Thailand - Overland / Malaysia

11^th April 2007

Bill and Sally arrive in Thailand

Fresh back in Thailand after almost 3 months away, we checked in at Ao Chalong. Restocking and bits of shopping is always first on the agenda and we got busy with that immediately.

The kids were very excited about their grandparents imminent arrival and were counting the days down. Also imminent was the Song Krang festival, the Thai New Year celebration. This takes place from the 15^th to the 18^th April and is a hectic festival to say the least. Water is the theme and wetting everyone in sight is the aim!! I thought it best to “equip” the team and we went out and bought 4 HUGE water pistols. With armament and ammunition readily available, we were prepared for Song Krang!

On the 12^th April, we hired a car and drove through to Phuket airport. As usual, the kids danced and jumped around in the arrivals section, eagerly awaiting Bill and Sally’s arrival. As they walked through, baggage in tow, the kids ran out to hug them. It was great to see Bill and Sally again, the last time being in the Seychelles some 15 months previously. After non stop chin wagging and catching up, we made our way to the car, climbed in and headed back to Shayile at Ao Chalong.

The plan for the next 3 weeks was to celebrate Song Krang, cruise Pananga Bay and then overland to Chang Mai in northern Thailand.

Bill and Sally settled into life on Shayile very quickly and with no time to waste, we all caught up on events back home and life on Shayile!

Song Krang

We really had no idea what to expect of Song Kew. We knew it was a festive festival and water was used “liberally”. We had no idea! Armed with our water pistols and in our baggies and t-shirts, we set out. We tied the dingy up on the Ao Chalong pier and walked along towards our car. Everywhere kids were out with water pistols, looking for targets! Daniel and Jenna, (and me!) were ready and the drenching started. As we passed Dims restaurant, a yachtie friend came out and sprayed us all with water with Sally getting the brunt of the water! We jumped into our car and headed out towards Rawai Beach.

The roads could best be described as Comrades Marathon day 15 km’s from the finish. The roads were lined with people with buckets, hose pipes, water guns and every other form of water throwing devise possible! It was unreal! As we drove slowly down the road, we were doused in water from every side. I made the mistake of opening my window to retaliate and soon someone had sprayed us, through the window, with a hose pipe! First Song Krang lesson Rob!!

We made our way down to Rawai Beach where it was one gigantic party for some 3 km’s. As it was a bit early to stop for lunch, we headed out to Prom Thep Cape to do some sight seeing. The kids complained bitterly as they wanted to go back and join in the fun. After a sight seeing, we headed back to Rawai Beach, parked the car and found a table for lunch on the road. Daniel, Jenna and I, now well armed, set out on a “seek and wet” adventure. Up and down the road we went, spraying everyone in sight, and in turn, getting drenched ourselves! It was unreal! Supplying the water were these huge water tankers that drove up and down the road offloading water in huge containers for the public to enjoy. We took a break for lunch and then it started again.

At 3pm, wet to the core, we climbed into the car and headed back to Ao Chalong. On the way back, and now better prepared on “shooting” from the car, we had great fun spraying unassuming people on motor bikes and those sitting by the road side!

Back in Ao Chalong, B and her parents were keen for an afternoon sleep, but the kids and I had still “wetting matters to attend to”. We grabbed our water guns and headed up to Sunrise Road, the main strip in Ao Chalong. There we found a bar where a number of other yachties were gathered. Being on the road it was ideal! The kids got busy with wetting everyone in sight, whilst I wet my thirst; and whoever came within range! As the afternoon wore on, fun was had by all; all except the poor Thai guy on the scooter. As he came down the road, minding his own business, he was doused from every direction. All part of the fun. However as he passed our watering hole, he tried to avoid the firing range and wandered onto the oncoming traffic. Fortunately the vehicle coming up had slowed right down as our Thai guy was now in their lane and oblivious to the approaching vehicle. Head on collision, and the Thai stuntman was airborne! How he did not break bones or damage himself I have no idea but he managed to crawl to the side and lie stunned for minutes afterwards. The bike was not in good shape! Apparently the road death toll over Song Krang is the highest for the year and with alcohol, water, high levels of bravery and testosterone, it certainly comes as no surprise!

That evening back on Shayile, we all had no problem with having a good nights sleep after a very interesting day celebrating Song Krang

Pananga Bag cruise   

Panga Bay lies to the NE of Phuket and is a wonderful area for cruising. The bay bites into Thailand mainland and is littered with islands. As the top end does form part of a delta system for rivers, the water is not very clean and the tidal strengths are quite severe at times. However it has a lot to offer in terms of islands and anchorages. There are huge granite columns that extend skywards towering to over 280 meters at times. Many of the islands offer wonderful Hongs to be explored. (Hongs; Thai for “room”, are beaches or enclosures accessed through cave like tunnels.)

Pananga Bay is littered with these Hongs and tourist boats are everywhere, visiting the islands, hongs and other landmarks within Pananga Bay. A big hit is James Bond Island, home of the movie “Man with the Golden gun”.

We motored out of Ao Chalong and stopped off in the small picturesque bay of Aquaruim. A nights “rest” and then we headed up into Pananga Bay. It was a slow motor sail up and really a “get into the mood sail” for Bill and Sally. That evening we dropped anchor off Ko Phanak. Off to the side was a cave disappearing into the islands side, a sure sign of a Hong. That evening we sat around, chatted and then crept off to bed. Sleep lasted a few hours and then a squall came through with god winds and an hour of down pour! Myself and B were up putting out buckets to collect rain water and to ensure all was well. With anchor alarms armed and water being collected, we went off to bed!

Next morning we decided to check out the hong. Bill, the kids and I did our best to get into the hong but unfortunately the tides we too high and we could not get in. With that we abandonded the idea and headed further up the island to another hong. This one was easy to get into and was very interesting for us all to see. With that we sailed on up towards another hong, but still on the island of Ko Phanak. This hong was a tourist hit with many day charter boats were anchored off. We dropped anchor and, using the paddle ski, we paddled into the hong. This one was amazing! We entered a small cave like hole and proceeded to paddle for some 60 meters before exiting into a stunning hong. The sides towered upwards for some 100 meters with natural vegetation clinging to its sides. The hong itself had no beach but was one large swimming pool. Inside the hong there were no fewer than 10 other canoes with tourists taking in the scenery. It did not bother us and after a few trips in and out, we retired to Shayile for lunch.

That afternoon, we motor sailed up to a small island not too far from James Bond island and anchored up for the night. Again it was stunning and we all sat on the front of Shayile, enjoyed sundowners and identified the constilations in the heavens above.

Time to move on again net morning and we literally zigzagged our way in between the islands and monsterous granite formations. We headed on down towards, perhaps our favorite anchorage in Pananga Bay, Ko Hong. For the next 3 hours we took turns in exploring the hong and the surroundings. Each one of these hongs we visited was very different from the next. With its easy access and cave like tunnels to explore, Ko Hong was superb. 

That afternoon we set sail again, heading back to Ko Phanak to tackle the hong that we could not enter due to the tide being too high. Now the tide was just right and myself, Bill, Daniel and Jenna went ashore to explore. Well the tide was very low and we could not paddle into the hong. With torches on, we carefully picked our way trough water, over rocks and into mud. Oh yes, as we exited the tunnel into the hong, we hit the mud! Deep, dirty, grey mud that was knee deep! It was not pleasant infact the kids battled as shoes got lost in the mud and tiny mussel like barnicles mad walking difficult. We all chalked the hong down as “done” but not recommended and left!

That afternoon we headed back to Yacht Haven, arriving there at 9.30pm. We dropped anchor and hit the sack!

Overland trip north 

The plan was now to put Shayile into the Yacht Haven Marina whilst we did an overland trip up to Chang Mai and Bangkok. That day we moored Shayile up in the marina and prepared her for 2 weeks alone whilst we packed our back packs.

The plan was to bus up to Bangkok, then take a train up to Chang Mai. With Shayile now safe and secure, we all piled into a taxi and headed into Phuket Town to catch the bus. We had booked on a 24 seater VIP bus to get us there! As it was some 13 hours in a bus, we had no intentions of arriving at our destination, tired and completely worn out with no sleep. The VIP bus seemed the answer, and was!

Unfortunately Sally was not well, suffering from a tummy bug of sort. However she made it through the trip, although feeling quite grotty.

We left Phuket that night at 6.30pm and arrived in Bangkok the next morning at 7am. The bus was very comfortable with plenty of room to stretch out and sleep. The kids particually enjoyed it as it was their first real bus ride!

In Bangkok, we jumped into a taxi and headed for the train station. As we were going to return to Bangkok in a few weeks, we made no effort in seeing the city. We entered the train station and immediately tracked down a train to take us north to Chang Mai. The schedules were all available but the trains were all full! We did our best to get tickets but to no avail and we had to move onto plan B. Catch the overnight train that evening, meaning spending the day in Bangkok with all the luggage in tow! We went into a coffee shop in the station to plan our day. Not 3 minutes before the Chang Mai train was departing, the ticket officer came and found us. “There are tickets available but you need to run!!” We grabbed our bags whilst I ran down to the ticket office and bought the tickets. With virtually 1 minute to spare we were on the train to Chang Mai. It was 8am and we would only be in Chang Mai that evening.

Again, it was a first for Daniel and Jenna. A train journey across Northern Thailand! It was a very comfortable trip and we all enjoyed the experience. Although a long way, we all sat chatted, played games and took in the fantastic scenery outside. It seemed the whole way to Chang Mai was just paddy fields! Everywhere one looked, the rice was growing. Not surprisingly, as Thailand it the worlds biggest exporter of rice. I must say I am fascinated by paddy fields and the way rice is planted, grows and is harvested.

As the evening took the place of the afternoon, we slowly made our way into the train station in Chang Mai.

Chang Mai   

Chang Mai was the ……………………

Arrival in Chang Mai

We had already organized accommodation in Chang Mai after phoning various B&B concerns we found in our Lonely Planet book. It can be tricky picking a place to stay from a book but we took the chance and arranged it. The place we found was a traditional Thai teak house in a popular area of Chang Mai. It was close to all local attractions and seemed very appropriate. Fortunately the owners offered a pick up service from the station and soon we were in a bakkie and heading off to the Teak House. Well, to our surprise we were offloaded outside a dormitory! A “boarding house” which resembled a prison block with decorations! B immediately asked about the so called Teak House in which we thought we had booked, to be told that this was the annexure and was a great place to stay! Perhaps it was but as we were in Chang Mai, doing the “tourist” thing, we wanted to stay in an authentic Thai Teak House as clearly advertised in the Lonely Planet and it was what we had booked! As if to imply we were being difficult, we were then taken to the Teak House. Well, again we were disappointed by what we came across as it resembled a second hand used appliances center. The rooms were not much better and although we were in an “authentic teak house” it was not living up to our expectations.

It was late and we wanted bed, so without too much of a scene, we had dinner and went off to bed. 

Next morning we checked out. The receptionist understood our reason for leaving and agreed that “the 5 bands playing in the vicinity were a real problem and sleeping was a problem!” Well, the bands posed no problem to our sleep and certainly were not the reason for us leaving! However we somehow agreed and departed.

We checked into Gap House, a guesthouse not too far away and spent the next 12 days here. It was great, with beautiful gardens and little authentic Thai houses!!

Chang Mai is a shoppers mecca. It certainly is the flea market capital of Thailand and shopping was on the cards. Further to this myself, Bill and Daniel were going to go on a trek into the hills whilst B, Sally and Jenna were going to do a Thai cooking course.

A Trek into the mountains

Northern Thailand is reknown for its trekking and many tourists set out daily heading into the mountains to experience the hill tribes, elephant trekking and other outdoor activities.

The 3 of us were picked up outside Gap House and we motored north. Joining us were 5 others, all keen for the experience. It took us about 4 hours to reach the starting point of the trek. We all prepared ourselves and our back packs. Our guide Corn, known as Popcorn, briefed us on the days walk and off we went. The starting point was tucked in amongst dry paddy fields. With winter over, the farmers and local hill tribesmen were now waiting for the summer rains to begin before planting would commence. We followed paths weaving through natural vegetation and paddy fields and crossed many small rivers as we slowly made our way higher into the surrounding mountains. It was certainly very interesting and Corn showed us many attractions along the way. One was a tree, some 30 meters high with a huge bee nest situated in a fork, high up. Embedded in the trunk and extending all the way to the top was pegs with a make shift ladder attached. Locals would use this rather flimsy ladder to climb up and raid the honey far above. I cannot imagine being caught high up trying to obtain honey whilst being attacked by half the bee population of the nest. Obviously honey is a delecasy I this part of the world.

Daniel was very interested when we came across a taranchulas next in the ground. Using a stick, Coren tempted the monster out where we all snapped pictures of this hairy best of a spider.

At lunch time we reached a homestead where we took shelter from the sun and rested up. Daniel anmd I did a bit of exploring around the stilted houses and other shelters. In one was a rice de-husking revise! A tribesmen came across and gave us a lesson on how it worked and we all took turns in de-husking rice. Very interesting.

On we walked and soon we were off the lowlands and entering the surrounding hills. These cannot be described as mountains but, none the less, up we went through bush and trees. It was not easy going as the heat was intense. Daniel did well and although keen to know when we would get there, “round the next corner” seemed to work quite well as a distraction. Later that afternoon we entered another homestead, our overnight stop.

It consisted of some 10 – 15 crudely built homes on stilts, with other shelters for livestock and food stocks. We put our gear down and again myself and Dan went exploring. There were quite a few local kids playing around and Dan was keen to check then out. It was all extremely interesting to see how they lived and survived in these remote parts of Thailand. Not easy and I equate their existence to those of the rural African people living in such areas as the Natal Wild Coast and the north coast of Kwazulu Natal namely “Zululand”.

