Yesterday the day started nice and early with the dingy repair guys coming and telling me that it’s made of Hypalon which is a material that can be repaired. They brought a loner dingy with them, and the boys and I proceeded to switch over the engine and fuel tank. I then went with them to fill out repair order and talk things over with Hans. We agreed on what repairs were necessary, and by that time, the morning was gone. I got a bite to eat, and then tried to get the paperwork needed for my visa at yet another bank. I still do not have what immigration wants, so I went to Rucker’s bungalow and told him of my woes. He gave me his marina’s telephone number, and I called there. The girl there said she could help, but I have to come in person. That will be today’s mission.
In the mean time, the loaner dingy is even harder to pull through the sand, so I decided that I would tie it to the swim area buoy line, and wade out to it on my return, when the tide would be up. Well, here comes another hard earned lesson. When the tide comes in here, it is somewhat captured because of the shape of the bay, so right at the shore line, big rolling waves are generated. The fuel tank does not have a tie down in the loaner, so in the waves, it was free to fly around, and it did. When I came back, the fuel tank was floating upside down attached to the boat with only the fuel line. I didn’t run the engine because I don’t really need salt water getting in the carburetor, so I paddled the dingy back to the boat Indian style, because there are no oar locks on this boat. Thank God that we had put the oars in when we transferred dinghies.
Monday, December 17, 2007
Jeff's Log ~ Monday, December 12th, 2007
After resting and recovering from the hard race on Saturday, it’s time to get to work again. Today is a holiday here, so banks and government offices are closed. I went to the dingy repair shop and met with the owner, and he is sending a man to look at the poor dink tomorrow morning. The regatta was fun. We were anchored right next to a boat named “Yo Mo”. At the fire plug, we have No- Mow. I’ll send a picture of her. I’ll try to remember to take pictures of some of the yards for you Mike.
Most people don’t have yards fixed up. The wealthier people do, the working people may not even have a yard. Some of the living areas border right on the street with barely enough room to park a car. Some people put up a corrugated steel shack and pay no rent, and have whatever happens to be there for landscaping. This is a relatively poor area. The minimum wage was just increased to 193baht per day. That is about six bucks! The length of the day is not specified either. Some workers put in twelve hour days for that. Very often, there are families of five or six living in one room with a hot plate. A lot of the cooking gets done outdoors under make shift canopies to keep the rain off of the fire. The dirt seems to be a reddish color, but not really clay-like, it seems a little looser in consistency. The sand on the beaches is very fine and smooth and covers everything that it contacts. I remove about a pound of it every day from the dingy when I bail it in the morning. Later this week, I will go back to pulling it out of the water at night again, and then a lot of that will drain when I pull the plug.
Most people don’t have yards fixed up. The wealthier people do, the working people may not even have a yard. Some of the living areas border right on the street with barely enough room to park a car. Some people put up a corrugated steel shack and pay no rent, and have whatever happens to be there for landscaping. This is a relatively poor area. The minimum wage was just increased to 193baht per day. That is about six bucks! The length of the day is not specified either. Some workers put in twelve hour days for that. Very often, there are families of five or six living in one room with a hot plate. A lot of the cooking gets done outdoors under make shift canopies to keep the rain off of the fire. The dirt seems to be a reddish color, but not really clay-like, it seems a little looser in consistency. The sand on the beaches is very fine and smooth and covers everything that it contacts. I remove about a pound of it every day from the dingy when I bail it in the morning. Later this week, I will go back to pulling it out of the water at night again, and then a lot of that will drain when I pull the plug.
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Jeff's Log~ Saturday, December 8th, 2007
Naihan Beach, Thailand, 7 46.515N 98 18.160E
Pipe Dream is in her new home, at Naihan Beach. Chalong Bay just got too rough with the north east winds, and I could not sleep at night with all of the rolling that was going on. We’ve only been here the better part of today, but what a difference.
The King’s Cup Regatta ended today with the last race being a buoy course. It was windward-leeward three times around. This is really the kind of racing that Pipe Dream was designed for and she showed her stuff. There were times when we had more than 20kn of true wind, and we maintained course and speed with a very minimum crew. Today Dave really did a good job on the starting line. We were right on the line going full speed when the gun sounded, and it sure was nice to see the rest of the fleet below us and going a lot slower than we were. The wind kept building throughout the race, and on the third windward leg, Dave did a great job of feathering the boat up to keep her going the right direction.
It’s really quite funny how one good performance can make one forget the past foul-ups . It was nice finishing such a prestigious regatta on an upbeat note. At the after race party, I met people from all over the world, and they all knew the J-boat from the US. Some even commented about the US flag which we flew every day until just before the start. Yacht racing rules technically deny the flying during racing.
