TripSailor.com® Sailing Blogs

Dear Friends and Family,

After enjoying touring the west coast of Phuket Island, we returned to beautiful Chalong Bay in the southeast corner of the island and made it our base of operations. From there we were able to get several items taken care of on Sand Dollar, one of which was having a new awning/rain-catcher made. The girls that made it work in a loft above Rick’s Surf Shop and did an outstanding job at a reasonable price. We also had our engine’s starter and alternator overhauled by a local expert in Phuket Town. It was entertaining to watch him disassemble, clean and replace the worn out parts. We think he could have done it blind-folded.(A picture of his smiling face is included in the recent photos we’ve posted.) One evening Sand Dollar joined the crowd as the majority of boats in the anchorage steamed out and headed seaward, making for deeper water after an earthquake in Indonesia was rumored to have spawned a tsunami, which happily never materialized. We also made a couple of trips to small islands near Ao Chalong. Time passed pleasantly, with us enjoying Thai cuisine, visiting with fellow yachties at the funky Phuket Cruising Yacht Club, and occasionally renting a motorbike from Bei, a friendly and charming local woman, to tour the countryside. After our 60-day visa ran out, we sailed back to Langkawi Island, Malaysia. For the last week or so, we’ve been anchored in lovely Telaga Harbor (zoom in on #72 on the map). Sea-eagles cruise the anchorage, we can hear the hornbills cackling in the jungle, and the other day on shore, a monkey snuck up to a little convenience store and made off with a loaf of bread, with the shop-keeper in hot but futile pursuit. In a couple of days we will sail over to Rebak Island Marina to take advantage of its washing machines and fresh water in order to clean and prepare Sand Dollar for her five month hiatus. During the rainy season, she will be moored on the peaceful Killim river while we’re gone (see #64 on the map). Another season of cruising has come to an end, but we are looking forward to returning to our home base in Florida once again.

Cheers! Ken and Katie

SandDollar_N4KS@yahoo.com

After spending a nice couple of weeks sailing the west coast of Phuket, we’re back in Ao Chalong for a while. To see where we are and where we’ve been, click on the “Map” tab.

07,49.42E 098,21.16E

Dear Friends and Family,

We cast off our Monkey Beach mooring early on a sunny morning and had a pleasant 22-mile sail to Ao Chalong, reaching along under reefed main and full headsail. Passing the floats of a little pearl farm as we entered Ao Chalong (“ao” means “bay”), we dropped the hook near the yacht Estrellita, whose hailing port is Dunedin, Florida. We had a rendezvous planned with her crew, Bill and Amy, friends of ours from Majuro, but they weren’t aboard now, so we decided to go ashore for a cold drink.

This part of the bay, away from the main anchorage, is pretty quiet, but we found a few little open-air pavilion-type restaurants on the beach. A cold beer and a spicy green papaya salad hit the spot before we returned to the boat. By evening, there was still no sign of Bill and Amy, so we opted to go back to the beach for dinner. However, the tide was out, and when we were still 50 yards from shore, the dinghy began scraping the reef. In the dark we were unable to see it, and the slack water offered no wavelets to mark its presence, but it was just inches below the surface, and it certainly made itself known when the oars clunked against it. Ken managed to maneuver Loose Change free from the clutches of the reef, and that was the end of our dinner plans!

The next morning we made contact with Bill on the VHF radio, and agreed to meet ashore later for lunch. We weighed anchor and motored in to the main Ao Chalong anchorage, where more than two dozen boats floated, with hailing ports from Guam, Liverpool, L.A., Papeete, Australia, of course, and a host of others. We dinghied to the pier and walked the short distance to the port offices, where Customs, Immigration, and Port Control are all conveniently housed in the same building. Having taken advantage of Phuket’s new on-line check in process, we breezed through the process and were officially cleared into Thailand. We made our way down the beach to the Phuket Cruising Yacht Club, and made arrangements with the friendly Aussie owner, Brent, for a mooring. PCYC is home to a rather rustic little beach bar, and it also offers a shower, a nice menu, assorted yachtie services (including water), a dinghy-landing beach, and a nice shady thatch-roofed porch where one can sit and gaze at the bay while relaxing with a coldie.

We took a stroll down the little jetty road to a canvas shop where we left our beloved big sun awning. It was in serious need of several significant repairs, and we hoped that the little Thai seamstress understood our English enough to handle our job. We ran a few more errands, but still hadn’t seen Bill and Amy, so we decided to go ahead and have lunch. The Anchor Inn’s tropical decor was cool and breezy, with lattice-work and a delicate stand of bamboo shading its open front, and it served up an incredible Thai green curry with prawns, and the best fresh fruit yoghurt shakes we’ve ever tasted.

