Thursday 11th June 2020
Time flies, and it’s hard to believe it’s over a year since the last blog entry. So much has happened, but little of it involved sailing. Here is an update.
The Big Decision regarding our future sailing plans had been on hold ever since arriving in Malaysia. Although we hadn’t really set out to do a circumnavigation, the further we sailed, the more it seemed like we might. At that point, however, with just one-sixth of the globe left to go, we both had mixed feelings about whether we actually wanted to continue. Yes, it would be a great achievement to close the circle, but this last leg would not be straightforward or easy, and possibly risky if we took the Red Sea option. It would probably be the most challenging sailing so far. We had no doubt that both we and Scott-Free could do it, but after ten years and over 40,000 nautical miles, we were unsure if we had the enthusiasm, or indeed the will, to do so.
So in true Rawlinson style, we avoided the Big Decision by making a smaller decision to keep the boat in Rebak and be part-time sailors in the area for a season or two to give us time to think about it. At the same time we would spend part of the year at home testing our ability to become landlubbers once more. So it was that we returned to the UK in November 2017 for our first stint at home as part-timers.
Originally a six-month stay, it ended up being a year as we carried out a long-overdue refurb of our house. During that time, the boat was struck by lightning which took out the electronics and some of the electrical system. We arrived back at the boat in December 2018, but the strike had pretty much put paid to that season’s sailing plans. It took us four months to wade through an insurance claim, source new equipment and parts and eventually get them fitted. It was like wading through treacle, highly frustrating and gave us a lot of time to think and talk about the future. We decided that we would return next year for one more season of sailing, and that if our enthusiasm for it did not return at that point, we would consider putting the boat up for sale. Once the boat was finally fixed and re-launched in April, we sailed up to Thailand to get the last repairs done. We enjoyed exploring the islands of Phang Nga Bay whilst testing out the new equipment, then headed back to Rebak where we had the boat lifted back onto the hard before returning to the UK in mid-May.
We were due to return to the boat for the sailing season in November, but a serious illness in the family led to us postponing. Instead we arrived back at the beginning of February when we thankfully found Scott-Free a bit grubby but otherwise fine. We scrubbed her down, gave her a coat of antifoul and put her back in the water. Just a few jobs to do, then we’d go sailing. At the same time we made preliminary enquiries with Seaspray Yacht Sales about the practicalities of marketing the boat in Rebak and did some research on shipping belongings back to the UK…just in case.
Then Covid-19 arrived….
With rumours that ports would shortly be closed and boat movements banned, our plans to go sailing were totally scuppered, so we brought forward our hauling date to 15 April and booked our flights home for a few days after. That would allow us time to finish off jobs such as re-proofing the bimini and sprayhood and replacing some of the deck caulking. In no time at all, however, the Restricted Movement Order was introduced, the resort closed, hardstand operations suspended and only the marina manager left in the office to keep the basic marina services running. That meant we couldn’t be hauled until the RMO was lifted, and we couldn’t sail anywhere. It didn’t seem too bad a place to wait out the coronavirus crisis. We were on an island off an island, and there were no tourists at the resort as it was closed, with just a skeleton staff. We didn’t want to leave the boat in the water, as we had no idea when we’d be able to return, so we waited and hoped that the RMO would be lifted soon. Weighing everything up, we thought we were probably at less risk of catching the virus there, though not sure what the situation would be if we needed hospital care. Having medical insurance reassured us that we would be ok.
Then two things happened - the UK Foreign Office decided to advise all British travellers to return to the UK, and Emirates cancelled our flights. Things were changing, and not in a good way. We were unsure of the effect the FO advice would have on our insurance, so we now had the possibility of not only being stranded in Malaysia for goodness knows how long, but also of having no medical cover either. We weighed up the pros and cons. Steve felt we would be fine if we stayed, but he knew I was keen to go home so we spoke to SYS who agreed they would get the boat hauled for us once the hardstand operations restarted and we made the decision to head home if flights could be found.
Two days later we spent eleven hours in a deserted Kuala Lumpur International Airport before boarding a Malaysia Airlines flight to Heathrow. The flights had cost three times the amount we’d paid Emirates for the cancelled flights.
Here in the UK we currently have around a thousand new Covid-19 cases a day. In Malaysia it is in single digits, with three states completely Covid-free. One of them is Kedah, where you will find a small island called Langkawi, next to which is an even smaller island called Rebak…
Ho hum.
The RMO restrictions there began to be lifted a few weeks ago, and as soon as hardstand operations began again, Scott-Free was hauled. She is now safely back on the hard…and up for sale.
08:15.879N 98:29.32E
Sunday 21st April 2019
Distance run: 22 nmiles
After a brief stop at the fuel dock to top up the tanks and settling up the bill at the marina office (ouch!), we made our way back along the channel and out into deeper water.
Carefully following the wiggly line of posts along the channel to deeper water.
There wasn’t a breath of wind about, so we motored the 22 nmiles north into Phang Nga Bay to the little island of Koh Yang where we dropped the anchor.
We passed lots of groups of limestone karsts – outcrops that stick straight up out of the sea, often with sheer sides, and interesting shapes.
The shapes changed as we passed and saw them from a different angle. Some that looked like one rock turned out to be two, or more.
We anchored next to this tall rock at Ko Yang
We lowered the dinghy and set off for Koh Ping Kan, about a mile away over very shallow water. Together with Koh Ta Pu, this island is otherwise known as ‘James Bond Island’, as they feature in the film “The Man with the Golden Gun”, shot there in 1974. We did a circumnavigation of the small islands, but did not feel the need to go ashore to be met by the many stallholders selling tourist tat. We also needed to take into account the state of the sea, as the wind had picked up a bit and it was getting a little lumpy.
Our first view of James Bond Island was from the back, the beach being on the other side.
We rounded the corner and the famous beach came into view. The beach is behind the tall rock in the middle.
We headed back to the boat, lifted the dinghy and the anchor (in that order!) and headed off to Ko Hong.
Saturday 20th April 2019
In all honesty, I have to admit that not a lot got done over the four days of Songkran. We did a few little jobs – Steve changed the fan belts on the engine and cleaned out the Separ filter bowl and changed that filter too. I got the sewing machine out and made some covers for the new antennas on the pushpit. We did a bit of cleaning and tidyng and sorting out and because the laundry was closed a couple of loads of hand washing.
But mainly we just took it easy and enjoyed the peace and quiet. Our new neighbours on Four Star, Michelle and Midge invited us to join them at the Lagoon Saloon in the marina where they do a beer and burger deal, and we had a very nice evening exchanging yachtie stories. We made use of the hotel swimming pool and had a meal at the restaurant – my first pork chop in months and it was delicious! Steve enjoyed his steak, but was very envious of my pork chop, so he dusted off the barbecue, and next night I had pork chop for dinner again!
Looking across the marina. Scott-Free settled in Berth B16.
Boat Lagoon has a large hardstand area and two huge travel lifts.
