SV Silverthorne has kindly given comments about Holiday Oceanview Marina, see below. Thank you Mike, and welcome to Samal Island/Davao City.

I think this place far exceeds my expectations and that in my experience is a rarity.

As you view the plan of the marina the gate is not only a means of keeping debris out but with a net across the entry makes the marina into a sort of fish farm. There are many bass and other fish visible here in the clear clean water. Swimming is off the boat or docks with portable metal ladders available to make getting out of the water a civilized event. Every few slips has a ladder available in easy reach.

The construction of the place has not been on the cheap! The boat storage and haul area is heavy concrete. As pictured, the docks and fingers are floating concrete all well finished. Each slip has a three prong electrical connection for your heavy electrical connection as well as a faucet with fully abundant water for tank filling or boat washdown. The top of the enclosing jetty is planted with grass and plantings.


The staff and security are friendly and very compliant with the slightest wish. Management and owner have quickly incorporated suggestions from tenants for making the place even more user friendly.
The shop - work- fabrication area is clean and organized without trash or clutter of components scattered about. There is periodically a little tool noise from the shop but there is no shipyard noise, clatter, grimy dust and pollution. All trades are available especially for paint, fiberglas and stainless fabrication.

The two-level clubhouse has male and female fully tiled and spacious bathrooms on both levels. These are kept spotlessly clean and toilets flush like a proper set of plumbing should. Down stairs are M/F showers in a secure locked room also very hygienically maintained. Each tenant gets their own key. Next are the free washing machines and honor - pay dryer with soaps etc available by honor system signature on the shelf. Upstairs are a refrigerator with choice of beers and soft drinks again by honor system accounting of purchase. Included are two freezers where food can be kept or bottles frozen for on board ice or ice water (free).

Security is very high and there are no idle strangers wandering about.

Slip rental is almost twice what Pinoy Boat Works charges, but for me it is worth it especially considering the repairs I paid after having my batteries ruined by arbitrarily shutting off my power etc. For Silverthorne a 44 footer it is 13,200 pesos/month (US$291.61) less for shorter than 40 feet. Off season (SW monsoon) carries a 30% discount from these fees. Storage on the hard is 250 pesos per foot.

Haul (in/out) on top flight equipment is flat rate for over 20 feet at 10,000 Pesos. Cats TRis or large monohulls; no problem!

Cruisers have self organized events such as barbecues, game-night, movies and other events as they come.

Davao ,the city, is trash and graffiti free. There are major malls and shopping for all things especially food at a huge Guisanos (G - Mall) and other major malls. Quality medical and dental are available. There is galvanizing available.

There is a marina owned shuttle scheduled three times a day that goes to the ferry landing. The road is VERY rough for the first three KM then is good concrete. The wait for the ferry seldom exceeds half an hour. Return transportation can be set up by good timing or working with the office. Taxi, bus, and jeepney are waiting at the ferry landing on the city side. Motor bikes and tri' on the island side.

I am very glad to be here with theses services and I can keep Silverthorne in or out of the water if I'm not able to be around.

Come on down, the water is fine!

Following the success of the Sail Morotai yacht rally from Davao to Morotai, Indonesia last September, Holiday Oceanview Marina in Samal is excited to announce the next yacht rally for 2013. This time, the route will be from Davao to the featured islands of Indonesia for 2013 - the Derawan Islands.

The Derawan Islands is an archipelago located in Berau, East Kalimantan, Northwestern part of Indonesia. Consisting of several islands, what makes Derawan a perfect tropical paradise is not just its fine white sandy beaches, palm trees and year-round warm atmosphere, but its glittering seas, changing colors from green, to aquamarine to dark blue.  Underwater life here is nothing short of spectacular. One can find the world's biodiverity, such as giant turtles, dolphins, manta rays, dugongs, barracudas and stingless jellyfish.  Not surprisingly, Derawan island is known as the best diving spot in the world.

