MANILA - After being swept away by raging floods in Cavite last week, the "balangay" sea vessel is back on track for its epic tour around Southeast Asia.

Arturo Valdez, captain of the Team Balangay voyage team, said in his blog post that they arrived safely at Puerto Galera in Mindoro.

On September 8, the balangay replica was swamped with big waves and carried out to sea in Ternate, Cavite after the nearby Maragondon dam was opened without notice.

The team had to backtrack to Sangley Base in Cavite at midnight the next day.

Valdez said the team made minor repairs on the ship and replaced a lost anchor, left behind in Ternate when the raging waters struck.

The ship is a replica of an ancient vessel unearthed in the Philippines in the 1970s. The "balangay" is believed to be the oldest seafaring vessels ever found in the Philippines.

Valdez said the team had to wait for fair weather before continuing their journey to visit all major ports in the Philippines this year, before sailing to Borneo, Micronesia, and Madagascar in 2010.

Facing challenges

In the past two weeks, several typhoons visited the Philippines, including Labuyo, Marinig, and Lando.

Typhoon Lando brought a strong southwest monsoon that downed at least 6 ships, including the sunken Super Ferry 9.

Valdez said the Balangay replica has endured many "shakedown" tests that proved the vessel's toughness.

The balangay has jumped gracefully from an 8-foot seawall at the Cultural Center of the Philippines during the ship's launching ceremony, survived a whirlwind in Manila Bay, was battered by flood waters in Cavite, and was subjected to storm signal number 1 conditions en route to Sangley Point.

"All throughout these challenges, Diwata ng Lahi (the ship) performed gracefully with flying colors," Valdez wrote.

The boat is manned by a core crew of 10 adventurers, including Mt. Everest climbers and members of the Philippine Coast Guard and Philippine Navy.

The crew typically spends about 3 days promoting environmental advoacies in nearby communities after docking at port. abs-cbnNEWS.com.