Cruising -Cebu Island to Negros Is- The Philippines-2008

Port Bonbonon Negros Island

Finally on 4 Nov 2008 when we had the right weather window we set sail for the Port Bonbonon (on Negros Is) 110nm away where we hoped to catch up with Keturah and sail with them to Palawan. On the way we anchored at some delightful little bays including Lazi Bay on Siquijor Is. The weather was not kind to us as a Low pressure system formed to the east of us making the seas uncomfortable so we were looking forward to arriving at Port Bonbonon as it is a typhoon shelter. 

(Remember to click on the photos to enlarge them)

Paddling to School  Port Bonbonon

However, on 7 Nov, while entering Port Bonbonon, at the southern end of Negros Island our rudder became caught on a marker buoy cable and was badly damaged. Tom examined the rudder damage under water but we did not know the real extent of the damage until it could be viewed out of the water He estimated that the rudder would need to be removed and extensively refiberglassed as it was split and bent to starboard below the lower bearing. Also because the system was so stiff when using the emergency tiller he felt that either the skeg or shaft was bent and would need to be rectified.

So we spent an anxious weekend at this beautiful typhoon anchorage working out what we could do as there were no haulout facilities nearby.

As the nearest facilities of any use were back in Cebu City on Cebu Island we decided to sail back as soon as we had a suitable weather window. This necessitated a three day,110 mile, trip using our emergency tiller arm on the steering. This was not easy, as Tom could only just move the whole set up and Fran couldn't move it at all! It was exhausting work made even more difficult by having to go dodge around lots of fishing boats that had nets stung between the boats and the FAD (fishing aid devices-read stick in the middle of nowhere with a flag on top.) As they saw us coming one fisherman would stand up and wave his oar at us directing us to go "way over there" to get around the nets. Well that was alright for them but for us it was a giantian effort !

The first night we anchored at  beautiful Sumilon Is where the rangers wanted us to pay to anchor but we pretended we couldn't understand them! The next night after another very long day we decided to anchor in Cebu Port only to find that when we awoke the next morning our RIB and 15HP motor were stolen. Believe it or not the RIB, with motor chained on, was lowered from the davits and the lines cut while we were asleep in the aft cabin within centimetres! So there we were with a broken rudder and hardly any steering and to top it off no dinghy or outboard. What a double whammy! Fran was rope able but Tom was more philosophical about it.

So as we had no alternative we continued back to Pepe's yard where all our friends welcomed us back like family! We were really annoyed at our run of bad luck but realised we would just have to sort it out.