In between collecting the laundry; definitely Elaine’s idea of “laundry day”, we also confirmed the haul-out time which had to occur at the highest neap high tide because of Paw Paw’s beam and to ensure the chime lines would be above the concrete sides of the haul-out bay; in other words, floating as high as possible above the concrete bay.
Having to stay onboard for most of the day to ensure we were available for anyone needing our attention, Elaine also finished editing our latest video, “Magnolious Malaysia - Out and About on Penang Island”, then, while Roy enjoyed a sundowner before collecting our takeaway dinner from the Boat Lagoon Resort Café, Elaine sanitised the cockpit, transom and deck areas after the mechanics had left. Dinner was a very tasty Thai meal, with Roy savouring the traditional “Tom Yum Goong” soup for the first time, although he didn’t care for the bar snacks that were presented to him with his sundowner; dried anchovies.
Although we had postponed our beach day until yesterday, we had to wait on the mechanics finishing up, so Roy, feeling energetic, replaced the windlass foot control which had completely disintegrated, causing the windlass to attempt to raise the anchor all on its own, while we were underway and making our way into the marina last Friday.
Elaine, however, eased into her day by enjoying a nice long chat to Keenan, as well as the videos and photographs he’d sent of the grandchildren having a blast on the beach in Jacksonville, Florida, where they were spending the weekend with Keenan, since his training is scheduled to continue for another few weeks. This is always the best possible way to start our day, but Elaine’s heart was a little saddened by the fact that we would have loved to have had the family out in Malaysia last year as originally planned or indeed in Tonga, Fiji, New Caledonia or Australia, to enjoy the beaches with us, but there was always something that prevented the visit and then the pandemic, of course!
It’s been more than two years since Elaine last hugged and kissed them all and now William’s 6th birthday is coming up, when we should have been with him to celebrate his 5th; separated indefinitely from loved ones is definitely the hardest part of this pandemic, but we’re grateful for the technology that helps alleviate the situation a little, nonetheless!
With the mechanics done and the windlass foot control operational again, by 1000 we were back in our hired car and heading south. Our first stop was the Big Buddha, which Elaine had first spotted through the binoculars just after we had left the quarantine anchorage en route to the marina, but seeing it up close was another story altogether; it was beautiful! Standing underneath it and looking up, it was hard not to feel completely insignificant, though. The panoramic views of Chalong Bay and out towards Coral Island were fabulous as well, so we purchased an ice cream each and a cold beverage, found a seat under one of the pergolas and took it all in. Seeing two working elephants on the hillside topped off this particular outing.
Unfortunately, our next destination was not at all what we were expecting. In fact, seeing the devastation to the tourist industry of Phuket was staggering and very sad indeed. As we drove from Kata Beach to Karon Beach and on to Patong, all we saw were closed up and, in some cases, boarded up, shops, restaurants, bars, cafés, resorts, literally for miles. There was absolutely nowhere we could even stop for a drink or a bite to eat. Deciding to continue further north to Kamala Beach in the hope of finding something different, didn’t yield the results we were hoping for either, so forgoing our beach day altogether ended up being the best option under the circumstances.
However, on our return to Boat Lagoon marina we enjoyed a delicious lunch at Dean and Deluca, which certainly made up for the disappointment of not whiling away our day under a palm tree.
Once back onboard, it was all hands on deck to prepare for our haulout this morning which included marking the position for the travel lift straps, removing the top of the SSB/HF aerial, moving the topping lift to the centre of the boom and then clearing the cockpit, stowing the cushions below deck, etc. Elaine then also ironed a pile of her “non-boat” cloths to ensure she was more presentable in the resort, but, thankfully it started to rain, which helped cool the temperatures too.
This morning we woke to a cloudy, overcast, rainy day, given that the rain had continued on and off all night. By mid-morning, though, it had all cleared up and by 1020 we’d cast off the dock and had the opportunity to wave cheerio to Charon (Yim and Richard) as they were leaving the marina.
