We untied from the docks of Ao Po Grand Marina today at 13:30 after getting our fridge fixed yesterday and made our longest passage ever. NOT! We only motored for 15 minutes, more like our shortest passage ever, and anchored on the west side of Koh Naka Yai (N08°02.826' E098°27.468'). Many sea kayaking tourists frequent the east side but we found the lee west to be quiet.
We were in no hurry to return to the agitated scene at Chalong Harbour (Thailand) so we just hung out in peace here for the evening.
No photos as our camera seems to be lost...
Saturday, December 31, 2016
Thursday, December 29, 2016
Not cool
Well, as it turned out, we were not able to do any further exploring of the areas of Koh Pan Yi (Thailand), the Muslim fishing village, as we had to rush back towards Phuket.
Our Frigoboat (refrigerator) quit, and as the holiday season was upon us, we were facing a limited availability of service personnel as this day was the only day they were available. We arranged for a repair person from Cirrus Cooling to meet us at Ao Po Grand Marina and booked an overnight berth there. We pulled anchor around 11:15 and motor-sailed the 3 hours south.
By now Chanty was getting used to the sound of the running engine. We think all of these short voyages have helped.
We arrived at the dock (N08°04.155' E098°26.732') around 14:30 and the 2 repair men promptly showed up. They diagnosed such a simple solution, so simple that we had a hard time believing that that could be the real problem.
They ran pressure tests and amperage draws to determine the cause of the compressor overheating. Finally they suggested the keel cool unit in the water might be covered with growth, preventing adequate cooling. Jordan jumped in the water with a scraper while the technician monitored any changes. It seemed to do the trick. Let's hope it stays that way.
This Marina is full of luxury yachts. One of them, Equanimity, is valued at $175 million and apparently is owned by a Malaysian billionaire and is in the top 50 of the world's largest, according to the internet. She is an impressive 91 m long (300 ft) and meticulously maintained sporting regal navy and white colours.
Anchored offshore, as though in a competitive flaunt, were 2 other larger private mega yachts. The Ocean Victory, at 140 m (460 ft) with 7 decks and 6 pools, carrying up to 50 crew, boasts that it is one of the 10 largest in the world.
That's okay, we are still happy with our Sea Turtle at 10 m (35 ft) with no pools. Ffffftttt!!! Who needs a pool with the ocean at your doorstep!
Our Frigoboat (refrigerator) quit, and as the holiday season was upon us, we were facing a limited availability of service personnel as this day was the only day they were available. We arranged for a repair person from Cirrus Cooling to meet us at Ao Po Grand Marina and booked an overnight berth there. We pulled anchor around 11:15 and motor-sailed the 3 hours south.
By now Chanty was getting used to the sound of the running engine. We think all of these short voyages have helped.
We arrived at the dock (N08°04.155' E098°26.732') around 14:30 and the 2 repair men promptly showed up. They diagnosed such a simple solution, so simple that we had a hard time believing that that could be the real problem.
They ran pressure tests and amperage draws to determine the cause of the compressor overheating. Finally they suggested the keel cool unit in the water might be covered with growth, preventing adequate cooling. Jordan jumped in the water with a scraper while the technician monitored any changes. It seemed to do the trick. Let's hope it stays that way.
This Marina is full of luxury yachts. One of them, Equanimity, is valued at $175 million and apparently is owned by a Malaysian billionaire and is in the top 50 of the world's largest, according to the internet. She is an impressive 91 m long (300 ft) and meticulously maintained sporting regal navy and white colours.
Equanimity (copied from internet)
Anchored offshore, as though in a competitive flaunt, were 2 other larger private mega yachts. The Ocean Victory, at 140 m (460 ft) with 7 decks and 6 pools, carrying up to 50 crew, boasts that it is one of the 10 largest in the world.
Ocean Victory (copied from internet)
That's okay, we are still happy with our Sea Turtle at 10 m (35 ft) with no pools. Ffffftttt!!! Who needs a pool with the ocean at your doorstep!