Sadly they are too expensive for our budget.
Happy Songkran Yummy!
Pork chops cooked on the boat barbecue.
The Boardwalk
David the rigging surveyor arrived very early on the Wednesday after Songkran to carry out the survey as promised. He found it to be in excellent condition and was hard-pushed to find any problems. We were very pleased with this outcome as he also quoted us £6,000 for replacement. One clevis pin, at the top of the topping lift, appeared to be too small, and he was happy to go back up the mast later to replace it. Job done.
Having the rigging surveyed.
On Thursday we finally made contact with Cirrus, and Lawrence came to the boat the same day to see what needed doing. As we already had the replacement gas solenoid, it would not be a big job, and he said his guy would be round the next morning at 09:30. As this was our last job, we started making plans to leave the marina. The solenoid would be done by lunchtime, so we would get a Grab to Tesco Lotus to stock up on supplies in the afternoon and leave on Saturday with the 10:00 high tide. Perfect.
Except the guy from Cirrus did not turn up at 09:30, he came in the middle of the afternoon, scuppering our shopping plans. So today we got a Grab to Tesco Lotus Extra – even Grabs here are very expensive; it was over £8 for a trip we would have expected to pay no more than £4 for – to stock up for the next couple of weeks exploring Phang Nga Bay and heading south again to Langkawi. We were not terribly impressed with Tesco, we had thought they might have a wider range of stock but not so. And the price difference went nowhere near making up for the taxi fares. Lesson learnt. It meant that when we got back to the boat with the Tesco shopping, we had to go back out to the Villa Market on the marina to get the things we couldn’t find at Tesco…
Eventually though we were stocked up and ready to leave, and as we had the evening free, we walked along to the Phuket Bike Week 2019 event that was being held in the marina complex. It was buzzing! Hundreds of bikers had turned up and the road was double-lined with Harleys and Triumphs and some weird-looking custom machines that looked none too comfortable to us! There were also American cars on show and a couple of rows of kiosks and stands as well as an arena which we didn’t venture inside as it was 200 Baht each entrance fee. We wandered around having a look, and then stopped for a beer and a kebab before heading home.
Double rows of motorbikes lined the road. American cars on show.
Superhero bike. The red carpet – just for us?
I looked after the beers… while Steve went to get the kebabs.
American cars seem popular here. Paper lanterns in the trees lining the road.
Friday 12th April 2019
We were very pleased when the guys from Octopus electronics turned up as promised yesterday morning to look at the navigation light mimic panel, and even happier when, half an hour later, two guys arrived from YSE marine to look at the engine. By the end of the day, the leaking hoses had been replaced and the heat exchanger had been removed, cleaned out, and replaced.
The mimic panel had mostly been installed, but there was a problem with the forward navigation lights only working intermittently, and further investigation showed that the cable in the anchor locker was damaged, most likely by the lightning. So they returned this morning and, at what seemed the speed of lightning, stripped out the old wiring and replaced it with new. In no time the mimic panel was fully operational and all the new cabling was tidied up. What a breath of fresh air to watch competent, efficient workers just get on with their work and do a good job.
We had two more jobs to get done before leaving Boat Lagoon – replace the gas solenoid and get the rigging checked. We had emailed and sent an enquiry via the rigging company’s website last week, but had heard nothing from them. The same with Cirrus for the solenoid. So as we needed to walk down to the Octopus office to pay their bill, we decided to call in at their offices. At Precision Engineering we found David, the rigging surveyor, who was very apologetic that he had not received our communications. He arranged to call at the boat after lunch to look at the rigging, but would not be able to carry out the survey until after the four-day holiday. We also called at Cirrus to enquire about getting the gas solenoid replaced, but they were already locked up tight and the sign told us they would not be open again until the 18th. So we were foiled on both counts and were not going to get our jobs finished before Songkran.
We considered leaving the marina for a couple of days, but the timing of high tide now was not convenient to do so. Instead we decided to stay put and potter around doing some boat jobs and taking it easy. Well, we have sailed a whole 189 nautical miles this year, we need a rest! 😉
07:57.825N 98:23.203E
Wednesday 10th April 2019
Distance run: 5 nmiles
We left the anchorage at 1030 and made our way to the channel into the marina, arriving a little before 1100. We called the marina and they confirmed that a dinghy was on its way. We had been unable to ascertain to what depth the channel had been dredged, or even if, in fact, it had been dredged. The tide tables told us we now had 2.5 metres of tide under us, so in theory we should be ok depth-wise, but we just couldn’t be sure, and as it was an unknown entrance we thought it best to play safe and get guidance in. As it happened, we never had less than 1.3 metres below the keel and could easily have done it ourselves. But now we know.
The channel wound its way towards mangrove swamp. The water changed colour as we got closer to the lagoon.
The brightly-coloured climbing frame looked incongruous. Local homes on stilts along the bank
It took almost an hour to get all the way to the marina basin, and then I held my breath very hard while Steve steered the boat through some very narrow gaps and safely into berth B16 where several guys took the lines and had us securely tied alongside in no time at all.
The blue striped lighthouse is at the entrance to Boat Lagoon.
Our first priority was to get checked in, so we went first to the marina office to complete their paperwork, and then got a Grab to Ao Chalong on the southern end of the island.
The seats in the Grab van were so big my feet couldn’t touch the floor, but fortunately there was a footrest. Luxury!
We walked along the long pier to the Yacht administration centre where we first had to complete a computer registration, then visit the Harbour Master, Immigration and finally Customs. It took the best part of an hour, and in each office they wanted photocopies of the same documents. At least the form-filling was kept to a minimum as the computer registration meant that the forms could be printed out already completed ready for signatures. Goodness knows how long it would have taken if we’d had to complete all those forms by hand!
Clear instructions for the checking in/out process.
The pier at Ao Chalong is very long! A big buddha sits on the top of the hill overlooking the town.
We left the building with all our ducks in a row, and happy that the clock was now ticking for time spent in Thailand. One box ticked. By now we were feeling quite peckish. We didn’t want to waste any time on lunch, so we nipped into a 7-11 and got a couple of cheese and ham toasties (yes, very Thai, we know) and at the same time topped up our Thai SIM card so that we could make calls to the companies doing work on the boat. We ate our sarnies by the pier, then called a Grab to bring us back to the boat.
We arrived back just in time for Steve to call the two companies he had previously been in email touch with, and arranged for both to visit the boat tomorrow. So far, so good. Fingers crossed they turn up as promised in the morning.
07:57.076N 98:26.802E
Tuesday 9th April 2019
Distance run: 60.4 nmiles
We had planned to go next to the Phi Phi islands, about 35 nmiles further north, however, as we were on a mission to get to Phuket Boat Lagoon by the 10th and our stops were really just sleeping stops with no time to explore, we decided instead to go straight to Koh Rang Yai, a small island about 4nmiles from Boat Lagoon, and anchor there overnight ready to go in with the high tide in the morning. The engine had run for eight hours or so yesterday without overheating and the bilge was still dry, so we weren’t particularly concerned about it now.
