La Vagabonde

Relaxing and fishing in the Philippines

We left our YouTubers and their two children in the South China Sea, having just sailed for the first time aboard La Vagabonde III, their Rapido 60 that was straight out of the shipyard. They’re now on their way to the Philippines, ready to take advantage of everything that these magnificent landscapes have to offer.

La Vagabonde

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Published 09/08/2024

By Julie Echelle

Issue: 197

Published: sept. / oct. 2024

Discover this issue

Who : Elayna, Riley, Darwin and Lenny
Where: Province de Palawan, Philippines
Multihull: Rapido 60
YouTube : @SailingLaVagabonde

After sailing through the South China Sea to Borneo and then on to the Sulu Sea, Elayna, Riley and their sons Darwin and Lenny are continuing their exploration of the waters of South East Asia. They are now in Palawan, a Philippine archipelago known for its rich aquatic life. Two crew members, Tom and Ellie, are onboard too.

Although they are now well used to their Rapido 60, they are continuing to add to the list of equipment that they still need to acquire. “Since this is a new boat, some things aren’t quite set up perfectly,” explains Elayna, “We’re waiting on our anchor rode to arrive which means we only have 130 feet of chain and there are a lot of deep anchorages here in the Philippines. So we’re having to every time use like this really thin rope”.
This means that anchoring is a little more complicated, and makes it difficult to get underway quickly, as they wait to receive the part that they need in the next few weeks.
But this minor issue hasn’t stopped them from continuing on their adventure. On the program: 60 miles of sailing to Johnson Island, a private island where a self-sufficient community of around 600 people thrives, in the middle of a protected fishing zone where anchoring is free. Once the anchor was dropped, Riley accompanied Darwin and Lenny ashore in the dinghy. The children, excited to meet new people, quickly bonded with the locals and the many ducklings and puppies there: “Lenny’s just swimming in the water with half a dozen of the other kids, it’s just so beautiful”, said Riley, smiling, and clearly satisfied that the kids are spending some time with friends of their age. Given the warm welcome they received and the boys’ enthusiasm, the family decided to stay a few days at anchor off the island to take in the magnificent views and socialize with the locals: “These people are just so welcoming! It’s almost a bit of a cliché that you see on travel documentaries. I’ve never experienced anything quite like this.” So it’s only natural that the locals should invite the crew to a barbecue on the beach, to share their catch with them. The children of the island also made the most of the return trips in the dinghy to La Vagabonde to discover the Rapido 60 up close, marveling at every nook and cranny of the trimaran.

Their stay on Johnson Island was also an opportunity to teach Darwin to swim and Lenny to dive, despite the unpredictable weather as it was typhoon season. Elayna even took advantage of the fact that her children were busy with their new friends to go jogging on her own, barefoot in the sand, in an idyllic setting.

After those unforgettable few days, it was time to head off to the main island of Palawan to meet up with a couple of friends, Fran and Jack (who also have a YouTube channel), who had brought along a number of Tupperware containers of pre-prepared dishes, filling the refrigerator and freezer to the brim. This meant that the group wouldn’t have to worry about cooking for the next few days and could concentrate on their objective: to locate good diving spots for spearfishing, Jack and Fran’s specialty. So they headed for El Nido, to the north of the main island, and then Coron, an island even further to the north. Fran, Jack and Riley returned empty-handed from their first attempt, so the crew headed for a new dive site. There, Riley eventually returned with his first trophy, a beautiful harlequin sweetlips. The second attempt ended with some very good fishing, much to the delight of Darwin, who was overjoyed to discover the fish they had brought back on board. After all the effort came the comfort of tasting their catch during a convivial evening on board, an opportunity for the couple to feel grateful for the life they have led for 10 years, and which they can now share with their sons. “I can’t believe how lucky my boys are to be around all of this and hope that they come to understand it someday,” Riley tells us. Jack and Fran will be staying on board with the family for a few more days, to enjoy the rich Philippine marine life.

To follow the adventures of the La Vagabonde crew in Asia, visit their YouTube channel @SailingLaVagabonde