Aug 14-17
Hi All,
We arrived in Maumere around 2:30pm……51 nm in 8+ hours…..avg 6.5 kts……another slow run against a pesky 0.5 kt current….ugh!!!! But, it was trawler weather….no wind and very light swells, so it was lovely….but hot!!!!
However, when we arrived the winds picked up to 10+ kts onshore. This is a roadstead anchorage so we were pointed out to sea and even though the winds were light, there was a lot of fetch and 2-3′ chop……we had to put out the flopper again. There were already 8 boats in the anchorage so we had to anchor out in 95’….great…..and with the onshore wind and lee shore about 200 yards away we decided…..well, the Admiral said…..we should/will stay on the boat tonight and forego happy hour/dinner at the resort with the other boats……whaaaaa!!!
But, we did manage to book a day of diving and Stedem joined us. Since the beach is very steep to and there is a 5-6′ tide change neither one of us wanted to take our heavy dinghies to shore and anchor out…..too steep and swelly……so, we hitched a ride with Indian Summer, some very nice Aussie’s, at 7:00am……ugh. We had some interesting coffee at the resort and were in the car by 8am. It turns out the resort’s dive boat is broken so they took us by car 45 min to another boat. We then loaded onto a traditional Kloktok……wow, what an experience/adventure….2 one cylinder diesel motors connected to a 1/2″ shaft. All wood, you had to crawl around as no room to stand up…..and loud, whoa……like very loud!!!! The divemaster, Vahali, was excellent, though, and spoke a little English. He had a very slow, calm pace which we loved and he pointed out many very small creatures we would have easily missed. We saw several lobsters, scorpion fish, lots of very healthy coral, tiny shrimps and crabs, and loads of small fish. Just an overall excellent but long day of diving. Both dives were long…..65 min and 80 minutes. I have to say on the 80 min one I came up with 200 psi……the Admiral around 400psi……we certainly got our monies worth…..cost was USD75pp……whoa……2 dives in US might be $200+!!!
The next day we were up at 3:15am, start up Gen and watermaker…..back to bed until 4:15am, then ready to go by 4:45am as Brett & Stacey picked us and Stedem up for our 5am departure to Mt Kelimitu:
“Mount Kelimutu, with its tri-colored crater lakes, is probably the most amazing natural phenomenon in Flores. Beyond that, the ‘steaming mountain’ is also the island’s most famous tempat angker, or mystical, haunted place.
Scientific explanations aside, there are many myths about the origin of Kelimutu. This is one of the reasons why Mount Kelimutu was, and still is a sacred place for the local people. Over the years, the three crater lakes have often changed color. At present, one of the lakes is black-brown, one is green, and one is currently changing from green to a reddish color. A reason may be the varying mineral contents of the water. Another explanation suggests that the changing colors are caused by the neglected ancestral souls. The first lake is named Tiwu Ata Mbupu (lake of the ancestors’ souls ); the second is named Tiwu Nuwa Muri Koo Fai (lake of young people’s souls); and the third is called Tiwu Ata Polo (lake of evil spirits). The first and second lakes are situated close together; while the third lake is about 1.5km to the west. Kelimutu is a beautiful place at any time of the day. However, the best time to enjoy this magical place is in the early morning when the clouds haven’t yet covered the view. Many visitors prefer to see the sunrise.”
Well…..we did not make sunrise as it is a 3+ hour drive……and, all 3 lakes were a different color of green/blue…..we have decided the “ancestors” were in a happy place for now!!! It was another great adventure. We saw lots of agriculture…..rice fields, drying cacao beans, drying cloves, many traditional houses, and of course the three lakes/craters. And we saw our first monkeys!!! A downright perfect day with a wonderful and very fun group of people!!
Watermaker: Oh HAPPY DAY!!…….did you hear the shout of joy!!!!!!!!!! We bit the bullet and tackled servicing the Clark Pump. Actually the unit was only running for 10-15 mins and most times only for a minute so we really had no choice:(((( It turned out to be the same issue as in Panama…..tight/stuck pistons in the Clark Pump….luckily we had spares. It took us about 5 hours to disassemble and put back together (another very hot yoga workout) but we are soooooo doing the Happy Dance. We ran the unit for 4 hours and we are now full….can you say fresh water showers, laundry, dishes, chain rinsing…..yep, as water hogs we will not be full for long!!!! The only problem is in the disassembly we have a very badly corroded connection on one of the SS pipes……for now we have a rag draped over it into dripping into a bucket. One day soon we will have to take the pump off again….ugh…..and effect repairs…..probably a new high pressure hose, which we do carry. It’s always something:))))
This over-2 month saga on the watermaker was most definitely our longest and most perplexing problem yet on the boat……and may it ever remain so:)))) To celebrate our success, Stedem on Atlantis had us and Bella Vita over for dinner, and we all had a really great time, with much jocularity!
OK….that’s it for now. We will be leaving in a few hours for Mausembi, about 35nm…..hopefully in perfect trawler weather and that pesky current has gone away!!!
Hope all is well!!
Happy in fresh water heaven John
Mystic Moon
GO MYSTIC GO!!!!
PS: Finally posted a lot of pictures: http://mysticmoonvoyages.com/photo-gallery/nggallery/main-album/Alor—Gedong
