Paradise Resort, Koh Yao Noi, Thailand

We are now anchored up off the Paradise Resort on the small island of Koh Yao Noi.and very pleasant it is too. The weather has been very hot but there has been some breeze so we have not been too uncomfortable. Cousin Benny arrived last Friday and we took on some fuel and left Yachthaven in a brisk 18 to 20 kt. westerly breeze that took us up into Phrang Na bay very rapidly under sail. We anchored up for the afternoon at Koh Phanak and then dragged a bit in the soft mud and gusty wind so we decided to proceed another few miles north to Koh Yang and the so called James Bond Island. When we got there it was still blowing hard and we tucked ourselves in between koh Yang and another unnamed rock out of the wind and current..
The scenery with all the sand stone rocks of various shapes and sizes protruding for 400 feet into the air was quite spectacular.
We took the dinghy over to "James Bond Island" where the movie Man with the Golden Gun was made. The place was overrun with longtail boats and tourists and I'm not sure why. This island itself was not particularly impressive so we went ashore on Koh Yang and walked about on the beach where there was nobody.
Next day we came over here and spent the day ashore at the resort. They had a little cut in the reef and a jetty so it was easy to get ashore and they seemed to welcome yachties so we had a very nice lunch and spent the afternoon in the pool and on the beach. They even brought us complimentary fresh fruit and cocktails at 5 o'clock so we had dinner there as well!
The saga of my defective AIS continues. Furuno USA have now got involved but I don't think I will get it back in a serviceable condition while we are still in Thailand.
We will spend another day or two out in the bay and then back to Yachthaven to drop Benny off and to see if our new Bimini and awning are finished.
Next week is Songran, the Thai New Year so we will get to see what that is all about.

The navy Wives Club. We enjoyed it so much we went back there a second time by car. The Jungle curry was wild as advertized

Paradise Resort. It was too

our new cockpit table. This is a very welcome addition and was very nicely made

snacks at the Paradise Resort

The captain taking a snooze at the Paradise Resort

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Yacht Haven Marina, Phuket , Thailand

We spent a few more days at Nai Harn anchorage and then went over to the eastern part of Ao Chalong bay and went ashore for dinner at one of the beach side dives. They had some live music and the place was packed. We are now back at Yachthaven for the past few days, doing cleaning and trying to resolve some of the same issues we had last time we were here.
The fridge is repaired and looks like it will be very durable and better than before.
The new cockpit table is almost ready and will be a very good addtion. We went into Phuket town on Tuesday and got lost in one of the original villages in Phuket town. The roads were nor designed for cars and getting out again was a bit difficult. We were looking for the Furuno dealer who had sent out my AIS unit to Bankok for repair. We did finally find him but when I fitted it, I found that it still didn't work. The tech came again yesterday and he could not get it to work either so he took it away again. I am asking for a replacement under warranty as it is less than a year old. We will have to see how that turns out.
We are having a new dodger, bimini and a full canvas awning made and the canvas guy has done his final measurements and a deposit has been paid. We should have the dodger fitted by early next week. We made some modifications to the original dodger which was designed to be retractable but as we never once in five years retracted it, we thought that a fixed dodger would work much better for us. I moved some struts around and I think the new set up will be a much stronger improvement.
The bow thruster has also been acting up again but with help of some other yachties and some new relays and switches it is again retracting as it should.

This is a short video taken from up the mast with a GoPro Hero 3 video camera. The resolution is amazing though I don't know if  the file will be converted and lose resolution when uploaded. I apologize for the amateurish editing but these DV editing programs are a bit tricky and I need to do a bit more work with it to get this right.

I have some more photos to put on as well.

The weather has been beastly hot as the season turns to the monsoon but we have had no rain yet.We will stay here for another few days until we get all the work finished and then cruise around Phrang Na Bay for a week or two and then go back to Langkawi in Malaysia.

Beach side bar in Ao Chalong

Lost in the Hong The streets were barely wide enough for a small car

sunrise Ao Chalong, Phuket

leaving Ao Chalong

Nai Harn, Phuket, Thailand

Surin Island from the mast head

Housing for monks at the Temple on Koh Phayyam. They looked like concrete cells made to appear as a tree trunk

A durian tree Durian is a weird and exceptionally smelly fruit

Sunset at Buffalo bay, Koh Phayyam up near the Burmese border

Sydney. Now thirteen months old

Fast boats carrying tourists coming back to the Navy Yard from the Similian Islands. They had great sport in passing us at a distance of a few feet at 30 knots!