We finished in fourth place for the day, but eighth or ninth for the regatta. Not too bad considering we had no racing sails, and a very minimum crew. All in all, it was a very good experience, and definitely something that I would like to do again.
Next week, I begin the necessary repairs on Pipe Dream. She is a good boat, and responds very well to the care that I give her, so I am confident that all will go well. The biggest job is the oil leak from the front seal of the generator, and I actually am looking forward to repairing that. December 6 was my Brother Paul’s birthday, so a belated happy happy to him
Pipe Dream is in her new home, at Naihan Beach. Chalong Bay just got too rough with the north east winds, and I could not sleep at night with all of the rolling that was going on. We’ve only been here the better part of today, but what a difference.
The King’s Cup Regatta ended today with the last race being a buoy course. It was windward-leeward three times around. This is really the kind of racing that Pipe Dream was designed for and she showed her stuff. There were times when we had more than 20kn of true wind, and we maintained course and speed with a very minimum crew. Today Dave really did a good job on the starting line. We were right on the line going full speed when the gun sounded, and it sure was nice to see the rest of the fleet below us and going a lot slower than we were. The wind kept building throughout the race, and on the third windward leg, Dave did a great job of feathering the boat up to keep her going the right direction.
It’s really quite funny how one good performance can make one forget the past foul-ups . It was nice finishing such a prestigious regatta on an upbeat note. At the after race party, I met people from all over the world, and they all knew the J-boat from the US. Some even commented about the US flag which we flew every day until just before the start. Yacht racing rules technically deny the flying during racing.
We finished in fourth place for the day, but eighth or ninth for the regatta. Not too bad considering we had no racing sails, and a very minimum crew. All in all, it was a very good experience, and definitely something that I would like to do again.
Next week, I begin the necessary repairs on Pipe Dream. She is a good boat, and responds very well to the care that I give her, so I am confident that all will go well. The biggest job is the oil leak from the front seal of the generator, and I actually am looking forward to repairing that. December 6 was my Brother Paul’s birthday, so a belated happy happy to him
Jeff's Log~ Thursday, December 6th 2007
Yesterday was a better day on the race course. We were only about 45 seconds late for the start, but had the boat moving well. When Dave wanted the jib in against the shrouds, I told him to drive the boat, and I’ll trim the jib. We ended up mid-fleet at the end of a twenty seven mile race. I’m pretty sure that we are the only boat in our class that is not using a spinnaker, and I don’t think that our rating is correct. I’m having fun racing anyway; I’ve been spoiled by all of the winning racing programs that I have been in the last few years. The weather has been nice for sailing, and the scenery that we are sailing around sure is beautiful.
Yesterday was the King’s birthday, so before the start of racing, there was a boat parade past a navy warship which had the whole crew on deck saluting as all of the race boats passed by. Dave got everybody on the crew a yellow shirt. Yellow is the official royal color. We all lined up on the side of the boat and returned the navy’s salute as we passed by. It was a pretty impressive sight.
At the party last night, the food was really good again. This time they had pizza, lasagna, sausage, and a pork loin, as well as a few of my Thai favorites. The desserts were scrumptious as usual. They even had blueberry cheesecake! I must admit that I blew my healthy diet last night, as I had several of those sweet
treats.
On Sunday night, they had the opening skipper’s meeting and a great party. After the party, the rest of the crew went to Dave Rucker’s bungalow, and I got in the dingy to return to Pipe Dream. When we had left the boat, it was in the afternoon and the sun was shining. Going back, the wind had shifted ninety degrees, and it was dark, and I had had a few glasses of wine. I wasn’t driving when we left the boat; I was chatting and looking around at all of the different sights. Well, after the party I was driving around the anchorage for an hour, and could not find the boat. The dingy started running poorly from all of the low speed running, so I decided to give up.
The Kata Beach Hotel was full, but the five star Mom’s Boathouse had a room available. At that point, if the room had been a thousand dollars, I probably would have taken it. The fellow behind the desk took pity on me and discounted the room by 350baht, so my mistake only cost me 12,000baht, around $400USD. The room was gorgeous though. The shower had one of those huge rain shower type of shower heads with a stone floor, a seat, and enough hot water to supply the navy. I think I sat in the shower relaxing for about a half an hour. The bellman had also lit a candle under a scented oil burner, so the aroma was kind of spicy and relaxing too. After my shower the doorbell rang, and another bellman brought a plate of chilled fresh fruit. I enjoyed that little snack while watching TV for the second time since leaving home. It sure was worth the price to sleep in a comfortable bed with the air conditioning turned very cold, without the motion of the ocean for a change.
