followtheboat
Followtheboat: How to sail goose wing with a poled-out headsail
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…
Followtheboat: Dodging trawlers and tugboats in the Java Sea
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…
Followtheboat: How to use a hookah to clean your hull at anchor
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…
Followtheboat: Exploring an uninhabited private island
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…
Exploring Pulau Macan: The tropical island that thinks it’s a sailboat
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…
Followtheboat: What to do if you suddenly lose steering
With the beautiful islands of Sumatra and incredible Krakatoa behind us, we watched Jakarta fading on the horizon. But leaving Indonesia’s capital wasn’t without a big problem to overcome first.…
Followtheboat: How to replace your boat’s old fridge
It’s technical time in this week’s episode, and this is a subject dear to every boat-owners heart. Fridges are important all year, of course, but when crossing oceans and sailing…
Sailing Jakarta: Polluted, noisy, overcrowded but absolutely brilliant
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…
Java Sea: Sailing through polluted waters off Jakarta
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…
Sailing Krakatoa Part 2: Shoreside excursion on an active volcano
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…
Would you anchor beneath an active volcano? Sailing to Krakatoa Part 1
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…
Jib, genoa or spinnaker: When to use your light wind sails to best effect
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…
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 undulating seas. But offshore cruising can test your physical, mental…
Is the world too dangerous? Sailing to countries outside your comfort zone
“Here in the US there is a lot of talk about people going missing, getting robbed, raped, or murdered, i.e. the world is not a safe place outside the United…
Passage planning on the hoof: How to adjust your best-laid plans
Short-term navigating, when conditions change suddenly and you have to amend your sailing plans on the hoof, is a vital skill to learn for any cruiser. In Indonesia, and throughout…