| 19
March 2007: MER video, underwater photos and our new dugout canoe |
by
Marit Miners + Mark Pearce
Ladies
and gentlemen, prepare to be astounded and amazed by the very first
underwater footage from MER's house reef!
Thanks
to Shawn Heinrichs of Blue Sphere Media for his fantastic 16 minute
promotional video, filmed at MER in December of 2006. Click here to view it on our new 'Albums' page.
On
this page you'll
also find a slew of breathtaking underwater and topside photos by
Justin Ebert and Eric Battistoni, taken in December 2006 at MER.
I'll be adding more from our archive in the next few weeks.
Also,
please be sure to visit us at ADEX in Bangkok if you're in the neighbourhood.
Find us in Booth 1407 from the 27-29th of April. |
Justin Ebert |
Our
update from the island this month courtesy of Mark, AKA Cherry.
And for those of you who haven't yet had the pleasure of making
his acquaintance, you can read Cherry's profile here. |
Cherry
writes:
I have been here in Sorong for the past few weeks, and believe me
a few weeks in Sorong seems like a very very long time. It may not
be the tropical paradise that is Batbitim, but very much a necessary
evil and I am pleased to say that we've made lots of progress!
One of our investors, marine electrician Marcel Eckhardt, recently
arrived in Sorong for a second round of ministrations on our beleagured
jet boat, Lumba Lumba. Marcel, Michael (speedboat driver extraordinaire)
and I spent the first few days pulling the engines and jets to bits,
purging years of salt deposits and crusty marine life from every
nook and cranny. Some blood, sweat, and tears later, Lumba
Lumba's propulsion systems were returned to their former glory.
A few days later Mike, a Styer mechanic, joined us on the dry dock.
Within just a few hours, Mike coaxed the engine back to life, after
8 years of stubborn hibernation. The crowd of curious unlookers
claimed that he had witch doctor powers.
The next day the second engine followed suit with a cough, splutter
and a big cloud of smoke. The smoke cleared, and both engines were
running like a charm. Michael was so excited he jumped up, threw
his arms around Mike and gave him a kiss - that will teach Mike
to be so bloody good at his job! Mike returned to Singapore
while Marcel fitted the huge jets back on the boat. Unfortunately
the parts which Marcel had ordered from Singapore didn't arrive
until the day he left. Marcel will be back for another round of
work in five weeks, so we'll have to wait for the final rewiring
and minor repairs. We are looking forward to that maiden voyage! |
| We
have also recently purchased our very own kapompom, a small wooden
cargo/work boat. The boat is so named due to the sound of the engine
traditionally fitted in them, pom pom pom pom! Michael has recalked,
repainted and replaced some of the wooden structure. We have used
the 65hp diesel engine that was in Lumba Lumba as part of her firefighting
equipment (recall that Lumba Lumba's last incarnation was as a rescue
boat), and I am sure it is going to be the fastest kapompom in West
Papua. The boat is at last nearing completion, and we are hoping that
it on its way to Batbitim in the next few weeks. |
Jeanette
and Ibu Laode |
In
addition to a Lumba Lumba and a Kapompom, we are also the very proud
owners of a perahu, a massive dugout canoe. Over the past week I
and our new team member, our PA Jeanette, have traipsed across islands,
beaches and out into the wilds in search of an appropriate workboat/speedboat
for Batbitim. We came across a hive of industry within a small fishing
village where several perahus were being constructed in the traditional
style - not a single power tool or tape measure in sight. When we
inspected the dugout canoe it was in the final stages of completion,
and a few days of negotiation were required to reach a price acceptable
to both parties. |
| But
I have to say that it was a pleasure doing business with Ibu Laode,
the jolly and very sharp-witted lady who sold us the boat. She told
us that the proceeds from the sale of the perahu have paid for her
husband's hospital treatment, and will help to send her children to
school. When we launched the perahu, many prayers were said to ensure
the safety of this seagoing craft and all that sailed in her. As I
write this, our newest boat is being towed down to Batbitim where
Thorben will fit a 40hp outboard engine to her. She'll be carrying
building supplies and our crew to and from their village in Yellu. |
our
new perahu |
| Thorben, Jorg
and the crew on the island have been working at a supercharged
pace, tearing through the 40 tonnes of building supplies I sent down
in the last month - I've just sent an additional 20 tonnes of materials. |
| A
large area of the North Beach has been cleared to make room for the
foundations of the restaurant and kitchen. Thorben and I have both
had to relocate from our initial base camp into the dive centre (This
may not be such a bad thing, as in my last week on the island a green
snake tried to join me in my hammock boudoir). |
first
foundations for the restaurant. |
click to open a schematic drawing of the restaurant |
| The
group building the steps across the island will finish tomorrow -
Well done Ajiman, Laono, Mawan and Aswan! The foundations for the
first five cottages have been completed, and their underconstruction
has commenced. |
Thorben will start the construction of a second bridge in the next
week – his first was such a success, I think Thorben may be
hoping to build quite a lot of them. The construction of the generator/stock
room starts in the coming days, as does phase 2 of the pier/jetty
project. I am also really pleased to report that some of the first
concrete foundations have started to show signs of coral growth after
only 4 months underwater! And the dive centre now has not only a roof,
but second floor walls!
Andy is presently in the middle nowhere on Seram seeking out new sources
of eco-wood, coconut husk insulation, alang-alang grass for the roofing,
as well as sniffing out an airstrip - good luck buddy...
|
dive
centre and her new roof |
