Wednesday 29 December, 2005
A letter by Chris Scurrah, skipper of Asia, out of Padang
Latest news from Padang is all OK. At 4am our time on 26th, my family, Om, and I were crossing the Mentawai Strait aboard our boat ASIA when the earthquake hit.
We arrived at the islands south of Siberut about 2pm after a rough crossing of confused seas and strong north winds. A massive pod of dolphins played with our bow for 1/2 hour around midday, and at the same time we lost both our lures to a massive double strike on the rods.
We tied up to the mooring at Kandui Island near the Playground and went over to check out the progress of the development going on. There is one American looking after the place, John. He is fine.
At the time we didn’t think too hard about the really high tide, or about the strong shore break. We were thinking more about how low-lying the land was and how it would be overrun by the sea within a few years.
Coming back to ASIA in the tin boat, we noticed the mouth of the little bay on Kandui was charging like a raging river. We saw a coconut palm uprooted and washed out to sea along with a canoe. Neither Om nor I had ever seen this before. Looking back now, the water movement was incredible. The closest thing I have seen to this is when they dig open the mouth of the river at Waimea on Oahu.
We had a rough night sleep with constant wind, some rain and messed up ocean. Next day we checked out Christie’s resort and spent the whole morning there. I ran around the island with Christie’s dogs and we snorkeled the reef. There were definitely some strong shore breaks, but nothing too unusual and this beach facing north.
With the weather again closing in, we decided to head back to Padang. It was another terrible crossing, with major wind changes from mostly north and west, big rain, huge fronts, unusual weather, and crazy skies. About 4pm we put the HF radio on the indo news channel and this was the first time we head about what had happened, about 32 hours after the fact.
Coming into Padang was eerie as there were no fishing boats around, and really radical changes in wind direction. As we entered the river, there was an unusually strong outgoing pull, but all seemed ok.
From what we have heard lately, the tsunamis wreaked havoc on Aceh, and heading south they smashed into Simeulue and the Banyaks. The Banyaks blocked the brunt of the energy from hitting Silbolga and all points south on the mainland to Padang.
Simeulue is where our friends Will and Dewi have a surf camp and from reports so far it doesn’t look good for the camp. Will and Dewi are ok and are on their way there now to see what’s left. As the ocean energy traveled south from there it travels down a deep stretch of water and would have wreaked havoc on outlying islands of Babi and Lassia, before smashing north Nias, completely destroying the villages on Wunga Island, and funneling into the trench north of Asu.
We hear Afulu was badly hit, as well as Asu and the Hinakos, along with Sirombu also badly hit with lots of deaths and missing people. I guess the surf camps of Asu are badly damaged if not destroyed? Reports are that the 60 people on Asu got in boats and got to safety before the wave hit. This is second hand info and not definite.
This was Sunday morning, and the morning people get dressed in their best clothes and have a church-community meeting. They also spend time with their families and on the beach. I guess the Asu people felt a movement and from experience knew to get away from the island. Near Afulu, people felt a soft movement, but thought it ok, and kept on their beach picnics. But by the time the Tsunamis began 15 minutes later, it was too late to get away and many lives were taken, a lot of babies dead.
One of our crew, Ahn, called his family on the northeast side of Bawa, which is blocked by a few islands. He said they were ok with not too much damage.
We haven’t yet heard from Ovi and German on the south/southwest side. We are concerned for them as they were most probably badly affected at best.
Moving south, West Nias experienced the surge of water all the way down to Teluk Dalam. Sorake has had losmens damaged and the bottom of the bay saw the losmens there also damaged. No deaths occurred here and all is ok, as in Teluk Dalam. Reports have said a death here and damage to houses on the southern coastal road, but again this is too early to know.
The Telo island chain is wide spread, and the northern end of the chain would have experienced damage and destruction. We have yet to hear any news from here. The chain would have again blocked the energy from Padang and from the Mentawais.
I guess there would have been damage to the west and northern sides of the Mentawais as the Tsunami traveled south, certain islands more open to the north would have seen more damage and I guess low lying villages on these shores will be affected. The disease that will come from the contaminated water supplies will be long term.
Right now, at 2pm on Tuesday in Padang there are still strange water movements. The tides are still coming up and down within an hour, there are strange movements in the river, the ocean is still adjusting and I’m sure you’ve seen how far the energy traveled around the world from CNN, BBC and the media.
Latest movements now are trying to set up some sort of fund with Red Cross Indonesia, and help and support the areas affected, lots of prayers and good energy going on here. As the indo TV says, this is Indonesia crying.
Please keep checking our website www.sumatransurfariis.com for updates. Thanks and terima kasih.
Scuzz
