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King of Kalimantan Story by Kerry Mckee, SY Sahara quickly if we wanted to catch a glimpse. As I hurried after Ty and the rangers, Kerry & Ty have spent many months Gistok caught up with me and took me by exploring Asia. They are always keen the hand. He had decided he wanted me to take the paths less travelled. Here to stop by and play, and when an orang is an “excerpt” from Kerry’s journal. decides anything, that's exactly what you do! A bit like the old joke”: What does a From Bali we headed north to gorilla/orang do?....Anything he wants to Kalimantan. do!” Even at 7 years old, they are incredibly strong, and weigh about 60 Kalimantan was the highlight of our trip kilos. We couldn't extricate his long, through Indonesia. It was always a leathery hand from mine, so there I sat. secret dream of mine to see the orang- I wasn't quite prepared for his next move! utans in the jungle, and Ty was just as Suddenly, he puckered up and planted a keen. The local people were wonderful big, wet, sloppy kiss on my lips! Being and we soon arranged to hire a long boat kissed by an orang wasn't exactly my idea to take us up the Sekonyer River to where of romance! The boys thought it was the orangs were in Tan Jung Puting hilarious (bless their cotton sox). National Park, southern Kalimantan. To make a long story longer, the crew So off we set, sitting on two chairs on finally distracted him and I broke free. I the back of the long boat, feeling every ran through the jungle trying to catch up bit like Lord Jim and the Queen of Sheba! with the boys, followed closely by the The trip was beyond our wildest amorous orang. Thank goodness they expectations as we wound our way can't move very fast on the ground. through the thick jungle either side of a A little further up the track, the rangers very narrow river estuary, often having to froze in their tracks. Ty and I caught up stop and pole our way through. There with them and we soon realised why they was so much to see on the way, orangs, had stopped. Coming toward them down proboscis monkeys, macaques, long tail the track was the one they nicknamed, monkeys, deer, boar, crocodiles, snakes, “King”. His real name is “Corsiska”. 230 dragon fish, exotic birds and butterflies- kilos of sheer muscle! He was the rave, rave, rave! It was every bit like dominant male orang in the area, and watching a David Attenborough even the rangers gave him a wide berth. documentary unfolding before your very By this time we had reached one of the eyes. Nightfall brought with it fireflies ranger's huts. King was only feet away dancing in the dark, and a myriad of from us, and even though he had rarely monkeys settling in for the night in the shown aggression to anyone, he was still trees above us, squabbling madly and a powerful, wild animal. My instincts throwing the occasional twig or nut at us! said, “RUN!”, but we were all mesmerised We were so tired by the time we reached by the sheer proximity of him. Besides, the first ranger station about 10pm, that the ranger's house was just behind me. we gladly curled up on our meagre Suddenly, he came toward me and I mattresses on the deck of the longboat backed up to the door and tried to open and fell fast asleep. About 5am I was it. My worst nightmare. It was locked, awakened by something touching my hair. and the ranger with the key was on the The mind boggled! I turned around to other side of “the beastie”! I suddenly find a young orang sitting by me, realised I was praying (and it wasn't even SMILING! I think I must have called out, Gold Lotto night)! Thank goodness a little “holy mother of ducks!”, or something to cat distracted King, and he set off after it. that effect, because very soon the whole He probably felt like having his evening crew was on deck laughing. They quickly entré! All the same, he was a most told me that it was only Gistok (“the magnificent animal. It was awesome just cheeky one”), coming to say hello. With being in his presence. that, Gistok grabbed my cigarettes and Only in Indonesia could you see these was off. Ty finally coaxed him back with a animals at such close quarters. Every mango and made a quick exchange. We other country would have them behind had so much fun playing with Gistok. He bars. We were so privileged to see him, was a never ending source of amusement. as he rarely comes near people. The He had been