Passage Report 22

Thailand over Xmas, 2008

Sahula anchors in Ao Chalong bay, the yacht anchorage for Phuket. It is not calm and it's a long, wet, passage "home" in the dinghy. It is also "home" to hundreds of tourist boats. Ashore is a bustling tourist town, guarded over by huge white Buddha sitting atop the highest surrounding hill. It is a place to do necessities rather than to stay.

Some 60 yachts are at anchor. Some are a long way out. It is noticeable that large, deep draft, yachts, dominant the fleet. They anchor further out, speeding ashore in large dinghies powered by large outboards. It is said that there are no berths in Phuket's three marinas.

Skipper's first task on arrival is to attend to the entry requirements of Customs, Immigration and the Harbour Master. Skipper is concerned about information that Thai visa's, due to terrorist concerns, are now only for 15 days and processing is expensive. It is a myth. A "one stop shop" exists at the end of the Ao Chalong jetty. Processing is a painless process, albeit, after numerous forms are filled out. It is free. One official jokingly noted that if he is paid, a 6 months visa is possible. Three

months are fine. It is all in good humour, perhaps with a touch of cynicism, perhaps some truth?

A visit to the night market with friends yields excellent local food for dinner and supplies. A delight of Asia is the regular market. Somewhere, at any time, will be a busy market selling fresh and cooked food, clothes and general wares. They are a major part of community life.

Skipper needs an Indian visa. Sahula is at anchor in Ao Chalong. The Indian Embassy is in Bangkok. Information passes that Emotion Travel in Phuket, handles visa applications to Bangkok. In the early morning, Skipper hails a bus (an open, bench seated, truck) and is deposited in central Phuket. It is a typical Asian metropolis. In a maze of streets are endless small shops doing business in a frenzied cacophony of people, motorbikes, cars, trucks and buses. Locating a business requires the navigating

skills of familiarity. Skipper is lost. Friendly English speaking Thai staff, provide directions. Skipper is close; opposite the "Tah won" hotel in Rapsada Street. Of the hotel there is no sign. Re-directions have it that way. Another the other way. Finally, its location is "around the corner" opposite a differently spelt hotel (Tra-vorn). Relieved (almost emotional, Skipper had passed it twice), processing begins. New photos must be taken with a blue background not white. The photographer is an

impossibly tiny "shop," a block away. A "passage plan" of dates and ports is required. The reason: "It's terrorism." Finally, forms complete, many Baht (Thai currency) pass ($125 A) and the application is complete. It will be ready on the auspicious, 7th January, Skipper's birthday. Skipper retires to a local café for well-earned lunch with an English language, Thai, newspaper. There is a different world.

ANE lost a "limb" (oar) last night. Fortune shines, an inflatable manufacturer nearby (noticed from the bus), sells oars. Capitalism is alive and well in Thailand. An internet café is also a post office as well as hiring motor-bikes. The girls Xmas gifts will arrive better late than never.

Shopping requires at least three days or more in one place. Information about useful shops and businesses requires questions of yachties passing time in the locality. Reliance on locals inevitably locates the opposite. It's a mutual misunderstanding of language. "Thai" is a difficult language to understand and impossible to write. Thai script is a work of art in the same league as Arabic. Of the three languages that Skipper has encountered Indonesian Baharsi is the most simple to learn and recount.

In Indonesia and Malaysia, locals readily use limited English. In Thailand it is less so.

A largely Buddhist country, small shrines representing a golden temple on a plinth containing flowers and incense, are in every home, office and street. Traditional tourist and fishing boats are all adorned with religion significant, colourful clothes tied to their bow. Phuket is in Southern Thailand with a large Islamic influence. However, the mosques seem strangely mute. There doesn't seem to be an Indian or Chinese population. Thai temples, in compounds, adorned in intricate gold and colour,

dominate through their sheer beauty.

More prevalent are large photos of the Thai Royal Family featuring a wise and benevolent King in a golden jacket. Guidelines make explicit that a visitor's behavior must not indict Royalty. The newspaper reports his poor health causing concerns amid gathering crowds outside the Royal Palace. Royalty symbolizes the ancient and unique Thai culture.

In contrast to the youthful European tourist of Phi Phi Don, Ao Chalong's tourists are largely (and some large) older western males. They can be seen in "tourist street," in the many bars sitting amongst a group of Asian ladies. Their countenance is one of boredom. Their relationships seem opportunistic. They either live or visit here or are a yacht's sole crew. The youthful tourist of Phuket is at the many resorts and hotels of the beaches. Thai ladies of beauty, style and dress are seen in Phuket

city, in everyday jobs (banks, businesses), far removed from western tourism.