Making our way back to the “boma” area, we climbed a ladder up into the kitchen where dinner was being prepared. In one corner a tribesman was cooking a whole snake over an open fire. The poor creature, now long dead, was being “spit braai-ed”. We enquired as to whether this was dinner and gained relief as we were told it was not part of the menu but could be tasted if wanted! With that we all gathered below, caught up on the day over a few beers and got to know each other a bit better. Dinner was served and later on we were given the opportunity to taste “Roasted-snake-alla-king.” I declined the generous offer but a few did give it a go. Unfortunately there was no snake taste as chilli and spices overwhelmed any sign that snake meat was present!

That night we all crept under rather tatty looking mosquito nets and dirty bedding. From a long days walking, sleep was not far away and the unhygienic bedding arrangements were soon the least of our concerns!

Next morning we were all up early and congregated around the “boma” eating area. The days walk was discussed whilst we consumed coffee, eggs and bread. With batteries charged, we were ready to depart, but not before a group of children visited us selling all sorts of beaded jewelry and hand made crafts. I could not resist buying a few pieces, before getting setting off. Daniel had a great morning walking around the village and checking out the folks and their family ways. I could not but help thinking to myself how is living an experience of a life time. How many kids of his age would get the opportunity to experience hill tribe life way up in the northern Thailand hills, and interact with a culture so far from our own.

We set off, meandering our way through the forests, passing through rice fields and natural vegetation. However we did encounter areas where large tracks of the mountain sides had been decimated. All the vegetation was burned and cut away, making space for the planting of vegetables. Now, not a real issue when these folks need areas to cultivate and plant their crops. The real issue, according to Corn, was the decimation of steep hill sides where the rain would wash away huge tracks of topsoil in the monsoon season. Areas would be farmed once before news areas were cut, burned and prepared.

We soon arrived at a clearing in the trees and these, waiting for us, we elephants. Using a wooden ramp, we climbed into the chairs and made ourselves as comfortable as possible. Myself and Bill in the seat with Daniel straddling the elephants neck with his legs tucked in behind its enormous ears! I cannot say it was a comfortable experience, but we all enjoyed it as we made our way through the forests with a view over a trunk and some huge flapping ears!

From the elephants, we were then back on our feet, walking through to our lunchtime spot, just below a rather dried up waterfall and river. It was extremely dry and the rivers were not in full form! A quick lunch of noodles and then we were off again on our last leg down into the valley way below. It was an extremely hot afternoon with temperatures way into the 40’s. Daniel was not amused and was really looking forward to just what really was around the next corner. After a long slog, we finally emerged fro the forests into a more lush surroundings of the valley floor. At a small canteen Daniel was able to restore his sense of humour and even take practice rounds shooting tins off a branch with a pellet gun!

Here we were picked up by vehicle and driven a short distance down to the river where, awaiting us, were bamboo rafts. Our next leg would be aboard these rafts, making our way down river, with our guide using a long pole and menouvering us down rapids and around rocks. These rafts are constructed from large bamboo logs, all strapped together with off cuts of car tyres. Once at the end of the river trip, the radts are easily dismantled, put onto vehicles and transported back to the start again! With Daniel and Bill sitting in the middle of the raft, I decided to assist our guide in polling the raft down the river. It was an excellent trip and we all had a wild time shooting rapids and avoiding rocks and other man made obstacles in the river. At the end of our ride, we climbed off our rafts and made our way up to the refreshment hole and our departure point back to Chang Mai. It had been a long and extremely hot day, but extremely enjoyable and an experience I shall never forget.

Back in Chan Mai, B, Sally and Jenna had enjoyed a great day of Thai cooking lessons. I just could not wait for a return on my investment!

Over the next week, we did our best to explore every tourist attraction and street in Chang Mai. Based at Gaps Guest House, we were in the center of the old city of Chang Mai and simply walking or catching a taxi, brought us to most of the attractions the city offered.

The Night Market 

Chang Mai is reknown for its street market which is held on a Sunday afternoon and evening. We may call it a Flea Market as traders selling every conceivable artifact, displayed their wares. Streets were closed off, traders erected their stands and business commenced. On our first visit, we were blow away by the size of the market. It was spread over some 3km’s of roads and alleys, with traders virtually on top of each other. Thousands of tourists and local citizens ambled up and down the streets, bargining for items on display. I cannot even start to list what could be purchased, surfice to say you could leave there with complete home and house contents, perhaps even the house!

Belinda and Sally had a ball! With Belinda and I having now confirmed our trip back to SA, we had many gifts to buy for friends and family back home. This was the perfect opportunity. Sally and Bill also made full use of the opportunity and “stocked up” on artifacts from Thailand.

Daniel and Jenna also had a ball walking the streets and focusing in on the many food stalls. I tried to tempt them into trying a few of the many deep roasted bugs! From Silkworms type catapillars to what resembled cockroaches, there were all there, deep roasted and ready to be consumed as a snack!! Also a hit with the kids were the many massage stands. Here one could pull up a reclining seat and have weary feet massaged. All along the many alleys, these massage facilities were there to give feet and legs a break and a rub down. Given the size of the market, these massages were a hit! Dan and Jen loved them and when we needed a break from them to examine a stand and its contents in more detail, we sat Dan and Jens down for a half hour massage. They soaked up the attention and the massage whilst we went about our busy shopping spree! 

The Wat

Perched up and a hill just outside Chang Mai is the ………. Wat.

One morning, we all climbed into a taxi and drove out of Chang Mai and up this huge hill with its road weaving its way high up above the city. The Wat overlooks the city and offers spectacular views. We took a kind of cable car / tram from the parking lot and emerged in front of spectacular temple. 

Unfortunately it was not a “quiet” wat, but a very busy one with tourists and locals alike exploring every part of the temples and the buildings. However, even with the many people roaming its grounds and taking pictures, it was still a fantastic place. We spent the next hour or so visiting the many rooms and temples; even being blessed by a monk. As Belinda said, the monk who blessed us radiated warmth, energy and kindness. A happy, gentle face of a man who appeared quite content and happy with his bundle in life; a rare quality in todays populace. Daniel and Jenna seem really taken in by these Buddhist experiences and both enjoyed the few rituals carried out at the many Buddha statues.

We left the wat, after taking in all the experiences, and slowly made our way down the meandering road back to Chang Mai.

Everyday we explored different parts of Chang Mai and spent many hours on our feet, walking the streets, having massages, eating out and trying to buy the last of the gifts required before we went home to SA. Gaps House was a great place to stay and, although we got exactly the same breakfast every morning for 10 days, it was a relaxed and enjoyable place.

With our stay in Chang Mai up, we packed our bags and headed off to the train station. The plan was to catch a train to a small village somewhere between Chang Mai and Bangkok, where we would spend a day or 2.

Again the train trip was enjoyable and that afternoon we pulled up in……….. Again we had organized a B&B via our trustly Lonely Planet Guide. Catching a taxi, we arrived at the B&B and checked in. The B&B overlooked a rather polluted and manky looking river, but offered all the amenities for us to enjoy the stay.

……. Is certainly not a tourist destination and offers not attractions aimed at tourists. We were happy with this and spent the next 2 days, again, wandering the streeta, eating at restaurants and finding great coffee!

Bangkok

With Bill and Sally flying back to S.A. in a few days time, our last stop was Bangkok. We caught the train from …….. and that afternoon we arrived in the city of Bangkok. With people bustling in and outr of the train station, we flagged down a taxi and set off for our hotel in a trendy touristy part of Bangkok. Not too sure on what to expect, we checked out the hotel, gave it the nod, and then grabbed our bags from the taxi. Although popular and “happening” with tourists, unfortunately the room were a bit small and stuffy. As we were not paying top dollar for our hotel accommodation, we really cpould not expect much better and resigned ourselves tro the fact that we would only be sleeping here for 2 nights and the rest of the time we would be out and about.

Unfortunately, as with any huge city like Bangkok, we experienced the “rip the tourist off” mentality. There was virtually nothing that we could do, that would not involve ongoing lengthly negotiations on price. Everything was negotiable! Now this can be quite an adventure at times and negotiating for a t-shirt or souvignier is a challenge. But having to negotiate to get into the Kings Palace and a simple boat ride down the river, or a taxi ride, (with meter!) it gets quite tiring and eventually you get the feeling of being ripped off! Walking the streets, one is constantly harrased by……… offering you trips or excursions to parts of Bangkok. Eventually it lead to us getting quite annoyed with the whole Bangkok experience and when we left the city, it was not soon enough. I have no doubt that it is a great place, but it remphisised our stand on “avoid cities where possible”. At the Kings Palace one has to wear long pants on entering. Fortunately there are robe type pants available on entering and can be obtained for free.However outside and before entering, traders are renting out clothing and insisting these have to be obtained before entering. Why this is allowed outside one of Thailands premier tourist attraction, I have no idea? We opted not to go in and decided rather on a boat ride down the river. It was reputed to be a great way to take in the sites of Bangkok. Again, we were coheresed into a “deal”. Again I had to negotiate the price and as time went on the price was reduced. Finally we settled on a price and the “guide” took us to the jetty. Before paying we manyt a few more enquiries only to find we could go on a similar cruise for a 60 baht per person, as opposed to the 1200 baht for the family! We rejected the 1200 baht option much to the disgust of the …… What a complete rip off!!

On leaving Bangkok, we wanted to catch a metered tax to the bus terminal. Well, this was not an option. Although there were many in the immediate area of the hotel, the fares were not metered but exorbently expensive! (Obviously being a tourist area and a captive market, the taxi drivers had agreed on no metered taxi rides from this area! A km or so away, the metered taxis came back into existence!!

Bangkok is a very interesting place with many sights and sounds of Thailand. It is vibrant, fast and buzzing with activity. It is also dirty, polluted and expensive. It is the only place in Thailand where we have been exposed to beggars in the streets and shady looking characters wandering the alleyways. Taking stock of our stay in Bangkok, we again concluded that cities were not really for us. Not a difficult conclusion to make considering our lifestyle over the past 2 years but none the less, we were not keen to put Bangkok down as a must see destination. There is a whole lot more to Thailand, its cultured and people than experiencing a week in Bangkok.

We bade farewell to Bill and Sally. They were to fly back to S.A. from Bangkok, whilst we caught a bus through to Phuket. 

Back in Phuket

We arrive back in Phuket early the following morning and caught a taxi back to Shayile at Yacht Haven. We were all extremely happy to be back on Shayile. It was our longest period away from her for 2 years and it was great to be “on water” again and back into the comfort and security of our home. 

We had massed 2 huge boxes of souvigneers and presents for friends and family back in SA. Our tickets home were all finalized and our plan was to sail down to Langkawi, leave Shayile in Rebak Marina and then fly home from Kuala Lampur.

We sailed out of Yacht Haven and headed down to Ao Chalong in order to check out of Thailand. Again, arriving in  Ao Chalong, it was like coming home to the village we deemed home in Thailand. We were now very familiar with the people, the shops, the streets and the anchorage. Dins bar on the waters edge became a land mark for us and greeting her the next day was like greeting a neighbour back home.

We spent 2 days in Ao Chalong catching up with people and buying a few things for the trip south. On the day of departure, I started the engines in the morning to charge batteries. After running the starboard engine for about 2 minutes, the alarm went off signifying the engine was overheating. I immediately turned it off and check out the engine. With obvious signs of it over heating I left the engine turned off and went to check out. My observation was a possible faulty solenoid. We returned to Shayile and prepared for departure. Again I turned on the engines and the same alarm sounded. I now relaised that it may well be more than just a faulty solionoid and soon discovered water under pressure was being forced out of the radiator water resivour. With an obvious engine problem identified I went off to try obtain some advice on the problem. I knew of a mechanic in Ao Chalong and soon tracked him down at his house. After giving me the run down of his life so far, he explained the fault. I had blown the head gasket on the engine! I was shocked at his prognosis as I had been nursing the engines and there was no obvious signs of any overheating or complaint. As we had already checked out of Thailand I made the call to sail down to Langkawi with one engine and get it repaired there. Bothered by the engine I returned to Shayile and we prepared to leave Ao Chalong.

Back to Langkawi

Next morning we set off for Langkawi. Accompanying us was a couple from Australia, Joe and Helen who were also heading down to Langkawi. They kindly said they would stay in touch with us, ensuring we had no problems with the one engine left!

At 11am we upper the anchor and headed out into Ao Chalong Bay. It was not 30 minutes later that the weather turned and it began to blow. They wind was not the problem, but squall were building up and moving our way. An hour out and I picked up a big squall heading our way. I called to B and we got to work, taking down the main and preparing for a blow. It arrived and within minutes we had winds close to 40 knots! We reduced the head sail and Shayile held her course as if nothing worried her. Ahead of us we saw a Sun Sail yacht in trouble. Not having reduced sail in time she was now heeled over and doing her best to come into wind in order to drop sails. Not obeying the Boys Scout motto of “be prepared”, she was caught in the squall. We watched as they finally managed to get her sails down. With that they did an about turn and headed staright back to the protection of Ao Chalong anchorage! Squalls can be scary and not for the faint hearted! On we sailed towards Phi Phi Island, as squall after squall hit us, sometimes with sheet rain reducing visability to 50 meters. The sea continued to pick up as the weather deteriorated. As we closed in on Phi Phi I picked up a huge squall closing in on us. Again myself and B did the necessary and we were ready for its driving wind and rain. Well it hit us with vengeance and soon we had winds measuring 50knots apparent! With us traveling at 6 to 7 knots, the true wind speed was well over 50 knots and the highest wind speed we had encountered on our trip. However, even with the seas choppy and a short swell, Shayile took it all in her stride and I was quite happy and relaxed at the helm in 50 knots of wind. Everything was under control and, frankly, I was enjoying it!

Soon we received a call from Joe telling us that they had just blown their genoa in the squall. They did not get it down in time and the force of the wind literally shredded their genoa. (Head sail) Under motor they managed to tuck in behind the lee of Phi Phi joining us for a much needed break from the relentless onslaught of the squalls and seas. I dropped anchor tucked in behind the cliffs of Phi Phi Don, joining the many day excursion boats and many fishing boats. When one sees many fishing boats at anchor seeking the protection of an island, you must know the weather is really bad out there! You know – local knowledge!