As we rounded the bend heading towards the haul-out bay we were amazed at what awaited us; firstly we couldn’t believe just how high the water level was and secondly, how many boatyard staff were on-hand to guide Paw Paw into the bay.
Once Roy had reversed her to the front of the bay, lines where thrown to Elaine and the marina staff member who was onboard to assist and from there she was gingerly pulled in, with further ropes thrown to each bow. To say it was a tight squeeze was a complete understatement, but the staff did a marvellous job and before we knew it, the travel lift had taken Paw Paw’s weight, we were instructed to disembark and she was lifted out.
While the pressure wash took place, we headed back to Dean and Deluca for a mid-morning beverage and a freshly baked French pastry and by lunchtime Paw Paw was positioned and chocked on her hardstand. By then we’d also checked into our apartment at the Boat Lagoon Resort, leaving only the task of packing what we needed and vacating Paw Paw for at least the next two weeks. However, spotting three young ladies on a motorbike, dressed in their finest to celebrate Eid Mubarak, as we walked back and forth to the boatyard, we simply couldn’t resist asking them if we could take a photograph. Delighted, although a little surprised, they were happy to oblige.
Of course, in this era of COVID-19, although the apartment was spotlessly clean, Elaine wasn’t taking any chances and sanitised the entire place from top to bottom, to be sure, to be sure!
Both exhausted from our day, we enjoyed dinner in our new, temporary home and raised a glass to a very successful first week in Thailand.
Our first stop was on the northeastern corner of the island; in particular, the Ao Po Grand marina to view their haulout facilities. En route we had the opportunity to see G&T’s haulout facilities too. While Roy walked around to find the information he wanted, Elaine enjoyed the gardens and the beautiful little shrines. The detail on these are just fascinating.
From there we headed to the southwestern side of the island to a little shop called The Mac, where the owner replaced the battery on Roy’s MacBook while we waited; in fact, it was replaced in less than 5 minutes. Another shining example of the level of service we’ve experienced thus far.
Our last stop before our stomachs informed us it was lunchtime, was the Chalong boatyard, not only to view their haulout facilities, but to meet the owner, Eric, of another yacht called Paw Paw and to drop off lifejackets that had been delivered to us in error while we were in Rebak Island marina, Malaysia, during the MCO (Movement Control Order) that commenced in March last year. Him and his wife have patiently waited 14 months to finally take delivery of their lifejackets, which, fortunately, they don’t need immediately, as they are finalising the construction of their new catamaran.
Driving around Phuket Island, though, definitely left much to be desired. Besides the maniacs on the road, we had to contend with motorbikes driving on the wrong side of the road, we learnt that certain roads entering and leaving a roundabout are closed at certain times of the day, all major intersections are bridges or tunnels so you need to know whether you are going “up and over” to turn or “down and under” and, if you get it wrong, you have to drive for miles to make a u-turn, since all the major roads are barricaded, but, although there are u-turn lanes, in some cases, after you’ve already entered the lane to turn, you discover it’s closed.
So, having transversed the island in various directions, it’s fair to say, the hodgepodge array of businesses mixed in with residential and industry extends across the entire island and here we were thinking it was just the Boat Lagoon marina that was so haphazard. In fact, we could have been on any Caribbean island or indeed in Indonesia. There is definitely no such thing as Town Planning or Zoning, but little shrines are everywhere and we passed some fabulous looking temples, which we’ll definitely want to visit once all the errands are out of the way.
There were, however, the gems to be found; areas that were well organised and well maintained, including the excellent Central Phuket mall. Besides the usual high-end shops, it had a fabulous supermarket and “food court” area. Unfortunately we didn’t find the latter until after we’d had lunch at the Golden Chicken restaurant, which was a gastronomic adventure in itself, but something must have been lost in translation with Roy’s dish, because it appeared to be curried offal. Fortunately Elaine’s stir-fry was delicious and there was plenty of it to share. There were, of course, the items on our plate which we didn’t recognise at all.
