International Superyacht Society Crew of the Year Award

I just recieved this email from my friend and founder of Yacht Aid Global, Mark Drewelow

Big news,,,, the International Superyacht Society has awarded all Captains and Crew that participate in YAG activity, the ISS crew of the year award. I will be in Florida on Oct 29 to accept the award on behalf of all Captain and Crew that participate.

We have been partnering with Mark and YAG with the yachts good will efforts as we travel from place to place. Mark and I collaborated on the hugely rewarding Komodo School Fence Project as well.

More from Mark Drewelow 30 October at 13:58
It is very late at night on Thursday, actually it is now Friday. I am back from the International Superyacht Society Awards Gala. This is an annual event where awards are presented for Design and Leadership. One of the awards is called the Distinguished Crew Award. YAG was awarded this on behalf of all the Captain and Crew out there that YAG.

There was a 3 minute introduction by Gary of Westrec with a series of YAG slides on two huge screens. I then went on stage to receive the award and say a few words. There were a few tears shed in the audiance. The combinate of the intro, slides and my jumbled words on stage apparently made a powerful impact. YAG stands alone in our industry.

Stay tuned for more information.
Best regards
Mark

I hope that by the ISS recognizing the handfull of yachts that are really making a goodwill effort as they travel, that more and more yacht crews and owners will become proactive in the communities they travel to.

Get involved at what ever level, whether it is contributing clothing or school supplies, cleaning a beach, volunteering at a school or hospital, teaching skills or building a fence it all takes so little time and effort and the reward for all involved is immeasurable.

As a boating community I feel that we generally "take" from the areas we cruise and do not necessarily leave a positive footprint. I believe in Karma as a Captain and I have seen and felt first hand the good coming back to us in direct proportion to the good we give.

I can only imagine what the reception and attitude towards cruisers would be like if the majority rather than just a few of us found a way to contribute in the areas we get so much from.

Tim

Komodo Island School Fence Completion Report

I. Project Description
School Fence Completion Report
Project Title Location Work Volum Source of Budget: Tim Forderer, C2C and Philip Palmer
Project Timeline: 3 ‐ 15 Sept 2009

II. Narative Description
Background.
There are a total of four villages inside Komodo National Park. Komodo Island has one village; Rinca Island has two villages named Rinca and Kerora; and Papagarang Island has one village. Komodo village is the most populated among the four villages. As of 2009 (August) a total of population of Komodo Village is 1368 residents. Although there is primary school in Komodo village since long time ago, but only 70 percent of children completed their six years of primary school. Less than 25 percent of those who finish primary school continue onto junior high school in Labuan Bajo or other town. However, since mid of 2008, a junior high school class has been started by using primary school buidling. Junior high school building is now under construction and need to build a ring fence.

The reason why need fencing.
The Junior high school building is located next to primary school building that has already been fenced. The two building are located in the area of Komodo National Park where the wild animal ; Komodo Dragon (Varanus komodoensis) run wild freely but tightly protected. Komodo Dragon is a dangerious predatory animal and can attack not only prey but also human. Thi is the basic reason why the school buildings should be fenced. The fence is intended to prevent komodo dragon entering from the school area with 89 student, so teaching and learning process can take place in a safety condition.

The fence building was already discussed with the vice headmaster together with Tim Forderer. They committed to commence the fence improvement after Ramadhan holiday. The bamboo fence has been successfully built by involving local people including youth organisation, teachers and also students. This fence is very useful to protect a number of 90 students and several teachers from dragon attack that can happen at any time and in any place. All materials for this fence were imported from Labuan Bajo, Flores Island using traditional boat. Some remaining materials (bamboos) will be used to improve and replace some part of the old fence behind the elementary school.

Renold Ch Manalu
Community Development and Outreach Manager
Gang Mesjid Kampung Cempa, Labuan Bajo, Manggarai Barat, Flores-NTT, 86554, Indonesia T: +62-385-41448, +62-385-41328 F : +62-385-41225 | M : +62-811-385-1696 rmanalu@putrinagakomodo.com | gokomodo.org | komodonationalpark.org
PT. Putri Naga Komodo is an enterprise partnership between The Nature Conservancy, the Global Environment Facility and the International Finance Corporation

North Cape Yacht Club Sailing School Benefit

I am super excited to be going back to Toledo Ohio over Thanksgiving this year. This is where my love and passion for sailing all started. It started with my Dad teaching me to sail in #100 Interlake (a 18 foot centerboard sailboat) off of my Grandfathers dock in Lost Peninsula on the Ottawa River.

Its always very, very special for me to go back to Toledo and see my friends here. This is the place that I have very strong personal connections to for many reasons, this is the place that I call home. When you only spend three weeks a year in the USA, I think the place you call home is a pretty "strong call."

Here is the information for the NCSS Benefit. If you are in or near Toledo over Thanksgiving weekend I would love to see you! Below is also a number for RSVP.

Thanks Leslie Hill and her "crew" for putting this all together - I am very grateful, humbled and EXCITED!

_____________________________________________________________________________

THANKSGIVING WEEKEND
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2009
THE North Cape SAILING SCHOOL PRESENTS:

TRAVELS AROUND THE WORLD WITH PROFESSIONAL SAILING CAPTAIN TIM FORDERER

FROM THE FOUR CORNERS OF THE EARTH TIM WILL PRESENT HIS SAILING AND GOODWILL TRAVELS DOING WHAT HE LOVES CIRCUMNAVIGATING THE WORLD ON THE 90 FT YACHT VIVID. SOME OF THE DESTINATIONS INCLUDE THAILAND, INDONESIA, NEW ZEALAND, AUSTRALIA, CUBA, PAPUA NEW GUINEA, GREENLAND AND MANY MORE.

JOIN US FOR DINNER AND A GREAT PROGRAM FEATURING:

Junior Program – 5:00 – 6:00
Dinner – 6:00 – 7:00
Presentation – 7:00 – 9:00
Menu – Clam Chowder, Crab Cakes, Bread, Salad, Dessert
Price - $12.00 adults (includes program)
Kids - $5.00 (Pizza included)
Program only no food - $5.00

Reservations for dinner are greatly appreciated. Contact Leslie Hill at 734.243.1222.

All proceeds benefit the North Cape Sailing School.

