Can We Sail Out Of The Philippines Without Facing Pirates?

Underway along the coastline of the Philippines with flat seas and zero usable wind, Luke and Adam pushed their Prout Snowgoose 37 Elite catamaran, Checkers, through a 29-mile coastal motor run. Before the brothers from The Sailing Brothers could clear their initial anchorage, their ground tackle caught firmly on a coral bommie in 11 meters of water, grinding under tension before the chain shook free. With calm weather expected to persist across the region for weeks, the brothers made way toward a sheltered bight to secure the boat and address a critical passage dilemma.

Dropping hook in 2.8 meters over sand, the crew veered out 27 meters of chain to ensure the catamaran would hold fast against tropical squalls and brewing thunderstorms. Once the anchor was set and the deck secured, Luke and Adam opened their navigation charts on the laptop. Their initial routing to transit south from the Philippines into Indonesia required a complete reassessment after confronting severe security warnings regarding vessel hijackings and armed militia in the southern Sulu Sea.

Sulu Sea Security Threats and Routing Dilemmas

The crew’s original passage plan called for a passage westward toward Puerto Princesa, followed by a direct run across the Sulu Sea through southern island chains into Indonesia near Southern Borneo. That routing relied on approaching seasonal northeast winds to provide a favorable angle. However, research into maritime advisories revealed an active history of violent boardings, hostage taking, and ransom demands aimed at commercial tankers and private cruising yachts transiting the southwestern corridor.

“We didn’t know about the militia um and history of kidnapping, violence, and um extortion of any boats that are in, especially the South Sulu Sea.”

Luke

Confronted with the danger of navigating uncharted risks without escort, the brothers immediately abandoned the direct Sulu Sea crossing. Looking ahead to a required departure window before crossing the Indian Ocean the following May, they mapped out three alternative courses:

• Northern Borneo Route: Sail west to Puerto Princesa and track south through the South China Sea west of Borneo, entering Indonesia via western check-in ports while waiting out weather windows.
• Heavily Monitored Corridor: Traverse an inner passage tracked by maritime authorities, army, and police units to cross safely into the Moro Gulf before dropping south toward Indonesia.
• Eastern Counter-Current Backtrack: Return south via Serigal (Surigao), where the vessel originally checked in, and ride coastal currents down the eastern coast toward ports in Indonesia.

“There is another option for us. We’ll explore all the Philippines up here. And then we’ll come back down ourselves”

Adam

Inland Exploration by Bicycle and Cave Trekking

With passage decisions set aside for community feedback, Luke and Adam went ashore with their folding bicycles to explore the local interior. The ride began with a 7-mile trek inland along paved roads bordered by agricultural hamlets. Along the way, the crew stopped by roadside paddies where farmers spread freshly harvested unhusked rice directly onto the sun-baked concrete surfaces to dry. A local farmer confirmed the trailhead was situated 4 kilometers further along the mountain grade.

Reaching the park entrance, the brothers paid 20 pence each for trail admission. Instead of hiking the steep stairs back down after reaching the summit, they paid 2 pounds each to secure a return descent via zipline. Entering the limestone cavern system, the atmosphere turned damp and musty, with colonies of thousands of bats suspended across high ceiling cracks.

“We walking through a dark dark cave, and the floor is all soft. And you just look down, and you can just see hundreds of scurrying cockroaches running in between your legs.”

Luke

After navigating the subterranean trails, Luke harnessed in and clipped onto the canopy zipline, gliding above the forest canopy down to the valley base. Back at the lower clearing, troops of wild monkeys emerged along the timber perimeter, grooming each other and approaching visitors cautiously. Although park regulations prohibited feeding the primates, Luke shared a few crackers with a friendly local goat before returning to the shore where Checkers rested safely at anchor.

Passage and Logistical Metrics

Frequently Asked Questions