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Hong Kong to Borneo 2025
  • Bruce Gresham
May – Jun 2025

Hong Kong to Borneo 2025

Delivery of an HH 52 Catamaran HOLD ON from Hong Kong to Kota Kinabalu in Malayaisa on the Island of Borneo. June 2025 Read more
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  • Trip start
    May 16, 2025
    Bruce GreshamHong Kong to Borneo 2025Bruce Gresham

    1,200 miles through the South China Sea

    May 16 in China ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    A 1,200 mile sailing journey through the South China Sea.
    Joe and Terrie Markee’s HH 52 carbon fiber catamaran is being built in Xiamen, China (near Taiwan)
    I am part of a crew that will participate in the sea trails of this brand new boat in Hong Kong. Then we will deliver the boat to Kota Kinabalu in Malaysia, on the island of Borneo. We gave to go a fast a possible to get out of the Typhoon season is starting and we have to get south , from 22 to 7 degrees Latitude before the insurance will over wind damage. In Its is like traveling from Puerta Vallarta, Mexico to Panama.
    This boat is leading edge. A “gun boat” racey catamaran with the latest technology.
    Boat has parallel diesel/electric hybrid, a large solar array on the cabin top and hydro-regeneration while sailing
    available in a 50/50 e-glass/carbon “Ocean Cruising” version or a 100% carbon-fiber “Sports Cruising” version
    DESIGNED BY Morrelli & Melvin
    Specifications
    Dimensions
    Length Overall:55.94ft
    Length on Deck:51.84ft
    Max Draft:11.94ft
    Beam:24.41ft
    Length at Waterline:49.57ft
    Mainsail. 1,100 sq ft
    Solent jib 683 sq ft
    Self-tacking jib 429 sq ft

    Weights
    Dry Weight: 25,,000 lbs

    2- 50hp Beta diesel/ Hybrid engines
    Solar Array 4,600 watts of custom shaped solar    Read more

  • Bruce GreshamHong Kong to Borneo 2025Bruce Gresham

    Hong Kong, Monsoon & Delays

    May 29 in Hong Kong ⋅ 🌧 25 °C

    Welcome to Hong Kong. Tall buildings everywhere. The boat was rafted on a barge in the Typhoon Protected harbor or Kawloon. Its a working area of Hong Kong. Took a few days to recover from the 14-hour flight.

    Today we learned the container of all the gear for the boat is stuck in customs We had one coffee mug and chopsticks we grabbed from the restaurant.
    All the towels, plates, starlink, coffee mugs. Will delay us leaving by a few days
    Bummer -just Roll with it baby

    Monsoon season started the day we arrived . Rain for three days. June is one of the wettest months, with high temperatures and high humidity, often experiencing heavy rainfall (up to 394mm 15 inches)

    Here is the library of manuals 120 different systems. This is an electronic space ship

    The all electric, carbon jet boat dinghy quit working Three of us worked most of the afternoon to get working ...Without success
    .
    Today's plan is to finish Sea trials and fly all the Sails . It's windy and no rain yet. I have been busy 10 hours a day    Read more

  • Bruce GreshamHong Kong to Borneo 2025Bruce Gresham
    11

    Sea trials...Learning the boat underway

    May 31 in Hong Kong ⋅ 🌨 25 °C

    Sea trails day. 25 knots of wind, lumpy seas and monsoon rains. Our goals is to learn how the reefing system works and how to hoist some of the different jibs. Just walking around the boat in 25 knots also took practice.

    The unique feature is the forward cockpit that is located at the base of the mast. This nerve center of the sails has 13 jammers we have to learn. The main sail reef points has its titanium lock system.

    The light, stiff boat easily reached speeds of 12-13 knots on a reach. Very impressive.

    There is a quick-release system for the mainsail. From inside the boat, you can dump the main to avoid flipping the boat over. We returned to the harbor with more items on the to-do list.    Read more

  • Bruce GreshamHong Kong to Borneo 2025Bruce Gresham

    Details Details. Starlink, Rigging......

    June 2 in Hong Kong ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C

    I am sure you can imagine all the details required to prepare a brand-new boat for a 1,200-mile journey.

    The container was released from customs. We loaded all the stuff Terrie and Joe have been collecting for a 1 1/2 years. Here I am adding the Starlink Anntenna. However Starlink is disabled in Hong Kong. So we can't really test it until we set sail. :-(

    The rigging shop is on the Barge right next to us. Its run by some Etchells friend of Steve. We needed some longer halyards. We also needed some spare lines. He said dig through that pile and take what you want.

    No rain today so I can see the city of Hong Kong for the first time. Wow.    Read more

  • Bruce GreshamHong Kong to Borneo 2025Bruce Gresham
    111

    Safety at Sea

    June 4 in Hong Kong ⋅ 🌧 26 °C

    "“One Hand for the Boat, One for Yourself”

    Safe boating doesn’t happen by accident—especially offshore. Experienced sailors spend a lot of time thinking, planning, and preparing for safety at sea.