Arte Moris (Art Lives!)

Right now we are underway from Dili East Timor to Ambon Indonesia. Just about 150 nm to go. The coolest thing happened in Dili over the past three days.

First take a second and check out www.artemoris.org just read the quick history about the group.

So about Arte Moris, I stumbled on this place while out taking pictures in East Timor. The vivid colors of the wall murals and graffiti stood out boldly in an other wise colorless roadside.

As I walked to the entrance I had an immediate strong sense that I was entering someplace very special. At first I thought it was just another broken down and abandoned building complex. Quickly I realized that this was an artists sanctuary. This place was a safe haven, a place of peace and harmony, a place for freedom of expression and an incubator for creativity and personal growth. Every place I looked was art and young Timorese kids working on their creations. This was the first place that I walked in Timor where every one seemed chilled, happy and with moving with a sence of purpose. The positive energy and vibe that was generating from the people and this place was very strong and I could feel it.

If you have never been to Timor, this place is the worlds newest democratic and free country. It did not become this with out a heavy social impact. It took years of struggle and violence and that is not over. Timor is a place that is in general grossly impoverished, barb wire and high prison like fences around every building and home, UN Police and western military on constant patrol, homeless children, kids working in a dry river bed from sun up to sun down sifting stones for building material and earning $12 a truck load..thats about 4 usd a week. The real victims in all of this have been the Timorese youth.

Amidst all of this is Arte Moris a colorful sparkling vibrant gem. Basically a free art live in community for refugee children. Simply amazing...

I was emotionally moved and motivated with in 5 minutes at this place. I wandered around, soaking up the vibe letting my heart lead me. I knew I had to find a way to connect. I knew that my brother Chris would love this place and that sister Ann and brother Matt would as well with their deep Art involvement and passion.

At the back of the compound I met the young Timorese director Iliwatu and Charline. They could see my enthusiasm immediately as I was having trouble getting clear understandable sentences out. I had 30 questions all coming out of my mouth simotaniusly and squeezed in that endless stream of questions I kept muttering WOW! This Place is Amazing....


We spent about an hour together and I had some ideas taking shape. In this hour I learned a great deal about the history, the people involved, the strong life changing impact that Arte Morsi was having on the kids that come through. I learned of an international exhibit they did in Australia. I learned the far reaching benefits (to all involved) of their international exposure. I shared with them Ann's recent hugely successful project "Beyond the Borders" http://www.beyondtheborder-art.com/ I shared with them Matt's collaborative projects with the Paint Night Group. www.mattforderer.com

I went home that night buzzing and could barely sleep. I had an idea shaping and that was not going to let me rest.

The next morning I put my "smart" duds on and walked confidently up to the American Embassy. I walked up and handed the emotionless embassy security my passport and I said.."I would like to see the US Ambassador for Timor!". With a little finesse about 10 minutes later I was sitting in a comfortable room with the US Ambassadors' Public Relations Director. I shared my initial vision of getting a group of Arte Moris Artists and their works to the United States for a cultural, educational experience and a art exhibition in San Diego. I was met with open minded, support. The US Embassy knew very well of the group and was a fan. The embassy was also keen to show the American Public a positive Timorese image. I suggested the biggest help they could provide would be handling all of the Visa paperwork and in the air transport to and from for the artists and their exhibit. On the spot he offered an initial green light of support and a general commitment to modest financial support. Ok so now I am really buzzing.

I shot out to the Arte Moris compound and shared the news with them. I shared with them the vision of the USA opportunity, which was really the sum of their "wish list" from my conversation with them. It was a shared vison and it was becoming a reality. Understandably, they where cautiously enthusiastic, yet fully on board in concept.

The next piece of the puzzle was to get Ann on board. I had sent her a link to the Arte Moris website the night before to prime her mind. When I talked with Ann about the opportunity and to get her input, she was already 10 steps ahead of me in the project planning process, spitting out bullet points of what "Beyond the Borders" and she could do to make the effort a reality. Amazing such automatic synergy on this effort with each person approached. To me, a concrete sign that this is VERY WORTHWHILE effort!

The next day sitting on the front porch of the Arte Moris compound. People where coming and going, puppies barking and playing, in the adjoing room - a cartoon art class is being led by visiting American Cartoonist, Mike Loew, Charline, Iliwatu and I sit huddled around a cheap Nokia Cell phone set to speaker phone talking to Ann at home in San Diego California and talk for almost an hour.

The outcome; true shape and shared vision of the cooperative effort between East Timor's Arte Moris Art School and USA Beyond the Borders Art Fair. On the call the vision gained life and momentum, and specific next steps agreed to, to make this a reality.

The target date to have the Arte Moris Timorese group and exhibition in San Diego USA is the beginning of September 2010

We hung up the call with Ann, the three of us pushed back in our ratty rattan seats, sat silently for a minute and then all just started laughing with excitement of what had been created and given life to in 24 hours from the time that we met and I randamly stumbled upon and wandered the Arte Moris Compound shooting photos. So cooooool.

Pretty cool!

Komodo School Support Program

Below is great information from "Gooch" the Captain of SY Bristolian, about supporting the Komodo Village School.

One only needs to spend about 3 minutes in Komodo to realize how far any help from the outside goes...

KOMODO SCHOOL SUPPORT GROUP

Photo by Timothy Forderer

During “Bristolian’s” recent cruise to the island of Komodo in the Indonesian archipelago, we found a local school that could use some help. The remote location of the islands makes aid difficult and is easily overlooked. However the remoteness adds to the spectacular allure of a pristine cruising ground combined with the fascinating Komodo Dragons makes it a must for a Superyacht destination. This gives the visiting yachts an opportunity to lend a hand to the local school, there are limitless ways on how you can help the kids on Komodo. We have contacted The Rotary Club in Australia who looking to assisting by supplying English books for the school; Captain Timothy Forderer of “Vivid” has just been in Komodo building a fence for the school. You might not be handy with a hammer but you might have the contacts that can make a difference.

WHO IS THE KOMODO SUPPORT GROUP

- A network of people who have a desire to give the kids on Komodo better learning conditions and opportunities for their future.

- Anyone who wishes to join in no matter how large or small.

HOW TO ASSIST

- You can use your own ideas or sphere of influence to make a difference.

