Malacca Strait

Six days out of Singapore and I've only made it up to Lumut. What a name... And the name of the river this town is on? Dingding...

I was going to take a serious rest at Malacca but they built a bridge over the river entrance! The SW monsoon isn't over so no chancing it anchoring off. I've gotten bits of real sleep anchoring off the coast a mile or two when the current reverses and the wind dies (Fortress anchor and half inch nylon works on depths over 150 feet pretty well when the bottom is mud). The dreaded sumatras(super duper squalls) are real but it isn't the wind or the chopped up seas that is the pain, it is the reduced visibility the rain creates when you get hit. There is more traffic on this stretch of water than anywhere I have ever seen. The nap timer was at an all time low of seven minutes. Radar is used often but it doesn't pick up the small guys.

Gear failure is a regular issue now, but it has been manageable. I had issues with the VHF (voltage drop in some wiring aways from the unit), windlass (I opened it up and used the pressure washer at Changi and got it to turn again, may need a few new parts), tiller pilot was thrown over the side, engine mounting bolt loosened and threw the shaft alignment off after how many hours? (I now check the color of the transmission fluid and shaft coupling clearance every fifteen hours).

Malaysia is ok so far, haven't seen much but the price is right. Checking in the country was free and I got a three month permit. Anchoring off Lumut Yacht Club and using their facilities costs $1.40 a day (dingy dock, showers/toilets and information). Today for lunch I had fried shrimp, sweet and sour pork, a thai style curried chicken and some green beans over rice for $1.30. Fresh watermelon juice was 60 cents. Basic iced tea is 12 cents at the place I had lunch. Bus to get around is 30 cents. Internet is 70 cents an hour. I remember paying something like 20 dollars an hour in French Polynesia...

I am getting close to some real destinations - less than 200 miles from Ko Lipe and those other "National Park Islands" in Southern Thailand. Two more stops in Malaysia (Penang and Langkawi). I doubt I will spend too much time in Lumut. Tomorrow the offlying island, Pangkor but ready to knock out the rest of this Malacca strait. Time to act like a tourist...