Wednesday, December 28, 2016
James Bond and more
This morning at 09:00, we left our anchorage at Koh Yang Thailand to dinghy to nearby James Bond Island (approximately N08°16.490' E098°29.965'). The official name of this island is Koh Phing Kan but it became a very popular tourist destination after the filming of The Man With the Golden Gun, a 1974 James Bond movie, where the villain supposedly kept his secret lair in this striking setting. There is an eye-catching pinnacle rock on one side of the Island's beach.
We were lucky to arrive early and beat the scores of tourists who descend on the scene daily by boats from all directions and of all types: longtail boats, speedboats, day cruisers, and junk boats. We paid the required 300 Baht ($10 CAD) fee per person and walked the steps and short trails for a few quick photos to be able to say "bin there, done that" [sic]. Spoiling the setting were countless souvenier stands hawking their cheap trinkets.
Once back on board Sea Turtle, we hoisted the anchor at 11:45 to continue northwards. Next stop, a Muslim fishing village on Koh Pan Yi. They constructed all their buildings on stilts perched over the shallow water with a backdrop of a towering karst pinnacle. The residents cater to about 3,000 visitors per day for lunch at the number of large open-air restaurants!!
We anchored across from the Sea Gypsy Village (N08°20.202' E098°30.391') at 14:00 in the estuary and of course dinghied to one of the many docks of the restaurants.
As we ate at our seaside view table, we watched the mayhem of the many large longtail boats (powered by huge motors perched on the stern) arriving and departing with their numerous hungry or satiated passengers.
By around 15:00, as though there were a curfew in effect, all was quiet as everyone returned to whence they came...
For the rest of the day, we jumped in the dinghy and tried to find a tunnel through the Island and a cave with Neanderthal drawings not far away. No luck. Maybe tomorrow we will try again or go with a tour boat.
We were lucky to arrive early and beat the scores of tourists who descend on the scene daily by boats from all directions and of all types: longtail boats, speedboats, day cruisers, and junk boats. We paid the required 300 Baht ($10 CAD) fee per person and walked the steps and short trails for a few quick photos to be able to say "bin there, done that" [sic]. Spoiling the setting were countless souvenier stands hawking their cheap trinkets.
Jordan admiring dramatic pinnacle
Iconic scene of James Bond Island
Once back on board Sea Turtle, we hoisted the anchor at 11:45 to continue northwards. Next stop, a Muslim fishing village on Koh Pan Yi. They constructed all their buildings on stilts perched over the shallow water with a backdrop of a towering karst pinnacle. The residents cater to about 3,000 visitors per day for lunch at the number of large open-air restaurants!!
Approaching Koh Pan Yi
We anchored across from the Sea Gypsy Village (N08°20.202' E098°30.391') at 14:00 in the estuary and of course dinghied to one of the many docks of the restaurants.
As we ate at our seaside view table, we watched the mayhem of the many large longtail boats (powered by huge motors perched on the stern) arriving and departing with their numerous hungry or satiated passengers.
Hefty motors
Longtails and Sea Turtle
By around 15:00, as though there were a curfew in effect, all was quiet as everyone returned to whence they came...
For the rest of the day, we jumped in the dinghy and tried to find a tunnel through the Island and a cave with Neanderthal drawings not far away. No luck. Maybe tomorrow we will try again or go with a tour boat.
Tuesday, December 27, 2016
3 strikes
13:30 we left Koh Hong (Thailand) heading due north to Khao Phing Kan (James Bond Island). This area is a large bay with a large runoff from northern lands that filter through mangrove swamps and over time has layered the shallow seabed with a sandy/muddy sediment.
Our OpenCPN electronic charts are lacking detail for this area so we would consult the depth sounder occasionally as we went. Evidently "occasionally" wasn't diligent enough.
Strike 1: Hard aground in the clutches of the soft bottom on an ebbing tide rendered us stubbornly stuck around 15:00 at N08°15.445' E098°29.928'. Jordan tried to power and push and pull Sea Turtle out with the dinghy but to no avail and we resigned ourselves to a couple of hours wait for a rising tide to come to the rescue. With Sea Turtle listing to starboard, Jordan decided to scrape off a few barnacles that were now exposed.
