Down down down

A few more days to recuperate from the party and we're ready to move back towards Perhenthian and Terengganu. The sail down is uneventful except for the usual spot of rainy weather halfway, but before we can even notice the tiredness we are back in Perhentian. Just a couple days to rest and relax and we retrace our steps through the best anchorages in Redang.
Time to go back home and visit families and friends is approaching, and Keturah is put to rest at Terengganu marina where while waiting for the trip quite a lot of little jobs get done
Returned from Italy on July 23rd I find the boat still floating (relief) and to my astonishment the interior hasn't mildewed at all (a common effect on boats that remain locked for more than a few days in the tropics), therefore a quick clean up, shopping and we're off once again to nearby Kapas. The anchorage is calm, the water clear, the beach perfectly white and the sea bottom brimming with live coals, giant clams etc., so it is really hard to leave!
We are away from the main resorts and the atmosphere is extremely peaceful and ideal for long swims and evening drinks while staring at the sunset and stars.
Over a week goes by and still we see no reason to leave, except for a trip to the nearby town of Marang to stock up on fresh veggies, internet session, and engine oil. Entering the river we cruised in alright until it got shallow and I turned around. While seeking anchorage within the protective walls still I managed o get stuck in the mud and it took quite a bit of kedging and reversing to get unstuck.
When it started to feel a bit ridiculous to stay so long in the same exact spot we at last decide to move on for Tenggol. As always since arriving in Asia, the trip is almost entirely done under motor (read: no wind at all whatsoever), but thankfully there's a nice current against us which slows us down considerably. We arrive with the last light of sunset just to see that of the to moorings that used to be there only one is left and this one is taken by a row of fishing trawlers. What a joke that the best spot of a marine reserve (in front of the tiny exclusive resorts) should be taken by trawlers spewing smoke and noise in the air and dumping all of their garbage right on top of the pristine reef!
So we are forced to drop anchor in over thirty meters of water not knowing if the now almost defunct windlass will take it back. The day after the trawlers are still there and will hog the mooring through our whole stay. Only a few months later after our first stay the coral has already suffered extensive damage from fisherman's anchors, and possibly by the swarm of boats coming up with the rally going to Borneo (seems many yachties need the reassuring multitude even when doing the easiest of passages). All in all the sensation is quite depressing and much earlier than planned we depart again for Tioman.
In Tioman I meet old friends, like Hamamas and another boat I've seen last in Vanuatu over two years ago!...but especially Nobina, former crew member in Micronesia who's coming back for a visit as a friend.
With Nobina on the boat, after stocking up on her favorite drink (Gin Tonic), we say goodbye to the town's rolly anchorage for bit of "vacation": first stop Salang beach.
Although quite touristy, Salang has a nice atmosphere. The vacationers there are aware of being on vacation and are trying to get their best out of it, as opposed to the backpacker ABC beach where everyone has a cooler-than-thou attitude (since they've seen Phi-Phi, Phangan, Laos and Viet Nam already...like, BIG FxxING DEAL!!!).
No matter we have an ok dinner with our toes buried in the sand, gin tonics by candlelight on Keturah's bow while reclining on our huge bean bags and a few good swims. A couple days of playing tourist and we're ready to move on to do what we do best: get somewhere with zero tourists and lovely beaches all for ourselves!
Pronto, Tulai is right there for the purpose with a couple little beaches where at most an occasional day trip shows up for just a couple hours. Snorkel with giant flat fish, copious turtles and a few reef sharks, giant clams and then doze under the awning waiting for sunset drinks and a juicy dinner made with freshly caught calamaris. Need more?
Not really, so we repeat the program for a couple more days until we run out of veggies and especially Tonic water!
Since time is also running out for Nobina, we get back to Tekek, where Nobina disembark and we get ready for Singapore.