In the morning, I got up and took another nice, long shower and then went to the restaurant for my free breakfast which was included with the room. They had everything imaginable out to eat. I had some smoked salmon and caviar, along with a lot of fruit, and an extra large espresso. Then I went out to the dingy, and put in the water and quickly found Pipe Dream and began preparing the boat for the day. I did not tell the other guys about losing the boat, so if any of them reads this, hopefully they’ll be gone and I won’t have to deal with the embarrassment, even though it turned into a pleasant experience, costly, but pleasant.
Yesterday was the King’s birthday, so before the start of racing, there was a boat parade past a navy warship which had the whole crew on deck saluting as all of the race boats passed by. Dave got everybody on the crew a yellow shirt. Yellow is the official royal color. We all lined up on the side of the boat and returned the navy’s salute as we passed by. It was a pretty impressive sight.
At the party last night, the food was really good again. This time they had pizza, lasagna, sausage, and a pork loin, as well as a few of my Thai favorites. The desserts were scrumptious as usual. They even had blueberry cheesecake! I must admit that I blew my healthy diet last night, as I had several of those sweet
treats.
On Sunday night, they had the opening skipper’s meeting and a great party. After the party, the rest of the crew went to Dave Rucker’s bungalow, and I got in the dingy to return to Pipe Dream. When we had left the boat, it was in the afternoon and the sun was shining. Going back, the wind had shifted ninety degrees, and it was dark, and I had had a few glasses of wine. I wasn’t driving when we left the boat; I was chatting and looking around at all of the different sights. Well, after the party I was driving around the anchorage for an hour, and could not find the boat. The dingy started running poorly from all of the low speed running, so I decided to give up.
The Kata Beach Hotel was full, but the five star Mom’s Boathouse had a room available. At that point, if the room had been a thousand dollars, I probably would have taken it. The fellow behind the desk took pity on me and discounted the room by 350baht, so my mistake only cost me 12,000baht, around $400USD. The room was gorgeous though. The shower had one of those huge rain shower type of shower heads with a stone floor, a seat, and enough hot water to supply the navy. I think I sat in the shower relaxing for about a half an hour. The bellman had also lit a candle under a scented oil burner, so the aroma was kind of spicy and relaxing too. After my shower the doorbell rang, and another bellman brought a plate of chilled fresh fruit. I enjoyed that little snack while watching TV for the second time since leaving home. It sure was worth the price to sleep in a comfortable bed with the air conditioning turned very cold, without the motion of the ocean for a change.
In the morning, I got up and took another nice, long shower and then went to the restaurant for my free breakfast which was included with the room. They had everything imaginable out to eat. I had some smoked salmon and caviar, along with a lot of fruit, and an extra large espresso. Then I went out to the dingy, and put in the water and quickly found Pipe Dream and began preparing the boat for the day. I did not tell the other guys about losing the boat, so if any of them reads this, hopefully they’ll be gone and I won’t have to deal with the embarrassment, even though it turned into a pleasant experience, costly, but pleasant.
Jeff's Log Tuesday, December 4th contiued
7 48.890N 98 17.603E , Kata Bay, Kata Beach, Thailand
We had kind of a rough day today. At the start of our race, things went sour and just kind of stayed that way. Dave is a good sailor, but sure doesn’t know how to time a start. We were in the perfect starting position, we just got there 15 seconds too early and had to bail out and come around a second time so we would not be over early. That put us in last place, and it’s pretty rough to dig out from there when the competition is as good as the boats we are sailing against. The boat was faster today than we were yesterday. Towards the end of what would have been the first race, we punched a big hole in the jib on a tack, and retired from racing for the day so that the sail could be repaired. Oh well, tomorrow we’ll give ‘er hell again.
The after race parties are really fine affairs with lots of food, wine and beer. There’s a stage show every night with a band and singers. Tonight, I’m skipping the party to rest, as I had a hard day working the jib winch and loading the sail in the dink. After the rest of the crew left, I was left with a trashed boat inside and out, so I had to do a lot of scrubbing. Going to the party is a lot of work too, because I have to beach the dink, and pull it all the way up to the dry sand line. Then after the party, I have to drag it through the sand again and launch it, making sure that I push it to deep enough water to run the engine safely. I just don’t feel like working that hard tonight, or getting wet and full of sand. Tomorrow is the big party. It’s His Majesty the King’s birthday, and a special party is planned for that. I don’t want to miss that one. I guess I’ll have to carry my clothes in and change on the beach, because it’s long pants and collared shirt night.
We had kind of a rough day today. At the start of our race, things went sour and just kind of stayed that way. Dave is a good sailor, but sure doesn’t know how to time a start. We were in the perfect starting position, we just got there 15 seconds too early and had to bail out and come around a second time so we would not be over early. That put us in last place, and it’s pretty rough to dig out from there when the competition is as good as the boats we are sailing against. The boat was faster today than we were yesterday. Towards the end of what would have been the first race, we punched a big hole in the jib on a tack, and retired from racing for the day so that the sail could be repaired. Oh well, tomorrow we’ll give ‘er hell again.
