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Phil

Reflections

It was not easy to leave this corner of India that had us so eagerly engrossed. Returning from Cinque Island we fought against our visa deadline and tried hastily to squeeze a few more anchorages before returning to Phuket. We wanted to run on more beaches, see locals in sarees dancing on the sand and taste new native flavours. Chidiya-tapu and Port Blair bid us a colorful and warm farewell.

There are a lot of finer moments and small details of our trip to the Andaman Islands that have escaped our writing thus far. We have spoken of the incredibly beautiful, deserted beaches, the locals friendly and exotic and the fish plentiful and multi-colored… Yet as we began to conclude our tour of the islands I couldn’t help but feel that some of the more subtle yet significant discoveries had happened between our couple and within our selves.

As Phil set the sails and adjusted the wind-vane, the sun fell and we prepared for our night shifts. Unlike the first crossing, this time we had the moon to guide us during the early parts of the night. While Phil slept and the engine hummed loudly, I had the crescent moon as my companion and more than once danced on the deck looking at its bright yellow light. I danced, and stretched to stay awake during the hours of my vigil in the vast darkness. I admired the stars until my eyes lost focus and I began to see them move and blend and vibrate in the sky. Perhaps they are not called bewitching hours for nothing for it was during these moments that I found myself most exposed, more susceptible to the fantasies that sprung from the atramental night.

Took advantage of the lack of wind for a quick dip

During our crossing Phil and I would at times hardly see each other as the days passed. It was important that whenever someone was awake, the other was resting and regaining the energy necessary to take the next shift. I had more time to give in to my thoughts, no one to edit them for me and was left to indulge myself in my emotions, which fell and rose with the waves. At times I was exhilarated, in a trance with the music I blared from my headphones to help keep me awake. Other moments I was convinced we were on the verge of being in danger, that a strong gust of wind could at any moment catapult us into a disastrous squall… My heart beating loudly and my senses at once heightened from the nerves but dulled from the lack of sleep. I would stare at the soft orange light of our compass for hours on end, my eyes fixed on a range of three degrees until all else disappeared around me. Then dawn would come and with it an immense feeling of relief, followed by the overwhelming bliss of visits from dolphins and pilot whales.

Dolphins

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Pilot Whales

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Pilot Whale

Enjoying the few hours a day that I saw Phil, both of us awake and excited, me in awe of his growing, brilliant abilities as Captain. And sometimes sheer frustration, lack of wind and lack of movement for hours on end… Being pushed in the wrong direction by a current we can’t fight in heat we can’t escape. Night again: my eyes fixed on the sails and the compass when something bright flashes and in fear of it being lightning I look up immediately and instead see a meteor blazing across the stars.

Midnight as we see the first bright lights of fishermen appear on the horizon and we know we are closer to Thailand. Twilight as we approach Phuket and the silhouettes of the wooden boats with sleepy fishermen greet us and lure us closer to shore. Dawn breaks over Promthep Cape and lights up the Big Buddha who gives us the official welcome. Yindī t̂xnrạb

Iva

Climax

I have been dreaming of sailing my own boat around the seas since I was a teenager.

The open seas. Deserted islands. Self-sufficiency. Choosing where to go, deciding when and with whom. Living close to nature, following its rhythms – the movement of the water, the light that hits the beach – the sudden change in weather, the power of the swell. Finding time for myself, a good book, hours of contemplating the variations of color in the sky. And most importantly, good company.

Well, I dreamed a lot over the years. And then slowly things started taking shape. Years of work that made the possibilities seem more real. The purchase of a boat that physically embodied that dream. Months of hard work on that boat to get it ready to carry me to the place I had hoped for. And finally the encounter with Iva. The perfect partner to give me the last piece of the puzzle : a person to share your hopes with.

And then you dream of the perfect spot. A place that exceeds your dreams with its perfection, its simplicity, and the serenity it rewards you with.

Iva, Dali and I found that spot in North Cinque Island.

As we entered the west bay of the Island it was still early morning, the rising sun still blurring our view of land with its glare and the water with its reflection. We could barely see the reef and anchored in 12meters of water in the middle of the bay. As the sun rose in the sky, its light unveiled a perfect spectacle : a long stretch of sand separating the island in two lush hills outlined by giant trees carried by sinuous trunks. The water was splendid, the bay playing with different shades of blue and green, from the coral heads scattered across it to the perfect pool on white sand lining the beach.