Phangan Full Moon Party 29/05

Finally after so much hearing about it, we are anchored off Hat Rin Beach (see Keturah on left side of pic). The day started with a good pleasant sail on a steady breeze from Bo Phut, then anchored by the cliffs away from the main bulk of the resorts and restaurants lining the beach. No matter, being the only sailboat here, we are zapped by jet-skis that obnoxiously take us for a way-point in their senseless back and forth. It's alright, the scene is pretty enough for us to relax on the bow with all of our big bean bags and cushions and have a lazy afternoon waiting for the night to arrive.
As the heat abates and the beach starts to liven up we go ashore and check out the town. As imagined, Hat Rin is just another harmless Thai backpacker theme park: rows of restaurants, bars, hostels, internet places, tattoo and massage parlors, diving venues, the Hippy bar, the Reggae bar, the bar still showing "The Beach". Beach side bars are restricted by day to playing all the albums of Jack Johnson and Legend by Bob Marley on an endless loop...time to move on I'd say. Anyway, the place is teeming with excitable youths, the atmosphere is gay and a feel of anticipation pervades the air.
Much walking around, finding a market with actual stuff "normal" people want to buy -groceries and bread as opposed to plastic jewelery and India-themed scarves- but we leave that for tomorrow, since it's time for dinner.
After profound consideration and soul searching, we admit that we really don't care to experiment yet again the local foods (risking to end up disgusted and still hungry), but opt instead for a fail-proof pizza at a venue we saw local shopkeepers dining at.
So pathetically but wisely Pizza it is, inevitably we befriend the owner which turns out to be not the average Italian just-pizza-man.
Soon we are in another shop where we might get some help. In fact we are welcomed by the oddest rant one could ever expect...
"Before Thaksin's crackdown on drugs, Phangan was full of happy stoners. They craved food at all hours and did spend on quality (he sold hi-end imitation surfer brands and quality print T-shirts), they took it easy and spent enough time on the island to keep a steady clientele going. Now that the drugs are gone we are swamped by 20 year old alcoholics coming just for the party, spend as little as possible, but quarrel, get sick everywhere, leave heaps of garbage, get hurt and need to be nursed all around. Even the Thais now realize that "drugs" made good business sense in more than one way. Now the stoners are gone and we do good business a few days a month with silly louts instead of quality people".
Another sour irony of prohibitionism?!
It's time to get back on the beach where as darkness seeps in the sound systems have been setup along with some techno-inspired decorations and the multitude of "Bucket Booths" serving the deadly-on-the-verge-of-poisonous cocktails.
Being only 10 PM the atmosphere is still sedated but picking up. Soon the omnipresent fire twirlers come into action: though they do provide some sort of animation and entertainment they also manage to steal the scene from the party dwellers; all considered at least they are good and manage to be quite creative with flaming ropes, rings, sticks and flaming balls.
The night proceeds in a delirious crescendo of music, booze, stunts, dancing, fireworks, patrolling cops ferociously tacking rugby style anyone naive enough to light up. The sound system each with its own DJ are pumping each his own preferred style: Techno-Trance, commercial, D&B or a mix of it all, while the reggae bar is still stuck on "Legend". The shopkeeper had warned us that in the past "big DJs would come in for the discerning crowd, while now it's all senseless thumping", though if loud, never anywhere near levels of proper destructive rave parties.
After much strolling and taking in the party as it unfolds thirst sets in (you know, that thirst!), and instead of going full alcoholic and disappoint the shopkeepers I opt for tradition and go hunting for a quiet spot where I can order a "Special Happy Shake".
The party is now in full swing and everywhere the scene is a complete bacchanalia: swaying couples frolicking in the shallow water, fires everywhere, throngs dancing wildly, Britons boozing loudly, youths in costume, drunks rolling in sand, a guy with a leg in a cast jumping in a ring of fire and one me reveling of it all.
After heaps of dancing, talking, laughing, walking, drinking, running out of money for good and generally sweating out the happy shake, at only 3am we decide to head back for the boat a little dazed. The idea is just to have a long swim, a snack and a mini and head back to the party, since the volume of the five sound system combined is just too awesome to ignore...but eventually after the aforementioned refreshments who wants to row the dinghy back again and start over at now 4:30am?
The party kept on going until lunchtime, and surely more glorious moments of beautiful mad happiness to witness and/or photograph unfolded, but those were other times!
Of course the morning after we felt fresh as roses after the fix to all evil, see below....

