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Annual Status Report- August 2018 to 2019 - Tawau Malaysia

August 2018-2019

Over the last year we have toured the countries of Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, India (Andaman Islands), Singapore, and Brunei.   We sailed a total of 8,360 nautical miles this past year.  We have recently sailed over the top of Borneo near the Southern Philippines piracy area with 24/7 military escort.   I am happy to report we made it safely to Tawau and are now out of harm’s way of kidnapping.

Southeast Asian waters contain more plastic and trash than you can imagine, it is heartbreaking to constantly see plastic trash in the ocean.   I signed up SV Illimite to participate in the University of Malaysia and SeaKeepers International ocean water study.  We collected samples throughout our sail route of 1,125 nautical miles of coastline in Malaysia. In total we collected 50 water samples. The Scientists at University of Malaysia now have our ocean samples and will be studying it to determine the amounts of micro plastic and its impact on the food chain, specifically how the plankton and zooplankton are impacted.  As far as accomplishments go, volunteering as citizen scientists for the study is the most impactful thing I have done while cruising.

We have spent a whole year in Southeast Asia and we have around 5 more months to go.  The heat has really gotten to me and I am looking forward to our new sail plans and cooling off, literally!  After Indonesia we will sail over the top of Papua New Guinea, heading east.   Then we will sail north through Micronesia, Guam, Saipan and Japan.   Every stop we make will be fantastic but I am looking forward to enjoying the lack of civilization and abundance of nature in Alaska when we sail there next summer. 


On this, my second year exploring the world, I have come to realize that Gary is the best partner one could ask for.  I am happy and blessed to be able to continue cruising with Gary.

Blue line completed route
Green line future route

* In case you are wondering about my medical issues: chronic ear infection, tooth infection and bitten by a giant 7 inch centipede in the jungle. 


Couples that dive together...stay together

Tun Sakaran Marine Park
Things aren't as picture perfect as you think, at this location the whole lagoon was full of floating plastic bottles and debris






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