By Darrel
Loretta and I purchased CanKata in 2002,
and since such time we have had numerous wonderful adventures. Often when we
talk to landlubbers they mention to us that we are “living the dream” and their
eyes are filled with envy.
Well over the past while we have awoken
from our dream and have had a number of unfortunate incidents.
After aborting our circumnavigation attempt
due to unseasonably bad weather patterns we had turned CanKata back towards
Thailand, with a planned stopover in Malaysia. Since our decision was mutual we
were both in relatively good spirits and we thought we would enjoy our trip
back.
We had already cleared out of Indonesia
After seeking refuge from the nasty weather
heading towards us on our way to Mauritius
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| Storm in our path off the north end of Sumatra. |
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| Winds up in the high 30s with waves of 9.4 metres. |
Because we had intentionally depleted our
Indonesian currency we did not have much to pay any fees to the Indonesian
authorities if we were boarded while underway or at anchor along the way. Also
we did not have much to replenish our diesel which we had used to get away from
the West coast of Sumatra enroute to Mauritius and then back again. We did have
some USD if we would be so lucky to find someone to either exchange it or allow
us to purchase diesel with it. Because we were illegal aliens we could not go
to any port to access an ATM due to port authorities.
So after studying the weather and planning
a number of different routes, we agreed that we would take our time and slowly
sail north in an attempt to conserve our fuel and to give the nasty weather
time to get the hell out of dodge.
During our last night in the anchorage
before heading off, our sleep was disrupted by a storm, or perhaps a Sumatra,
with rain and winds pushing our wind meter up to 49 knots. But the next morning
looked better so off we headed without knowing for certain which path and how
far we would go. Our route would be determined as we go by keeping a close eye
on the weather reports we would receive through our SSB.
The winds were between 10 and 20 knots on
our beam so we were able to sail, making us very happy. Later in the afternoon
we got a small shower but the winds were holding speed and direction.
Around 15:30 I decided to have a nap due to
having been robbed of some sleep the night before and to help me prepare for
doing my 6 hour watch during the night.
Just after getting comfortable I heard a
loud yell from Loretta “Darrel Darrel ….then garble … foot”. I flew from the berth into the cockpit
thinking that Loretta had somehow got her foot caught in the genoa sheet and
twisted around the winch. But Loretta was sitting on the cockpit seat beside
the helm holding her foot and then told me she slipped while climbing up to the
helm seat and fell onto the cockpit floor but forcing her foot to twist way
beyond its natural articulation would allow. She told me she thought she heard
a crack so our first thought was that she broke her lower leg or ankle. Then she
told me she thought she was going to faint, which she immediately did. I
grabbed some cushions to prop her up and began to think of our options. We were
about 15 miles from the closest anchorage but it was remote and no medical
assistance would be there unless we were so lucky to find a surf boat with a doctor
aboard (some of which apparently do). The closest hospital was in Padang which
is where we had cleared out from about a week ago, but it was about 80 miles
away. I thought this latter option was
our best one, so I altered course and CanKata picked up speed due to even better
wind orientation. We would arrive by 04:30 at which time I would have to seek
help to get Loretta off CanKata and onto shore, which I knew would not be easy
since it was difficult even for an able bodied person.
 |
| We were hoping this was just a bad sprain. |
Loretta had now regained consciousness and
we were able to take a closer look at her injury. I carefully probed and felt
along her bones and looked at the alignment of her foot. Loretta was able to
wiggle her toes and she could put some pressure on the heel. The foot had begun
to swell but from our cursory diagnosis we thought it may only be a sprain and
not a fracture. I pulled our medical and first aid books out and read about
fractures and sprains to try to determine if the symptoms differed. All the
literature stated that if medical attention could not be sought, the sprain
should be treated like a fracture. We had all the necessary supplies on board
to wrap the ankle and if needed to rig up a splint. We also had pain killers on
board. It was then we decided to turn CanKata 180 degrees and sail to the
anchorage which was now about 20 miles away and hold up there for a night to
allow us more time to determine what we should do. Unfortunately, just after
turning CanKata around the wind shifted and increased so it was now directly on
our nose. At this rate we would not make it into the anchorage before dark so
we now had to decide do we turn back to Padang or head north knowing we could
get medical attention in Sinabang, about 300 miles away, i.e., 2 days away, if
not sooner at Telo which was about 100 miles away, i.e., only one night and day
of sailing. Loretta was feeling much better by now and the pain was holding and
the swelling and bruising seemed under control. We decided to head north.
We moved Loretta inside and got her as comfortable
as possible in the salon.
