Passage from El Nido to Puerto Princesa

Day hopping from El Nido on the west coast of Palawan to Puerto Princesa on the east coast took us five days, four nights and some tricky manoeuvring through extensive pearl farms.

Day one of the passage took us took us over the top of the island, passing through a channel with sketchy charting. Our approach took us close to a group of anchored fishing boats, the large ones, who unexpectedly broke ranks as we were passing. They either hadn't seen us, or expected us to take the avoiding action which is what we did. Never pick a fight with someone bigger and surrounded by his friends in a foreign country.

To add safe navigation through the pass we used Google maps to track our position in relation to the light blue shallows and I went forward with the binoculars to 'mark I' eyeball the route. No problems with plenty of depth under the keel. That night we stopped in the lee of Binulbulan island with crystal clear water.

All the way along this part of the coast are pearl farms, acres of a line of 10 to 15 buoys linked on the surface with rope and tethered to the seabed at either end. Row upon row of them. Where there was no clear route around, perhaps because the buoys extended into shallow areas we were forced to find the path through. In some cases the clear route was indicated by a series of white triangular marks with lights atop.

The most difficult area was the Dumaguete pass. Our charts indicated the logical deep water route between the main island and Dumaguete island but looking at the buoys of the pearl farm (which stretched to the horizon) the spaces lined up with the reefs and shallows.

Like going through a minefield we tip toed through with great caution. David was on helm and two way radio. His task to steer us without took keel to coral. I was standing in the bow with binoculars and my radio set. These are the things sold under the title Marriage Savers; a set of headphones with microphone, no buttons to press enabling us to talk and listen to each other. I don't have to turn around and face the cockpit to shout directions and David doesn't have to strain to hear over the noise of the engine or wind. Makes for a much calmer exchange of information.

Back in the minefield we were working our way south helped by the arrangement of the ropes of lines running north to south too. There was one scary moment when I only spotted a free floating length of rope just under the surface. I asked David to stop the propeller and an anxious time as we ran over it. Fortunately it was deflected by the keel, slipped under the skeg and popped behind the stern. A line around the prop is not a happy proposition.

reef island

An hour later and we were through without further incident. Looking back at them I thought I made out what was the shipping channel following close to the coast. Shame we didn't spot that as we were approaching.

The rest of the trip was without incident and indeed there weren't are more pearl farms south of Dumaguete to bother us.

For two nights we anchored off pretty Reef island and visited the resort ashore. It offers diving to their guests but didn't offer us permission to dive the reef without paying for one of their guides.