisy, overcrowded but absolutely brilliant appeared first on YBW.

What is going on in the Java Sea? Illegal fishing. A sloppy-choppy swell. Chattering-clattering coming from our prop. Something really horrible in the water!

The further we sailed from the Mentawais and Indian Ocean, the more the rubbish began to build.

By the time we reached the waters around Java it was like nothing we had seen before, with the possible exception of Mumbai in 2010. We’d heard it was bad, but this was shocking.

The passage to Batavia Marina in Jakarta was an uphill slog through tumbling waves and counter currents.

Along the way our prop began chattering, meaning Jamie had to take a look underwater. But with all the detritus swilling around it was not a job he relished.

We’re sure people will have their opinions on who to blame for this inexcusable situation.

But rather than encouraging a fault-finding exercise we have a positive story to tell, a beacon of hope from the next generation of young sailors.

The post Java Sea: Sailing through polluted waters off Jakarta appeared first on YBW.

After a night at anchor under the cliff face of Krakatoa, we moved our sailboat closer to the smouldering remains of ‘Child of Krakatoa’.

In December 2018 Anak Krakatoa, after erupting for months, boomed out one last explosion before crashing beneath the waves. The resulting tsunami destroyed much of the coast of Java, killing over 1,000 people.

When we arrived a few months later, the caldera (now at sea-level) was still bubbling and smoking, spewing out pumice, lava and chemicals into the sea.

With SY Esper safely anchored off Rakata Kecil, Jamie took the dinghy ashore to walk across the black sand of the recently decimated volcano.

Liz remained on board SY Esper, using the excuse that she might be needed to come and rescue him, or pull up the anchor sharpish.

But both of us knew that Liz was just too scared! Jamie took the handheld VHF radio so Liz could stay in contact with him.

Jamie wasn’t going to miss this opportunity to step on shore at the place he’d been dreaming about since he was a boy.

The post Sailing Krakatoa Part 2: Shoreside excursion on an active volcano appeared first on YBW.

When we heard about the landslide of Anak Krakatoa and subsequent tsunami in December 2018 we were horrified to learn about the devastation to local communities along the coast of Java.

Out of respect for those caught up by the tsunami, we made the decision not to anchor along the Javanese coast where the biggest loss of life had occurred.

There were no charts or even satellite imagery with up to date information about the Krakatoa archipelago, so we wondered if we would be able to get near.

We made the decision that all we could do was try, and that if it looked too dangerous or a definite no-go we would carry on to Jakarta.

Even though two thirds of Anak Krakatoa slid under the water, it is a haunting sight. Possibly even more so because the volcano is still very much alive.

With palms sweating and adrenaline spewing through our veins, the sea flowed beneath us as we motored inside the archipelago.

If you were sailing on your dream boat, where would you go, and what is at the top of your bucket list? We were surprised by which spot came out top!

The post Would you anchor beneath an active volcano? Sailing to Krakatoa Part 1 appeared first on YBW.

Battered by waves all year, the isolated island of Pulau Enggano is a dot in the Indian Ocean. Rain forest covers the high slopes of the interior, along with carefully-tended fruit and vegetable plantations. Every home has chickens and fishing is plentiful in this part of the Indian Ocean.

We had the friendliest welcome we’ve ever had when we landed the dinghy. The island is beautiful, abundant and self-sufficient. Tucked away on its own, unaffected by the rest of the world, Liz felt she could live here!

But we had to crack on before our visas expired, and managed some solid work from our Code 0, aka ‘The Kraken’ when we began the 200 nautical mile sail to Java and Krakatoa.

Apart from the electrical storms, inconsistent winds and losing our wind instrument after lightning hit the sea next to us, it was a good sail…

In this video we address the thorny question of light-wind sails. Which one (or more) is the most useful on a bluewater cruising boat?

“Code 0, code D, jib, genoa, gennaker, spinnaker, screecher, parasailor, to a non-sailor like me it’s all jargon. I’ll ask 10 people and get 10 different answers!”

We attempt to find the definitive answer to some of these questions…

Introducing… The globe-trotting sailing adventures of Followtheboat

YBW is excited to be partnering with Followtheboat, YouTube’s oldest UK sailing channel. As the longest-running boating forum in the…

Sailing in rough weather: How far should you push it?

Sailing can be one of the most serene of pastimes, skimming across the oceans in a light breeze on gentle…

The post Jib, genoa or spinnaker: When to use your light wind sails to best effect appeared first on YBW.