While the watermaker was left running, we then dinghied ashore to revisit one of our favourite cafés, Kantary, where we enjoyed a coffee and a baked delight, while savouring the view as well. A stroll afterwards took us to the grounds of the Phuket Aquarium, along the promenade and back to the beach before returning to Paw Paw to complete a few more items on our Action List, some of which rolled over to today. These included preparing the busbars for the lithium battery solution, programming a few Indian Ocean weather channels then testing our SSB/HF radio and securing our PLBs (Personal Locator Beacons) to our new lifejackets. It was the programming of our MMSI number into the PLBs as well as the complicated instructions to test it all, that made our heads hurt by yesterday afternoon, opting to leave that effort until today instead.
We had also planned on enjoying the paddleboards this morning, but, waking up to a swell running straight into the anchorage, we decided instead to move Paw Paw to Chalong Bay a little earlier than intended.
However, we had a few mishaps in making this move; not only did we make the classic novice mistake of leaving the dinghy painter partially hanging in the water, although the dinghy was on the davits, a first, which, of course, resulted in a tangle with the starboard propeller, but we also dragged while trying to set the anchor. Turns out we’d snagged the anchor on an old fishing net and pod. Fortunately our second attempt was successful after Roy was back in the water to untangle our propeller, all nothing compared to the problems the owner of an old wooden schooner had after his yacht sank during one of the storms we had last week.
Redoing both the dinghy painters was on the Action List anyway, but, by then, we both needed a coffee; it had become far too hectic a morning for our liking. Afterwards, reluctant to get back into the water again, not surprising, given that a crocodile was sighted in this bay a few months ago, Roy redid the dinghy painters from the transom steps and tackled the last knot from the dinghy itself.
On other news, the Phuket Provincial Public Health Office (PPHO) had reported only 144 new local COVID-19 infections and 2,552 people under medical care or supervision, both numbers significantly lower than those of a few weeks ago. Sadly, 3 new deaths were attributed to the disease, bringing the total number of deaths in Phuket Province since 3rd April of this year to 96.
The current Phuket tally, however, does not included the 155 Phuket Sandbox arrivals who have tested positive for the virus after landing on the island since the Phuket Sandbox scheme began on 1st July 2021. Certainly doesn’t fill us with any sense of confidence to fly when passengers are supposed to have tested negative before boarding; just another expensive procedure which serves no purpose!
It remains to be seen, though, how all these numbers change over the coming weeks with the easing of the provincial entry restrictions, allowing fully vaccinated domestic tourists on to the island without any screening for COVID-19. This has resulted in long tailbacks at the checkpoint as people drive on to the island, estimated to reach 10,000 cars a day, after seeing just 1,000 a day under the previous restrictions.
One can’t help but wonder what was the point of the lockdown we’ve endured since our arrival in Thailand, when an irresponsible and inconsistent decision is taken to drop the COVID-19 screening test at the checkpoint for domestic travellers, but international travellers still need to do these after arrival, all of which could render the lockdown and precautions taken to date pointless. Guess time will tell!
On a cheerier note, our rather busy day ended with a magnificent sunset to the west as the moon rose in the east, making for a fabulous evening on the foredeck.
After the video call, we dinghied ashore for an early morning swim off the beach, before returning to Paw Paw for breakfast. Being a beautiful, calm, sunny day, we decided that lazying around the cockpit was the best way to spend our time, content to watch the kids from the nearby sailing club enjoy a day of racing out on the bay, all very enthusiastic indeed, given that they were out on the water again in the afternoon. At one point we both nodded off, though, waking up just in time for lunch.
However, Roy did mustered up some energy to start the preparation work for the next stage of the lithium battery solution, which involves the new busbar, the worst part of the installation due to the tight quarters he has to work in, as well as temporarily having to remove the inverter and battery charger to make space.
We had planned on getting the paddleboards out too, but we were both too lazy, so we settled for another swim instead, this time off the back of Paw Paw. We’d no sooner got back onboard, though, when Roy noticed a huge sting ray come out of the water, setting the stage for a beautiful evening on the foredeck, with a lovely cool breeze carrying laughter from the beach, as people poured outside to enjoy the good weather and since a few more lockdown restrictions had been lifted.