Happily stuffed, we began our stroll homeward and were halfway down the block when we finally ran into Bill and Amy, and Amy’s dad, Dave. They were on their way to a little beach bar, and we joined them and spent a wonderful hour swapping stories and getting caught up on each others’ past adventures and future plans. Estrellita and her crew were headed south the following day, to Malaysia, Singapore, and eventually around South Africa, and we sincerely wished them a safe voyage. As we left the bar, Bill offered to tow us back to Sand Dollar, and we gratefully accepted, with the five of us riding in Estrellita’s big inflatable while Loose Change skipped along behind us on her painter. When we arrived at SD, we swapped some DVD’s and said our good-byes, then hauled up our anchor and moved to our mooring.

We went ashore daily during our time in Ao Chalong, eating, exploring, and running assorted errands. We took on a new crew member in the “person” of a three-horsepower outboard motor for our dinghy. No more will the skipper have to battle foul currents or long distances just to row himself and his crew ashore for a cold beer!

We got to know our way around Ao Chalong pretty quickly and found it to be a lively place, full of smiling people. Thailand itself is known for its smiles and for its rich culture. The Thai people embrace a philosophy of “chai yen” (“cool heart”) and “sanuk” (“life is a pleasure!”). Because of this attitude, Thais exhibit a lovely sense of serenity, courtesy, humor, and well-being. Buddhism is Thailand’s dominant faith, and there are dozens of magnificent glittering temples and Buddha shrines throughout the country. In addition, private homes, businesses, and even malls often have smaller temples or spirit houses at their entrances, usually seen with offerings of rice, fruit, or incense in front to honor and appease the spirits and deities. (At the Anchor Inn, irreverent mynah birds would occasionally help themselves to the rice offering!)

Ao Chalong’s streets are fairly representative of what we saw in other areas: lots of little open-front bars, souvenir shops, restaurants, craft stalls, street-side grills, tour operators, tailors (?), noodle shops, and salons offering massages and facials. We rented a motorbike one day and rode to Phuket town, the “big city”. Ken did a marvelous job of not getting us killed, and Katie did a good job of not getting us lost. We weren’t particularly impressed with Phuket town, but we had a nice lunch at a tiny local restaurant, where almost no English was spoken. (That “nice lunch” came back to haunt us 12 hours later when we both came down with food poisoning, our first ever episode in SE Asia. It was thankfully brief, although we did feel pretty washed out the following day.)

On our way home from Phuket, we took the turn-off for the road leading to “the Big Buddha”. Set on a hilltop and visible from almost half the island, the statue, dressed in tiles of Burmese alabaster, is over 100 feet tall. Most of the winding six-kilometer drive was through pretty jungle, with occasional glimpses of glittering Ao Chalong far below. We passed several juice stands and little restaurants, and two concessions where several elephants restlessly waved their trunks, all saddled up to take tourists for a ride. Finally we arrived at the big Buddha, and found that he is, indeed, a BIG Buddha. Shining brilliantly white in the glaring sun, he gazes serenely down at the dozens of tourists and the collection of souvenir shops at his feet, and at Ao Chalong in the distance, sparkling blue and dotted with boats. We climbed a short path to get beyond the crowded areas, and sipped the cool water from a fresh coconut while we admired the Buddha and his view from a quiet grove under a shady tree with little prayer bells tinkling musically in its branches.

After a week in Ao Chalong, we’d retrieved our awning, expertly repaired, and on a clear Tuesday morning we dropped our mooring and headed for Phuket’s west coast. As we rounded the southern tip of the big island and turned north, the pale jade green of Chalong Bay gave way to a dark clear sapphire blue as we entered the deeper waters of the Andaman Sea. Our target that day was Hat Kata (“hat” means “beach”), a short distance up the coast.

It looked pretty touristy, and the little handful of jet-skis zipping around (Ken calls them “water maggots”) prompted us to continue northward a little further. A little bay called “Relax Bay” sounded just right, and when we poked our nose in there, we found a small pretty little beach and a five star resort tucked among the trees. Seemed fine, except for a bit of a swell. We ate lunch on board, didn’t go ashore at all, and as the afternoon wore on, the swell increased from uncomfortable to miserable. At the rather late hour of 1745, we decided we’d had about enough of that, and we sure didn’t want to spend the night rolling around, so we weighed anchor and headed four miles further north to Patong Beach, arriving just at sunset. There was a swell there, too, but quite tolerable, and we were glad we’d moved.