For 2 days we sat at anchor at Phi Phi Don as squall after squall thundered overhead. Even in the protected sanctuary of the island, we were still battered by 30 knot winds. Out to sea we could see the waves building. A few yachts came scrambling for protection, not keen on fighting the elements out there with winds in excess of 50 knots at times!

With the weather improving and the dreaded squalls having disappeared, we commenced our journey south. Our next stop was on the SE side of Ko Muk. We anchored up for the night and enjoyed a squall free evening together on Shayile.

Early the next morning we set off again, this time for Ko Lantra, well known for its bird next gathering activities. As previously mentioned there are certain islands between Thailand and Malaysia where the harvesting of bird nests takes place. This delacasy is obtained and sent for processing where it is turned into bird nest soup. The secret ingredient is apparently the syliva generated by the bird to “glue” the next together!

We anchored off Ko Lantra, away from the bird nest activity as we had heard a report from Ad Astra that we wanted to avoid. After having anchored up for the night, they were told by a boat full of Thai men to move away from the cliffs. Not that keen to move on, they asked why, only to be confronted by armed men explaining that they would shoot if they did not move. Ad Astra moved away!! We anchored up with……. And soon were joined by 3 other boats! With 5 yachts at anchor we felt secure with our anchorage for the night. Joe and Helen joined us for dinner that evening and we had a great meal together catching up on sailing stories and exotic destinations around the world! It’s amazing how chatting to people who have been to wonderful places around the world, how we are able to obtain information and learn more about sailing, places to visit and experiences of others.

Next morning we again headed south towards Langkawi, this time steering down the eastern side of the island of Ko Tarantao. We anchored between 2 islands just off a small beach. It was a deserted place and besides another yacht anchored some 500 meters from us, we were quite alone. A small Thai fishing soon came by and began picking up their nets. Watching them at work, I decided to go across and see what they were pulling up. Daniel and Jenna joined me and I paddled across to the fishermen. As they hauled their nets up, I saw a number of prawns in the net, along with many undersized fish, and all kinds of mobile marine life caught up in the gill net. It’s sad to see little Travelli and Rock Cod some 10 to 15 cm’s long being pulled up. Sadder still was when many were thrown back, already dead from the gill nets. Am I being over sensitive to this or is it a real problem? I keep questioning myself on this issue, something that I have seen taking place in every country visited so far. Take what you can regardless of size and ignore the long term effects. I could debate this for days on end but then what damage can poor fishermen do, going about their business in Thailand, fishing for the family, oblivious to any damage done? Let’s not go talking about commercial long line fishing boats and drag netting that provides us with tinned tuna on our supermarket shelves. This makes our Thai fishermen’s techniques positively environmentally friendly! 

Well, we spent some time watching them haul in their catch and then returned to Shayile. About half an hour later they came past and offered us the prawns they had caught. I had earlier expressed an interest in them but with the language barrier, was not sure if they understood me. They packed the 20 or so prawns into a plastic bag and handed them across for inspection. When B tried to confirm a price for the prawns they palmed it off implying we could have them. We refused and handed them 100 baht for their catch. Here were some seriously rural, poor fishermen going about their daily catch and then wanting to give us the prawns! What generous and kind folk! With 100 baht, some R25, they motored off home. That evening we had fresh prawns for dinner.

Langkawi

Next day we upped anchor and set off for Langkawi, some 15 miles away. As with every entry into Langkawi, we anchored outside Telaga Marina ands went ashore to check in.

Daniel and Jenna always enjoy Telaga as it has great ice creams at a reasonable price, and a fantastic educational playroom.

Our friends Don and Jeanne on Katrine were at anchor and invited us across for dinner that night. Also at anchor was Rob on the yacht Emma Peel, whom we had met in Chagos. For sundowners we went across to Rob and had a few beers. It was great to catch up with him, his travels and adventures over the past 8 months. Rob is a marine biologist, but has kind of side lined his profession to go sailing. Rob does the occasional charter and knows the Phuket / Langkawi area extremely well.

At 7pm we then went across to Katrine for dinner. On pulling up to Katrine, Don asked what we would like for breakfast!? We also noticed that, judging by the dinner layout, we were late for dinner. I asked Don what was the time and he said “Just after 8pm!” Myself and B looked at each other realizing we had forgotten to put our watches forward by an hour. We were still on Thai time and, according to us, it was 7pm! We all had a good laugh at the time confusion and soon settled into an enjoyable evening of red wine and a typically South African braai of steak and boerewors! Both myself and B get on very well with Don and Jeanne as they are fantastic folk, great company and really genuine people. After an evening of catching up on each others plans and travels, we headed back to Shayile for a sound nights sleep at anchor in Telaga Harbour.

With 5 days to go before departure date to South Africa, we did not have a whole lot of time socialize and sight see. We needed to get cracki8ng with packing and preparing Shayile for 2 months on her own.

We sailed down to Rebak Marina and checked in. Rebak was fast becoming our preferred stop over in Langkawi and was also becoming very popular with cruisers. There had been a change of management some months back and the benefits were starting to show. Yachties were now being well catered for with additional services being provided which, in the past, did not exist. Laundry facilities, restaurant foods at reasonable rates, free ferry rides to and from Rebak, and other important issues had been addressed. From some 12 yachts in a 140 yacht marina, Rebak was now becoming popular.

We tied up, checked in and then started to prepare Shayile. With only one engine working, I needed to get on to that one right away. I found a mechanic and teed up for him to fix and service both engines whilst we were away. I also needed a number of other tasks carried out. These were mostly cosmetic but important none the less. We had to strip an redo the galley floor. There were other minor gel coat repairs that needed attending to and some 35 other “maintenance issues”. Hamid, the local contractor was called in and he quoted on the repairs. With Hamid working on the boat and the mechanic on the engines, Shayile would be a whole new boat when we returned. Hopefully…..!!

At Rebak, I bumped into Carl and Bea who were in town. Carl and Bea were working on a motor yacht in the USA. However their contract was not renewed and they decided it was time to cruise. With their catamaran, “Rampant” on the hard in Rebak, they were now completing major work on her before heading off for some well deserved cruising.

Daniel and Jenna love Rebak and are kept well entertained with the many other kids around. Their good friend Thai, who lives on a yacht in Rebak, is always very excited when Shayile comes cruising into the marina. Immediately they get together, catch up on the latest news, (mostly new PS3 and other online games!) and then head off on their bikes. Most days we did not see them most of the day as they played and explored the resort. It was just as well as B and I were working frantically packing boxes and bags. We also had to ensure Shayile was secure and happy to remain on water, with no one on board, for 2 months maybe more.

Departure to South Africa

On the 20^th June, the Shayile Clan left Rebak Marina on the evening ferry. It was sad to look out towards our beloved Shayile as the ferry pulled away, but as always, with those beautiful Maxim Yachts lines, she winked at us as if to say, “Enjoy, I’ll be fine here!”

We were loaded to the hilt with baggage and very concerned that we would be over the airline baggage limit! At the ferry dock, we caught a taxi to the airport some 3 km’s away

and boarded an Air Asia flight to Khula Lumpur. There was a 4 hour wait in the terminal as our flight home was only at 12.30am! Although very excited, the kids grew tired and we did our best to keep them awake until boarding the flight. In the departure lounge, before boarding, we sat amongst other passengers going to SA. Many were tourists on their way to SA for a holiday or even business. However others were SA citizens returning home from holiday and boy could we spot them! Boxer shorts, 2 toned button up shirts covering a huge beer boep, tackies and a Blou Bulle cap!! Hey, we were going home!!!!

We boarded, and on time, the Boeing 747 Jumbo jet departed for South Africa. It was an 11 hour flight to Johannesburg. Daniel and Jenna immediately explored all the bits and pieces given to them on an international flight. A hit was the little TV screen and remore control. Within minutes Dan had it waxed and was showing me games and other electronic functions that only he could work out in no time at all!

The flight home was fine. Obviously for the majority of us, long flights are not pleasant, but we managed to watch movies, get some sleep and remain sane for the flight.

It had been 2 years since we were last in SA. It is a relatively short time in the bigger picture, but for us it was a long period to be away from our family, friends and familiar surroundings. B and I chatted well into the night describing what we missed about SA, what would have changed whilst we were away, and how the excitement of being home may influence our future travels. Would we want to get home sooner? Would we opt to keep going indefinitely due to circumstances back home? Would the whole crime scene affect our quality of life, bearing in mind that for 8 months we had lived in an environment where crime was as foreign to us as the truth was to Jacob Zuma!

Visitors to Shayile - Thailand & the Andaman Islands

Dave and Stephanie’s visit

Soon it was time to pick up Dave and Stephanie from the airport. We tidied and prepared Shayile and I then caught the ferry back to Langkawi and a taxi out to the airport.

At 7.30 pm, Dave and Stephanie came through Arrivals. It was great to see Dave after many years, and it was the first time I had met his wife Stephanie. Dave and I met whilst I was reping for Unilever in Zululand. We had done a lot of running together and often bumped into each other at different running events around Natal.

Dave had unfortunately, just been a victim of the violet crime scene plaguing South Africa. One afternoon whilst upstairs in his Berea house in Durban, he heard something down stairs. Going down the stairs to see who it was he was confronted by a black man. Asking him what he wanted, (Dave speaks fluent Zulu) the man pointed a pistol at Dave and shot him point blank in the chest. As he fell, he shot Dave again, virtually in the same spot. With that, the man fled. Miraculously Dave was able to get up and climb into his car. With two 9mm bullets lodged in his chest he drove to St Augustine’s Hospital. He made it, only just. As he climbed out of his car, seeing a nurse, he shouted for help. The answer was expected, “Casualty is not here but around the corner!” With that he collapsed and the nurse must then have realized he was not going to make casualty! 

Dave made it. After many days in ICU and countless operations, he was discharged. The bullets had his virtually every organ except his heart and spine! Dave is one very, very lucky man. With that experience under the belt, Dave needed a holiday and to relax!

We got back to Shayile at about 10pm, had a quick catch up chat and then everyone climbed straight into bed for a good nights sleep.

Dave and Stephanie were keen to see the islands and do some cruising. The plans then were to slowly make our way back up to Phuket, visiting as many islands as possible. We had 12 days in which to do it.

With D and S needing a days break from the jet lag, we stayed at Rebak and chilled out. We explored a few beaches and walked around the island. It still amazes me as to how much rubbish there is on the beaches! It would appear as if most of it was a result of the Tsunami. Old bits of walk on structures from marinas, ropes, plastic bottles, and many slip on shoes! The beaches on Rebak were littered. I still wonder why no effort has ever been made to clean up the mess on the beaches, both in Malaysia and Thailand? It certainly made for interesting sifting through but did nothing for the appeal of the beaches.

Malaysia to Thailand cruise

With supplies and snacks on board we left Rebak Marina and motor sailed towards our overnight stop. We were heading up to Hole in the Wall, a river anchorage on the East coast of Langkawi. With no wind, we motored up the channel and past Kuah. On route, with both fishing lines out, one of the reels screamed. Dave grabbed the rod and the fight began. Being Dave and I having a bit of experience with fishing, we both realized something was not quite right. The “fish fight feeling” was not there. Sure enough, we had hooked a great bit lump of plastic! With that we put the fishing rods away. Certainly no fish in this part of town! We sailed past Kauh Town and weaved our way through the many islands up the east coast of Langkawi on our way to Hole in the Wall.

Hole in the wall

We arrived there in the afternoon and what an impressive entrance. We rounded a small outcrop of rocks, and motored into the bay. Up ahead were “heads”, a bit like Knysna Heads for those who know Knysna. Through the heads we motored on up the estuary. Lining the river on both sides were mangrove trees. Again a wonderful experience for us all and we marveled in the natural beauty that surrounded us. Up ahead we saw a few yachts anchored just off what looked like floating houses. These were infact restaurants and fish farms. We dropped anchor and jumped into the dingy. Forking off the main river was a smaller one and we turned and headed up in that direction. It was then that we discovered the true extent of the restaurants, fish farms, yachts and activities! Up this tributary were some 15 yachts and many fish farms and restaurants. Long tails were ferrying customers backwards and forwards up the waterway. The natural beauty kind of left us, but it was great to see the goings on! We headed across to a restaurant and booked a table for 6. Each of these restaurants, and fish farms, were floating. Pull up on a boat, have a meal, and leave by boat – a great tourist attraction.

After a recce of the area, we returned to the restaurant for dinner. A highlight was the fish farm at the restaurant. Dan and Jenna went off exploring the fish farm and returned with much excitement. We all went across to see the attractions. There were some 20 or so “fish tanks”. These tanks are actually in the estuary and supported on a floating walk on. The fish in these tanks are treated to estuary water but are kept captive by netting. The attraction that the kids enjoyed was the Spotted Rays kept captive. Certainly not for eating, but as a tourist attraction. The keeper took some fish and hand fed the rays. Quite impressive as they virtually came out of the water and took the bait from the hands of the feeder. Dave had a go and managed to get quite wet in the process! Next up was the Moray eel tank where some 6 Moray eels were captive. In one cage we were able to hold Horse Shoe Crabs! Strange looking creatures with no claws and looked very much like some prehistoric creature on wheels! They have an incredibly hard body with a tail!

So with an interesting tour of the fish farm and a fine Thai meal we returned to Shayile.

The Butangs

2 nights at Hole in the Wall and then we sailed out and around the top of Langkawi island. Our next destination was the Butang Islands, some 15 miles NW of Langkawi. We motored most of the way and then managed a small sail in a gust as we approached the Butangs. We anchored up just off Koh Adang and settled in for the evening. A quick exploration of the island, a swim and then back to Shayile.

Unfortunately that evening the wind picked up and so did the swell. Worse still it was blowing us on shore. (A lee shore) At about midnight I decided it was time to move anchorage. I got everyone up and we lifted the anchor and motored around to the island of Koh Lipe about 2 miles away. This time we had protection from the wind and had the pleasure of a mooring, which we picked up.

(It must be realized that the prevailing winds were in the process of changing from Westerly to Easterlies. It was the change of the season and we now had to consider anchoring off the western shores and not off the eastern shores as we were accustomed to.)