owned by a wealthy rangers agreed that the end of the dry Indonesian until he was about 2 (he was season had brought him to the station now 7), and the rangers were trying to looking for food (now they tell me!), as re-introduce him into the wild. the fruits in the jungle were becoming Nevertheless, Gistok had never lost his scarce, especially with all the fires they preference for chocolates, champagne, were having. etc… He wouldn't even eat the same bananas as the other orangs, and never It was a fascinating two day trip. I really knew he was an orang. The could rave on for hours! funniest sight was watching the rangers trying to teach him to climb trees. Gistok was highly amused! Soon after, one of the rangers came running down very excitedly to tell us that “King” had ventured back to the station after a months absence, and to come Sail on Kerry! Back in 1998 and ‘99 Bob & I were wharf. We stopped in to say hi (and I fully consumed in restoring our 40ft to meet Kerry & Ty). One thing led to steel ketch, White Bird. There were another and the four of us were days I was not there as I was cruising to the pub for a lunch. working. The best part of those days Ker ry, Ty and I immediately was when Bob would come home and “c li ck ed ”. Jo ke s, an d ju st fill me in on all the gossip I missed out humourous witty banter was the on at the trawler wharfs on the Tweed days “special”. River, NSW. This was the beginning of our There were many colou rful friendships with Ty & Kerry that has characters there; from the hard grown over the years and continues. working prawn trawler skippers and For me, Kerry was a special crew, to the cruisers that would show influence on me as she was a true up from time to time. There was blue “sailor chick”. She had a grace never a dull moment. and wit about her that was for the After a while the trawlers accepted most part, very proper and lady like, us. From, “those bloody yachties”, to but her days of hanging around the becoming part of their “family”. trawler men and women (by the way There was a respect grown from Tyrone owned & worked trawlers for those guys as they watched that old many years before selling and yacht turn into a boat they would be retiring as a yachtsman), gave her a proud to sail…and Bob was getting rough, tough edge. Kerry worked good at welding; always willing to do right alongside them sorting prawns, a quick “job” for any in need. Bob a job I hear isn't easy. She told me was rewarded with the best prawns, many stories of her life on boats; bugs and snapper (good whiskey fishing, sailing and loving the sea too). We even made a few wedding and the boatie life. rings and other jewellery items for Kerry did not candy coat it, just told them. All and all it became a happy me of the days she had out there. As place to work so hard on White Bird. I was apprehensive of the boating It could have been so much worse… journey Bob & I were heading on, Bob came home one day to fill me in Kerry was there for me to answer all on the latest gossip. He also told me those silly questions a new boatie of a couple of yachties he met while would ask. Kerry would always add he had White Bird on the slipway a bit of her wit to her answers, but (next to the wharfs). “I met this was never a snob about it. These couple, Tyrone and Kerry on Sahara conversations helped me feel more today. They want to use the slip. I confident to give it a go. Kerry who really like them; lets hope we meet was 60, passed away on March 8 this up with them again. year after a long illness. Sail on A few days later we were taking a Kerry, I will never forget you, bless day off and while cruising around in your cotton sox! our '65 Chevy Malibu we drove by our boat and saw Sahara tied up on a Kay Norson Kerry's story above was published way back in TCP #6, 2004. The photo above is Kerry, with her mate Gistok. With Kerry’s usual deadpan wit, she handed me this photo and said, “Thats me on the left!”. Kerry & Ty on White Bird Kerry on SY Sahara
