Sunday 22 October 2006

Thailand & Malaysia

October 2006

Mom and Anne’s visit

For many months I had been trying to get my folks to visit us. Finally we had some success, or should I say - 50% success. My mom was coming over to visit us. Dad was not too keen to travel. He had just had a knee replacement operation and a spinal fusion in his neck so was wary about boat life and the associated concerns of living aboard with a gammy knee. Fortunately joining my mom would be our cousin Anne. Our families are very close and Anne and mom made a great traveling team.

With excitement brewing, we made arrangement for their visit. We had not seen any of my family for over a year and we were all very excited, especially the kids who were counting the sleeps down!

On the morning of the 23rd September, we all headed out to the airport to pick up my mom and Anne. There was much excitement as we milled around the arrivals lounge waiting for them. Then, from around the corner they arrived, pushing their trolleys of, mostly presents! The “Travelling Gigglies”, as they referred to themselves, had arrived at last! The kids ran out to meet them and we all exchanged hugs and kisses. It was fantastic to see them and mom looked so well and happy.

Grabbing the luggage we headed out to the car and back to Yacht Haven, all the time there was no stop chatter and catching up on news from home.




Mom, Anne, B & I



B: By this stage we were old hands at the airport and had been greeted like old friends by the Malaysian Security guard on our return. Our long wait was spiced up by the family reunions at the airport. One Australian couple was thrilled to hug their 30 plus son and then hug and kiss his Thai girlfriend who he then, very belatedly, introduced to them! But my favorite was a smarmy American in his late fifties who was very camp and dragging along a pretty Thai boy in his twenties who looked very nervous. Finally the very elderly parents arrived but their luggage had gone missing and their aging queen son hugged his Dad through the door. Just then a blonde youngster of about 14 squeezed past back into arrivals and the old man tried to shake this youngster’s hand! He looked utterly stunned and obviously thought that this was his sons lover! Poor Grandpa, I suppose the Thai boyfriend was a relief after that. On our side it was wonderful to see Anne and Trudy so full of life and absolutely loving their traveling experience.



R: Back at Shayile we settled into yacht life. We were not keen to do a lot of cruising as the weather was not that good with the monsoons in full swing and I was not too sure how they would handle weather on a yacht. The big thing was just to spend time together, catching up and for mom to spend quality time with the kids and us.

First up was a tour of Phuket Island. We spent the day touring and sight seeing Phuket. Unfortunately the weather was not playing game. It was rather miserable, and continued to be so for the duration of the visit. It was the wet season and the Westerly Monsoons were in full swing. Still we went out and toured the island. The area reminded me of Cape Town and especially Chapmans Peak drive with its cliffs and drop down into the ocean below. Scattered along the coast line was many beaches and coves.

Lunch was a memorable stop as we pulled up at a small road side restaurant overlooking a beautiful beach, just north of Patong. The menu was in Thai and the owner could not speak English. Fortunately sitting next to us was an English guy with his Thai wife and child. He came to our rescue and suggested a number of dishes. We placed a huge order for the table and when it arrived we tucked in. It was Anne and my mom’s first real Thai meal and they thoroughly enjoyed it.


Dan trying to convince Dinny, “It’s ok to eat!”



Later that afternoon we headed for “Charlie’s Spot”. Now Charlie is a legendary figure on Phuket and visitors make special plans to meet him at least once. As we pulled into his bar, he bounded across the car park to greet us. Customer service at its best! As we bailed out the car, he bailed in! On the back seat were some biscuits. You see, Charlie is a Gibbon monkey. Well, he does not know it as he believes he is human! He took up position on the back seat and got busy with the biscuits. Fortunately his “father” came across and pulled him out. We quickly closed the door and went across to the bar area. After making Charlie’s acquaintance, we decided it was time for an elephant ride. Who comes to Thailand and does not do an elephant trek through the forests? Lets remember that these are Asian elephants (Indian) and certainly a lot more docile than our African elephants. They appear smaller and have smaller ears than their African cousins.

Up a platform and onto the elephants we climbed. With a yelp and encouragement from the “jockey”, the elephants set off through the forest. The Travelling gigglies had a blast! Not a comfortable ride by any means but an experience of a life time. We trundled on through the forest, hoping the elephants footing would hold on the slippery slopes. All went well and soon we emerged back at the camp thankful that we had not elected to go on an hour outing! Elephant trekking is a bit like….. You have to do it, but glad when it is over!!




Not a very comfortable ride!



With that we headed back to Yacht Haven, a full day exploring Phuket island behind us.

Our friend Simon had by this stage arrived in Phuket and was keen to see us. That evening he came across to Yacht Haven and we met up again after 8 months. It was fantastic to see Simon again. B and I both enjoy his company and the kids think he’s great! We caught up on a bit of history and then headed out to a local restaurant at Yacht Haven. Being the character he is, Simon had us all in awe of his antics in Thailand, especially his experiences with Thai women. Simon just loves women and had many a story to tell! I was a bit nervous to hear ALL the stories he was keen to relate about his holiday in Thailand, especially with mom and Anne listening in! What would they think?? Anyway, Simon had us all enthralled about life in the fast lane and the parties in Bangkok.



Attempted cruise!

Next day we decided to head out into Phang-Nga Bay and do a bit of cruising. (Simon had gone back to his beach bungalow for a few more days of relax!)

The plan for us was to visit a Hong, (a kind of tunnel that goes in to the side of a cliff and emerges on a beach in the center of the island.) and then to head up to the Sea Gipsy village at the top of Pang-Nga Bay. On the way we would take in many of the islands on route.

The weather was overcast but certainly not threatening. Off we went with high spirits and everyone keen to see a bit of the island scene in Phang-Nga Bay.



That afternoon we stopped and dropped anchor off Koh Phanak Island. We were anchored some 80 meters from the side of sheer cliffs. A magnificent spot and certainly very scenic indeed. The kids and I went exploring looking for the Hong. These things are not easy to find as that are basically a cave hole that disappears into the side of a cliff. No luck from our side and we headed on back to Shayile for dinner and more chattering with mom and Ann. (I still needed to catch up on 18 months of home news!)



That night, the weather turned ugly. The wind picked up and howled down on us. The sea picked up and developed a short chop which was not very comfortable at all. As the night progressed, it got worse. I camped at the GPS watching our position and ensuring we did not start dragging. At one stage I turned on the engines just incase we needed to make a dash. Throughout the night the wind blew and I kept half an eye open on proceedings.

Not the greatest was to be introduced to cruising for mom and Ann! Trust the weather to deteriorate as they came cruising. Next morning the wind settled and we decided to motor sail on up to Koh Phing Kan, otherwise known as James Bond Island. (The location of the film – The man with the golden gun)

We motored around the area checking it out, taking in the scenery. It truly is beautiful up in Pang-Nga Bay. We then headed on up in the direction of the sea gypsies.

Unfortunately our luck ran out again. Soon it was starting to get to shallow for us and I had to turn around. The tides were wrong and secondly I could not locate the channel. We headed back to James Bond Island. On the way we decided to drop anchor again, trying to seek protection from the wind which was now slowly picking up again. With the anchor down, the wind increased in strength. Wind on its own is not that much of a problem, but with us being in a very shallow the waves picked up. Short choppy ones and we slapped about. To add insult to injury, we got ourselves into a “wind over tide” situation. The wind was blowing us in one direction and the tide was pushing us in the opposite direction. Both forces acting against each other and soon we were riding over the anchor! In 25 – 30 knot wind, it was time to move again. I had not picked a good anchor spot and we needed to get out fast! Belinda tried to pull up the anchor but no luck, it would not budge. With the wind gusting 35 knots, the rain pelting down, Belinda at the helm and my heroic mom up front with me, we fought to get the anchor up. Man is Mom amazing! There she was up front in pounding waves, stinging rain and near gale force winds, assisting me with the anchor. Little by little we made progress. Eventually it came free and we yanked it up and on board. With the anchor up, we headed back in the direction we had come. It was nail biting stuff as the tide had gone out and we were, at times, in 1.2 meters of water. With a 1 meter draft, we were cutting it fine and at times I felt Shayile scrape through the mud, giving her best effort to get us out of the bay! Finally the depth gauge went from 1.3 meters to 1.5, to 2 meters and slowly we got into deeper, safer water.


Mom and B sopping wet after the anchor saga!