It was now starting to get dark so the wind
began to die so I started one engine and motor sailed, knowing that if we kept
that up we would be forced to go to a port to arrange for money and diesel. But
at this point this was the least of our concerns, we were prepared to pay
whatever bribes or penalties would be imposed on us. We knew we would have to
face this to get Loretta to medical attention anyways.
By the next morning we were still about 70
miles away from Telo, the closest port, but meant we would not arrive there
until after dark. It was a tricky channel to get into it so we thought we would
just continue on to Sinabang. Loretta at this time was well rested and felt the
pain had subsided considerably, unless she accidentally hit or twisted her
foot. More and more we both felt the injury was a sprain rather than a break,
so as long as Loretta stayed put it would be okay.
We were now motor sailing between the two
islands of Siberut and Telo and had a strong contrary current slowing us down
considerably. Not only that but the wind shifted and was also on our nose so
we, or I, had to drop the sails and motor until the conditions changed – which
they did but not as we were hoping. Around 18:30 I looked at the sky and there
was a distinct black line of clouds just to the north of us. Could this be
another Sumatra? We hoped not.
About two hours later we got hit and again
had sustained winds in the mid forties with the highest gust hitting 49 (what
the heck is with 49 knots?). The storm lasted just over an hour during which I
had to start the other engine to keep CanKata pointed in the right direction.
Even so we lost some ground until the storm passed. (SEE PHOTO OF SEAMAX)
Once the storm passed the winds stayed over
20 knots on our nose (our last weather report indicated we should have had
winds from our port quarter) and the seas had built up to 3 meters (10 feet)
hitting us front on. Our boat speed was averaging about 1 knot. There were no
safe anchorages before Telo so we had no option but to continue. Our plans to
continue to Sinabang were scrapped due to our renewed timing, i.e., we could
reach Telo during daylight. Originally we thought we would have passed the
turning point in the wee hours of the night.
The other reason to change our heading to
Telo was because I was getting dangerously exhausted. I had been trying to get
15 minute naps between my watches but with the bad weather and sea state the naps
were limited and sleep deprivation was starting to set in. I do not know how
single handers do it, nor do I ever wish to find out. Also, although I am very
seldom affected by sea sickness, I was not feeling very well. It was probably
due to stress more than anything else but I had reluctantly taken a sea sick
med so I too would not also be incapacitated. The common effect from sea sick
meds is drowsiness, which was not what I needed but better than the other
option.
(Loretta’s email on May 9:
We left Pototogat
on May 7. Our last night there was blustery. There were three boats in the
anchorage, which has good holding, and none of us dragged. It is a
well-sheltered bay so the waves didn't build.
The
morning was incredibly calm, so we accepted the fact that we would have to burn
some fuel, raised our anchor, and headed off. I put "HOME" in the
media player search engine, and 53 songs popped up, including the album
"Feels Like Home" by Norah Jones, "Home" by Mick Bubbles, "Homeward
Bound" by Simon & Garfunkel, "Take the Long Way Home" by
Supertramp, and (of course) "I'll Be Home for Christmas". Good music
to head home by.
By 9:30
we were getting favorable winds, so both sails went up and the motor was turned
off. The sea was very manageable. We had a good overnight motor-sail.
Wednesday
was not a good day. We had strong winds and current on our nose and a few
squalls. One squall had winds up to 49 knots - what's with that number? We now
no longer have enough fuel to get us home so will have to make a stop
somewhere.
Worst
luck, I slipped climbing up into the helm seat and sprained my ankle - to the
extent that I am "out of commission" and keeping my ankle elevated.
Darrel is now running the show entirely on his own, while tending to my needs.
L. )
We arrived in Telo around 1600 and just as
we were approaching the anchorage we got something tangled around our prop so I
had to switch over engines and anchor with just the one. Once anchored I
immediately dove in to remove the item from the prop but it had already freed
itself. Once anchored all I could do was prepare a meal for Loretta and me and
close down CanKata. I crashed at 1930 and slept with a couple of disruptions - which
I will mention later - until 0630.
That night the wind picked up again and a
couple of small storms passed over us. I turned on our anchor alarm in the
berth and could see that our anchor was holding, but perhaps too well. Loretta
and I could both hear our anchor chain wrapped around a bommy. There was
nothing we could do about it at that time so we just put up with the grinding
noise throughout the night.