We would have preferred a slow, leisurely cruise up to Phuket, with time to explore on the way, but having discovered that Thailand has a big national holiday – Songkran – from the 12th to 16th April – we need to get there sooner rather than later. We have three reasons for going to Phuket – firstly to get the final repair jobs done that could not be done in Langkawi, secondly to be outside of Malaysia for a week in order to renew our visas, and thirdly to cruise and explore.
Before the lightning strike, the third reason was our first, and we would have done it months ago, taking our time and enjoying everything the beautiful Thai islands have to offer. The lightning strike put those plans on hold, and dealing with the insurance claim and local contractors delayed them way longer than we would have imagined. So for now our priorities have to be to get to Phuket in time to do the official check-in formalities and get the final jobs done on the boat before everything closes down for the holidays. Hence the longer passage today.
We slipped the lines from the buoy at first light and motored around to the top of Koh Rok Nai before setting course for Koh Rang Yai. There was a good wind blowing so we pulled out the main for its first airing this year and unfurled the genoa. She loved it. Before we knew it we were flying along at 7 knots.
Limestone outcrops A squid boat anchored, resting, its bright green lights off for now.
We sailed for a couple of hours, then motor-sailed for a couple more until the wind died completely and we motored the rest of the way. As we entered Phang Nga Bay, we were passed by hundreds of huge, pink, cauliflower-like jellyfish. No swimming today then!
These jellyfish were huge – bigger than a dinner plate and pink. They didn’t seem to have tentacles, but probably still sting!
With each country in South East Asia we have come to recognise the different types of fishing boats and how they behave. On this trip we have come across another different type – large boats that trawl in pairs, pulling a single net between them. It’s wise not to go between them, but we noticed they were very good at avoiding other boats.
One of a pair of trawlers heading our way.
As we approached the island of Koh Rang Yai, we heard a familiar voice on the radio, and the AIS showed Xamala in the anchorage we were heading for. We met Anita and Pierre on the Indonesian Rally and had not seen them since, so we called to say “Hi”. It turned out that “Starsend 2” were also in the anchorage, so it would be nice to be among friends for the night.
We dropped the anchor around 1640 off the beach at Koh Rang Yai, making sure it was well set as there was quite a current running. We called Phuket Boat Lagoon and arranged to be met by their dinghy at the entrance to the channel into the marina next morning at 1100. Then we went ashore for sundowners and a catch-up with friends.
We borrowed the facilities of a closed restaurant for sundowners. The anchorage at Koh Rang Yai.
Sunset over Koh Phuket (Phuket Island)
Thanks to Nikki from Starsend 2 for the Koh Rang Nai photos – and the delicious frittata!!
07:12.897N 99:03.789E
Monday 8th April 2019
Distance run: 47 nmiles
The first thing we did this morning was to check for water in the engine bilge. Last night it was as dry as a bone. This morning… there was a great big puddle. Ok, so now we knew we had a passive leak from somewhere, rather than thermostat or heat exchanger problems. Once again we got on our knees and searched around the engine for evidence of the leak. I thought about what my Dad told me donkey’s years ago about my car engine problems – if it’s losing water look first at the hoses, they are the weak points. We had checked them already, but Dad was always right, so we did it again. Sure enough, Steve found some moisture around the hoses from the engine to the hot water tank, almost hidden where they disappeared through the bulkhead into the next bilge. On pressing the hose, he found that water squeezed out. It seemed we had found our problem – the hose had denatured and was basically now a sponge which, under pressure and now also passively, was leaking water.
It was a great relief to find the problem, and an even greater relief to be able to solve it simply by turning off the valves that allow the water to flow between the engine and the hot water tank. Now it was an easy decision to continue our trip north, so we mopped up the puddle, made ready for sea, lifted the anchor and set off for Koh Rok, about 45 nmiles away.
Skipper happily at the helm, exploring the new MFD. Approaching Koh Rok in calm seas and no wind.
There was no wind to sail by, so we motored the whole way, arriving at the anchorage in the channel between the two small islands of Ko Rok Nok and Ko Rok Nai mid-afternoon. Around the same time, the afternoon onshore breeze picked up and was whistling through the channel. We initially picked up a National Parks buoy about halfway through the channel, but with the tide whooshing through one way and the wind whistling though the other, the boat could not hang on the buoy, but kept settling over it. With the huge wings on our keel, the concern was that the buoy’s tether line could wrap itself around our keel. As we watched whether she would settle properly on the buoy, the trip boats began leaving, and we spotted an empty orange buoy on the eastern end of the channel where the wind and current would be weaker.
We decided to move to that buoy, and the boat at once settled happily away from the tethering line. We tidied up and thought about going for a snorkel over on the reef, but by now we had lost the best of the light, so instead we settled in the cockpit with an anchoring beer. We watched a couple of yachts move to different buoys and settle for the night, and then another yacht, clearly a charter from the lack of equipment on deck, appeared and started to make straight for a buoy in the middle of the reef. By now the light had faded so that there was no difference in the colour of the water to show where the reef was, and they seemed totally unaware that there was even a reef there. And the tide was falling.
Before we had a chance to call out a warning, there was a loud bang and the yacht stopped dead. It was aground on the reef. They tried driving off but just ended up with a lot of black smoke coming from the engine, then one of them got into the water and started to give instructions. The guys on board rocked the boat from side to side and it changed direction, but stayed put.
Steve was considering taking over a long line to attach to a halyard as they really needed a line attached to the top of the mast to pull them over at an angle, so that they could float off, but on looking through the binoculars he could see there was no spare halyard at the mast so no way to rig one up. Charter boats, eh?
During this time, the National Park Rangers appeared in their RIB and approached us for their fee. We pointed out to them that there was a boat in trouble that might need their help, but they told us “No English”. They clearly did understand what we were saying, but had no interest at all in anything other than money and sped off back to their base.
Eventually they did manage to get the boat afloat again and made it safely to another buoy. We wondered if they would tell the charter company about the grounding, but were sure they would have a story to tell over a beer when they got home!
06:29.82N 99:17.732E
Sunday 7th April 2019
Distance run: 2.9 nmiles
Just as we reached the headland, the engine started to overheat again. We needed to clear the rocks, so kept it running a little longer, but when it became clear the temperature was continuing to rise at an alarming rate, we had to switch it off. Steve stayed at the helm and kept a watch on where we were drifting – those rocks were still not so far away and he might need to raise a sail – while I went below and looked in the engine compartment.
Once again the bilge was full of water. We had no time to let the engine cool, so topped it up with warm water and started it up again. The bilge would have to wait till we were re-anchored. The temperature gauge needle dropped back to normal almost instantaneously, and we continued round the headland to the anchorage, which was a much better depth, was much calmer, and had plenty of room.
The north anchorage has Koh Lipe on one side… and a much larger island on the other, so is much more protected.