Patong is the “sin city” of Phuket; bright lights, bars a-plenty, sexy good-time girls, a big mall, souvenir shops, a lively gay sector for the “lady boys”, as they’re called, restaurants and street vendors everywhere. One establishment, the “Fisho Spa”, www.fisho-spa-phuket.com offered the novel service of exfoliation by little “doctor fish” (garra rufa). Patrons sat by the sidewalk with their legs dangling in clear tanks of water, while little fish nibbled away at their legs and feet. It’s touted as painless, but it must tickle, as the patrons were all giggling.You can buy anything from a Starbuck’s coffee and a custom-tailored suit to a elegant dinner or a female “companion” for the evening. It is the prime tourist destination on Phuket island, much more so than Phuket town itself. The initial reason for its popularity was its lovely crescent white-sand beach, which is still beautiful, with pale green water in the pretty bay. However, the beach is now wall-to-wall umbrellas and lounge chairs for “all of those tourists covered in oil”, and jet skis and parasailers zip across the bay. It’s tacky but funky, a blend of Key West, Las Vegas, and Fort Lauderdale beach, and ought to be experienced at least once if one is in the neighborhood.

Well, we were in the neighborhood, so the next morning we went ashore to check it out. As full of people as the beach was, it was still a pretty sight, and a little walkway on the beach itself wound its shady way among the casuarina trees, passing juice stands, hair braiding/beading stalls, and lounges under the trees where massages were offered. We bought big Diet Cokes in McDonald’s, sitting in their A/C to cool off, and then ventured forth in search of lunch. We finally found, among the tourist joints, a little street-side grill with great prices, great food, and Thai iced coffee, which was almost indescribably delicious. Ken had fried ginger with chicken, corn, cashews, & spices; Katie had pad thai, which is thin noodles with tofu, egg, chicken, chilies, ground peanuts, and spices.

We wandered all day, bought a few things, and finished up with a beer at a beach bar. As we relaxed with our drinks, we were approached by a pleasant young Thai hawking sunglasses from a fanny pack. He politely pointed out the amazing features of his wares, gently placed them on our faces, and exclaimed over the flattering look they gave us, handing us a mirror so we could admire the effect. Although we politely declined, he offered us two pair for the bargain price of 3500 THB (about $115 USD). We wouldn’t bite, so he repeated his spiel and lowered the price to 3000 THB. Still no sale, so this went on for about 15 minutes, with the price getting lower and lower. This guy was nothing if not persistent! Finally, when the price had fallen to 100 THB (about $3.30 USD for two pair!), we took pity on the guy and bought the glasses. What a way to make a living! Looking like movie stars in our new purchases, we headed home.

We left the next day in overcast, and actually had some nice sailing for a while, but the overcast deteriorated to downright miserable, with occasional downpours, heavy dark clouds, and a stiff choppy sea. We aimed for Nai Yang Bay, where there is a national park, and saw four other yachts anchored as we sailed in. We got our anchor down just in time, as the skies opened in a white-out of a torrential rain. The heavy rain dampened the chop, but there was no help for the ugly swell that was plaguing us again. Ken got into the dinghy at a break in the rain to set a second anchor for security as we were on a lee shore, but first he had to bail out about eight gallons of rainwater. The swell was so bad that at times the dinghy, alongside SD, rode up so that her gunwale was ABOVE SD’s toe rail, when it’s supposed to be about two feet below the toe rail.

Anyway, we had a pretty wild night, but the next day was a big improvement, and each following day even better, as the annoying swell died off, the days turned hot and sunny, and were at last able to go ashore. Nai Yang is also a tourist beach area, but much smaller; no jet skis, no frenzied honky-tonk atmosphere, no high-rises. One little dirt road runs through the heart of the tiny beach community, and it’s got a charming tropical/rustic atmosphere. Little restaurants have their tables right on the sand, many in the shade of the towering causarinas, lush island palms, and pandanus trees. There’s a bunch of tiny bars, some souvenir stalls, and an ice cream shop. A little mini-mart sells fresh fruit, cold champagne, and imported cheeses. The national park, up at the north end, has just a couple of hawker stalls, and we bought lunch there our first day; grilled chicken and spicy green papaya salad. The chicken included a chicken foot, which Katie tried to eat because her chef nephew Johnny said she had to. However, it was too tough to even bite into, so we passed it to a timid, skinny little dog who’d been hanging nearby. He was still chewing on it when we left!

With no current and no jellyfish, swimming is a delight, and it’s a short row to the beach. We’ll hang out here for a spell, enjoying the tropical ambience and the incredible food!