Ko samui and Phangan - June 2010

We crossed over from Borneo to Tioman last month, a week of pretty good sailing. After chilling out and doing some jobs in Tioman we said goodbye to the friends of Hamamas and started going north on our way to Samui, stopping just "outside the door" at lovely Tulai island. White beaches all for ourselves, absolute peace and silence with not a soul around except fish, turtles and lizards. After getting thoroughly relaxed we set off for next destination which is the first island north of Tioman. In the early morning the islands appears from the mist looking like something out of Jurassic Park: vertical thick tropical jungle, but just around the corner the point unveils the handsomest little cove with 25 meters visibility (we could see our anchor in 25 meters!). In spite of the charts indicating the whole bay foul ground, it is clear all the way to the fringing reef, and two safe moorings are there for the taking. The bay is round, perfect little white beach, only a couple of small low key resorts. We anchor at first and here goes the windlass not working once again...but at least, just after dropping the anchor, a sea hawk flies almost at arm's reach, a sight to behold. Spending there at least a couple days is a must: quiet, sheltered, clear waters and a carpet of live coral teeming with fish. Lots of swimming and lazying about and off we go, a stop to Pulau Kapas (where we'll return and investigate better) and then on to Terengganu, since we must repair the autopilot chain and try a new battery for the windlass hoping that's where the problem is.
Terengganu is listed on brochures as "the capital of Malay culture" but we can't quite tell why. We visit a theme park with reproductions of the world's most amazing mosques and walk by a large museum that doesn't look promising. The town is pleasant though, and the large supermarket and good shops (for car parts and other equipment). As soon as the minor things are sorted we set off for Samui again, planning of course to stop in Redang, Perhentian. First we stop at Bidung, there are moorings on the west side, while crossing over to the secluded beach on the south side one has to walk across a large monument. The islands saw 38 drown when refugee boats from Viet Nam (people escaping communism) landed there on their rickety overloaded boats on a stormy night. The beach on the south side is quite stunning, while two temples (Cristian and Buddhist) commemorate the dead.
From Bidung to Redang, first on the south side where a pretty good reef packs several turtles, sharks, plentiful fishes and a lovely white sand bottom. On the north side we get to enjoy a huge beautiful bay and yet another with a very serious turtle nesting program (the whole beach is off limits).
Perhentian is also pretty, though heavily exploited equally by dive resorts and backpacker hangouts. No matter, it's a good resting spot with a bit of nightlife before our jump to Samui. With a heavy roll coming in Long Beach bay, we set off at three in the morning for Samui, packing the dinghy and stuff in the middle of the night. We get some annoying bad weather, but two nights later we are there, quite unimpressed actually.
Huge eyesore developments, murky water and a tension in the air since the riots in Bangkok have just ended.
After checking in we move by the village of Bo Phut, nice sheltered bay and much less chaotic than the horrific Chaweng. A few days settling down and getting a couple massages on the beach and we go to Phangan for the weekend and May's Full Moon Party!
Which deserves a post of its own.....

A very big fast forward...

To make a long year short...
From Penang up to Phuket via Langkawi and islands in between. Lots of new gear and improvements in Langkawi, both on the way up and on the way down on our way to the Philippines. Phuket sucks, Langkawi is much better. Relatives visit and like the boat very much. Another stop in Sebana Cove, then up to Tioman and cross again to Miri where we see old friends from Hamamas. We participate in the Borneo International Yacht Challenge. In spite of motoring a lot we still manage to get a prize and are treated to complimentary 5 star hotels and plenty of other perks. We get to sail with old salts and have a great day out in KK. Slowly but surely we arrive back in Cebu, planning to go back into the Pacific via Palau, PNG and on. Crew arrives we set off around xmas time. We have an horrid time getting out of San Bernardino strait, then head out to Palau but the weather gets quite shitty, the steering box disintegrates. We turn back beaten for repairs in Cebu, the return to the Pacific isn't happening.
One month in the sewer that is Cebu harbor getting new hydraulic steering installed, we also decide to remove all teak from the deck...instead a coat of epoxy and then paint makes the boat look much fresher and cleaner. Down we go back to Bombonon to visit Bruce (I tell you what!), then straight across to Kudat. A strange vibration from the shaft: haul out, change cutlass bearing, packing, straighten shaft, new antifouling. We get to hang out with some old friends from Philippines and meet the Norwegians guys of Berserk: lots of fun evenings, these guys are cool.
Hoppity hop we are back in Miri, see Hamamas, Tom rid of his malaria fevers, so we get to do the crossing together once again...like in the old days of Micronesia...
We both get to Tioman on a beautiful but scorching day. After a few days resting and restocking there we set off north for the season (east coast). There are some awesome islands on the way, some very touristy (Perhentian, Redang), some nearly deserted (I won't advertise them) with incredible coral gardens and visibility. Slowly but surely we arrive in Ko Samui in order to pick up the first Italians in nearly four years of taking crew...in the meantime we get to be a little more social and mundane than usual, enjoying the bars in Bo Phut beach and going this weekend 29/5 to the full moon party in Ko Phangan. Lots of details, happenings, situations, memories were left behind in this summary but at least I am finally up to date. From now on this Log will take a more "scrapbook" shape with less literary descriptions but hopefully more up to date recount of events.