We were now anchored in a protected bay and sleep came a lot easier! Koh Lipe is fantastic and we spent the whole day exploring the island. There were a number of resorts lining the beach front and we were anchored off one called Porn Resort! (Porn being a very popular first name in Thailand!) The village was quite bohemian in nature. Lots of small bars and restaurants with young travelers sitting around dressed in sarongs and finishing the 6^th beer of the morning! All very relaxed and chilled out. No doubt there was some giggle weed around as everyone looked “in the mood”! I thoroughly enjoyed the relaxed feel and the lack of activity associated with somewhere like Phi Phi island. That afternoon, Dave and Stephanie booked themselves into a resort for the night and we returned to Shayile. 

Next day we motored up the coast and anchored off Koh Adang in a small secluded back. We were some 20 meters from the beach and tied up to a mooring buoy. B dived the mooring and returned with concern. The mooring line, although thick, was showing signs of perishing! However, the diving was interesting and the small beach well worth exploring. We even took up a bit of surfing behind the rubber duck using my surfboard. That evening I was in doubts about the anchorage and was concerned that the weather may change and that we were anchored so close to the shore. Further still, the mooring was no guarantee. Hell, can I ever relax when anchored in a new spot! I’m always so aware of the position and possibilities. As we prepared to braai, I made a call. Not happy with the anchorage, we needed to move. Coming in from the east I could see a cloud bank. We let go of the mooring line and returned to Koh Lipe. The correct call. That evening we had a storm squall that hit us as about 10pm with winds blowing up to 35 knots and pelting rain. I was very relieved we were not sitting on a shaky mooring some 20 meters off the shore. Listen to your instinct!!

Rok Nok

Next day we set sail for Koh Rok, about 25 miles up the coast, and again spent an enjoyable day on this beautiful island group. We had a long dive on some amazing coral, our best dive to date in Thailand. Koh Rok was the location for the French version of the “Survivor” series and is certainly a beautiful island group. There are some interesting shrines with wooded effigies, most of them phallic in nature, found on the beach.

Koh Muk

Next day, off again, this time heading across to Koh Muk. About 2 miles off Koh Rok, the reel went off and soon Dave was fighting a fish, this time not a plastic bag! He landed a good sized Great Barracuda. A few pics and then we released it safely back into the water. We are not crazy about eating barracuda. Besides the small possibility of Sicatera poisoning, they are not the best to eat. (In our opinion anyway)

A few hours later we anchored off Koh Muk and the excitement of our next exploration was building. We were anchored outside a Hong, possibility the best in Thailand. It is called Emerald Cave. We all prepared ourselves and with me, Dan and Jena on the fishing ski, and the rest hanging on but swimming along, we entered the cave. Initially it was difficult to identify the entrance but soon the cave became visible and in we went. Above us we stalactites and strange rock formations. In we went and soon it was pitch black. I turned on my head light and on we went. Up ahead, we picked up the first signs of light and I headed for it, with everyone hanging on in absolute awe of the surroundings. And then we came out of the tunnel and emerged on a beach. Above us towered the sides of the “hole” we were in. The diameter of the hole was some 80 meters and the surface was about 200 meters up, the sides draped in lush foliage. The small beach was about 60 meters wide and the scene can only be describes as stunningly special. We spent ½ an hour enjoying the surroundings and then slowly made our way back through the 80 meter tunnel back towards the open sea and Shayile. With spirits high, we poured a few G&T’s and swam lazily being Shayile enjoying sundowners and snacks. That night we anchored off the nearby beach off the island of Koh Muk.

Phi Phi

Next stop, Phi Phi Island. On the way across we were hit by another squall. Although its bark was worse than its bite, we got a good drenching!

As I motored into Phi Phi Don I felt something was not quite right with our engine power. Playing with the controls, I felt the port engine was not pushing. Quickly I put on a mask and looked under the hull. Sure enough, there was a problem. We had lost a propeller! We anchored up and took stock. Why had the propeller fallen off? We had not hit anything and the only possible explanation was that it was not tightened properly whilst we were at Boat Lagoon. Christian had changed the anodes and perhaps had not tightened the propeller on sufficiently. Not much to do now but run on one engine until another could be fitted.

That afternoon and evening, we spent time on Phi Phi Don, shopping and eating!

Next up was Phi Phi Le, location of the 1998 hit movie “The Beach” starring Leonardo De Caprio. The beach in question is called Maya Bay. We motored into Maya Bay early next morning and were the first visitors. Fantastic! Not a person around and we had the whole bay to ourselves. We snorkeled with fish, feeding them bread and having a great time. Next up we went to the beach and, again, explored the area. At about 9.30am, we heard the first motor boats arriving. This was our signal to leave and soon we were back on Shayile and preparing to leave. With one engine going, we motored out of the small bay and soon Murphy got to work. The engine temperature light came on and I realized we were not pumping sea water through the engine to cool it. Damn water pump again! I had to switch off the engine, but we were in a precarious position, half way out of the bay! I jumped into the ducky, prepared a tow line and then towed Shayile back into the bay and tied up to a mooring buoy. Dave and I got busy and fixed the problem – a worn fan belt! Not to difficult and soon we were under way, this time heading for Phuket. As we were heading out, no fewer than 30 speed boats of every size were heading in. We had made it out just in time!

A slow motor the 25 miles across to Phuket and that afternoon we were back “home”.

Next day I took Dave and Stephanie out to the airport for their return flight. On the way we stopped at the Ao Chalong Wat for a quick visit. Then on to the airport where Dave and Stephanie flew off home to good old South Africa!

Dave and Stephanie had a very enjoyable stay with us and we certainly saw a whole lot of Malaysia and Thailand.  A big thanks goes to them both for their easy going nature and spending the time with us.

November 2006

Back in Phuket, Thailand

With Dave and Stephanie heading back to South Africa, the Shayile Team settled back into life in Phuket. The next big social event on our calendar was the Kings Cup Regatta. This annual event is held at the time of the Kings birthday each year and has developed into one of the top international yachting events. I was very keen to participate and keeping a close eye on proceedings. Philip and Anne on Yacht Abracadabra informed me that they were going to enter the race and needed crew. I eagerly accepted their invite and had a position in the Kings Cup Regatta 2006!

For the next few weeks leading up to the Kings Cup, we did more socializing and exploring around Phuket.

Jenna’s birthday

One special event was Jenna’s birthday on the 18^{th November}. As the day approached, B started to prepare. Philip and Anne and their 2 children Annalise and Jabis were invited along. Between B and Ann, it was agreed that Friday (the 18^th) would be the day.

Friday rocked up and that afternoon we gathered on Shayile and had a party, complete with balloons, cakes and presents. Everyone had a great time and Jenna just loved the company and birthday celebrations. Later that evening once everyone had left, I looked at my cell phone and noticed the date. The 17^th November!! I checked again and then asked Belinda what the date was? Her reply was, “the 18^th, I think!” Infact it was the 17^th and we had just assumed that Friday was the 18^th based on Ann’s comment “see you Friday! No-one had bothered to confirm and we had then celebrated Jenna’s birthday one day early. We all had a laugh! Talk about not worrying about the time, we couldn’t even get the dates right! This sailing is such a great time loss solution!!

The Kings Cup 

From Nai Harn, we sailed up to Kata Beach, the gathering point of the yachts for the Kings Cup and the start.

We anchored up away from all the racing yachts as Kata is known for its poor holding and the racing yachts seem to be poor at their anchoring technique. Last year the yacht Intrigue dragged in a blow and ended up on Kata main beach. After much deliberation, they managed to tow it off the beach using a fishing trawler. Not a pleasant moment for the owners!

Day one we gathered on Abracadabra early in the morning. We were in the cruising division and our aim was to go out there and enjoy it. No serious racing required on our part; just participate and enjoy. Well, this we certainly did. With the “team” in place, we set out for the start. Yacht Abracadabra is a Swan 57 and a beautiful yacht indeed. Very fast uphill (beating) but not that competitive downhill. (Downwind) It was really exciting as we all lined up at the start with so many different yachts of all shapes, sizes and designs. Down went the flag and off we went!

Well, for 5 of the 6 days of racing, the wind hardly blew over 10 knots. Mostly it was around 6 knots and for the majority of the days; the course was shorted due to lack of wind. On one day we withdrew as for over 3 hours we had progressed some 300 meters from the line! Not very inspiring sailing at all. The last day saw us in with a great chance to at least get a place. The wind died and after being about 1 mile from the finish, we drifted off with the current and ended up 4 miles away after 2 hours. Frustrating indeed and then only to see 3 other yachts catch us as they managed to pick up some gusts and come through!!

Very frustrating indeed and not my scene.

So, the sailing was pretty uneventful and boring, but the parties were something else. Each night there was a party at a different venue. Hotels and Yacht Clubs would host the event and put on a great show. Food and drink was all included and these gatherings proved to be the talk of the Kings Cup. Besides the yachties and friends having a ball, so did the kids. Daniel and Jenna picked up friends and we hardly saw them as the party began. Off they would go and reappear every hours or so to “check in”.  One night just before entering the venue for the evening’s party, we gathered on the beach near a whole lot of beach restaurants. Soon we were missing, Jenna, Annalise and Jabis. We searched the beaches but no sign of them. I took a chance and went up some stairs towards a very posh restaurant perched high above the beach. I asked the maitrede if she had seen 3 kids. To my surprise she said yes, and pointed towards a table. There at this very up market venue, seated at a table laid with white tablecloths, roses, and candle, were the 3 kids. They had been given something to drink and there they sat soaking up the attention and offerings at this very up market restaurant. I thanked the lady, without the kids seeing me and returned to the rest, telling them what I had discovered. A few pictures later and a big thank you to the staff, the 3 kids were back on the beach and off to the next party!

The kids certainly stole the shows and on the final night, an excellent band was on stage entertaining the crowds. The kids and parents all gathered below the stage and sang and danced the night away. Soon kids were invited up on stage to dance with Jenna, Nicky and Alex (Tui Tai) up there alongside the lead singer and support dance girls. It was spectacular and we all loved the show!

One evening at a function, I was interview by a local reporter, outlining our travels and adventures. Not too sure where it got to as I never followed up or asked what paper he represented!

So, the Kings Cup 2006 drew to an end. Unfortunately we never featured for prize money / sponsorship / appearance requests but we had a fantastic time, albeit no wind for sailing!!

Back to Nai Harn – 12^th December

With Christmas just around the corner we needed to make a few preparations. Further to this Greg and Sheryl with kids Luke and Tanna were coming in to join us for 18 days over Christmas and New Year.

We anchored up in Nai Harn and spent the next two weeks relaxing, socializing and shopping for Christmas presents. We hired a car and went through to the main shopping centers to buy Xmas goodies. What a change from a year ago when we were in Dar es Salaam with no engines and trying to shop for children’s Xmas presents. In Dar it was all outdated Chinese junk. In Dar, we kind of felt sorry for the kids as their Xmas presents were not quite up to scratch!! In Thailand, there was everything and this caused its own problems! Daniel had his eye on every electronic game and toy that there was over R500! Jenna just wanted a fluffy dog! B and I got cracking and bought the presents. Task done and very enjoyable compared to Dar es Salaam!

In Nai Harn we met up with many other yachting families. Anchored up not too far from us was Tui Tai with Jon and Sandra on board along with Alex (7) and Nikki (5) their daughters. Soon the kids were playmates and we spent quite some time together. Jon and Sandra had worked in Honk Kong for some time. Jon had a successful hotel on line booking business and Sandra had a high profile position in banking. Jon sold his business, bought Tui Tai and, much like us, set off on an adventure.

Also in Nai Harn was Quoll II with Tim and Trish and kids David and Mathew. Another South African boat arrived in Nai Harn just before Xmas. Mahi Mahi, a Leopard 47 with Joao and Ligia and daughter Laura and son Marco. They were staying in Phuket for a few months before heading back to South Africa and completing their circumnavigation as a family! So, with all the families and all the children, Daniel and Jenna had plenty of play mates. Most days they were on someone’s boat or on the beach playing together.

The Petzer Family arrives

As Christmas drew closer, we began stocking Shayile with food and provisions for the Petzer family. We already had quite a bit of alcohol on board which we had from Langkawi. B stocked up on last minute food and we were ready for Luke and the Team!

On the 23^rd December I hired a car and, with Daniel, we drove out to the airport to pick them up. Dan was jumping with excitement. He and Luke were best of mates and he was dying to see his buddy again.

The airport was buzzing with holiday makers and we had quite a wait as the Petzers battled to clear customs and immigration. Daniel sat, quite restless, and kept asking me when they were going to arrive. Bit like “are we there yet!!”

Much excitement and hugging as we met Greg, Sheryl, Luke and Tanna again. I had to remind Daniel to stop for a breath between sentences. He just could not stop talking to Luke about all sorts, but mostly about DVD games, movies and game boy!! The modern kids hey!

We drove down to Rawai Beach and stopped off for a quick beer and view of the sea. Then on to Nai Harn where B met us on the beach. Soon all the luggage was loaded into the ducky and back to Shayile we went. 

New Year 2007

Well, we survived the festive season. Christmas was great fun surrounded by many friends and lots of boats. Our children were spoilt with material gifts but I think the best thing for them was to have so many playmates on hand. They spent hours swimming, boogie boarding on waves and dunes and just generally messing around in the sun and the sand. We probably drank too much wine and plenty of gin and tonic and socialized up a storm. Gregg and Cheryl are born party animals and everyday was “festive”. Tanna is a very strong-willed little tike who doesn’t yet swim and I was terrified that she was going to plop overboard while no-one was looking. Sadly, two families sharing a too small boat space was testing and we all had a better time when the Petzers moved ashore, Tanna had more freedom and we all got a bit of privacy back. Living aboard is hard work with keeping things tidy, water restrictions and being a bit on top of each other. Luke was a total joy and spent hours luring squid to the boat, catching baby jelly fish in a net off the back and just generally reveling in life on the sea. I know he was disappointed that Dan wasn’t that keen but it all seemed just a bit boring to him.  