    Here are a few photos of the essential safety equipment onboard.
    • The life raft
    • Man overboard recovery systems
    • My personal life preserver with an integrated harness

    Staying safe offshore comes down to a few key principles:
    • Always keep an eye on the weather
    • Use good judgment
    • Stay calm under pressure    Read more

  • Bruce GreshamHong Kong to Borneo 2025Bruce Gresham
    Video taken by Tom, who owned the barge we were on.Doors to keep us from sliding out. Made of expoy foam. Super light weight.112

    On our way !

    June 5 in Hong Kong ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    Great news We are finally underway!! All issues fixed. We left Hong Kong at 10:30 am local time on Thursday. Overcast, 16 knots of wind on the port beam. We are beam reaching, heading south, and easily doing 9-12 knots. This big catamaran is fast

    This is a very busy shipping lane. A lot of container ships and fishing boats to watch for.

    It's a pleasant kind of warm. Water and air temp over 80 degrees I and wearing a bathing suit all day.

    Transition to the watch system
    It takes a few days to get your body to transition to the watch systems On this boat the skipper chose 4 on 6 off. There is not a lot of down time. We were working and and sailing and eating and sleeping. Rough weather made is impossible for sleep in the forward bunk. Our off watch sleep was where ever we could find a bunk in the cockpit coushions…
    The heat ment you were sweating while sleeping. But we had to get south out of the typhoon zone.
    Stand up whenever possible walked ¾ mile per day
    I got an apple watch. It was the best. It made me stand up more. And measured that I walked ¾ mile some days.    Read more

  • Bruce GreshamHong Kong to Borneo 2025Bruce Gresham

    The ocean turned blue

    June 6, South China Sea ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C

    200 miles south of Homg Kong, the South China Sea suddenly turns a dark blue…a brilliant dark blue. The ocean depth goes from 75 meters to 500+ meters. its also very salty. The choppy wind waves dissipate in the deep water swell dominates the view.. It's a very peaceful place.

    There is no wind and we are motoring. Our course is to the right (west) of the rhumb line. The forecast is for heavy winds from the southwest tomorrow.

    I jumped in the water to clear a fishing line from the prop. The water and air temperature are now 90 degrees. The entire crew jumped in to cool off.

    Fishing net. 1 hour 4 people. 90 degree water.
    One sweltering no wind afternoon the crew jumped in for a swim in the azure blue water. The 90 degree water was a slight relief Just as we were starting to get out Steve discovered a fishing net wrapped around the port daggerboard. It took all 5 of us about an hour to pulling and pulling and winching and lifting the board up and down to get the net off. Two in the water and two on deck. I am not surprised this happened…considering how many fishing boats we passed.    Read more

  • Bruce GreshamHong Kong to Borneo 2025Bruce Gresham

    Navigating the South China Sea

    June 7, South China Sea ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    An estimated 30% of global maritime trade passes through the South China Sea, making it one of the most important and strategic waterways in the world.
    Its interesting to look at all the shipping that goes on around the world. Through the wonder of AIS* you can follow our position on the Marine Traffic website. Our boat is called Hold On.

    https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/details/sh…;

    *AIS, short for Automatic Identification System, is a safety-at-sea (Collison Avoidance) system used in maritime navigation.

    The South China Sea is home to hundreds of islands, atolls, reefs, rocks, and shoals—many of which are tiny, submerged, or barely above water at high tide. There’s no single universally agreed-upon number.

    The South China Sea accounts for approximately 12% of the global fish catch, making it one of the richest fishing grounds on Earth.    Read more

  • Bruce GreshamHong Kong to Borneo 2025Bruce Gresham
    11

    Passing the Chinese Outpost

    June 8, South China Sea ⋅ 🌧 27 °C

    We spent most of the day getting past the disputed Parcel Islands... which is where the Chinese outpost
    I have to admit it was a little nerve-racking for the entire crew going near Woody Island. We didn't know what to expect. We got to the channel that separates the islands for a huge atoll . We discovered a major shipping lane. We got in line with all the tankers and container. About 10 ships pass us every hour.

    We have another day of sailing up with until we hit the big winds off of what used to be South Vietnam
    The winds should take us on a reach across to Malaysia.

