Busy day on Pikorua in KK, Borneo

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We've now completed four productive days here in Kota Kinabalu, and the Granocean W60 has undergone a reasonable amount of essential work. The exterior, which accumulated a significant amount of salt spray during the passage from Hong Kong and the black soot dumped by rain while the boat sat in the typhoon shelter, has been thoroughly cleaned. It's now gleaming and ready for the next leg of this catamaran delivery.

As I write this, divers are diligently cleaning the hull. This is a crucial step, particularly when entering Australia or New Zealand. Both countries have very strict biosecurity regulations regarding marine growth on hulls, as it has the potential to introduce unwanted invasive species into their pristine waters. 

Photo of Granocean W60 on a yacht delivery in Kota kinabula with dive tanks on the dock the boat is white and black windows

To ensure a smooth clearance process, it's always best practice to have the hulls as clean as possible in the last port before arrival. We're not only getting the work done but also obtaining a statement from the dive company, which provides official documentation of the cleaning. This meticulous attention to detail is a hallmark of Yacht Delivery Solutions' commitment to seamless and compliant yacht delivery.

In response to the dirty fuel issues we experienced during the passage after transferring from the forward to the main aft tanks, we're currently emptying the fuel from the aft tanks for cleaning. While I had initially considered cleaning all four tanks, the aft tanks are more challenging to access. Addressing this now will prevent any further fuel-related issues on the journey ahead, highlighting the proactive problem-solving our yacht delivery skipper teams employ.

We also had a small hydraulic leak in the bow thruster, stemming from a seal, which is being replaced today. While not a "passage stopper," it's certainly something we wanted to address sooner rather than later to maintain the optimal functionality of the Granocean W60's maneuvering systems.

A more peculiar issue we encountered on passage was a very bright, intermittent window that would pop up on the navigation screen. This obscured the radar display and, more critically, compromised night vision during our overnight watches. Since arriving in Kota Kinabalu, I've attempted to replicate the issue by running the system under identical conditions for over 48 hours, and thankfully, it hasn't reappeared. The suspicion is that it might have been related to the on/off button itself. I was advised to push it in firmly, which I did, and for now, everything appears to be functioning perfectly. Fingers crossed, this quirky anomaly is behind us!

Yacht Delivery Solutions offers expert yacht delivery skipper services for any sail or power boat delivery across Southeast Asia and all the way to New Zealand. Our professional teams specialize in efficient and safe transit for vessels like the Granocean W60 and other catamaran delivery projects. Contact us to discuss your vessel's transport needs.



The IBC tank in this picture is where the fuel in our tanks will be pumped into

GRANOCEAN W60 in Kota Kinabulu being delivered by Yacht Delivery Solutions. The sky is blue and the boat is white with fuel drums in the foreground

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