The next morning was very blustery and a big
surf was crashing against the shore even though we were on East cost of Telo
thereby protected from the swell from the Indian Ocean. I knew that our dinghy
was out of commission since we had removed the motor for our crossing of the Indian Ocean . It takes two people to put it back on. I
noticed a small speed boat in our vicinity so I hailed them down and asked if
there was a hospital or doctor around. You have to understand that there is
little if any English spoken in these parts and of course I cannot speak any
Indonesian so all of our communication from this point on is in combination
with a lot of pantomiming. I invited one of the two men in the speed boat to
come aboard so I could show him Loretta’s leg. We then worked out a deal for
him to take me to shore and he would take me to a German doctor. I quickly
grabbed my clothes, money and the camera with photos of Loretta’s leg and also
our boat papers and expired visas and passports just in case I ran into the
authorities and we sped off to a dock which from a distance looked quite
sturdy. However, up close I could see that the dock was damaged due to the
previous night’s storm and we had to walk over some spans and across one
slippery narrow plank. I knew then that this was not a place for Loretta to
disembark. I was led to a Catholic church where I met a lady in white who was
not a doctor but probably a nurse. With the help of my boat guy we told the lady,
who could not speak any English about Loretta’s injury and condition. Somehow
during the translation the injury was confused since the lady asked me if the
“animals” that caused the injury were still on board. I think she thought it
was a snake or spider bite. That is when I pulled out the camera and showed her
the photos. This lady was not willing to come out to the boat so I told her
that once the conditions settled down I would try to get Loretta to come in. In
the meantime she gave me some cream in a half used tube (not sure what it was
at the time) but I took it and later found through an internet search that it
was to improve blood circulation and used specifically for sprains. She refused
any payment. When we got back to the dock the surf had picked up and the
remaining boat man and his father had taken the boat from the dock to avoid damaging
the boat. They saw us on the dock and came in so we could leap onto the boat
and they returned me to CanKata. I paid them with USD.
Later that day a charter surf boat,
Bohemian Baru came into the anchorage. As they went by in their dinghy I hailed
them over and asked if by chance they had a medical doctor on board.
Unfortunately no, but they would pass the info onto their captain and see if he
could be of any assistance. The captain, Moose, immediately came over and
looked at Loretta’s leg. He too thought it was probably only a very bad sprain
but advised us to seek medical attention soon. We told him we were going to
sail off to Malaysia as soon as the weather cleared up to the north, which
again he agreed we had to hold off for it to pass. He said this weather is very
non-typical for this time of year and in this area. I explained our dilemma
with the dinghy being out of commission, and our shortage of Indonesian
currency, and the urgent need for diesel. He said “no worries” he would have
two of his crew run me and my jerry cans to a place where I could get diesel.
He also offered to exchange some USD for Rupiahs. Wow how nice was that. I told
him that we have offered assistance to a number of fellow cruisers over the
years and now it is our turn to have to accept help. Moose said it important
for us to all look after one another and it was good karma. His crew came and
picked me up and headed off in search of diesel. They had to ask for directions
to a couple of fisherman, so again I was glad to have two Indonesians to help
me with this. Once we found the right place they both went on shore but told me
to stay on the boat. They probably knew of my illegal status. They took my cans
and got them filled and hauled them back to the dinghy. I paid for the fuel and
off we went back to CanKata. The two crew guys helped me get the cans on board
and then I tipped them, of which they seemed quite surprised. We now had enough
fuel to motor all the way back to Malaysia if we had to.
The weather reports are starting to show
signs of the system moving off shore so we should be able to start to head
North in two days. That is providing our chain is not caught on the bommy and
we have to find someone with scuba gear to help get it unwrapped.
(Loretta’s email on May 11:
Today was a weather-watch
day, with Darrel getting as much information from internet that our weak
connection would get him. It looks like we may be able to head off tomorrow
morning.
We made bread today! I sat
at the dining table, doing the mixing and kneading, while Darrel was the
runner. It was fabulous teamwork, and then Darrel made us toasted cheese
sandwiches for lunch. He even offered to dry my hair for me after my shampoo. Actually,
I had asked him to dry "the head" and he thought I had said "my
head". He did dry the head (bathroom).
And now he has fixed me
dessert so I will go and enjoy it. L.)
Loretta thinks she will be able to do a few
short watches but just in case it does not work out we intend to do the return
trip in four legs; 1 overnighter, 2 overnighter, 1 day hop, and the last one
either a 2 or 3 overnighter.
(Loretta’s email of May 12:
Today we were planning on
moving all day and night, but the winds and currents conspired against us, so
we changed direction to here, Lagudri, and had a brisk sail for a change,
gaining 53 NM without burning much fuel. Darrel continues to
"single-hand" and do my running around. I tried to be helpful today
but am afraid that I moved around too much and have returned to square one with
the healing process. The injury is triggering migraines so at times I am dopey
from medication. Right now the captain
is getting a good night's sleep ... well deserved.
