The Itbayat Current (9/14)

Map showing currents and wind direction on Dec 18, 2010 in the vicinity of the Sabtang Triangle.

20 minutes after Joseph received a status update call from Bimo, at 5.35pm, he received another call. But the speaker was hardly comprehensible and the phone got misconnected after a few 'hellos'. The same person must have been trying for the next few moments, more calls came in but connection was unsuccessful.

Then he received a text from YK activating the evac boat, together with the GPS coordinates. This must be the reason why Chan wanted me to be on Batan Island asap, he thought. He was glad he was well on the way back to base, and hope the AT has arrived at base.

For the 3 kayakers adrift, it was the numbing cold from the wind and waves that kept them huddled together. YK had forgotten his splash jacket back at base and all he wore was his thin rash guard, which was good for sun protection but not for the cold winter night of Batanes. K and YH forced him to eat to keep warm. But YK could hardly hold down his food.

He cursed his phone, which had chosen this time to hang. He took it out carefully from the dry pouch and punch in an updated GPS coordinates to Joseph. When the phone died completely, he thought it must be one lucky night!

Every light they spied seemed to be a speeding boat coming for them. But they knew it would take time to organize the evac. 

"Keep you head up! So that the boat can see your headlamp.", YH lifted his head to K.

Wave after wave crashed over them, flooding their kayaks, soaking them to their core, and de-heating them. K turned to her left to wipe the splashes off YH's face with her hands. If only the lights of Basco reflected on his face was so near.

At this time, 9.3km southwest of where the 3 kayakers were rafted, my kayak was finally bailed and afloat. I jumped back into the kayak and breathed a sigh of relief. I checked the GPS and regretfully we had drifted a further 1km away from Sabtang Island. 

"Do you have an Ikea bag with you?", I asked.

"Yes, deep inside the kayak. Want to get it?", Moira answered.

"Never mind.", I had wanted to deploy it as a sea anchor to stop the drift and buy time to think my way out of the triangle. There was a river of black clouds in the sky, flowing from far away and over the Sabtang Island. I hoped it was not about to storm.

It was so comfortable rafted up, having the stability, and companionship. What were the options? Going to Sabtang was trying with the time-wasting capsizing. We have enough food, water, and batteries for maybe 2 days floating on the sea to wait for current to change. But that would worry the AT to hell. Batan was 15km away. Sabtang still seemed the best option, but how to get across the Triangle?

"The lights of Batan Island seemed nearer. That's strange…", I looked up and saw the lights of Ivana, Mahatao, and the Basco port beckoning us. Compared to the Sabtang lighthouse, these Batan lights were brighter and looked nearer. 

"The current seemed to have changed.", Moira remarked.

At 7pm, 6 kayakers were on shores. 5 kayakers were still on the water, rafted up in twos and threes, 9.3km apart, and drifting north with the Itbayat current. They wondered how the night was going to end.