With cruising conditions not up for it, we made a unilateral decision to get out of Pang-Nga Bay and head back to Yacht Haven. It was not Thailand cruising as it should be and conditions called for Terra Firma. Poor Ann was feeling the effects of the movement of Shayile! We motored on back to Yacht Haven and got there at about 8pm that evening.



Overland trip to Krabi

News plans were kicked into life. We decided that plan B would involve hiring a car and traveling overland around the northern part of Pang-Nga Bay, heading down to Krabi which is on mainland Thailand. (Remembering Phuket is an island, which is joined to the mainland by a bridge)

Simon was not staying too far from us and he too needed to see a bit more of Thailand. A lot more than just beaches, bars and Thai women! He asked if he could join us along with Ta, his traveling Thai lady companion. She was known to us as Simons Tour Guide! This gives raise to an interesting discussion; the Thai prostitution industry. First up, this “industry” is not targeted purely at the foreign tourist. Quite the opposite with Thai men, on average, making use of the services offered sometimes twice a month and the industry as a whole catering for some 70% local men! Foreigners have easy access to this industry and we had yet to see depressed looking tourists in Thailand! But interestingly enough, an extension of bar girl prostitution is the Thai escort. These girls offer an “extended” service and will accompany their client for anything from 1 day to months at time! These girls will move in with a tourist and cater for their every need which includes interpreter, tour guide, friend and prostitute for the duration of the services required. This industry has developed into a “niche” business in Thailand and one that thrives. Everywhere one goes in Phuket, you will see the practice: Thai girls accompanying foreigners everywhere. I’m not saying that some are not genuine cases of relationships in the making, but many of these Thai girls are traveling companions, making good money and keeping a tourist very happy!




Simon and Ta with Dan and Jens



Ta was just one girl. Simon had an attractive traveling companion and friend. We all enjoyed her company and she had a great time whilst with us. It must  remembered that these girls usually do not have a lot of money and spending a week or 2 with a tourist, is a paid holiday at a resort or destination they would not normally be able to afford.

Ta had a fantastic time with us, and Simon spoilt her!    

So with Simon and Ta on board, we all jumped in the hired combi and set off for Krabi, a town on the Thailand West coast, just across Pananga Bay from Phuket. It took us about 3 hours to get to Krabi and, again, we all chatted and caught up on news and events from home. My mom immediately took to Simon and his life stories. His catamaran’s name is Karisma and charisma is something that Simon has a lot of! Mom and Anne, besides the holiday, were certainly on an educational trip with Simon around! It was great and we all got along great. Even Ta, who could not speak English that well, was part of the team.

We arrived in the beach side town of Ao Nang and booked ourselves into the Krabi Beach Resort. Our bungalows were great and soon we were on the beach and exploring the area. That night we went out and ate at one of the many Thai restaurants that lined the beach.



Next morn mom and Ann had a Thai massage and they loved it! We shopped and walked the area taking in the Thai culture and way of life. Ann did some serious bargaining with the shop keepers and came away with many presents and curios to show for it.

B and I also had our first Thai massage, relaxing and de-stressing as our muscles were unknotted and our bones clicked into place! It reminded me that I had to do this more often. Thai massages are everywhere! On the beaches, down every second street and behind restaurants and shops. They are very extremely popular and very cheap. A 2 hour massage costs some 300 Baht (R60)

After 3 nights and 4 days in Ao Nang, it was time to head back to Phuket. Besides taking a few wrong roads, we eventually got back to Phuket. We headed down to Bang Tao and dropped Ta off at the restaurant where she worked. We dropped Simon off in Phuket Town and we headed back to Shayile. A great road trip was had by all.






Back in Yacht Haven

Over the next few days, we got back into the Phuket sight seeing mood. As the weather was unfriendly to say the least, we spent a lot of time touring the island and eating at restaurants. We visited Phromthep Cape, and watched the most wonderful sunset. We visited the Ao Chalong Wat, a wonderful Buddhist temple complex well worth seeing. We visited the Shell museum and even the orchid nursery where Ann bought Piet a few orchids which are in a sealed glass container, ready for transporting anywhere in the world. Just break them open and plant your orchid! Piet had told Ann not to return home without orchids!!



Every day mom and I caught up on ALL the news from home, friends and family. I wanted to hear it all! It was fantastic having her about for our daily chats.

However soon it was departure date and time for mom and Ann to head back to S.A.

2 weeks had flown by all too quickly. Bags were packed with more things that arrived and soon they were lined up alongside Shayile on the walk on in Yacht Haven. We had not done very much cruising at all but it did not matter one bit. The weather was awful for most of the time mom and Ann was with us. Besides that, cruising was not mom’s primary reason to be in Thailand. It was about spending time with us and the kids. The “traveling gigglies” had really had a wonderful time in Thailand, seeing and experiencing a whole new culture and way of life. Saying goodbye to loved ones is never easy. With hugs and kisses, we said our goodbyes and mom and Ann set off though the departure gates at Phuket International Airport on their way back to Durban. The good news for mom and Ann was the seat upgrade they were given in Khula Lumpur for their trip to SA. They were both upgraded to business class and enjoyed all the luxuries of Air Malaysia’s business class trip back to S.A. Their “traveling giggly” label may have given them the ultimate ticket; a comfortable trip home after a great time in Thailand!



With mom and Ann on their way back to S.A., we headed back to Yacht Haven, ready to plan our next few weeks.



B: Trudy and Anne were such good sports plus they hardly ever needed any food. It was my best holiday ever. It was great to just relax and chat although we spent far too many hours in the car but at least we could all chat away. Anne is an excellent traveler and taster of all things local and she quickly saw how wonderful the Buddhist lifestyle is and how relaxed you feel in a low crime country. She’s dying to bring Piet, her husband, back here but as long as he gets a good map and doesn’t need a tour guide. As a grade 3 teacher it was wonderful to have Anne assess how Dan and Jens are doing academically and she passed them both to their next standard. I was thrilled to get all the books and worksheets that she brought to assess if Dan had covered everything. Thank you Anne, we look forward to your next visit.

My mother-in-law is absolutely awesome, she just turned 70 and not only did she help pull up the anchor in 35 knots of wind and driving rain but she laughed the whole time she was doing it! She is so full of energy and fun and managed to give us all our yearly quota of love and hugs while she was here. I was really sad for Daniel and Jenna when their Dinny left. They love her lots and were tearful to see her go. But at least I don’t have to watch her skip and jump down onto the dingy like a spring chicken with the balance of a mountain goat. We are all holding thumbs that she will talk Neville into a return trip, maybe to Malaysia which has better birding opportunities. If he won’t come, we do have a spare cabin which you can move into……..!!



With mom and Anne jetting off to S.Africa, we went ahead with our plans for our trip to Malaysia.





October 2006

The trip to Malaysia

Over Christmas and New Year, Gregg and Cheryl Petzer and their children Luke and Tanna are going to stay with us. Daniel and Luke are best of buddies and both were looking forward to the holiday together. However we needed to organize visas again, which would see us through to mid January 2007. Unfortunately the Thai government had changed the visa regulations and we could only stay in Thailand for 3 months every 6 months. We needed to get a proper 2 month tourist visa outside of Thailand. The plan was to sail down to Malaysia and stay in Langkawi, an island just off mainland Malaysia. We would get visas in Malaysia and then return to Phuket in time to have our next guests on board. Dave and Stephanie, friends from Durban, were going to join us in Thailand for 10 days.



We got ourselves together, checked out of Thailand and left for Malaysia. Langkawi is about 160 miles down the coast and the sailing on this part of the coastline is some of the best cruising grounds in the world with many beautiful islands and places to visit. Our plan was to island hop down the coast, visiting a few places on the way. First stop was Phi Phi Don Island.

Sails up and off we went. Not 10 miles out of Phuket we tangled with a huge squall. With blinding rain and visibility down to 150 meters, we battled on. With the radar not very effective in these weather conditions, I needed to be vigilant for fishing boats and islands!

Slowly the squall passed over us, leaving us soaked but with full water tanks. Within 5 hours we motored into the anchorage at Phi Phi Don.