- Pass information on captains and crews sailing to Indonesia so they are aware of the “Komodo School Support Group”.

- Captains may wish to involve their Owners, guests and crews in their next cruise to the Komodo’s and deliver the supplies to the school themselves. It would be one of highlights of the cruise.

- Contact Cilian Budarlaigh at Indo Yacht Support, Bali cilian@indoyachtsupport.com for more information.

- Visit Yacht Aid Global’s web site www.yachtaidglobal.org and check if there are other schools in the region you are cruising that might also need a hand.

KEEPING IT SIMPLE

- When provisioning in Bali stock up on school supplies and fun things for the kids and delivered it to Komodo.

Links

- www.gokomodo.org

- www.yachtaidglobal.org

- www.timforderer.com and click on the "goodwill" picture on the left

- http://www.vote7.com/n7w/nature/finalists

“Komodo finalists on the New7Wonders of Nature currently under vote”

Thanks for your time.

Gooch
Captain S/Y Bristolian

Dragon Fence

I have had the great personal pleasure in the past two weeks to be involved with a very worthwhile project at Komodo Island Village

Below is a post by Mark Drewlow, Founder of Yacht Aid Global, describing the project.

www.yachtaidglobal.org You can also find and follow YAG on Face Book

September 16 - Dragon Fence Update
To members of YachtAid Global - a charitable organization

Mark Drewelow 17 September at 11:48


Imagine being a child. You wake up and start your daily routine. Clothes, food, out the door to school. School is fun. You are with friends and you get to learn new things every day.

Classes are in session and you need to use the restroom. You venture outside very very carefully. The buddy system is required, bring a friend in case there is a dragon attack one of you can go for help.



That has all changed. Tim as you know, is the Captain of the sailing yacht VIVID. During a school supply delivery several weeks ago Tim recognized the need for a fence that would alter the daily routine of the school kids. After careful planning and execution, Tim made it happen, he provided funding and man power, C2C and the Drewelow family provided funding too.



Nice to be part of such an interesting project.A simple project, and at the same time has a meaningful positive change in the routine of those kids. Imagine the stress level of a child always having to watch out for those pesty dragons. Now the kids can stay focused on being students, and enjoy their childhood a bit more with their friends.

Best regards to everyone and hoping you all can figure out some creative ways to get out there and YAG. Mark

Doing Good Deeds While Traveling

Guest Post by my friend Nila Tanzil

http:://www.nilatanzil.blogspot.com/

Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Doing Good Deeds While Travelling

In the past two and half months, I've been living in West Flores, Indonesia. If you remember my videos, titled "Flying with Manta Rays (Part I and Part II)", shot in Komodo Island, that's where I've been spending my days now. Not on Komodo Island itself, but in a small town called Labuan Bajo (it has an airport, so no worries, I still could travel around, if I wanted to!) :D

Staying in such a small city, which there's only one main road that goes around the whole city, is a new thing for me. After living in big cities -- Jakarta, Amsterdam and Singapore -- now I'm experiencing a lifestyle of a small town. There's no shopping mall, cinema, theatre, spa, bar, let a lone a night club. Suddenly my lifestyle changes in a blink eye. Usually, in Jakarta or Singapore, I meet up with my friends in a restaurant/cafe/bar that's located in a high rise building and/or spend hours in a shopping mall with full air-conditioned. But this time, I spend hours chilling in a simple local restaurant that ice cream is considered as a luxury thing. A big change, that is.

During my stay here, I've met so many interesting people. Different professions from different countries. From local fishermen, scuba-divers, backpackers, journalists, businessmen, lawyers, bankers to a famous French actor! Spending time with people with different characters is one of the things that entertain me every single day. I've learned a lot from people's experiences and always amused by the way their live their life.

However, there's one person that makes me ponder by what he does. He's a private yacht captain. Tim Forderer is his name. He's been sailing all over the world for more than 10 years, going from one beautiful place to another. Many people envy him, of course. But what makes me envy him the most iswhat he does whenever he visits a place. He's not only enjoying the beauty of the place, but also doing a good deed for the locals. What does he do?

Ok, here's the explanation. One day, he asked me to join him going to a local school in Labuan Bajo. He needed a translator as he was going to give a presentation for the students. I nodded. To cut the story short, he shared his life story in front of around 150 students and managed to make everyone enthusiastic. What's so special about this presentation?

He told the students to Do What You Love. By doing what we love, we would be more likely to succeed and "rich". Not necessarily rich in material, but most importantly rich at heart :). He asked the students to think: "What do you enjoy doing most? What do you love to do in your spare time? What are the things that you're really good at?". The answers might lead us to the ideal profession in the future. Basically he wanted to encourage these high school students to do what they love to do and inspire them to make it comes true.

He said, "When I was a kid, I always loved sailing. My Dad taught me how to sail. When I was 8 years old, I won a competition as the best junior sailor in all over United States". Students got excited. "Also, when I was in college, I worked hard and became a top college sailor". "Whoaaaa...", I heard them mumbling with amusement...

"In my spare time, I always go on the boat and sail. That's all I did when I was young. But.. suddenly.. all my dreams of sailing fell apart". What happened?

"I was 18 years old by then and my girlfriend got pregnant". Sometimes we have to make a decision, in which, is contrary to what we'd love to do. "I had to drop all my dreams of sailing the world, took the first job I could get and be a responsible father for my kid. Years gone by, I ended up working as a sales person in the same company for 13 years!"

"Then my Dad passed away. I loved him dearly". Apparently, the death of his father, made him realized that life is too short to be wasted by doing something that he didn't really enjoy. He realized that he always wanted to sail the world. So, after discussing it with his Mom and family and got support from them, he decided to pursue his sailing career and be a full time sailor! Until now.. he's been sailing to cool places, such as Galapagos, Maldives French Polynesia, etc etc... and he's enjoying every minute of it...