Today started with another wildlife sighting; this time a massive sea eagle, the biggest we’ve seen, circling overhead as we enjoyed breakfast in the cockpit after a calm, peaceful night. Then it was time for our two-hour workout; cleaning Paw Paw’s bottom. While Roy tackled the barnacles, Elaine cleaned the waterline and stripes. It’s fair to say, we’re not impressed with our new antifouling at all, but, unfortunately, the Jotun we’ve used since New Zealand, which we’ve had great success with, is not available in Thailand, so we picked the best we could find, which wasn’t exactly cheap either. Guess we’ll be kept fit until the next haulout, especially when having to constantly fight a current while undertaking the cleaning efforts every few weeks.
A shower and a hot cup of coffee was followed by a “wee rest” after our morning workout. Afterwards Elaine started the process of cataloguing our latest photographs before we dinghied ashore to dispose of the garbage and enjoy a light dinner at the Used Books Café, both requiring a hike straight up the side of the mountain, but the meal and the views were well worth the effort!
On our return to Paw Paw, after rescuing a dinghy sailor who’d got becalmed in the anchorage when the wind died and who was very grateful for a tow back to shore, we noticed another yacht enter the anchorage and anchor bow-to us. Having had this happen twice before, which tripped our anchor, lo and behold, it was tripped again. Fortunately, we’ve wisened up to these idiots, so, not taking any chances, when we backed down on the anchor it reset about a boat length from its original position just as daylight faded. Very frustrating, but at least we didn’t end up on a reef this time!
That news was swiftly followed by a video call from Keenan and Brooke to spend time with the grandchildren. Needless to say, there was great excitement about the Halloween decorations going up around the house, which included numerous painted pumpkins by various family members. There was also excitement over the new X-Box play area that Keenan had setup for the grandsons. Watching Capri, though, cooking a meal for the entire family for the first time was fabulous and what a great job she did, including setting the table beautifully, with lit candles and fresh drinks for everyone. Cooking for six people is never easy, but to prepare an entire dinner at the tender age of 12, is no easy feat. Well done Capri! By the smiles on everyone’s faces, it was a delicious meal too.
By then it was time to hop in the dinghy and await the video call from Customs, scheduled for 0930, to prove that we are indeed in Thailand on our yacht, Paw Paw, and that our faces match the photographs sent to Immigration earlier in the week. The short video call involved us showing our faces to the Customs officials, without wearing our hats or glasses, and then circling around the yacht, making sure they could see the name clearly; all very simple, right? Nope!
Numerous messages back and forth between us and our agent revealed that the Customs office was having a few technically difficulties, but eventually, after a two hour wait, we made contact and completed the task. In the interim, tired of sitting in the dinghy under a blazing hot sun, we dinghied ashore, enjoyed a morning coffee, collected our passports from our agent, containing our new 90-day visas and got back to Paw Paw in time for the successful video conference call with Customs at 1130. Although it was a busy morning, we were delighted to have completed another round of the Thailand officialdom process, our last before our departure, albeit that the cost of all these renewals, including the initial quarantine, have certainly resulted in a very expensive stay.
With all of that out of the way, we eventually weighed anchor shortly after noon and motored south, with the wind on the nose, as usual. Had we been allowed to go across to the islands of Phang Nga or Krabi, we’d have had a great sail, but both provinces are still off limits until 1st November, so we’re told. Roll on the Northeast Monsoon season and the removal of the remaining lockdown restrictions.
En route down to Ao Yon, where we’ve anchored for the night, Elaine enjoyed a phone call from her sister in Ireland, who was a very excited Granny after the birth of Layla-Rose and understandably so. Roy, on the other hand, used the time to clean the bridle, which had, once again, developed a small reef. A day filled with wonderful new, excitement and delight was wrapped up with a barbecue, under a clear starry night, a waxing gibbous high above us and what looked like the entire fleet of the Thai Navy joining us in the anchorage.