With the depth sounder saying "Give it a try" and with the assistance of a north breeze, Jordan furled out the head sail. Then with me at the helm giving a good burst of engine power and Jordan giving Sea Turtle a boot in the rear with the dinghy, we were finally released from the surly bonds of the muddy bottom.
The electronic charts seemed to indicate a deeper area a short distance to the west and in fact, a sailboat was anchored there as though to say "Come on over here."
Strike 2: We only went a few hundred metres and we were aground again! (N08°15.513' E098°29.550') So close and yet so far - we could see our desired anchorage. A bit of time passed while the tide was still rising and Jordan was getting worried, afraid the tide would max and then ebb leaving us aground overnight. But that wasn't the only excitement of the hour. All of a sudden he noticed...
Strike 3: ...our dinghy was adrift! It had been tied to a slider cleat on the newly extended toe rail track and the wind had pulled her right off the end of the track. It was pretty close and as Sea Turtle was still aground, he dove in and swam to it, bringing it back to Sea Turtle and tying it up to a secure cleat.
Now back at the ranch, Jordan was still worried. This called for some new efforts. So Jordan, in the dinghy, paid out a long line from a halyard off the top of the mast and pulled Sea Turtle smartly over to starboard while I, again at the helm, gunned it and broke free of the mud's grip on her keel. Free again!
This time we made it to our anchorage at Koh Yang (N08°15.907' E098°29.212') at 18:00, much later than originally planned, dropping the hook under an impressive sentinel peak and in the lea of the island.
As an afterthought, we rummaged through our paper chart inventory and found one for this area with much more detail; so needless to say, we kept it out for the remainder of cruising in this area.
Our OpenCPN electronic charts are lacking detail for this area so we would consult the depth sounder occasionally as we went. Evidently "occasionally" wasn't diligent enough.
Strike 1: Hard aground in the clutches of the soft bottom on an ebbing tide rendered us stubbornly stuck around 15:00 at N08°15.445' E098°29.928'. Jordan tried to power and push and pull Sea Turtle out with the dinghy but to no avail and we resigned ourselves to a couple of hours wait for a rising tide to come to the rescue. With Sea Turtle listing to starboard, Jordan decided to scrape off a few barnacles that were now exposed.
Aground in paradise
With the depth sounder saying "Give it a try" and with the assistance of a north breeze, Jordan furled out the head sail. Then with me at the helm giving a good burst of engine power and Jordan giving Sea Turtle a boot in the rear with the dinghy, we were finally released from the surly bonds of the muddy bottom.
The electronic charts seemed to indicate a deeper area a short distance to the west and in fact, a sailboat was anchored there as though to say "Come on over here."
Strike 2: We only went a few hundred metres and we were aground again! (N08°15.513' E098°29.550') So close and yet so far - we could see our desired anchorage. A bit of time passed while the tide was still rising and Jordan was getting worried, afraid the tide would max and then ebb leaving us aground overnight. But that wasn't the only excitement of the hour. All of a sudden he noticed...
Strike 3: ...our dinghy was adrift! It had been tied to a slider cleat on the newly extended toe rail track and the wind had pulled her right off the end of the track. It was pretty close and as Sea Turtle was still aground, he dove in and swam to it, bringing it back to Sea Turtle and tying it up to a secure cleat.
Now back at the ranch, Jordan was still worried. This called for some new efforts. So Jordan, in the dinghy, paid out a long line from a halyard off the top of the mast and pulled Sea Turtle smartly over to starboard while I, again at the helm, gunned it and broke free of the mud's grip on her keel. Free again!
This time we made it to our anchorage at Koh Yang (N08°15.907' E098°29.212') at 18:00, much later than originally planned, dropping the hook under an impressive sentinel peak and in the lea of the island.
Sea Turtle and picturesque karsk
As an afterthought, we rummaged through our paper chart inventory and found one for this area with much more detail; so needless to say, we kept it out for the remainder of cruising in this area.
