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Cities, Squalls & Caves

We’ve been busy and the blog is slowing down a bit. It’s hard to express how busy our life feels after posting beautiful stories and the corresponding pictures in the past few months.

Everyday there’s something to fix. When we’re not fixing we’re cleaning or gathering supplies. Looking for a spare part, a tool that’s missing. Everyday we also add an item on the list of things to do during the next “workshop” in Phuket, where we will take care of bigger repairs, such as fixing a small leak in the hull/deck junction or cutting a cleaning hatch in the diesel tank. And when we’re on the move, the navigation requires constant efforts and concentration.

We often smile when we hear the feedbacks on our endless holiday in tropical paradise. We do enjoy the moments of bliss that we try to share on our blog. But we really feel we paid the price for them every time they reward us with their appearances…

There’s also the unusual freak incident, such as the tsunami alert that came with the 8.6 quake that struck west of Sumatra early April. With very little time to think, I decided to take the boat as far from shore as possible. In more than 10 meters of water, there’s little chance that the wave will break, it’s actually the safest place to be during a tsunami. We sailed 5 miles out to sea and drifted for a few hours until we heard the news that the quake hadn’t generated a tsunami. Excellent drill.

Anyways, we were tired. We felt we needed a change, a rest. So we decided to go to KL for 10 days. I lived in KL for 6 years. Iva for 12. We both love and cherish the city. It’s a small capital for Asia, only 1,5M people.  It’s green, a lot of the ancient jungle has been preserved, except for the construction. Kuala Lumpur enjoys a slow paced, relaxed mood that no resident can escape.

However, going back to any major city after a couple of month sailing the islands is always a challenge. The cars, the people, the noise, the smells, the fumes, the busy roads, the malls, the signs, the construction can be overwhelming. The first day I got there, sitting in a mamak sipping on my teh tarik on the side of the road at peak hour, I really missed my boat.

Shopping for fabric in Little India

You quickly forget the fumes and the pace of the city with all the friends and the parties. Thanks to all of you guys.

Our time there turned out to be as busy as our life on the boat. Besides embracing a social life we had forgotten about in the past months, we did a lot of shopping…stuff for the boat !

We came back more tired than we left.

We were ready for our next trip to Phuket, where my brother was going to visit us early May. Julien already visited me last year in Phuket. Unfortunately, at that time, the boat was out of the water for an osmosis treatment that turned out to last 6 months. This time I really wanted to have the boat in the water and ready for sailing in Phuket, in time for my brother’s arrival.

We didn’t lose anytime and as soon as Iva joined me in Langkawi we were off again. What a delight to be out of the marina ! The first anchorage in the Butang group felt like we were right were we belonged again… But the 3 days sailing up to Phuket were exhausting. Constant 20 knots of wind in the nose, motoring against the wind with the help of the main sail. Not my cup of tea.

But we went through with it, and on the last day, after an overnight stop in our beloved Koh Rok, just after rounding a little island, 5 miles from our destination, the engine stopped. Thank God we have a sailboat. We were quickly able to get out of the heavy swell pushing us towards the reef and tacked our way towards Ao Yon Bay in Phuket, which we reached at sunset. Dropped the anchor and 50m of chain. We made it.

The following days were spent doing our administrative check in, gathering groceries for the 6 days Julien would be on board and of course, fixing the engine. When you barely know anything about a diesel engine it can be a bit stressful to work on. But every time something breaks down you know you will learn how to fix that problem. The experience accumulated makes up for the stress…I always try to think “Nice, another thing I know how to fix on the engine”. This time we quickly realized there was a problem with the fuel intake. We had gotten to the bottom of the diesel tank, where a lot of residue gathers over the years, and the tank was simply clogged up. Not that simple. After changing the fuel filters, still nothing. Turns out the tank is too clogged up to pump anything out of it, and I have no hatch to open it and clean it. How to go around the problem until fixing it permanently (remember, I really want to take my brother sailing this year) ? Just use a diesel jerrican and pump directly out of it. Oh, don’t forget to also connect the return hose to the container, if not your engine’s gonna stop again in a few days when your tank is full…

So we got the airport in time to pick up Julien and bring to a fully supplied, operational boat. We had five days in front of us. Enough to share our lifestyle with him. He quickly felt at ease on the boat and slept like a baby in his front cabin. Julien is the first real guest we had living and sailing on the boat with us. A lot of fun. Even though the weather wasn’t at its best, we were able to sail everyday to the next welcoming island.

