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