Sailing through PIRATE TERRITORY with our PATREONS aboard! | S2 Ep 49

In this episode, we're tackling the final leg of our incredible journey to the boatyard - a thrilling passage through pirate territory! From the border city of Tawau in Malaysian Borneo, we're heading up to Kudat on the north coast, where we'll haul the boat out. Along the way, we'll be exploring some pretty special places, and we've got some extra special crew members joining us for this trip As usual, before setting sail, we fill up the boat for the long journey ahead. We knew we'd be passing through remote islands with limited chances to refuel or restock, so provisioning was crucial. And yes, we always check our pasta carefully for creepy crawlies! ?? Even though there haven't been any pirate attacks in over five years, the local authorities are still vigilant, patrolling these waters and keeping track of boats. We were given a list of recommended anchorages and asked to report our position twice daily. It was definitely a reminder that we're sailing through some historically dangerous waters. Our first stop? The beautiful Mabul Island, less than 10 miles from Sipadan, the site of a pirate attack in 2000, when armed pirates stormed a resort and kidnapped several foreign tourists. Thankfully, those days are behind us, and Mabul is now a serene paradise. With its crystal-clear waters, white sandy beaches, and rich marine biodiversity, it's a popular tourist spot - and it's easy to see why. We always want to arrive at new anchorages with plenty of daylight, especially in these reefy areas, as we rely on being able to spot reefs by looking at the color of the water. The charts can't always be trusted in these parts of the world, so we set off at the crack of dawn to make sure we would reach the next anchorage safely But things didn't go exactly as planned. Despite following the well-marked shipping channel, we got caught in an unmarked fishing net! The local fishermen, nearby in a small boat, had set it out, and we ended up wasting hours with Timo in the water, carefully untangling ourselves from the mess. It was a real setback, but we finally made it to Mabul Island and headed ashore to explore our new surroundings. Next up was the stunning Bohey Dulang - a volcanic island with towering mountain peaks that rise dramatically from the sea. The view from the top is absolutely jaw-dropping, and the underwater world surrounding it is just as vibrant and full of life. Our journey then took us to the city of Sandakan, where we took a break from sailing to learn more about Borneo's incredible wildlife. We visited an orangutan sanctuary and a sunbear rescue center, and it was a special experience to get up close to these amazing creatures. But the adventure didn't end there. The next leg of the journey was filled with reefs and shallow waters, with most of the water we sailed through being less than 20m deep. With our boat's deep draft, we had to stay hyper-vigilant, keeping an eye out for hazards at every turn. 00:00 Intro 00:31 Intro Patreons (Ko-fi supporters) 01:15 Provisioning 01:54 History of piracy in the area 02:28 Getting stuck in a fishing net 04:32 Mabul island 05:44 Interview with Patreons (Ko-fi supporters) part 1 08:54 Bohey dulang island 09:32 Underwater world 10:27 Interview with Patreons (Ko-fi supporters) part 2 14:29 Sandakan 14:48 Wildlife (orangutans and sunbears) 16:10 Interview with Patreons (Ko-fi supporters) part 3 17:02 Last leg of the journey 17:58 Interview with Patreons (Ko-fi supporters) part 4 20:28 Last few anchorages in remote north Borneo 22:20 Sailing with international crew outro -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you'd like to support us on Patreon, our website https://www.patreon.com/SailingNV or with a one-off donation via https://ko-fi.com/sailingnv or paypal https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/sailingnv or if you'd like to help us buy something we need, you can check out our amazon wish list https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1G2NJ0EGJLKR0?ref_=wl_share #pirates #boatlife #sailingnv