New year was really a memorable one! We strolled the busy streets, watched a cheerleader display and breakdancing compo and then wandered down to the beach to let off some fireworks. I was amazed at how chilled the crowds were. There certainly was no agro and no obvious intoxication. Everyone enjoyed each others little private pyromaniac displays and Luke, Tanna, Dan and Jenna shared their sparklers and rockets with some Chinese children. We bought a ‘balloon’, R20, a large thin cottony-paper tube about 120cm high, sealed at the top and with a circular copper wire frame at the bottom. A kerosene soaked paper coil was wired centrally at the bottom. Once this is set alight we just had to wait until the balloon has heated up enough to rise up and hopefully miss the tall trees and beachfront buildings.

I was stunned by the magnitude of the fireworks! They filled the skyline at 12 o’clock, these huge floating ‘balloons’ taking up peoples hopes and wishes! So elegant and peaceful. The sky was alive with dancing lights and we had front row seats from the deck Mahi-Mahi. Apart from being away from our families, we felt no regrets and I felt no need to make New Years resolutions, after all my life is virtually perfect!

One of the highlights was meeting Joao, Ligia, Lara(13) and Marco (11) Mendes from the yacht Mahi-Mahi (Dorado or Dolphin fish) This is a family from Johannesburg, SA who have sailed around the world in 4 years. Their Portugese/ SA hospitality and generosity are legendary. Dan and Jens were the lucky and thrilled new owners of toys, clothes and lots of lovely art goodies from Lara and Marco. I was especially thrilled with the 7 pairs of quick wash and dry baggies that Marco had barely worn and are so hard to find here.

We also spent some great days and nights on the beach and on each others boats with Tui-Tai (Kiwi waterbird). John and Sandra anchored just too close to us but once we spotted Alex (7) and Nicky(5), all was forgiven and we forged a great friendship. They have been sailing for a year after selling John’s internet hotel booking website in Hong Kong where they have lived for many years after moving from the UK. Throw in the Tim and Trish on Quoll II and their boys David (9) and Matthew(7) and the beach was full of kids. 

Malaysia:

Langkawi , Malaysia is a naturally beautiful island, it has soaring mountains covered in beautiful natural forest which is full of bearded monkeys and a huge array of birds. This contrasts sharply with Phuket where we rarely hear a bird of see any wildlife, I think they have all been eaten or chased away by the flashing lights and continuous trade and nightlife. We have adored Phuket for its friendly, non-judgemental people, its truly amazing and unbelievably cheap food  and availability of everything but its gloss is definitely wearing thin so it is refreshing to obe in a more natural surrounding. But….you cannot believe that two such different countries co-exist so close to each other. We have yet to eat any delicious Malay food, the people are not very helpful, they couldn’t be bothered to explain a menu or recommend a dish. Everything is smothered in catering size mayonnaise and chilli sauce, all disgustingly sweet with a very unpleasant aftertaste.

One evening while tied up in the expensive but very convenient Royal Phuket Marina we survived a nasty meal at a local eatery, Dan ordered an ABC which was a finely chipped crushed ice mound then smothered in condensed milk, chocolate sauce and other day-glo coloured stuff and sprinkles with smashed peanuts, fake red cherry stuff and creamed sweet-corn! He thought it wasn’t bad but he probably wouldn’t ever order another one. While we sat in this large eating area we were struck by how lackluster the local people are. Groups of young adults would arrive, order iced tea or milo, all served in brightly coloured plastic mugs with straws and then sit around morosely staring at the inevitable soap opera blaring from the, always, nearby TV. I think they should all be encouraged to drink alcohol, it may make them more personable. Getting bored with the miserable- looking groups we went for a walk. I have to say that the waterfront area is amazingly well planned, laid out and quite beautiful but there are no people to enjoy it. There are beautiful walkways over tidal inlets, arched bridges and clipped hedges where you can walk in complete safety. We walked to the area where a massive Brahiminy Kite ( a brown and white sea eagle) stands 3 stories tall in a huge star-shaped amphitheatre with fountains and intricate marble floor tiling and we were virtually alone. It was peak season, where are all the tourists? I kept asking Rob if they are hoping to host the Olympic Games or some such massive event, everything is built on such a grand scale. But the sad thing is that although it is hugs and wonderful it is also all unbelievably badly maintained. This is the Malaysian Malaise, the general ‘Don’t Care’ feeling.

One afternoon Sandra, her Mom and our four children took the amazing cable car to the top of one of the highest peaks. It is a first class operation, apparently designed and built by a Swiss company and appears very high tech and modern but no maintainence. The metal pillars of the Top Station were badly rusted and painted over with brown paint, the steps joining the cable car to an incredible suspension bridge spanning two mountains were clearly not a Swiss design. They were so uneven and amateur that it was an embarrassment. The views were quite spectacular and it cost only R30 and adult to go up two really long cables but I say go Now before the whole lot tumbles down into the sea in 5 years time.   The children had a lovely time feeding and petting bunnies in a petting farm at the base, but the bizarre thing was that they also offered archery target shooting in the same grassy patch. I shudder to think of what could happen to Fluffy if someone misfires or perhaps actually aims!

My biggest gripe is about the fresh fruit and vegetables available. What fresh fuit and vegetables? The produce lies in the sun and rots and the stall holders don’t bother to throw it away, it actually stinks! I’m talking completely vrot pineapples and mangos that only pigs would eat lying on stalls for sale. I was offered celery that was green and slimy from the fridge and when I rejected it outright, he just stuffed it back into the fridge. What for? My theory is that unlike Thai food which is always prepared from very fresh ingredients and stir-fried fast  the Malaysian food is slow cooked until not a vitamin remains. The frozen chicken breasts I bought here were the size of turkeys breasts and on defrosting lost half there volume in pink serous, saline injected fluid. Plus they were as tough as hell. Thai chicken is excellent and only R10 for a large bag of frozen braai pieces.

Anyway we got lots of boat jobs done while moving between marinas and I washed everything with the wonderful cheap water that never stops running out of the walk-on tap.  Daniel and Jenna enjoyed lots of freedom running, bike riding and swimming in the huge resort pool at Reebak Marina and I enjoyed a day of freedom. I caught a ferry from Rebak island and climbed into my hired Jelly Bean. I haven’t spent many days alone in 2 years and I haven’t driven a car for that long too. I admit being apprehensive but quickly remembered that I love driving. I had a ball. One hairy moment was when they waved me through as the first car on a stretch of new highway that has been under construction for months, possibly years. No-one had alerted the locals who have been using it like their personal front garden and driveway. There were two double carriageways with cars driving at 100km/hr in both directions. Plus there were astonished workers dragging lane dividers across the road and people entering from driveways and going the wrong way. Its not often I like to be overtaken but this day I was only too glad. My mission was to buy fruit and vegetables, collect parcels for Mahi –Mahi  who were scrubbing and anti-fouling their boats bottom and find a birthday present for Daniel as we would be at sea or just arrived in the Andaman Islands. It took all day and I just happened to find 2 pairs of baggies that fitted me (yay) and a pair of shoes. Wow what a day, retail therapy is just what I needed.

The saddest part was saying goodbye to the Mendes family on Mahi-Mahi. It is not often in life you meet such kind, generous and fun people. Joao ran himself ragged to install a new ship spotting system which he had recommended. Ligia amazed me with her positive and selfless attitude and their children Lara and Marco continued to be the most friendly helpful and kind kids we have met. Lara opened our eyes to itunes and set up our new ipod and whipped up Lemon Meringue for pudding. Marco kept an eye on Jens and held the bike while she wobbled along and he rode for ages with Dan chattering along on the back and picked him up when he slid the bike into a drainage ditch. I really felt tearful as we wished them goodbye and we all wished we had been traveling in the same direction as we had a short but great time with them. Luckily they are settling in the Cape and we intend to catch up there and reminisce over some Cape wine. Plus we will see them the next time they set off around the world and our children are packed off to work or university. Its all planned.   

The Andaman Islands

Whilst in Chagos, we received many positive reports on the Andaman Islands. I was even given an excellent book on the tribes of the islands and how their numbers had dwindled over the past 40 years. At this stage we really had little or no knowledge on where they were even situated! Ostrika, a yacht with us in Chagos, kindly gave us charts for the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, in the event of us wanting to visit the islands.

Whilst in Thailand, and after months of “civilization”, B and I decided it was time to use those charts and visit the Andaman Islands. Besides, we really needed to get away and enjoy a bit of peace and quiet and less people!

We gathered all the information we could and planned our trip. Fortunately another yacht, Tui Tai with a family of 4 on board was also keen to visit the Andamans. Jon and Sandra, from the UK, with their children, Alex and Nikki, had sailed down from Hong Kong. We had met in Nai Harn and spent many a day in their company as the kids really socialized well together. We planned and prepared the trip to the Andamans.

The Similans

First stop, after leaving Bang Tai, would be the Similans. Again we motor sailed the 50 odd miles across to the Similans Islands. We had now virtually “driven the whole way from Langkawi to the Similans!!

As nightfall approached, we could make out Tui Tai and Quoll II in the distance. At about 9pm that evening we anchored up next to Tui Tai and Quoll II, (Tim, Trish, and kids, Mathew and David) we were extremely happy to arrive in the Similans as we had literally been beating and motor sailing from Langkawi!

The next 4 days were spent relaxing and diving. The Similans have to be the best diving and snorkeling in Thailand and we all thoroughly enjoyed our stay.

Daniel was fortunate enough to celebrate his 8^th birthday party here in the company of 5 other yachting kids.

They all had a great time together and there were even a few tears when finally Shayile and Tui Tai upped anchor and set off for the Andaman Islands, a journey of some 350 miles (600km’s)

Off to the Andaman Islands

The Andamans – a brief history

The Andaman and Nicobar islands are situated between latitudes 6 degrees to 14 degrees North and longitude 92 to 94 degrees East.

They are part of the Union Territory of India and home to some of the oldest tribes in the world. 

The crossing

We left the Similans early on the morning of the 27^th February 2007 and motor sailed out on a bearing of 300 degrees True. There was very little wind but the trip conditions were comfortable. I had pulled Grib files on the weather and all looked good for the trip. (Grib files are obtained via SSB radio using Sailmail) We all settled into the routine of another crossing, our first in almost 5 months.

For 2 days we sailed and motored, Belinda and I taking turns on night watch. Fortunately I had installed an electronic early warning ship detection facility on Shayile called AIS. With this we were able to monitor shipping activity and movements. A lot more information is supplied using AIS as opposed to radar, one of which is we can identify the approaching ship by name and receive accurate information on interception points, timings and possible collision avoidance tactics.

On the late afternoon of day 3 at sea, we hooked our second fish of the crossing. The first was a Mahi Mahi (Dorado) which we had released! With the reel screaming, we brought Shayile into the wind and Belinda dropped the sails. I was holding on to the rod for dear life as the fish sped away, stripping meters of line ever second. This was a big fish! For an hour I fought the fish, playing a form of school yard gaining grounds as we both fought for line. After 1 ½ hours, I slowly made progress and got the fish alongside Shayile. I had guessed it was a Yellow Finned Tuna by the way it had run and fought. It had gone very deep and it felt like I was reeling in a tractor tyre! As it came alongside the sugar scoop, Belinda skillfully gaffed it and dragged it on board. A huge Yellow Finned Tuna! It was enormous and weighed some 28kg’s. For the next 2 hours I filleted it and portioned the meat off into plastic bags ready for the freezer. We now had fish for the next week and it is the finest eating fish in the ocean; our opinion!

Late that night we crossed the Invisible Banks; shoals about 40 miles off the Andamans, and early the next morning we motor sailed up towards our first port of call, Port Blair.

Dinner for a few nights!

Port Blair

There were a number of procedures that needed to be followed, one of which was informing Port Blair of our arrival. This we did and Port Blair was aware of our pending arrival. At 9am, we entered Port Blair harbour and anchored up on the Ranger Flats, just off Chatham Island.

B and I had a quick nap as we waited for customs and immigration to arrive. Finally, when notified by radio, I went ashore and picked up the customs officials. Back to Shayile and Tui Tai, and then an hour later the same with immigration officials. After customs and immigration had completed our documentation, the Coast Guard arrived on their motor launch and pulled up along side Shayile. A few more forms and a list of do’s and don’ts and we were now legally in the Andamans.

That night we got together with Jon and family and had a feast of sashimi and seared Tuna! All washed down with crisp white wine, we toasted the beginning to our Andaman trip.

Next morning we needed to wrap up a few admin procedures and do some provisioning of fruit and vegetables. We went ashore by ducky and were met on the wharf by the “boat boys” and taxi drivers. Uma, a young Indian guy, took charge of our dingy whilst 2 taxi drives took command of transportation needs into Port Blair. Jon and I called on the Port Captain and then headed off to the Forestry department to get permission to visit the Cinque Islands, a part of the Andaman National Parks. Late that evening, we had all our documents and B and Sandra had done a fine job on the much needed fruit and vegetables. Unfortunately there was no time to see and tour Port Blair. We were on an itinerary given to Port Captain and we had to stick to it! A tour of Port Blair would have to wait until after the Cinque Islands

                        Tsunami damage in Port Blair

Cinque Islands

We upped anchor on the morning of the 1^st March and left Port Blair harbour. Turning in a southerly direction we sailed the 25 miles down the coast to the Cinque Islands. No fish, but quite a few hits!

The Cinque Islands consist of a group of 3 islands, North, Middle and South Cinque Islands. It is reputedly a breathtaking area with an abundance of marine life, including sharks and Manta Rays. There are also vast areas of white beaches and rain forests.

We slowly made our way into Middle Cinque, a small island with a picturesque bay that offered us great protection from the northerly and NE winds. In front of us was a beach with trees and natural scrub.

Both yachts dropped anchor in 12 meters of water and we immediately went ashore. There was quite a shore break, and we had to negotiate the sets carefully and make our way up the beach. Immediately the kids shot off, finding themselves an old tree lying on the beach and set about building a fort. I got busy with my fly fishing and slowly walked the beaches fly fishing. Up in the forest, we saw a heard of Spotted Deer as they looked at us curiously and then darted off into the undergrowth. It was a stunning setting and with a few beers to wash down the day, we all sat and watched a spectacular sun set over the sea.