In the past two months, he decided to start giving something for the society. How? By giving presentation on Do What You Love and encourage the youth to reach their dreams, also by visiting schools in remote areas and giving some donations -- books, pens, medicine, etc. I accompanied him going to 2 schools in 2 different villages nearby Labuan Bajo, Flores. And I'm glad I did. I was so overwhelmed to see the facial expressions of the teachers whenreceiving the donations. They didn't expect the visit or the gifts! And the kids? Ohhh.. they're sooooo lovely! They greeted us as if we're big time celebrities! :D

The first school was SDK Roe at Roe Village. When we got there, the teachers were having a meeting with teachers from some other schools. We only talked a bit with the school headmaster, before being invited to have a cup of coffee and taro cake (it's a traditional cake from West Manggarai, Flores) in a cute corner with wooden bench and a stone table under a tree. So cute! What a lovely coffee break! At the far end of the yard, there's a cute pink house, very clean and neat. It's a house of the school headmaster. I wonder whether pink is her favorite color! Once I had a dream to have a pink house, but I dropped it down coz I thought it would be too tacky. Hihihi... but the house in front of me was definitely cute, it looked like a Barbie house with a lot of green plants in the terrace :). She definitely lives in her dream house, I thought. And I wonder whether her husband complaint at the first place, for the idea of living in a pink house! :)

We continued our trip to SDK Pusut at Pusut Village. We parked the car nearby the school. There were some students playing around in the school yard. As soon as we stepped our feet on the big open space school yard, hundreds of kids running toward our direction! Wowwww... "What's going on here?", I thought. Soon after, we were surrounded by hundreds of kids who were starring at us as if we're aliens coming from planet Mars. Some of them starred at us without blinking, some of them smiled, some of them were brave enough to greet us and said, "Hello...". We greeted back, "Hello... apakabar?" (apakabar = how are you). It was such an overwhelming feeling to be surrounded by hundreds of kids. I loved it.

The school was having a meeting with students' parents in a meeting hall. There was an Indonesian Catholic priest, who has been living in Australia for 8 years, sharing his experiences to the locals on his views of living in Australia - the good and sad stories, lessons learned, etc. Everyone, including students on the 6th grade, listened to him carefully. Sometimes they nodded, too. Captain Tim and I joined the session for a while, before taking a walk to the rice field. Surprisingly, when we returned from the rice field, a bunch of teachers had already gathered in a house and they invited us to have lunch together! Wow... so nice of them! They welcomed us and expressed how happy they were to have us there. So sweet, isn't it?

I felt like I was invited to a small feast. A table full of different local dishes looked very tempting to me. They also gave us a glass of local wine. "Drinking local wine in such a hot day? Maybe not", I thought. Apparently, serving local wine to guests is part of their culture. It's a symbol of respect. I tried a sip, but unfortunately didn't like the taste. It tasted a bit sour, pretty strong, with a bit of coconut flavour.

We had a good time chatting with the school headmaster and teachers there. I asked what was needed for the school. Computer and sports uniform for the school's sports team were on the top priority list. When we exchanged numbers, I asked the teachers, "Do you have email address?". They smiled and said, "That's the thing, Mbak Nila (mbak means sister). We have no computer here, let alone having internet access". I felt so stupid after asking that question. Shoot!!! Silly girl.

The visits to these schools made me ponder... We could help others who are in need anytime and anywhere. Even when we're travelling. We could spend a few hours of our trip to visit remote places and plant some good deeds. A small thing for us could mean the world for someone who needs it. Let's make the world a better place to live in...

I was so glad to witness that good people still exist. Thanks for sharing your wonderful experience with me, Captain Tim. And thank you for your efforts in making this world a better place for us to live in... :)

Three Little Birds, Beside My Doorstep...

Last year in Sorong Papua (Irian Jaya) I was asked by our local ship's agent, Whahid, to come and speak English at a local school. To be honest, I had a full-on morning ahead of me trying to depart Sorong for Borneo. With fueling, the grueling customs and immigration process and welcoming two security specialists aboard as crew for this passage I reluctantly agreed to go with her.


We sped off on her motor bike and soon in a cloud of dust, pulled up to the school. Instantly I knew this was going to be something special. Instantly all of my other distracting thoughts faded away.



In Sorong, there are very very few white visitors, so just because of my different looks, language and cultural background I stick out like a sore thumb and attract a unsettling amount of attention. A bit like what a celebrity must feel like when he or she goes out in public to a Starbucks for a coffee.


Crammed into the room and lined outside the classroom windows were more school children then I could count. It was a bit overwhelming, and this is coming from someone who spent the majority of his 10 year corporate life presenting in front of groups.



Wahid asked me to just speak English to the class. Ok, so now I have a hundred plus young students looking at me and waiting for me to speak English...


With Wahid translating I began to "speak English".


The first words that came out of my mouth were "when I was your age...." what followed was a shortened version of my life story. The message was, how at their age I discovered what I loved (sailing) and by pursuing that dream - I made it half way across the world to their classroom in Sorong.


As I told this story of my passion for sailing at an early age and "doing what you love", I could see a few of the kids really connecting with the message. . .


The children ended the session by singing me a song that they learned for me in English. This was very moving...


Wahid then asked the class if anyone had any last questions for me. From the back of the room a very small shy young girl stood up, raised her hand, and asked me in English "could you please sing us a song?"


Well I am the furthest thing from an American Idol contestant that you can imagine. I don't even sing in the shower, because I know my singing is that bad. And now I have all of these student chanting for me to sing...



No running here, no where to hide got to suck it up.....So here we go... What suddenly just appeared in my mind was Bob Marley's "Three Little Birds"



So I began with:


Rise up this mornin',

Smiled with the risin' sun,

Three little birds

Beside my doorstep

Singin' sweet songs....


and by the end of my frightful rendition of Bob's song the whole room was singing...


"Don't worry about a thing,

Cause every little thing,

gonna be all right..."


I got to tell you I walked out of that school yard on air.



This really got me thinking for the next several months. To make a long story short this day has turned out to be the conception of a new passion that I have, and that is spreading the message of "Doing What You Love" to school kids around the world.


In the past three days I have presented to about 300 students in Male Maldives. It was a very positive and well received experience.




I am currently recruiting mentors. People that are really Doing What They Love and are willing to accept and answer emails from students around the world about what they do and how they achieved that goal.


