E219 - Sailing East Borneo Patrol Escorts, Hidden Bays & World Class Diving

We depart Sandakan heading further east, enjoying a beautiful sail and even landing a delicious Spanish mackerel along the way before anchoring overnight behind Tambisan Island. Setting off early the next morning, we round the easternmost tip of Borneo and pass through one of the most sensitive regions, close to the Philippines. Under the watchful eye of ESSCOM, who escort us and ensure our safety, we continue along the eastern peninsula with confidence. Arriving in Lahad Datu, we refuel using our fuel bladders for the first time and stock up at the well-supplied local markets. As we depart, we sail past the anchored officials with sirens sounding and horns blasting—a lively send-off—before making a short day sail to W Bay. This leg comes with some very special guests onboard. The lovely ladies from Tourism Malaysia join us on No Regrets, drawing plenty of curious attention from nearby boats eager to come in for a closer look! Along the way, we introduce them to a true Australian classic—Vegemite. To our surprise, they seemed to enjoy it… or at least did a very convincing job of making us believe they did! At W Bay, we’re welcomed with another fantastic rally dinner and genuine local hospitality. We spend the next few days diving some of the best coral and fish life we’ve seen in Malaysia so far, all in crystal-clear water. We wrap up this incredible stretch sailing past the Blue Hole, capturing some stunning drone footage, before arriving at Gading Gading—where, once again, we’re greeted with warm smiles and another memorable rally dinner. WHO ARE WE? Hey there! We’re Chris and Jo, an ordinary Aussie couple living our extraordinary dream aboard our Seawind 1260 since January 2019 and now we continue from 2024 aboard our new 1370! Our adventure began with an unforgettable journey down the east coast of Australia, followed by a sail to the stunning New Caledonia. In 2020, we continued our exploration further north, and by 2021 and 2022, we circumnavigated Australia, discovering breathtaking locations along the way. Having previously owned fishing and water-skiing boats, our passion for sailing deepened after crewing in South Australia, leading us to make the leap into full-time living at sea. We hope to inspire you, just as we were inspired by other YouTube channels, to chase your dreams and explore the wonders of this beautiful world. Join us on our journey, and don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more sailing adventures! #seawind1370 #seawindcats #sailing #sailingboat #sailingyacht #yacht #yachting #yachtinglifestyle #cruisinglife #boatlaunch