Skipper purchases a "Tribune Herald" and "Time." Skipper initially eschewed the "real world." However, the suppressed inner political voice was inevitably to rise. The financial crisis impact on Skipper cruising funds, Obama's election hopes and aggressive shipping piracy, among others, bring reality into a cruising world idyll. Nevertheless, politics battles boats as a conversation topic amongst cruisers.

Sahula is topped with fuel (80-90cents/litre), stocked for Xmas. At dawn, she sails across Phang-Nga Bay to Ao Labu. Seeming reluctant to depart, the Sahula's keel nudges two mud banks. A feature of the Phuket region waters is their shallow depth; ranging from 3-10 metres. The high powered tourist boats charge past to outer islands.

On VHF radio, Pieter on "Double Dutch" (Indo-Rally '08) calls in. His family is aboard for Xmas. It is good to hear of their adventures. They head to South Africa in March.

A passing local fisherman offers octopus then prawns for a beer and baht. Fried prawns, onion and garlic, coconut cream vegetables and rice followed by fruit and homemade yoghurt keep scurvy in abeyance.

No other yacht left the anchorage in early morning. The morning NE'ly is stronger, fading later. It blew 20-25 knots all day. Two reefs in the main then a half reefed yankee with the staysail. Skipper perched on the beam end, Sahula roared across to Ko Phanak's lee and into the calm of a small bay beneath towering peaks and jungle clad cliffs.

Inshore, a fisherman and his wife set nets from their traditional wooden boat, and motored along to drive in the fish. It was to no avail. They waved and smiled in passing. Would they be tempted to forgo their simple lifestyle in such a beautiful place for western materialism on naked display around them?

On the distant shore the gleaming tourist resort high-rise. Offshore, the mass fleet of flashy, fiberglass, tourist boats powered by 3 or 4, 200 hp outboards) roars past to the hongs (caves in cliffs leading to an inner sanctuary accessed by small boat or diving) in the next bay. Silence, peace and beauty, under tourisms constant threat.

Skipper admired the autumn tints adorning the mauve, ochre, blue and black streaked cliffs. A book (Kay Cottee - "First Lady"), a rest, a paddle on "Bridget" (surf ski), a swim, freshwater wash and absorb the view- a passing day. By evening Sahula was one of 6 yachts. Sahula stayed two days.

For some time, Skipper has been considering a shower. It has to use minimum power, waste freshwater and be useable above and below decks. The solar shower and "garden" pump are unwieldy. An electric motor uses power and plumbing. A "Practical Boat Owner" magazine (UK) suggested shower holes in the screw top of a plastic, 2 litre, juice container. Up-ended it's "on", press for "pressure," add warm water (if required) and it's a replaceable, recycled container. It's simple and it works. The jury is

out.

A day to paint. A sketch finalized and watercolour painting started of the cliff and waters beyond. I nice memory. Skipper also did the first salt water clothes wash only using fresh water to lightly rinse. Evening sounds included a family of monkeys high in the trees hanging on the near vertical cliff.

"Honging" is tourist sport. They come in droves, are loaded into a kayak fleet and lemming like, sight the hong, then leave to see the next one. There are many hongs on many islands. Skipper's version is sight the hong in the peace and serenity of early morning. Even so, there are hongs and hongs. Phanak hong was exceptional. Entry cave was long and black, revealing a calm lake surrounded by high jungle clad cliffs. The lake was dominated by nature's masterpiece; a large spire of limestone, an

icon in the lake, set off amongst three large and perfect, mangroves.

Tide is a concern when honging. The entrance can be low. There is only one way out. Skipper had to lay down level with Bridgett's deck to exit. The cave is lined with razor sharp oysters.

Ko Hong has the biggest hongs in Phang Nga bay. It also is a tourist mecca. Bridgett, being small was soon through the cave and in the lake. It wasn't the same with company.

The numerous towering limestone peaks stretching into the distance is a major spectacle. Sahula slowly motored amongst them to Ko Yang and anchored off a sandy beach with picture book scenery.

James (Bond) would be shocked by the change to his island namesake since his last visit to make "Man with the Golden Gun." Today he'd find a row of stalls selling tacky mementos to hordes of tourists arriving by a fleet of noisy "long tails." It is hard to imagine that this tiny scenic island was "natural." Skipper came and went with "Nadezdha's" crew, Pete and Felicity (Southampton, UK). We enjoyed sundowners aboard to a red sky. A combination of wind and tide rendered the anchorage uncomfortable

overnight.

