ADVENTURE CRUISING IN THE PIRATE ZONE

Liz Cleere and her partner Jamie Furlong sail Borneo’s notorious but beautiful north-east coast under military escort

- Liz Cleere

With rainforest, rivers, the world’s top dive spots, unique wildlife, and sea-gypsy communities, the island of Borneo is a fantastic place to explore by yacht. So why are its north-eastern waters devoid of cruising boats?

The only way to sail safely is with a military escort by the Eastern Sabah Security Command (ESSCOM). And the only way for that to happen is to join the last leg of the Sail Malaysia Passage to the East Rally. Coves, mangroves, shoals, creeks and reefs make it tricky for pursuit boats to patrol this area. For cruising boats, though, it is a dream destination.

In 2020, with Malaysia in lockdown and international borders shut, the rally was cancelled. No tourists and very little shipping for the past few months meant nature had been making an explosive comeback. We persuaded the rally organisers to run the final leg for just six crews who were marooned in Sabah and desperate to get sailing. With luck, we would have the water to ourselves.

INTO THE DANGER ZONE

The downside of sailing in any rally is that there is a schedule and you have to get to your next destination whatever the weather. It was a windless day when we left from Kota Kinabalu, but we had three days to cover the 100 or so miles to Kudat, where we had an appointment for an ESSCOM briefing on protocols for sailing in the pirate zone.

Some boats were happy to crank up their engines and steam ahead, but we took our time playing with the Code O and catching fish. Our first night at anchor was spent tucked inside a protected bay, sheltered from the South China Sea swell. While Jamie barbecued the albacore, we watched small boats ferrying families and workers home just before the evening rain hit.