The Adventures of Captain Ray Penson
Sailing Yacht Truce
At this stage the experienced SITS sufferer will walk away from the problem and put the kettle on for a cup of tea, take a walk or any other activity that will distract from the problem. Only then can you return to the search, usually to find the tool or vital part sitting in full view on the work bench where you left it.
The next step of the journey is sailing from Kudat in Malaysia to Puerto Princesa on the island of Palawan in the Philippines. This will be my first visit to the Philippines and I am very much looking forward to it. The departure from Kudat was promising, for a while we had a tail wind until it disappeared mid morning and the sea went glassy, leaving us bobbing around going backwards slowly. The engine had to go on, otherwise we wouldn’t make any progress and the tide would take us back to Kudat.
Late afternoon, we anchored in 20m just off the beach at Kilo. The children watched from the beach and by the time we had settled at anchor they had found a leaky canoe as transport to Truce. They had mango and coconut to trade for pencils and biscuits.
The idea of making fresh water from seawater on the boat is very appealing and adds another level of independence to cruising. But such a luxury comes at a cost - money, space, added complexity and power. Being mainly single handed with a small yacht my freshwater requirements are modest, most off the shelf water makers didn’t fit with my needs. So, I thought why not look at making one to fit the boat and my expectations.
The Adventures of Captain Ray Penson 