May 2009

A couple weeks go by, relaxing in still waters, enjoying plentiful fresh water, a restaurant, free access to a swimming pool and tennis courts. The boat needs quite a cleanup, and the overheating problem disappears, someone suggests we exchange the temperature gauge, will do so in Singapore. We attend one birthday on the dock, as usual being just about the very few people below 70 y.o. treating us like we just flew in from the office and have never seen open water before, not to mention sailboats. Sometimes such people came from Australia on one of the many "rallies" which means being like sheep in a herd with everything arranged for them. Often they haven't seen the outside of the marina for six or more months...A sure sign of another stuck yachtie is the satellite TV and air conditioner, things that inexorably seals their fate of never being able to detach themselves from the dock ever again.
By the time we leave the marina, we are very happy of doing so, but for the time being only in order to go to Singapore. We check in through Changi general purpose anchorage. The arrangement for such a busy nation-state is smart and yet baffling considered the reputation Singapore has for a control-freaked state. We hail immigration on Channel 74, the immigration drops by and we drop all the documents in a basket they stretch to us. A few minutes later and few questions over a loudspeaker and the documents are returned via the same basket. We could have tons of illegal immigrants or drugs and nobody would ever notice!
Singapore is quite interesting, a bit expensive, very clean and efficient, everyone is extremely polite. Kind of a Switzerland surrounded by much more chaotic and messy neighbors. The marine supplies are extensive, though often catering more to huge tankers and oil rigs rather than small yachts. We do lots of “window shopping” and price research on various items. One thing we find out mostly, is that Singapore is no longer very competitive on electronics. We bought a good Nikon D-60 in a little family shop in Kota Kinabalu, and found out that nowhere in Singapore they could give us a better price!
Careful especially of Sim Lim Square, do your research on marine electronics, but for consumer electronics it’s just a big sham. Everything seems to be of the same price at first, it's baffling, and then the Chinese sellers will act like one is vampirizing them while charging you the highest price in town! Malaysia is still much better, one can rest assured the price written there is always final and truthful. The only exception is Mustafa’s, run by Hindus. As we say, there you can find from the pin to the hand grenade. I even found my favorite style of bathing suit, a nearly extinct design.
Naturally with all the shopping, the restaurants, Cold Storage supermarket, and the very nice assistance by Changi Sailing Club we ended up spending in Singapore more time than anticipated, so we scoot off in a hurry when done with it all. A full day of motoring through hundreds of cargoes, carriers, LPG ships, horrible black oily sludge that is considered water etc. and we anchor to rest by Pulau Pisang. The day after another long motor to Pulau Langka, south of Melaka. We endure the first of many night squalls, with incredible winds and rain while the sea all frothy and shaky thanks to the strong currents opposing the wind etc.. I was out in the cockpit but all I could see was a nasty windswept blackness where everything seemed twirling and frothing, like an Alice in wonderland time warp.
Onwards north, stop at good old Sembilans getting polluted and overfished thanks to the Fisheries department, we've seen them putting fish guts IN plastic bags before chucking them in the water...how civilized! The arrival of a mega yacht with jet skis gets me to leave late afternoon thinking of a quick motoring to Lumut, but the engine, surprise, overheats again in spite of the expensive new temperature gage and we lose precious time, we stop at Pulau Pangkor, by the (used to be) backpacker town on the NW side. A turn of the weather sees us quickly out of there, just to take shelter in Lumut, at its old Yacht Club, where, bad weather persisting, we almost get wiped out by a dragging dismissed navy crusader in the middle of the night. Though we were supposed to enter Malaysia in Penang, the days go by and big festivities approach Lumut, so we decide to stay awhile and relax.
When satisfied of quaint little Lumut we move on to Penang, the big city. Penang is the only city I've seen so far in Asia with true flavour and own mystique. Most backpackers barely stop while the place is a deep pool of alleys, drinking dens, chinese theaters, hindu shrines, sleazy corners where deals are casually winked in motion.