Monday, December 26, 2016
Koh Hong karstness
Today we left the island of Koh Phanak in Phang Nga Bay (Thailand) at 11:00 and 15 minutes later we picked a protected and scenic anchorage at Koh Hong (N08°13.493' E098°30.174').
Towering limestone cliffs (karsts) were everywhere and shared the sky with soaring eagles cavorting in the wind and gave residency to sporadic tropical greenery that somehow found root in the crags of these monoliths.
The lure here is the enchanting caves, tunnels, and lagoons that nature has sculpted. We explored by paddling our dinghy through the passages and into the lagoons that stretched our necks to see the sky.
We again had to share the magical moments with numerous daytrippers paddling through in the blow-up kayaks. However later in the day after all had left, we had the arena to ourselves.
Itinerant fisherman with impeccable timing pulled up with fresh prawns to answer our question "What's for dinner?"
Towering limestone cliffs (karsts) were everywhere and shared the sky with soaring eagles cavorting in the wind and gave residency to sporadic tropical greenery that somehow found root in the crags of these monoliths.
The lure here is the enchanting caves, tunnels, and lagoons that nature has sculpted. We explored by paddling our dinghy through the passages and into the lagoons that stretched our necks to see the sky.
We again had to share the magical moments with numerous daytrippers paddling through in the blow-up kayaks. However later in the day after all had left, we had the arena to ourselves.
Exploring caves and lagoons
Itinerant fisherman with impeccable timing pulled up with fresh prawns to answer our question "What's for dinner?"
Just in time
Koh Rang Yai & Phanak
Finally after almost 3 weeks, with boat projects all under our belt, it was time for some pleasure sailing to some sights that we haven't seen around here. So we pulled anchor from Chalong Harbour of Phuket Thailand on December 24th at 11:30.
Under a steady breeze we were hoping to do the 20 nautical miles under sail. But after a little over an hour of tacking against a tide and a dying breeze, we relented and turned on the Beta motor.
We arrived about 4 hours later at peaceful Koh Rang Yai, a small but pretty island with a 1-km stretch of beach (N07°56.942' E098°26.866'). So of course, the tourist boats bring their throngs here in the afternoon to swim and turn bright red on the beach. And perhaps to spend a lot of money at the pearl farm's shop!
The next morning we took our cat Chanty ashore and she experienced her first nervous ride in the dinghy. Surprisingly she was also nervous once ashore, as she listened to the waves crash in, another scary first for her. (She didn't know what she signed on for with us!) But once back at anchor, she quickly adjusted to being a typical cat.
In the windless afternoon, we motored north for a couple hours up into Phang Nga Bay to a long stretch of an island called Koh Phanak (N08°11.368' E098°29.190'). The Bay is an area where huge fairytale vertical limestone rock isles protrude out of the sea, many with caves and passageways eroded throughout.
Once anchored, we hopped in the dinghy and went exploring. At first, there were many daytrippers spilling out of the tour boats and into blow-up kayaks also exploring. We dinghied in through a tunnel about 150 m (500 ft) long, at times in total darkness (but we had a flashlight) with wee bats hanging all over the ceiling. We came out to an interior lagoon open to the sky, completely encircled with vertical cliffs stretching to the sky.
These interior openings in the mountain are called hongs which is Thai for room. We couldn't stay long so we had to return through one spot that was narrowing and low from a rising tide.
After exiting the tunnel, we headed out and around towards the north end of the island where we next found a cave-type opening about 2 m above water level. We tied the dinghy to the jagged rock face and hoisted ourselves up to the cave and walked along through the inside corridors coming out to a ledge, looking right into another interior lagoon or hong, again surrounded completely by steep verdant cliffs and open to the sky.
We returned to Sea Turtle wondering how many more yet to be discovered hongs were hidden away in these enchanting mountain islands.
Under a steady breeze we were hoping to do the 20 nautical miles under sail. But after a little over an hour of tacking against a tide and a dying breeze, we relented and turned on the Beta motor.
We arrived about 4 hours later at peaceful Koh Rang Yai, a small but pretty island with a 1-km stretch of beach (N07°56.942' E098°26.866'). So of course, the tourist boats bring their throngs here in the afternoon to swim and turn bright red on the beach. And perhaps to spend a lot of money at the pearl farm's shop!
