Dali Archives - Page 2 of 3

Above and Below

By: Phil

May 27, 2013

It was hard to leave Havelock Island. But we were already one week into our trip, and the Indian authorities only deliver a one-month visa for the Andaman Islands. The frustration of not being able to spend more time in paradise slowly started creeping in. We had to plan our trip accordingly. It wasn’t easy to find the balance between our yearning to visit as many islands as we could and the need to spend more than a couple of nights in the places we loved the most. With only three weeks left we made our way to our next stop, Inglis Island.

As perfect as Havelock Island had been, Inglis rewarded us with a striking convex stretch of white sand contrasting with the deep turquoise of the water. And we were alone. The island was ours. The excitement grew as we anchored in ten meters on sand. As soon as we dropped the anchor, we were greeted by a group of mouse deer feeding on the beach. The next surprise came from the sky as a very intense experience: a Coast Guard helicopter circling 30 meters above us! We made contact though the VHF radio, identified ourselves, confirmed we had properly checked in in Port Blair and were bid farewell with a lovely “Have fun…and be safe!”

We spent the next couple of days exploring the island: the beach, the forest and the gorgeous sand cliffs rising above the water. Their different shades of yellow would constantly change with the light and amaze us throughout the day; we were grateful to sit in the shade of its caves, protected enough from the harassing heat to contemplate the waves breaking on the outer reefs.

Land Art

Turtle Skull

Again, it was hard to leave, but we had to stay on schedule. We motored north against a strong breeze and a choppy sea to reach North Button Island.

We both expected a lot from this tiny island as we had read that it was vibrant with sea life. Iva wanted to see manta rays. I was pretty excited about the fishing.

North Button Island from the Water

Iva hunts for photos, while Phil hunts for food! Here, a beautiful but very poisonous Lion Fish

I started spearfishing back in 2003 when I was crewing around the South Pacific on sailboats for eight months. It quickly became an addiction at the time, although I barely caught any fish the first few months. Spearfishing is a difficult sport. You usually have to dive down in at least five meters of water to catch anything. 10 to 20 meters if you want to spear the big ones. The fish can breathe underwater, you can’t. The fish is really fast and reacts instantly to any movement or noise nearby. As free divers we are slow and not very agile underwater, especially if we want to stay long and keep enough air in our lungs to actually catch something. The slightest movement of a fin or the click of the gun releasing the spear will scare the fish away instantly.

Considering fish is our only source of fresh protein on the boat, it’s an exciting challenge.

I had done a bit of spearfishing in Thailand in the past year, but the Thai seas are so overfished that it is very hard to catch anything more than a small parrotfish or snapper. I was finally confronted to a proper fishing ground, as commercial fishing is not allowed in the Andaman Islands.

On the first day I caught a small grouper that was delicious but left us craving for more. On the second day we decided to take the dinghy further past the west point of the island. There was a lot of fish out there, but I wanted to challenge my fishing skills by catching something big, fast and delicious. A big grouper – always hiding in the rocks and very hard to catch – or a jackfish – one of the fastest hunters out there. As I jumped in the water at our second stop, I couldn’t believe my eyes : a school of small tuna was swimming right in front of me ! Tuna are rarely seen that close to the reef in shallow waters. I had caught some in the Pacific trailing a line of the back of the boat in open sea, but never actually seen one underwater. I tried to control the adrenaline pumping through my veins, gave a very smooth stroke of a fin towards the school and aimed at the closest fish with strong determination but little hope. The whole school instantly swam away from me but I shot anyway and rejoiced : I had caught one ! It was the strongest fish I’ve ever had to bring back onto the dinghy. This tuna was fighting hard but I somehow managed to pull it up, throw the spear into the dinghy and quickly finish it’s days of swimming the Andaman Sea.

That catch ended our fishing for the day. A two/three kilo tuna is definitely enough for the two of us ! I cut two beautiful filets out of our little friend that more than filled us up. We first enjoyed an appetizer of sashimi, then had one filet for lunch and one for dinner, accompanied by delicious vegetables, of which our favorite will remain the lovely little Andaman aubergines !

North Button Island also enabled us to do a bit of socializing with two French boats anchored next to us : Sea Lance and Nez Rouge. It felt great sharing stories around coffee in the morning and beers in the afternoon with people who have been sailing for years around the world… But we had to leave, to make it in time to an anchorage we had identified with Iva on the way up as a perfect place to celebrate her 26th birthday… more on that in the next episode !