I will behave tomorrow and
keep my foot elevated. We plan to do an over-nighter (maybe two if the
conditions cooperate) so I might spend a couple of hours at the helm while the
captain sleeps. Darrel will rig me up a device to protect my foot. L.)
At the time of writing this entry I was not
sure if we would post this blog and if we do it will only be posted after our
safe return. We do not want to cause any unnecessary concerns by our readers.
Also I hope this entry does not make me out to be a hero, the actual hero in
this story is Loretta for having the courage to continue on without knowing the
extent of the injury. She knows that if the bone is broken and not properly set
she will be able to say she broke the same leg twice. Ouch!
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| Our route from "the breaking point" until Langkawi - about 900 nautical miles. |
Epilogue
Our voyage from Telo did not work out as
planned and we did run into a few other dramas but in summary we did safely
arrive at Langkawi, Malaysia nine days later. Loretta was able to take short
watches provided the weather was good and there was no rain. She was limited to
these conditions since she had to lie down on her bean bag in the cockpit with
her leg propped on a pillow and drag herself up to the helm station every 20
minutes to look around. She would call me if any wind shifts occurred and
required sail trimming.
(Loretta’s email May 14:
We couldn't sail to
Bangkaru but made good progress with our engines, and our over-nighter was
uneventful. I managed six hours on watch with an ankle that is properly taped
and bound, and Darrel got sufficient rest for a change.
Today we'll sit in this
anchorage at Bangkaru and Darrel will do some boat maintenance while I try not
to be too useless. Tomorrow morning we'll leave bright and early on another
over-nighter. L.)
At two different occasions we hit something
at night, likely a log, although one did sound like metal. Fortunately neither
encounter caused any major damage to either of or two rudders or propellers so
we just kept on going. During another stretch our autohelm decided to take a
holiday but I was able to source out the problem and fix it.
(Loretta’s email May 16:
We made great progress
last night. I was supposed to be on watch for 6 hours, and Darrel certainly
needed at least that much sleep, but after 4-1/2 hours the navigation system
acted up and I had to get Darrel's help. But I did another spell at the helm in
the morning so he was able to catch another nap.
It was a beautiful night
to be sailing. There was a crooked smile of a moon set. Then it became a wedge
of orange peel sliding slowly slowly down the curtain, then falling off the
back of the stage.
CanKata was rather
argumentative last night. Auto pilot was also taking a nap so I was hand
steering. I would have us on course for a few minutes, then C would go
"look look the moon I want to see the moon" and off to the west she
would head. I would say, "No girl, we're going north" and would
correct - well Overcorrect is more exact - and turn us north but end up going
east. Then I would Overcorrect again and C would go "oh look look the moon
let's go see the moon" and I would again remind her that we were heading
north and then I would swing us east, and when trying to get back on a heading
north, CanKata would start on her westward quest ... and so it went. Hand steering is an art, a very special
skill. I have not honed it.
Currently, with Darrel at
the helm, the auto pilot is keeping CanKata on exactly the course she should be
on, with no arguments from her. She has her favorites, I guess.
We're hoping for another
good night tonight, getting us closer and closer to the end of this adventure.
L.)
We arrived at the Royal Langkawi Marina at
10:00 and by noon we had Loretta admitted at the Emergency and Trauma Ward of
the Langkawi Hospital. We will continue this story in a separate blog.
(Loretta’s email of May 20:
A sure sign we are getting
there: we have changed our clocks to the Malaysian time zone UTC +8.
Another sure sign: Darrel
just said "I can see Lipe". Lipe is a Thai island right on the
Malaysia border. I would have got up to look but my leg said "save your
energy for washing your hair" and I listened.
Last night there weren't
many ships, but Darrel did have to change course once to keep out of the way.
The half-moon was up for all of my watch which makes things very pretty,
magical, mystical, visible.
We will probably arrive in
Langkawi after midnight. We'll anchor in a safe spot then go into the Royal
Langkawi Yacht Club marina in the morning. We'll stay there for however long it
takes to get my ankle operating, then we'll hover around, and then at the end
of the June we'll put CanKata into Rebak Marina (calmer, cheaper, but not as
conveniently located) while we head to Canada.
It's all unfolding as it
should. L.)
I would like to thank our family and
friends who provided us with information and encouragement during the fourteen
days it took to get Loretta back to Malaysia following her injury. It was a
very challenging trip and your good wishes kept us going. We even had one of
our friends from Phuket offer to drive down to Langkawi to pick us up and drive
us back to Phuket so we could take Loretta to the International Hospital which
is renowned for excellent medical services.
Darrel.