The next morning we took our cat Chanty ashore and she experienced her first nervous ride in the dinghy. Surprisingly she was also nervous once ashore, as she listened to the waves crash in, another scary first for her. (She didn't know what she signed on for with us!) But once back at anchor, she quickly adjusted to being a typical cat.
It's a sea cat's life
In the windless afternoon, we motored north for a couple hours up into Phang Nga Bay to a long stretch of an island called Koh Phanak (N08°11.368' E098°29.190'). The Bay is an area where huge fairytale vertical limestone rock isles protrude out of the sea, many with caves and passageways eroded throughout.
Heading up to the magical Phang Nga Bay isles
Once anchored, we hopped in the dinghy and went exploring. At first, there were many daytrippers spilling out of the tour boats and into blow-up kayaks also exploring. We dinghied in through a tunnel about 150 m (500 ft) long, at times in total darkness (but we had a flashlight) with wee bats hanging all over the ceiling. We came out to an interior lagoon open to the sky, completely encircled with vertical cliffs stretching to the sky.
Not quite the Tunnel of Love
These interior openings in the mountain are called hongs which is Thai for room. We couldn't stay long so we had to return through one spot that was narrowing and low from a rising tide.
Can we make it!
After exiting the tunnel, we headed out and around towards the north end of the island where we next found a cave-type opening about 2 m above water level. We tied the dinghy to the jagged rock face and hoisted ourselves up to the cave and walked along through the inside corridors coming out to a ledge, looking right into another interior lagoon or hong, again surrounded completely by steep verdant cliffs and open to the sky.
We returned to Sea Turtle wondering how many more yet to be discovered hongs were hidden away in these enchanting mountain islands.
Saturday, December 24, 2016
Busy in Chalong
During our stay at hectic Chalong Harbour (Thailand), our cat Chanty slowly got used to the noise and waves of dinghy and speed boats and loud tour boats as they roared past our anchorage. At first she would run from the deck to down below, but now she just watches them go speeding by. Ho hum.
We had a list of boat jobs (never run out of boat jobs!) that we needed to get done before the first of the year and before our next major passage coming up. Such as installing extensions to the tracks for sliding sheet blocks up the toe rail - the tracks we have been carrying since leaving Canada!
Another job was adding a solar panel. We were amazed to find how the price of these has come down. We bought an 80-watt monocrystalline for about $100 CAD. We paid 7 times that for each of the 2 we have had since leaving home in 2009. The third one has really made a big difference in pumping lots of amps for our hungry batteries. Other jobs were also attended to like a repair to the head sail to make it last to the Mediterranean.
We discovered that our HF (Ham) radio was kaput so began an interesting search for a replacement. It turns out that Thailand import restrictions make it almost impossible to not only own or operate one in the country but ordering one sent in is essentially restricted. So we are now trying to get one sent to Langkawi Malaysia with the possibility of getting it on a yacht coming this way (HF radios coming in on yachts are overlooked by Thai Customs).
We had been wondering how Chanty would handle swimming in the event she fell in. Well one day she was in the dinghy with Jordan checking it out and got nervous when the dinghy started to drift away a bit from Sea Turtle. Unfortunately, she misjudged the leap (flexible dinghy pontoons are not a good solid base to spring from) and came up short. Splash into the water she went!
It was interesting to see that she started to swim in a circle around the boat and stayed very close to it, looking for a way up. When Jordan caught up to her in the dinghy, she frantically climbed into it on her own. Next was a quick freshwater shower which she also hated!
Now we have a plastic mesh hanging off the stern of Sea Turtle and into the water that she can climb up if she is ever overboard again.
We had a list of boat jobs (never run out of boat jobs!) that we needed to get done before the first of the year and before our next major passage coming up. Such as installing extensions to the tracks for sliding sheet blocks up the toe rail - the tracks we have been carrying since leaving Canada!