Phil

Havelock

By: Iva

May 9, 2013

Dali and the Mangroves

It was difficult to know where to begin… The Andamans are a group of Indian Ocean archipelagic islands in the Bay of Bengal. There are 572 islands strewn vertically over an area of 8,249 square kilometers, which for us meant that we had the luxury of being able to sail only a few hours before finding ourselves at a new destination.

We decided to start our discoveries by visiting some islands north of Port Blair. We sailed just 30 nautical miles from Port Blair and anchored on the South West tip of Havelock Island. Belonging to Ritchie’s Archipelago, Havelock is the largest of this island chain and also one of the few Andaman Islands that are inhabited.

However, we did not see anyone at our first anchorage. The day was spent marveling at the water, framed by lush greenery punctuated with red. We wasted no time in adopting what were to become our island-life rituals. Phil plunged into the turquoise depths spear gun in hand and with the fruits of his hunt we celebrated the first of many fish inspired feasts.

Dinner

As the celebrations continued into the night, we made a bonfire on the soft sand and watched the sun disappear behind a few stray mangrove trees.

The next morning we moved north and anchored in front of the monumental Radha Nagar Beach, also known as “Beach Number 7”. To say the seven miles of sand, deep, flat and white, were impressive is a gross understatement. Looking at the sprawling beach from the boat, I felt dwarfed by its magnificence, in awe of the sheer magnitude of its collective beauty.

Clear Water

The lack of a coral reef allows for a lagoon-like crystal pool that touches the edges of the fine sand in calm waves. From the depths of the beach sprung the massive trunks of trees, accentuated by smaller varieties in all shades of possible greens. There were even small thatched lookout posts, which seemed comically perfect – as if the whole landscape was a man-made set, ready for its close-up.

We spent several days at this beach, both at the beginning and end of our Northern tour. It was by far one of our favourite anchorages.

Dali Awaiting a Squall

Also a popular destination for Indian tourists, it was a spectacle in itself to observe women dressed in beautiful saris play in the waves. Returning one afternoon from a visit to the nearby village, we were also amused to find that an Indian family had made a homey rest stop out of our dinghy!

From the beach we were able to hire a Mahindra jeep and visit the nearby Village No.3, or Govind Nagar Village. The ride inland was beautiful, crossing plantations dotted with brightly painted houses and white cows.

The village was equally charming, being comprised of a small stretch of shops clustered around the fresh market. Walking the short street, we found everything we needed and even made our first international call home! It was good to hear my father’s voice and though we have been separated before by much greater distances, finding an international landline in the village and the static on the other line made me feel like I was phoning home from the ends of the world.

Waking up to its imposing scenery, walking and walking the stretches of sand and buying samosas from a very friendly man under an umbrella. The vegetarian menues were amazing and we found each dish delicious and perfectly seasoned with mild spices.

In short, it was hard to say goodbye to Havelock. The island seemed to have everything we could have hoped to find in our Indian travels. But this was just an introduction, and we were already short of days so we lifted the anchor and continued north…

Iva

Farewell Havelock…

Welcome to Port Blair

By: Iva

April 29, 2013

Arriving in Port Blair was exhilarating. Though Phil and I have both lived in Asia for many years, this is my first introduction to India and after months between Thailand and Malaysia, it looks, smells and feels extremely dissimilar. There is something already exotic about arriving somewhere by boat. Even if that place happens to be readily accessible by other means of transport, by evading them you avoid arrival terminals, other tourists, taxi cues. Instead we were greeted by a bustling port and as we entered Chatham channel – all the while communicating with local port authorities with a VHF radio – I had the ridiculous but giddy feeling that we were discovering something new. Granted it was only new to Phil and I, but the excitement mounted.

We anchored finally in the designated area for visiting yachts and for the first time in five days the rocking, rolling, lurching, climbing, falling… stopped. Though it had taken my body some time to become accustomed to it, I had luckily never found the movement uncomfortable during our crossing and it was actually the lack thereof that resulted in an immediate headache. In my mind I pictured my brain, which had been bobbing along happily, hitting the front of my skull as the boat reached a halt.

Although I was itching to explore the first piece of the Andamans we had access to (and also curious to see how my legs would feel on firm land), we could not go to shore until the following morning. We spent the day of our arrival welcoming authorities onto the boat, which sounds anticlimactic but was actually a very comical and colourful experience.