One thing we did notice, though, besides the wonderful and unique decorations scattered around the mall, besides the usual temperature checks and hand sanitising routine when we entered the mall, the soles of our shoes were also sanitised as we walked over special mats. There’s only one other place where we’ve seen this done and that was at Entopia, the Butterfly Farm on Penang Island, Malaysia, but what an excellent practice in this era of COVID-19.
Unfortunately we have no idea what the significance was of the decorations, in particular, the sunflowers and peacocks everywhere, but the sand “castle” display was amazing.
By the time we’d completed our errands in the mall, including get our new sim cards, we were exhausted and just wanted to go home.
A light dinner and a chat to Craig off Il Sogno wrapped up another busy day.
We also stumbled upon an event of sorts and got to see a few ladies dressed in traditional Thai outfits; very elaborate and so different to anything else we’ve seen.
Today, being Mother’s Day in the US and South Africa, we enjoyed a cooked breakfast at one of the waterfront restaurants, Dean and Deluca, before returning to Paw Paw to get ready for Elaine’s hospital appointment. Roy, however, did manage to wash the decks before we went for breakfast.
A short Grab ride got us to the private Bangkok Hospital Phuket and, once again, Elaine experienced a different process and level of care. After registering and waiting a short time, she was ferried off to see a nurse who took her vitals, did her blood work, requested a urine sample and escorted her to the imaging department for a chest x-ray, all completed within half an hour and even before she’d seen the doctor, although her medical records had been provided ahead of time. The test results were available within the hour, following which she saw the doctor. It’s always a bit unsettling when seeing a specialist for the first time, but Elaine was definitely not disappointed. Although slightly younger than her other specialists, he was very proficient, asked a lot of questions, completed a physical examination and, best of all, he was very calm; nothing felt rushed and Elaine learnt about an aspect of one of her more serious conditions which had never been explained before. A major overall benefit was that the process was similar to Singapore, where you receive an appointment versus the Malaysian system of “first come-first serve”, which resulted in a lot of hanging around a hospital for hours on end, usually an entire morning, for a 10-20 minute consultation. Within two hours of arriving at the hospital today, we’d left.
Over these initial few days, though, we’ve tried to compare Thailand to other countries we’ve had the good fortune of visiting during our sailing adventures and, as far as first impressions go, we’ve found services to be efficient, medical care to be very proficient, the people very friendly and humble, the shrines everywhere remind us of Bali, albeit that these are Buddhist as apposed to Hindu and everything is just a little bit more discerning, upmarket and luxurious somehow, from the restaurants to the Grabs that took us to and from the hospital. Food is artfully presented, even if it’s just bacon and eggs, cold beverages like an iced raspberry tea had an extra touch of fresh raspberries added, at the hospital, the general seating was comfortable leather chairs or sofas versus a hard metal seat, not to mention the opulent marble floors and oak panelled walls, as well as the Grabs that were luxury vehicles with leather interiors and spotlessly clean.
There are obviously more impoverished areas like the little fishing village across from the marina, but the long-tail fishing boats are all beautiful decorated and adorned.
As for the marina, there appears to have been no shortage of money, evident by the number and variety of crewed charter boats. We can only imagine how busy everything must have been before the pandemic hit and how Thailand and, in particular, Phuket, catered to every need and budget, the latter still very evident.
We wrapped up our day with a phone call to the folks in Ireland, but not before we’d enjoyed a delicious meal at an Italian restaurant, La Taverna, a short walk from where Paw Paw is berthed; Roy was dying for a calzone.
Happy Mother’s Day to all the wonderful mothers out there. What you do everyday for your children is reflected for generations.
