A definite bonus of traveling like Delos does is the freedom and flexibility you get. The ability to be spontaneous, to not be tied down, to just live in the moment is what makes this lifestyle so very special for us. We like to say that our plans are always written in the sand at low tide. This has been true on many occasions. We have flipped coins to choose which island group to visit. We once pulled up the hook and sailed two days because we heard there was a McDonald’s on another island (there wasn’t; it was a cruel joke). And most recently we wandered about the Philippines for 8 months because some Filipino Sailors introduced us to Red Horse Beer. And now, another change that only took a split second has altered our course once again.
We had been cruising the Kinabatangan River for about 8 days. Our plan was to continue along the coast of Borneo making day hops under the watchful eye of the Malaysian Navy and Police to avoid that nasty Abu Sayaf gang, those masked, machine gun happy bandits that are kidnapping tourists for ransom. Our destination was to be Tawau in NE Borneo and the world renowned dive destination of Sipidan. We were pumped and all the details for the convoy were set. We were just a few days sail from Sipidan and some amazing diving!
Then one morning we received a text and phone call from Karin’s mom. Karin’s grandma, who had lived an amazing life had unfortunately passed away. In the blink of an eye we went from planning our diving extravaganza to booking flights back to Sweden for the funeral. It was a no-brainer though. Karin wanted more than anything else in the world to say goodbye to her grandma, and to be there with her family when this time would come. They had been planning the funeral for a while, and had even looked at some cheap caskets that would allow them to cover the costs of the whole funeral. We’ve heard that the casket they’ve chosen is one of the most beautiful ones that they came across, and this is something that provides great comfort for us all. Of course, it’s so important to save money wherever you can when planning a funeral as they can be so expensive, especially if there is no burial insurance or even just life insurance.
Luckily, we think that Karin’s grandma did have life insurance, so that would help the family to cover the cost of the funeral. Without life insurance, funerals would be extremely difficult to cover financially. That should encourage more people to consider finding a good life insurance policy (click here to read some reviews). Anyway, we had to put our diving trip on hold for the foreseeable because we had to get back for the funeral, as well as brush up on some of the legal matters surrounding the issue. Probate law is complicated y’all, it’s why those experts out there (like https://rochesterlawcenter.com/practice-areas/probate-lawyer/ to name one example) have to undergo so much training to handle it all. In any case, instead of feasting on Mie Go Reng Ayam, we’ll enjoy delicious salmon and smoked reindeer. Instead of Tiger Beer, we’ll have Norrlands Guld. Snorkeling and diving will become walks in the forest. We also decided to throw in a trip to my family as well. Since we were half way around the world anyway, why not go another quarter way and visit America too?
So, we turned the bow of Delos West instead of East and followed our old course back to Kudat. Along the way we made another stop at the Turtle Islands, got chased away from some sort of Malaysian Navy Base, and spent a few days decompressing and working on Delos at our favorite beach anchorage. If you’re going to work on the boat for a few days why not do it in the most beautiful and peaceful place possible?
Delos will be moored safe and sound at Kudat for the next few months. We’re hard at work getting her ship-shape, awaiting our return and another epic year of sailing when we get back! In the mean time we’re going to take full advantage of our time “land cruising” and working on lot’s of videos to upload while we have super fast and unlimited internet!
Night Time Turtle Action- Turtle Islands.
Getting kicked out of your anchorage by dudes armed with assault rifles isn’t that great!
Delos sailing from the drone!
The well protected harbor in Kudat.
Repairing our malfunctioning power inverter.
End of the season dive gear maintenance.
End of the season sail repair!
Delos in her new home in Kudat.