Port Blair at Dusk

The next morning we made the one-kilometer long dinghy ride to the dock and began to visit Port Blair, the largest town and capital of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, a union territory of India.

As I have not had the chance to visit mainland India, I cannot make any comparative statements but according to Phil the South Andaman Island port is a “very chilled out version” of India. And I can see what he means. There are the beginnings of the chaotic characteristics associated with India; jaywalking cows, loud music blaring from invisible speakers, fishing boats near the roads, the intermittent car horns. But all with a laid back island-life attitude in much less densely populated space.

Driving to the heart of town you feel that you have travelled back in time. That you are on an island somewhere in the 60’s or in some warped Asian version of the Dharma Initiative. We rode a beautiful HM taxi through streets lined with white linens drying in the sun. We arrived at the Harbour Master’s office where we had to present our itinerary for approval and receive our final clearance to visit the nearby islands.

No Traffic Lights in Port Blair

The building, well maintained but clearly out dated had incredible charm as we stepped into offices where windows were wide open, letting the sunlight yellow the stacks and stacks of papers that have not yet been replaced by computer hard drives. Everywhere we visited was clearly over staffed with officials taking time and pleasure in completing their duties in an orderly fashion as well as consulting their colleagues or inviting them in just for fun. Though we had read warnings about the bureaucratic procedures necessary to visit the islands, we were on the contrary surprised by the officials’ friendliness and enjoyed participating and observing their administrative culture.

Phil and our friend the Customs Official

We had lunch and did our grocery shopping in Aberdeen Bazaar, which consists of one main road that starts with a giant golden Ghandi monument and stretches upwards for about four blocks. These four blocks are packed with stores side by side, on top of each other, above street level, below street level and some almost on the street itself. Everything from bakeries to dental surgeons, clothing, supermarkets, electronics, chai tea stands and Internet cafes is packed in the small and bustling downtown area. We bought our fruits and vegetables from the fresh market then continued up the road to Baba Restaurant where eight four-person tables are crammed into the last shop lot on the road and we waited in line to get a seat and some delicious chicken masala, vegetable curry and tomato rice.

One of the many bakeries in Aberdeen Bazaar

Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Market

Buying Fruits

Schoolgirls in Uniform and Matching Braids

Blender Repair Shop

Back on the boat, and though thoroughly charmed with Port Blair, its colourful wooden houses perched on hills with wandering goats by the roadside, it is the beaches and the water and the islands that we came to visit so once our administrative procedures were underway, we were happy to leave and further our exploration.

Iva

The Crossing

By: Phil

March 23, 2013

We left Phuket as the sun got up over Mai Thon Island. A strong 20 knot breeze pushed us through the few islands lying south of Phuket, and we quickly rounded Promthep Cape, heading North West, to the Andaman Islands (India), 400 nautical miles away ! Finally we were at sea. My first time crossing a sea with Dali. Iva’s first time in the open waters. I had been waiting for this moment since I started living on my boat in 2011. Island-hoping along the coast of Malaysia and Phuket is one thing, but being out at sea for four days is totally different experience.

Finally we do not need to worry about the coast, the reefs, the fishing boats. Time and days as we know them on land disappear. All of a sudden, it’s only about making the boat sail well in the right direction. The sun gets up on one side, and before you know it, it’s down on the other. Activities are limited to maneuvering the boat, cooking and reading. Life becomes very simple.

A very happy cloud over the Andaman Sea

Exocoetidae : Fish with Wings

The toughest part of the crossing is to get used to the incessant movement of the boat and to find your new sleeping pattern. The sea is in constant movement, and so is the boat. Everything needs to be stored away. Your body needs to adjust. For most people who are not prone to severe sea sickness this takes two to three days. Luckily Iva and I felt at ease straight away. We just needed to get our night shifts in order. At night, someone constantly needs to keep watch. It is not easy getting used to sleeping in three hour shifts. Unfortunately we were sailing without any moon, and I can tell you, it gets dark, really dark. Luckily Dali’s radar is in good functioning order and most ships are therefore easily avoided.

On our first morning we were welcomed in the Andaman sea by a school of dolphins, about a dozen of them playing around the bow of the boat ! What an amazing sight to have these large mammals guiding us towards our destination are the sun gets up… We felt welcomed. Our second day at sea, we maneuvered a lot, trying to get the most our of the five to ten knot breeze pushing slowly towards Port Blair. As the wind died, we motored through the night.