Next morning Jon and I were up early, grabbed fishing rods and went trawling in the rubber duck. A successful morning with 5 fish caught, of which we released four. (2 Coronation Trout, 2 Bonito and a Coral Trout)  I kept the decent sized Coral Trout of some 4kg’s (SA name - Rockcod) and later we prepared it for lunch.

We all gathered on Shayile for a meal of Coral Trout on the braai. After lunch we spent more time on the beach, until Belinda caught sight of the dreaded sand flies! Without a moment hesitation, she had gathered the kids and was ready to leave the beach. It was what we feared most about beautiful beaches! Good old Ying Yang had kicked in again and we made our way back to Shayile, sad to have to leave the beautiful beach. That night we noticed a few bites on our legs, but the true impact would only emerge in 24 hours time!

Next morning as we were having breakfast, and after a non successful fishing outing, (we took a gaff along with us; a bad sign!) we heard a gun shot coming from the island. Looking up, Jon saw 2 men running through the forest. Earlier whilst out fishing we had noticed a fishing boat anchored off a small beach and a fire was burning. Clearly these guys were hunting the Deer on the island.

About ½ an hour later we heard a second gun shot, clearly to finish off a wounded animal. Over coffee, we chatted about the incident and, as it was a National Park, thought it best we report it to the authorities. At our morning radio call into Port Blair, I reported the incident and asked to speak to the Coast Guard. They were all very concerned over the incident and within an hour the Coast Guard aeroplane was flying overhead. I got onto the VHF and had a chat with the crew on the plane, explaining the position of the shooting and the details. They flew over and circled a few times taking photographs. (At the time we were not aware of the photo taking) Jon and I also decided to send an email through to Coast Guard and, further to this, give them a report when we returned to Port Blair. We were all very saddened by the shooting of a deer on such a beautiful island, one of the few classified as a National Park in the Andamans. Letting it go unreported was not an option.

Later that day we decided to move down to South Cinque Island, about 2 miles south. It was reported to have a beautiful beach and, with the sand flies on Middle Cinque, it was time to find a new beach! As we closed in on the anchorage, I could not help but get the feel of our family holidays down the Transkei Wild Coast. The coastline looked remote, wild and untouched. Big open beaches stretched for miles, with rocky outcrops at the points. The difference was the size of the waves. Unlike the Wild Coast, here we had a small shore break, but still there!

That evening the kids, Jon and Sandra went to the beach. Belinda was still recovering from sand fly bites and she was not keen to venture near a beach. I took my fly rod and spent the next hour fly fishing. Another stunning sunset as I pounded the water, trying my best to catch anything! With nothing taking, we all headed back to the yachts for sundowners, dinner and bed.

Twins Islands

Next day, nice and early, Jon and I went fishing on the rubber duck. Up and down we trawled, but with no luck at all. With no real motive to stay at South Cinque, (sand flies occupied the beaches!) we upped the anchors mid morning and headed across the bay in a westerly direction towards Rutland Island. It was a pleasant sail across the bay and soon Shayile was comfortable at 8 knots. Closing in on Rutland we picked up 2 – 3 knots of current and carefully rounded the southern tip of Rutland. There were many reefs and with the strong current we stayed well away from the coast.

Twins is about a mile off Rutland and consists of 2 islands, with a channel running between the two. We motored up and anchored off the Eastern Island, protected from the now strong northerly wind. Grabbing our snorkeling gear, we all took off for the reef. Well, what a pleasant time we all had. Although the water was not that clear, we saw the finest coral gardens we have ever seen. Not one bit of damaged coral! Huge Plate coral, masses of Digitate and Stag Horn Coral. Little reef and coral fish littered the area and it all reminded me of little Nemo in his back garden! Besides the visibility and strong current, we all had a wonderful snorkel and returned to the yachts quite pleased having visited Twins!

That afternoon, we motored into a bay on the Western side of Rutland and anchored up for the night.

Next day we were back at Twins. We motor sailed up to Twins and tried our best to enter the channel from the north.  Within the channel, it was reported that there was great snorkeling. Looking in, and as I negotiated the bommies, I realized it would not be easy. Within minutes Belinda, at the bow, turned to me and called it off. I swung the helm and headed out. A good call as it was getting tricky amongst all the bommies. We headed around Twins and this time anchored close to the channel on the southern side. Into the ducky’s with our dive gear and we motored slowly into the channel. Our objective was to try spot and snorkel with one of the many Manta Rays reported to be in the area. Unfortunately it was not to be and after ½ an hour of strong currents and mediocre coral, (we were now fussy!) we returned to the yachts.

Our next plan was to head across the bay and enter the Macpherson Straits, just to the north of Rutland Island. The Straits would lead us back to the East Coast. As we were busy lifting the anchor, who should swim right past Shayile but a Manta Ray!! Unfortunately we were in the process and could not stop to dive with the beautiful creature. We sat and watched it gracefully swimming by and disappear into the big blue, sad not to have accompanied it in the water for a while.

Macpherson Straits

We headed up towards Macpherson Straits and into a big choppy sea and 20 knots of wind. We bounced, banged and battered our way the 5 miles up to the Straits. Fortunately as we entered the straits, we picked up protection from the wind and swell and soon we were in calm conditions again. Lining the sides of the straits were hills of magnificent natural forests and vegetation. It was stunning and so peaceful motor sailing up through the straits. Some 2 hours later, we motored into a small bay, on which sat a small Indian village. Its name was Chiriyatapu and there was certainly not a lot to it! As we motored in, a fishing boat came alongside Shayile, displaying a barracuda they had caught. Closer and closer it came. Initially I thought it would go on by but it closed in on Shayile. Soon I realized we were going to touch and I tried to take evasive action. It was too late and the fishing vessel scrapped along the side of Shayile, leaving huge red paint marks along the side. I was mad and waved him off. We now had great big red GT stripes down the one side of Shayile!!

Next day we explored Chiriyatapu. There certainly was not much there as we walked through the village and out into the nearby forest. All along the waters edge we could see the damage done by the 2004 tsunami some 2 years previously. It is reported that the whole of the Andaman Islands “tilted”. The East coast is now some 2 meters or so deeper and the West coast some 2 meters shallower! Certainly here we could see the result with huge forest trees still standing, now 5 meters out in the bay. We entered a kind of reserve, where a lot of the trees had identification tags pinned to them. We soon found an enclosement with Spotted Deer. They had feeding trays but also the freedom to roam around the forest. We had walked into a kind of reserve, a park area with some kind of management in progress. An interesting set up and could certainly develop into something bigger with time.

At lunchtime, we upped anchor and motored out of the straits and headed up towards Ross Island, just off Port Blair. It was an enjoyable motor up with coast with not much wind to fight against. Closing in on Ross Island I picked up a decent sized Wahoo. Food for the next 5 days or so! Jon on Tui Tai also got one and we entered the anchorage at Ross Island with fresh fish on the menu once again!

Ross Island

We were all eager to go ashore on Ross Island and visit the sites it had to offer. Next morning we jumped into our ducky and motored across to the jetty on Ross Island. As we were busy climbing off, we noticed the coast guard in their motor launch, pulling up next to Tui Tai. Jon and I shot back to Tui Tai and invited the captain on board. Jon had prepared a document, complete with photographs of the shooting incident down at Cinque Island. They were keen to get our story and were very appreciative of our report.

Having handed over the report we returned to Ross Island and joined the rest.

Ross Island – A brief history

During the British occupation, (1858 – 1942) Ross Island was the capital, a tiny island standing guard to Port Blair harbour. In 1858, Dr James Pattison Walker arrived in Port Blair aboard the East India Company steam frigate “Semiramis”.

During the British occupation, Ross Island was the seat of power. It was developed into a self sufficient township with all facilities for a civilized colony. Dr Walker, chairman of the Andaman committee, established the infamous penal colony in Port Blair in 1908 with 200 convicts.

From 1942 to 1945, the Japanese occupied the Andamans and took Ross Island. Today many of the Japanese bunkers are still very visible. In 1945 the British took over again, but later abandoned it.

The island, with its ruins and historical background, is a great attraction to tourists.  Although quite dilapidated, the old buildings like the ballroom, Chief Commissioner’s house, hospital, bakery, troop barracks, church and cemetery still hold reminiscent of the old British occupation at the time.

We spent the best part of 3 hours walking around the island and examining the many ruined buildings and Japanese bunkers. We even found an old mortar casing lying in the grass. One of the Japanese bunkers still had the turret of its gun lying inside and we could visualize the scene during the war as we walked through the many bunker corridors.

After a very interesting time on Ross Island, we returned to the yachts. By this time the wind had picked up considerably so we decided to up anchor, motor the mile or 2 and anchor inside Port Blair harbour.

Later, Jon and I met our taxi driver, Ravi, and went into town to buy a few yacht requirements. Draw money; buy O-rings for the water maker, fishing tackle, oil and other minor needs. Ravi was excellent and he took us to all the necessary places. He also took us to a bakery where we bought samosas and curry puffs. As a thirst was now building up, we asked Ravi to take us to a “local” bar. This he did and soon we found ourselves seated in the corner of a dingy bar! We ordered a few beers and watched the locals come and go. Interestingly, there are no “bar flies”. The patrons come and go within 10 minutes, each ordering rum and water, gulping it down, and then apparently moving on to the next watering hole!

We tasted the rum (without water!), just out of interest, and then asked Ravi to buy 6 bottles for us. Firstly it was very good and secondly it cost all of 3 dollars a bottle! Besides, every sailor needs rum from exotic destinations, ask Captain Haddock!

Back to the yachts, with a slight wobble and although the wind was still blowing, we were in the protection of the bay and that night we all slept very comfortably.

Chatham Island Saw Mill

Our stay in Port Blair, planned for a few days, was a sight seeing one and next up was the Saw Mill on Chatham Island. Next morning we all went ashore and walked the short distance down to the Mill.

This mill, still in operation, is one of the oldest and largest mills in Asia. However over the past few years legislation has seen a marked decrease in the number of trees felled for the mill, and production is down on past years. We were all pleased to hear it!

We all walked through the mill watching huge tree trunks, some almost 1 ½ meters in diameter being loaded onto trolleys and cut up using old circular saws. All extremely interesting and it was almost as if we were caught in a time warp, watching production in the 1880’s. One is even able to stand very close to the action! Not the kind of thing permitted in our society!

After a very interesting tour, we jumped into taxis’ and headed into Port Blair, this time to the Anthropological Museum. Again a very interesting place and one is able to understand and read about the many primitive tribes that still occupy large parts of the Andaman Islands.

From the museum, Jon and I headed back to the yachts while B and Sandra went to the market to buy fruit and vegetables for the next 2 weeks.

The Cellular Jail

At 3.30pm, we were back at the jetty and ready for our next outing, this time to the Cellular Jail in Port Blair. The jail, completed in the year 1906, acquired the name “cellular” because it is entirely made up of individual cells for the solitary confinement of prisoners. It originally was a seven pronged building with a central tower, but 4 were subsequently damaged and then removed. There are 3 of the original wings left.

The prison was originally for convicts from mainland India, but soon it turned into a facility for political freedom fighters, opposed to the British occupation of India. Many perished at the jail and one is now able to tour the facility, and take in the stories and events that took place all those years ago. Again, I found the jail extremely interesting and we spent 2 hours touring the jail. At 5pm, we left and went for a sundowner at the Lighthouse restaurant.

At 6.30 we were back at the jail, this time for the light and sound show. One cannot compare this type of show to one we are perhaps used to. It was simple, yet quite effective and gave those viewing the show a good understanding on the history and events that unfolded at the Cellular Jail. All very interesting indeed. The part that did not go down too well was the drunkard that decided to relieve himself off the platform we were sitting on and then proceeded to sit down next to Sandra for the remainder of the show! Anyway, not too much of a problem, but interestingly enough a complete stranger to us and the drunkard, came up to me and apologized for the behavior of the man. Obviously he had seen the events and was clearly disgusted with the behavior. I thanked him and brushed off the incident. Obviously behavior that they are not accustomed to!!

That evening we all had dinner at a restaurant / hotel perched high up on a hill overlooking Port Blair. With cuisine of interesting curries and other Indian dishes, we enjoyed a relaxing meal before heading back to the yachts.  

With provisions now loaded, we were ready to leave and head north, we all went off to bed for a good nights sleep

Havelock Beach No. 7

We motored out of Port Blair and headed north, up the coast towards Havelock Island. We would now be into winds for the next 10 days or so as we made our way into northerly winds. No sailing until we returned to Port Blair I suspected.

It was a pleasant, relaxing motor up to Havelock, with the water maker churning out fresh water and no fish to be caught!

We came into the bay and dropped anchor off Havelock Beach No. 7. Apparently it is the 2^nd best beach in Asia and the 8^th best in the world!! We were all interested in knowing what the best was.

The beach must have been a good 2km’s long, with natural forest lining the beach from one end to the other. Flanking both sides were coral reefs. What we did notice was the shore break, which appeared quite big! 

That evening Jon and I went trawling on the duck, up and down the reef, but to no avail. The fish remained elusive!

Every evening we would get together with Jon and Sandra for sundowners of G&T’s and then dinner. It turned into an every day affair and became quite an occasion. Snacks and drinks on one of the yachts as the sun went down. The kids, just loving each others company, carried on playing together, entertaining each other with toys and games on board each others yacht! We really enjoyed the evenings together.

Morning saw Jon and I back out fishing. Again nothing, but again, every morning after fishing, we returned to Shayile where Belinda would have a cup of coffee waiting for us. This became a routine for us and coffee ended the fishing outing each morning. We chatted away about the day activities and lack of fish!

Most days began with breakfast and then strait into school work. School always seemed to be bit of an effort. It was never welcomed and seldom enjoyed. However Dan and Jen got through their work, albeit with a bit of threatening at times that play with Tui Tai would not happen. I must say, myself and B are NOT teachers and just do not have that patience and “knack” that junior school teachers have. We found the lessons and teaching every arduous and quite boring. I think it became boring and an effort for both Dan and Jen as we were not communicating the message across as well as a qualified teacher would. Anyway the battle continues!!