Cheers! K and k

To see where we are and where we’ve been, click on the “Map” tab. We’ve posted some new pictures at the “Photos” tab. We can be reached at: SandDollar_N4KS@yahoo.com

Dear Friends and Family,

We were awakened at 0730 on our first morning at Ko Rok Nok by the annoying banging of the big mooring ball against the boarding ladder. Since we had to get up to get that squared away, we went ahead and made coffee and settled in the cockpit with some of our favorite Chinese cookies to greet the day. We noted that the “Survivors” had survived their night on the beach and were wandering along the edge of the reef.

The Ko Rok group of islands is managed by the park service, and they maintain the handful of moorings in the area. Irresponsible anchoring is fatal to the reef, and the fine for damaging the coral is $1000.00 US, so the officials have wisely sunk a collection of moorings to protect the reef from anchor damage. At mid-morning a park service dinghy came alongside our mooring, and two divers jumped in to inspect it. We walked up to the bow to say hello, and were told that our mooring looked in good shape. Before they left, the divers also volunteered the information that water was available onshore at Ko Rok Nai, just across the channel.

That sounded tempting, so we moved to a mooring closer to Ko Rok Nai, and Katie dinghied ashore for some reconnaissance. This island turned out to be a campground, complete with ranger station, a tsunami warning tower, tiny restaurant, restrooms, lots of tents, a few guest cottages and a sugar sand beach, full of people. There were also, blessedly, a water faucet and and an outdoor shower. After filling a five-gallon water jug and enjoying a drenching in the shower, it was back to the boat to strap on some snorkel gear.

We had a splendid snorkel over the reef, with lots to see. Fish in pastel and neon colors, yellow-and-black striped Moorish idols, parrot fish in a patchwork of pastel blue, green, and lavender, and other fish in dull camouflage patterns. There were lots of big scallop-edged clams in startling shades of blue, purple, and orange wedged in the coral waiting for lunch to swim by. The most unusual thing we saw was an eight-armed bright blue starfish-looking guy, as big as a trash-can lid.

After more than an hour, we swam home against a lively current to find that about six more yachts had arrived, where we once were the only one. As they jockeyed for position near us and dropped their anchors (one of which bounced off of a couple of coral heads!), we opted to escape the crowd, so we returned to our previous mooring, where we were all alone; even the “survivors” had departed.

We were underway at 0800 the following morning, bound 32 NM north to the Phi Phi group of islands. A little pre-dawn lightning and thunder had accompanied a light rain, giving us a nice boat wash, and the morning was clear and dry. We had a pleasant morning sail, reaching along in a fair wind, until, as usual, the wind petered out at mid-day, with what little remained being right on the nose. We arrived at Phi Phi Le at 1430 and motored into the little lagoon. This beach gained international fame as the site for the filming a few years ago of the movie “The Beach”, with Leonardo DiCaprio. The beach is still as lovely as it looked in the movie, but it’s no longer a quiet paradise. Hordes of people crowded the beach, and a dozen tour boats bobbed in the water. It looked like Spring Break in Ft. Lauderdale, so we

didn’t even bother to stop, but just turned around and motored out the channel.

Immediately north of Phi Phi Le is Phi Phi Don, with big Ton Sai Bay on the south side, and we headed up there to look for a stopping place. We were surprised to see dozens of boats of every variety zooming to and fro across the water, hauling the tourists out to the reefs or in to the beach. The most amazing were the big ferries, whose multiple decks were so packed with tourists that they looked rather overloaded. We’re sure the US Coast Guard would not have been amused. We threaded our way through the assorted moored dive boats and found a vacant mooring away from the worst of the traffic. We picked it up and sat back to watch the show while we waited to see if anyone came along to kick us off the mooring. By the time the sun fell behind the big limestone cliff beside us, we had been unchallenged, so we decided to head for shore.

Beaching the dinghy well above the wrack line, we walked down a sandy paved beachside path to check out the village. We found ourselves in a maze of little walkways, crammed with bars, souvenir shops, open-front restaurants, dive shops, massage salons, tattoo and piercing parlors, and small markets. There were people everywhere, most of them twenty-something, and everyone looked hippie-casual in camisoles, shorts, sarongs, and bathing suits. It was an amazing tapestry of colors, sights, sounds, and smells. Lots of booze for sale, specialty cocktails everywhere, and it seemed to be a mix of Daytona Bike Week and Key West Fantasy Fest. It was delightful!!

We found a reasonably priced restaurant called “Lemongrass” serving local food, got a table right at the front, and ordered some Thai cold beers while we watched the carnival of people passing by. Several male diners were shirtless, and no one seemed to care, so Ken followed suit on this hot night (“when in Rome”….), hanging his shirt on his chair. However, when a quartet of pretty young American girls arrived at the restaurant, he decided to “get dressed up for them” and put his shirt back on. We had an amazing dinner of fresh whole snapper fried with “three-spice seasoning”, and an unbelievably good green curry with vegetables, lime, chicken, and a side of rice. It was outstanding, and Ken pronounced it the best curry he’s ever had.