;feature=player_embedded" title="Scuba Diving in Derawan">Scuba Diving in Derawan

Events and Timeline for Festival Derawan:

I.    21 TO 30 JUNE 2013:

a.LOB FESTIVAL (GAHTER IN DERAWAN, OPENSHIPS ETC)

b.GUINESS WORLD RECORD SENIOR DIVE (50 YEARS AND OVER)

c.UNDERWATER PHOTO TOURNAMENT

d.DIVE COMPETITION

e.CULTURAL SHOWS

f.FREE TOURS AND ISLAND VISITS

a.YACHT RALLY FROM DAVAO (Depart Davao tentatively set on September 5  August 31, 2013)

b.YACHT RALLY FROM TAWAU

c.DINGHY & WINDSURFING RACE

The route of the rally will be from Davao to Sangihe to Talaud to Bitung and then to Derawan:

AUGUST means KADAYAWAN FESTIVAL in Davao. Yachts joining the rally can be in Davao early enough to join in our festivities. The highlight of the festival will be held the 3rd weekend of August (August 16-17). More information here - http://sailsamal.com/blog/post/2012/07/05/August-means-Kadayawan-Festival-in-Davao.aspx.

Those interested in joining the Diving competition set for June 2013 can register directly with the organizers of Festival Derawan at - http://www.festivalderawan.com/

Those who are interested in joining the yacht rally from Davao City can email me through my contact page, or directly to wiskun AT sailsamal.com.

At a time when we all think typhoon season is over, Typhoon Pablo hit Southern Philippines. Typhoon Pablo was probably the strongest and closest typhoon to hit the area of Davao. It made landfall in the middle of the eastern coast of Mindanao, thanks to a big high pressure system in the northern pacific that kept the low pressure system in the lower latitudes, and crossing Philippines. Wary of winds and weather, we, at the marina, kept constant watch of the system as it developed and threatened Mindanao. All of us here prepared for it, and for the first time since we put them up, the tarps of Wiskun were taken down. I waited for the "90 knots" of winds to come, until I fell asleep. Slept like a log too while Wiskun gently swayed back and forth. When the typhoon made landfall the following morning, there was hardly any strong gusts to speak of here in Samal and in the Gulf of Davao. One boat told me that the gusts were no stronger than 20 knots. We've had winds stronger than that during squalls. So, the tarps went back on by noon time and I didn't even catch enough water for the tanks.

It's a different story in Northern Mindanao, especially the eastern coast. and in southern Visayas. Winds were strongest north and ahead of the typhoon's eye. Pablo has devastated farm lands (mostly banana plantations) and tore down shanty houses. Fatalities of more than a 1,000 were mostly from landslides. Illegal logging and mining to blame? If so, then Mindanao will be in trouble because an active ITCZ can cause the same thing. We don't need typhoons for that.

The Sail Morotai Fleet has now arrived Morotai and enjoying the festivities. This blog is the report from when they left, shared by  some of the yachts. The yachts communicate with each other through a pre-arranged time on the single side band radio. I will update this blog as they go along.

From SV Alk (Sept 7, 2012):

Hi guys, As to be expected we did not have much wind on our first day in Sail Morotai. We had good current with us in the Davao channel and then the fleet split in an easterly group and one lone wolf in the W being 'ALK'! We did manage to sail about 1/3 of the way to our anchorage in Basiawan bay. A bit scary for the girls to enter a bay in the dark that appeared to be closed off by light fishermen. But with a good radar watch we had no trouble picking our way between them. After a quiet night we left this morning at first light to continue. At the sched this morning it turned out we had not lost too much ground against the other 6 boats with SSB. The sched via VHF did not work as the distance between boats was too large. More Magic also anchored for the night but on the E side of Davao bay. Break-away is leading the way with Callisto following.
At this moment we are motoring along the E coast of Davao Bay but soon our course will lead us away from the shore, maybe we will find some wind further on...
If all goes well we should arrive in Talaud before dark tomorrow.

