Idlewild 04/09/06: Gun loaded and ready
Date/time: Apr 9, 2006 12:00 local
Position at noon: 02029' S & 131004' E
Noon to noon: 171.5 nm
Avg. speed: 7.8 kts
Course bearing: 3520 T
Sea state & wx: Calm seas wind 0 to
15 kts in the last 24, a lot of rain showers
Crew Ben, Brad, Kevin & Jim Farrell
Goal: Palau in 6 days
Remarks:
A few hours from Hatta we saw a fishing boat on
radar at 12 miles. It was obviously drifting but
when we were almost abeam of it, and about 1 mile
away it started black smoke from exhaust and
quickly swung around and made a direct line to
cut us off. We put on full power and doing 10
kts, but they were able to gain on us. This was
a very aggressive and confrontational move on
their part, but we held our course and Kevin got
the gun out and loaded it so we could be prepared
for what they may chose.
They crossed our bow at 100 yards but didn't
stop. Who knows, it is anybody's guess. We felt
they had definite intentions to bully us at the
least and board us at the worst but when they saw
we were challenging them and also, many people
have commented that our boat has a distinct
military look, they decided to continue their
course.
We don't want to make too much of this incident,
but we need to be prepared always. Indonesians
are generally very friendly and respectful.
Later last night we saw 2 ships, close together
on radar but with no lights, approaching on a
conflicting course. When radar showed them 2
miles and still coming we changed our course 30
degrees to Starboard and they went by with plenty
of room. We suspect they had no radar, but a
watch on their bow and would have taken
corrective action when they got closer to us if we
hadn't.
Light winds and calm seas, cruising at its best.
Ben, Brad, Kevin & Jim
Ben Gray
Idlewild
Custom Buehler 55 powered by a 55-hp Kubota
Home port: Dunvegan, Alberta
http://www.idlewildexpedition.ca/
http://dieselducks.com/Idelwild.html
http://www.trawlersandtrawlering.com/
Where to follow Idlewild if you have Google Earth
installed: http://tinyurl.com/ksnhg
For the JPEG version: http://tinyurl.com/ovdt7
Next destination: Palau
http://www.visit-palau.com/
http://www.merriam-webster.com/cgi-bin/nytmaps.pl?palau
We've been though Indonesia many times. Such behavior is not at all
unusual. Nor is what appears to be shadowing; we've had fishing boats
follow us for miles. Once we had them going round and round us while we
were at anchor...felt like Custer must have at the Little Big Horn. At
first, we too were worried. While there may be dangerous situations out
there, we've never had any trouble. We believe that these antics of the
locals are more due to curiosity and boredom than belligerence. On the
other hand, we have had two midnight boardings by locals in dug-out canoes;
both of which were sorted out by our intrusion alarms. The locals have seen
lots of guns but have little experience with alarms going off when they
creep aboard.
Now, as for the gun, we have no personal experience (we are unarmed). But,
we lived in SE Asia for years and have heard lots of dock-side stories. You
will, of course, do what you want, but our advice is to float test the gun.
There have been cruisers thrown in jail and released only after some very
strange circumstances for carrying guns without permission (which permission
you won't get) in Indonesia.
Cheers,
Maurice
MV AKAMA
-----Original Message-----
From: Georgs Kolesnikovs [mailto:georgs@trawlersandtrawlering.com]
Sent: Sunday, 09 April 2006 19:27
To: Passagemaking Under Power List
Subject: [PUP] Idlewild 04/09/06: Gun loaded and ready
Date/time: Apr 9, 2006 12:00 local
Position at noon: 02029' S & 131004' E
Noon to noon: 171.5 nm
Avg. speed: 7.8 kts
Course bearing: 3520 T
Sea state & wx: Calm seas wind 0 to
15 kts in the last 24, a lot of rain showers
Crew Ben, Brad, Kevin & Jim Farrell
Goal: Palau in 6 days
Remarks:
A few hours from Hatta we saw a fishing boat on
radar at 12 miles. It was obviously drifting but
when we were almost abeam of it, and about 1 mile
away it started black smoke from exhaust and
quickly swung around and made a direct line to
cut us off. We put on full power and doing 10
kts, but they were able to gain on us. This was
a very aggressive and confrontational move on
their part, but we held our course and Kevin got
the gun out and loaded it so we could be prepared
for what they may chose.
They crossed our bow at 100 yards but didn't
stop. Who knows, it is anybody's guess. We felt
they had definite intentions to bully us at the
least and board us at the worst but when they saw
we were challenging them and also, many people
have commented that our boat has a distinct
military look, they decided to continue their
course.
We don't want to make too much of this incident,
but we need to be prepared always. Indonesians
are generally very friendly and respectful.
Later last night we saw 2 ships, close together
on radar but with no lights, approaching on a
conflicting course. When radar showed them 2
miles and still coming we changed our course 30
degrees to Starboard and they went by with plenty
of room. We suspect they had no radar, but a
watch on their bow and would have taken
corrective action when they got closer to us if we
hadn't.
Light winds and calm seas, cruising at its best.
Ben, Brad, Kevin & Jim
Ben Gray
Idlewild
Custom Buehler 55 powered by a 55-hp Kubota
Home port: Dunvegan, Alberta
http://www.idlewildexpedition.ca/
http://dieselducks.com/Idelwild.html
http://www.trawlersandtrawlering.com/
Where to follow Idlewild if you have Google Earth
installed: http://tinyurl.com/ksnhg
For the JPEG version: http://tinyurl.com/ovdt7
Next destination: Palau
http://www.visit-palau.com/
http://www.merriam-webster.com/cgi-bin/nytmaps.pl?palau
Passagemaking-Under-Power Mailing List
I suspect that there is a MUCH bigger chance that the fishermen want to swap
some fish for cigarettes or whatever else you would like to trade. I don't
know a good way to tell the difference - but any assumption to the contrary
is way off the norm.
John Harris - based on true life experience of 2001 on several occasions in
the area.
Maurice, please tell us more about your intrusion alarms.
Keith
I! Finally! Figured! Out! How! To! Punctuate! Kirk's! Sentences!
----- Original Message -----
From: "Nunas" nunas@nunas.com
On the
other hand, we have had two midnight boardings by locals in dug-out
canoes;
both of which were sorted out by our intrusion alarms. The locals have
seen
lots of guns but have little experience with alarms going off when they
creep aboard.