The after race parties are really fine affairs with lots of food, wine and beer. There’s a stage show every night with a band and singers. Tonight, I’m skipping the party to rest, as I had a hard day working the jib winch and loading the sail in the dink. After the rest of the crew left, I was left with a trashed boat inside and out, so I had to do a lot of scrubbing. Going to the party is a lot of work too, because I have to beach the dink, and pull it all the way up to the dry sand line. Then after the party, I have to drag it through the sand again and launch it, making sure that I push it to deep enough water to run the engine safely. I just don’t feel like working that hard tonight, or getting wet and full of sand. Tomorrow is the big party. It’s His Majesty the King’s birthday, and a special party is planned for that. I don’t want to miss that one. I guess I’ll have to carry my clothes in and change on the beach, because it’s long pants and collared shirt night.
Tuesday, 12/4/07, Kata Bay, Thailand
Sunday, we moved Pipe Dream over to Kata Beach for the King’s Cup Regatta. Yesterday, we sailed the first race which was a cruising race from just off Kata beach, around the corner, and between two islands, around the safe water buoy for Ao Chalong, and back to the finish. The race distance was said to be thirty-one miles, as the crow flies. During the race, we broke a jib sheet, and lost a crewman overboard, who was recovered without any drastic maneuvers.
He had been out at the end of the whisker pole repairing a tangle. After completing what was necessary, he started correcting another minor issue that could have waited until the pole was back on deck, when his arms got tired, and…. SPLASH! He did catch a line, however and managed to hang on until I got a good hold of his wrist and dragged him up onto the transom platform and helped him back into the boat. There was a press boat right next to us during the swim and recovery, so maybe some pictures will show up in magazines or something. I must say that when he dropped to the water, he was ten or twelve feet in the air, and I would have to give him high marks for style. It did look really cool. He did lose his red Mount Gay hat from Key West race week though, and sailors hate when that happens.
The racing crew consists of Skipper Dave Brennan aka Grabber, his lovely wife Kendra, Cindy Suanders from Miami, who I have raced with before, Sean Brown, a yacht designer from Miami (and an excellent swimmer) Keith, who lives here in Chalong, Jerry who lives on the north end of Phuket Island, and myself.
Sunday, we moved Pipe Dream over to Kata Beach for the King’s Cup Regatta. Yesterday, we sailed the first race which was a cruising race from just off Kata beach, around the corner, and between two islands, around the safe water buoy for Ao Chalong, and back to the finish. The race distance was said to be thirty-one miles, as the crow flies. During the race, we broke a jib sheet, and lost a crewman overboard, who was recovered without any drastic maneuvers.
He had been out at the end of the whisker pole repairing a tangle. After completing what was necessary, he started correcting another minor issue that could have waited until the pole was back on deck, when his arms got tired, and…. SPLASH! He did catch a line, however and managed to hang on until I got a good hold of his wrist and dragged him up onto the transom platform and helped him back into the boat. There was a press boat right next to us during the swim and recovery, so maybe some pictures will show up in magazines or something. I must say that when he dropped to the water, he was ten or twelve feet in the air, and I would have to give him high marks for style. It did look really cool. He did lose his red Mount Gay hat from Key West race week though, and sailors hate when that happens.
The racing crew consists of Skipper Dave Brennan aka Grabber, his lovely wife Kendra, Cindy Suanders from Miami, who I have raced with before, Sean Brown, a yacht designer from Miami (and an excellent swimmer) Keith, who lives here in Chalong, Jerry who lives on the north end of Phuket Island, and myself.
Monday, December 3, 2007
The 2007 Phuket Kings Cup Regatta
The Thailand's Royal Navy are planning a spectacular sail past in honor of the King Bhumibol Adulyadej's 80th birthday at the 2007 Phuket Kings Cup regatta. King Bhumibol Adulyadej is the Patron of the annual regatta, which runs from December 1-8.
Over 1,000 sailors will take part in Phuket King's Cup Regatta and on Wednesday morning (December 5th) the record fleet of more than 100 yachts will sail past Royal Navy vessels to mark the King's birthday.
In the evening there will be a toast to the King on the Kata beach front, with everyone wearing their yellow shirts and with many holding yellow candles. The evening function will be co-coordinated, as in past years, with many similar tributes held throughout Thailand.
Over 1,000 sailors will take part in Phuket King's Cup Regatta and on Wednesday morning (December 5th) the record fleet of more than 100 yachts will sail past Royal Navy vessels to mark the King's birthday.
In the evening there will be a toast to the King on the Kata beach front, with everyone wearing their yellow shirts and with many holding yellow candles. The evening function will be co-coordinated, as in past years, with many similar tributes held throughout Thailand.
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