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It was nine days ago that we left Siquijor Island and crossed the Bohol Sea headed for Dapitan Bay on the north coast of Mindanao. Being only a 35 mile trip, we were able to do it all in daylight. We sailed on a broad reach in 15-knots of wind and only needed to fly the 120% headsail to obtain good boat speed. It was a pleasant and enjoyable six hour passage. With the exception of one ferry, traffic was nil. Joni Mitchell and Sarah Brightman entertained us on the stereo as Sand Dollar carried us south under a bright blue sky. X

We anchored in windy little Taguilon Bay, whose calm waters made for a pleasant change from the big swells of Lazi Bay. After putting the boat in order, we rowed toward shore in the late afternoon to check out a possible dinghy landing. At our approach, a crowd of at least forty adults and children gathered to call out an enthusiastic welcome, and we promised to come ashore the next morning. A short time later, enjoying our sundowners on the bow, we were repeatedly hailed by a squadron of children screaming “Hello!” at the top of their lungs, and waving madly. Our return greetings only heightened their frenzy, which went on for at least 45-minutes. We felt like rock stars! The next morning, a pre-dawn chorus of a hundred of the loudest roosters we’ve ever heard roused the rest of the animal populace, and the dogs and chickens began chiming in. The whole effect was that of a crowd at a football game. After daylight, when we climbed into the cockpit to have our coffee, the local kids started their routine again. X

We rowed in later to check out the tiny village. Locals called out friendly greetings, but there was nothing much to see or do, and we ended up hiring a motorbike driver to take us to Dapitan City, a few miles away. Many sections of the road, some pretty steep, are under construction, and with three of us on a 125 cc bike, the ride was pretty uncomfortable. Dapitan is small, but with plenty of Internet cafes and market stalls, it met more of our needs than Taguilon, so we decided to move Sand Dollar to Dapitan. X

The next morning we motored the thirty minutes to Dapitan Bay and anchored in twelve feet of water. Due to the gently sloping bottom at our new location, we had to anchor some distance from shore. We’d had a fresh breeze most of the time, which would have made rowing to the beach a challenge, so we broke out our tender’s sail rig. Speaking of which, you may remember that our tender is a Walker Bay 8’ long plastic dinghy. We bought her secondhand over ten years ago and she has served us well. We named her “Loose Change”, because, as boat expenses go, she was very affordable. Some of her highlights: unsinkable with built-in flotation, light weight, rows, sails, motors and tows very well. (Although she rides on Sand Dollar’s fore deck for passages.) We haven’t found the need to utilize an outboard motor and therefore, don’t have one. The exercise does us good! X

We sailed in to the sandy beach and strolled around to explore our new digs. We discovered a large and lively university, a beautiful cathedral built in 1871, and a supermarket with hard-to-find treats like olives. There are also several places selling lechon manok, excellent spit-roasted chicken, which would become a dinnertime favorite for us. Speaking of food, we continue to enjoy the abundant selection of inexpensive fresh fruits and vegetables. X

One afternoon we stopped at a minuscule bar for a cold beer, where the handful of other patrons greeted us warmly and cleared a table for us, while the hostess fetched us a beer and set up two fans to provide us with a breeze. They made us feel like family, and in no time we had made friends with the home boys, as well as with the hostess’s two small daughters, while the ubiquitous videoke blared away. X

This is the dry season here, and we had seen no rain in weeks. We had sufficient drinking water, but were out of wash water for showers, and had met a nice man who offered to let us get water from his property. When we showed up the next day with our jugs, the guy was nowhere to be seen, and his home was closed. We asked at the pretty new house next door if they knew where we could obtain water, and were invited in to get water from their faucet. With the hospitality and generosity typical of the Filipinos, the family gave us chairs, invited us inside, asked if we’d like some lunch, and offered to let us take showers in their home! (We declined all but the chairs.) They refused payment for our twenty gallons of water, and invited us to return if we need more. X

The climate in the Philippines has been excellent with temps in the low/mid 80’s, plenty of sunshine along with a breeze to keep things cool, humidity is comfortable, water temperature is comfortable, and beautiful sunsets thrown in too. X

Tomorrow we get underway for Port Bonbonon at the southeast tip of Negros Island. It is 30-miles north of us and we expect the wind to be forward of the beam this time, as we cross the Bohol Sea once again. X

Until next time. Ken and Katie

These posts come to you via Ham Radio’s voluntary Winlink radio network. www.winlink.org