Phi Phi is reputed to be the most beautiful island in the world. I certainly agree with this; maybe 15 years back. It is now a thriving tourist destination and a “must see” in Thailand. Unfortunately with this come all the tourist traps associated with these popular destinations. The anchorage is full of long tail boats, ferries, speed boats, dive boats and yachts. On land it is a town of restaurants, bars, accommodation and night life. Really an amazing place but perhaps its title as the most beautiful island in the world has slipped a few notches. Unfortunately Phi Phi was devastated by the tsunami in 2005 and is still rebuilding itself, with no planning, the infrastructure required to support the thousands of tourists that flock there each week. Nearby is island of Phi Phi Lay scene of the hit movie “The Beach” starring Leonardo De Caprio.

We dropped anchor and I went ashore to buy some dinner. We were all quite tired and within an hour I was back on Shayile with Thai take away dinner for as all. The anchorage was very rolly and uncomfortable that night. It can only be seen as a short pop in visit and we had no intentions, just yet, of hanging around Phi Phi.



Next morning we upped anchor and sailed south. Next stop was the islands of Rok Nok, about 30 miles down the coast. Rok Nok is made up of 2 islands with a narrow channel of about 50 meters wide separating them. We entered the narrow channel from the north and slowly made our way out the other side and into a sheltered bay. Here we picked up an anchor buoy just off the Eastern Island and settled in for the afternoon. A quick exploration of the islands and a much deserved snorkel trip was had that afternoon. We realized we had not done any snorkeling since Chagos and it was great to be back in the water. Only thing was we were disappointed with what we saw. Perhaps our expectations and memories of Chagos affected our judgment, but, none the less, it was not the most exciting dive. (Later we were to discover that there were better spots to snorkel)

We got back onto Shayile to find that we had been eaten by Sand Flies AGAIN! We were mad. Besides the fact that the islands had a lot of rubbish and bits and pieces lying around, it also had o-see-ems! On went the lotions and that night the scratching started once again.

Early next morning we were out of there not very impressed by Rok Nok, although it is labeled as a premier dive destination spot. We hoped our next visit would be more successful.

The next leg was down to Ko Tarantao. This is a large island just north of Langkawi and very scenic. We sailed down the eastern side, weaving our way between the many islands. The scenery was stunning with natural vegetation surrounding us and no signs of any human habitation. We found ourselves a cozy bay and anchored up for the night. This was the first anchorage all alone, by ourselves, in the wilderness. No other yachts or any villages around. We could make out the lights of the many fishing boats scattered around the bay but still we were alone once again! B and I poured ourselves a few sundowners and the kids settled in with a DVD. Relaxing and catching up on events, B and I chatted on well into the night.



Into Langkawi, Malaysia

Next day we sailed the last 15 miles or so to Langkawi. Langkawi is an island, slightly smaller than Phuket, situated just off the Thailand Malaysian border. It is a duty free island and is known for its cheap booze and electronic equipment. I was in the market for a new computer and needed to check them out.

Talaga Marina was our first port of call in Langkawi. We motored into the anchorage and dropped anchor. Looking around we identified a few familiar faces. A number of yachts from Chagos were in Talaga. Anchored not too far from us was the catamaran Katrina. I had followed Don and Jean Pickers, a South African couple, on their sailing adventures. They wrote regular articles in the SA Sailing magazine and I was very inspired by their adventures and escapades whilst sailing from SA to Thailand. They now do freelance charter work in Malaysia and Thailand on board their catamaran.

We checked in at Telaga, which was great! Like Thailand it was very organized and all a one stop shop! We had no intentions of staying in Langkawi for to long as we needed to get our visas and head back to Thailand. 6 days or so was all we had. The Thailand visas were only obtainable from Penang, an island some 40 miles down the coast and Malaysia’s second biggest port and commercial hub. We decided to leave Shayile at Talaga and catch the ferry down to Penang.

Everything was organized and within 2 days we were at the harbour in Kuah, catching a high speed ferry down to Penang. As we were about to board, we bumped into Jim and Lindy. Lindy was on her way to Penang as well where she was going to catch a connecting flight back to Australia for a few weeks. B and Lindy got chatting and did not stop until we reached Penang!





Penang trip

We arrived in Georgetown, the city on Penang and caught a taxi to our hotel. With every hotel experience, we get very excited about the bed, the bath and the comforts of hotel amenities. Well, true to form, we got the “Murphy” room. No hot water and no air conditioner. (Believe me; you need it in this place!!)

That evening Lindy took us all out to her and Jim’s favorite Georgetown restaurant. What an experience and one I will remember for years. The restaurant itself was Chinese and it can only be described as rustic. At the entrance, (there are no doors) is a huge tree growing up through the roof. The cooking area is at the front door with chefs hard at work at these enormous woks. One chef in particular was unbelievable and we all took turns in watching him cooking. With 3 woks on the go at one time, he cleaned, cooked, tossed the food about, added ingredients and concocted some unbelievable dishes. At the tables, it was basic layout. Plastic chairs with round tables and no table cloths. Within minutes we had ordered our food and drinks and within 10 minutes, the whole lot had arrived! Lindy pulled out a flask of wine and we all settled into a great meal, laughing away at the venue and experiences going on around us. Next day I shot out to the Thailand embassy and did the necessary. We could only pick up the visas next afternoon, so we had a bit of time to look around and shop in Penang.

I needed a new lap top and, as the prices were extremely good, I dually purchased a new Toshiba 80 Gig Lap top complete with cam camera! Skype was next on the agenda! Daniel and Jenna could now use my old lap top for their own use. Theirs has since died!

We also scouted around the many shopping centers for other bits and pieces we needed, amongst them a Game Boy for Daniel. He’s absolutely smitten with computers and anything electronic. Sadly most activities are directed at games and not programming software! Maybe later.

We spent 2 days in Georgetown, whilst we waited for the visas to come through and complete our sightseeing. With the visa in hand, we spent one last night in a rather tatty little hotel. That same evening, was the Hindu religious celebrations of Dheepavali and with a large Hindu following in Penang, festivities were at a high. We caught a taxi into the Hindu section of Georgetown and joined in the celebrations. There were thousands of people milling around, singing, eating and taking in the festivities. It was truly special and after a meal of chicken rotti and cooldrinks, we slowly walked back to our hotel.

Next morning we made our way down to the ferry terminal and caught the express ferry back to Langkawi. At a speed of 35 knots, it certainly made water travel a whole lot faster than the 5 knots we were used to on Shayile!



Back in Langkawi, we hired a car and drove back to Shayile. She was well, all tied up on the walk-on at Talaga. That afternoon, we left the walk-on and went out to the anchorage. Unfortunately it does get a bit pricy in Marinas and anchoring off is free. No contest!

Just above Talaga are some very impressive mountains. Tucked into these mountains and making their way down to the sea are some interesting rivers. An attraction is a place called Seven Wells where there are a number of rapids and slides where one can enjoy a day of swimming and wearing out pants! We walked up to the site and spent most of the day swimming and sliding down the rock slides and rapids. Daniel and Jenna were in their element and did not stop all day. Up and down they went, showing off when ever possible, but thrilled to experience the rides! We also visited a huge waterfall just below the slides before heading on down to the restaurants and souvenir shops at the bottom. Over a quick lunch we watched monkeys stealing coconuts and then sitting in the trees eating them and throwing the husks down on unsuspecting patrons!

Back to Shayile!



Rebak Marina

With a few days left in Langkawi before heading back to Phuket for Dave and Stephanie, we decided to head across to the marina at Rebak, about 6 miles away. Rebak Marina Resort was demolished during the tsunami and had only recently been completed. They were running a special for yachts as they wanted to encourage yachties back to their facilities. We took up the offer and headed across the bay and down to Rebak.

Rebak Marina is situated on an island, off the island of Langkawi. It has a very impressive resort overlooking both the marina and the sea. There are haul out facilities and work can be carried out on yachts. Unfortunately it is not that easy to get into town to buy spares etc and hence, has not really taken off as a marina where yacht maintenance can be carried out easily. Everything has to be ferried across and for this reason it is more popular as a yacht storage facility for long term storage of ones yacht.

The entrance is very narrow, but once inside it is very impressive indeed. We entered Rebak and there laid out in front of us was one of the most impressive marinas I have seen with facilities on the walk-on for some 200 yachts! Unfortunately there were only about 10 yachts there. We motored in and recognized Jim on Moonlighter. He had come in a day or 2 earlier and would remain here whilst Lindy was in Australia. Anchored not too far off was Odyssey with Barry, Estelle and son Ryan on board. We had met them in Nosy Be, Madagascar and had now caught up with them. It was great to see them again and catch up on their travels and adventures.

