Blue Moon update #4

We have now moved on to the east coast of Malaysia and have been sailing around the Tioman Islands and surrounding islands. It is so nice to be in clear, unpoluted water and actually see some decent sized fish. The Tiomans is a marine National Park and is supposed to have a 2nm exclusion zone for fishing but no one appears to have told the local trawlers. Obviously they are cautious about illegal fishing as the fish life is definitely healthier than in Thailand and the west coast of Malaysia. Not a patch on Australia or the Louisiades (PNG) though.

We have dined on Red Emporer, Mangrove Jack, squid, Moreton bay bugs(slipper lobsters is the true name as these obviously don't come from Moreton!!) and prawns. Makes a change from chicken and we are so missing pork! In a muslim country, it is very difficult but not impossible to get bacon or pork. The chinese still like it, so in communities where there are a majority of chinese someone will sell some pork!

We are about to depart the malaysian east coast and sail across the South China Sea to Borneo - the malaysian part. We should be in Kuching in time for Natasha's 10th birthday on July 3rd and then we will spend a month travelling up the coast to Brunei and then to Kota Kinabalu. Then we have to decide the timing for the next leg through Indonesia. Either Sail Bunaken in August or north to the philippines for a month - Palawan and then back to Borneo and across to Sulawesi in September. Choices, choices!!

Feel free to text us
http://messaging.iridium.com/
8816 314 29195

Will email once we get to Kuching. Here's hoping for flat seas and 10kts of
breeze from the south west.

Sarah