So Much Has Happened...

So much has happened since the last entry, that I will break this post down into categories...

Balikcil Family... Diving... and Everything Else thats happened.

Balikcil Family...

Our friends who lost their rudder coming over from Australia were rescued by 

Daryl - Vimy and crew, Frank - Nogal and crew and Fiddler VI and crew,

this was achieved in awful conditions of over 50 knots, 

with them being safely brought into Debut (as mentioned in my last post).

This was to be the beginning of a journey that took us just under 900nm with Balikcil

along with Vimy, Nogal and Auntie to get Balikcil to a port 

where they could have their new rudder sent from France.  

Due to us being in such remote areas, this would end up being 

Lebuan Bejo (near Komodo National Park).

The trip meant that we did not ever allow Balikcil out of visual sight,

Richard diving to recover their bowprod in over 30 metres of water,

diving to release them from rope from a fishing net,

going onboard with Mustafa for a 2 day trip to help get the steering organised and Elif coming sailing with me overnight on Our Rose.

Along with this, we also had a lot of fun with what we now fondly call the "Balikcil Family"

Elif & Mustafa - Balikcil, Daryl & John - Vimy, Frank, Marilia, Julia & Sophia - Nogal & Eve Auntie

Elif with me on the overnighter

As we arrive Lebuan Bajo with the drogues behind Balikcil

Finally the rudder installation...

  

Julia and Sophia did a beautiful job of decorating the Rudder Party cake I made...

Elif and Mustafa - so happy at the Rudder Party

The Diving

While waiting for the rudder, and after installation it was time for some serious diving - being in the Komodo area - one of the top 5 dive areas in the world...

John helped us fill I dont know how many bottles over the time

Julia and Sophias first dive off Our Rose once being certified - awesome!

my one and only dive - hurting my ears...
so I became the "dive boat" taking everyone to the dive site, dropping off and collecting on Our Rose

Frank is right into his underwater photography

\

The Manta Rays are amazing...

This guy hiding under a rock

Getting ready to go diving...

The Divers...

Evertything Else That Happened...

 End of July and that time comes around again very quickly - my birthday...

I was serenaded awake by Eve, Daryl and John (Auntie and Vimy)

and greeted with a "wicked" wake up cocktail

Brought over this lovely happy birthday from Julia, Sophia and Marila - Nogal

I then cooked all day, making NZ Lamb Racks, Pavlova and other lovely food to enjoy with

Vimy, Nogal, Balikcil and Auntie for my birthday...

(sadly the photos of everyone were blurred - nothing to do with birthday cheer hahaha)

Most of our days when at anchor, we are woken with the call to prayer...

Muslim is a strong religion here in Indonesia, along with Catholic.

Banda, the original spice islands, we went on a lovely tour of the spice island

seeing these gorgeous children getting the water for their homes from the well

Nutmeg

Taka Oa, Waka Nui, Auntie, Balikcil, Our Rose and Nogal on tour...

Of course we had to do a cooking course

and this is what was made... YUM

At Hoga Island - a very very deep anchorage, we sheared the pin on our windlass

So, our friends all came over, a temporary fixit was a success

until Franks nephew arrived from America with our replacement part...

Balikcil, Nogal, Vimy and Our Rose working on it

While at Hoga Island, Julia and Sophia wanted to help "clean up"

the awful amount of rubbish on the beach - 

so enlisted us all for a clean up morning

The clean up team

We have had such beautiful scenery, people and sunsets...

and so much fun...

on Our Rose

Harvey from Waka Nui was awesome!

the crowd over at Our Rose, heading off snorkling

The four Muskateers...

  

I have had a lot of fun with Julia and Sophia cooking,

making Bread, Bread Rolls and Cinnamon Rolls...

cutting the Cinnamon Rolls before the final rise

icing them to finish

and icecream

and finishing the "Thank You" cake for Anton 

(dive guru Frank - Nogal organised to live aboard for 2 weeks while in Komodo)

Working on the cake

Finished...

not to mention the Balikcil Cake!

Of course Komodo would not be Komodo without mentioning the Dragons...