We settled into Rebak quite easily. At the resort was a great pool for the kids. Off the pool was a great swimming beach. There were bicycles to rent and great walks to go on. We could relax and enjoy the stay! With this in mind, I got hold of Dave, who was due in Phuket in 10 days time and persuaded him to try change his ticket and fly into Langkawi. We would then be able to sail up to Phuket, enjoying the many islands on the way up. He said he would do his best, so we sat tight and relaxed at Rebak, waiting for his reply.

Soon he emailed us to say not possible and that they would be flying into Phuket.

With that we said our goodbyes to all at Rebak and headed back to Talaga for the night.



Next morning we were planning to head back to Phuket. That afternoon, I did a quick email download and discovered an email from Dave explaining that there had been a change of travel plans. They could now fly into Langkawi! I responded with meeting arrangements and our new plans. B and I were stoked as we could now relax in Langkawi for another 10 days or so and, better still, Dave and Stephanie could spend 12 days cruising the islands between Langkawi and Phuket. With that we upped anchor and headed back to Rebak.

Everyone was surprised to see us back so quickly, as we took up our old residence and settled into the life at Rebak!

Whilst waiting for Dave and Stephanie, we chilled out! I did a few maintenance tasks on Shayile, but mostly relaxed. Daniel and Jena found themselves new mates to play with and we hardly saw them most days. They hired bikes and headed off, playing around the resort with their new mates. B and I spent time with the other yachties, especially Ryan and Jim. Often we would have sundowners on Shayile which stretched on well into the night, with B cooking up pasta for everyone! We got to enjoy Rebak and the facilities it had to offer.

Barry, who had spent quite a bit of time at Rebak, was doing work on yachts on the hard. There were a few yachts for sale that had been tsunami damaged or just “forgotten”. One was a Sparkman and Stephens 40 foot Sloop. It needed a lot of work but was going for some R50 000 but we could have negotiated a price of some R35 000.

The possibility of buying it, fixing it up and selling it for a profit was a good one. Barry was excellent with yachts having built Oddesy from scratch. Unfortunately over the weeks we had difficulty in contacting the lawyer in charge of the sale and the opportunity faded away.




Tuesday 22 August 2006

Maldives to the Nicobars, and on to Thailand

THE CROSSING : MALDIVES TO THAILAND


Last day at Addu, before the long haul to Thailand

Thailand, some 1600 miles away, (3000km’s) was our next port of call and it would take us some 14 – 20 days to complete the crossing. This obviously depended on the wind as there was no way we could motor.

The plan was to head in a NE direction, crossing the equator, and up to 4 or 5 degrees north. Addu was at ½ a degree south. As we went further north, we would pick up the SW trade winds that would push us across to the East.
Well, 14 days at sea did not appeal to me at all. Again, how do I keep myself occupied for 14 days? How will the weather be? Is Shayile in top shape?
I have read many books on sailing around the world with families and couples traveling, visiting various countries and passing on their experiences. Quite a few of the books I read, did not have a lot to say when it came to long crossings! Just when I wanted to know what it was like etc, they would describe arriving at their next destination. Not a whole lot on the passage. Well, I now know why. Frankly not a lot happens!! There are a few “highlights” but the majority of the time is spent reading and sleeping. Next thing you look up and 5 days have gone! Not a lot to report on!


Day 1 saw us make good progress. We covered some 110 miles. No fish, no other boats and a good way to get into the mood again. I was daunted by the prospect of being at sea for 14 – 16 days, and that was if we were lucky with the weather!

Day 2 saw us cross the equator. This was a special occasion as it was our first time on a boat. Erias and Shayile crept closer together and soon we were motoring along side each other. In true “cross the equator” style, we were ready for each other. Water balloons came out and the bombing started. I just held the course as water balloons were pelted at each other. Then out came a few flour bombs. The kids had a great time. As we settled down again, B began explaining to Dan and Jenna the significance of the equator and what it was about.

                                               Crossing the equator with Erias


Over the next 4 days we made good progress in a NE direction. We had to motor most days for a few hours, but the sailing was ok. The swell running was large but easy as it wallowed under Shayile on its way north.

Again, entertaining Daniel and Jenna was going to be a challenge over the following 2 weeks. They were fantastic on a crossing but after days of the same thing, they did get a bit “ok, so what’s next?” Fortunately the “Are we there yet?” question never came up. We stuck up numbers showing the days at sea and the number to go. Each morning one was taken down and we were a day closer to Thailand.
True to sailing, we had current against us. As we bobbed along at 5knots through the water, we only made 4 knots over ground. Frustrating but not much we could do about it.

Day 4 and we hooked a decent sized Barracuda. I filleted it and B prepared fish cakes.
On we went. Erias were with us all the time. We drifted apart, perhaps 8 miles or so, and then came together again. We chatted regularly on the VHF radio and it was great having someone to communicate with and knowing you are not totally alone, it’s certainly food for a positive spirit.



Those stunning days at sea


After 12 days at sea, we arrived at the shipping lane. This is the route that large ships take from the Malacca Straits through to India and the Middle East. Chatting to other cruisers, we were told to arrive at the shipping lane early in the morning. This would give us plenty of time to cross the lane which was some 25 miles wide. (50km’s)
From here, we were to make a right angled dash across it, looking out for ships all the time. Then we needed to resume the course heading directly towards the Nicobar Islands. This we did and first up on watch was Belinda as I went off to sleep. Later that day B woke me up to say there was a ship out there and we needed to keep an eye on it. What she did not tell me was we were crossing a highway! On the radar were no fewer than 12 ships! Not small fishing trawlers, but huge container ships and oil tankers! What a sight!

Slowly we made our way across the shipping lane. Once in a while I would call up a ship if we were on a possible collision course. By altering course a few degrees, we would avoid each other by about 2 miles or so. This continued for most of the day. As we left the shipping lane to the south of us, we turned and headed back on an easterly track towards the Nicobars.

Throughout the night, we could see many ships on our radar some 16 to 20 miles south of us. We were well clear of the lane and had no intention of wandering anywhere near it during the night.
(Interestingly, that night 2 oil tankers collided close to where we had crossed.)

We had been at sea for almost 2 weeks and so far, had had a great trip. A few days of lumpy seas, current against us and no fish, but other than that an enjoyable crossing. I kept wondering when it would change. How could we possibly have the perfect crossing!?

Big winds in the sky! Trouble brewing!


Next day it started. First the sky and clouds gave us an early warning signal. Bad weather was on the way!
The wind picked up and soon we were reefing back the sails. With the wind picking up, so did the sea. Then the slapping started as Shayile fought her way through a very upset sea that was slowly getting bigger. The squalls started forming out of the south east. Initially these were small and did not really affect us, but as time went on they began to intensify.

That night at about 7pm, we noticed a big squall coming up behind us. As it is difficult to estimate the winds generated by these squalls, we always took the precautions to reef right back and be prepared for a blow. As it crept closer, the wind intensified and with it torrential rain fall. As the wind hit 30knots, we realized we were in for a blow, the first of many. Interestingly, I could see the squall coming at us across the water. A sheet of rain and wind making its way across the ocean. I shouted to B, “lets reef quickly, this one is a big blow!” As the first gusts hit us, I turned Shayile into the wind. We managed to furl the genoa and then dropped the main sail.  Perfect timing as the wind increased to over 40 knots. We then turned and ran with the weather. I was at the helm hand steering, as the auto pilot was take big strain as Shayile was tossed about. For 1 hour it continued and what a ride! With the wind reaching 48.5 knots, we registered a top speed of 10.5 knots! Not particularly fast, but certainly not the speed I try to achieve. Eventually the wind settled down to a steady 20 – 25 knots.
Throughout the night the squalls continued to come through but not quite as intense as the 7pm squall. Even with the state of the sea and the winds, Shayile held her course and chatted into my ear; “all under control mate!”

For 36 hours the weather never let up. This had a certain advantage as we were making good speed. What affected me was lack of sleep. With the continuous slapping and banging, I could not get any sound sleep. I was up most of the nights and, frankly, was getting rather tired.