After dinner we strolled the walkways, bought some limes and a mango, and basically people-watched. After half an hour or so, we discovered to our surprise that we had walked across a little isthmus to the beach on the opposite side of the island. Re-tracing our steps, we finally ended up back at the dinghy and headed for home. We hadn’t gotten any tattoos or piercings, but we’d had a great meal and a lot of fun!

The following morning the tour boats and ferries began coming to life at around 0900, and we decided that we’d had enough of the speedboats and tourist shops for a while. We dropped our mooring at noon and motored four miles around to Ao Lo Dalam, the bay on the north side of Phi Phi Don. Here the reef dries out to over 400 meters at low tide, so it’s no-go to take a dinghy ashore, except for a very brief period at high water. We picked up a mooring in a little pocket bay just inside the channel, where there is a small “do-able” beach, and although there are a few tour boats with snorkelers, it’s way more quiet than Ao Ton Sai (“ao” means “bay”). The area is called “monkey beach”, and indeed, there is a sign on our tiny beach saying “Beware Monkeys!” After years of being fed by tourists, the little guys can be kind of aggressive.

We dinghied in to the beach, dodging a handful of swimmers and snorkelers, and pulled the boat up under the trees. Everyone here is in swimsuits, and it’s a real treat to be able to go ashore without wearing street clothes. With the heat and humidity, we can go in wearing bathing suits, and just wade into the water when we want to cool off. There were a few dozen people on the beach feeding and photographing a bunch of the ever-present monkeys. As we landed the dinghy, the monkeys had a heated disagreement over some morsel of food, and began screeching and snarling and tumbling together, as the people shouted, “Monkey fight!”. One of the boat drivers threw sand at them (the monkeys, that is) to break it up, and they scattered as the small crowd of people hurried to get out of the way.

We bought a sandwich and a luscious coffee smoothie from the little juice stand under the trees, and sat in the shade watching the show as tourists snapped photos and fed the monkeys, sometimes from their hands, and the monkeys did amusing monkey things for photo-ops. Occasionally another monkey argument would break out, and folks would yell, “monkey fight!”, and a local lady with a slingshot would fire little stones at the scufflers. As Thai longtail boats and speedboats arrived and departed with their boatloads of tourists, the scene would repeat itself. All in all, it was great free entertainment.

We finally decided we were monkeyed out, and returned to SD for a shower and a snooze before happy hour. Tomorrow we sail about 23 NM for Ao Chalong, at the southern end of Phuket, where we’ll officially check into Thailand.

Cheers! K and K

This post comes to you via the Ham Radio Winlink System ( www.winlink.org )

07,12.10E 099,03.90E

Dear Friends and Family,

We’re now in Thailand. We had light and variable wind leaving Telaga, but some of it was outstanding. We even got a few hours sailing under the spinnaker. Our first night’s anchorage at Ko Rawi was not particluarly remarkable, but the crystal clear water was a wonderful improvement over the murky jelly-fish filled Malaysia waters. Our sail from Ko Rawi to Ko Rok Nok was again mostly light and variable, but still pleasant. On arrival, we tied up to a mooring and after getting SD squared away, we jumped into the inviting warm, clear water. We enjoyed sundowners in the cockpit while watching a local boat with a dozen or so passengers pick up a nearby mooring and set the snorkelers afloat. As the tide was ebbing,the boat driver waited a few moments too long to exit the area, and soon the boat was on the reef. As we watched, the passengers resignedly packed parcels ashore, and the whole shebang looks like they are stuck on the beach til high tide tomorrow. The exodus of passengers and gear looked like a taping of an episode of “Survivor”! (Or cue “Gilligan’s Island” theme in the background.)It appears that for us it will be a pleasant evening (hopefully no drama) and tomorrow we plan on spending a lot of the day snorkeling the nearby reef. So far, Thailand has not disappointed!

Cheers! K and K

To see where we are, click on the “Map” tab. We can be reached at: SandDollar_N4KS@yahoo.com\

Dear Friends and Family,

We arrived in Bass Harbor, Kuah on a clear sunny day, after weaving our way among some of the lovely little tree-covered rock islands that make up the Langkawi group. The water was pale green and a few white-bellied sea eagles cruised lazily overhead as we made our way along the south shore of the big island, Pulau Langkawi.

A few miles later, we dropped our hook not far from the dinghy landing near Kuah Town, among more than a dozen other yachts sporting flags from multiple nations. By pure happenstance we had anchored next to another American yacht, “Sunflower”, whose crew, Beth and Al, are fellow SSCA Commodores and have been featured multiple times in Cruising World magazine. They immediately dinghied over for quick welcome and returned later to share delicious home made cookies and tidbits of local knowledge.