I am developing a Do What You Love Mentor website at the moment. It is in the very early stages of development:



http://www.dwylmentors.blogspot.com/


Tim

Hauling the Net - Sri Lanka

Copy and paste the link below to see a video clip of the Net Hauling in Galle, Sri Lanka. Be sure to have your volume on the chants are great!

http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/timforderer/HaulingTheNetSriLanka?feat=directlink#5322369126669150562

Phuket to Male with a pit stop in Sri Lanka

0500 6 April The lumen of Male Maldives is pulsing on the horizon. Van Morisson's "Enlightenment" is playing off the Ipod connected to the yachts stereo. Seeing the first signs of land after a long passage is always a very welcome and affirming sight.

Male is the capitol of the Maldives and the Maldives is an archipelago of about 1190 islands grouped in natural coral atolls. The Maldives straddle the equator and lie just outside the Indian Ocean Cyclone belt. The Indian Ocean has two seasons the North East Monsoon and the South West Monsoon. We are right on the cusp of the season change... On our Max Sea Electronic Chart Program I am looking at my latest downloaded GRIB weather forecast model. In about 5 days from now a strong low pressure system is set to develop just over the route that we have sailed and in its path the Monsoonal prevailing seasonal winds appear to change. What this means is that we just made it! If we waited another week to leave Thailand we would be pounding and beating into strong headwind's and seas to make our South Westerly target of Male. I love it when a plan comes together.

This trip is special for me as my brother Chris is aboard as our fourth crew member. Its been about ten or fifteen years since we have really spent any quality time together. The last time we sailed together was when Chris crewed for me delivering a boat from St. Thomas USVI, to Los Angeles California via the Panama Canal. So we have had a great trip bonding and learning to sail together again.

On this Indian Ocean passage have been treated to an small Owl landing on the boat for rest and shelter a pod of about ten 15 meter whales, several dolphin encounters and escorts, and our share of thunderstorms, squalls. This trip is 1600 miles and we pretty much had to motor sail the whole way as when we had wind it was light and dead behind us. Our range for motoring is 1400 miles.... so we needed a pit stop and Galle Sri Lanka was right on our rhumb line to Male.

Sri Lanka is an experience. The Galle harbor was attacked by Tamil Rebels in 2006 and then of course the kamikazi attacks in Columbo last month so they have a very heavy military guard up now. This is evident by the Gun Turrets and barricades to the harbor entrance.



We arrived at 1300 and by 1700 and refueled from a motorized cart with 5 barrels holding 1000 liters of fuel that was hand pumped into Vivid. An painfully tedious process to say the least. We had a few hours on the town to get the feel. Our Tuk Tuk (three wheeled taxi) Abdul shared very emotional stories of the Tsunami that hit here a few years ago. He spoke of how 2000 of the cities residents where killed that day including 7 of his personal family members. He took us to his house that is in shambles from the waters force and told us of how the United States military helped with the recovery effort. While at ground zero for the Tsunami landfal we where lucky to watch the local villagers hauling a net in. An amazing sight to see everyone pulling and chanting and anticipating the size of the days fishing effort.


0700 We are entering the Male harbor. On the port side is the city of Male. It is a compressed little city with as many high rises as Downtown Toledo, all compacted into one square mile. The huge Maldivian Flag flies high with the Gold Dome of the Cities main Mosk in the background. We anchor in the quarantine anchorage and await the immigration, customs, health and navy to come aboard and do the required checks and paper work authorizing our stay in the Maldives. We'll get to work on cleaning up and then get some rest tonight!

Thoughts on Long Passages

It has always been my passion and dream to sail full time - to somehow find a way to make a living doing what I love. I've found that if you do what you love, it does not seem like work, not to mention the huge personal satisfaction.

My first long haul was a Transpac Race, with my good friend Seth Radow. The Transpac race from LA to Hawaii is 2300 miles. We did this in a 40 foot boat. The race is basically a 10 day, full on, big wind, big wave, down wind spinnaker surfing adrenaline rush. Midway into this race, during a pitch black night, on the leading edge of a nasty squall, surfing down a wave, wheel vibrating in my hands, the keel humming, my eyes glued to the wind angle indicator, doing my best to sail deep but not crash, I was caught somewhere between I can't breathe; it's so intense, crapping my pants, and holy s**t this is frigging amazing. This was the point - I was hooked on blue water sailing.

Promptly, after arriving back in LA, I quit my suit and tie gig in the wireless service provider industry, which I had been landlocked in for ten years, and took the plunge into professional sailing.

In the next four years I would rack up seven crossings back and forth from California to Hawaii on 40 foot boats, a few Caribbean/Newport, Newport/Caribbean milk run's, and pick up my first USCG Captain's License.

9 years later, I have surpassed the 100,000 mile mark as Captain, sailed half way around the world, and recently received my MCA Masters 3000 GT Unlimited License.

In my fourth year now as Captain of SY VIVID, I have been extremely fortunate to be working for an extraordinary owner with a passion for sailing "off the beaten path."

During my interview for SY Vivid, the owner turned his high tech cell phone to me, displaying a photo he took from the airplane. It was a picture of the ice pack in Greenland. He looked me in the eyes and said...""Would you like to sail here?" I said, without hesitation...absolutely. My heart started pounding with the excitement of early explorers and my mind was moving at 100 miles per hour working the checklist of what I would need to do to prepare for this expedition style passage and cruise. A month later we were sailing past icebergs on our way to Disko Bay, Greenland.

Since then, we have sailed in off-the-beaten path places like Cuba, Galapagos, Tonga, Papua New Guinea, Raja Ampat, Borneo, Burma, and Andaman. In a few of these places it is true Magellan-style navigation, as many areas are unsurveyed or very poorly charted and GPS datum's are always off by about two-tenths of a mile. So yes, the paper charts, parallel rulers, dividers and hand held compass, depth sounder and eyeball navigation get used often.

The life style:
As a professional yacht captain, the toughest part of the job for me is being away from friends and family and the difficulty in maintaining a steady relationship.

Circumnavigation sailing to me is a complete commitment- a marriage to the lifestyle and the adventure and full acceptance of the rewards and the sacrifices. When I am in the middle of the ocean I want all of my energy and attention focused on the job at hand, not distracted by nagging thoughts of whether or not I should be there in the first place. Having said this, long passages are awesome for the person who is at peace with his own thoughts.

To keep in touch with friends and to attempt to share my experiences, I have created a Photo Journal at www.timforderer.com and have become addicted to Facebook.

I am very fortunate to have the support of my family and friends who know me the best. They know me; they know this is what I love and this is who I am, and I hope that even though I am not there physically - they know the value I place on my relationship with them.