On board Erias, Nadine was keen to stop at the Nicobars. We had discussed this previously with Erias, however there were certain complications. The Nicobars were a “no go” area for foreigners! We had been told this by other yachts and information given to us. So much so that yachts had been confiscated and the crew arrested. If we were going to stop, it had to be under extra ordinary circumstances!!


Kids whilst on passage

On we sailed towards the Nicobars. With the sea and wind making our lives rather difficult, we were starting to seriously consider a stop over on the Great Nicobar Island. (The southern most island of the Nicobars) Further to this, we picked up a weather report which gave gloomy news for the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea. The winds would be some 30 – 45 knots accompanied by many squalls. Not the kind of weather we wanted to go into considering my state of sleep deprivation!
Between the 2 yachts, we decided to head for the Great Nicobar. With 3 days of hard sailing weather behind us, we needed a break.
We rounded the southern most point of the Great Nicobar and headed up the east coast, gaining protection from the SW wind. I then got on the SSB radio, and tried to contact the Indian Coast guard. I needed to outline our intentions. For oven an hour I tried but got no response. We headed up towards the port at Campbell Bay. It was now 10pm and visibility was very poor indeed. I tried to make contact with the port control but again, no reply. With that we decided to go for it and enter Campbell Bay and anchor up for the night. We could sort out any issues or formalities next day after a much deserved sleep!! 
At 1am in the morning, we dropped anchor just outside the harbour and immediately went to sleep.

A bit about the Andaman and Nicobar Islands
The Nicobar Islands lie just south of the Andaman Islands. Both island groups form part of the Union Territory of Indian and home some of the oldest tribes in the world.
Little is known historically about these islands, but it is believed that Marco Polo set foot on one of the islands during his travels.
The British first established a colony here back in 1789 and abandoned it in 1796.
In the 19th century they were annexed by the British adding them to their empire. A penal colony was set up for Indian freedom fighters in Port Blair.
When India gained independence in 1947, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands were incorporated into the Indian Union.

The indigenous tribes of these islands are distinguished in 2 groups; the Onge, Sentinelese, Jarawa ands Andamanese of Negroid descent living on the Andaman Islands and the Shompen and Nicobarese of Mongoloid descent living in the Nicobars. Most of these tribes are on the verge of extinction. Outsiders attempting to make contact with some of the remote tribes have been driven off with bows and arrows. They continue to maintain a unique lifestyle living in harmony with nature just as they have done for thousands of years.

It is a very interesting subject to read up on. The Indian government is doing its best to try protect these tribes from western civilization and the dangers associated with diseases and western influences that erode and destroy these ancient tribes and they way of life.
It is for these reasons that the Nicobars are virtually out of bounds. One is able to visit the Andaman’s once the necessary visas and documentation has been completed. At the time of writing, the Nicobars were not open to the public.


Erias at anchor off the Nicobars

I woke up at 6am with someone calling us on the radio. It was Port Control. I answered and explained our position and reason for stopping. They took down all our details and asked us to stand by on channel 16. Next up we got a call from the Indian Coast guard and again we explained the situation, and that we were seeking 24 hours to rest up before heading across to Thailand.

An hour later Port Control called up, giving us permission to stay for 24 hours and that we were not to leave our yachts. I thanked them for their understanding and permission to stay. I also invited them out to Shayile for a look about and a cup of coffee or tea!
We could now rest up, at anchor and charge those internal batteries!


A few hours later an inflatable boat pulled up and we had our first visitors. 4 officials came on board and introduced themselves. The visit was purely to look and see and spend some time with us. They were great and we caught up on what was happening on the Nicobars. We all took photos and soon they were on their way. Really just a social visit as visitors, (especially of our nature) was certainly very rare.
We slept and rested up for the rest of the day. It was great. That evening we had 2 local guys come out to Shayile on their boat. They came aboard and had juice and coconut crunchies. After a few photos and insisting on kissing me, they left looking as chuffed as punch!

Locals, happy to see me?


Next morning we woke up early. I radioed port control and asked for permission to leave. They came back a while later, giving us permission to depart. We thanked them for their understanding and hospitality and sailed off in an easterly direction towards Thailand.


The final stretch – Nicobars to Thailand
Having rested up anchored off the Great Nicobar, we were eager to get to Thailand. We sailed into a fresh SW wind and soon we were doing 7 knots. When sailing at a good speed, and fishing at the same time, a fish usually bites! Soon the reel was screaming and a fish was hooked. B turned up into wind and we dropped the sails. I then got busy fighting the fish. After about 10 minutes I realized this was no “ordinary” sized fish. It felt very much like a Yellow Tail and it was BIG! I fought it for 20 odd minutes and then B had a turn. Then back to me and it continued like this for over an hour. As it slowly got tired, it surfaced slowly. After well over an hour of fighting this monster, we had it next to Shayile. It was a huge Yellow Tail of about 50kg’s! As Shayile rolled and surged about, the fish made a dash under Shayile. Just what I did not want and with luck against us, the line wrapped around the propeller. I could not get it off and “snap”. The fish was gone! We were initially devastated – again! I had just lost my biggest fish ever! As we sat pondering the loss, we realized it may have been for the better. With only a freezer and a huge fish on board, it would have been a waste. We consoled ourselves in the knowledge that it had swum away, albeit tired, and we could never have consumer and stored such a big fish. Soon the sails were set and we were after Erias again.

The next day we sailed on peacefully. Thailand was coming closer. Into the night and the first sign of fishing boats, giving us an indication that we were getting closer.

Next morning and now the competition was on to see who would spot land first. We all gazed at the horizon every so often trying to make out land. Daniel had a few false starts, doing his best to see land!



Looking out for Thailand!


Midday and B was the winner. She lifted her head looked around and said, “Hey I see land!” Sure enough, up ahead in the distance were the hills of Thailand. Spirits we high and Daniel got on the VHF to tell Manu and Tito.

As we closed in on the island of Phuket, we noticed the clouds building behind us as another squall developed. Remembering this is the rainy time of the year and this was nothing out of the norm. We were arriving in the rainy season and this was to be expected for the next 3 months or so.

Soon the wind picked up and the clouds rolled over. We reefed back and prepared for rain. Next problem was our timings. We wanted to arrive in Phuket during daylight hours but, with Murphy hard at work, we would be arriving at about 10pm that night. A nighttime arrival in squally conditions; not the kind of arrival in a foreign country one would ask for. I just hoped my Maxsea software was spot on. (The electronic charts I have on my computer.)




Erias just ahead of us as the sun rises



As we approached Phuket, the rain continued and the wind blew 20 – 25 knots. Arias were close by, about 500 meters behind us. Our destination was Ao Chalong Bay. Getting into the bay would be tricky, as there were a number of islands off the coast and it was very shallow in places. We steered in amongst the islands and, with darkness upon us, headed towards Ao Chalong. There were many fishing boats in the area and we needed to be careful. Not knowing where we were, it was pitch black, we were in 10 meters of water and there were boats all around! Great! I steered us between the mainland and the island of Koh Long. It was a small channel and only about 3 – 4 meters deep. Jean Yves gave me a call to say they would go around the island as the channel was too shallow for them. We agreed to anchor off the island, meeting at the other side. It was just too tricky to try entering an anchorage we did not know with hundreds of vessels at anchor.

Soon we found a spot we thought best to anchor. We really had no idea where we were anchoring but so long as we were out of the channel and relatively close to other boats at anchor, we should be ok. We dropped anchor in 4 meters of water.

We were in Thailand, the island of Phuket and anchored off a small island called Koh Long!! We all gave each other a big hug. I could not believe we had finally arrived. B brought out a bottle of wine and we sat down to enjoy it. Now yachting folk cross the oceans all the time, but for me this was a personal achievement of note. We had crossed the Indian Ocean. The last stretch from the Maldives to Thailand had taken us 18 days. Kenya to Seychelles – 8 days. Seychelles to Chagos – 9 days, and Chagos to Maldives 3 days. A total of 39 days at sea and we were now on the other side of the Indian Ocean.

It ranks as one of my biggest personal achievements!

We clubbed the wine, had a bit of dinner and prepared for bed. Daniel reminded me of the first thing I was going to do when I get to Thailand. I told him we would carry out the instruction tomorrow morning. This being, kiss the ground, have a beer and then have 5 more beers!!
I slept well that night. Besides waking a few times to check on the anchor and depth, it was a great night!