Once anchored, we mopped out the bilge – again - and had yet another look for a leak. With none to be found, we could only think that either the thermostats were stuck closed or there was some sort of blockage in the heat exchanger. Removing and clearing the heat exchanger would be a fairly major job for which we had no new seals, and even checking the thermostats involved a greater degree of dismantling of the engine than we were prepared to do at anchor. Unsure now whether to continue to nurse the engine up to Phuket as planned, or to return to Langkawi to get it fixed, we decided to sleep on it and decide in the morning.
06:29.05N 99.18.084E
Sunday 7th April 2019
Distance run: 25.1 nmiles
Anchor up just before 0800 this morning, and what a messy business it was! Literally. There was sticky grey mud everywhere. The deck wash on the bow with which I would usually wash the mud off the chain ceased working not long before we arrived at Rebak. I’m not sure if it made it to the job list, but if it did it certainly hasn’t made it to the top. I could not believe the amount of the horrible stuff clinging to the chain, but as we were getting close to another boat, there was no time to get a bucket to throw water over it.
I closed the lid of the anchor locker and concentrated on getting safely out of this very shallow anchorage at low tide without getting a coating of mud all over the keel as well. We made it out with half a metre under the keel and a sigh of relief, and set our course for Koh Lipe.
After an hour of motoring, we were delighted to feel a zephyr of wind, soon followed by enough to sail by. We unfurled the genoa and switched off the engine. Yes, this was an unexpected pleasure as the forecast was for no wind. We sailed along nicely in 10-12 knots from the starboard quarter for three hours before the wind died away and we went back to the engine.
Sailing nicely in flat seas under genoa. Not looking too bad for a 15-year-old sail that’s been round the world and more.
Looking back at the island of Langkawi as the sun rises higher in the sky.
An hour later we arrived at Koh Lipe. Thailand at last! We found a very busy harbour with a very nice sandy beach crowded with tourists. Speed boats and longtails were whizzing everywhere and the shallower water was full of mooring balls for commercial boats. As we were deciding on a spot to drop the anchor, a dinghy approached the boat and it was our neighbours from the hard at Rebak. Their boat was anchored on the north side of the island where they said it was much quieter and more sheltered than here. After a quick catch-up with them, we decided to anchor here for lunch, go ashore for a quick look around and get our Thai SIM card topped up, and then move around to the north anchorage.
Koh Lipe harbour during a calm moment.
We dropped the anchor in 20+ metres of water behind the one other yacht there, then made the mistake of having lunch before going ashore. It was a mistake because by the time we launched the dinghy an afternoon onshore wind had picked up at the same time as dozens of longtail trip boats brought their tourist passengers back into the bay, essentially blocking access to the beach for the dinghy.
Eventually we managed to find a spot and pulled the dinghy up onto the beach, aided by the now rather lively breaking waves. We found the “Walking Street” which was lined with small shops selling tourist tat and restaurants, and not far down it was a kiosk selling SIM cards. Having successfully topped up and not feeling the need to explore the commercialism any further, we had a particularly lively ride back to the boat where we hauled up the dinghy, lifted the anchor and made our way out of the bay.
Looking up Walking Street… and back down to the beach.
06:21.778N 99:40.916E
Saturday 6th April 2019
Distance run: 16.3 nmiles
On Thursday, true to their word, Azmi and Bunny brought the bits of outboard engine back from the workshop and reassembled it. Steve took Azmi for a ride in the dinghy, and they both came back happy that it was now working well.
Azmi and Bunny reassembling the outboard on the aft deck. Taking a break on the pontoon.
I took down the bimini canvas, laid it on the pontoon and gave it a good scrubbing. It was absolutely filthy from its time on the hard, but worse still, it was no longer waterproof. During a heavy cloudburst on Wednesday evening, the rain had poured through it, so a re-proofing was urgently needed. I had ordered the 303 Fabric Guard to do it with, at great expense, from Lazada, but first the canvas needed to be clean. So after a really good wash, scrub and rinse, I got Steve to help me put it back on the frame to dry before re-proofing.
Sadly, much of the stitching on the outside of the canvas was sun-damaged and my enthusiastic scrubbing had finished it off in a variety of places, making it impossible to fix it back on the frame. So after leaving it for an hour in the sun to dry, I unpacked the sewing machine and spent the rest of the afternoon re-stitching zips in place and reinforcing lines of broken stitching. The re-proofing became a job for the morning.
Re-stitching the bimini canvas.
Yesterday was also a busy day. First job was to start re-proofing the bimini, which was almost finished when Vicky and Guy from Yaniska arrived to look at the fitting of our new autopilot. They had also had a lightning strike that had knocked out their autopilot, and Guy was in the middle of fitting a new one. There seemed to be so many do’s and don’t’s that he found it helpful to see one already fitted. They stayed for coffee and a chat, which was cut short by the arrival of Robbie and Andrew, mechanics, to replace the leaking water pump. Luckily this went without a hitch, and an hour later it was all done.
We finished re-proofing all the canvas I had washed, then had a bite of lunch before heading off to the ferry port to do the check-out paperwork. Finally the boat was ready to leave and we were wasting no time. It took about an hour to track down the appropriate officials, complete all the paperwork and get the necessary clearance papers from Customs and the Harbour Master, and to get exit stamps in our passports. That done, we set off to the supermarket to stock up on supplies for the few days it would take for us to get to Phuket. Back at the boat we stowed our purchases and tidied up ready for an early start in the morning.
We slipped the lines around 0730 and started to make our way back along the coast towards the cruise ship terminal. The plan was to meet up with Mawari in the bay outside Telaga to collect a couple of parcels they had picked up for us in Rebak. Typically the parcels had arrived a couple of hours after we left. From there we would either head out to Koh Lipe, a Thai island some 25 nmiles away, or we would anchor in Telaga harbour for the night and leave in the morning.
We were only halfway to the cruise ship terminal when the engine started overheating. We switched it off and drifted while Steve went to investigate. Bugger! The engine bilge was full of water again! It seemed we had only solved part of the problem by replacing the raw water pump. For the second time the fresh water had somehow removed itself from the engine. There were no signs of any leaks, so we had to assume it was coming out of the venting tube. Anyway, after mopping out the bilge and putting more water in the heat exchanger, we started up the engine and continued on our way.
Happily the engine did not overheat again, and by 1030 we had located Mawari and were drifting close by while Bob jumped in his dinghy and came over with our parcels. One of them contains a new immersion heater which Steve wants to get fitted in Phuket. After a chat with Bob and looking out for some porpoises which Sue had spotted and was photographing, we had a decision to make. Push on to Koh Lipe, or anchor in Telaga and try to find the cause of the engine problem.
We decided on the latter, and once the anchor was down and the engine had cooled down we had another look for a leak. If there was one, it was in a very out of the way place, because neither of us, on our knees, heads in the engine compartment, could find it. There was nothing for it now but to chill out for the rest of the day, and prepare ourselves for our first real passage in 16 months – all of 25 nmiles to a neighbouring island!