Regardless, by the morning we really needed to get off Paw Paw for a break from the relentless weather and headed ashore to enjoy a morning coffee at the Port of Call restaurant, but not before we mustered up enough energy to build the box for our lithium batteries.
However, we’d barely sat down in the restaurant when the heavens opened and with no sign of the lashing rain abating any time soon, we returned to Paw Paw in the pouring rain. We were both definitely surprised, though, to find that the wind speed had actually reached 40 Kts while we were ashore; the highest recording we’ve had since arriving in Thailand. As Roy said: “We’re going to need dynamite to dislodge our anchor after the week we’ve had!”.
Tuesday was also our first day of being fully vaccinated, although it was a little disappointing to wake to the news that the WHO (World Health Organisation) was now recommending a booster shot for immunocompromised individuals on the very day we thought it was safe to emerge from our cocoons after shielding for months due to Elaine’s health.
By the time we were back onboard, though, neither of us could keep our eyes open, so, yes, another afternoon nap ensued.
At this point in our circumnavigation and after months of lockdowns and shielding, we unashamedly enjoy our afternoon naps. We could use excuses like an interrupted night’s sleep due to bad weather or the draining tropical heat or a night socialising with cruising friends, partying or playing Mexican train dominoes and keeping us up later than we intended or we’re getting to that age where our beauty sleep is a necessity, all valid reasons, but, in reality, we simply have an afternoon nap because we can! It’s one of the joys of the cruising lifestyle.
Fortunately, Tuesday night we had a great night’s sleep in the absence of these horrible storms we’ve endured, waking to glorious sunshine yesterday morning instead. However, Elaine had no sooner started the washing machine for laundry day when the first rain shower appeared and these continued on and off throughout the day. With a warm wind, though, she was able to get everything dried while hung on the lines under the cockpit roof.
In between rain showers, Roy dinghied ashore to take another walk to G&T chandlery and to drop off our documentation with our agent for our next round of officialdom, our last before our departure from Thailand. Yim and Richard, off Charon, also stopped by for a quick dinghy chat and to finalise arrangements for our “coming out party” after months of shielding; a morning tea aboard Paw Paw this morning, accompanied by freshly baked crumpets and Irish soda bread was enjoyed by all. It was lovely to just sit and chat to cruising friends and enjoy a good laugh, like “normal people”, albeit in an airy cockpit, thanks to the fresh breeze, under sunny skies and Elaine wearing her mask.
It was close to 1400 by the time the “party” wrapped up with all of us having the very same objective on how to while away the rest of the afternoon; an afternoon nap!
On Saturday morning it was the very early morning storms - think 0300 - packing consistent winds of 28 Kts, reaching 36 Kts at times, that woke us. Trying to get back to sleep was pointless, so, as soon as it brightened up, we dinghied ashore for breakfast at the Port of Call restaurant, which had reopened after a new cleaner had contracted COVID-19.
Back on Paw Paw, Elaine continued working her way through our “Action List for Departure from Thailand”, while Roy fixed the leaking locker latch on the generator compartment, redistributed our engine oil from the two large 20 litre drums we had, to smaller 5 litre containers after they had also been delivered, making for easier storage. After a busy morning and our early rise, we both tried to nap which ended up being pointless too, given the bright, sunny day that developed, contrary to any forecast.
Yesterday we were up early again, after both having a bad night’s sleep for no particular reason, to collect the hired car and head to the hospital for Elaine’s blood work. With that another busy day unfolded. After the first hospital visit, our next stop was Makro, to get most of our fortnightly grocery shopping completed before returning to Paw Paw to unload everything and head back to the hospital for Elaine’s afternoon appointment with the specialist. En route, with time permitting, we stopped in at Dean and Deluca for a delicious lunch and, after the specialist appointment, finished up the last of our grocery shopping. Being out and about in the middle of the Phuket Vegetarian Festival, we were also able to see a few more shrines decorated, as well as stalls were vegetarians dishes were being sold and many devotees dressed in their white outfits.
