Year 2- 24 August 2025 –Taka Lambeana to Ruing -Flores
We woke at 5.30am as we had to get to Ruing some 80nm South before it got dark. There was no wind forecast so it was likely to be a day’s motoring but we have to do this. We had a cup of tea and sorted out the solar panels and prepared the boat.
We upped the anchor at 6.00am and it was light enough for us to navigate out of the atoll pass slowly. Once through we set a course for Ruing on Flores about 80nm away. It was a lovely warm day with little cloud and a flat sea so we were soon doing about 7 kts which should get us to the waypoint outside Ruing. There is then about 3.3nm navigating through the reefs to get to the anchorage. We needed to be there before 6.00pm as it would otherwise be dark.
I did not mention in my blog yesterday that whilst at anchor I put the generator on and started to make water. However, within about 10 minutes the generator suddenly cut itself out as it had overheated. This has not happened for such a long time and I thought oh no. I obviously needed to try and find the problem. This will either be no coolant, thermostat failure, impeller failed or the sea water pump of freshwater pump failure. I had early before we started taken off the lid of the generator box and checked the coolant and it was not that. We shall have to explore and resolve in Ruing as we depend on the generator a lot and we cannot make water without it.
We motored on and had some breakfast which the guys made which was delicious – being scrambled eggs and toast. This was followed by coffee – a great start to the day. We did an hour each on watch and kept on our course about 7 kts all day which should get us to the waypoint outside Ruing about 5.00pm. We saw a number of FAD’s initially and a few local fishing boats and then nothing but flat ocean. It was warm and muggy and we sat at the back of the cockpit and enjoyed the breeze of our motion as the wind was 3 kts or less.
We saw the odd bird and fish jumping very now and then and the odd flying fish which seemed to fly for about 100m. We chilled, rested or read when not on watch. Adam had cleaned the steps when we were ashore the other day and so I put on some more anti-slip tape. Tony also helped repair the fridge seal.
Jon made lunch and as it was so flat we put up the cockpit table. This was bread and humous, coleslaw, couscous and a bit of salad and cheese. Time passed quite quickly and as time went on we began to see the coast of Flores. This seemed to be a mountainous and arid island. It loomed up as we approached and there seemed to be a lot of little islands off its shore.
Flores is one of the Lesser Sunda Islands, a group of islands in the eastern half of Indonesia. Administratively, it forms the largest island in the East Nusa Tenggara Province. The area is 14,250 km2, Including Komodo and Rinca islands off its west coast (but excluding the Solor Archipelago to the east of Flores), the population was 1,878,875 in the 2020 Census (including various offshore islands); the official estimate as of mid-2024 was 2,014,110. The largest towns are Ende and Maumere. The name Flores is of Portuguese origin, meaning "Flowers".
Flores is located east of Sumbawa and the Komodo Islands, and west of the Solor Islands and the Alor Archipelago. To the southeast is Timor. To the south, across the Sumba Strait, is Sumba Island, and to the north, beyond the Flores Sea, is Sulawesi. Among all islands containing Indonesian territory, Flores is the 10th most populous after Java, Sumatra, Borneo (Kalimantan), Sulawesi, New Guinea, Bali, Madura, Lombok, and Timor, and also the 10th biggest island of Indonesia. Until the arrival of modern humans, Flores was inhabited by Homo floresiensis, a small archaic human.
Unlike most islands in the Indonesian archipelago, the modern name Flores was given by the Portuguese. According to Sareng Orin Bao (1969), the oral tradition of the Sikka region gave the island the original name of Nusa Nipa, meaning 'Dragon island'or Snake island. The eastern part of the island, originally called Kopondai, was called Cabo das Flores (Cape of Flowers) by the Portuguese because of the flowering flamboyant trees found there. That name remained.
The Komodo dragon is endemic to Flores and surrounding islands and has been continuously present on Flores for at least 1.4 million years. Today, it is confined to a handful of small areas on Flores itself. The endemic fauna of Flores includes some rats, some of which are now extinct, ranging from small-sized forms and the Polynesian rat which is approximately the size of a rabbit, with a weight of up to 2.5 kilograms.
Flores Island is bounded by active tectonic regions, with the Sunda Trench to the south and the Flores back-arc thrust fault to the north. As a result, the island experiences many earthquakes each year and, on occasion, tsunamis. The largest recorded earthquake in the region was the 1992 Flores earthquake and tsunami, a magnitude 7.8 event that caused Severe shaking on the Mercalli intensity scale. The Flores back-arc thrust is of particular interest to researchers as it is believed to accommodate the transition between the Sunda Trench in the west and the subduction of the Australian plate in the east. The Flores Thrust is approximately 450 km long and consists of a deep-rooted basal fault and many overlying imbricate thrust faults. The system is highly active, with more than 25 earthquakes of a magnitude 6 or above since 1960. In 2018, a large sequence of earthquakes (such as on the 5th of August and in July) in Lombok ruptured sections of the Flores Thrust. A volcanic eruption in southeast Flores triggered earthquakes that killed at least 10 people as of 4 November 2024. Authorities warned of the possibility of more earthquakes in the coming days.
Ruing is a stop that many people skip in their Flores itinerary. This is mostly because the detour is quite big regardless if you’re coming from Bajawa or Moni. Also, the road used to be in a very bad condition. Ruing is home to the 17 islands National Park. This stunning archipelago boasts pristine beaches, crystal-clear waters, and a rich marine life. If you’re looking for a unique and off-the-beaten-path destination in Indonesia, the 17 Islands National Park in Ruing, Flores is an absolute must-visit, especially for snorkelling fans so we have been told.
We got to our waypoint and continued inside the reefs and we navigated ourselves around the reef and we then headed toward a long pontoon off the pier. It was a lovely evening and the sun was fading fast. We managed to anchor in a good spot not too far from the pier. It was good to be here anchored with a few islands and reefs around. The sunset on the clouds was spectacular.
We had a celebratory beer and enjoyed the end of the day. I went to cook and made a chicken curry with rice and spiced red cabbage which was all eaten. I say no more. We had got here in time as planned and look forward to exploring tomorrow.
The picture of the day is a panoramic of the sunset at anchor.
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