Sunday 15th Dec '24

The photos from our departure in Kota Kinabalu paint a clear picture: we took on a lot of fuel. Just over 8,000 liters, in fact! Even with that massive quantity, we were still riding only slightly above the Granocean W60's waterline, a testament to its impressive load-carrying capacity. This catamaran is truly built for long-haul passages.

The trip up the west coast of Borneo, however, was less than idyllic. While the good-sized moon provided decent visibility, the sea conditions were far from cooperative. A short, sharp chop forced us to reduce our speed considerably and adopt a zig-zag course in a constant search for a more favorable angle to the waves. This persisted for most of the night, demanding constant vigilance and careful boat handling.

Adding to the complexity were the fishing boats – and their even smaller, unlit dugout canoes. These canoes, launched from the "motherships," dart around with no navigation lights and no radar signature. Their presence became known only when they were alarmingly close, signaled by a bright torch shone in our direction, which, of course, completely ruined any night vision we had. On my watch around 3 am, we must have encountered 20 or 30 of them. Each time a torch beam hit my eyes, I’d make an abrupt course change, only to be met by another light a moment later. Eventually, I resorted to slowing down and sounding five blasts on the horn every few minutes, hoping that even if they couldn't see us, they might at least hear us coming and give us a little extra warning. This auditory dance lasted for a good 30 minutes, and I was certainly relieved when we finally left them behind.

We are now underway across the top of Borneo, carefully navigating the shipping lanes in the hope of avoiding any more encounters with fishing fleets and their elusive canoes. The area is characterized by shallows, sandbanks, and numerous islands, making for a complex navigational puzzle that will take us about a day and a half to solve.

Adding a bit of international flair to the day, I also had the distinct pleasure of attempting to decipher a conversation with a radio operator from a Malaysian warship. They called to ask a series of questions and requested all our details, a reminder that even in seemingly remote areas, maritime traffic can be diverse and require clear communication.

The Granocean W60 continues to perform admirably through all of this. Its robust construction and inherent stability make it well-suited to handle these challenging conditions. The ability to carry such a large fuel load is also critical for a yacht delivery of this scope.

---

For reliable and experienced yacht delivery services across Southeast Asia and all the way to New Zealand, choose Yacht Delivery Solutions.

We handle everything from fuel management to navigating tricky fishing fleets and even communicating with warships. Contact us to discuss your vessel transport needs.