There was, however, some or other all-day event going on at the Ao Po Grand marina as well, but had no idea what all the fuss was about. We’d never seen so many police and roadblocks on the roads leading to the marina, then seeing the marina grounds teaming with police, an ambulance and medical crew, as well as numerous speed boats decorated in flags and golf carts decorated in beautiful ribbons, left us a little bewildered as to what was going on. Additionally we’d seen crew changing into brand new matching outfits and having photographs taken on the dock and the entire anchorage and marina area was surrounded with huge navy ships. By the time we returned to Paw Paw in the late afternoon, we noticed one of the “gin palaces” from the marina, returning with a convoy of the speed boats and navy ships we’d seen earlier, but we were still clueless as to what was going on, as we enjoyed a cold refreshment on the patio of the Port of Call restaurant surrounded by policemen, before returning to Paw Paw to sanitise and stow our purchases.
After a few difficult weeks with Elaine’s health, news from the specialist was mostly good, with a few matters still to be resolved, resulting in a dosage change on some of her medications. A visit to the dermatologist was also required to resolve a side effect that had materialised. All things considered, though, the situation was improving again, which was a relief!
On a cheerier note, there is a very friendly, cheerful “gardener” at the Ao Po Grand marina, who, not only speaks very good English, but loves to chat to Roy, especially since they are both Liverpool supporters. In fact, for all we know, this “gardener” could well be a botanist or a horticulturist, evident by the beautiful gardens of the marina which he takes care of. Anyway, he was absolutely delighted the other day when Roy presented him with a Liverpool Football Club cap which Roy had bought for him, when he purchased a new one for himself. Since the “gardener” also plays football for a local team, who are apparently all Liverpool supporters as well, you can only imagine the reactions when he wore his cap to his next football practice.
It’s always the simplest acts of kindness that bring so much joy to both the giver and the receiver; in this case, the “gardener’s” unrelenting friendliness and always offering Roy a ride to the shops, adding joy to Roy’s days during trying times, returned by a small gesture from Roy.
Today, after another stormy night, besides spending most of our morning getting Paw Paw back in order after our shopping expedition yesterday, we eventually figured out what had been going on in the marina yesterday, thanks to Roy’s chat with Derek, the marina manager, after Roy had enjoyed a walk to the G&T Boatyard to purchase a few bits and bobs at the small chandlery there. Although Elaine had expected Royalty, possibly an unannounced visit by the King, it transpired that it was actually the Princess, her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, born Her Royal Highness Princess Sirindhorn Debaratanasuda, who had visited, to enjoy a sail around Phang Nga Bay. If we hadn’t been so busy, we probably would have seen her, as we were in the marina just before her arrival and her departure. Never mind, the fanfare surrounding her visit was interesting enough!
Under overcast skies on Tuesday morning, before the rain set back in, Roy was able to dinghy ashore and collect a few more of our delivered purchases from the marina office, including a new head torch, spare spark plugs for the dinghy, a new hand pump and a spare, to be sure, to be sure, as well as a few new tools after the others broke or simply disintegrated.
Regardless of the weather, we also managed to get a few more items completed on our never-ending Yacht Tasks List, including removing the last of the water from the engine compartments, given that our new hand pump had arrived, replenishing the dinghy fuel and completing some tasks required for the lithium battery solution, including cutting the stainless steel rods to size, drilling the required holes in the aluminium plates and tapping them.
While Roy was busy with all of that, Elaine continued her efforts on collating the Action List of all the activities required for our departure from Thailand, including all the Pre-Arrival officialdom activities required for each of our planned destinations and sent corresponding emails to the agent in the Maldives, the Port Captain in La ReUnion and our weather router in South Africa.
With some respite from the rain overnight on Tuesday night, we woke to another gloomy day yesterday morning with more rain that continued all day; it seems we return to Ao Po just to fill our water containers! Roy thought he’d got a gap in the weather to drop off the garbage and book the hired car, but got absolutely drenched on his return walk. Receiving photographs from Keenan of the twins enjoying the Autumn Harvest Farmer’s Market certainly added a dash of sunshine to our day, though.