Everyday had its surprise squalls carrying their fare share of wind and rain. We used the wind for sailing and the rain for endless games of shithead and Monopoly inside. For once we were not sweating too intensively. A welcomed change for Iva and I. Julien was so happy to be on the boat that he just didn’t care…

Rang Yai Island

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Making the most of all the rain to shower!

Jungle Trekking in Na Ka Island

Our last stop brought us to the north of Phang Nga Bay. Thailand is gorgeous and Phang Nga is one of it’s jewels…especially for a boat…the shallow and protected anchorages make it is very easy to anchor and spend quiet nights with absolutely no rocking nor rolling. The downside is muddy water but the scenery makes up for it… We anchored close to the beautiful Koh Phanak, a gorgeous limestone island with epic cliffs dropping straight into the water. We spent an adventurous afternoon exploring its little beaches and huge caves. Back on the boat, we celebrated the full moon with a party none of us will forget…

Phang Nga Bay

Dali next to Koh Phanak

Limestone cliffs dripping with vegetation

Enjoying the mud at low tide !

Exploring the caves of Koh Phanak

Julien’s trip was too short. The next day we left the boat in a marina and dropped him off at the airport. It was clear he didn’t want to leave and we wanted him to stay… But Julien had to fly back to Paris and work… The good news is he will be back with his girlfriend Sabine in September !

So in the meantime we finally had our first real rest since Iva joined me on the boat in February. We anchored in a very quiet bay in Phang Nga and relaxed for 4 days. What a great feeling. Now it’s time to head to a marina in the north of Phuket for 2 weeks of repairs. As work on boats go, these 2 weeks will probably turn into 4. After that job, we plan to head south and around Singapore for new adventures on the east coast of Malaysia and Thailand ! Until then…

Philippe

Visitors

In sudden and boisterous contrast to our first two months alone, we have spent the past few weeks welcoming friends and family on board. The first guests we were expecting were newly wed Cedric and Sum from Hong Kong. Since they graciously welcomed us at their wedding earlier this year, we wanted to make sure we returned the favour and showed them a good time on the boat. That same weekend, some friends of ours from Kuala Lumpur were hosting a farewell party for a notorious Mr.Freddy. Those who know us (individually and as a couple) know well that we aren’t the kind to turn down a good party… So we anchored in Pantai Cenang and prepared to socialize for the first time in weeks.

We all spent a lovely afternoon on the boat. Sum and Cedric were excited and at ease. At the time they also shared with us their hopes of having a baby and since we have recently found out this dream of theirs has come true we can’t help but think maybe a little Dali magic helped speed things along! In any case, may they realize the rest of all their ambitions.

That night Sum & Cedric retired early (possibly for reasons stated above) and we joined our KL friends on the beach. It was great to be surrounded by such familiar faces and feel like we were not too far from the city we both called home, and its people. The night was complete with a full blown game of Flunkyball after which we even visited Langkawi’s ‘hottest night club’. All in all a great day and night amongst friends and a warm welcome back to Malaysia.

Photo Courtesy of Romie L.

However, the party could not continue the next night as we moved the boat and prepared for the arrival of Philippe’s parents.

Fuel Dock in Telaga Harbour

Dali anchored in front of Philippe’s parents hotel, awaiting their arrival!

I was very happy to meet Philippe’s mother and father, Renate and Alain and to see that the feelings of relief were mutual as we all got along effortlessly. Their easy ability to adapt also applied to the boat, where they were both instantly comfortable.

While I was just beginning to breathe a sigh of relief, we had to brace ourselves for the arrival of my family.