I also am fortunate to have the support of the yacht owner to bring family aboard and cruise one week each year, to have a month off each year, and to bring along long-time sailing friends as delivery crew.

Psyche and Safety:

In grade school, I would stare at the clock, willing it to go faster because I was bored out of my mind and could not wait to get out and dinghy sail. On a long passage, watching the clock or the ETA calculation on the GPS will drive you crazy.

I remember the feeling of butterflies before the start of that first Transpac. In hindsight, the knots in my gut were very natural, caused by the unknown, the what lies ahead? How will I perform when the shit hits the fan? Will the boat and crew perform harmoniously? Will the water maker work? What will day seven of dehydrated food be like? ...

Today, long passages are routine. We do an owner's trip, and a week later we are sailing 1500 - 2500 miles to the next cruising destination. They are routine because of our routine.

The LD Passage routine begins with an obsession for safety, planning, and preparation. This includes:

- A Detailed Passage Plans including contingency plans.
- All required research on the destination and its pre-arrival requirements.
- The compilation of several sources for weather data, including professional weather routing. I have had a long and useful relationship with Commanders Weather.
- An extensive pre-departure checklist for all gear, rigging and systems.
- Crew briefings and debriefing.
- Solid standing orders, so that I can confidently sleep and know that I will be called if any issue in the standing orders arises.
- Absolute safety rules like; life jackets and harnesses after dark, no body goes forward unless they have a spotter and are clipped in, minimum CPA's of three miles...

I have 100% support from the owner and management company when it comes to my decisions on weather and safety of the crew and yacht. Meaning, there is no pressure for me to place schedule over safety.

The psyche today is all about getting the yacht and crew there safely, minimizing risk and enjoying the trip. I feel very strongly that the success of a long distance passage is in direct proportion to the preparation for the passage.

A huge part of my psyche that keeps me grounded and safe is an enormous respect for Mother Nature and the risks involved in Long Distance Passages. I do not confuse long passages being routine with over confidence, complacency, or easing up on the safety focus. I learn every time I do an LD passage. Only nine years into a professional sailing career, I am very humble and aware that I am just scratching the surface with all there is to learn about World Cruising and Long Distance Passages. I know that I will be challenged and I will learn every day and that is a huge part of the allure of long distance blue water sailing to me.

For me the private and personal sense of accomplishment after each of these long passages is as fresh and sincerely meaningful as the finish of the first Transpac when a beautiful Hawaiian girl, complete with Hula Skirt, placed a powerfully fragrant lei around my neck and gave me kiss on my salty cheek. Come to think of it, it would be nice to have that at the end of every Long Distance Passage!


The Crew

The chemistry among a Long Distance passage crew or race crew is absolutely critical. I can fix a generator that goes down in the middle of the Indian Ocean, but fixing a personality conflict amongst the crew is much more challenging. Nothing can undermine all of your preparation more quickly than a crew conflict or a crew member who is not "rowing in the same direction" as the rest of the crew. In normal life if you have a conflict, you can walk away from it. At sea when the closest land is 1000 miles away and the furthest you can get from the other person is 90 feet, the issue must be resolved.

Chances are you would not have this issue with a permanent crew; if it is a risk - take care of it before you go offshore...

Not everyone is cut out for long passages. I have a few horror stories of my first Hawaii to LA deliveries as Captain. Back then I did not have the budget to hire professionals, I would get willing "bodies" that would do the trip for the experience and a plane ticket.

The bottom line lesson learned for me was this, when the shit hits the fan, or on day 6 into a 15 day passage a person's true colors will be
revealed. Who they really are, will surface; do they have a solid personal character or do they have "demons" in the closet or a few screws loose.

On these trips, after several days, when a person's normal sleep pattern is turned upside down, their equilibrium is confused and trying to adjust to the constant motion of the boat, after a few challenging issues have arisen, after personalities of the crew have had a chance to gel or conflict....The true person is revealed. Good Chemistry is critical among all crew on a long passage...

Cancelling Stop in Sri Lanka

To be safe; to minimize the risk to the crew and yacht, we have decided to avoid Sri Lanka the same way we would sail around a potential hurricane.

Prior to the recent escalation and southward spread of the civil war in Sri Lanka, Galle was a safe option for us to stop on our route west, as the conflict was isolated completely in the north and the history of the conflict showed that it was localized.

Now, the recent events show that the conflict does not have borders. They are using air strikes with an air force...Kamikazie style. They could easily get to Galle, which by air would be about 15 minute away from Colombo. Columbo is a major shipping port for the country and could be a logical target if a Tamil goal is to hurt the infrastructure and close off access to the country.

"Error on the side of safety always; live to sail another day"

Here is the News Story:

02/21/2009 13:36
SRI LANKA
Tamil Tiger kamikaze aircraft shot down overnight while attacking Colombo
by Melani Manel Perera
The two Zlin-143's went down under anti-aircraft fire near the general headquarters of the Sri Lankan Air Force and the Katunayake air base. The crew on board the planes were killed, as well as two people in the spots where the planes fell. 56 people were injured. It is the ninth aerial attack by the Tamil rebels.


Colombo (AsiaNews) - Tamil Tigers attack Colombo from the sky, and anti-aircraft guns in the capital knock down the two planes. Last night, two Zlin-143's belonging to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) flew over the city in the southern part of the island, to carry out kamikaze attacks on strategic targets.

The two planes were Czech-made light civilian aircraft modified by the rebels to carry bombs. They were shot down while they were trying to carry out their suicide mission. The first was hit at 10:20 p.m. local time near the Inland Revenue Department, a building in front of the general headquarters of the Sri Lankan Air Force in the capital. The second fell under anti-aircraft fire at 10:45 p.m., near the air base of Katunayake. As a safety precaution, various parts of Colombo were put under blackout. In addition to the crews of the two Zlin-143's, two other people died after being hospitalized. Many have been injured: 50 at Inland Revenue, 6 in Katunayake.