With Charon (Yim and Richard) leading the way, we manoeuvred around fishing nets and between fishing pods to reach the very long and winding entrance to the Boat Lagoon marina. We had read and heard all about this entrance, but we couldn’t have picked a more difficult or tedious entry into a marina, if we’d tried. After snaking our way along the narrow dredged channel for roughly half an hour, not to mention, having to squeeze passed a dredger and a separate work boat along the way, we eventually made our way between the mangroves and into the marina, taking a further 15 minutes. Finding our berth was easy enough, though, but, it’s fair to say, this has to be, not only an extremely expensive marina, at four times the price of Straits Quay marina, but the most haphazard one we’ve ever been in. There’s a reason, however, as to why cruisers come here; you can get any service you need and buy absolutely anything you require for a yacht, resulting in Roy going on a shopping spree, to the tune of nearly a $1000USD, this morning, to purchase all new docklines, new mooring lines, chafe piping, various parts and spares, Racor filters, sealants and lubricants and the list goes on. He thought he’d died and gone to cruising heaven!
We’d barely berthed Paw Paw yesterday, though, when our day took a hectic turn; the team of mechanics were awaiting our arrival in order to undertake the engine work of replacing the engine mounts, replacing the upper saildrive seals and lapping the cone clutches on each engine. Elaine had no sooner got them situated when the agent arrived to return our passports and clearance documentation. While Roy was AWOL throughout all of this, Elaine had difficulty explaining “saildrive” to the lead mechanic, who spoke very little English, so when all else fails, draw; Elaine has to be the worst artist on earth, but the mechanic eventually recognised the part of Paw Paw she was referring to and, by the time Roy returned, the mechanics knew exactly what had to be done. Fortunately Roy retuned as Elaine was in the middle of scratching through every bunk to find the mounts and seals that the mechanics needed. It turns out Roy’s disappearance was to the boatyard, in an attempt to see if we can be hauled here, rather than having to find another facility. And, of course, all of this took place in the middle of us trying to get our shore power connected, re-setup the portable air-conditioner, get the water connected, dump our garbage of two weeks, etc, oh, and sweating profusely in the heat and humidity.
Once all that was out of the way, we then took the long walk, approximately 355 degrees around the circular marina to reach the Marina Office to register, located under the lighthouse, a distance that isn’t more than 100 metres from where Paw Paw is berthed, but on the opposite side of the channel. We could have popped the dinghy in the water and simply rode over, but we both wanted the nice long walk after being cooped up on Paw Paw for nearly 3 weeks, which also gave us the opportunity to explore the restaurants, bars and cafés en route.
On our return walk, we decided to stop in at “9 Degrees” for a coffee, but once we were seated at our table in the cool air-conditioned restaurant, with lovely linen tablecloths and napkins and perused the menu, we settled for lunch instead; a smoked salmon carpaccio with a crab and green apple salad for Elaine and a seared tuna salad for Roy. Acknowledging that it wasn’t a local Thai meal, it was, nonetheless, beautifully presented and absolutely delicious. Just what we needed!
Elaine, however, was falling asleep at the table by now and it wasn’t even noon yet, but all she wanted was her bed, which actually didn’t occur until after a lovely video call to Justine and Paul, who were in Devon in the “Mothership”, their camper-van.
While Elaine enjoyed a wonderful and much needed afternoon nap, Roy explored further afield, finding the local grocery store, the laundry service, an ATM, various chandleries and a few local restaurants.
When Elaine surfaced, it was time to meet Charon for a few celebratory drinks, but on this occasion, we decided to dinghy over to the dinghy dock at the Marina Office rather than walk all the way around again. We also met friends of theirs, making for a very sociable evening, our first in heaven alone knows how long. The live band that was staged just outside the bar was the perfect ending to a very busy day.
After we’d both passed out from exhaustion last night, we were bright-eyed and bushy-tailed this morning. Roy’s first task of the day was to clean the saildrives and propellers, as well as the waterline that had all grown a substantial coral reef in the weeks since leaving Straits Quay marina. Then, after Elaine prepared the laundry and associated list for the laundry service, Roy dropped it off, following which he visited the chandlery of his dreams while Elaine organised all the paperwork from the agent and Marina Office, returned the GPS trackers and collated everything she needed for her appointment with the new specialist.