From SV Sloepmouche (Sept 9. 2012): 

Hi Ellen and Kjartan, Very happy to hear that the send-off went very well and that we all acted the professional sailors we are :)
It is nice to feel appreciated both in the Philippines and Indonesia by the local population as well as the local governments ... quite a difference with the attitude in Europe, US and Australia! Good for you!

We are looking forward to see all the newspapers and the evening news of 3 TV channels from our departure! Thanks for your efforts in getting copies ... Perhaps you could scan the articles and get a copy of the TV news to share onYouTube, on your website ...

We all arrived safely in Talaud. We all mostly motorsailed close-hauled as the wind was not very strong (except in a few memorable rain squalls!) and we all wanted to get here in time for the local activities. The seas were often confused and uncomfortable but all around it was not too bad. I don't know where s/v Freiheit is as he did not check into the USB/VHF nets but he was reported by Henrich as having run into some fishing net still in the Philippines ... no news since then! Did you hear anything? Everybody otherwise is accounted for ... s/v Ela arrived last evening after dark. s/v Catimini is doing good progress and should arrive later this evening.

The local people and officials have been wonderful so far! A local boat with about 25 officials or pseudo-officials came to each of us to clear us into Indonesia. Only a few of them boarded, everybody was well mannered and the paperwork went smoothly. :) At 3pm we had some flower leis and dancing show to welcome us into town. From there we were driven to a nearby beach day facility and had some welcoming speeches and a nice dinner buffet as well as music, dancing and we each got a nice wooden sculptured traditional boat made of ebony :) We wished you were here to receive the nice welcome as you well deserve it :)

Today some of us attended mass, the bank opened specially for us to exchange money and this afternoon, we were all invited to go with our boat to a small island nearby they want to promote as tourist attraction. We had a nice beachparty and lunch there. Hopefully today everyone was also able to fix some of these equipment failures we had during our first passage.

We thank you all again for your wonderful hospitality and in organizing so many things in the background for this rally to be a success! We all where very impressed by the people in Samal and Davao City. I think Ocean View Marina has many very attractive facets to become a very popular marina and boatyard for the sailing/cruising community and I am sure you will see more and more yachts! We certainly look forward to seeing both of you again in a few months ... and have a long overdue serious haul out!

Luc and Jackie on s/v Sloepmouche - Noonsite editor and SSCA Commodores

From SV Alk (Sept 10, 2012)

Hi Ellen, Thanks for the WX info! Very useful! The grib files show the same pattern.
All boats left today already for Morotai. We leave tomorrow morning and hopefully the wind will have shifted more to the W by then. Mary from Sweden arrived yesterday and they are the only ones left and anchored next to us. They may leave with us tomorrow. They were very tired from their journey from PNG with current and wind against them for 1000M! Not an easy matter with a 6 and 4 year old on board!
Just got my internet setup with Telkomsel working. My Malaysian dongle did not work with the sim card so I had to buy a new modem for IDR 600.000.
Here in Melonguane the connection is dead slow but I can send mail. Do not know if any of the others got setup for internet. Maybe coverage will be better in Morotai but we can work with what we got. Nobody got fuel here so have no info on that.

From SV Alk (Sept 13, 2012) 

Hi Ellen, Yes, that is certainly true about forgetting the hardships of sailing once arrived! The trip to Morotai was hard on the wind which is a wet ride on ALK. All four of us sitting in the cockpit got soaked and skies were grey. But we sailed fast, at times 7 knots. In the night the waves were a bit calmer and when we arrived in Morotai the sun was shining again!
Freiheit got here as well but Bruno had to be towed in some bay N of here and was towed to Morotai due to engine problems which do not seem too difficult to solve and his rolling main sail got stuck in the mast. On the way, in the middle of the big ocean, he had a light collision with Sloepmouche but only minor damage to both boats.
Bad 'luck' seems to be part of Bruno's life but he keeps on smiling.
sv Mary was next to us in Melonguane and when we left at sunrise we saw no life on board yet but they arrived here just before dark as the last boat and were able to join the dinner party with the kids at the regent's residence.
Will see what today brings...