We reached land with our dinghy, walked to the top of the stretch of sand only to fall on the ground, in awe of the other side : another perfect bay, another perfect beach. The same one, really, a long white line of fine sand holding two jewels on each side. We looked at each other and smiled.

We spent five days in North Cinque Island, all too quickly carried away by time. Days of exploring the forest, or lying on the sand. Playing with the water, snorkeling through the reefs. Spear fishing in the rocks, taking our time to elaborate gourmet meals.

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On our first sunset, we climbed an old dead tree lying on its side. The island rewarded us with yet another blissful surprise : a herd of deer feeding on the grass, meters away.

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After three days in The Perfect Bay we moved to the South side of the island.

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There, the passage between North and South Cinque, covered in reef, answered our wildest snorkeling and fishing hopes : a vibrant underwater life. Thousands of  small reef fish, huge schools of parrots and surgeons, crayfish, hump head wrasses and parrots, giant groupers and trevallies, sharks, and on the last day, our biggest reward : a manta ray aknowleged us with its gracious swimming style, and glided away.

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Fishing Action

Fishing Action

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Delicious Sweetlips

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Iva’s Favourite Coral Reef Fish : The Oriental Sweetlips !

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Attaining your dreams is something you have to deal with. Trying to reach a goal brings you forward and helps you deal with the common interrogation of existence. Why am I here ? What should I do ? What will I work towards when I wake up tomorrow morning ? For years, I was aiming towards the idea of a woman, a boat and a perfect place. All these images in my head finally took a clear shape and gave me more than I had ever expected. But what’s next ? What do I do now ? Thankfully I’m not alone anymore to figure that out…

Phil

Above and Below

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

Land Art

Mouse Deer Skull

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

North Button Island from the Water

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

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

The Crossing

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

A very happy cloud over the Andaman Sea

Fish with Wings

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

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

Episode Ten : The Finale

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 Vika A.

Photo courtesy of Vika A.

Photo courtesy of Vika A.

Photo Courtesy of Mera N.

Photo Courtesy of Mera N.

Photo courtesy of Vika A.

Photo courtesy of Vika A.

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

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.

All Rooms

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!

Thank you Matthijs, Joy & baby Tyson for attending!

Thanks for your vote Ash!

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. 

Eleven On Board

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

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 18th on Star World at 8:55pm (UTC/GMT +8 hours).

Introducing All Teams

We will post more about this surreal experience soon. In the meantime, you can read more about the show here, or follow their Facebook page.

Wish us luck!

Team Dali

Surin Islands

Our first night in Surin was just as bumpy as our arrival. The wind and rain that sped us to our destination had some considerable consequences on the swell and despite our best efforts, we didn’t get much rest. As it was my first experience with such brusque movements, I quickly found the humour in clumsily climbing my way around the boat and feeling my stomach rise and fall with the water. Phil, not so much.

Captain Philippe et son ciré

The next day we moved from the West side, went around the Northern islands and anchored on the East. Though unfortunately we don’t have a lens that can do it justice, you can see parts of the large bay that encompasses the beautiful clear water. At the end of the bay and around small inlets on the sides, the low tide reveals some gorgeous beaches.

Our days on that side of Surin were spent relaxing, enjoying each other and some rest after the busy journey North, both of us very happy to have reached our destination. It’s a great feeling to wake up early naturally – no alarm clocks or hassling pressing matters – just the heat of the sun on the deck and a glimmer of it through the hatch is enough to wake you, rested, and invite you out. We spent the mornings snorkelling and spearfishing, had lunch while the sun was highest and wandered the beaches in the afternoon for new spots to enjoy our sundowners.

Varicose Wart Slug – yucky name but beautiful colours

On Monday we decided to take a day trip to the nearby Richelieu Rock. The description in the cruising guides spoke of whale sharks so it was hard not to be disappointed when we didn’t find any. Luckily though, we weren’t too let down as the spot provided the best snorkelling we’ve had on the trip. After a trying morning getting there (no wind and difficulty actually finding the rock under a few meters of water!) our frustrations quickly dissipated in the stunning blue. Richelieu Rock, as we saw it in high tide, was a few meters under the water and teeming with all sorts of marine life.