Lunch today was a local affair, at one of the highly recommended roadside food stalls and we weren’t disappointed; pineapple fried rice, sweet and sour chicken and fried squid with garlic plus a cold beverage each, all for the bargain basin special price of $10USD. Yummy!
We were definitely enjoying our newfound freedom in a new country.
Elaine completed the video she was working on: “Magnolious Malaysia - Penang Island - Chinese New Year”, which was a wonderful trip down memory lane. She also set the wheels in motion for her followup care at the local private hospital, but by lunchtime an afternoon nap was all she could muster.
Roy wasn’t much better and was the first to disappear to his cabin for a nap, that, after spending his morning just lazing around in the cockpit. He did, however, bake another crispy loaf for himself.
However, last night, we’d barely finished watching a movie and getting ready for bed when a number of thunderstorms decided to pass over us, fortunately with lighter winds of around 25 Kts, but with plenty of rain; something we were very grateful for to eventually cool things down, albeit that it was quite some time past our usual bedtime before the weather dissipated and we were able to climb into bed.
This morning started off entirely differently; while Elaine enjoyed a chat to Olga in the US, Roy chatted to Keenan, who had called after his day of training. A cooked breakfast of smoked salmon and a poached egg, enjoyed in the cockpit, followed both phone calls before Roy started work on his yacht task for the day; troubleshooting the fuel supply to the generator, which causes the generator to chock intermittently, suspecting the fuel lift pump, although he’d recently installed a new one.
Elaine, on the other hand, decided to continue her creative streak and started another video; this time about all our outings during our first visit to Penang Island which took place after our wonderful Chinese New Year experiences.
By this afternoon we’d received our “get out of jail” card when we received the notification that our COVID-19 tests from yesterday were negative and that we could leave the quarantine anchorage no earlier than 0700 tomorrow. Elaine also received confirmation of her appointment at the private Bangkok Hospital Phuket for her first consultation.
Fortunately it was also an overcast, drizzly, slightly windy day, which helped keep the temperatures lower and made for a slightly more comfortable day all round.
Another movie wrapped up our last night in quarantine.
When Roy surfaced, he decided to continue his efforts on the Anchor Plus application before joining Elaine with his sundowner on the foredeck. A phone call from Richard on our “quarantine buddy yacht”, Charon, just before dinner wrapped up the day before we both headed to bed for an early night, unable to keep our eyes open for whatever reason. Fortunately there were no afternoon or evening storms to contend with, but there was plenty of lightning in the distance throughout the night.
Also, we received the results of our second COVID-19 tests. We definitely would be surprised to receive anything other than a negative result, but, nonetheless, reassuring, especially with Thailand being in the midst of a third wave, which has resulted in us receiving word from our agent of additional restrictions being implemented. This time it related to visits to Koh Phi Phi, essentially indicating that unless you’ve been fully vaccinated with official documentation as proof or have a COVID-free certificate of a negative PCR test taken no more 72 hours before arrival, you are not permitted to visit the island, effective from yesterday.
This morning we woke to another notification requesting our collaboration to please comply with a “curfew” being implemented from 2200 to 0400, effective today until further notice. It was the wording that caught our attention, though, given that it was more of an invitation rather than a directive. Very well worded in appealing to people’s psyche.
Elaine’s day started with her exercises on the foredeck before making breakfast, then she continued work on the latest video. The only thing that stopped her was the heat; not only was she perspiring profusely, but her laptop felt like it was going to self-combust. It was an absolutely sweltering day without a breath of wind and we were both tempted to jump in the water, although forbidden to do so as part of our quarantine conditions.
After breakfast Roy continued his efforts on the Anchor Plus application enhancement. His only yacht task for the day was to run the watermaker, but he had to wait for the rising tide at around 1300. He too had to work intermittently on his laptop, though, in order to give it a chance to cool down.