From SV Shiralee (Sept 18, 2012)

Dear Ellen and Kjartan

Thank you both for taking such good care of us at Oceanview and all the effort that went into the preparation for Sail Morotai 2012. We really appreciated everything especially with our entry and all the required paper work and officialdom.

Your attention to detail is amazing and we were especially touched by the trio who serenaded us farewell. The party was great fun and we loved seeing the traditional dances. Thank you so much and also thank you to Chenee for all her support.

We sailed 80% of the distance to Talaud – unfortunately, we had wind on the nose most of the way so it was an uphill journey making this a tiring trip. Conditions were good with only one ‘white out’ for a few hours on the 2^nd night and the entire trip took us 52 hours.

Our entry/clearance into Indonesia at Talaud was very straight forward and could not have been easier nor more pleasant. The customs boat came out to each boat, we processed the paper work within 30 minutes then the officials were off to the next boat…all with a smile and cheerful welcome.

Yesterday afternoon at 3pm we were officially welcomed to the island by the local government and people who had done so much preparation and organisation with special ceremonies of welcome followed by a drive to a nearby beach for dinner, more entertainment and presentation of gifts to all cruisers. Luc from Sloepmouche has taken a video and will be putting it up on U-Tube. The only comment is that the anchorage is very confined and has very poor holding, consequently, a few of the yachts drifted. To obtain rupiah the local bank is opening this morning (Sunday) at 10am so those who require currency can obtain it…..this is truly a sign of goodwill and support.

Best regards to everyone at Ocenaview and once again, thank you for everything. We hope you and Kjartan can now take a well deserved rest.

Kindest Regards

Robyn & Paul

SV Shiralee

From SV ALK (Sept 18, 2012)

Things are starting to calm down in Morotai after D Day yesterday. The parade was chaotic .... but at least the first yacht(which happened to be ALK) was spotted by SBY after the convoy of navy ships. They went twice the speed agreed upon and the yachts could not follow in the agreed 100m distance. By the time the other yachts passed the podium, SBY was long gone. But we had fun. Dinners were sometimes a bit chaotic and particularly meeting time changed by the minute but fuel, water and laundry were well organized by the local team. Rustie's team of tourist guides that were shipped in from Ternate were friendly ..., but... Rustie turned out to be a reasonable singer at the last dinner. As an organizer he had less talent! The people of Morotai are incredibly curious and friendly but after 4 days everyone is getting tired of having their pictures taken by every person with a camera or phone. The whole things borders on mass hysteria! In a few days we will head for Bitung but I guess ALK will be the only yacht so we will go 'in cognito' and do our own thing. Meanwhile you can expect a few boats returning to Oceanview soon.

From SV Expeditus (Sept 21 and 22, 2012)

Hi Ellen & Kjartan,
Just to let you know we have had a positive response from our engine mount
supplier, & they will send out new mounts to us. I have taken the liberty of
asking them to send them to you at Linmarr towers, so hope this is ok.
We have had a hectic time here with welcome dinner, farewell dinner & a few
in between, and bus trip to war remains & museum. The tourist people here
have been very helpful in helping to obtain fuel , water & washing. It is
illegal to sell fuel in Jerry Cans apparently (subsidised pricing for locals,
& anti bomb making restriction for diesel?) but they managed to make it
happen for us. Everyone got about 100 litres of free fuel, and was able to
purchase extra.
One event was supposed to be a lobster feast, with 2012 lobsters available,
but it hapenned in the middle of a cultural show & nobody called the
yachties, so most of us missed out!! - Still the locals would have enjoyed
it. We were also taken to a couple of islands, for swimming & General
Douglass MacArthur's statue.
There was some confusion between checking out locally from harbour to
harbour, and for clearance for the Phlippines, so Ela, Freiheit & Expeditus
crews had to have a speedboat trip 24 miles to Tobelo to get immigration
clearance. Will get harbour clearance soon & be on our way back to Samal.
Ela left 48 hours ago. Not sure when Bruno will depart, he is still trying to
find out more about his engine problem - maybe some confusion over which oil
to use in saildrive gearbox - 2 different specifications in instruction manuals??
So we have a couple more days here, then will start our way back, hopefully
with a bit of island hopping.
Cheers for now,
Mike & Gay