Lovely Pufferfish

The coral was bright and healthy and patches of bright green made it look like a beautiful underwater hillside. We saw a school of barracuda, which needless to say was more than slightly intimidating. While I left Phil to swim back and grab my camera – a group of them followed me and although I realise the ridiculous nature of my train of thought: I was convinced that they were only pretending to swim parallel to me while they carefully planned their collective attack! Naturally I was mistaken and made it back alive and with a few good pictures.

OoooOOooh,Barracuuuudaaa

J’ai l’appétit d’un barracuda !

Blue Sea Star

After our day at Richelieu Rock, we came back to Surin and decided to explore what is deemed the main beach of the National Park. Like Koh Rok and Koh Miang, the beach plays host to a campsite for tourists and in this case also includes some small bungalows in the jungle and a canteen of sorts. The atmosphere on the beach was peculiar to say the least, from the minute we pulled the dinghy up; we felt the blank and not altogether friendly stares following us. Odd-looking foreign tent-dwellers seemed displeased with our presence and even asked, “What are you going to do with the water?” when we inquired if there was a fresh water spring nearby. In short, we were much relieved to return to the boat after our quick dinner at the Dharma Initiative-inspired campground.*

Beach Bound

Iva’s new favourite activity – reading old French magazines before sunset..

We made the most of our days in Surin, knowing that as well as reaching our destination we have also come to the ‘end’ of our first trip together. As our families are visiting us soon, we need to make a speedy return to Phuket and finally Langkawi. Although we could have easily stayed around these islands for weeks, we know how lucky we are just to have caught such a beautiful glimpse.

Still in awe of the water…

*We gave the beach a second try on our last evening in Surin and as some boats carried away the white Others, we were greeted with a much friendlier atmosphere and had a lovely afternoon!

Pas facile de quitter un endroit aussi magique…après 6 jours aux Iles Surin, nous devons reprendre la mer, direction Phuket, puis Langkawi. La tête toute bleue et pleine de poissons, on repart vers le sud…quelques belles surprises devraient nous attendre sur la route. Nous prévoyons un arrêt a Koh Tachai, petite ile qu’il nous reste a explorer, puis a nouveau les Similans, avant de retrouver un mode plus urbain a Phuket… On rêve déjà d’un bon steak, d’une bonne douche a débit illimite et de soirées mémorables entre amis… A bientôt pour de nouvelles aventures…

Phil’s First Entry

Let’s BLOG then.

What more to say ? That I’m very lucky ? I’m grateful to admit that I live with my beautiful girlfriend on my beautiful boat…

The girlfriend is called Iva. She is 25 years old and from Mendoza in Argentina. She spent most her life living in Kuala Lumpur and Buenos Aires. We have been together for a year. I was giving my boat a nice refit in Phuket, 6 months out of the water, and Iva was working in KL. We have been living on the boat together since February.

The boat is called CHRIOD, soon to be renamed DALI. It was built in 1980 in France at the DUFOUR boatyard, designed by the architect Michel Dufour. It is 35 feet long. The Dufour 35 has become a classic over the years. It’s simple, it’s solid (in the early 80s the fiberglass boats were still strongly built) and for a cruising boat, it’s pretty fast.

We started in Langkawi, a large island NW of Malaysia. Iva already spent some time on the boat last year, but for very short periods of time. We are excited about this real test.
On a small sailboat like Dali you share all of your time. You are never apart, unless one person takes the dinghy alone to shore and leaves the other person on board.
Life on a boat is thrilling but most of the time it is not only pleasure. It’s always moving. There’s not much space. There’s a limited amount of energy and water that mainly depends on the elements : sun for power and rain for water. Things break. They need to be fixed. Most of the time nobody’s there to help. In this region, close to the equator, the weather is very unpredictable. Stuck in between the two tropics, it gets hot. Very hot. Most of the time there’s no wind. And then squalls out of nowhere brining 40 knots of wind followed by a incredible downpour of heavy drops.
And sometimes everything works. You are sailing on calm water with 15 knots of wind from the NE. You are going NW. All the sails are out. The scent of land not far away tickles your nose. And you breathe in. The boat is singing in the waves and you can even share the moment with another smiling individual…it’s almost hard to believe things can get that perfect. Over the years I have learned to recognize these moments of bliss, accept the short time they last, and live them throughout, like the wind momentarily filling the sails and pushing the boat a bit further…

Philippe