Subic bay to Puerto Galera

This blog seems to have taken forever, but the hotel has an intermittent service. Am not sitting in a hotel in Sabang, just over the hill from Puerto Galera.

Tuesday 6th to Wednesday 7th, Night Passage

The trip across from Subuc BAy to Puerto Galera was wonderful. The intention was to motor to Puerto Galera, to make life easier and to avoid any obsticles. But with 12 of us on baord, we divided the watch into two sets of 6 people, which is sufficient to sail the yacht anyway. So ihad a good snooze whulst A team was on watch and went up about 3 am for mine. Lovelywaning half moon, Orin's belt. lots of ships around, going towards Manilla Bay, but we had AIIS so could see them on the chartplotter and the radar. Not as many as when I go across the channel, where the lights in the shipping channel appear like a city across the horizon. The wind came in from the

South east, so we put up the Jib and switched off the engine and---magic we were sailing. soon we were scooting along at 7.5 knots and we each had a turn on the Helm.. Much heavier than Annarchy's and much slower to resound, so it is eay to over steer and than have to compensate. After an hour I reck0n I was getting the hang of it.

Night Watch at dawn

This is the life, it is so good to be alive to enjoy these special moments in time!!

The trip took us about 14 hours, which was about what we expected. Port Galera came in site. it is a series of islands with only two entrances in to it, which makes it a natural Typoon shelter. the entrances are quite narrow and shallow, so you have to watch your nvaigation quite carefully. From a distance it is difficult to identify the channel you have to enter, so a careful watch has to be kept.

Approach to narrow channel of North West Channel into puerto Galera

Enticing tropical beaches

Safe haven of Puerto Galera!!

Soon we were moored up on a mooring buoy and a service ferry picked us up and took us to the Puerto Galera yacht club. Will put rest of these piccies on a separate blog!!

Hey ho , still trying to upload photos onto this blog, and they still keep disappearing into the ether. John, you said this was easy!!













The approach to manilla was much better than to Hong Kong, a large eaxpanse of urban sprawl below us and as we came in to land we could see the shanties, which are still prevalent in Manilla - some in the most idyllic lagoon-side locations, sites we can only dream of having a home in.





It was a bit of a shock asI had not realised how prevalent they were here - usually associating them with Mumbai and Brazil





I had sat next to a returning Phillipino , david, who was coming home for a month to see his wife and two children he had not seen for 18 months. He works as a maintenance engineer on an oil field in canada and worked outside in temperatures of - 40 degrees. Makes our winter seem a little bit irrelevant really. And it did make me feel tha my trip was a bit of a folly.

I had to take a taxi to Olongapako bay, near to the Subic bay free-trade area - formerly a US Nava l Base. The streets of Manilla were crowded with traffic - despite the 6- lane carriageways throughout the city. It was noisy and dusty and dirty with rubbish, with the trycycles and Jeepneys scruffy and battered. ButI i was safely dropped at the coach station and immediatley caught the coach to olangapoko.

Jeepney in Olangapoko-

a much prettier and ckwaner ans well - kept neighbourhood than Manilla city. Clean streets and Jeepneys and tricycles were well looked after and painted and licensed. I wanted to take a tricycle to the yacht club, but the prot authrorities would not let them in - obviously too down market for the yachties and Four star hotel by the marina.




The Marina could be anywhere and after having been driven through some vey rough and impoverished areas, its wealth was in stark contrast to what I had seen. Do I feel guilty- possibly, but in this trans-global world, if those who have do not spend then those who have not have even less and less chance to progress ther lives.


After and hour and a half,I caught up with my skipper - Sam and his co-owner, Alan and their 9-strong crew. A very welcoming bunch they were too and made me feel very much at home - depite their talking chinese amongst themselves. I have a cabin to myself, being the only woman on board, and very comfy it is as well.


Once settled in we went off for a great meal on the town before setting the boat up for leaving the mooring and doing an overnight motor to Mindoro and Port Galeera to stay in a hotel for a few days and enjoy the diving and some of the sights.



I think I will stop here as this has taken so long I have nearly lost my power on the computer and want to get somEthing published.

Manila to Subic Bay

Heathrow to Sabang

Monday 5th April.
Managed to get to heathrow airport in plenty of time for browsing Duty Free shops after staying overnight in Heanthfield Lodge hotel - they picked me up from bus station in Heathrow and took me back again in morning. very comfy place for £28 per night and they will do the opposite trip on my return.

So good to feel unstressed when arriving in plenty of time for plane - stocked up on booze for boat and Rough Guide to Phillipines and China. So ended up with double cabin allowance but no-one worried.

I looked outside after my first film (100 to chose from!!) Think we flew over Russian Steppes (after 6 hours) any one recognise this:-

Sunrise April 6th






The food was edible and the wine was free and so I felt quite chilled for the 11 hour flight to Hong Kong

I was really excited about the prospect of flying into Hong Kong and as wee approached from the East we could see dozens of ships approaching and leaving the harbour way down below. Unfortunately as we came closer, the clouds and smog came in and so it was not quite the image I had of the place.

After about one hours wait in a very comfy coffee place in the transit area - blues-ay music soft lighitmg comfy chairs and escellent coffee,I boarded flight for Manilla. approaching this was alot more intersting than Hong Kong and we coud see quite aolt of scenery. I sat next to a phillipino who was returning t see his wife and family after 18 months working in Canada as a maintenance engineer on the oil fields - working outside in temperatures down to - 40 degrees. We think we have had it tough this winter. Made my trip rather a folly I think.

See next post as I am going to try a quicker way of putting this blog together!!

Easter Sunday - Preparing to leave

It is now 10 am and I have been up for 3 hours, everything is packed and I am ready to go.
Amazingly I checked in on line yesterday and so I do not have to get to the airport until 10 30 tomorrow.

So I am off to Heathrow tonight to save the rush and worry of trying to get from the Isle of Wight to Heathrow by ferry and bus tomorrow.