Hi Ellen & Kjartan,
Only Freiheit, Expeditus, Slouepmouche, Callisto, Shiralee, & Catamini left
here. Ela in Talaud. All others gone, about 26 were here altogether I think.
Shiralee & Bruno leave tomorrow, we probably leave Monday or Tuesday.
Had about 10 of the tourism people over to Expeditus the other evening to
show them the boat & some video of sailing. They were keen to ask a lot of
questions to learn more about what yachties are looking for, so that looks
promising for the future.
Will pass my wireless broadband over to Shiralee tomorrow so no more emails
until we are back in Samal.
Looking forward to getting back to Oceanview!
Cheers

From SV Sloepmouche (Sept 20, 2012)

A video presentation by Luc of SV Sloepmouche which shows all the events in Indonesia, starting with the Kick-Off party at Oceanview Marina. Well done, Luc and thank you for sharing.

title="Glimpses of Sail Morotai 2012">YOUTUBE

From SV ALK (Oct 3, 2012)

Dear Mr. Aji and Mr. Turman

Thank you for the contact details of Mr. Johnny Banjarnahor in Bitung.
We anchored near his office and he and his staff Mr. Yospendi took good care of us.
By the way the correct anchor position is 1 27.20N 125 12.75E which is just N of the jetty of the DKP office. In 25m the holding is good.

Mr. Johnny's man took us to the Tourist Office where we met with Mr. Benny Lontoh who was very helpful in planning our shore activities.

He was quite curious as to the other boats that were scheduled to visit Bitung and he mentioned that around September 19 he had his staff ready at the DKP jetty for the reception but never saw any boats! Unfortunately I had to inform him that to my knowledge most of the boats sailed S along the W coast of Halmahera after leaving Morotai. There may be one other boat 'Catimiri' that will visit Bitung.

Since leaving Morotai we have encountered consistent S-SW winds which are normal for this time of year according to the wind pilots and sailing straight from Morotai to Bitung would have been a hard beat! As it was we did our southing by going to Ternate along the Halmahera coast which was quite difficult against the S wind which blows very steadily along this coast.
Anyway the detour to Ternate was well worth the effort and from there we had good sailing to Bitung. This route allowed for a stop in Pulau Tifore which turned out to be a very pleasant surprise. The anchorage was well protected and quite beautiful and people very friendly, as almost everywhere we have been in Indonesia!

Finally I would like to thank you for organizing Sail Morotai which has been a most wonderful experience!

With kind regards,

Hans van Rijn
sy ALK

Other Articles/Blogs:

Blog by SV Shiralee

Online Journal - Prix Branzon

Davao Blogger - Battad

Link from EdgeDavao

Link from EturboNews

SailWorld article 

Since a lot of cruisers are asking about hauling out in the Marina boatyard, specifically catamarans, I would like to share with you the video taken of the haulout of this catamaran. The ramp is fairly steep, and curves. It is a challenge, but the haulout and launching can easily be done.

Watch.

title="Catamaran Haul out in Oceanview">link 

 A special thanks to Sam Fadlil for sharing this. This is of particular interest to those who are joining the Sail Morotai Rally.

REPORT ON SANGIHE AND TALAUD

SANGIHE

• The Sangihe Islands (also known as Sangir) are a group of islands constitute two regencies in northern Indonesia, the Sangihe Islands Regency & Sitaro Islands Regency. I is located northeast of Sulawesi between the Celebes Sea and the Molucca Sea. Total there are about 105 islands in Sangihe Group.
• The largest island is Sangir Besar and where an active volcano, Mount Awu (1829 meters)  located. Tahuna is the largest town.
• The Sangir language is spoken in the islands; this Austronesian language is also spoken in some islands in the Philippines, and on the extreme northern tip of Sulawesi.

