Current Position: 12 14.324’S 122 58.918’E; Local Timezone: UTC+8 SOG: 0 kt; COG: 0; TWS: 8 kt; TWD: 123; Distance to Waypoint (Ashmore Reef): At Anchor; Total Miles Sailed: 10003 nm; Engine Hours: 236; Estimate Fuel: 55+10+50;
Comments: I was visited by an ABF RIB about 14:00 and I was contacted by an ABF aircraft at 19:00 with the usual questions. I have been watching the tide go out for the past several hours, exposing the various sandbars. Birds occupy the sandbars once they are exposed, no doubt looking for something to eat. Sunset was at 17:47. I have come to learn that the ABF vessel that is stationed here is called the ABFC Thaiyak. It left at 11:00, presumably to do a patrol like it did on Tuesday. I have noted that the waves are always particularly big around high tide, which is not surprising of course because the barrier reef is less effective. The boat was still bouncing around too much to work in the prop. Near low/slack tide, about 14:30, the waves had calmed down and I dove on the prop. There was still a fairly strong current there were indeed barnacles interfering with the prop. I scrapped them off and the prop now freely feathers. Since I was already wet, I decided to take another trip to West Island. I brought my diving gear and the anchor for the dinghy this time. I went into the shallow water slowly to try not to scare off any marine life. I saw a huge ray. Not sure what species, but it moved very fast. I discovered a shipwreck, only a skeleton now, but complete with an engine that was little more than a block of iron. When I returned to the dinghy, the tide had gone even further out than the first time I was at the island. I had to drag the dinghy over sand about 300’ and then over shallow water for a quarter of a mile. Sunset was at 17:44. The ABF ship still has not returned.
Comments: I was visited by an ABF RIB about 14:00 and I was contacted by an ABF aircraft at 19:00 with the usual questions. I have been watching the tide go out for the past several hours, exposing the various sandbars. Birds occupy the sandbars once they are exposed, no doubt looking for something to eat. Sunset was at 17:47. I have come to learn that the ABF vessel that is stationed here is called the ABFC Thaiyak. It left at 11:00, presumably to do a patrol like it did on Tuesday. I have noted that the waves are always particularly big around high tide, which is not surprising of course because the barrier reef is less effective. The boat was still bouncing around too much to work in the prop. Near low/slack tide, about 14:30, the waves had calmed down and I dove on the prop. There was still a fairly strong current there were indeed barnacles interfering with the prop. I scrapped them off and the prop now freely feathers. Since I was already wet, I decided to take another trip to West Island. I brought my diving gear and the anchor for the dinghy this time. I went into the shallow water slowly to try not to scare off any marine life. I saw a huge ray. Not sure what species, but it moved very fast. I discovered a shipwreck, only a skeleton now, but complete with an engine that was little more than a block of iron. When I returned to the dinghy, the tide had gone even further out than the first time I was at the island. I had to drag the dinghy over sand about 300’ and then over shallow water for a quarter of a mile. Sunset was at 17:44. The ABF ship still has not returned.