BON VOYAGE TYRONE McKEE! The Commodore of The Maclean Cruising Yacht Club has set sail Ready to go: Tyrone at his “bon voyage” party and SY Sahara at Maclean wharf before their departure There are many people around Maclean and there for Kerry particularly at meal time when he I haven't known Ty for long and I met Kerry Yamba who are proud to call Ty McKee a friend would be there to help, to comfort and to only once, but the photographs Ty showed to me and I am one of them. support. and the way he spoke of her left no doubt about th On Sunday 15 April we wished a youthful 74 Listening to Ty you could be forgiven for how close they were, how proud he was of his year old Ty bon voyage as he cast off from imagining he was just popping home to see his beautiful girl, and what an amazing woman she Maclean on his round the world solo voyage on wife, and the real tragedy of Ty and Kerry was must have been. board “Sahara” the yacht that he built himself on well disguised by Ty's gregarious demeanour. No doubt many who know Ty, and who have the Gold Coast. Ty McKee is always cheerful, and always ready known Kerry as well will be able to correct some The first leg of the epic voyage will take Ty and to help with encouragement and advise drawn of what I have written here. Suffice to say that SY Sahara across the Indian Ocean to Durban in from a lifetime on the sea. a large part of my introduction to life in Maclean South Africa via Cairns, Darwin, the Cocos It made no difference to Ty whether you were three years ago was a conversation and black Islands and Madagascar. Francis Drake or an absolute rank amateur like coffee aboard Sahara with the most positive and It seemed ironic that a seafarer whose parents me. one of the most remarkable people I have ever came from Northern Ireland, should embark on The man has that knack of making everyone met. th the 100 anniversary of the sinking of Belfast around him feel good, even when we all knew Ty has embarked on his voyage leaving behind shipyards most famous vessel Titanic. what he must have been going through, torn some sad memories but also many lasting between his devotion to Kerry and his love of the friendships. Both Ty and Sahara have become part of the sea. Stay safe old friend. May the sea treat you scenery on the Clarence over the past 14 years Losing Kerry must have been unbelievably kindly and the winds carry you swiftly. Come but not entirely by intention. painful, and there would have been some dark back when you can. Ty and his late wife and soul mate Kerry started and lonely moments through her illness, but Ty this voyage a few years ago but it was remained stoic throughout. Ian Saunders interrupted when Kerry became ill forcing a Kerry's release was also Ty's. He has been like return to Maclean. a caged Lion and we all hope this voyage will Kerry was diagnosed with an aggressive form give him some peace and closure. of Parkinson's Disease. Sadly, only a few weeks It's a measure of the depth of the relationship ago in March, she succumbed to the illness. between Ty and Kerry that he takes Kerry's Bob’s Note: I intended to write this piece Ty had initially cared for her at their home in ashes with him on board Sahara. myself, but felt I couldn't improve on this, Maclean until Kerry became so incapacitated that He won't be alone and Kerry will complete the though I can vouch. Kay and I were also rank she had to be moved to Mareeba nursing Home. voyage they had started together not so long amateurs when we met Tyrone and Kerry in the Ty was almost a daily visitor and tried to be ago. Tweed River BUY ONLINE FROM AUSTRALPIXIE Marine Services & Supplier •THE 175mm (7") SEA SPANNER• A superb multipurpose tool. Made in High Tensile Stainless. A high quality adjustable spanner, a shackle key, a bottle opener, a deck filler cap key, and screwdriver blade. End slotted for shackle pins. A unique gift that will be constantly appreciated. $93.50 A must for every •Electricity on The Water• The Energo-Marine mobile power unit consists of two small parts that supply electric energy to the yacht with AC power capacity of 4KW 220 /110 V , 50/60HZ, welding DC 200A, battery charging 12-24V, eliminating the need of a heavy generator that requires high NOW LESS THAN $2600 NET •Laser Dinghies, Parts & Accessories• •The Wind Wheel• International Yachtmaster Training www.pixie.com.au Trade enquiries welcome 0418 772 601 inc. GST STITCH IT AWL THE HAND SEWING TOOL FOR MEDIUM TO HEAVY MATERIALS Sailcloth, Canvas, Webbing, Leather, Awnings.... A MUST FOR ANY CRUISING YACHT! 316 stainless construction Waxed thread on spool from $47.95 STITCH IT AWL www.stitchitawl.com Order by phone, mail or online Australian made Ph/Fax: (07) 4946 4407 email: ironworksw@aapt.net.au P.O.Box 1238 Airlie Beach QLD 4802
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