Once school was complete, lunch, a rest and then out to play. If the mornings were particularly good, we would squeeze in a play session after breakfast and before school. What was important to us was keeping the kids out of the heat from 11am to 3.00pm. Sun-burnt kids are not an option at all.

At Havelock, I got quite a bit of fly fishing done each evening, although not much success was had. One evening, Jon hooked a big fish and called me over as he was fighting it. I came along side his ducky and soon Jon had a beautiful Giant Gravelly (GT) on board. Now I have quite a strong affinity with GT’s and find it very difficult to keep them. Partly due to them not being the best of eating, but mostly due to Ben and Pam Pretorius and the Ufudu Flyfishing Experience back in SA. These fish were never kept and I grew to love them as a strong fighting game fish, but one that was released after the event. However we were running rather low on fish and decided to keep this one.

That evening we filleted it and divided the meat. Belinda prepared Gravlax, which is prepared by taking two pieces of fish with the skin on, then sprinkling them with vodka, sugar, salt and herbs. The flesh is then wrapped in cling wrap, weighed down and then put in the fridge for 24 hours. It forms a kind of dried fish / wet biltong appearance. Thinly sliced and served with a Dijon mustard sauce, along with capers. A wonderful starter served with a G&T as the sun went down!! Don’t we just love the cruising life!!

Havelock was great, all except for the dreaded sand flies, which came out in their flocks each evening! Poor B got eaten again and did not enjoy the beach outings at all.

The kids and I spent quite a bit of time body surfing and keeping well away from the no-see-ems!! Both Daniel and Jenna, for their age, are now very competent in the surf. Both are able to read big waves and dive deep down under them as they roll in. Daniel even tells me he looks up and watches the water as they boil over his head!

One day we caught a bus into the local village / town. It was a real experience and well worth the bus trip alone. The “town” was a very small, dusty and quite derelict. However we walked around and even had lunch at a small road side eating stall. Lunch consisted of samoosas and deep fried brinjal, washed down with a few cool drinks. With not much else to really see, we caught a bus back to the beach and headed out to the yachts.

That afternoon we all went ashore as a big shore break was coming through. For the next few hours we all body surfed and had a great time playing in the surf. It was the first time we had experienced waves in over 5 months!

From Havelock, we made our way north. We motored passed the small town, with its ferry jetty, and up to Henry Lawrence Island. Anchored there was the yacht Callisto with Walt and Jane, an American couple, on board.

Henry Lawrence

In our opinion, this was the best anchorage and beach so far experienced in the Andamans. The reasons were simple. Besides a stunning anchorage with a great coral reef, the beach was sand fly free!! There was ample shade under the trees that hung over the beach. The kids had a ball, playing on the beach and swimming. Again Jon and I went fishing each evening and we all gathered on one of the yachts for sundowners and dinner.

Inglis Island

From Henry Lawrence, we motored the short distance up to Inglis. This island provided something we had not had for some time. Fresh fish! Jon and I had fun and we returned one evening with a Trevally, a Coral Trout and a Grouper. Fish was back on the menu.

Again Inglis was great and the families spent time on the beach, yes wit the sand flies, looking for shells.

North Button

We motored up the coast and cut across a channel below Outram Island. However the wind soon began to pick up and within an hour was blowing 20 knots. As we turned north, we had big surf and strong wind on the nose. We battened down the hatches and for the next 2 hours, fought our way north. It was the worst stretch of water we had encountered and not a very enjoyable trip. Slowly we made our way into the wind and waves and North Button grew closer. As we came into the lee of the island, the wind and surf settled down. Fortunately North Button offered great protection from the northerly winds and we were able to drop anchor and enjoy calm waters once again. Anchored up close by was yacht Callisto.

2 days in North Button and again we did the beach, snorkeling, playing, sundowner, dinner thing we had become so used to. Another day, another island! All this between teaching, cleaning and other minor tasks on Shayile. I soon began to realize that Shayile would need some serious cleaning, polishing and attention as soon as we returned to Phuket! However this was a “holiday” and, besides routine work, was not a place to be doing maintenance work!

Each time we went snorkeling, Jon and I were constantly looking for Crayfish, however did not have much luck at all. They seemed to be very scarce, but we kept looking. Often we came across a pod, but they were all very small. One day I managed to spear another one, but again, not very big. We all shared the tail with sundowners that night!

Long Island

From North Button, (our most northerly anchorage) we sailed in a westerly direction across to Long Island. This island has a small village and there existed a possibility of buying a few provisions!

We anchored off the ferry jetty, some 200 meters out and immediately went ashore. Stretched out in front of us was the village, a diesel power station, jetty and a small gathering of local fishing boats. These fishing boats resembled long tails from Thailand but had very old, inboard diesel engines with a direct drive shaft. Unlike the long tails, the propellers were either under or just aft of the rudder. The long tails had a shaft extending out to stern of some 3 meters, perhaps more.

We pulled up the duck under some trees and slowly walked into the village. There were many wooden, but derelict houses and establishments littering the area. Seems the town had dwindled in numbers and was nothing like its former glory. We asked at the forestry department where we could dispose of our rubbish, now 3 bags full. The man called an assistant who took the 3 bags, walked down the street and hurled them over a fence into one of the derelict homesteads. We were horrified and tried to protest as the bags disappeared! I told Jon to forget them for now and that we would pick them up on the way back to the dingy.

We ambled on through and came to the CBD! 6 or so shops selling mostly the same thing. Down to the sea frontage we came across a big cricket field. It was most picturesque, except for the litter everywhere and we made our way past and headed for the residential area. Wandering through the shabby looking houses we were greeted by locals and even questioned on our home country. It was here that a local cricket fan informed me on the death of Bob Woolmer, the former SA cricket coach, who was now coaching the Pakistani Team. He mentioned suicide, but I could not bring myself to believe it. Yes, Pakistan had had a dismal World Cup and, yes, they are fanatical about the cricket, but why would a former Brit, SA coach and now coach of Pakistan off himself? There was no national loyalty, he was doing a job and, hey, shit happens and teams sometimes lose. It did not make any sense at all.

On through the village we went snapping many pictures and just enjoying the scenery.

Back at the “CBD”, we bought samoosas and curry puffs and a few veggies. We then picked up our garbage and headed back to the yachts.

On the way back to the yachts, we found out that the ferry that goes through to the town of Rangat, departed in 30 minutes. Myself and Jon decided to take it and go through to Rangat and buy a few provisions not able to be bought on Long Island. Besides, it was an outing and worthy a trip on the ferry up into the mangrove swamps.

We hopped onto the ferry and we headed north, making our way up through the water ways, lined by mangrove swamps. The ferry itself was a real old metal tub, which crept along at about 4 knots! The ferry crew were extremely happy to have us on board with them and soon we were in the pilot house with the captain and crew. Nothing to get excited about I can assure you as it was very basic with antiquated equipment. The captain tried the VHF, which did not work and there was no depth finder on board. Apparently they had run aground a few days back and had to sit out the tides!

Soon we turned off the main channel and made our way up a tributary, some 50 meters wide. It was stunning and so peaceful. After 1 hour, we came to a small jetty where everyone disembarked. Now friends with the “first mate”, we were escorted towards a tuk tuk (3 wheeled scooter type taxis) where we all jumped in and headed into Ragnat.

It’s a small town, but certainly the biggest we had seen since Port Blair. The main street was lined with lots of shops, mostly all selling the same things. We bought more curry puffs and samoosas, (now a favorite with us all!) At the market we bought a few fruits and veggies, but really spent the time there just wandering around. It was all very interesting and so different!

Then back onto the tuk tuk and back to the ferry. We were late in getting back but as we had an important crew member with us, they waited! Slowly the ferry made its way out from the jetty and we made our way back to Long Island. We now had everything for our next leg, The Homfray Straits, and we were planning to leave in the morning. However the plans changed as that evening we ran out of LP gas for our cooker. With no gas for 6 days, it would not be easy to cook. Looking back, B had said to me make sure all the bottles are full but I confidently said we had enough. Well, either I underestimated consumption, (we did braai quite a bit) or gas had leaked. Either way, we had no gas.

We decided to return to Rangat next day and try getting some.

In Rangat the next day, getting gas was proving to be virtually impossible. Firstly filling foreign gas bottles was impossible as it was not done and buying a cylinder was also not permitted as one had to subscribe to membership of the LP Gas pool. We were out of luck at Rangat, but were told it may be possible to fill in Port Blair. Not wanting to be without a stove, we bought ourselves a paraffin cooker! It would just have to do! Our morning coffee, which was a ritual on Shayile, had to happen! The cooker was the only answer.

Back on Shayile we got ready for departure, next to tackle the Homfray Straits.

The Homfray and Andaman Straits 

The Middle Andaman and the South Andaman Islands are divided by 2 large waterways which run from the east to the west coasts. These waterways remind me a lot of the Amazon River and its tributaries.

The waterways of the Andamans meander their way through Mangrove swamps, rain forests and natural vegetation, a truly spectacular sight. There is virtually no one living in these rain forests besides the primitive Jarawa tribes. The Andaman Islands are one of the last remaining places on the earth where tribes live as they did hundreds of years ago, totally isolated from western intervention.

Up until recently, the Jarawa tribes were quite hostile towards any outsiders trying to penetrate their islands and many unfortunate “explorers” have gone missing, presumed murdered by the Jarawa. There are other tribes in the Andamans. Some have adopted and even adapted to village and town life, however the Jarawa and the Sentinelese tribes remain out there, living like their ancestors and will have nothing to do with “western” influence. The Sentinelese tribes are particularly aggressive and want no interaction at all with outsiders. Again, they will attack and kill anyone coming onto their islands.

The Homfray and Andaman straits cross through Jarawa territory and, if fortunate, one is able to catch a glimpse of these shy tribesmen and women.

We left Long Island and headed down towards the entrance to the Homfray Straits, excited and a little anxious about the entrance and what lay ahead. The plan was for us to lead the way and Tui Tai follow close behind. With our 1 meter draft, we could “feel” out the channels and stick to the deep parts. This would allow Tui Tai, with a 2 meter draft, to follow us in.

I had my hand held VHF radio next to me, in constant contact with Jon, who was extremely anxious about the entrance! (B would go on to tease him all the way through the straits, telling him to change his nappy and, did he have enough disposable diapers to last?!) Jon is a character and he took it all with a big grin, even agreeing with B that he needed them!!

As the coastline narrowed, we moved into the Homfray strait, our depth going to 5 meters at its lowest point. Not to bad but, considering the 2 knots of current running with us, it could well have been problems if we had run aground.

Soon we were in and the depth went to 18 meters much to our relief. For the next 2 hours we drifted, sailed and motored along this impressive water way. On either side, mangroves lined the banks. They must have been a few hundred meters deep in places. Towering up above them was the magnificent natural vegetation, made up predominantly of rain forest. Huge old trees poked their tallest branches out of the forests, almost regal as they looked out over this impressive land, hardly touched by man. With the motors off, we could see and hear parrots as they chirped and chatted away in the trees. Every so often a few would swoop down squawking as they went. So “different” seeing these beautiful birds out in the wild. The parrots the majority of us are used either live in a cage perched on a dead branch, or are sitting on someone’s shoulder!!

Soon we came to our second obstacle, the power lines that hung rather low over the straits. We were informed that they were sufficiently high for Shayile to make it under, but one is always a bit doubtful approaching them. From behind, Tui Tai watched for clearance. We shuffled up nice and close to the jetty on the port side and slowly went under the lines. All well. Then Tui Tai followed. Again anxious moments as they crept closer, but they too edged their way underneath the lines with a few meters to spare!

With the power lines behind us, we kept o going.

A few hours later, we approached the exit of the straits, now on the west side of the Middle Andaman Island. Up ahead was a huge bay, with islands dotted about. Again, with Shayile ahead, we made our way slowly through the channels with only a pilot magazine, and notes from other yachts, informing us of the way. This was uncharted territory and both the computers and my Raymarine chart plotter were not at all accurate.

At one point, I had to do a quick 180 degree turn as we took a wrong path and found ourselves in 3 meters of water! On we went. Jon read out a few directions from the pilot, and I went ahead. At one point, we had to go between an island and a rocky outcrop. The gap was only some 50 meters wide. Worse still, the water was funneling through the gap at a rate and little standing waves were waiting to greet us! I edged Shayile into the current and through we went, firstly hoping those standing waves did not have rocks under them and secondly hoping we had taken the right path!

Once out, we were in calm water and the 2 yachts slowly made their way in a southerly direction, now heading down towards the Andaman Straits that would lead us back in an easterly direction. The 5 miles or so heading down towards the Andaman straits were not enjoyable. We meandered our way down, avoiding outcrops of rocks, bommies and continually trying to find a suitable channel. The depth was anything from 15 meters to 6 meters and I had to weave Shayile looking for the depth. As we approached the entrance to the Andaman Straits, we turned east and rounded a small island. I looked ahead trying to determine the channel. Finding what I thought was the gap, I headed in. Soon my depth gauge was blinking like crazy, telling me we were heading into shallow waters rapidly! I quickly put the engines into reverse gear and backed up. We slowly came to a halt with the depth gauge on 1.2 meters! I had 20 cm’s under the keel, if it was correct!!!

Holding my breath and feeling for the possibility of Shayile grounding, I edged out backwards, at the same time turning Shayile on a ticky! 1.2m, 1.3m, 1.4m – we slowly made our way out to the channel again. A very close call!

With a new path chosen, we found the entrance to the straits and slowly made our way in. The Andaman Straits are stunning, perhaps more so than the Homfray Straits. At this early stage, they were only about 100 meters wide, sometimes even closer and just wild! Living in the jungles on either side were the Jarawa tribes of the Andaman Islands. These primitive tribes still exist in the jungle, as they did hundreds of years ago. They have preserved their way of life and avoided all contact with the outside world. Encounters with them, even today, but more so 8 years ago and more, resulted in a skirmish, with the Jarawa’s defending their grounds with bow and arrows! Lately they have “chilled” a bit according to local knowledge but we were taking no chances. Although keen to catch a glimpse of them, we were not keen to say hello! A few weeks back Katrine with Don and Jean and 2 guests on board had anchored up for a break. As they looked out a Jarawa man, equipped with bow and arrow, loin cloth and painted face, appeared. Behind him was his lady. Everyone got the fright of their lives and moved away quickly! Fortunately a photo was snapped of the 2 Jarawa tribe’s people as Katrine moved away!