First barbecue this year – lamb sausages. Bangers and mash for dinner.
The tower at Telaga is not a working lighthouse, but it does light up at night. Sunset in the anchorage at Telaga.
The tower shining in the darkness. The lights on top of the mountains are the cable car and skywalk.
06:18.09N 99:50.967E
Wednesday 3rd April 2019
Distance run: 11.6 nmiles
Change of plan!
When Steve tested the outboard on Monday, it started fine, but very quickly conked out and refused to start again. So frustrating! He had made sure to flush it through and prepare it to be laid up for some time (although admittedly it had been left rather a long time), so it was a mystery why it was playing up. No way could we go anywhere involving anchoring until it was sorted.
Steve contacted Alex at Asiatic Marine and he was happy to send his guys out the next day, but it would involve a RM 300 travel charge to get to Rebak. We couldn’t easily get the outboard to their workshop, so a solution would be to take Scott-Free round to the Royal Langkawi Yacht Club as it’s much closer to their workshop and on the main island of Langkawi. A berth was available, so we decided that was what we would do. Although the berthing is more expensive there, it would still work out cheaper as we would not have the RM 300 travel charge. Also RLYC is within walking distance of the ferry port where we have to do check out formalities so we’d be saving the car hire from Rebak, and we could set off for Thailand from there.
It seemed the ideal solution, so yesterday we were up early to get the boat ready, visit the office to pay our final bill and be off the dock by 0930. The trip round would take a bit over two hours, and Alex’s guys were booked for 1300. Plenty of time.
Except we didn’t factor in the fact that the prop and engine bilges would be full of water. Well, not quite full, but when there’s not meant to be any, it feels like full. Steve checked the prop bilge as he has been gradually adjusting the stern gland since we launched, and wanted to see if it needed tightening further. The stern gland is where the propshaft enters the boat, and the packing around it keeps out the sea but at the same time uses it as lubrication to stop the rotating propshaft from getting too hot. As a consequence there is always a slow drip into the bilge – if the gland has been tightened the right amount.
But with the boat having been ashore for so long, the packing around the gland had dried right out, and Steve was gradually tightening the gland to allow it to swell. The trip to Telaga obviously sped up the process, and the drip was slow no more. So the prop bilge had filled up and then overflowed into the engine bilge, just not quite enough to trigger the float switch on the automatic bilge pump. We spent half an hour pumping, scooping and sponging out two bucketfuls of water, and at last it was dry. We finally slipped our lines at Rebak a little after 1000 and said “Au revoir” to a place that, by now, seemed almost like home.
We motored round to RLYC on a flat calm sea, marvelling at the beauty of the surrounding islands that even after all this time we had not yet seen.
We passed the cruise ship terminal that we had only recently discovered was tucked away on the south of the island.
The trip went smoothly, except that on checking the bilges, Steve discovered that the raw water pump was leaking. Oh, FFS! Yet another thing to sort out before we can go further.
By midday a young chap was taking our lines at berth E37 at the yacht club. Once we were safely alongside, Steve began the task of contacting a mechanic to deal with the raw water pump, and Azmi and Bunny arrived to look at the outboard engine. They very quickly did their troubleshooting and found that the carburettor had a sticky valve and the stiff gear shift was in the gearbox. The bottom half of the outboard along with the carb was taken back to their shop in Kuah.
Later yesterday they were in touch to say it was all fixed but they wouldn’t be coming today as it’s a Bank Holiday, however they would be along tomorrow. We are still waiting to hear from the mechanic if/when he is able to fix the water pump, so at present our plans to leave Malaysia are on hold. Hopefully not for too long.
06:17.742N 99:41.881E
Sunday 31st March 2019
Distance run: 5.7 nmiles
The trip back to Rebak from Telaga with both RIBs went smoothly, and gave us a chance to play around with the new navigation equipment. Apart from losing the GPS signal when we turned off the radar, all seemed to work well, and the autopilot worked fine with the old remote control unit, which Steve had registered with the new course computer. We’ll have to monitor the GPS/radar problem, but otherwise all was fine.
It was good to have the opportunity to check out some old systems too, and we had no issues with the anchor windlass. Although the davit cables were a bit stiff, the dinghy came up on them fine, and the reinforcement of the davits after they were bent in the fishing net incident is good and almost unnoticeable.
In all it was a productive and useful trip, and we were back in Rebak, tied alongside in E9 by teatime.
The plan now is to test the outboard engine on the RIB tomorrow and finish up any small jobs that need doing. On Tuesday we’ll go to Langkawi to do some food stocking up and attend to checking out formalities, so that early on Wednesday we can slip the lines and head out of Rebak. First stop, the island of Koh Lipe, about 25nmiles away. A nice, short, daysail for our first real passage in a very long time. Exciting!
06:21.743N 99:40.93E
Sunday 31st March
Distance run: 5.67 nmiles
We are pretty much ready to go sailing now, but before we do, we need to get our RIB back from Allstar boats who have been storing it for the last 16 months. This involves us taking Scott-Free over to Telaga harbour to collect it. As we have no way of getting ashore from the anchorage there, we were planning to go alongside the fuel dock and hope they would allow us to stay long enough to row the dinghy round from the marina. However, Bob and Sue very kindly offered us the use of their lovely new RIB, and the whole operation was so much easier.
We motored over to Telaga, towing Mawari’s RIB behind us and dropped anchor in the outer bay. After a bite of lunch we dinghied into the marina where we found three guys waiting with our RIB, decked out in her new blue suncover. They brought her down the ramp and got her in the water, where we tied our painter to Mawari’s RIB’s transom and off we went, stopping briefly at the fuel dock to get some petrol for our outboard.
Waiting at the fuel dock with both RIBs while Steve bought petrol.
Back at Scott-Free, we pulled our RIB up on the davits, re-tied Bob & Sue’s RIB to our transom, and set off back to Rebak. Easy peasy.
Our RIB in place on the davits, Mawari’s tied to the stern.
Thanks Bob & Sue. 😉
06:17.742N 99:41.881E
Monday 25th March 2019
Distance run: 7 nmiles
We were finally ready to go back in the water as all the work beneath the water line was complete and the new engine alternators were fitted. We were still in a bit of a mess below decks as some work remained to be finished which meant that locker contents could not go away yet. So we tidied as best we could, and at 1100 on Monday 18th March Scott-Free went back into the water. No dramas with burst tyres this time, it was a very slick operation- these guys have done it before! As soon as she was in the slings, one of the guys from Seaspray Marine arrived to finish anti-fouling her bottom, and then she was off. A few minutes later she was slowly and gently lowered into the water and held in the slings while we checked the bilges to make sure there was no ingress of water.
Once the cradle was off she had her bare patches painted. Trundling into the launch bay, no tyre dramas today.