We put SD in order, rigged our awning and relaxed a bit, then rowed ashore in the evening, as the afternoon heat subsided. Wandering in search of a cold beer, we were coming up empty when we spotted a Carlsberg sign at an establishment called “Ray’s Place”. Once inside we found a bar, two small inquisitive poodles, a pool table, walls painted with colorful murals, and two fellow yachties sharing a table. The were no other customers, and the proprietress, Ray, was back in the kitchen fixing dinner. The yachties introduced themselves as John and Dave and invited us to sit with them as John fetched us two icy cold beers. We got acquainted and swapped stories as more customers arrived. Eventually we met Ray herself, who greeted us warmly and invited us to share a salad and casserole. It was delicious, home-cooked, and very reasonably priced, and Ray’s Place became our regular watering hole during our time in Kuah. Later, our row back to SD in the dark put us in mind of our days back in Majuro, rowing through the anchorage amongst the twinkling of everyone’s anchor lights.

The following morning we were ashore soon after coffee with multiple missions. We had chat with Erja at her canvas shop about having a new dodger made for SD. We then walked through the shady beachside park toward the ferry terminal to check in, but made a detour when we encountered a McDonald’s enroute. Fortified with burgers and Diet Cokes, we continued on to the harbor master’s office at the terminal. “Jeti Point”, as the terminal is known, is a busy ferry hub, serving multiple ports in Malaysia and Thailand. Langkawi is a popular tourist destination, offering wildlife tours, marine parks, and duty-free shopping.

Our days in Kuah unfolded lazily as we fell into a loose semblance of a routine. We’d share our morning coffee in the cockpit as we watched the harbor wake up. Yachties would zip by in their dinghies on their way to shore, tour boats would roar past, full of passengers in orange life jackets, and the assorted ferries would rumble to life and jockey for position at the ferry piers.

Mid-morning was for Katie’s dinghy-rowing and Ken’s computer time for downloads, updates, weather, and info-gathering. We’d usually head to shore around noon, and there always seems to be something on our to-do list. Different days found us on errands to the chart shop, supermarket, the duty-free store, the yacht chandlery, and the computer shop, where we purchased a replacement for our recently expired printer.

We’d be home by late afternoon, usually having had lunch ashore, and once back on SD, it was chill-out time. We’d read, nap, swim, and wait for the fierce afternoon heat to subside. As the sun finally dipped toward the sea, we’d move to the bow or the cockpit to enjoy the cool of the evening with our sundowners, often listening to one of our podcast radio shows Ken had downloaded to the computer, with “Car Talk” being our favorite!. It’s a rough life, but we try to keep a positive attitude!

Aside from jaunts to shore, there were boat chores to tend to, such as the day Ken rowed out to the little bunker ship to refill our diesel jugs. We’d take turns rowing ashore to fetch fresh water from a little spigot under the casuarina trees on the beach, and we worked on our charts and routes for Thailand. Ken would occasionally grab a mask, snorkel, and brush, and hop in the water to clean SD’s bottom, much to the delight of our resident school of 3-inch fish, who followed him around to snack on the marine growth he dislodged. These two dozen or so little fish were always under the boat, and we could hear them through the hull, making comical little kissing sounds as they nibbled at the algae on the bottom.

After a few weeks we sailed about 15 miles up the east coast and into the Kilim river. A little side creek there is home to “Hole in the Wall”, a fish farm, restaurant, and yacht mooring facility. We’re considering possibilities for leaving SD for the summer, and wanted to check this place in person. The area is tranquil, protected, and quiet, except for the dozens of little tour boats whizzing to and fro like a swarm of water bugs. We spent one night near Hole in the Wall, but moved the next day to a charming, secluded anchorage between two islands, off the tour boat route. The following morning we lounged around, waiting for the tide to turn and give us a fair current back to Bass Harbor. Suddenly we realized, seasoned mariners that we are, that we had calculated the tides backwards (!), but we happily realized our error in time to catch the tail end of our favorable current. As we rounded the final turn approaching Bass Harbor, we were startled to see half a dozen rafts headed seaward. Each individual raft was constructed of three kayaks lashed together, and was manned by nine Muslim women, all of them wearing sunglasses, black hijab, and bright orange life jackets. It was an unforgettable, albeit mysterious, sight.