We, unfortunately, did not see any and as the afternoon progressed, we slowly made our way towards an Indian village. At the village was a jetty where a ferry transported people and vehicles across to the other side of the straits, a kind of pont system. Not keen to anchor off the village, we went a further 300 meters and anchored up for the night. We were well protected in the straits and with that, the weather was somewhat benign in the Andaman Islands! We all had dinner together that evening, reminiscing on the days events!

I awoke the next morning before sun rise and sat up in the cockpit, just taking in the moment. As it slowly got light, I could make out a mist that had moved in and was now lying on the water. It was stunningly beautiful, and peaceful. As it got progressively warmer with the sun slowly rising, the mist lifted, leaving a mirror of water all around us.

With everyone slowly waking up, I called Jon on the radio. “Hey buddy, time to go check out the village!” I said. Still half asleep, Jon came across and we motored up to the village in our ducky. Unfortunately it was not what we expected. Quite dirty and not that friendly for some reason? A quick look around, a few photos, and we decided to head back.

After our traditional morning cup of coffee on Shayile, we all had breakfast and then headed on down the straits. Whilst having breakfast, we noticed a number of small boats taking Indian tourists down stream, no doubt heading for the limestone caves. We set off in the direction and within an hour came to a small wooden jetty with a few wooden boats moored outside. Identifying it as the caves, we all jumped into our ducky and headed for the entrance. I waterway lead through the mangrove trees, only 3 meters wide, but clearly leading into the mangroves to where the caves were situated. An interesting little ride and soon we emerged at the entrance to the caves where a wooden jetty took tourists aboard. Pulling up, we were approached by a ranger who asked us if we had a permit. Informing him that we did not have one and that we were not aware we needed one, he autocratically told us we could not come in unless we got a permit from the village. We asked him how much it costs and he told us t was free!! Well, just another beurocratic formality, and so we politely thanked him for his assistance. With no intention of going in, we made our way back to the yachts.

Now we were on our way out with one last obstacle; the sand bar at the exit to the straits. We, again, had chosen high tide to exit the straits. With water under us, I made our way out of the Andaman straits, with our lowest depth being 5 meters.

As the depth gauge slowly increased in depth, we were now safely out and on a course back to Havelock Island!

Back at Havelock No. 7

We had an enjoyable sail across to Havelock with a steady 10 – 15 knots on the beam. As we came in, the wind died down and we anchored in the same spot to our previous anchorage.

The next 3 days were spent here, almost winding down as we knew our time in the Andaman Islands were drawing to a close. The kids spent a lot of time playing on the beach and body surfing. Coffee each morning for Jon, B and I and unsuccessful fishing trips each morning! We snorkeled every day, ate big dinners each night and drank lots of G&T’s, now an evening event on either Shayile or Tui Tai.

Talking G&T’s, the T’s were getting low and the situation was getting desperate! In Port Blair, we could not get any but out here we found some locked away in a fridge near the beach. On enquiring, we discovered they belonged to the local resort. Without hesitation, we found the resort, and manager. Jon got busy and within 15 minutes, we had 2 cases of tonic!  Supplies for a few days at least!!

Havelock is a truly wonderful place and it kind of evolved into our favorite Andaman destination.

After 3 relaxing days, we said goodbye to Havelock and headed south towards Port Blair.

With both lures out, we were keen for some fresh fish.

1 hour out and the one reel screamed away. B grabbed it and soon a Mahi Mahi (Dorado) was jumping out the water, doing its best to shake the hook. What a fight it gave B. Out came the cam recorder and the moment captured. True to footage being taken, B lost the fish at her feet! It was a blow as we really needed fish.  

Well, the Andaman Islands were not going to let us down and within 20 minutes, the reel was screaming again. I grabbed the rod as B turned Shayile into wind. I shouted to B, “It’s a Sailie!” (Sailfish) It took off at speed and soon was airborne, spinning in the air, shaking its head, doing its best to get rid of the lure. With this beautiful fish, jumping out the water with incredible force, I was silently hoping to myself that it would shake the lure. Firstly it was a huge fish and secondly difficult to land. Given the opportunity they are also difficult to release, once revived. They use up incredible energy and build up a lot of lactic acid in the fight. Once the fight is over, the die very easily. As one cannot choose which fish to hook, I went on with the battle, trying my best to land it as quickly as possible. However this fish was having nothing to do with it and the fight went on, with it leaping out the water frequently. As I watched it leap into the air, not 50 meters from it, another Sailfish leaped out the water! My heart sank; a mate? “Shake the hook or get landed quickly so that I can let you go!” I thought. It was not to be and on went the fight. Eventually it tired and slowly came towards Shayile. B managed to get a slip line around its tail and we hauled it onto the sugar scoop. (Stern part of Shayile) I got the hook out and then returned the fish into the water, supporting it under its belly as I hoped it would recover from the fight. It was a huge fish, over 2 meters long and very heavy! Unfortunately this fish had given it its all and there was no chance of a recovery. I pulled it onto the rubber duck and we set sail again. We had caught 2 Sailfish in the past and both were released successfully, swimming away from us after being revived alongside Shayile. Well, we now had lots of fish for meals to come! Sailfish are extremely delicious and offer a fantastic meal with their firm flesh.

We motor sailed on towards Port Blair and entered the harbour in the dark. We headed towards Tui Tai and dropped anchor not too far from them. Jon came across to see the fish and after taking a few pics, we headed for the jetty to fillet the fish. It was simply too big to try fillet it on Shayile. I took 2 huge fillets off the fish and gave the rest to the locals on the pier. Nothing was wasted. Back on Shayile, we cut it up, bagged it and put it into the freezer. Daniel was sashimi starved and within minutes of the fresh fish arriving, he had the lemon juice out and was devouring raw fish by the mouth full! Unreal to see him, and Jenna, eating raw fish with such passion!

With fresh fish for the return trip, we were ready to check out of the Andamans. With B doing her best cooking on the paraffin stove, we needed to get gas. Besides checking out, it was a priority job for the next day.

Last day in the Andamans     

Next morning the girls went off to buy provisions for the return trip to Thailand. Myself, Daniel and Jon went off looking for gas. Ravi assisted us but no luck. One cannot refill gas cylinders in the Andamans and you cannot buy cylinders either. They are part of a pool system, and cannot be sold. The only option was to gravity fill one of my cylinders, if we could get our hands on a cylinder. Ravi kindly got one for us and the process began. I must say Jon was a star and worked hard to ensure we would get gas. Although I wanted gas, I was not going to move heaven and earth to get it. We had a microwave and a paraffin cooker on board. Not ideal but we would get back to Thailand! Jon went over and above the call of duty and soon we were gravity filling our cylinder! It took most of the day to get right and by close of play, we were not successful. We had the next morning to finish the task or leave with no gas!

We also check out that day, going from department to department, filling out the necessary forms, paying the necessary anchorage and harbour duties and visiting the Port Captain. It took most of the day but it got done. That evening we went out to a restaurant and had a large dinner of typical Indian dishes. All very delicious and washed down with a number of Kingfisher beers!

We were now ready to leave the Andamans.

Next morning we continued with the gas saga. After many hours of gravity filling, we succeeded in getting quite a bit of gas into my cylinder. Thanks to Jon’s efforts, we now had gas for the return trip.

The plan was to leave in the afternoon and do an overnight leg to Barren Island, an active volcanic island some 80 miles away. With gas, provisions, fish and general contentment after a great stay at the Andamans, we upped anchor late in the afternoon and headed out of Port Blair.

Barren Island and return to Thailand

Again with no wind, we motor sailed in a N.E. direction. With overnight leg to Barren Island was uneventful. Fishing lures were out but sadly, no takers. (By this stage we had space in our freezer for fish. Red meat was all but finished!)

Early the next morning we closed in on Barren Island, with Tui Tai right besides us. Having never seen an active volcano before, we were all very excited. Up ahead we cold pick out the distinct shape of the volcano and soon spotted the smoke billowing from the top. Strange how myself and B were all geared up and keen to now having seen an active volcano. The kids were; ok, great, so is that it?? Have they seen to much on our travels to be awed by a volcano?? We crept up close to the island and headed along its coastline looking for the area where the volcanic ash had met the sea. We found it and anchored up. Unfortunately we did not have permission to go ashore so the kids and girls went on a small outing to see the lava flow. (Currently not flowing but very visible as it had entered the sea.) Well, temptation rules and as they found a small black sanded beach, the stepped ashore for a quick “feel”. The water close to shore was like a bath. With the black sand, warm water and jaggered devil like rocks surrounding the small bay, it was a wonderful feeling to sit in the water as it lapped the shore. A few volcanic rocks were picked up and then they left the island. Myself and Jon had a quick look as well once the girls had returned and then we decided to get going. Soon after getting back to the yachts a coast guard / navy plane had flown over. They obviously knew our movements and were out to see how we were!! It was time to head off back to Thailand.

Soon after leaving Barren Island and with lures out, B yelled to me to look behind. Trailing our lure was a Marlin! Definitely not a Sailfish but a Marlin, swimming around, obviously attracted by the lures. I prayed for it to leave the lures alone and it did. Slowly it meandered off and we breathed a sigh of relief! A Tuna, yes, but I was not ready for a Marlin!

The sail back was uneventful and we motor sailed quite a bit. One day as I was at the helm, a huge whale surfaced some 10 meters from Shayile and took a big breath. A still afternoon, interrupted by a huge blowing noise right next to me! I quickly turned the engines on, kindly asking him to give us some space and move away!

As we closed in on the Surins, myself and B just relaxed and enjoyed some good sailing. For a change we had some favourable sailing conditions and it was time to relax, sit back and enjoy. Tui Tai had gone ahead of us and arrived in the Surins before dark. We got in that evening a about 9pm. We anchored up and went off to bed happy in the knowledge that we had crossed back to Thailand and the trip had been a success!

The Surin Islands

The next 3 days were spent on these wonderful islands, about 50 miles off the Thailand coast and some 80 miles from Phuket. Although perhaps not as popular with foreign tourists as the Similans, the Surins are extremely popular with Thai tourists. The diving is exceptional and the dive lodges well equipped. We spent quite some time snorkeling the many coral reefs together. On the western side of the Surins, in a secluded bay, where we anchored up for 2 nights. We did a great walking trail through the islands natural vegetation. The kids had a ball collecting bits and pieces on the way. Lunch at the resort and back we went.

On the Eastern side, we mostly snorkeled. It was truly amazing and we saw all sorts of sea creatures. We even saw a Sea Snake which had us swimming in the opposite direction. At least 30 minutes was spent watching this enormous octopus, going about its daily routine. It changed colour and shape as it glided from sand to rock and on to coral. A great sight. On one dive I swam down under a cave to be confronted by a London bus of a Grouper! I backed out of there with speed and then called the others over. Again, for some 15 minutes, we all dived down and watched the beautiful fish as it “slept” under its ledge. Swimming in and of its mouth was small Cleaner Wrasse going about their business.

The Surins were fantastic but we needed to move on. It was the 4^th April and Bill and Sally (B’s folks) were arriving in Phuket on the 11^th April! Time to go!

The Similans

We cruised left the Surins and headed south down to the northern most island of the Similans. Again, the Similans must be some of, if not the most, stunning islands we have seen. Truly beautiful with crystal clear water and great marine life.

We anchored up in a stunning little bay on the NE corner of the island of Ko Similan. (The Similans comprises of some 7 to 10 islands.) As we had finished anchoring up and preparing ourselves for the afternoon, B went down for a swim off the back. Some 20 meters off she spotted a turtle surfacing. She called out to us all to come see. With that B slipped into the water and began swimming around looking for the turtle. Soon it made its way across to Shayile with B swimming off the back. It swam up to the sugar scoop (back of Shayile) and in B’s words, “Almost climbed on board!” It then turned and headed straight for B. Having the turtle swim close by is great but to have it swim directly up to you and virtually nudge you, can be quite intimidating! B was doing back stroke and doing her best to shoo the turtle away, afraid that it may try nipping her! With that we all jumped in and for the next 20 minutes, we had a fantastic “close to nature moment.”  We swan with it, dived down with it, touched and even held onto its shell as she swam around, quite unafraid of our company. Daniel and Jenna had a ball! To top it off, we were joined by another one, this one slightly smaller, but still a big turtle!

Tui Tai came across and soon we were all in the water with the turtles. What a great afternoon.

For 3 days we enjoyed the anchorage and all it had to offer. There was a hill to climb, littered with huge rock boulders. The kids climbed all over them, playing games and exploring. We also went in search of the elusive Manta Rays which, although having seen, we had not enjoyed a good swim with them. No luck but we had fantastic snorkeling. I was in my element, diving down as deep as I could, folding my arms, and then relaxing with the fish. At times like this I wish I could hold my breath for 15 minutes. No, no tanks, just my lungs! Wouldn’t it be great!

Well, unfortunately we had to move on, leaving this beautiful piece of paradise for another time.

Early on the 7^th April, we motored out of the Similans, on our way back to Phuket. Another great relaxing motor sail and that evening we dropped anchor in Nai Harn, back at the anchorage we had enjoyed so much during the previous 4 months. Unfortunately the season was now changing and with the westerly ground swells starting to come through, Nai Harn was not going to remain an anchorage for much longer. Soon it would be too rolly and uncomfortable to anchor there, and the wind would be onshore exposing the yachts to a risky lee shore if it got bad!

We were back in Thailand after a month in Malaysia, a month in the Andamans and 2 weeks in the Surins and Similans.

Now we waited for B’s folks to join us and the beginning of another adventure – overland in Northern Thailand!