Sunday 21 January 2018

Trying to leave Langkawi

Hi again dear friends,
This blog won't be sent until we reach Krabi in Thailand but right now we are still in Langkawi at the Royal Langkawi Yacht Club. At the moment (early January) the annual RLYC Regatta (yacht racing) is on with competitors from many countries. The first few days have been marred by lack of wind but that's changing now. To the point where we will be clearing Customs. Immigration and Harbourmaster on the 12th. but possibly - being fair weather sailors these days - we won't leave until the 15th. or 16th. when the weather is expected to quieten down again. Hopefully we don't get arrested!! Our 90 day Malaysian visas run out on the 14th., so we're not exactly international criminals and it is the skipper's prerogative to consider the safety of the ship and its crew above everything else. Still, we don't want to find ourselves arguing that particular point of law with the Malaysians.
We have been slowly saying goodbye to a number of people and tomorrow we have a car for the last time so we will hopefully complete the task. We had Hafiz and his wife for lunch on the boat a few days ago and cooked them a NZ leg of lamb. Hafiz works at the local Starbucks and we have got to know him over many months  - before and after Colombia. Hafiz always made the best Cappuchinos for Jean! 
Dr. Din - our acupuncturist and friend is also on the list. He has been of great help to Jean in particular and will be sorely missed.
We went to dinner on New Year's Eve at Mangoes - Michelle and Lutz. We hadn't been there for a while but nothing had changed and we had a great night - even if we didn't stay until 12!! In fact we arrived back at the boat (after a 30 minute drive) around 2230 and went to bed and then were awakened most rudely by a fireworks display which sounded like gunfire, from the Westin Resort at midnight. So we did see 2018 in after all. But it was a spectacular display.
However, since writing the above few paragraphs there has been some change - as is always the case with yachting! We cleared Customs, etc. on the 12th. and then sailed from Langkawi on the 13th. Our first anchorage was 15 miles north (still on Langkawi Is.) in the bay just west of Telaga Harbour. However, it became apparent that there was an issue with our electrical system because the batteries weren't being charged at a sufficient rate to maintain fridges etc.  - or so it seemed. So we returned back to RLYC. Things appeared to settle down and so we left again on the 15th. However, on starting the engine the next morning, the same thing was happening. So back we went again. This time with wind on the nose at 18 knots as we passed the cruise ship terminal.
So-called professionals here are thin on the ground and generally not competent anyway. But we were very fortunate and grateful that our friend Ian from "Jaden" offered his services. He had a metre which not only measures voltage, but can also put a load test on the batteries and it was then that we discovered the real problem. Both of our house batteries (2 x 200 amp hour AGM's) had been purchased new in Phuket in early 2016, but one was faulty. It was only measuring a third of its theoretical capacity, whereas the other one was 100%. Another fellow yachtie, Dave (a fellow NZ'er) on "Pelican" also took some readings and after much discussion we decided that we could go on just the one battery. We'll replace the faulty one once back on Phuket. These batteries have a design life of 12 years, but this one has done less than 2. Chinese of course, but unless one has very deep pockets - which we don't - there isn't much choice these days. As for any guarantee - well, it's Thailand - 'nuff said!!
Anyway, by then we were well and truly illegal overstayers. So, it was a matter of visits to Customs, Harbourmaster and Immigration. The first two were no problem but with Immigration we really became bogged down with Malaysian red tape. We didn't get to see them until 2 days after our original visas had expired as we had been coming and going. They took a dim view of that and we were shunted between their Jeti office and HQ. But at least we were honest and fronted up to them to explain our position. We could almost certainly have just done nothing and existed here illegally for as long as it took, but there's always the risk factor. And we didn't fancy a Malaysian jail! 4 visits later and the next morning we finally received our new visa extensions. Mostly thanks to Sheila who with her husband Paul looks after yachts berthed at RLYC. Sheila is an accredited immigration agent and acts for superyachts when they come in here with large crews. They do a sterling job here at RLYC and without them the marina would be a shadow of its former self.
Then today (21st.) it was a matter of back to Customs etc and we know the procedure by heart now. Didn't take long and now back on the boat to prepare for a 0830 departure in the morning at slack water. 
But, oh how plans change yet again!! We were back on board and Jean was washing the galley sole (floor to you landlubbers) and she had the floor cleaning stuff in a drinking water bottle to save space. She was feeling thirsty and without thinking picked up the cleaner and took a drink - fortunately only about a tablespoon full and she spat most of that out but she certainly wasn't well so we made it to the marina office - after stopping to vomit suds into the marina, where they called a Uber taxi for the I Care medical clinic. There she was examined by the doctor and no lasting harm done except that she now has a very sore throat which will take time to heal. She kept insisting that she was ok and that we could leave tomorrow as scheduled but this time the Captain has put his foot down and delayed our departure for another 24 hours. We are starting to wonder whether we'll ever leave Langkawi - it can be a graveyard for boats and their crews/owners, but not for us, you may be sure. We said at the beginning of this blog that this blog wouldn't be sent until we arrived at Krabi, but with all the delays, we've decided to send it now ahead of our new departure date of the 23rd. At least we are still legal!!
Details of the next blog will contain details of our passage to Krabi and on to Phuket. Cod from Pok Bros and canned Peruvian asparagus for dinner (cooked by the Captain)  - a few whiskies and listening to Louis Armstrong and the "Good Book" - a collection of wonderful Negro spirituals so all is well once more with the world!!
Lotsaluv from us
Jim and Jean
 
   

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