Next morning we jumped up and went outside to get our first look around. The Ao Chalong anchorage lay about 2 miles away, across the bay. We would never have made it in there at night! There were fishing boats, ferries, yachts, long boats and other floating devices covering the whole bay! We had infact anchored off a small resort. A perfect spot considering we had no idea where we were anchoring.


View of Ao Chalong Bay with Ko Long in the background



Soon Erias joined us and we all prepared to go ashore and relax. We all jumped into the rather sad looking Shayile ducky. It was at its end and could not hold the air. First purchase in Thailand would be a new ducky. Erias and ourselves motored ashore. Again Dan reminded me of our plans. As we got to the beach, Daniel and I carried out the first instruction. On arriving in Thailand I was going to kiss the ground! Dan and I did the deal and then we ambled up to the restaurant eager to tackle the next 2 parts of the agreement. Amongst the trees was a resort with a beautiful restaurant. We all found ourselves a table and ordered beers. The kids we very excited about being together with Erias again. The adults sat and chatted about the entry into Phuket. The beers arrived and we raised our glasses to a safe passage and arriving in Thailand!



The rest of the afternoon was spent chatting, drinking and generally getting into the Thai mood. The kids ran around working off stored energy from the 18 days at sea. It was great to see them playing as a team and enjoying themselves.

With another fantastic lunch and a number of beers under the belt, the celebratory lunch on arriving in Thailand drew to an end. We all ambled on back to our ducky’s and headed out to the yachts. Erias and Shayile were keen to drop anchor in Ao Chalong!



We were now in Thailand!!







Ao Chalong arrival

This would be our home for the next 5 days or so as we settled into life in Thailand.

Ao Chalong is for most yachties, their first port of call in Thailand. It has customs and immigration situated on the wharf, very convenient indeed.





19th August 2006

Anchors up and we motored across the bay. Looking ahead we could see the yachts and other boats anchored in Ao Chalong. Choosing to wait and enter during the day proved a good idea as there were a number of mooring lines and other mooring debris littered within the anchorage. We each found ourselves a spot in the Ao Chalong anchorage and dropped anchor amongst the many yachts in the bay.

Ao Chalong is a very popular anchorage amongst the yachties and there must have been 80 to 100 yachts already there. With check in facilities virtually on the beach, this is usually the first port of call in Thailand for yachties.

That afternoon, without wasting much time. we jumped into the dingy and headed ashore.  First stop was the yacht club. Situated right on the water, it is a regular meeting place for the yachties of Phuket, convenient and full of information! There were also many restaurants and bars all along the Ao Chalong water front.

The town of Chalong was not far and, after a short walk up the road, we emerged at a very busy street. Cars, busses, motor bikes, bicycles, tuk tuks, taxis, people!! Wow, what a change. We were now back in urban civilization and the associated chaos! I quickly identified the rubber ducky repair shop. This would be my first call stop tomorrow. Our duck was “toes up” and needed replacing asap!

Back on Shayile that evening, we again took in the air of Thailand, savouring the feeling of South East Asia.



Thailand – A brief history

Thailand’s history is complex and fascinating and one can get quite absorbed in the history and writings of this area. Personally I knew very little about Thailand and was keen to read up a bit about this wonderful country.

The regions first civilization was Dvaraati, established around 2000 years ago by an Austrosiatic-speaking people known as the Mon.

Theravada Buddhism was introduced to Thailand during the 2nd or 3rd century BC by Indian missionaries.

The earliest traceable history of the Thai people picks them up in southern China around the 5th century BC. They were squeezed by the Chinese and Vietnamese expansion into the sparsely inhabited region in the north. (Laos) It was in this northern region that the Thais formed a state known as Yonok.

By the end of the 9th century, the region succumbed to the invading Khmer empire.

However, by the 13th century, the Khmers were in no position to resist a new vibrant force in Southeast Asia – The Thais.

Thailand was firmly established in the region with Buddhism as a religion. At this time the area was known as Syam. (Siam)

The Thai monarchy was firmly established around 1824 under the rule of Rama II. The Chakri dynasty is still in place today. However absolute monarchy came to an end in 1932 when a small group of military, dissatisfied with injustices of the monarchical government, staged a coup. The king was sidelined to a position of symbolic significance.

In 1938 under the leadership of one Phibun, the country was officially renamed Thailand. (Land of the Free) Siam, it was argued, was a name bestowed by external forces and a new title made it clear that the country belonged to the Thais, rather than by the dominant Chinese.

After World War 2, many governments came and went with time and this period offers very interesting reading. The French influence in the area, the Vietnamese war, coup after coup and the will by the Thai people never to fall under colonialism control.

The Thais were dragged into the 2nd World War when the Japanese invaded the east coast and set their sights on Singapore. The Thai government concluded a military alliance with Japan, probably in the belief that Japan would win the war. By 1944 with Japans defeat looking likely, the Prime Minister Phibun, was forced to resign.

There were many post war upheavals with coups and new leaders taking control of Thailand through to the 1990’s and into the new century. The latest coup taking place on the 20th September 2006. However Thailand remains a democratically elected government, albeit with the occasional coup!



Thai Buddhism

Over 90% of the Thais consider themselves Theravada Buddhists, followers of the teachings of a holy man usually referred to as Buddha (Enlightened One) but more commonly known as Gautama Buddha. (I was not aware that there are some 4 Buddha’s with the 5th predicted to arrive in the year 4457AD)



Buddhists believe that Gautama Buddha was the five-hundredth incarnation of a single being. In his last incarnation, Buddha was born in Nepal as Prince Gautama Siddhartha. He traveled the region converting non believers and performing miracles. He was married and had a child. As taught by Buddha, Buddhism believes in perpetual reincarnation in the pursuit of perfection with the ultimate goal being Nirvana.



Buddha “died” at the age of eighty in India, an event often dated to 543BC, which is why the Thai calendar is 543 years out of synch with the western one. (The year 2006 becomes 2549BE; Buddhist Era) Lying on his side, propping his head up on his hand, he passed into Nirvana. This gives rise to the classic pose of the reclining Buddha.



Monkhood : Every Thai male is expected to enter the monkhood for a short period in their life. A popular time for this is around July and is referred to as Pansa. (The Buddhist lent) This period lasts for 3 months.



As many of us know, Thailand takes a hard stance on drugs and there are numerous books and stories told of foreigners arrested and tried for trafficking drugs through Thailand. Sentences range from 15 years in a Thai jail to the death sentence.





Back to Shayile

Over the next 2 days, I ran around Phuket. Firstly I organized with Hans at Cholemark to replace my ducky pontoons with hyperlon pontoons. The PVC pontoons had taken a royal beating from the tropical sun and were finished. I also hired a motor bike and visited the various marinas and facilities investigating options as to where we could haul Shayile out the water and carry out much needed maintenance to her. She certainly needed anti fouling and other minor tasks to ensure she was back in shape for another season of cruising.

For the haul out, we settled on Boat Lagoon just outside Phuket Town. Although more expensive than the others, it offered live aboard facilities, contractors on hand and a pool where the kids could swim. Christian from the yacht Fiji offered his services in assisting me with a long list of general repairs that needed to be done.

Over the next 2 weeks, we settled into life at Ao Chalong, getting to know the area and meeting people of Phuket. The first “locals” we met were Kevin and Francis and their son Marlin. Kevin was from SA and Francis from Australia. We had our first braai at their house one weekend and met other South Africans. It was great to chat and socialize and catch up on SA talk. Unfortunately it always comes back to the increase in crime in S.A. We were all of the same opinion; the best place in the world but the crime is killing it.



We based ourselves in Ao Chalong. It is not a tourist destination by any means and can be described as quite “local”. As eating out is very cheap, we chose to have one meal ashore each day. Either we ate at one of the many restaurants and eating houses or we bought Thai take-aways. There are numerous food stores where ever you go which makes choosing food very easy. Initially we made a few mistakes with orders and found pigs trotters on one occasion when we opened the packet. However we soon got used to the food, their names and what we preferred to eat. Thai food is extremely cheap. Eating at a restaurant the total bill for the 4 of us, including drinks, usually amounted to about R20 each. At the food stores it was R10 or less. This certainly made the decision to eat out a lot easier! 