It is the ninth aerial attack attempted by the Tamil rebels since 2007. Before this, the small squadron of LTTE planes had tried to strike a variety of targets, with varying results: Katunayake (March 26, 2007); Palali (April 24, 2007); Colombo (April 29, 2007); Anuradhapura (October 22, 2007); Welioya (April 26, 2008); Trincomalee (August 26, 2008); Vavunya (September 9, 2008). The most recent attack by the rebels was on last October 28: two planes struck the Thallady military camp in Mannar in northern Sri Lanka, and a power station in the suburbs of the capital.

The attack prevented by anti-aircraft fire comes as the government says that it has reduced the area in the north under the control of the LTTE to 103 square kilometers, and after the announcement of the destruction of six enemy aircraft discovered during military operations in Vanni.

"ya don't see this everyday!"

Wow, the Andaman Islands of India. Only 400 miles west of Thailand you feel as you are on the other side of the world from South East Asia and Indonesia. The guests aboard have had an amazing trip. We've seen an elephant walking down an amazing beach at sunset, swam with giant Manta Rays, Sailed by an active volcano then swam and dove at the base of the Volcano.

More to come. I am looking forward to editing and posting my photos.

Safety, Safety, Safety....

This happend a few days ago at our marina in Thailand. VERY, VERY SAD...



Unconfirmed reports suggest that a crewmember knocked the throttles of the yacht while putting a cover on the controls, causing the yacht to surge forward and snapping the bow mooring line, which in turn hit dockside spectators.

It is believed the yacht in question was the 50m Hakvoort MY JeMaSa, which was launched in 2006.



Here is the News Story as reported in the Australian.



A DARWIN teenager has lost her fight for life after a freak boating accident in Thailand.

The life-support system keeping 16-year-old Ali van Os alive was turned off last night, five days after she received massive head injuries when she was struck in the head by a snapped mooring line.

Ali, the daughter of author Joanne van Os and prominent Darwin barrister Lex Silvester, was in the north of Phuket island as part of a round-the-world sailing trip when the accident happened.

Passionate about yachts and the sea, Ali was at the Yacht Haven Marina, admiring a 50m super-yacht, when it is believed someone knocked the boat's throttles.

The boat surged forward, snapping a hawser and causing a 10cm-wide kevlar-composite rope to strike her across the face and head, throwing her into the air and on to the jetty.

Van Os and Mr Silvester rushed to their daughter's aid, joined by medical staff from other yachts at the jetty. They tried to control the heavy bleeding and to keep Ali breathing, before an ambulance arrived at the remote jetty about half an hour later.

Ali was taken to an emergency clinic at Thalang before being transferred to Bangkok Phuket Hospital.

Her mother, whose 2005 memoir Outback Heart told of her marriage to Rod Ansell, the man who inspired the character Crocodile Dundee, said she took solace in the thought her daughter's final moments were spent around the sea.

"We take some comfort -- a lot of comfort -- that she was doing something she loved and did the best at that moment, talking to someone and getting an invite on board a boat, making the opportunity to meet new people and make new friends ... something we all know Ali did better than anyone," she said.

Van Os said the US company that owned the superyacht had been supportive and a full inquiry was under way.

Friends of the gregarious teenager gathered for a farewell ceremony in Darwin last night. Her life support was turned off at 7.30pm (AEDT).

Message in a Bottle

I am knocked out of my chair reading the email below. I am reading this from the warmth of my hotel room overlooking the frigid, gale tossed English Channel. This email was sent from a tropical South Pacific Tongan beach area...

Hello,We have found your bottle on a beach in the north of Eua (Tonga) the 23rd December 2008 at 10.30 AM (local time). A long way...We hope that the champagne was good !Virginie & Fabien from France










This bottle and its contents where thrown to sea on 7 June 2007, at the half way point on passage from The Galapagos Islands to Nuka Hiva Marquesas (a 3000+ mile passage).



The bottle was found on 23 Dec 2008, it traveled 4,200 miles and was discovered 17 months after it was ceremonially jettisoned. Pretty darn COOL!

Burma and the Murgui Archipelago

Dec 30 2008 0430

My alarm goes off, 0430 is a rough one. We are anchored in a glass calm very protected inlet between Hastings and Barnell Island in the Murgui Archipelago. I pick up the anchor at 0500 while the guest and crew sleep. With no wind and glass calm conditions this is easy to do single handed. As the anchor lifts off the bottom the yacht slowly drifts towards the open water with the ebbing tide.

The early morning horizon is brightly lit with the lumen of a 100 squid boats. Above them is a thick blanket of stars including the Southern Cross. This is the first time that I have seen this majestically symbolic combination of stars since leaving the Southern Hemisphere a few months ago. It brings back many memories of the past year, and with the new year two days away, sparks the self reflection and goal setting inward thought process.

I slowly idle past the long tail fishing boats anchored along the sides of the inlet respecting thier last hour of sleep. Soon they will be up and buzzing around with the days chores at sea. We are on the way to Kawthong, Myanmar Burma to clear out of the country and make our way back to Phuket Thailand for the New Years Eve celebration off of Surin Beach.

I weave my way through the maze of squid boats as the carpet of stars overhead are slowly washed out by the first signs of daylight. I really love this time of day, it is very special to watch the night transition to day in a place like this. The rising sun over Burma highlights the rolling landscape, layers fog accentuate the horizon.

This is a country that is equally as beautiful and rich in resources as it is complex with corruption and gross human rights violations and oppression. You can learn more here: http://ethnicvoices.civiblog.org/

Cruising the Murgui Archipelago is really amazing. The Mergui Archipelago, is located in southernmost part of Myanmar (Burma), comprises over 800 beautiful islands. Due to its virtual isolation, the islands and surrounding seas are alive with an amazing diversity of flora & fauna and very beautiful underwater scenes and marine life. If I ever take a lap around the world in my own boat this is a place I would like to stay for several months.

The only human inhabitants in the area are sea gypsies, namely Salon in Myanmar. They live on boats during dry season and remain on land during rainy season. They still practice the same fishing and boat building techniques used for generation. http://www.mergui.org/

Burma Human Rights Violations

Reprinted from Reuters. This is an example of the human rights violations that are happening routinley in Burma. This happened last September and the Junta where not able to "contain" the story.

10/03/2007 11:33 AM
BURMA'S BRUTAL CRACKDOWN CONTINUES
'They Come at Night and Murder the Monks'
By our correspondents in Yangon

In Yangon the killing goes on. Opponents of the regime and monks are falling victim to the junta's special forces by night. Diplomats assume that several hundred people have already been killed. Now even China is putting the military under pressure.

