Leaving your boat locked up in the tropics?
I’m not an expert; but having closed up and left our boat in the tropics. Twice, once with grim consequences, and once with excellent results, I feel I can impart a small bit of wisdom to those, who like me have, or are, battling mould, cockroaches, spiders, and ants. We left Thorfinn, our beloved home, in Langkawi up a river at a place called Hole in the Wall, for six weeks. When we arrived back we were confronted with a boat brimming with mould.
Monolithic granite boulders plummet precipitously into the limpid depths, turning this underwater world into a sublime mystical place of exploration. It was a spectacular snorkel as we meandered around boulders and through caves sharing our journey with hundred of fish.
Finally we were in Thailand in the right season. In fact since leaving Australian waters over a year ago, this was the first time we had been sailing in an area at the “right” time. What does the “right” time mean? Well it means it is dry season, therefore not so much rain and not as humid… and more tourists. But for sailors the “right” time, in Thailand, means you are able to explore the west coast of Thailand and visit islands such as Koh Phayam, Koh Surin and Koh Similan, because the prevailing wind is from the north east and you therefore have some protected anchorages to use on the west coast.
Hauling out was easy with the experienced staff at Phitak Shipyard Services, and soon Thorfinn was safely on a cradle and we were set up in a small apartment along with a snake, a few rats and a couple of large spiders! It was a very busy time for us but in true Trippin’ Turpin fashion we still were able to have a lot of fun… We had regular BBQs with our neighbours in the little row of units (we dubbed Ramsey St), and at the shipyard itself we had BBQ night on Fridays as well as some during the week for birthdays… including Dwayne’s 50th.
Our first year cruising outside of Australian waters has included Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. Some countries we sailed to and others we flew to; we even rode into one and caught a bus into another. This blog is a recap of our journey in 2015….. Thank you to all our followers. I hope you will continue to cruise with us in 2016, and that I will be able to carry on entertaining and informing you about the wonderful, exciting and sometimes bewildering places we visit.
We spent a fabulous week snorkelling and diving in the Tarutao National Marine Park. Our favourite spots included Koh Chuku (aka Koh Khai), Koh Lipe and Koh Yang. The snorkelling was great! The corals and marine life were impressive and we spent hours exploring a number of the many snorkelling sites the Tarutao National Marine Park has to offer.
This picturesque gem, south of Phuket, held us captivated for the duration of our stay. What began as a one night stopover ended up being a five night stay. The crystal clear water, with its myriad of aquatic life, so enticed us that, between lazing in the hammock and barbecuing on the beach, we spent the majority of our time snorkelling through the coral gardens. The sea life was extraordinary. We saw a shark, sea snake, moray eels, large titan triggerfish, angelfish, pufferfish, moorish idols, large parrotfish, clownfish and so much more…
One of the most stunning features of the Phang Nga Bay area is, undoubtedly, the limestone karsts which jut dramatically from the emerald green sea. The karsts give the area its complicated and mystical beauty. These karsts are often covered or partially covered with lush vegetation, and the bases of these karsts are honeycombed with astonishing caves and aquatic grottos known as hongs in Thai. Many hongs can be explored via kayak or canoe, and some, at low tide, can be traversed on foot. To my mind they are a must see. They are mystical, beautiful and wondrous…
Consequences & live aboard life! Mistakes will happen, so how do we learn from them? Will discomfort help us not repeated our mistakes?