• The islands are the site of numerous volcanoes. Many are still active. The Sangihe tectonic plate is named after the island arc and is very active. Earthquakes  and volcano eruptions are quite common here.

Tahuna

03  13’45”N          125  45’78”E

Approaches: Tahuna harbor is located inside beautiful and  protected bay with sand and mud bottom. Only exposed to westerly.

Fuel: Available (arranged through local Govt.)

Water: Available

Harbor Radio:  Channel 16

CIQP:  Available           

Provision: Traditional market and Minimarket. IT is quite a bustling small town with hotels and restaurants.

Internet: There are numbers of Internet Cafes.    

Cellular/handphone: Telkomsel, Indosat (no X Cell).

ATM/Bank:  Available BRI/Mandiri, BNI.

People/Cultures:  Majority are Talaud and Sangihe origins, each with their distinctive cultural backgrounds. Traditional ceremonies, dances, rituals are well preserved. They are mostly Christian. Beside known for underwater natural beauties, is also well known as  rare bird  paradise. 

TALAUD

• Talaud is the northernmost Indonesian’s Regency which was set up in the year of 2000 with Melonguane as its capital. There are about  three main islands (Karakelang, Salibabu and Kabaruan Island) in this group.
• This area can be reached by sea or air. There are daily flights (Wings Air and Express Air) from Manado, except Saturday and Sunday.
• By sea, There are three ferries (Holly Mary, Karya Indah and Venecian) which connect Talaud to Manado. Ferry stop at Beo, Lirung and Melonguane. It carry passengers and cargoes.
• It produces mainly nutmeg and copra

Melonguane

03  59’76”N   126  46’43”E

Melonguane Harbor

• This quiet small town is the seat of Talaud Regional Government, while town of Lirung which is only 4 miles away in the island of Sariabu is commerce center   for the area.
• The distance from Davao is about 289 miles.
• There is a big concrete wharf where ferry and other bigger boats/ships dock.
• Anchorage with sandy bottom is exposed to Southerly.
• Dinghy can be landed on sandy beach.

Approaches: Red and green buoys at  03  59’76”N   126  46’43”E.  Concrete wharf is only about 300 meters away from it. Light house right next to wharf . Flashing 3.

Anchorage: On either side of main wharf. Keep good distance.

CIQP: Not available. Have to be brought in from Manado.

Fuel: Difficult. Arrangements have to be made in advance.

Water: Available but not recommended.

Internet: There are two Internet Cafe. Slow.

Cellular/handhone:  Only Telkomsel (signal is good).

Provision: Basic stuff (expensive by local standard). Fresh fish are plentiful. Beer are available (avoid local stuff).

Money Changer: Not available.

Transportation:  By air : Daily flights from Manado

                           By sea :  Twice weekly by ferry from Manado.

ATM/Bank: There is only one ATM at BRI.

Radio:  No VHF station (even at Port Captain’s office).

Restaurants: Panorama Restaurant near the harbor provide decent/inexpensive food. Mostly grilled fish. Others are Syekina, Feliciana and Bianca.

Hotels:  Some basic hotels. Some are equipped with A.C. 

People/culture:  This is still not complete yet.   It will be mailed soon it is available. Any changes and corrections  will be made.

The following is the preliminary itinerary of the Davao-Morotai Yacht Rally:

• September 6 - Flag off from Davao
• September 8 – 10 - ETA in Talaud (Melanguane city) - Welcome ceremony and CIQP clearance.
• September 11 – Departure from Talaud
• September 12 - ETA Morotai - Festivities from September 13 – 16.
• September 17 – Departure from Morotai to Bitung
• September 19 - ETA Bitung - Festivities & tour from September 20 – 24. Tour includes Manado.
• September 25 – Departure from Bitung and CIQP clear out. Yachts may continue their trip after the Bitung festivities on their own.

