We sailed to the island of Bohol to visit Doug and Ging, friends of ours who live there. It was only 140 NM (252 km) but we had the strong winds, waves and current against us. We had to motor the whole way and sometimes we wondered if it was not better to have a motor boat instead since we haven’t really been using the sails in a long time now. 😜

When we were closer to the island of Bohol there was more traffic so we took turns watching. In the Atlantic and the Pacific Ocean our experience was that if we were on a collision course with a large boat, the other boat would change its course slightly to pass behind us. But here, some boats have a strange habit of crossing just a few meters right in front of your boat instead of passing you at the back. So, you really have to be alert.

At about midnight the coast guard approached us and asked what our intentions were, who we were, where we came from, etc. the usual questions. When everything was okay and after they left the Philippine Navy approached us 10 minutes later and asked us exactly the same questions. Of course we didn’t get much sleep that night but at least we felt a bit safe knowing that they were patrolling the area.

Doug and Ging arranged a berth for us at a privately owned marina. It was wonderful to be welcomed in the Philippines by friends. They invited us to stay in their home for a few days which we happily accepted. It was a great feeling to finally sleep on a normal bed that was not moving and to take a nice, long shower. We just relaxed, went stand up paddling, had a massage, ate good food and enjoyed the company of good friends. One day Doug and Ging surprised us with a welcome cake trimmed with a sailboat and anchor which they had specially made for us. It was very sweet of them and we were really touched.

We would have wanted to stay longer but we were also eager to head to our final destination Subic and to see my family. Thank you again Doug and Ging for your hospitality and a wonderful time and hope to see you again soon.