Year 2- 23 September 2025 –Marina Del Ray – Serangan Bay -Bali via the Lombok Strait

We woke about 6.30am and the sun was coming up nicely. I went to the office at about 7.15am and paid for our electricity. I told the marina staff we wanted to leave in about 15-20 minutes. They said they would send someone to help.

We prepared to leave. We had two of our lines at the front attached to the mooring buoy lines which needed to be released from the water. We had two lines at the stern and two midship lines none of which were slips. We had our dinghy to the side which we would need to get up. The guys on the shore would release our lines and they had a man in a dinghy came round to the front. He released one line and waited to do the second. We released the midship lines completely and then the stern lines and finally the last front line. The dinghy man pulled the buoy lines out of the way and we motored forward and out into the bay. It was relatively quiet and still. We motored beyond the mooring buoys and turned off the engine. We then got the dinghy up as we drifted and sorted out the lines and fenders.

We then motored out of the bay and North up the West side of the Island. We then were out into the main bay and then headed toward the TSS (Transport Separation Scheme) which the cargo ships use to navigate the Lombok Strait. It is like a cargo ship motorway on water with a North lane and a South lane and a sort of gap – central reservation in between. As a yacht we have to cross at 90 degrees so we are in the lanes for the shortest period of time. We motored forward and were able to do this without having to take avoiding action for any cargo ships.

Once we were through the TSS I thought we could sail and I wanted to fill a water tank with fresh water so that when we went into Benoa (Bali) Marina they would have two full freshwater tanks. We therefore got out the genoa and started to sail and I put on the generator and water maker and started to make water. We were doing between 4-5 kts and sailing in the right direction. However, the odd thing about the Lombok Straits is the currents and force of the water as it is where the Pacific Ocean meets the Indian Ocean.  The current was pushing us off about 45 degrees to start with to the angle we were pointing. There were parts of the Bali Sea clearly disturbed with swellings and white horses and other areas relatively smooth. There were parts that looked like heavy raindrops were hitting the water as the water looked like it was being vibrated.

We moved forward gradually and we filled the water tank. We turned off the generator and then I decided to put up the staysail as well as the genoa. We sailed well and fast and the wind was at a close-hauled angle and the current was pushing us toward the Bali shore. We did the best we could and then the wind started to weaken and so we took on the sails and were back to motoring. The problem was the current and initially under engine we could only do 3.5 kts at 1200 revs (normally we would do 7 kts) and we were being pushed West toward the shore. Therefore over the next few hours we pushed on and gradually the current weakened and was pushing us West less.        

We motored on and gradually our speed increased. The wind was good but it was on the nose and we did not have the time to tack back and forth to get to the anchorage before dark. We therefore motored on and then eventually came to the entrance to Serangan Bay which you had to enter being guided by buoys as there were reefs either side where you could see the waves rolling in over the reef like a surfing beach. This looks a bit concerning but you have to bear with it and trust the course and the buoys. We stayed in the centre and between the buoys and then came into the bay. There were lots of boats inside the reef and it looked like a bit of a boat graveyard. There was lots of rubbish in the bay which was not nice. We came round a lot of boats at anchor and on mooring buoys but we worked our way through and then found an empty spot which looked fine in about 7m of water. We anchored and I thought it was good to be here and sorted for the night.

We saw the flight path for aeroplanes coming into the airport. We were only about two miles from Benoa Harbour which is where we will go tomorrow morning to moor for about a week whilst I go home for my brother’s wedding.    

We had got through the Lombok Strait a notorious stretch of water. We had seen upwellings, rough water, white horses and strong currents a bit like the Alderney Race near the Channel Islands if you have ever been through it.

We had a sundowner on the rear deck and by the shore must have been a Kite Club nearby as there must have been about 30 kites in the air. It was a funny sort of bay but we were sheltered behind the reef and settled for the night. I made the spiced red cabbage dish and Ruth and Janet improved the old spag bolognaise for eating. We had sweetcorn to start with and then the now news chilli with red cabbage and nachos.

I need to go home tomorrow for 6 days. I may not blog then for 6 days although my crew may decide to a guest blog. I will be back.    

The picture of the day is the motley crew having a sundowner.

Need/Opportunity Year Three

In year three I will be going from Thailand to Sri Lanka, India, Maldives and then on to Chagos, Mauritius, Reunion, Cape Town, St Helena, Azores and back to the UK.  I am looking for crew from Mauritius/ Reunion Island to Cape Town and from Cape Town to the UK. If of any interest do email me.

The blog will continue as we continue the journey. If you have any comments or suggestions about the blog then do email me on hine.nick9@gmail.com