Riot police and military personnel crack down on the protests in Yangon last week. There are reports of a brutal crackdown at night, with hundreds of people killed.
It is 9.15 p.m. on Tuesday evening in Yangon, the time of day when the stranglehold of fear settles across the city. The first heavily armed soldiers take position outside the few restaurants that still serve foreigners. Curfew starts at 10 p.m. After that, anyone who is still out on the streets is risking their lives.

"Take a bicycle to the street to grab a taxi," the manager of L'Opera, an Italian restaurant, yells into the kitchen. The foreigners, waiting in the courtyard, can't find any more rental cars. Someone dashes out to look for some kind of transport.

It is completely quiet for a moment in the car park. Then a young man emerges from the darkness. He was obviously waiting for a chance to be alone with foreigners. He is poorly clothed, but speaks English that is somewhat understandable. "Please don’t believe what the junta says," he whispers. "The repression is continuing every night. When there are no more witnesses, they drive through the suburbs at night and kill the people."

The young man wanted to tell his story quickly. He knew that he couldn’t let himself be caught doing so -- otherwise he could soon find himself in jail or dead. He comes from South Okalapa, a huge township east of Yangon, where there is hunger and misery. Most of the monks who demonstrated against the regime last week came from there. After the junta's troops finally crushed the unrest in the city center on Saturday, they took their brutal revenge in Okalapa on Sunday.

It was around midnight when the long convoy of military vehicles drove into the district. They contained police officers from the anti-insurgency unit and the so-called "Lome-Ten," a unit of gangsters and ex-convicts, who do the regime's dirty work.

They surrounded a monastery on Weiza Yandar Street. All the roughly 200 monks living there were forced to stand in a row and the security forces beat their heads against a brick wall. When they were all covered in blood and lay moaning on the ground, they were thrown into a truck and taken away. "We are crying for our monks," said the man, and then he was gone.

Four days have passed since the last shots were fired in central Yangon but normality has yet to return to Burma's largest city. Most shops remain closed today and the human rights violations continue. Horrifying rumors and news of further repressive measures continue to leak out.

These rumors are difficult to confirm as journalists are not allowed to work in the country. The few correspondents who are left in the country on tourist visas are being observed day and night. Secret service spies waylay them at their hotels. And even if the regime doesn't dare to execute another foreign journalist following the death of the Japanese photographer last week, it's still impossible to conduct normal reporting and research.

Every Burmese whose name appears in the international media has to fear for his life. Even foreigners living in the country are opting for silence, for fear of persecution. But the rumors and stories circulating in the city paint a horrible picture. It's clear that Yangon has done away with almost all of its monks.

In the huge monastery complex under the Shwedagon pagoda, only the red and saffron coloured robes of the holy men are left to blow in the wind. There are no traces of the several thousand monks and novices that once leant this place its unique and peaceful air.

A deadly silence has also settled into Yangon suburbs like Okalapa or Takada, where young monks from other provinces can normally come to learn to read and write at small religious institutions. But these have been shuttered, their entrances barricaded with iron doors and rubbish is piling up on the premises. The monasteries, temples, schools and orphanages in the surrounding area are empty.

"We are assuming that the number of victims among the monks and protesters last week goes well into the hundreds," says one diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity. Clearly security forces in both suburbs have engaged in major crackdowns. As the junta's henchmen tried to remove the monks on Sunday and early this week, residents of both districts resisted, and many of the demonstrators are believed to have been shot.

"Our students have gone back to their home villages for the time being," the abbot of one Okalapa monastery says. But that's only half true. Diplomats here have fairly reliable information that the junta has built at least three internment camps in recent days in Yangon, where it has placed opponents of the regime.

One is located near the old British horse race track, between Yangon's 50th and 51st streets. Another camp is located near the Mingala international airport. The worst conditions, though, are to be found on the grounds of the Yangon Institute of Technology.

In the north-western part of the former Burmese capital, very close to the notorious and overflowing Insein Prison, about 300 cells have been erected in recent days -- each measuring 3 meters by 3 meters (9.8 by 9.8 feet). Close to 800 monks have been imprisoned there. Sanitary conditions are atrocious and the monks are engaging in a hunger strike. Just as they did during their protests, the monks are refusing to accept any food handouts from the military. Meanwhile, the armed soldiers have stopped locals from trying to bring any food to the monks. And if the authorities don't provide international organizations with access to the camps soon, it will be a matter of time before there are further deaths.

But although the situation appears hopeless, the British ambassador -- of all people -- sees a first glimmer of hope in the chaotic situation. Mark Canning sits in his high security office with a view of Yangon port. He is a large man with a youthful face, and wears a white shirt but no jacket or tie. He is surely not a typical representative of the Foreign Office. Canning appears to regard finding a solution to the conflict in the country, which was once Great Britain's wealthiest colony in Southeast Asia but finds itself today in abject poverty, as his own personal mission.

Canning exploits his room for maneuver right up to the limits of what is possible for him as a diplomat. During the uprising, the ambassador constantly gave live interviews to the BBC about the situation in the country. "If the events achieved one thing, then it is the fact that the international community is now united in its condemnation of the regime," he says.
He repeats the word "revulsion" several times. It was the word used by the otherwise very reserved ASEAN, the community of the Southeast Asian states, to condemn its member country Burma over its crackdown on the uprising.

For that reason, Canning believes that the process of dialogue which the United Nations has initiated with the Burmese military regime could soon show its first results. After his arrival in Burma on the weekend, the UN special envoy for Burma Ibrahim Gambari met with opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who is under house arrest. Then he met Tuesday morning with junta leader Than Shwe in the new capital Naypyidaw.

Canning pins particular hope on the Chinese. The generals could not survive for long without the economic assistance of Burma's northern neighbor. "The Chinese have made it clear to Burma that they want stability and peace on their southern border," says Canning. Admittedly the Chinese aren't talking about democracy, Canning says, but perhaps they can help to establish dialogue between the military and Aung San Suu Kyi. That way, the hunger and misery in Southeast Asia's poorest country could be alleviated -- which is exactly what the demonstrating monks had been demanding from the junta.

Editor's Note: For security reasons we are not naming our correspondents in Burma