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