Another job was adding a solar panel. We were amazed to find how the price of these has come down. We bought an 80-watt monocrystalline for about $100 CAD. We paid 7 times that for each of the 2 we have had since leaving home in 2009. The third one has really made a big difference in pumping lots of amps for our hungry batteries. Other jobs were also attended to like a repair to the head sail to make it last to the Mediterranean.
More power!
We discovered that our HF (Ham) radio was kaput so began an interesting search for a replacement. It turns out that Thailand import restrictions make it almost impossible to not only own or operate one in the country but ordering one sent in is essentially restricted. So we are now trying to get one sent to Langkawi Malaysia with the possibility of getting it on a yacht coming this way (HF radios coming in on yachts are overlooked by Thai Customs).
We had been wondering how Chanty would handle swimming in the event she fell in. Well one day she was in the dinghy with Jordan checking it out and got nervous when the dinghy started to drift away a bit from Sea Turtle. Unfortunately, she misjudged the leap (flexible dinghy pontoons are not a good solid base to spring from) and came up short. Splash into the water she went!
It was interesting to see that she started to swim in a circle around the boat and stayed very close to it, looking for a way up. When Jordan caught up to her in the dinghy, she frantically climbed into it on her own. Next was a quick freshwater shower which she also hated!
Now we have a plastic mesh hanging off the stern of Sea Turtle and into the water that she can climb up if she is ever overboard again.
Wednesday, December 07, 2016
Goodbye Malaysia
With the new Beta 43 engine installed, we left the dock of Langkawi Malaysia under the new power and took Sea Turtle out for a test run on December 1st. All seemed well except for the need of a hose strap to avoid vibration chafe and the need to bleed air from the hydraulic steering system
The only other issue was Chanty's apparent stress (Chanty is our new feline permanent crew member). Even though for most of her short life as a stray she has been hanging out on docks and other boats until we adopted her, she had yet been on a boat that moved, let alone made a menacing growl from that mechanical thing deep in the hull.
She was panting which is a sign of stress. She wandered all over trying to figure out where the dock went and why the ocean was moving past the boat instead of staying in one place. But we knew in time she would become accustomed to the engine, the moving sea, and the motion of the boat.
On December 5th, we cleared from the Harbour Master, Malaysia Customs, and Immigration at 13:00, making our final checkout from this country.
We were heading north up to Phuket Thailand, a 24-hour run. At first, at the consternation of Chanty, we motored for 3 or 4 hours in a confused sea state. But the wind finally filled in and became a constant 15+ knots on the beam, making for a great overnight sail and a nice average of 5.5 knots all the way to our destination. It took Chanty awhile to settle down, this being her first sea voyage, and accept what was going on.
She has decided on 2 favourite spots: the quiet part of the boat which is up front, either under the dingy on the foredeck or inside behind the lee cloth in the forward pullman berth.
On December 6th, we anchored in Chalong Harbour of south Phuket at 13:00 (N07°49.123' E098°21.308').
The only other issue was Chanty's apparent stress (Chanty is our new feline permanent crew member). Even though for most of her short life as a stray she has been hanging out on docks and other boats until we adopted her, she had yet been on a boat that moved, let alone made a menacing growl from that mechanical thing deep in the hull.
She was panting which is a sign of stress. She wandered all over trying to figure out where the dock went and why the ocean was moving past the boat instead of staying in one place. But we knew in time she would become accustomed to the engine, the moving sea, and the motion of the boat.
On December 5th, we cleared from the Harbour Master, Malaysia Customs, and Immigration at 13:00, making our final checkout from this country.
We were heading north up to Phuket Thailand, a 24-hour run. At first, at the consternation of Chanty, we motored for 3 or 4 hours in a confused sea state. But the wind finally filled in and became a constant 15+ knots on the beam, making for a great overnight sail and a nice average of 5.5 knots all the way to our destination. It took Chanty awhile to settle down, this being her first sea voyage, and accept what was going on.
She has decided on 2 favourite spots: the quiet part of the boat which is up front, either under the dingy on the foredeck or inside behind the lee cloth in the forward pullman berth.
Chanty's secure sea berth
On December 6th, we anchored in Chalong Harbour of south Phuket at 13:00 (N07°49.123' E098°21.308').