Our third day at sea turned out to be glorious. Thanks to a fifteen knot wind from the North East we managed to cover 80 nautical miles on a beam reach (the wind blowing on a 90 degree angle to the boat) in 12 hours. It felt perfect, being in the middle of the Andaman Sea, just the two of us, with only water around us, and the boat, so happy, singing in the waves. I wish that day would have lasted forever.

As the wind died we enjoyed a swim in the crystal clear Andaman Sea waters.

Depth : 2,500 meters

We mainly motor-sailed the last stretch to Port Blair, the last night being cloudy and amazingly dark, with it’s share of rain. We were happy to see the sun get up as we were 40 nautical miles of our destination !

Port Blair Lighthouse

Reaching your destination after a long crossing is one of the most amazing feelings one can experience. Your eyes have only been used to the blues of the sea and the sky divided by the horizon for more than four days. And all of a sudden there is so much to see, to hear, to smell… Port Blair is a lovely tropical Indian town on a peninsula. We anchored in a very large protected body of water, close to a few other sailboats and not far from very large cargos on their way in and out of India. Finally the movement stops. It feels strange.

In India as a sailboat, you are treated like any other ship. Which means that as you enter the port you need to contact the authorities and wait for Customs, Immigration and the Coast Guard to board your boat and complete the necessary paperwork. We had read that this was a very complicated experience and that dealing with the local bureaucracy was a nightmare. What a pleasant surprise to be welcomed by lovely officials, most of them all smiles, interested in our story and very happy to help ! Of course it is a big change from dealing with the authorities in Thailand or, even easier, in Malaysia. We had to prepare some paperwork prior to our arrival. But in India people are just interested and care. They try to do their job, sometimes too well, but who can complain about that ?

Team Dali + Port Blair Coast Guard Official

Team Dali + Very Trendy Port Blair Coast Guard Official

As the sun set we were done with the 12 people that came on the boat that day, and enjoyed a few cold beers while chatting away into the night, about the crossing, our boat, our life, and the many amazing years that are still to come…

Phil

Return to Dali

By: admin

February 9, 2013

Después de varios meses lejos del mar, fue linda sensación volver a poner los pies en el agua. Cuando el taxi nos dejó en la playa, ya los dos soltamos un suspiro… Aliviados al ver el velero flotando todavía en su lugar. En los días que siguieron, los primeros de este año ya bien empezado, trabajamos con cuidado buscando complicaciones y problemas que por (mucha, mucha) suerte nunca encontramos.

Una vez que estábamos convencidos que todo seguía en orden pudimos recibir a nuestra primera visita del 2013; mi hermana Ileana y su novio Alejo.

Hacía mucho tiempo que esperaba poder compartir con mi hermana lo que he vivido este ultimo año sobre el barco. Desde que éramos muy chicas, de las dos ella fue siempre la aventurera… Y ya que por el momento esta ha sido mi aventura más grande, quería compartirla con ella.

De nuestros invitados, Ile y Alejo se destacaron por su facilidad de sentirse como en casa arriba de Dali. Fueron los que más tiempo pasaron en el agua y los únicos en atreverse a prepararnos una cena. Con Phil nos admirábamos del entusiasmo infalible de los dos a pesar del calor infernal de la cocinita abordo.

Disfrutamos de poder mostrarles un poco de nuestra vida marina. Visitamos cinco islas en siete días, aprovechando para introducir Alejo a las particularidades de las playas Tailandesas. El también nos sorprendió, victorioso en su primera y muy pública pelea Muay Thai!

Así pasamos una semana soleada, clima perfecto para empezar el año. Sin embargo las vacaciones se suspenden un tiempo, mientras que Ile y Alejo vuelven a sus vidas porteñas y nosotros nos preparamos para la próxima aventura.

Iva

After these joyful reencounter with the boat and the Thai island hopping life, it was finally time to get ready for our first faraway trip on Dali.

The Andaman Islands. 400 nautical miles (760km) to the North West oh Phuket. Three to Five days at sea with usually fair winds from the North East this time of year. It will be Iva’s first open water crossing, and also my first time to sail the open seas with my own boat. It’s exciting. The Andamans are a part of India, hundreds of gorgeous lush tropical islands with an almost untouched marine life, since commercial fishing is prohibited in the area. Most of its islands are uninhabited and we look forward to the amazing snorkeling, fishing and deserted beaches.