Ao Chalong market                



Markets are very popular in Thailand and every day there is a market in one or other village. Each Sunday morning at 7am, the Ao Chalong market got underway. We would gather the baskets and head up there early in the morning. The choice of foods was unbelievable. Every kind of fruit and vegetables with many not recognizable to us. Sea food including fish of every description, prawns, squid and assorted shell foods. Then there was the unknowns – the Thai deserts and other delicacies. The numerous “butcheries” with every part of the animal hanging out and being chopped up on a tree stump. At the same market clothes were for sale at very reasonable prices. All in all it’s a great outing and best of all the goods are very fresh and the stalls very clean. Each time we would leave the market having bought a lot more than we actually needed!



B: After the quiet orderly streets of the Muslim Maldives, the hectic cramped, stall covered streets of Phuket were quite an adjustment. From a Muslim country where dogs are considered taboo and cats are a rare sight, we were thrilled at the huge array of friendly animals wandering around. There are animals asleep everywhere or wagging their tails as you pass, they never pestered us or made us fearful. In fact they all seem to be Buddhists by nature and co-exist unbelievably together! I think the fact that they are all free to run around, mostly with collars, means none of them are territorial. They all appear well fed and certainly they are never mistreated by the Thai’s. Dan and Jen loved to play on the rather litter strewn beach with all the local dogs near the Chalong yacht club.



R: Slowly we found ourselves getting into the Thai way of life and really enjoying the environment in which we were now living. The Thai way of life is great and we fell right into the mode within weeks. Being South African, the lack of security and crime stood right out. We were now in an environment and amongst a people where stealing and violet crime was virtually non existent. Not to say that everything is 100% safe. Granted the Thai mafia does have a lot of influence on business and there are mafia related incidences in the papers. However our safety and that of our possessions has almost been taken for granted. The yacht is safe at anchor with all the doors and windows open, our ducky is safe on the beach whilst we go shopping, our bags and wallets are ours and there is no need to be constantly vigilant for would be muggers. It’s fantastic!

I must relate the story of Gary, a South African guy now living in Thailand. One afternoon he went to Patong on his motor bike to buy some clothing. He did the shopping and then got “caught up” in a pub with some mates.  Forty-plenty beers later, he stumbled out and went to where his bike was parked. Through eyes that were rolling around in his skull, he could not locate his bike. Up and down he weaved, trying to identify his bike. With no success and hours later, he caught a taxi home in the belief that his bike had been stolen. 4 days later, the exact location as to where he had parked his bike in Patong flashed back into memory. He jumped in a taxi and headed out. There he found his bike with his helmet and the clothing he had bought 4 days earlier still in the basket of the bike! It had not been touched! We all had a good giggle relating that situation to it happening in SA!   




Dan & Jenna – happy to be in Thailand!



September 2006

With the haul out teed up, it was soon time to leave Ao Chalong and head up to Boat Lagoon. We set off and headed up the coast, a distance of some 15 miles. Our plan was to spend 2 days at an island just off the entrance to Boat Lagoon before going in. We arrived at Ko Rang Yai and dropped anchor. This island is, or maybe was, known for its pearl farms. Next day we went ashore at the resort to check it out and have lunch. There was no sign of any pearl farms and the only indication of pearl activity was a shop selling pearls. It seemed as though the pearl farming business was no more. Although an attractive little island, the resort did exude a feel of “old and tired”. It needed new life and blood. However in its defense, and that of many other resorts on the islands, it was the off season and things may change dramatically when the season starts.

We had lunch at the restaurant with baby cats and peacocks keeping us company. We then wandered down to the beach and found ourselves a spot. B and I relaxed whilst Daniel and Jenna went off playing and exploring. While sitting there I complained to B that a mozzie had bitten me. Later we went back to Shayile and had supper. It was then that we both realized that we had been eaten by “no-see-ims.” Sand flies had bitten us all over.

I have to explain that I am seriously scared of the little buggers. Initially the bites are not itchy, but then they start. When one starts to scratch, there is no stopping the constant itch. These bites then develop heads and, if aggravated enough through scratching, turn septic. Terrible creatures! The only way is not to scratch and to apply plenty of cream to the bites. After 3 days of this, they tend to subside. As I am kind of allergic to many things, I react quite badly. The bites developed into huge welts and I needed to take anti-histamine tablets.

With legs looking like a plucked chickens, we upped anchor the next morning and headed towards Boat Lagoon.



B: Ha, ha I admit to being fairly amused at how miserable Rob was after being devoured, he forgets I had over 100 bites in Madagascar and felt physically sick, depressed and itched for 4 weeks. We now know, I) Beware of beaches with fresh water, needed for their breeding, and ii) avoid the high water mark and stay on wet the sand, iii) see little black flies on you: RUN, iv) don’t scratch, it stimulates the itch and gets sores infected, v) apply Tiger balm with camphor it seems to clear them up in 3 days, vi) no beach is worth the itch! Find a new beach quickly.





The Haul out at Boat Lagoon

The entrance to Boat Lagoon is interesting. The marina is built on a river surrounded by mangrove swamps. As it is a very shallow entrance and the channel into Boat Lagoon is marked with pylons. One follows these in for about 2 miles before emerging at the marina. Most yachts have to wait until high tide, some even spring highs, to get in.

What an organized facility. As we entered the marina, we were greeted by a rubber duck who directed us to a mooring. There we waited and soon it was our time to be hauled out. With efficiency yet to be experienced both in SA and on our travels, we were hauled out and positioned on the hard. The contractor that I had chosen to carry out the anti fouling was there and supervised the proceedings. As soon as Shayile was settled, we went out and explored the area. Boat Lagoon is a beautiful marina offering all the amenities and services required to carry out work on boats. We quickly found the pool and the eating areas.

Next day the working team got busy and began cleaning and scraping the hull for antifouling. Again I must stress the work ethic I experienced at Boat Lagoon. These guys got stuck in and did not stop! We were suitably impressed with the way they worked even whilst not under any form of supervision.

Whilst they worked under Shayile, myself and Christian got busy with other tasks and repairs that needed doing.

Over the next 8 days, we restored Shayile to “formed glory”. It was great to see her all polished up and ready to hit the water again.




Haulout at Boat Lagoon



B: This was no picnic, we lived in stripped down circumstances. It poured with rain most of the time so the boat was hot, stuffy and mouldy. The toilets were squat ones for the workers and the showers were a good kilometer away. Jenna and I subscribed to the bucket and chuck–it the next morning as it was a very dodgy climb down off a wet slippery boat which was high in the air and had no soft water below it. We loved the pool and walking up the road for good cheap meals but Dan and Jenna weren’t thrilled with the all tossed together nature of the Thai food plus sometimes “No Hot, No spice” got lost in translation.

This was also our first supermarket experience and the potato chips will give you some idea of how different the food is here. You may choose from Seafood Mayonnaise, Salmon Teriyaki, Spicy Thai Hotplate, Nori Seaweed, Extra BBQ, German Sausage or plain crisps! Buying milk is tricky as there are so many flavoured, sweetened, soured etc types and brown bread is sold in little half packets with crust on only one side. There are sweets and chocolates from all over the world and our two had a lovely time spending ten rand each on scary teeth and hamburger sweets and all sorts of wonderful things, good value here. But anything foreign like cheese, ham, bacon, pizza, pastries and baked goods are very expensive. Or maybe they just seem expensive when one Camembert costs R21 and we all could have had lunch at a food stall for the same price.



R: A classic experience went down whilst we were on the hard in Boat Lagoon. Having lived on the water on Shayile for over a year now, I was very accustomed to movement and water. My body was certainly not used to motionless nights! Shayile was positioned next to the main entrance road to Boat Lagoon and there was frequent traffic in and out over a noisy drain grate. One night I went to sleep and Belinda remained awake reading her book. All of a sudden, I yelled, jumped up, and bounded across to the port hole and looked out! With big eyes, I cursed and bolted upstairs. With B trying to get answers she followed me up. I dashed for the helm and looked ahead. There I saw a yacht directly in front of me! More cursing and I swung the helm at the same time reversing both engines. I then looked astern and more cursing as I was surrounded by yachts! Back to the helm…! With B telling me to relax, I soon came to my senses. Taking a few deep breaths, I then started to laugh. B then started to laugh and soon we were both in hysterics!

