Super Typhoon

[redbopeep]

Does anyone know anything more about this super typhoon Haiyans? The largest storm ever recorded in history? I really hope there are very few cruisers in the Philippines right now.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/...9A603Q20131108


Super Typhoon Haiyan: The Most Powerful Cyclone in History? - John Metcalfe - The Atlantic Cities

[mico]

I really hope there are very few cruisers in the Philippines right now.

We fly out tomorrow for Borneo and our Ketch Australis II. Guess where we were planning on going? - yep - up the West coast of Palawan, round the top and back down the East coast and return to our home base again at Kota Kinabalu.

Palawan is right in the path of the typhoon

At the moment we are trying to contact friends who were in Porta Princess on the East coast. We're hoping they headed south in a hurry or up north and around the top and back down the West Coast.

The west coast of Borneo from Kudat south is also getting hammered by strong northerlies so we're expecting a wet and windy welcome when we land.

Apparently the first deaths in the Philippines have just been reported and we hope and pray that everyone up there comes through ok but the damage is going to be pretty horrendous.

Fair winds,

Mico/Australis

[redbopeep]

Mico--your plans have surely changed?

[mico]

Our plans are pretty open, we'll wait till we get there and try and make contact with friends in Palawan and check out conditions after everything settles down.

There is a yacht rally leaving from Brunei and heading up the West coast of Palawan around the same time - so we'll check with them. but I'm imagining that the northerlies are going to continue for a fair while so we might just head South to Tiga, Labuan, Brunei and Kuching and when the southerlies return, head back north again.

Without an inner staysail (on the shopping list) Australis II does not sail all that well to windward so we may have to save the Palawan trip for next time.

Fair winds,

Mico/Australis