E43 – KALABAHI TO BLANG MERANG
Early morning start from Kalabahi.
We left Kalabahi about 5:30am on a flat calm sea planning to time the tide which flows very strong in the passage between the islands of Alor and Pulau Marisa (?). By timing the tides according to Navionics, we’d hit the passage right on slack water and then ride the change to the north. Of course, it didn’t work out that way and we seem to have ended up trying to fight the last 2 hours of the tide which was pumping at least 6 knots the wrong way. The first indication that I had got it wrong was when we hit severe whirlpools at the entrance to the bay leading up to Kalabahi. As we got into the passage proper, we found a severe wind against tide wave condition and it was calm that day! Had we been there on a day when there was strong winds and waves, I think that piece of water would be downright dangerous.
We finally broke free from the passage as the current eased and we exited to the north, rounding Pulau Marisa (?). After running the engine hard for hours to overcome it, I took advantage of a tiny breeze and we ghosted along towards our next destination on a crystal clear ocean over 1000+m deep.
Eventually though, with an almost non existent wind, and not wanting to spend the night at sea, we needed to get the motor running to make it into Blang Merang before sunset.
We found a perfect anchorage there, protected about 300 degrees by reef, mangroves and land.