But as usual there was a lot of work before departure. We needed to get the boat ready, a task that always has its fair share of surprises. Change the batteries, Check the rigging, grease the winches, install the wind wane, repair al sorts of small details. Fill up with water and diesel, buy a month’s worth of groceries, replenish the pharmacy, wash the boat inside out, check the engine…it’s a long list.

Laundry Day on Dali

We also had to get ready for the Indian authorities that will board the boat at arrival in Port Blair. Visas, a large pile of paperwork with introduction letters, inventory, itinerary, requests to spend a lovely month cruising the Andaman Islands.

The Beautiful Visa Photo Studio

We also needed to get our communications working. SSB radio, Satellite Phone, VHF to be able to send and receive emails, most importantly receiving weather charts during the crossing. The authorities also require that every boat radio’s in its position everyday while cruising the islands.

It was hard getting everything ready with only three weeks to spare as we wanted to leave early to catch the end of the NE monsoon. We made our way North along the east coast of Phuket to spend our last week of preparation at Yacht Haven Marina, definitely our favorite marina on the island. On the way, since the paperwork finally came through during our visit to France in October, we were finally able to undertake a little ceremony to change the name of the boat. There are many customs to achieve a peaceful transition to a new name. We tacked (crossed the axis of the wind) three times, with a drink of rum for Neptune, the boat and the captain (the first mate was also invited !) after every tack. Dali can now show off its beautiful name on the high seas.

We are finally ready. We should leave in couple of days, after meeting up with our good friends Bernard and Pui on Salulami, anchored off Mai Thon Island ! Next post in more than a month with undoubtedly exciting stories !

Phil

Episode Ten : The Finale

By: admin

December 23, 2012

In writing this blog post, it is harder than ever for me to put words to the extraordinary experience that was The Apartment : Style Edition. It is difficult to bring everything down to earth, to relate it to the rest of our lives before and after the show. In my mind, our participation in the competition was always an abstraction, completely incongruent with our former routine and far from our foreseen futures. Now that we are at the end of it all, and more importantly now that we’ve won, I find myself having to join two very separate worlds… I have the incredible chance of incorporating a surreal fairytale into my life. A glimpse of the behind-the-scenes craziness, as follows:

Photo courtesy of Vika A.

Photo Courtesy of Mera N.

Photo courtesy of Vika A.

The Apartment Production Crew, big thank you to all of you!

It’s strange to admit that going into the final was somewhat relaxing. It was a relief to know that we had at least made it to the end, that we would not be walking away empty-handed and that our hard work had at least not gone unnoticed. Phil and I loved our house. We were excited at the thought of going back through all the rooms, reminiscing about old challenges, reviewing our progression as wannabe designers and improving our existing work.

As always, we had an endless list of projects. Although we did not feel the need for any major overhaul in any of the rooms, we did have a lot of small additions and changes we wanted to complete. We divided our list of about thirty items into rooms and priority level, and began to work.

For the first time during this entire competition, Phil and I enjoyed the challenge and the pressure was turned into excitement and anticipation. Putting finishing touches on the house felt much like setting the table before a family gathering, or decorating a Christmas tree. We had already put so much effort into the rooms that now it was more a question of a few loving touches here and there, knowing that soon doors would finally open… For a brief soirée we would be able to play hosts and invite people to enjoy our home as a whole, and forget all the segregated challenges that composed it.

Our countdown for this challenge was 24 hours.

The sun rose while we were pasting our giant sticker-print of clouds onto some closet doors in the hallway. At seven a.m., after working all night, Phil and I shared a beer in our back garden, walked through all the rooms hand in hand, and went to sleep in our Master Bedroom, for two hours before waking up to Finale-Day craziness. It’s one of my favourite memories of that day.

Everything from that moment on is a blur. Shouts awoke us as photographers, cameramen and cleaners flooded our house. Meanwhile we had to film interviews, meet Lisa S., get makeovers and prep the caterers. Before we knew it, evening had arrived and so had our guests.

Seeing our friends walk through our front door was incredible. Having been so isolated for weeks, it felt wonderful to be able to include them finally in our secret experience. As our rooms filled up and the former contestants joined us, the atmosphere in our house was amazing. Phil and I walked through the rooms with giddy pride, happy at last to see the house teeming with people.