Satisfied that she was watertight, we gave the yard guys the nod and they began removing the slings. Steve turned the key to start the engine and…nothing. After a couple of tries it was clear she was not going to start, so Steve went below to bleed the engine. After several minutes, and to our great relief, she eventually fired up. We let go the lines and edged our way out of the lifting bay. It felt great to be in the water, even if it was just a couple of hundred metres to our new berth on E pontoon.
We settled ourselves alongside at E9, and our first job was to turn on the fridge which we can’t use on the hard because the compressor is water-cooled. We had been using the portable ARB fridge, so it hadn’t been a problem, but as it’s under the saloon table, getting stuff in and out is a pain, done on bended knee and ducked head. Good exercise, yes, but wearing after several months. Mainly, though, I was keen to get the main fridge going because it has a little freezer compartment where we make ice cubes for our drinks… Sadly, it was not to be. It tried its very best, it really did, but could barely get below 10 degrees.
After some enquiries, we found a chap who tends to poorly fridges, but he only comes over to Rebak when he has at least a couple of jobs to do to make it worth the time and hassle of the trip. Luckily for us he was coming over in a few days’ time, and it was a very quick and easy job of changing a couple of ‘O’ rings and re-gassing. He charged 200 ringgit, just under £40, all in, and we were happy to pay. The fridge now works better than it has in a very long time, and the ice in our iced coffees is a real treat.
The problem of cooling things down is sorted, so we now just have the problem of warming things up – the defunct immersion heater that is – to deal with. It stopped working when we were on the hard, and we have a new one on order from the UK, but it seems to be taking a very long time to get here. Wonder if it’s snowbound too? Anyway, we had enough to be getting on with, and turned our attention to putting the boat back together as far as we could and starting to get her ready for sea.
Today, Monday 25th, Alex and Hendrick came to the boat to do the last few jobs and then to come with us on a sea trial to commission and test all the new equipment. Before leaving we used the lead line to check the depth of water below the boat and calibrated the depth instrument. Then we had to wait while the Police RIBs that were berthed at the ferry dock moved off. They are here for LIMA, the Langkawi International Maritime and Air show, being held nearby. Eventually we slipped the lines and headed out of the marina into open water.
Police vessels were berthed on the ferry dock during LIMA, so there was more boat activity than normal for our sea trials.
It was good to be out of the marina and to feel the boat moving through the water, even if the sails did stay firmly furled. There wasn’t a breath of wind, but there was a swell, and it didn’t make it easy for my land legs – or stomach for that matter – when we were just bobbing around calibrating instruments. We turned the boat in circles several times swinging the compasses and all seemed well. Then we tried the remote control for the autopilot and things went haywire!
We had plenty of searoom, so although a little disconcerting it wasn’t too much of a problem when the boat changed course wildly from one side to the other. At one point though, we were in quite close company with the grey funnel boats at anchor in the harbour for LIMA! After resetting the autopilot to factory settings it was fine once more, but there was clearly a problem with the remote control as it was still making the autopilot do some strange things – like going back to the original heading after a course change. Its audible signals were not audible, though if you placed it to your ear you could just hear them. They were in there, just couldn’t get out! Eventually, and happily for my stomach, it was decided that as everything other than the remote control seemed to be working fine, we would head back in.
Alex and Hendrick signed off and handed over the paperwork which means we have a full, worldwide 3-year warranty on all the new Raymarine equipment, then posed for a team photo, and headed off. They will contact Raymarine about the anomalies and let us know the way forward.
Alex and Hendrick give the thumbs up to the new equipment.
We sighed a HUGE sigh of relief as they left. We now have the boat back to ourselves, with the work finished we can re-stow everything in its rightful place, and who knows, we may even manage to go sailing. Now wouldn’t that be a treat!
Saturday 16th March 2019
So, the work on the boat is almost done, and we moved back onboard a few days ago, just as our old yachtie friends from Turkey arrived in Langkawi. The plan had been to take them sailing, but sadly the timing didn’t quite work out, as we launch on Monday, the day after they leave. Typical.
However, the bad timing didn’t stop us having a great time just hanging out with them and enjoying a meal and a drink or two. They came over to Rebak and enjoyed the pool, the beach and the cocktails. We went to their hotel in Cenang and also enjoyed the pool, the beach and the cocktails. We worked on putting the boat back to rights and supervising ongoing repairs – both engine alternators still had to be replaced - until mid-afternoon, and then spent the rest of the days catching up with our friends and dining out.
Cocktails on the beach at Rebak. Cocktails in the pool at the Camar.
Tomorrow they head back to Penang for a few days before heading off to Dubai, while we will finish getting the boat ready for launch. She has been on the hard for sixteen months, and I’m sure she will give an audible sigh as she gently eases back into the water. Meanwhile, we will be scurrying around the bilges making sure we haven’t left any through-hulls open or that she hasn’t sprung a leak!
Thursday 7th March
Work finally began on repairs on 21st February, almost three months after we arrived back at the boat. Alex from Asiatic Marine arrived mob-handed mid-morning, and we breathed a sigh of relief that, at last, something was actually happening.
Alex arrived with three guys to start the work – we were hopeful it would
not take the predicted ten days to complete.
Soon the boat was a hive of activity, locker contents spread all over the place, headlinings down, floorboards up, and cables running everywhere. We had booked a room at Senari Bay Resort on Langkawi for a week as staying on the boat was not really an option, but they were fully booked for tonight, so we would have to unearth the bed in order to get into it – fortunately just for one night!
The saloon Nav area
Hanging locker Our bed!
It became apparent after the first couple of days that it was not going to be a fast job. Although they had waited for all the new equipment to arrive before beginning, the radome that arrived had already been registered for warranty so had to be sent back for replacement. The new Navpod which houses the chartplotter on the binnacle was found to be the wrong size and also had to be replaced. While we baked in the mid-30 degree heat, the replacement Navpod was snowbound in a warehouse in the U.S…
Each morning we walked from the hotel to the ferry and came across to the boat. If we hadn’t, they would still be working on it in July. Steve worked harder than any of them, keeping a watchful eye on more than one person at a time, stopping them when he wasn’t happy with their work, and on several occasions showing them how to do it properly. We provided goodness knows how many tools to enable them to do the work and a load of our own consumables which they clearly had not even thought about needing.
It was a relief to close the boat up at the end of each day and make our way back to our air-conditioned room. After a drink and a shower, we would wander up to the restaurant at the ferry dock for dinner or visit our “chicken lady” at one of the roadside kiosks. The food was good and cheap, which was just as well because we had neither the facilities nor the energy to cook for ourselves.
Steve at the ferry dock restaurant tackling their curried crab
with hands only – no crackers or crabforks here!
Each morning two bags containing breakfast were left on the table outside our room. We were like kids at Christmas eagerly looking in the bags to see what was in there! There was always a carton of juice, some fruit, a piece of cake and two slices of bread, with little pots of marge and jam, plus the main item which was different every day.
Breakfast bags waiting to be explored! Roti and dhal sauce, with slices of papaya.