By the time we’d been in Bass Harbor for three weeks, it was time start getting ready for Thailand. We weighed anchor and sailed nine miles west. We had a delightful downwind sail all the way, a refreshing change from the many miles of motoring we’d done up the Malacca Straits. We love our engine, but we’re sailors, and the quiet snap of a well-trimmed sail is music to our ears. We anchored for two nights under the forested limestone cliffs of a group of small islands before heading north for the three-mile run to Rebak Island Marina.

Our good friends from Majuro, Americans Nick and Bonnie on “Rise and Shine”, are berthed at Rebak busily engaged in some extensive boat work. We hadn’t seen them since 2009 but we’d bumped into each other one day at the supermarket in Kuah, so they knew we were planning a stop at Rebak. Nick took our bow lines as Ken eased SD smoothly into her berth, then said he would see us later at the pool.

We went through the usual “arrival” routine: square away the boat, check in at the office, wash the decks, rig the awning, and then we did indeed made a bee-line for the pool.

Rebak is a resort, so its grounds boast lush tropical landscaping and upscale amenities. The pool sits surrounded by palms and casuarinas, with the resort on one side and the sandy beach on the other. The exotic cocktails offered at the pool bar were not in our budget, but the pool was deliciously refreshing and the cabana boy gave us fluffy towels for our lounge chairs.

We made the most of our three days at Rebak; the marina has self-service washers, so we were able to catch up on our laundry, hanging it all in the rigging to dry in the hot sun. We also had an opportunity to re-unite with our old friends Mike and Jan, who have their yacht “Don Henry” on the hard while Mike makes osmosis repairs on her hull. The little “Harbor Store” on the premises carried ice, so we treated ourselves to iced sundowners on Valentine’s Day. We lounged in the shade on SD’s bow, with nibbles of apples and cheese, watching the magnificent hornbills that flew between the palm trees.

On our third and final evening, we joined Nick and Bonnie for dinner at the Hard Dock Cafe. The hours flew by and the rum disappeared as we swapped cruising tips and sea stories, and we didn’t say goodnight until almost 10 pm.

The following morning we “released the ducklings” at 11:30, bound four miles north for Telaga Harbor. We dropped our hook in the anchorage outside the marina, and dinghied to the beach for a look-see. We found that we were just offshore of an elegant five-star resort, which is incongruously situated right beside an unfenced field where a bunch of cows lazily nibble at what’s left of the grass. Beyond the resort and the cows lies the marina, chock full of expensive-looking yachts.

One morning the cows opted for a morning stroll along the resort’s beach, prompting a staff member to employ a slingshot to hurry them on their bovine way. Another day, in a likewise entertaining “Animal Planet”-type moment, we saw a monkey atop the tiled front door overhang of a souvenir shop. Standing upright on his hind legs, he placed his front paws on the sill of a second-story window and peered in, looking for all the world like a hairy Peeping Tom.

As our Malaysia visas are now expiring, we’ll be on our way to Thailand, the land of 100,000 smiles. Sparkling waters, lovely islands, legendary food, and new adventures are looming large on our horizon!

All the best, K and K

“Already we are boldly launched upon the deep; but soon we shall be lost in its unshored, harborless immensities.” – H. Melville, 1851

To see where we are, click on the “Map” tab. We can be reached at: SandDollar_N4KS@yahoo.com

Anchored here on our way back to Kuah Town – beautiful spot! (see map)

We anchored here. Will park SD here for our Summer return to the States.

On our first morning in Penang, we woke early in the quiet cove where we’d anchored the previous day, at a little islet just south of the big island of Penang. We lingered over coffee as we waited for the tide to turn and give us a fair current.x

When we got underway, we motored north, with the mainland industrial town of Butterworth on our starboard side, and the high-rises and businesses of Pulau Penang on our port. A few big ships traveled north and south in the ship channel to the east, and car ferries busily crisscrossed the water ahead of us at regular intervals.x

Although it is Malaysia’s smallest state, Penang is the oldest of the British straits settlements, pre-dating both Melaka and Singapore. Georgetown is its capital, and while it certainly has its share of shopping malls, pubs, boutiques, and traffic congestion, it also has countless vestiges of its colorful past. Narrow alleyways, colonial-era architecture, tumbledown hawker stalls, temples, tea houses, Chinese mansions, and a busy Little India district all combine in a rich culture mix. x

Our destination was the new Straits Quay Marina on the northeast corner of the island. This marina is part of a new upscale complex comprising the marina itself and a six-story building that surrounds the marina on three sides. The first two floors house a variety of high-end shops and about a dozen pubs and restaurants; the upper floors contain residential apartments and a performing arts center. x

Most of the boats in the 40-slip marina were big and expensive-looking, like the 76-foot sail yacht we were berthed behind. Pretty fast company for our Sand Dollar, who looked down right petite amongst the big boys! (see photo) x