The day before my family was to arrive Phil wanted to take his parents out for a short sail. We left in the morning, enjoyed lunch and a swim at a nearby beach and were making our way back when Phil noticed a problem with the engine. For those of you who know about boats, and those of you who don’t: engine problems are stressful. Philippe and I had gone up to the border of Myanmar and back – sometimes using the engine for 13 hours straight and the first day he takes his parents out is when something decides to go wrong. Needless to say we both believe strongly in Murphy’s Law. I also believe in Karma and like to think that’s why we were lucky enough to have good conditions and were able to sail back and anchor in front of his parents’ hotel and identify the problem with the engine: a broken impeller in the water pump.

Alain and Philippe raising the French and German flags

The next day my parents arrived at their hotel with me sweating and stressing, and Philippe up to his neck in grease. My parents arrived in the middle of the problem yet eager to help. I spent the afternoon with my mother and sister on the beach while the men worked on Dali. With help from my dad, who has always loved mechanics, the problem was finally fixed – just in time for celebratory sundowners.

That evening we met back with Philippe’s parents and had a wonderful meal together. The rest of my family’s stay was just as pleasant and the next day we all went for a sail around the islands of Langkawi. I was very happy to have my parents and sister experience a little of life on the boat and be able to imagine what our day to day is like in more detail. All in all both families were very happy to have had the chance to meet, and Phil and I the happiest of all.

Both families. Only missing Philippe’s brother Julien (who will join us soon) and my sister Ileana who will hopefully visit this year.

My parents returned to Kuala Lumpur as Philippe, his parents and I sailed to Koh Lipe, Thailand, for a few days of clearer waters and gorgeous beaches. We enjoyed our small vacation and returned to Langkawi happy and relaxed, with his parents even more at ease on Dali.

Beautiful Koh Lipe

We have said goodbye to Philippe’s parents now, happy to hear that they are excited for their next visit. In a few weeks our string of visitors continues as we prepare to welcome Philippe’s brother on board. Meanwhile, we may take a short holiday to Kuala Lumpur to take a break from playing hosts!

Iva

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

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…

Phuket to Similan Islands

Second Entry.

So we’re on our way.

It feels great to finally have the boat ready and Iva on board. We’ve made plans to go to the Similan and Surin islands off the west coast of Thailand, close to the Burmese border. We have about a month in front of us, long enough to anchor every night, sail during the day, and spend a few days in the places we enjoy the most. But only a few days because we have to be back in Langkawi end of March…it will turn out to be a bit frustrating not to be able to stay for a few weeks in the best spots, but then again, it’s important to remember we’re in no position to complain…

Stopover in Bang Tao

So we leave Phuket, after a few days of gathering supplies – fresh food ! A waterproof camera; a lot of water – fixing a few things on the boat, and spending some nice evenings with our friends. And we’re off. We leave behind the crowds of tourists; the bike rides on busy roads, the malls and the hookers. Feels nice.

We slowly make our way up along the coast, and after a couple of days we head northwest and finally reach the Similans.

The water. It’s Blue. But a kind of blue we had never seen before. We thought we were spoiled with the turquoise water of southern Thailand. But the water here is crystal clear. An Indigo blue. You could look at it for hours. And once you’re inside it…it’s still the same color. And then you see the fish. They are not envious of the color around them. They proudly show off their assets, shine in the sun, suddenly turn around, and speed off into the Blue.

Fish chilling on the Reef

A Handsome Member of the Jackfish Family

Iva Testing her new Snorkel

Beautiful Reef

This is the most famous diving spot in Thailand. There are a lot of diving boats around, running their compressors at night to fill up the air tanks, but after a night in a gorgeous but busy spot we find our own little paradise on the east coast of Koh Similan. A perfect beach, huge, white, empty, with a new shade of blue in the water, a bit more green, milky…almost artificial. At the end of the beach a huge rock that we climb. It’s the end of the day. We share a beer and a perfect moment in a wise place…

Similan Island

The next day the boat is happy. On the way to Surin, after a few hours of motorsailing, we’re hit by a nice little storm. It first brings rain and 25 knots of wind, but then the clouds part and it’s only the waves in the sun and the strong wind pushing the boat at 8 knots towards our destination. Iva quickly feels comfortable and learns how to steer the boat in these conditions. She seems to love it. I feel relieved. And so lucky. We have two reefs in the main sail, a few turns on the front sail, we’re powering through the water…Dali is singing in the swell, life is good.