Fishy rice in a banana leaf with melon slices. Our view from the verandah outside our room.
We got to the end of the week we had originally booked, and the boat was nowhere near ready for us to move back onto, so we extended our stay at Senari Bay. We were getting a bit bored with eating in the same places, so Steve explored the cost of a Grab ride into Cenang – 4 ringgit, about 75p. Why hadn’t we done this before? Being a tourist beach town, there is plenty of choice for eating, and we enjoyed a change from local food. One evening we went to an Italian restaurant in Matsarat, where we had a delicious meal. Too expensive to be repeated, it was a real treat to have a few hours of a more familiar culture.
Roast duck in a most delicious orange sauce. Complimentary lemoncello to finish.
Although Alex had said that they would work ten straight days to get the work done, in the end they had some breaks of one or two days when they were held up by lack of parts, so that after a fortnight the work is still not finished.
Sunday 3rd February 2019
So, a whole month has passed and we are still on the hard waiting for the boat to be repaired. Frustrated? Doesn’t even begin to describe it.
The past weeks have been spent dealing with a surveyor who wants us to replace our chartplotter with a discontinued model bought from ebay to save the insurance company money, and a claims handling company that don’t know their arses from their elbows. They are supposedly marine claims handlers, but seem to have no understanding or expertise in small boat claims. They are ridiculously inefficient, unable even to put together an accurate spreadsheet of costs for reimbursement, despite having copies of all invoices and our own spreadsheet to work from. And so it goes on…
Meanwhile, in order to stay sane, we have been keeping busy. We have been going across to Langkawi and taking pot luck with Mr. Din’s cars, which is always interesting. Luckily we haven’t had a repeat of the battery fiasco when we had to call Mr Din out to rescue us from a car that was completely dead, nor the occasion when the electric window got stuck open and Bear took the whole door apart to repair the wiring. Indeed, every car we’ve had recently has had a needle on the speedo – luxury! And one thing we have never had a problem with, is the air con, thank goodness.
We are now quite familiar with the roads and no longer rely on Google maps to get about the island. Some of our visits have been to see Mrs. Chew the dentist – yes, really – as both of us have had need of her services, and several visits have been in search of equipment or materials for the boat, or to visit the Raymarine agents. We generally have lunch on the island, either in one of the local cafes, or if I’m in need of some air con, one of the tourist outlets. Last stop is always grocery shopping as the cool bag can only hold out a short while in the heat here, so once it’s done we head straight back to the boat.
Lunch in town at a street café with the locals. Plastic crockery and minimal cutlery – no frills here but the food is good and very cheap.
Steve posing next to his initials in Chinese New Year decorations.
Actually they stand for Secret Recipe, the name of the restaurant, but don’t tell him.
Days spent in the marina are long and very hot. Being protected from the weather on the lee side of the island, there is often no breeze, and the block paving on the hard soaks up the sun’s heat and sends it back up again, making the temperature higher than on the resort side of the island. On days spent on the boat, after doing a few jobs in the relative cool of the morning, we sometimes go for a walk along the shady trails, or else hide down below in the air con. On most days in the late afternoon/early evening we go round to the breezy resort side to the pool for a swim. Usually Pepe and Bear are there, and we have a good old chin wag catching up on news.
It gets very hot on the hardstanding, where the pavers soak up and regenerate the heat. Protected by hills, there is often no breeze.
Some evenings we get together with other cruisers.
An evening of Mexican Train dominoes with Alan & Patricia from Nauti Nauti and Pepe and Bear.
Patricia had replaced the usual train pieces with Mexican creatures with nodding heads.
These days though, there are fewer cruisers around that we know, as most have pushed on with their travels. Some have gone back east, exploring more of Indonesia along the way. Others have continued west via the Indian Ocean, and some via the Red Sea. With very few incidents in the High Risk Area in the last couple of years, more yachts are taking the risk and making it safely through to the Med. Food for thought.
As time ticks away here, so does the time on our visas. Malaysian Immigration automatically gives UK passport holders a 90-day visa on entry. Ours will expire in less than three weeks, and in order to renew, we have to leave Malaysia and be out of the country for at least seven full days. If we wait until they’re nearly expired to do a visa run, it could coincide with work starting on the boat, and Steve needs to be on board otherwise an electrician could take a year to find his way around our wiring system.
So tomorrow we will be flying to Bangkok for a few days, then on to Chiang Mai in the north of Thailand, and then to Kanchanaburi to the west of Bangkok before flying back to Malaysia and hopefully receiving a nice new stamp in our passports allowing us to stay for a further 90 days. It was so much easier in Turkey where we would get the morning ferry to Rhodes, clearing out of Turkey and into Greece. Then we’d do a bit of shopping – mainly bacon, sausages and pork chops – have a nice Greek lunch, and then return to Marmaris on the afternoon ferry, clearing back out of Greece and re-entering Turkey on a new 90-day visa. Still, we’ve never been to Thailand, and I so need to get away from the hardstand, that a 9-day break is just what the doctor ordered.
Tonight we had a combined “farewell” and birthday dinner with Pepe and Bear. I am yet another year closer to getting my State pension – although every time I get close they move it back again! – and while we are away in Thailand Pepe and Bear will be slipping the lines and heading Beez Neez out of the marina on the first leg of their Indian Ocean crossing – an overnighter to Sabang. We will miss them enormously when we get back and find them gone, but wish them a safe crossing with fair winds and calm seas all the way to Antigua. Enjoy!
Trying to keep the candle alight long enough to blow out. Custard-filled sponge cake on top of ice-cream – yum!
The last gang photo until Antigua. Safe sailing guys. xxxx
Saturday 5th January 2019
After a good long break from sailing, we arrived back here in Rebak a few weeks ago. Were we looking forward to some gentle sailing up in Thailand? Yes. Were we going to do it any time soon? No.
And the reason?.. The boat had a lightning strike while it was just minding its own business sitting quietly on the hard. Apparently it was a particularly bad storm, and four other boats sustained lightning damage at the same time. This did not make us feel any better. We had taken every precaution we could to ensure she was safe while we were away, but nothing can protect a boat that has a huge metal mast sticking up 15 metres from its middle from lightning. It’s an open invitation, and the storm gods took it.
We had known about the strike since May when the guys doing guardiannage on the boat emailed us to say the batteries weren’t charging and were at very low voltage. They suspected a strike. Our insurers sent a surveyor in our absence to assess the damage, but he was unable to check very much without 12v power, and recommended replacement of the battery chargers as a first step. So we managed to organise their replacement and the surveyor was due to carry out his assessment on our return to the boat.
That assessment took place a few days before Christmas, and because of the Christmas break we didn’t hear until after New Year that we could go ahead with repairs under our insurance claim. We had hoped that the damage was just restricted to the battery chargers as a result of a power surge, but sadly that hope was dashed almost as soon as we arrived back at the boat when Steve found the misshapen VHF aerial from the top of the mast on the ground beside the boat, our shore power cable split apart where it passed over our toe rail and cans of beer in the bilge against the mast post literally peeled open!
