24-25 August 2010
Puerto de Sol- Pass Island- Popototan Island- Mangenguey Island- Gutob Bay
Busuanga, Palawan, Philippines
We are getting used to this cruising life and becoming more confident with our sailing skills. We have been visually navigating using the charts and uhhmmm… our eyes instead of plotting our course in the electronic chartplotter. We use basic triangulation, the kind we learned in high school but works just as well. We are not so paranoid and harsh on ourselves anymore over sailing rules and safety precautions.
That’s because we’re too engrossed with enjoying this amazing scenery around us! There’s an endless parade of tropical paradise islands wherever we look, in different shapes and sizes, with immaculate white beaches, snaking sand bars, verdant hills, graceful birds and vibrant marine life.
We see an island that attracts us? We simply sail to it and drop anchor.
Such as pretty Pass Island where there was no one else but us and…
… the caretaker here showing us the eggs laid by a pawikan (giant sea turtle) the night before. The eggs are under the basket to protect them from birds and other predators.
Mariel in Pass Island:
Heaven = Cheetos + cold water + hammock
Highly exclusive Manguenguey or Treasure Island is a gem indeed…
…where the whimsical style of owner and designer Helena Mander is displayed through unexpected combinations of modern and native chic, sketches of her latest fashion designs and personal paintings for her husband…
.... Richard who graciously gave us a tour of the island despite our unannounced arrival. But beware, Mangenguey Island is guarded by 2 fierce dogs.
Popototan Island offered excellent snorkeling, a calm harbor and charming Coral Bay Resort…
… with its highly attentive staff and best of all, a delicious and very generous-sized dinner of soup, 6 courses (pitik or slipper lobsters again, whee!), dessert and the softest freshly baked bread. We ate till we were ready to burst then crawled back to our boat with bulging bellies.
North and South Cay Islands brought back priceless memories of our first trip to Busuanga in 1992 with dear friends. Where else could you get an entire island for P750/night then?
But today, Raul and I asked ourselves, “Are we truly becoming more courageous or simply turning reckless?” We realized that we were being lulled into complacency by light wind conditions, good visibility and short sailing distances. Yes, we are more confident with our sailing skills but overconfidence leads to carelessness. We decided then to go back to properly charting our course for the day and minding the safety precautions by the book, minus the paranoia. Reminder to self: Above all, safety first.
4 nm from Puerto del Sol to pretty Pass Island with immaculate white beach, hammocks and tables; anchored east at 40 feet. 4.5 nm from Pass Island to Popototan Island; beware of pearl farms! Anchored south in the bay at 40 ft.; beware of reef (excellent snorkeling!) in front of Coral Bay Resort marked by a ring of buoys. 1nm from Popototan Island to Mangenguey or Treasure Island. Beware of dogs. 10nm to Gutob Bay- this is a typhoon hole.
Puerto de Sol- Pass Island- Popototan Island- Mangenguey Island- Gutob Bay
Busuanga, Palawan, Philippines
We are getting used to this cruising life and becoming more confident with our sailing skills. We have been visually navigating using the charts and uhhmmm… our eyes instead of plotting our course in the electronic chartplotter. We use basic triangulation, the kind we learned in high school but works just as well. We are not so paranoid and harsh on ourselves anymore over sailing rules and safety precautions.
That’s because we’re too engrossed with enjoying this amazing scenery around us! There’s an endless parade of tropical paradise islands wherever we look, in different shapes and sizes, with immaculate white beaches, snaking sand bars, verdant hills, graceful birds and vibrant marine life.
We see an island that attracts us? We simply sail to it and drop anchor.
Such as pretty Pass Island where there was no one else but us and…
… the caretaker here showing us the eggs laid by a pawikan (giant sea turtle) the night before. The eggs are under the basket to protect them from birds and other predators.
Mariel in Pass Island:
Heaven = Cheetos + cold water + hammock
Highly exclusive Manguenguey or Treasure Island is a gem indeed…
…where the whimsical style of owner and designer Helena Mander is displayed through unexpected combinations of modern and native chic, sketches of her latest fashion designs and personal paintings for her husband…
.... Richard who graciously gave us a tour of the island despite our unannounced arrival. But beware, Mangenguey Island is guarded by 2 fierce dogs.
Popototan Island offered excellent snorkeling, a calm harbor and charming Coral Bay Resort…
… with its highly attentive staff and best of all, a delicious and very generous-sized dinner of soup, 6 courses (pitik or slipper lobsters again, whee!), dessert and the softest freshly baked bread. We ate till we were ready to burst then crawled back to our boat with bulging bellies.
North and South Cay Islands brought back priceless memories of our first trip to Busuanga in 1992 with dear friends. Where else could you get an entire island for P750/night then?
But today, Raul and I asked ourselves, “Are we truly becoming more courageous or simply turning reckless?” We realized that we were being lulled into complacency by light wind conditions, good visibility and short sailing distances. Yes, we are more confident with our sailing skills but overconfidence leads to carelessness. We decided then to go back to properly charting our course for the day and minding the safety precautions by the book, minus the paranoia. Reminder to self: Above all, safety first.
4 nm from Puerto del Sol to pretty Pass Island with immaculate white beach, hammocks and tables; anchored east at 40 feet. 4.5 nm from Pass Island to Popototan Island; beware of pearl farms! Anchored south in the bay at 40 ft.; beware of reef (excellent snorkeling!) in front of Coral Bay Resort marked by a ring of buoys. 1nm from Popototan Island to Mangenguey or Treasure Island. Beware of dogs. 10nm to Gutob Bay- this is a typhoon hole.
3 comments:
Awesome Ich!
i like the pictures very much!
Nice blog Ichay. Maybe someday I will get my own boat as well. =)
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