Entry forms will be emailed to you upon request. This should be filled up by the Captain, scanned together with the following documents below (1 to 5) and email to wiskun AT sailsamal.com.

1. A scanned image of EVERY crewmember’s passport details page(s) only, with next of kin details.
2. A scanned image of a passport style photograph of the Captain only, a photograph taken with a digital camera with a plain light background will be OK.
3. A scanned image of your yacht's registration certificate.
4. A scanned image of the Bank Receipt for the Entry Fee – Not applicable for Sail Morotai 2012.
5. A scanned image or photograph of your yacht with the yacht name clearly visible.

The following mail came from our good friends, Ann and Eric, of SV Temerarius - of Detroit, USA. They are seasoned sailors whom we are fortunate to meet and made good friends with. We are also very happy they are here with us.

We arrived at Samal Island in May of 2010, sailing from Australia via PNG and Palau.  We chose Samal Island, mainly because our good friends, Ellen and Kjartan (Wiskun) were here, and we were anxious to reunite. Also, we needed to find a safe place to leave the boat, as we return to the States for 6 months each year to work.  For the past 20 years, we have been leaving our 50 foot sailing vessel, Temerarius, wherever we are.  Samal Island was perfect for us, as it is typhoon free, and that automatically eliminated one worry we don't need.

As we sailed up the Davao Gulf, trying to beat the sunset, we were greeted by a speedboat on our stern and the smiling faces of Kjartan and Ellen, and their dog Sheeba.   We tied up to their mooring, where we stayed for a few days, allowing for tide and preparation.  Our haul out was problem free, except that, it, of course, was raining, which everyone assured us was really rare.

While we were home, Eric was diagnosed with stage 4 nasopharyngeal cancer.  Thus, we were unable to return as scheduled, while Eric waged his own private battle.  He has been cancer free now for the past year, and recently, we have been able to return to Temerarius. We were very unsure whether that day would ever come.  While, we were gone, it was such a relief to not have to worry over the boat, because we knew it was being so well cared for.  Ellen and Kjartan went above and beyond the call of duty or friendship.  They repainted the bottom ( a beautiful red) and towed her to the brand, new. spanking marina 10 miles up the road.  We found her floating happily with 3 other vessels, at what is now, Oceanview Marina.

Irish Melody wrote an excerpt talking about the marina, which explains rather well the daily mechanics of life here.  I can only add how very happy we are to be here.  First, our boat was in very good condition.  We have had black widow spiders in Mexico, cockroaches in Florida, and almost any other type of vermin that loves to occupy empty vessels in the tropics. Here, other than a few ants, we are bug free. Even the mold was minimal.
 
Oceanview is quite a distance from the town of Davao, but Ellen and Kjartan and her brother, Boboy (the owner of the marina, with his lovely wife, Gene) make everything as easy as possible.  They have 2 scheduled trips daily to the main ferry which will then take you to Davao.  We find it all fascinating.  The people are very friendly, and, at no times, have we felt any animosity.  Just big smiles greet us.  If you get this far in the world, you are used to the idea of provisioning, and a trip to Davao each week will fill your food lockers.  The grocery stores are truly the best I have seen.  You can find almost any product imaginable for a lower cost than in the States.  Food is affordable, and wine, liquor, and beer, also, very reasonable.

It is tropical hot here, but there has been a breeze each night, and with the help of a fan, we sleep well. It is very quiet.  There are no mosquitoes or flies!!  You can jump off your boat and go for a swim.  It is as close to being at anchor as you will ever get at a marina. And it is quite beautiful.  On daily walks up the road, we are greeted by cows, goats, chickens, water buffalo, turkeys and farmers with small children who willingly give you their fruit for a smile.

The other plus that we were not expecting, is it is turning out to be a good place to leave your boat for other overland excursions.  We are looking at a trip to Vietnam this March.  There are flights from Davao to Singapore and fares are quite cheap at times. 

I have no words to thank Ellen and Kjartan for the many kindnesses bestowed upon us.  Boboy and Gene have also been so generous and gracious. It is a joy of cruising that allows you to meet such friends.  And your faith in the world is reignited to know such friendship exists.
 