At this point, the competitive aspect of the night was far from our minds. Phil and I were very calm, proud and content. We knew we had absolutely done everything in our power to present a finished product we were proud of, and it was a relief knowing that from here on out, it was out of our hands.

Thank you Matthijs, Joy & baby Tyson for attending!

Thanks for your vote Ash!

With this in mind, we joined our fellow finalists in the waiting area as guests and judges convened in the Design Court to determine the final verdict.

Phil and I noticed very early how lucky we were to compete alongside such genuinely affable people. Although after editing some may not believe it, the truth is that we never felt any fierce rivalry. As the challenges passed, we grew together as designers, shared in common struggles and always made time for an after-work glass of wine. It is not a small feat to have made such great friends in an environment clearly destined for competition.

Thus, as we were “standing-by” (something we had become very good at by this point!) it was with great respect and mutual admiration that we were able to enjoy a few last drinks with Alex and Chelsea.

Suddenly we were all on stage, and I heard Laurence’s voice as if in the distance as I stared at the room full of people, happily finding some familiar faces to steady my thoughts.

I heard the result at the same time as the confetti canon, and it all seemed more fantastic than ever.

In the perfect culmination to our achievements, Phil and I decided to stay Team Dali for life.

It’s a story worthy of the Disney movies I would watch. One which I look forward to telling my grandchildren, who will probably dismiss it as an old lady’s wild exaggerations until I show them the video!

2012 has been an astounding year for the two of us. We are very aware of how incredibly lucky we have been, and the best part is that with this lucidity we know not to take a moment of it for granted.

My fiancé and I (!!!) would like to thank, personally some day if possible, everyone who supported us throughout the competition. A big thank you to The Apartment production team and everyone involved with making the show happen! Our families, who all over the world came together to encourage us and whose collective belief in us definitely had some part in the result. To our friends, friends of friends, ex-colleagues, ex-teachers, and everyone who took time out of their day to wish us luck. We have been overwhelmed by the amount of support and kind words we have received.

Iva

Make sure to check out our coverage of our beloved Dali home by clicking here.

Dolphins

By: Phil

November 7, 2012

The past month had rushed by so quickly. It’s hard to believe that a month ago we were driving my brother Julien and his girlfriend Sabine to the airport after almost three weeks of festivities on Dali and on shore!

It was great to have Julien visiting a second time, and this time with Sabine! We did remember that when he left us in Phuket after five rainy days on board in May he told us, “see you in September” but it went by so quickly that when we picked him up at the airport in September it felt he had just left us a few weeks back…

They took a risk in coming to Phuket end of September, usually the most rainy time of the year. Iva and were worried that we could only offer them indoor activities, the four of us cramped in our tiny living space… But the weather turned out to be surprisingly nice ! Even the dolphins greeted us on Julien & Sabine’s second day on the boat!

Dolphin Pod

More dolphins…!

We got to enjoy the sun striking the clear water of Koh Hae and Koh Mai Ton and had a fast sail to Koh PhiPhi that rewarded us with its usual night of partying and jumping through rings of fire.

We got back just in time, seven hours motoring against the wind in a sea that was starting to get rough, in anticipation of the storm that finally soaked Phuket from the West one more time in this year’s heavy monsoon season. Our friends Jose and Anna welcomed us in the beautiful house they are taking care of in the south of Phuket, and for a few days we hid away from the rain, enjoyed delicious food, funny games and soft mattresses…

A first visit to Phuket needs to be celebrated in the colorful nightlife of Patong, and Sabine was not disappointed as we danced away in the clubs and gazed in disbelief at the unusual sights the place has to offer…

The Infamous Tiger Nightclub, Patong

The rain quickly gave way to the sun again and we were able, back on the boat, to enjoy some lovely anchorages we had not seen before.

On their last night we enjoyed one of the most beautiful sunsets I’ve seen in Thailand from a gorgeous platform bar on the top of cape Panwa. Sometimes everything just comes together perfectly…

Baba’s Nest, Sri Panwa

Only one month has passed. Thailand seems so far away… After stopping in Kuala Lumpur to attend the premiere of the TV Show we’re participating in (The Apartment – Style Edition) we started a very long trip around the world, that will take us to three continents to visit our families and friends. Here it goes :

KL – Doha – Paris – Berlin – Nice – Cannes – Paris – London – Paris – Doha – Buenos Aires – Mendoza – Buenos Aires – Doha – KL.