However, while we spent the stormy afternoon watching movies, the Phuket Vegetarian Festival got underway, albeit a subdued affair compared to past years. In keeping with traditional, though, the various shrines raised the “Go Teng” poles in the pouring rain, welcoming the Jade Emperor and the Nine Emperor Gods to descend from the heavens.
The poles, tall slender trees, gilded with gold-coloured paper, were all raised at the auspicious time of 1709, indicating that the nine-day festival was quietly underway.
Due to the tight COVID-19 restrictions in force this year, though, which limits the number of people taking part in the ceremonies, it also requires that the “Ma Song” spirit mediums participating in the street processions must travel by vehicle, instead of walking the routes along the streets of Phuket Town. Also, they are to refrain from “performing miracles”, such as fire-walking and bladed-ladder climbing. Additionally, the administrators of the Jui Tui Shrine have requested that the stalls which usually sell food and other items along Ranong Road, do not do so this year.
While all these restrictions preclude us from participating, it is, nonetheless, another aspect of the Thai culture we’re being exposed to, in this instance, a Chinese Buddhist custom.
Back in our world, we had a wild and woolly night as the rain continued unabated last night, with bullets of wind associated with the various storms coming from all directions, putting us on a leeshore at times and leaving us both sleep deprived by this morning. So, after breakfast, we both went straight back to bed, waking around noon.
Feeling refreshed, Elaine completed her preparation for her upcoming specialist visit, including taking stock of all her medications and supplements we have onboard, as she finishes these first before incurring the cost of replenishing them unnecessarily. We also printed our finalised Indian Ocean Crossing Notes, Action List and some documentation Roy needed for the lithium battery solution, as well as completed another small task on our Yacht Task List; disinfect the dustbin enclosure and replace the bungee which keeps the dustbin in place, since this too had simply disintegrated.
However, to provide an idea of the heavy downpours we’ve endured these past few days, the Thai Meteorological Department, not only confirmed that the soaking conditions are expected to continue into next week, but that more than 34mm of rainfall was dumped on Phuket Town in the past week, with more than half of that soaking the town in just a three-hour period yesterday, while other areas of the island have experienced even heavier deluges. Now is not the time to visit Thailand! Clearly!
However, after breakfast, while Elaine tried to restore some order to Paw Paw again, Roy started the diesel runs, making four dinghy trips in all with the jerry cans to fill both tanks. By then it was lunchtime, but we were both too exhausted to eat, so, instead, we enjoyed an early afternoon nap. Clearly the fatigue associated with our 2nd jab, compounded by our late night, was taking its toll.
Feeling a little more refreshed after our naps, though, Roy then dinghied ashore again, this time to top up our provisions to get us through the next week ahead of our monthly shop when we’re back in Ao Po. Fortunately we’d received word from Richard, off Charon, that the hired car had been serviced and detailed, putting our minds at rest about using it again.
Our day wrapped up with the usual sanitation exercise and stowing our purchases, while enjoying another beautiful sunset, something Chalong Bay has no shortage of.
We were, however, also feeling a little more grateful for everything that was going well in our lives, regardless of Elaine’s health still hanging in the balance, after Roy bumped into our floating village neighbour on his return from the grocery store and having to help the badly injured cruiser onto the dinghy dock. It transpired that a car had collided with him and his wife while on their scooter, putting her in the hospital with head injuries and scratching him up very badly. This incident, hot on the heals of the sad news we’d received out of Malaysia about the cruiser who had passed away after getting serious ill, thousands of miles away from home, while marooned in Pangkor due to the pandemic, made us realise matters could be a lot worse!
Yesterday, after a good night’s sleep, we enjoyed a lazy Sunday morning under sunny skies and calm winds; the perfect opportunity to enjoy a cooked breakfast in the cockpit before weighing anchor and heading back to Panwa Bali.