Whilst sleeping a bus had driven by. I thought this was our engines and we were under way. As I looked out I saw the lights of the bus going by and I thought we were going forward. (Know what I mean?) With more lights in the background, I imagined we were in a marina or anchorage. Problem! I jumped up and then saw a yacht directly in front of us. I swung the helm and reversed the engines to take evasive action. Looking behind me I saw more yachts and realized we were in the shit. We had sailed into an anchorage with no one looking out!!! What an experience! With my heart pounding and both of us laughing ourselves silly, we decided to amble off back to bed and get a good nights sleep! Is this the first sign of having been on board for too long??!



B: This was a total scream, Rob was completely frantic, stark naked and his eyeballs almost fell out of their sockets when he turned around to see another boat right up behind him! He never knew it was possible to parallel park a yacht! Silly boy, we always have one of us awake on watch when underway but we had just spent two- thirds of a month with a sleep cycle of 3 hours at a time!



R: At Boat Lagoon we met Philip and Anne on the yacht Abracadabra. She was having a lot of work done to her and had been out the water for some 3 months already. Philip was from Pretoria and has been sailing most of his life. His wife Anne is from Aspen in America. They have 2 kids, Annaliese (7) and Jaybez (4). With their yacht having all this work done to her, they had rented a small house in Ao Chalong. We got to know them well and spent many a day with them either at their home or at Kata Beach.



B: Anne invited me to go for a walk to the bakery where we had a cappuccino and the kids had shakes and pastries. It was great to sit and chat in such civilized surroundings but made me a little nostalgic for my girlfriends and all my favourite coffee shops! While sitting there we were stalked by various tourists, all Asian, who couldn’t get enough photos of Jenna, and the white blonde Annalieze and little Jaybez who has lovely long blonde curls.




Cradle for lifting boats out of the water



R: After 9 days of work, Shayile was ready to go back into the water and again, with great organization from the staff at Boat Lagoon, we were floating off and motoring out of the marina. Not all work went down smoothly I must say. The electronics were supposed to have been fixed. Key being the wind instrument and our outside radar. Within minutes both had packed up. So much for that! I immediately called them and told them to meet me at Yacht Haven in 2 days time. They would have to be fixed again.

Further to this I handed my primary anchor in for re galvanizing. We would be without an anchor for 2 weeks or so whilst it was re galvanized, or so we thought.

We motored out the channel and soon we were under sail.  We decided this time to head up to Yacht Haven for a week or 2. A visa run was due soon which meant we would have to leave Shayile for a few days. I was not keen to leave her at anchor, but preferred to have her safely on a walk on in a marina. We headed up to Yacht Haven, a marina on the NE side of Phuket Island.

We arrived at Yacht Haven and dropped anchor. I had taken out our second anchor and arranged it for anchoring. Unfortunately I could not use the anchor windlass. (The winch for letting out and pulling up the anchor) Anchoring would now need to be done by hand and it’s not an easy task especially pulling it up!

Yacht Haven is a wonderful marina, kind of isolated from the rest of the Phuket. First up we rented a car and drove around the whole of Phuket Island, getting to know the roads and locations of the towns, villages and beaches.



The visa run saga

Our visas expired on the 20th September and it was now time to do “the visa run”. Essentially what happens is one is granted a 1 month tourist visa. Each month you need to renew the visa by exiting Thailand and then re-entering. Once back in the country another month visa is issued and so it goes on. It is rather a inconvenience more than anything as it does involve going to Malaysia or Burma for the day. The visa run has even developed into a small business with agents offering visa run packages. This involves catching a bus to the border, being stamped out of Thailand and into Burma. Then out of Burma and back into Thailand, and then catching the bus back home! All in a day!

We decided to hire a car and drive up to the border, making it bit of a sight seeing trip.

As mentioned, I was not keen to leave Shayile at anchor and we took her into the marina and tied her up. In the event of any adverse weather, she would be safe on the walk on.



On the 18th September, we left for Ranong, the Thailand border town with Burma. That afternoon, on the way up to Ranong, we checked into the Kuraburi Greenview Resort. It was a break to the 200 odd km journey up the west coast to Ranong and was an attractive hotel nestled in a valley. We all checked in and then headed down to the pool. As we swam and savoured the experience of being in a hotel again, we realized it was our first night off Shayile and in a hotel for quite some time! We almost seemed to be in holiday mode and B loved it. Daniel and Jenna explored the hotel and the grounds. The best was being able to sleep in a loft accessible by a wooden ladder! All very exciting for us all.




Kuraburi Greenview Resort



On the morning of the 19th September, we woke up to news. There had been a military coup in Bangkok. At this stage no one had any idea as to what was happening, although it was reported that the coup was non violent and successful! With not much info to go on, we continued up to Ranong.

On reaching the border post, we noticed how quiet it was. On closer inspection and asking a few questions to other weary travelers sitting outside, we were told the border was closed indefinitely. Great, and we only had 1 day left on our visa! With nothing happening at the border post, we tried the airport. This to was closed down completely and military personal milled around outside. We then decided to drive back to Phuket and try another plan.






Tsunami damage on road back from Ranong



After a long drive back to Phuket, we decided the next best thing to do would be to fly out to Malaysia and do the visas run that way. At Phuket airport we got to work trying to, 1. Get information on the status of the border posts and, 2. Buy air tickets.

Air tickets were provisionally confirmed, but with the high cost of the tickets for the whole family, I made one last ditch attempt to see if the Ranong border had perhaps reopened. The telephone conversation was interesting. “Has the border post at Ranong reopened?” Yes came the reply. “Great, could we head back up there?” Yes came the reply once again. One last question. “Could we re-enter Thailand once back from Burma. “No, the Thai border facilities were open, but the Burmese border was closed!” Fat lot of good that was!

We booked our tickets and that evening we flew down to Khula Lumpur.

We arrived in Khula Lumpur at 12.30am and immediately caught a shuttle out to the hotel where we were to stay for a few short hours. At 1am in the morning we were checked into the hotel and in bed.

We were up at 5.30am the next morning and caught the shuttle bus back at the airport. We checked out of Malaysia, boarded the plane and within 1 hour, we were back in Phuket and checked back into Thailand. The visa run was over! We could now stay another month!



B: Rob’s account manages to sound very matter of fact and very smoothly handled. The truth is that nothing went as planned, everything was a mess. The customs official refused to speak English to us when we were quite aware from our previous days visit that he was fluent in English. Everything revolved around an exit permit that stated we were leaving via Ranong border and we had to drive another 45 minutes into Phuket town to have this Tippexed out for goodness sake, with no accompanying signature and then it was OK. We could have done it ourselves if only we read Thai. That was a joke by the way as the Thai language has 42 letters, 2 have since, thank Buddha, become obsolete. There appears to be little need for spaces and the sentences appear to join up into one long snake. Not for the faint hearted to try and learn, it does at least go from left to right but it may as well go from up to down.

Anyway we all loved finally taking off and had a lovely spicy meal on Malaysian airlines even if I had to beg for wine which was available, just not offered. It was after all Rob’s birthday, poor bugger, it had been a shocker.




Enjoying the comforts of a hotel room!



We took the last room available at the budget hotel near the airport, the executive suite i.e. it had a table and six chairs which I would have swapped for another pillow as all four of us had to share a king-sized bed. It would have been even more fun if we hadn’t set the aircon so high and woken up freezing without the duvet or if we hadn’t stayed up so long amused by the novelty of TV and a remote. Plus I would have got a lot more sleep if I hadn’t insisted on 3 long showers but it was such a novelty to have as much hot running water as I liked.

So after 4 hours of sleep, we lost an hour somewhere between Phuket and KL, we awoke too early for a bleary buffet breakfast. AAAaaarg, no bacon, back in a Muslim country plus not much was recognizable except those horrible little stale pastries which are clearly sold worldwide. So we got shuttled back to the airport and left the shopping mecca of KL without so much as a look at it. Very sad indeed. Thank goodness we had a car for the week, better rate, as this would have been impossible without our lovely Honda Hire Car.



R: We headed up to Yacht Haven where Shayile was safely on the walk on.

It was at this stage that I received a call from Simon, our traveling companion in Africa, aboard his yacht “Karisma”. Simon was working in Tanzania at the same Gas Exploration project that we had all stayed at many months back. He phoned to tell us he was coming across to Thailand to visit a friend, but would come down to Phuket to see us. Unfortunately it coincided with my moms visit but, as we were eager to see him again, we arranged to make contact and see each other as soon as he arrived.