Hope to see you all on the way !

Phil

Your friendly hosts…

Dali 2012 Tracks

By: Iva

October 10, 2012

As this year slowly approaches its end, we find ourselves reflecting on months gone by. I have trouble grasping the idea that I have been living on a boat for eight months now. The change in lifestyle is still a very fresh one, almost abstract in my mind when compared to the futures I had previously imagined. Yet it’s a lovely feeling looking back on this year in quiet surprise while, with time, I become more and more used to the idea.

Below is a map showing the combined journeys we have made since I joined Phil on Dali this year. Together we have travelled roughly 1,250 nautical miles which is 2,012 kilometers (yes, really!).

We have come to be reasonably comfortable along the West Coast of Malaysia and Thailand. We had the amazing luck of discovering new anchorages, beaches, islands each time we made a move. Returning to old favourites made me feel incredibly privileged… I know it is a rare thing to be able to say, “let’s go back to that favourite mooring, where the water is clear and the sun sets between Rok Nok and Nai”. And then a few days later, do so.

In short, these are our travels. As much as these ups and downs have taught us, we will be happy to explore new horizons in the coming year.

Iva

Eleven On Board

By: Phil

September 10, 2012

There’s nothing like the feeling of leaving a marina after being tied to a pontoon, mixing sweat and grease, for a time that always turns out to be much longer than expected…

So on a sunny day, in fifteen knots of wind blowing through Phang Nga Bay, we finally untied the lines and left Yacht Haven Marina. With on board, Isabelle and Mathieu, two friends visiting from France ! They would be the first of numerous guests coming and going, sleeping on the available bunks and bringing life and laughter to our small living space in the two weeks that followed…

Isabelle and Mathieu

On our way down to the south of Phuket to meet the rest of the crew, we enjoy some really nice sailing in the strong wind on the flat waters of the massive bay. Isa and Mat quickly take their marks on board and love the boat heeling in the gusts…the intense limestone islands, as if suspended above water, surround us as we anchor for our first night far from the rest of the world…

Fresh prawns, straight from the fisherman’s net to our table!

After a couple of days sailing down the west coast of Phuket, we meet up with more friends! Pierre-Henri (PH) and his girlfriend Clothilde. also from France, and Elise with her boyfriend Vikram, a.k.a. Sunny, flying in from India. It’s a couples’ holiday ! I’m delighted to have three of my best friends on board with their better halves, most of which I meet for the first time. And it’s the first time Iva meets my French friends. It turns out they all randomly came to visit at the same time ! She won’t be disappointed, we’re now eight people on the boat !

The following week, we all sail together from Phuket to Koh Hae, couples taking turns to sleep on the boat (it only sleeps five) while the others book cheap accommodation on land. Cruising around the islands, snorkeling in the good spots, lunch on the beach, sundowners on the boat, dinner on land, what a perfect few days catching up on their lives back home, sharing our own new living conditions… It feels so good to have my old time friends on the boat, actually finally understanding what our lifestyle implies…

Elise and Sunny

A typically French apéritif : rosé wine and saucisson !

Couples’ Holiday !

After a very relaxed beginning of our group holiday, we decide to change the mood and head to Koh Phi Phi, where Jess, Sinead and Diane, three Australian friends of Iva will join us…the more the merrier !

Sailing to Koh Phi Phi

Clo and PH

Dali…the love-boat !

Phi Phi Islands

Iva catching a mooring line, on our arrival in Phi Phi.
That one broke a few minutes after… I prefer my anchor and chain !

Our anchorage in Phi Phi

As mentioned before on this blog, Koh Phi Phi is a group of two islands lying 20 miles east of Phuket. Koh Phi Phi Le, the small one, famous for being the setting of the movie The Beach. Kho Phi Phi Don, the large one is a pretty busy tourist destination, mainly attracting young backpackers looking for gorgeous settings and beach parties… It’s a change for our guests from the more isolated places we’ve taken them so far : streets, people everywhere, long walks with their backpacks to find a place to stay…

Iva, Jess, Sinead and Diane

But at night, the party on the beach starts, with numerous bars blasting heavy bass into the night, firedancers and a lot of drunken tourists… What a perfect spot to celebrate our random reunion, eleven of us drinking and dancing our hearts out till it’s really time to go to bed…

It’s not Phi Phi without fluorescent paint…

After a couple of days recovering from that first night, by diverse means such as sweating it out on a long trek over the mountain or simply sitting on the beach enjoying lots of Thai food (which is NEVER bad), we have to head back to Phuket.