Sunset Nai Harn Bay

Cocktails with the Kilkea's at Buffalo Bay on Koh Phayyam

local kids swimming, Surin Islands

Moken Stilt Village Surin Island

Totems in the Surin islands

Thai Starbucks at the night market at Nai Yang

Thai Navy Yard Ban Thap Lamu

Similian Islands

Sunset at the Navy Wives Asscociation

Livestock at the night market at Nai Yang. I'm not sure why they dyed the chicks  strange colors

Village at Surin Island

Donald Duck Rock.Koh Similian

Koh Miang, Similian Islands, Thailand

This morning we arrived at Koh Miang, the fourth island in the Similian group. These islands are as attractive as the Surins but there is much more fast boat traffic from the mainland bringing hordes of tourists and divers out to the beaches and reefs. We spent the last few days at Koh Silmilian at a very pretty beach at Donald Duck Bay. So called due to a rock that allegedly resembles the angry Walt Disney avian. The beach and bay were stunning but the people were not and they started to arrive at about 1000H and stayed in waves until 1600H. After that we had the place mostly to ourselves except for a few a few dive boats that spend a week in the outer islands. The water is also clear here and there were many fish but all the coral seemed dead which is very unfortunate  We will spend another day or so here and then go back to YachtHaven Marina stopping in various bays in Phuket on the way back.
On balance, the Surin Islands were nicer than the Similians mainly due to their remoteness. We enjoyed the peace and quiet there even with a Royal Thai Navy gunboat moored next to us one night. They changed watches at midnight and 0400H accompanied by whistles and other noises.
Photos to follow and some video from the top of the mast

14 March 2013

We are now in the Surin Island on the Thai-Burmese border and a national marine 
park we will be her for a few days as this place is very beautiful with very 
clear water. There is no internet, unfortunately. We should be back to some sort 
of civilization in about a week and will be in touch then.

10 March 2013 Koh Phayam, Thailand.

We have been sailing up the west coast of Thailand in the company of Dave and 
Marian on Kilkea. The first day found us in a delightful little bay on the south 
of Phuket called Nia Harn. We went ashore for lunch and a walk on the beach. 
Lots of Russian tourists all working on their melanomas. The beach restaurants 
were very good and we took a look at a resort called the Phuket Yacht Club which 
was not in fact a yacht club but quite an upscale hotel.
Our next stop was at Nai Yang Bay in the north west of Phuket very close to the 
airport. We met our old pals Justin and Debra on Miss Behaving. More beach 
walking and a very interesting street market with local Thai fare.
The weather has been fine with the occasional heavy rain shower. If anything the 
weather is a little too hot and humid!
We visited Ban Than Banu the site of a Thai Navy Base up a protected river. 
There was some initial excitement as all the tourist boats came back between 
4.30 and 5.00pm. after visiting the outer islands. For them, it was extreme 
sport to speed past about five feet from us at thirty knots causing us to bounce 
about a bit.   
We visited the nearby village where there was a superb hardware store servicing 
the local fishing boats. This was a traditional village, no tourists at all and 
it was good to see after all the resorts. Dinner was at the Navy Wive's Club 
overlooking the bay and delightful it was too.
Last night, we went inshore through a sand bar into an inland waterway called Ko 
Phra Thong and anchored up next to a tiny village on stilts where they 
apparently fish for jellyfish. Why, I an not entirely sure. After a very quiet 
but hot night we left this morning for our current location at a little bay in 
the northwest corner of the Island of Phayam.
We can't get any internet here so photos to follow.
We should get to the Surin Islands in a day or two.

Yachthaven Marina, Phuket, Thailand

We have spent a pleasant and productive week at Yachthaven Marina and we are going sailing to day to go around the bottom of Phuket Island and up to the Similan Islands in the Andaman Sea. Hopefully, it will be cooler there as it has been very hot and humid in the marina.
We have replaced the rotten wood around one of the fridges with solid hardwood and our new cockpit table should be ready on our return in about 2 weeks. The carpenters were very skilled but the price was high.. We got the stuff back from the welder and they fabricated a new exhaust elbow for the genset and a roller to facilitate launching the dinghy from the stern  of the boat. All fitted well and were inexpensive.
The Volvo boys sorted the air pressure sensor problem. They were knowledgeable and their labour was reasonable but the cost of Volvo parts from the dealer can make a grown man cry.
The new AIS device that I replaced in August last year is faulty and is now in Bankok for repair or replacement under warranty and I should have it back soon. The stay sail is back up after a good repair at Rolly Tasker's enormous shop.
We had a good time wandering around Phuket with the Kilkea's and had a nice evening with Swen and Katrin on Solar Planet.
Off for a bit of cruising today, photos to follow.

Back view of the Big Buddha overlooking Phuket. He was made of white tile. Quite impressive

Ao Chalong Bay, Phuket from the Big Buddha mountain

front view of the Big Buddha

some little buddhas

wiring in Phuket town. Surprising the place doesn't burn down