After anchoring in our usual spot, we dinghied ashore to enjoy a coffee at My Beach Resort, then enjoyed a swim from the beach. We’d no sooner returned to Paw Paw when Elaine settled down to enjoy a nice long chat to her mom, hearing all about her birthday surprises, while Roy tackled another yacht task; repairing the generator compartment cooling vent that had decided to detach itself mysteriously. It’s fair to say, that it feels like we’re trying to, not only prevent ourselves from falling apart in this gruelling climate, but also trying to prevent Paw Paw too from falling apart around our ears. Everyday it appears there’s something that needs repaired, or worse, that needs a repair redone because of sub-standard materials we’ve sourced unknowingly. The good news is that work is progressing to plan on the lithium batteries, at least.
Then, too tired to be bothered with cooking, we opted for a takeaway dinner from At The Beach Restaurant and Bar, which was delicious as usual, following which Elaine’s sister called from Ireland and another very long chat ensued. It was well after 2100 before we said our goodbyes, Elaine hopped in the shower and climbed straight into bed, exhausted from her hours of chinwagging.
This morning, following another check of the weather and the visual evidence of the clouds starting to build again, we decided it was time to return to the Ao Po anchorage. So, after breakfast, we weighed anchored and followed our well established route back to Ao Po, using the time to complete a few chores along the way. We did, however, take a last opportunity for a plunge in the sea before we left, while Roy cleaned Paw Paw’s bottom again. We’d also thought it would be nice to snorkel off the reef close to where Paw Paw was anchored, but along came a fishing boat, trawling a net, scooping up what little fish were left; so much for that bright idea!
However, during our outings in Chalong Bay, we were also able to see many of the preparations underway for the Phuket Vegetarian Festival. Also known as the “Nine Emperor Gods” Festival, this colourful event takes place once a year, during the ninth lunar month of the Chinese calendar and celebrates the belief within the Chinese community that abstinence from meat and various “stimulants” will help one obtain good health and peace of mind.
The “stimulants” essentially equate to ten principles to be observed; wear white clothes, do not eat meat or products from animals, keep your body clean, do not drink alcohol, do not lie, cheat or steal, abstain from sexual activities, do not eat food with a strong smell like garlic, wash and stow cooking utensils separately from those used in while celebrating, mourners should not attend the festival and women in menstruation or pregnancy should not attend the festival either.
Leading up to the festival, we’ve seen yellow Chinese flags appear along the roadsides and intersections, especially near the various Chinese temples and, on our visit to the Village Market, the entire entrance and inner sections of the mall were decorated with plants and various nature themes.
Apparently the main festival event starts with worshipers, all dressed in white or yellow, gathering at the Jui Tui Shrine in Phuket Town for the first event marking the ceremony’s opening; the rising of the giant bamboo pole, meant to invite divinities down to earth. This is then followed by a week of devotees wearing bright and very ornate outfits, taking part in parades, lighting firecrackers, piercing their bodies and eating vegetarian food, all with an intent of paying respect to their ancestors.
This festival, however, differs from the same Chinese event in other parts of SE Asia, in that devotees will not only follow the ten principles to cleanse their spirit, but they inflict all kinds of tortures on themselves, believed to bring back luck to the community. These acts include fire-walking, body piercings, puncturing one’s cheek with sharp items, including knives and skewers, amongst others, believing that the Chinese gods will protect them from harm, resulting in little blood or scarring, the latter of which has become more spectacular and daring, often gruesome, with each subsequent year’s event, none of which, of course, is for the faint-hearted, including ourselves. We skipped a similar event on Penang Island, Malaysia, celebrated by the Indian communities there.
While the origins of this festival are unclear, it is commonly believed to have been brought to the island by a wandering Chinese opera group that fell ill from a malaria epidemic.
After one of the performers was sent to China to invite the “Nine Emperor Gods”, known as the “Kiu Ong Lah” to Phuket Island, the Chinese followed the tradition of the ten principles to ensure the purification of the mind and body, following which the opera group made a complete recovery, ceasing the epidemic. Since then, the Chinese people of the island have continued to celebrate this event through the festival, honouring the gods and expressing the people's happiness at surviving what was, in the 19th century, a fatal illness. Elaine’s says she’ll rather take a pill! Much easier and far less painful by the sounds of it!