Post Party Trek

The Phi Phi Viewpoint inspires many interesting poses…

Loh Bagao Bay, east coast of Phi Phi

PH and Clo continue their trip to Koh Lanta, Isa and Mat head back to Phuket on an early ferry to extend their visa and we sail back with the rest of the crew.

Early morning stopover in Maya Bay, set of the movie ‘The Beach’, before the daily tourist invasion

Sailing back to Phuket

Cozy girly time on a sleepy afternoon sail…

Unfortunatly we have to say goodbye to Elise and Sunny who head back to Bangkok to catch their flight for Dehli. But Jess, Sinead and Diane stay to enjoy their first night on the boat ! A nice dinner of bangers and mash and a good movie put us all to bed quite early…

The following is not my most glorious moment. The girls booked a hotel room in the infamous Patong for a last night of party in Phuket’s vibrant streets. Isa and Mat were joining us as well. Everything was set up for a crazy farewell night. But the party was cut short rather quickly. As the girls were getting ready to go out, I caught my small toe on a bed corner in a hasty movement. All I could do is look at the sad result : a toe dangling from the side of the foot. End of the party before it starts. Head for the hospital for an X-Ray that shows the extent of the damage. Well, a broken toe.

Welcoming eleven people on board within two weeks is not an easy task. As the captain of the boat, you are responsible for every person that steps on it. Everyone has different expectations, different plans. Trying to please everybody at the same time, while taking their schedule into consideration, on top of the handling the boat, dealing with the weather, the tides, the dozens of dinghy trips to the beach…not a holiday for Iva and I.

We estimate about a hundred dinghy trips made during the holiday!

But the smile on the faces of your friends, chilling on the boat, enjoying a sunset or awing at the color of the crystal water you brought them to…more than worth it.

We thought after these two weeks we could have our own “holiday”. Finally only responsible for ourselves. Free as little fish in the sea. Well we had to think again. First I have to rest my toe. Let the bone consolidate. Then we need to head back to Langkawi…to meet more friends !

Phil

We would like to thank Isabelle, Mathieu, Elise, Sunny, Pierre-Henri and Clothilde for letting us use some of their photographs for this post.

Casting Call

By: admin

September 2, 2012

This year has been all about trying new things.

On a visit to Kuala Lumpur a few months ago, we met up with Andy, a good friend to us both, my best friend’s boyfriend and coincidentally also the person responsible for introducing Phil and I to each other. All in all, a very important friend. In the midst of the usual exchange of news, he let slip that he had heard about an audition for a reality TV show. Though Philippe and I would have never considered ourselves Big Brother material, the more Andy told me about the show, the more interested I became. As soon as he finished saying the words “shopping, interior design, challenges” I had decided we would at least try out.

Convincing Phil was the next step.

It was the last round of KL auditions and we woke up on a Sunday, hungover and feeling less than camera ready. Despite the big night out, I managed to drag Phil out of bed and into the shower where he reluctantly agreed to get dressed to go. Our agreement that day was that he would go to the casting with me but never participate if called back. I shrugged off his averseness, and as we had little else to do that Sunday afternoon, my curiosity drove us to Subang.

Our Audition Photo

Auditions came and went and as months passed we accepted that as we had imagined, we were not reality TV material and went on with our routine. As Phil mentioned in the last post, it was after a month of non-stop work that the phone rang.

“Congratulations! You have been selected to participate in The Apartment, Style Edition! Can you fly in tomorrow?”

After five weeks of arduous work under the unexpected monsoon-like weather, the boat was just finally beginning to look habitable again when we were offered the chance to drop everything and participate in something far outside our normal realm of activities.

We didn’t have much time for decision-making. It was hard to think of leaving the boat in the marina after such hard work, but also a little disappointing to imagine passing up such a unique experience. Not to mention the possibility, however slight, that we may even win the Grand Prize: a brand new luxury apartment in KL!

After much deliberation over beers and peanuts, we decided that we had nothing to lose…

The Apartment: Style Edition will air October 18^th on Star World at 8:55pm (UTC/GMT +8 hours).