Snakes alive!

Christmas 2012 was again spent in Nai Harn Bay at the SW of Phuket. On Christmas Eve the company at the Ao Sane restaurant on the north of the bay was mostly British. The buffet dinner was excellent as usual. The swell breaking on the main beach, although not as bad as in 2011, made dry landings there unlikely. Landing at low water at Ao Sane was made more difficult by the large numbers of bulky Russians who stand around in the narrow passage in  blissful unawareness of dinghies trying to get through.

New Year was again spent at Panwa Bali where conditions are calmer, beach landings possible, and the Russians (who are everywhere on Phuket) better mannered. We saw the New Year in in the company of Australians.

Prefer not to have in the RIB

Between the two holidays Sea Bunny went the short distance north from Nai Harn  to Kata Beach. Coming back in the dinghy from the beach we noticed something that looked like a piece of multi-coloured braided rope wrapped around the outboard motor between the motor head and the leg going down to the water. It is a narrow gap, not easily visible. There did not seem to be any rope hanging out, which made it surprising when the “rope” moved independently of its surroundings. On our arrival at Sea Bunny.judicious prodding with the boat hook provoked further movement and the emergence of a head. Further prodding persuaded the snake to emerge from its adopted home, slide across the tube of the RIB and in to the water. Over the next 24 hours it visited other boats in the anchorage and returned to visit us, thankfully without being able to get on board. We think it was probably a golden tree snake (Chrysopelea ornata ornatissima), mildly venomous, although as we were some ¼ mile from the beach trees were in short supply.

Changes at Ao Chalong

Just before Christmas we had a need to visit Chalong for food goodies and haircuts. We had been warned that the local marine department had laid free moorings in most of the day,but that they were of doubtful security.
As we crossed from our overnight anchorage at Panwa Bali, this seemed to be confirmed by the presence of an anchored yacht in the middle of the bay, with a mooring buoy and line still attached.  There had been a squall overnight with winds of probably 30-35 knots.
As we entered the anchorage we were hailed by another yacht to warn that the buoys were not secure. We found what may be the only clear area among the buoys and put the hook down.  As we were doing so the crew on a nearby boat were gesticulating and holding up a mooring buoy (not one of the free ones). When we were safely anchored Richard took the RIB over to see what the signals were about.  They pointed out that the mooring buoys are free of charge.  When Richard explained that he did not trust them they showed the buoy their boat had been on overnight, together with a length of broken mooring warp.
The marina on the pier, refurbished last year, is already breaking up, although it is still used by some of the charter boats and can be used as a dinghy landing.

Escape from Boat Lagoon!

Sea Bunny leaves Boat Lagoon (at last).
Photo: Dick & Anita, Kind of Blue

December 16 was the last day before Christmas when the height of the daytime high tide was 3.0 m or more - which perceived wisdom indicates will give Sea Bunny, with a draft of 2.3 m, sufficient depth to negotiate the channel without running aground.
So, at 1130, we were on the fuel dock, waiting the pilot who, it transpired, would be on another, larger, yacht (draft 2.7 m) to lead us out of the shallow winding channel.
We saw least depth of 2.4 m - obviously we took that bend a little wide.
Having waved goodbye to the pilot we then crossed the 3 miles or so into the lee of Koh Rang Yai (literally "larger Rang Island".
The next day, we crossed back to anchor Sea Bunny close to the outer entrance marker to Boat Lagoon and took the RIB back in to the marina as we had appointments to keep.  This was an interesting trip as it was at low water and the 30 or so tour boats, all large planing speedboats most with 3 x 250 HP on the stern were constrained to the channel. We were in Jane our 8' RIB with 1 x 9.8 HP!.
3 boats had the courtesy to slow down when passing (thank you Phuket Adventures); the rest did not! Being resourceful people we had complete dry sets of clothes with us.
We repeated the exercise in and out for two days completing shopping, getting rid of rubbish and the stitches in Richard's hand. Baptism by wash and wave is what we called it!

Splash!

Sea Bunny returned to her proper environment on 13 Novemberafter nine months and 4 days on the hard.  We'll be in Boat Lagoon, Phuket for another month trying to catch up with the long list of jobs still to do.

Photo © Ley Langford

We're not sure if the marina designers got the levels wrong, allowing the whole launch area to flood at high spring tides or if it was deliberately done to permit launching of boats with a beam larger than that of the launch dock.

Photo © Ley Langford

Visa run

One of the issues with being in foreign countries is that visas periodically run out.  With the type we have in Thailand this is every 90 days.

At such times we have to cross an international border, get checked into a another country and return to Thailand to have our passports stamped and earn another 90 days. The time in the foreign country can be as little as 5 minutes!

Having considered two main options - fly to Penang, Singapore or KL or take a trip to Myanmar we chose the latter.

We rejected the various one-day visa run options, involving 4-5 hours each way in a minibus to the border town of Ranong and either a longtail across the river  to Kawthoung or a more comfortable ferry to the Andaman Club Resort on Thahtay Khyun Island in the mouth of the river.  Instead we hired a car, drove to Ranong and stayed overnight in the resort.  The resort essentially takes care of everything and all payments are in Thai baht.

Andaman Club resort

Thus it was that we found ourselves taking a couple of days off from boat work and spending a night in Myanmar, a country we had not expected to return to after our trip last year.  In fact you wouldn't know you are in Myanmar if it weren't for the all-important stamps in the passport - it is to all intents a Thai hotel (except for the casino).

The next day we returned by the longer "scenic" route across the central mountains and back by the old road across to Phang Nga.  A side visit was to the Keereewong Nature Temple, a Buddhist temple set in a forest glade.  We were looking for a "geocache" hidden there, which we failed to find, but were glad we went as it is a really peaceful place which most drive past.  We then visited our friends Richard and Pauline (cousins of Susan's cousin Paul's wife Elizabeth) at Khok Kloi just north of the bridge onto Phuket for a late lunch.  It was however so late that we stayed the night and still managed to return the car in Phuket before it turned into a pumpkin at 0900.

Sea Bunny progress slow but sure

Test fit of the rudder

The weather has been unseasonally kind to us and the hull underwater has mostly been filled, faired and more epoxy applied..  Just the parts that were under props, now moved, remain to be finished.  Then we will be ready to antifoul.  We have decided to use Coppercoat which, although slightly more expensive, should be effective for several years - some boats achieve 10 years or more with just gentle rub downs.  The topsides are undercoated and being finally prepared for topcoat as we write.  We will not have access to the boat for a few days as she will be masked up and surrounded by clingfilm.

Seawater inlet manifold before fitting

R has modified the huge manifol, that controls most of the seawater flow intothe boat, under the floorboards outside the engine compartment. The area has also been painted white so will be able to see the crud in future.

S has repaired the 3 large awnings, made 5 new hatch covers (essential to keep the heat out) & new cockpit table cover (essential as it is knocked every time something is taken out of the cockpit locker). She also found time to make herself a new blouse but not from the same material!

The galley beautiful project is virtually complete.

Cutting times

Cutting the cake

Here is a some recent cutting experience -  R with his birthday cake at a local seafood restaurant and Susan getting rid of of a weight on her mind.

More cutting