Friday 2 May 2014

Fwd: Koh Phi Phi Don Thailand Lat. N. 07 degrees 44.1' Long. E.98 degrees 46.1'

----- Original Message -----
To: "2XS - Peter & Marguerite" <pjheadlam@hotmail.com>
Subject: Koh Phi Phi Don Thailand Lat. N. 07 degrees 44.1' Long. E.98 degrees 46.1'
Date: 02 May 2014 13:03:43 -0000
From: zmq5985

We are now in Thailand, but illegally as we don't clear in until after we arrive at Krabi Boat Lagoon tomorrow. However, don't think it's a problem.
We enjoyed being back in Langkawi but at the same time were glad to be on our way again. It has, like many places, become quite a bit more expensive and the RLYC restaurant and bar are not a patch on what they were previously. However, it appeared that the marina had improved with a long breakwater to minimise the ferry wash which largely seems to work. However, all very lackadaisical with the security person on the marina gate appearing to be asleep most of the time - not sure whether security is actually a problem here or not. And absolutely no interest in evidence of 3rd. party insurance. This latter point really gets up our noses as TPI is not expensive and the consequences of an incident in a marina with boats in close proximity would be potentially devastating. We are particularly conscious of this as we have already been the victim of an uninsured vessel at Kupang in Indonesia.
We amassed a collection of duty free whisky - just an example of prices: a 1 litre bottle of Laphroaig 10 yr old is 150 Ringitts - equivalent to NZD54 ("duty free" in NZ usually well over NZD100) and with mainstream blended whiskies around 35 Ringitts. Can't go past that!
We cleared Customs and Immigration as well as a visit to the Harbourmaster - they just love bits of paper and official looking stamps. The next morning (28/04)we left Langkawi at around 0900 to sail to Koh Tarutao across the Thai/Malaysia border. This was only 35 miles and we anchored in a delightfully sheltered spot between Koh Tarutao and a little offshore island, Koh Klang. Bit of a thunderstorm that night with spectacular lightning flashes and rain coming through the foredeck hatch which woke Jim at 1300!! All par for the course in these waters though.
The next day we left intending to go to Koh Phetra approximately another 30 miles but as we were making good time, decided to press on to Koh Talibong - another 20 miles. At about 9 in the morning we picked up an AIS transmission from "Settlement" who we had sailed with in Australia and had seen in Indonesia and Danga Bay, Johor. But in spite of calling them on as many VHF channels as we could think of and at one point being only a mile away, there was no response!! Disappointing because we had looked forward to a mid passage reunion but anyway we had an email from them later saying that they had been on VHF 17 which isn't normally the main listening channel and was one we hadn't thought of. Never mind, they'll be back up this way in August so we'll see them then. Sailing past Koh Phetra and many other islands was spectacular. They are limestone outcrops, many at least 300 metres high and with vertical cliffs. However, we are at the moment on a bit of a mission but when Tiare is all dolled up again we will be back again to explore in detail. We continued north to Koh Talibong where we anchored in shallow water hopeful of a Dugong sighting but no luck there. We passed an uneventful night and sailed at first light to continue our mission north. It is quite obvious in daylight why one doesn't sail at night with all the flags littering the ocean marking nets, set lines and God knows what. Usually, even in daylight, they are invisible until you are as close as 30 metres or so and when you look ahead through the binnoculars the sea looks impassable for flags! But of course as you get closer there are ways in between but you have to be prepared to use a bit of lateral thinking and alter course as necessary. Constant vigilance is necessary. Only about 5 minutes after leaving we noticed a strong diesel smell and upon lifting the engine box lid the cause was apparent. A small diameter brass pipe which is the return fuel line to the port fuel tank had fractured and was spraying fuel liberally onto the hot engine! So we stopped and anchored to ponder what to do. The area was shallow - barely 30' and very calm. Jim (that great mechanic!!) came up with a solution and that was to use some fuel line as an external sleeve to contain the leak. After much sweating and cursing the job was eventually done and upon restarting the engine there was no leak!! So we continued, checking all the while but we remained leak free!!
Again we had intended to stop earlier at Koh Kradan but, although it seemed a great anchorage and definitely worth a return visit, we decided that as we were making good time we would continue to where we are now - Koh Phi Phi Don. Koh Lanta had been another potential stop on our list of possibles but we carried on. From here Krabi Boat Lagoon is only 25 miles.
Incidentally, in Thai "koh" means island, just as in Bahasa Malaysia "pulau" means the same thing.
We arrived here mid afternoon after motoring the whole way averaging over 6 knots. Little wind and what there was right on the nose. Quite a mission to find anywhere to anchor as the bay is full of cruise and dive boat moorings with few gaps. However, we eventually found somewhere which wasn't ideal and subject to large wakes from boat skippers who have never heard of the 5 knot rule. Big speedboats with 3 x 250 h.p. engines flat out are not uncommon. Also large ferries from Phuket who don't slow from cruising speed until they are almost at the wharf. "Kularoo", the Australian catamaran who we had sailed with across the Northern Territory coast and who had towed us when we had the first of our fuel pump problems, was already here. But unfortunately the sight of them just brought back all the negative experiences we had suffered at the hands of some very nasty and ignorant people after the dragging episode at Kupang. Not that we have anything against Bill (the owner). Quite the reverse. We liked him from the outset and still have great respect for him, but we feel that he has possibly been seduced by other negative people close to him and we find that most regrettable. Hopefully one day we will have the opportunity to speak to him on his own and clear any misunderstandings. "Kularoo" left this morning before there had been any chance to get together.
Later this morning we launched the dinghy and went ashore to have breakfast and to find a Wifi establishment where we could send a few emails as for some reason not apparent we haven't been able to send anything via Sailmail using the HF radio. No doubt we'll get to the bottom of that after we've hauled out. We achieved both aims at the Cabana Hotel and then returned to Tiare as she was lying a bit closer to some rough looking charter boats than we were happy with. So we pulled up the anchor and after going around in circles for a bit we re-anchored in a much better spot (where "Kularoo" had been in fact!!!) and Jim has spent the rest of the time ogling bikini clad figures going past in dive boats and writing this blog for your great edification!!!
We must say though, that in spite of boat wakes and moorings, Ton Sai Bay on Koh Phi Phi Don is a spectacular anchorage with high vertical cliffs and a glorious white sand beach. We'll regale you with more in our next blog from Krabi.
Cheers again from us on this beautiful day of May 1st........
Jim and Jean
s.v. Tiare Taporo III
Koh Phi Phi Don
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