The staff were very pleasant and helpful, and the marina accoutrements included a yachtie lounge with A.C., free Wi-Fi, and a book swap. The clean showers were a treat, as was the dockside hose bib; it’s the last we’ll see for a long time! A short walk away was a clean and well-stocked supermarket, situated in a small mall that also houses a McDonald’s. We’ve become addicted to Mickey D’s ice cream, and often treated ourselves on our way home from the nearby bus stop. x

We planned a week-long stay in Penang, and managed to fill every one of our days. There’s lots to see, but there’s also lots to eat, so we opted to combine our experiences to enjoy the cultural and culinary offerings without being rushed or feeling exhausted. x

One of our first and favorite lunches was at the Jit Seng Duck Rice hawker stall, a favorite among locals. Duck rice is just what it sounds like: perfectly seasoned roasted duck with a crisp skin and moist juicy meat, topped with a rich spicy-sweet gravy. A generous serving comes accompanied by rice and a clear soup. We quenched our thirst with refreshingly spicy iced nutmeg juice. Other memorable lunches included juicy tandoori chicken in Little India and a few exquisitely spiced selections from a Thai stall in a streetside hawker food court. x

When we weren’t scarfing down local goodies we managed to fit in a bit of sightseeing. We spent several hours in the Penang Museum, a comprehensive walk-through of the history and culture of Penang’s various settler groups. Its many exhibits include elaborate traditional wedding costumes and intricately carved opium beds inlaid with mother of pearl. x

Most of our sightseeing involved walking around, window-shopping and people-watching. Chinese New Year was fast approaching and the whole island seemed decked out in red-and-gold lanterns, decorations, and good-luck tokens. A favorite watering hole for a mid-day break over a cold beer was the tiny Hong Kong Bar which has been a favorite with Aussie servicemen since 1920. No servicemen were present when we stopped in, but the walls were full of WWII memorabilia. The charming Chinese hostess/owner introduced us to tau sa piah, a walnut-sized flaky biscuit with a delicate filling of mung bean paste. We became instant addicts, and they’re perfect with our morning coffee. x

We spent one day on a visit to the Thai consulate to procure our visas for Thailand. This involved standing in a long line of other visa applicants (thankfully, in a shady garden) before handing over our passports, documents, and money to one of the officials. He couldn’t accept the computer-printed extra passport photos we’d brought, but no worries. An on-the-spot photographer in a van was stationed at the curb, and in ten minutes we each had eight hard-copy photos. We didn’t have to join the queue again, but went right to the front of the line, as directed by the official, who told us to return at 1530 to pick up our visas. This was a nice surprise, as we’d expected to have to return the following day, So we went off for lunch and returned at the appointed time. x

At the end of our week we planned an early morning departure so we could complete the 54 miles to our Langkawi destination before sundown. x

We were up at 0500, had our coffee, and were ready to go by 0600. (sidebar: on a previous Tripsailor posting, I had typed the phrase “we released the docklines”, but the computer didn’t like the word “docklines”, and its auto-correct suggestion was “ducklings”. This created such a whimsically humorous mental image for me that I’ve decided to adopt it. So….) At 06:15 we released the ducklings and motored out of the marina. x

It was still pitch-black out, and one of the first things we encountered was, of course, a large fishing boat with a net. There ensued much flashing of spotlights between our two vessels, and the fishermen finally relaxed as they realized that we’d pass ahead of them, keeping clear of their trailing net. We crossed within a few yards of their bows, with all of us calling our hellos and good-mornings across the water. x

We had a fairly unpleasant travel day. The expected fair current never materialized, and the sky was leaden, with heavy overcast and looming purple clouds ahead. The wind stubbornly stayed on our nose, and we were motor-sailing through a lively little chop that made for a bumpy ride. At one point, fighting wind and chop, our speed was down to 3.8 knots, and we considered a detour to a closer island. But suddenly conditions began to improve, and by the time we tucked into our Langkawi anchorage, we finally had sunshine and blue skies. x

Langkawi is actually a group of 99 islands, dominated by the largest, Pulau Langkawi. We had arrived in the late afternoon in a little cove at one of the southernmost islands, Pulau Dayang Bunting. Our quiet bay was surrounded on three sides by craggy limestone cliffs covered with trees and jungle foliage. A few monkeys wandered along a little crescent of sandy beach, and white-bellied sea eagles cruised overhead, ever on the lookout for a nice fish dinner. x

At sunset, we toasted our passage with the last of our French wine, and concluded that we’re going to like Langkawi!

To see where we are, click on the “Map” tab. To see our pictures, click on the “Photos” tab. We can be reached at: sanddollar_n4ks@yahoo.com