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Koh Lanta

Return to Dali

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

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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

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

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

The Way Back Down

It’s been a while. Finally a new post. A month has gone by since we left Surin.

It was hard to leave. We were able to spend 6 days around and in between the two massive lush islands of the Surin archipelago. But we had to start heading back to Langkawi, where we were going to welcome friends and family at the end of March. On the way down we would be rewarded with a few more perfect anchorages before reaching murkier waters…

Koh Tachai, halfway between Surin and Similans, blessed us with one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever laid foot on… As usual, crystal clear water and a new shade of blue. And the sand. White as snow, soft and smooth as clean linens. What a lovely playground…

At the end of the beach, between the rocks, we spot a few baby reef sharks playing in the little waves.

We know we won’t be back in these waters for a while. It’s hard to leave. We have to constantly motivate each other to make a move the next day. We will sometime soon find another perfect spot and hopefully be able to spend a month or two there, getting into a routine, fishing, cooking, making small repairs on the boat, enjoying the time passing by too fast… But this time, we need to head down south. We have a deadline.

The Similans and Surins are home to crazy looking jellyfish

We can’t help ourselves and stop for a few hours in the Similans. We lose ourselves in it’s surreal waters again, enjoy the sunset on the beach one last time, and go to bed early.

Phil cleaning Iva’s wounds

We wake up at 2 AM. We want to make it to Phuket the next day, and it’s 70 miles away. With the little wind we usually get at this time a year, we will probably motor most of the way and reach Phuket before sunset. It’s Iva’s first night sail. I’m excited to share this unique feeling with her. The fisherman’s lights on the horizon, a marlin that greets us in the darkness, a strong coffee and nice music to carry us until the light appears out of a morning storm. We turn off the engine for a little while and enjoy the fresh, soothing wind…

Iva was amazed by the radar, “Just like in the movies!”

Phil raising the main sail at Sunrise

We make good progress and as we round the southern tip of Phuket, after 14 hours of motoring, a western sea breeze finally picks and pushes the boat in between the familiar islands of Chalong Bay. There’s no better feeling… We reach Ao Yon bay shortly before sunset, just in time to meet our friends at the beach bar. Our fridge had been leaking gas and not working properly for a week. The first cold beer is a delight.

We only spend two days in the crowds, just enough time to gather some fresh supplies, do our administrative exit, fix the fridge and pick up my friend Ben who will join us on the trip to Langkawi.

A picture for the curious few who asked what we eat on board

Ben is a good friend that had been sailing with me in the past year and helped me a lot to get the boat in shape again. It’s a real pleasure to have him on the boat for what will be his last sail before heading back to France after more than a year of traveling.

By now I have sailed between Langkawi and Phuket a number of times and have come to know the area quite well. It feels great to stop in beautiful anchorages we know, to enjoy our favorite spring rolls on a chill beach in Koh Lanta, and to sail a few hours to Koh Rok the next day. Koh Rok is probably my favorite spot in the region. It always welcomes us with epic colors, and a feeling of being at home. We enjoy a lovely sunset with cocktails and guitar…

The next day it’s a 10 hour sail to Koh Lipe, where Iva and Ben met for the first time a year ago. We love the place and have a lot of cherished memories here. We celebrate the reunion with a bit of dancing in the night.

And we are finally back in Langkawi. What a round trip.

Ben enjoying a great graphic novel : “Habibi” Thanks Julien !

Everything went well. Iva loved it and that’s a precious relief. She is really suited for this life, something we couldn’t have known without trying it. I feel so lucky. I think she does too.

Now with have 20 very full days in front of us. We have friends visiting from Hong Kong and KL. Both our parents are coming for their first time on the boat. What a change in rhythm it will be! We look forward to it.

Philippe

Langkawi to Phuket

As you can see from the previous post, we are now in Phuket, spending one more night here before continuing our journey north. It’s been a little over two weeks since we left Langkawi, and we now find ourselves about halfway to our final destination, the Surin Islands.

Though it makes me feel slightly old and out of the loop to admit it: we are new to this blogging business and finding it somewhat of a struggle. Nevertheless, we started this project with the hope of sharing our experiences and thus will keep insisting.

In Langkawi our days went by quickly between settling me in and preparing the boat for the trip. This mostly consisted of checking that everything was in running order, filling up water and petrol tanks and a fair bit of grocery shopping.

Second Day on the Boat

Small Repairs

Koh Lipe was the setting of my first visit to the boat so I was very happy to be sailing back there a year later. Who could have imagined it? Phil and I enjoyed a few quiet nights there, me getting reacquainted with the boat and the two of us with each other.

We stopped overnight in Koh Adang where the beach is interrupted by beautiful rock installations.

Koh Adang before sunset

We arrived in Koh Rok after a ten-hour sailing day. At the moment, on days we have to move, we have been waking up early in the morning to make the most of the last of the Northeasterly wind. It usually dies at around noon and we find ourselves motoring the rest of the way.

Koh Rok Nai from afar

Happy to have arrived

The Water at Koh Rok

Thank you Steph for the lovely present!

Watching the sun set

Koh Rok is comprised of two small islands, Rok Nok and Rok Nai – both equally beautiful in different ways. Rok Nai is the main island, hosting a small campsite and a makeshift restaurant. Opposite lies Rok Nok which has dense jungle fringed by orange sand.

View of the water from Koh Rok Nok

We had a few days of great snorkeling at Koh Rok. The water is stunning at every hour of the day and I was lucky enough to celebrate my 25th birthday there – cake and all!

My Delicious Birthday Cake & Presents!

Phil caught a fish!

Koh Rok Nai

Enjoying the shade a little…

Beautiful Snorkeling Point

Life on the boat thus far has been ‘smooth sailing’ (couldn’t help myself!) and Phil and I are forced, in the nicest of ways, to know more and more about each other.

My 25th Birthday

After Koh Rok we made our way to Koh Lanta. Arriving just in time to see the sunset from the beach, we enjoyed the tranquil atmosphere of the evening on the island.

Everyone enjoying their ice creams at sundown

Sunset at Lanta

In the morning, we left for Koh Phi Phi. Arriving in the southern bay of Koh Phi Phi Don at midday is not something we would recommend. After the relaxed pace of our previous stops, we found ourselves thrust into the loud reality of the popular tourist destination. Boats of all kinds, shapes and sizes sped in and out of the pier, teeming with tourists – also all shapes and sizes. It felt like being anchored in the middle of a highway in big city during rush hour.

Despite the noisy start to the day, we had a great night out (as Phi Phi promises). In true Thai style, we enjoyed some of the most agile fire dancers I have seen as well as cheap alcohol and a bit of rain.

Iva LED-Rope Jumping

After a night to recover on the northern bay of Phi Phi, we made our way to Phuket. Here we have been re-stocking the boat and catching up with some of Phil’s sailing friends. After four days here we are excited for the next leg of our trip.

Anchorage at Ao Yang, Phuket

Taking a break from the beach and visiting Chalong Temple in Phuket

Goodbye Phuket

Iva & Phil