The "Phuket to Malacca Guide" describes it as Ko Chong Lat, "uninhabited all weather anchorage, very scenic and secluded." There are no other boats apart from local fishermen "long-tails." It is a calm, peaceful, beautiful anchorage in an area where that asset is hard to find. Sahula has found her Xmas nirvana.

In a parody of culture clash, a fiberglass cabin speedboat passed with a "long tail" where usually rests an outboard.

The hardest aspect of cruising overseas is when a friend or family is in crisis. The sense of isolation is total. In an example recently, of "Murphy's law", it took five days to contact even though all communications were working aboard. Modern communications; email, mobile phones, radio assist but don't assuage the human need to find a common soul. Skipper's love of nature, its beauty absorbed in humility and wonder, gives a context to a crisis. Skipper seeks to express this in art. It is a much

needed elixir. Skipper affected deeply by a family and friend's loss, absorbed the day on a multi-media sketch of the peaks about the anchorage, in pen, coloured pencil and pastel.

Xmas day dawns fine and clear. Nature's world is around Sahula in all its raw, uplifting, splendour. Cliffs, soaring skyward adorned in hanging jungle gardens, dwarf the floating fishing huts arrayed further down the sound and Sahula. Monkey, eagles, birds whirl and cavort in their respective playgrounds. Local fishers, clack their "long tails" across the bay as done for time immemorial. Allah resonates from the nearby stilt village. It would be a better planet if the day's celebration upheld this

simple world instead of the rampart materialism of "western" life. Buddhism should offer hope, yet all around in this majority Buddhist nation are the scars off nature's degradation; hills are de-forested, tourism, urbanism threatens natures very roots.

Xmas is not alone. Two long tails come alongside Sahula. Skipper invites the crew of the first aboard. They include a local developer planning a hotel for his village. Their outing is clearly enhanced by tea and biscuits aboard Sahula. Another, two fisherpeople, sell freshly caught prawns.

The Xmas culinary delights include chicken soup, fresh bread, fried prawns in garlic and onion with vegetables, fruit and yogurt, set to the sound of Jimmy Buffet. A memorable Xmas passes.

Cruising is doing "... maintenance in beautiful places," the loo and taps are overhauled and the hull polished. Long overdue.

Sahula came for one night and stayed for seven. Four paintings later, two more meals of fresh prawns; Skipper relaxed to meltdown it was time to leave. Sahula maneuvered through the morning fishing fleet. A fishing boat came alongside. It was a couple from whom Skipper had brought prawns. Skipper was touched by their gift of sweets wrapped in banana leaves. We waved our farewells long into the distance.

It was a shock to emerge from nirvana and be confronted by one of the world's largest super sailing yachts. Five crosstrees (mast supports) high, gleaming royal blue and white. A reminder that despite income inequality, it is a common sea; that boat size is no key to nirvana.

Sahula sailed under Mollie (spinnaker) before a light NE'ly to Ao Chalong. The King's summer place gleamed golden on the coast. Tourists speed boats, charter yachts a further reality reminder.

Sahula anchored in time to join a Scandinavian birthday party for Nabob's Norwegian skipper, Kay. Within a few days all boats would be leaving for Sri Lanka, India or the Maldives. An auspicious time to discuss pirates, and the Red Sea, Mediterranean voyage and a possible French canal transit to Holland.

A night of fireworks, thousands of floating, warm air, lanterns, hundreds of yachts offshore and the milling western multitude, welcomed in New Year 2009 at Patong Beach. Next morning along the beach, thousands of tourists arrayed themselves on rented plastic deck chairs, to venerate the sun.

Crew, Lorraine (Phuket to Cochin, India) arrived to begin preparations for the voyage.

Olive Too has joined the crew. Her older sister Olive (outboard) has retired. She had incurable, incessant, starting problems. Olive will eventually be adopted by some village fisherperson. Olive Too is a Yamaha 3 hp outboard. She drives Zod (inflatable dinghy) with considerable dash.

Skipper has decided to join the Vasco da Gama Rally (web:vascodagamarally.com). It is run by Lo Brust of Holland, a yachtsman. It the second such Rally. It assists yachts on the passage: Cochin (India), Oman, Yemen (pirate alley), Red Sea, Egypt and Turkey. There are 16 yachts. Many are friends from the Sail Indonesia Rally. Sahula will join the Rally in Cochin on the 25th January or in Oman on the 26th February. She will arrive in Turkey on the 5th May.

Sahula departs for a three day cruise on Phang Nga Bay. It will include a small celebration on the 7th January of Skipper's 62nd birthday. She will then return to Ao Chalong for final departure preparations.

The next Passage Report 23 will cover departure, Phuket, passage to Andaman Islands and Cochin, India.

Best

David

Sv Sahula

3rd January 2009