The aerial from the top of the mast, bent out of shape. Damage to the 240v power cable.
Two cans of beer next to the mast post in the bilge tore open. The rest were untouched.
Most of our electronic instruments are dead, as are the two alternators on the engine. There is quite a lot of work to be done, and fortunately there is a Raymarine dealer on Langkawi who will be able to do much of the electronics work. We are having a very frustrating time, however, trying to source the equipment he does not deal with and trying to find someone with the expertise and knowledge to fit it. It feels like wading through treacle, but hopefully things will start moving along soon as the sailing season is passing us by.
In the meantime, however, we started by cleaning the boat. The dehumidifier did its work well below decks and there isn’t a spot of mildew anywhere, at least not that we have found as yet, so it was just a matter of moving stored stuff around, dusting and freshening up, sorting and tidying lockers and generally getting her comfortable to live in again.
Outside, the shade netting had done a good job of protecting her from the sun’s damaging rays, but the constant shade and dampness had led to mould growing on the teak deck in places. We started by taking off the shade netting above the deck to allow it to dry out and then gave it a good wash down with a soft sponge. This did the trick as the mould seemed only to be on the surface. After a couple of days we replaced most of the shade netting, as it made a lot of difference to the temperature inside the boat, but left it open at the bow and stern and lowered the netting around the hull so that there are gaps all round for air flow. We’ll keep an eye on the decks for any future mould growth, but hope this will prevent any more.
Shade netting back in place with gaps for airflow, keeps us cooler and helps protects the boat from UV damage.
With the cleaning up done, we were starting to get frustrated and bored with life on the hard with no prospect of launching this side of Christmas, when Bear and Pepe on Beez Neez arrived in the marina. It was so good to see them again and we had a lot of catching up to do. They had also suffered a lightning strike and had just sailed up from Pangkor, testing their new instruments on the way. They were looking forward to some down time before setting off on their trip across the Indian Ocean, but their autopilot had other ideas and packed up on the way here. So not all play then. But we had some good laughs on our shopping trips around Langkawi in Mr Din’s cars! See blog.mailasail.com/beez neez
We spent Christmas and New Year at Rebak. Bear and Pepe needed to do a visa run, so they flew off to Hong Kong on Christmas Eve for 10 days. We considered closing up and heading off somewhere, but decided as we were already in a five-star resort, it seemed a bit pointless. So on Christmas Day we had lunch at the Senari restaurant overlooking the beach, cooled off in the pool after, and then had sundowner cocktails at the beach bar.
A visit from Santa at Christmas lunch. Christmas Day cocktails on the beach.
On New Year’s Eve we joined in the festivities at the Hard Dock café in the marina. This was for marina residents only, and although a scaled-down affair compared to the resort event, was much nicer as it was really aimed at the yachties. The food was excellent and the sparkling wine flowed freely all evening – well until 10.30 when the buffet was cleared away. At that point Steve popped back to the boat and brought back further supplies! There was a countdown to the New Year, which may or may not have been at midnight, and then everyone jumped out of their skins as extremely loud firecrackers started to go off in the eaves of the building, scattering paper flower petals everywhere. They were deafening, but certainly were a spectacle. Everyone was stunned that they were so close, and several tables emptied as the explosions moved from one end of the building to the other. It was a startling but wonderful welcome to 2019!
Happy New Year!
Tuesday 12th December 2017
The last week has been a mixture of work and relaxation as we wind down before heading home for a while. Mornings have been spent working, and after lunch we walk round to the resort and spend a couple of hours cooling off and relaxing at the pool. We are enjoying the swim-up bar (though not the prices!) and sometimes spend the early evening at the beach bar enjoying a Happy Hour cocktail looking out over the water as the sun goes down. Are we really swapping this for the UK in December??!!
The pool at Rebak Island resort. Strawberry daiquiri at the Lepak beach bar.
All preparations for leaving the boat on the hardstand have been completed, including, would you believe, putting antifreeze in the engine and generator. This always makes me smile because, really, what chance is there that temperatures will go that low. However, I am reliably and emphatically informed by the Skipper that it is a necessary precaution to prevent rust forming inside the engine. As our engine is now 25 years old, it probably needs all the protection it can get!
The only food left on board is in tins, which have been inspected to make sure they are sound, and some dried stuff like tea bags which are inside clip lock airtight boxes. Bay leaves have been sprinkled liberally in food lockers and cockroach bait left in all areas of the boat. The stands have been sprayed with ant killer and the spray left in the cockpit for the guardiannage guys to respray as needed. Hull openings have been stuffed with rags. Fingers crossed we don’t get infested with anything!!
We have draped shade netting all around the hull and made a tent of it over the decks to protect the gelcoat, teak and deck equipment from the harsh UV rays of the sun.
So now we are ready to go and the boat is in the safe hands of the team at LBSS who will visit her regularly to check all is well.
All netted up and ready for a well-earned rest. Our chariot (well ok, ferry) awaits.
Bye for now!
Monday 4th December 2017
The sails finally came off yesterday, and this morning we were more than ready for the old girl to be hauled. We were booked in for mid-morning, and sure enough the guys came to tell us they were ready shortly before 1100. It wasn’t far to drive to the lift-out bay, but Steve had to do a bit of jiggling around to get her to reverse in. She doesn’t go straight backwards, and the bow thruster wasn’t working so couldn’t be used to counteract her propwalk. So it took a couple of tries, but then we got lines across to the guys on shore and they pulled us straight in.
All went without a hitch, and soon she was out of the water. The travel lift began trundling towards the spraying bay when suddenly there was an almighty BANG! My heart leapt into my mouth and I turned around fully expecting to see Scott-Free falling from the slings. Thank goodness, though, she was still sitting fair and square in place. What a relief! It was one of the enormous tyres on the travel lift that had burst, but they are in pairs, and the other was still holding up ok. After some worried looks and head-scratching from the yard guys, they finally got her on the move again and into the spraying bay.
Up she comes. The inner tyre on the left went with a loud BANG!
She was slowly trundled into the spraying area for a wash down.
The yard guys obviously decided they didn’t want to take the boat too far with only one tyre inflated on one corner of the travel lift, so we were put into the nearest empty bay. That was a bit of luck for us, as the long-term storage area is a fair distance from the showers and toilets. Sadly for the boats due to be hauled later that day, the travel lift was declared unusable until the tyre was sorted. We could have done without the fright of the blow-out, but were so glad it hadn’t happened to the boat before us!
We sat in the shade of Indigo 2 with Liz & Chris while S-F was settled. The flat tyre is easily visible as the travel lift leaves S-F on her cradle.
Finally the boat was settled in her cradle and we could have a look below her waterline. There was a lot of scraping and scratching around the keel where the net had caught us, but otherwise she looked fine. We have no plans to do any work to her until we return later in the year, so now it’s just a matter of preparing her to be left for a well-earned rest.