 Ann and Eric
 S/V Temerarius

INTRODUCTION

In a move to boost the economy of the outlying islands, the President of Indonesia is spearheading the development of North Maluku, in particular, the island of Morotai. It is his vision to put Morotai on the map for the world to see that Morotai is the gateway into Indonesia from the Pacific Ocean. And being close to East Asia, Morotai can be a part of the economic movement in the Asia Pacific Region. A Master plan from Marine Affairs and Fisheries Minister is now in place to develop the island as a fishery, tourist, trade and services center. As part of this plan, Sail Morotai 2012 is organized and will be the main maritime event for this year's Sail Indonesia rally.

MOROTAI

Morotai is the northernmost island of Eastern Indonesia, in the province of North Maluku. The rugged and forested island has an area of some 1,800 square kilometres (690 sq mi), stetching 80 kilometres (50 mi) north-south and no more than 42 kilometres (26 mi) wide.

It is famous for its natural and marine beauty, with various coral reefs, colourful fish and marine life.

In addition, it is also known for its history in World War II, in particular, the Battle of Morotai. In July of 1944, General Douglas MacArthur had selected Morotai as the location for air bases and naval facilities which was needed to support the liberation of Mindanao. The battle began on September 14, 1944 when the United States and Australian forces landed on the south-west corner of Morotai.  With only about 500 Japanese soldiers stationed on the island, the Allied force assigned to Morotai outnumbered the island's defenders by more than one hundred to one. The ensuing rapid development of Morotai into a major military base took place. Base facilities, Naval installation, road network, 1,000-bed hospital and 2 airstrips were quickly constructed. Morotai became the staging point for Allied forces and played a major role in the liberation of the Philippines.

In light of its history, Morotai is a haven for wartime artifacts.

SAIL MOROTAI 2012

Holiday Oceanview Marina, in conjunction with the organizers of the Sail Indonesia 2012, is proud to announce that it will be the official Philippine organizer and the registration base for cruisers who are interested in joining the Sail Morotai 2012 rally. The festivities due to take place in Morotai on September 8th will coincide nicely with festivities happening in Davao City the whole month of August - the Kadayawan Festival. The highlight of this festival is the parade where different tribes and organizations compete for the best costumes and presentation. This parade normally occurs the 3rd weekend of August and the timing is just perfect for cruisers to attend the festivities in Davao before they set sail with the rally bound for Morotai.

As this will be the first year for Sail Morotai 2012, entry fee will be free and Indonesia will sponsor and cover the costs through its Sail Indonesia program. All yachts, motor and sail, are welcome to join but minimum size of 10 meters LOA is required to ensure safety to sail overseas in International waters. The Marina will coordinate and collect all required documents for the issuance of the Indonesian cruising permit (CAIT), as well for all entry and visa into the Philippines. The CAIT will be used to apply for the Indonesian Visa (non ASEAN citizens) through the Indonesian Consulate. In addition, the Marina will be offering its own programs and festivities, organization of tour packages, rally orientation seminar, free berthing, parties and get-togethers.

Route of the Sail Morotai 2012:

This is made part of the Sail Indonesia Rally and the whole map can be viewed in their website - http://www.sailindonesia.net/home/home.php and about Sail Morotai 2012 - http://www.sailindonesia.net/news/sailmorotai.php. Further news about Sail Indonesia can be found here - Sail Indonesia and Rally schedules .

All interested cruisers are urged to email me through the contact page, or through the comments sections, as it is also important for us to get an idea of how many interested participants there will be. This is an exciting rally to attend specially because of our historical ties with Morotai and also because it is the first maritime event ever for Davao to be a part of. It is our wish and the wishes of the government of Indonesia to develop stronger ties between our 2 countries and to establish an attractive route from Davao to Morotai and beyond, to other parts of Indonesia and Philippines.

More information and updates to come, so feel free to check in occasionally.