However, regardless of the fluctuating daily temperatures and wind speeds, there is one aspect of floating out in the quarantine anchorage that is a constant; the long-tail boats that putt-putt by all day. These colorful, iconic boats are known as the “gondolas of southern Thailand”, the “Ruea Hang Yao”, literally translating to “Long-Tail Boats”, and is a name given to them because of the contraption that steers and propels them. The majority of these vessels can be found in the Krabi and Phuket areas, where they would ordinarily be used to take thousands of tourists from island to island, thereby creating a source of income for the locals. We have, however, seen them used for various types of fishing, including net, pod, line and pole fishing. We’ve managed to work out that the line fishing is for squid, the pole fishing for jellyfish, but we have no idea what exactly is in the pods.
While the long-tails come in all different shapes and sizes, they have a single defining characteristic; a second-hand car, tractor or truck engine, mounted on a 2 metre, or slightly longer pole, secured to the stern of the boat with a propeller attached to it, allowing them to reach speeds of up to 15 Kts. To cool the engine, rubber hosepipes are placed beneath the stern of the boat to draw cooling water to the engine. Besides being highly economical, they are also eco-friendly, given that they are constructed from biodegradable bamboo and use a recycled engine, but manoeuvrability is a major factor in the design, because the propeller shaft can be swung around more than 180 degrees and it can be lifted out of the water with ease.
In the past, the long-tails were made from Merawan, a light to medium heavy hardwood, which is dense, seawater resistant, durable and believed to be guarded by a female guardian spirit known as “Nang Ta-Khian”. This belief meant that this wood would be exclusively used for making boats so as not to anger the guardian spirit, bringing death and bad luck to the offender. It was believed that after the boats were built, they became the residence of the spirit “Mae Ya Nang”, known as the “grandmother of boats” by the fishermen, who then decorated and adorned their boats to please and appease her. This practice is still evident today with the creative boat art painted on the sides and the boatmen who pay respect to her by burning a few incense sticks each morning and adorning the boat with flowers and coloured sashes.
Fortunately we received another phone call from Keenan to occupy us for an hour or so. He had finished his first week of training and was driving to visit friends for the weekend. Tyler, also a pilot at Delta Airlines, was our “inherited son” throughout their college years and we hadn’t realised so much time had passed since Keenan and Tyler had last seen each other, albeit they’ve stayed in contact via social media and are now both husbands and fathers. Of course, the pandemic has added to that lapsed time too, not only for them, but for everyone. It’s hard to believe more than two years have passed since we last saw our loved ones in the US and Ireland. We’ve never spent this much time apart and there’s still no end in sight!
After breakfast, while Elaine settled down in the cockpit to tackle her mountain of paperwork regarding medical insurance claims and updating her medical notes in preparation for her consultation with a specialist in Thailand, Roy decided to spend his morning baking bread; a gluten-free soft white loaf for Elaine and a crusty loaf for himself. With time on his hands he also decided to make a few “fun” enhancements to the Anchor Plus application.
Elaine, on the other hand, had no sooner settled down for a wee afternoon nap when she heard a distant thunder clap. Not too perturbed initially she ignored it, but when the next one was a lot closer, she jumped into action. Within seconds the usual drill had started; start the engines, to be sure, to be sure, close all the hatches, stow all the cockpit cushions, roll up the side-shirts and wait for the wind. It was barely a few seconds later when the anemometer hit 29 Kts, but strangely enough, there wasn’t much rain associated with today’s storm and, fortunately, we didn’t drag either. However, a new arrival, another Dream Yacht charter yacht did, but the crew were quick to let out more chain. That about summed up the entertainment and excitement in the quarantine anchorage for Day Six, besides the enormous jellyfish that paid us a visit.
This evening, we passed the time by enjoying a movie; the first in a few weeks and what a waste of time that was; a drama with no finite ending. Hate those kind of movies!