Phil

Después de un par de días subiendo, llegamos a las islas Similan. Es difícil de explicar lo que se siente al ver agua tan clara en un ambiente natural. Yo diría que ni la mayoría de las piletas llegan cerca en cuanto a visibilidad y nitidez. En vez de usar el ancla, conseguimos un mooring, y desde arriba del barco veíamos claramente el final de la soga, unos 33 metros abajo del agua.

From one beach to another on Koh Miang

Las dos playas de Koh Miang (parte del grupo) compiten entre ellas por la atención de las manadas de turistas rusos. Desde las 11 hasta las 3 de la tarde, las dos playitas – relativamente chicas – explotan de gente que atontada por los azules del mar camina de una playa a la otra sin poder decidir cual es más linda. A estas horas, con Phil esperamos a la sombra hasta que se van las últimas lanchas.

Approaching Koh Similan – looks like a giant sleeping turtle!

La isla principal, Koh Similan es mucho más grande en tamaño y mucho menos poblada. Aunque no tuvimos tiempo de explorar todas sus playas, las que vimos nos dejaron con muchas ganas de ver más. Como Phil ya las describió, los dejo solamente con las fotos para que se den una idea.

Iva

Phil collecting some footage – videos coming soon to our blog!

Una pose para las chicas! – Two of my best friends from Argentina started a swimwear line called Hide & Seek. Here is my best attempt at doing their designs justice!

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

Itinerary Part 1

So far we’ve sailed from Langkawi to Phuket. With a few stops on the way.

We made our administrative exit from Malaysia in Langkawi. Our first stop on the way to our entry port Phuket was Koh Lipe, in the Butang group, where we spent a couple of days.

We then spent a night on the west coast of Adang, the largest island of the group.

The next day we sailed to Koh Rok, two small islands 20 miles offshore, where we spent 3 nigths and celebrated Iva’s 25th birthday !

Next stop was Koh Lanta where we spent a night.

We then sailed to Koh Phi Phi and anchored one night in the south bay and the next in the northern bay.
We then finally reached Phuket and spent 4 nights in Ao Yon Bay south of the island. We made our admistrative entry in Chalong bay.

We are now anchored in front of Bang Tao beach on the west coast of Phuket, our last stop on this island before heading for The Similan and Surin islands 35 miles offshore, close to the Myanmar border…

A Brief Introduction

What better way to start than to show you all around the boat!

As Phil mentioned some of the technical details, I won’t pretend to know them and instead aim to give you a better idea of how we live onboard.

Our Home

Overview

This is the layout of the boat, which you see as soon as you go in from the cockpit. On the immediate left is the kitchen sink, opposite that on the right (not within view) is the chart table. Further forward is the galley. On the left is a double bed where Phil and I sleep, which can also be changed into a table with U-shaped seats and on the far right is another bed/lounge area which is very comfortable for reading.

Behind the far wooden wall is another double cabin which we soon hope to use for guests and down the main corridor all the way at the front of the boat is the bathroom.

The Captain at his chart table

Here is the chart table, it’s on the right as soon as you descend from the cockpit and it’s function is more or less self-explanatory. A space for Phil to map our course and dump all his stuff.

Bathroom sink

This is a partial view of the bathroom – I will write a separate post soon regarding hygiene habits onboard but in the meantime you can see the cabinets (which I recently re-organised) as well as the cute soap holder!

My Beautiful Wardrobe

Believe it or not, this is the totality of what I brought with me. Thanks in part to my sisters’ aggressive editing, and mostly due to my superb packing abilities, I was able to bring my favourite boat-ready beach apparel. In the laundry bag are bikinis, behind that bras & undies, two rows of t-shirts and shorts and a little jewelry for special occasions!

Phil’s Clothes

After graciously giving up one of his cabinets, here is the state of Phil’s clothes. I hope to get my hands in there soon and do some much needed folding.

Chill Area

I like to call this the Lounge Area. It was Phil’s bed when he was alone and now we use it mostly to chill. I know you love the décor.

Some of the things I like most about the boat can be seen in these pictures. I’m happy to say I’ve been very warmly welcomed.

Iva

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