    Bathing suit and T-shirt all day and night. Water temperature is 31°C (if you do the math its about 90 F )

    The catamaran is a delight to sail with narrow hulls and a powerful sail plan. Everything is soft shackles.
    The crew is in good spirits

    ⸻

    📍 1. China’s Buildup of Artificial Islands & Military Bases
    • Since around 2014, China has reclaimed and militarized reefs and shoals— particularly in the Spratly and Paracel Islands—adding airfields, radars, missile systems, and even facilities capable of receiving bombers .
    • The Pentagon has identified dozens of such outposts, including runways and support infrastructure.    Read more

  • Bruce GreshamHong Kong to Borneo 2025Bruce Gresham
    1

    Reef Early“ …a sailors addage

    June 10, South China Sea ⋅ 🌧 28 °C

    Reef Early“
    …a sailors addage

    The Third Reef is in the main.
    The staysail is eased. We are in the what they call the ”southwest monsoon winds” which blow all summer. We are sailing slowly so not to bash the build in waves. Photos can't capture how wild an beautiful the ocean is now
    Love to all

    Trivia.….
    In a hard blow, a square rigger captain might say to the first mate during a gale or heavy weather:⸻
    “Mr. Thompson, shorten sail at once—take in the royals and topgallants! Reef the topsails and strike the courses if need be. I’ll not have her laboring like this. Double lash the guns and secure the deck cargo. We ride this out in good order, or not at all!    Read more

  • Bruce GreshamHong Kong to Borneo 2025Bruce Gresham
    1

    Hauling the Mail

    June 11, South China Sea ⋅ 🌬 28 °C

    (Hauling the Mail means you are going fast carrying precious cargo, like mail.)

    30knots of wind on a broad reach boat speeds 10 to 12 knots. Wind from the southwest and we are heading southeast.

    This is what this big cataran was designed for. I wish we could “beam you aboard” for a few hours to enjoy lovely point of sail.

    “The new lady lit up—spray flying, hull humming—we were hauling the mail, wind abeam and sails straining like thoroughbreds at the gate.”    Read more

  • Bruce GreshamHong Kong to Borneo 2025Bruce Gresham

    Sailing into Strange Harbors

    June 12, South China Sea ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C

    Even with cool, high-tech gear on our boat to help us find our way, it’s still tricky to pick the best path to where we want to go.

    The wind and ocean currents have pushed us off course, farther north than we planned. There are big oil platforms and tiny islands nearby, so we have to be really careful.

    There’s a chance we won’t reach land before the sun goes down—and you NEVER want to sail into a new harbor at night! It’s too risky because you can’t see what’s around you. If that happens, we’ll slow way down and wait until morning to go in safely.

    Right now, we’re sailing fast! We have the main sail all the way up and a big jib sail too. We’re sailing close to the wind in 12 knots of breeze, and our boat is zooming along at 8 to 9 knots!    Read more

  • Bruce GreshamHong Kong to Borneo 2025Bruce Gresham

    Land Ho!

    June 13 in Malaysia ⋅ ☁️ 32 °C

    We spotted a palm tree just floating out in the sea. Then some birds showed up. Then came a shout from the lookout:
    “Land Ho! Two points off the starboard bow, Captain!”

    That land was Mount Kinabalu—13,000 feet tall. You really can’t miss it!

    We are racing to reach Kota Kinabalu before sunset, both of our big 50-horsepower engines are running full blast. It was a close call, but we made it just in time. Whew! Arriving in darkness ment another night at sea.
    Nobody wanted that.

    We’re now at 6° north—safely out of the typhoon zone. (BTW. A the first typhoon of the season hit southern China today.)

    Once we entered the harbor in KK (that’s what locals call Kota Kinabalu), a small outboard motorboat helped guide us to our slip. Then seven guys helped us do a Med tie—a tricky parking job for boats. It was even harder with a 3.5-meter tide, and this was our big boat’s first time ever in a slip!

    There was still one mission left: drink all the beer and liquor on board—because you’re not allowed to bring alcohol into Malaysia.

    Today, we cleaned up the boat, checked in with immigration, and had a well deserved relaxing afternoon.

    I’m really proud to be part of this crew. We helped sail a brand-new, high-tech boat over 1,200 miles across the wild South China Sea. We fixed things, worked hard, and stuck together.

    What an epic journey!    Read more

  • Bruce GreshamHong Kong to Borneo 2025Bruce Gresham
    1

    Borneo Landfall

    June 14 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    We made it. The Sutera Harbour Marina & Country Club is an all-inclusive resort Hotel that includes an Olympic-size swimming pool, bowling alley, and fuel dock.
    The orangutan reserve we had planned turned out to be a two-day trip into the interior. We chose to spend our two remaining days relaxing and recovering around the pool. The next day, we went to a cultural experience at a native village. It was quite entertaining, and we learned a lot about the life of the Headhunter tribes. Steve did us proud and hit the coconut with the blow gun! see video.

    Fun fact: You want to get married? The man is required to bring the mother-in-law the head of someone from another trip. Then she knows you are a tough hombre and take care of her daughter.


    I, of course will miss the crew. Hold On has since made it to Singapore and, after more provisioning, will head to Bali to meet Joe and Terrie’s kids.
    The destination for Hold On is the 7 Seas. They will eventually join up with the ARC rally group,    Read more

    Trip end
    June 16, 2025
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