Captain Scott's Log ~ Sunday, March 23, 2008

Easter Sunday
We were anchored off a tiny beach that sported 15 palms and was enclosed by high cliffs. I explored it yesterday and was sad to find that locals used it as a garbage dump. Today I proposed to leave our garbage there and met crew rebellion. So whats wrong with putting garbage in a garbage dump? I took it ashore and was met by a troop of 12 monkeys who were glad to see my deposit.

There are many faces of paradise. We are now moving south toward the Malacca Straits and Singapore. Great Easter Sunday cloudless and light breeze. We deveated to Ko Ha Vai that seemed to be islands away from everywhere and just waiting to be discovered.

I anchored in between 6 dive boats that apparently discovered this spot before me. Great great diving--lunch and a drink. Then on to Ko Rok for the night. Gill and the Nances will remember we were here in 99 and found the Sea Gypsy Phallic fertility outdoor temple. It's still here! Sea Gypsys are not Thai. They are born on their boats`and live their whole lives`at sea. Here was a San Papoon (small spirit house),
some Buddist images, and about 50 hand carved penises. There was also incense, an alter of sorts---all of this on a lovely deserted sand beach.

Yes a good Easter!

Captain Scott's Log ~ Friday, March 21st, 2008

Phi Phi Don 7 44N 98 46E. We were stuck in Chalong for 3 nights to clear
out, get laundry, repair freeezer and fuel lines, and get our cockpit
cushions back. While Jeff was earning the big bucks doing these things, I
toured the local sights.

There is a Buddha being built on the mountain top that was worth the visit. It can be seen 20 miles out at sea; 45 meters high and 25 meters in diameter at the base, and currently being covered in white marble by 3rd world methods--bamboo scaffolding, cement mixed bucket by bucket, and funded with money that keeps disappearing. Wat Chalong (Temple) was very photogenic with multi-roofed temples, dragons, lions, elephants, and golden Buddhas. Oh yes, I visited Coconuts and saw David Rucker and his MaMa San. All the girls selling "advice" said they liked older men best, (yeah right!) I got off Scott free. Jeff has said goodbye to Tip. I will
miss her. We finally got free and crossed over to Phi Phi this morning. A
truly spectacular island that reminds me of the Marquesas in the South
Pacific. It was hit hard by the Tsunami but the zillion tour boats give
testiment to its resergence. Going ashore now as the sun is setting and less
tourists.

Captain Scott's Log ~ March 16th 2008

In 2008 we will go from here to Vancouver via Langkawi, Singapore, Borneo,
Philippines, Tawian, Japan and Alaska. Aboard now is Scott Piper, Mark
Jones(Capt), Jeff ( mate & engineer) and Tip (advice giver). We have gone
north to Phangnga Bay. I was here in '99 with Gill and the Nances. With the
aid of my old log book and charts we are revisiting the best of the area. We
left the southern tip of Phuket at dawn and beat north into 25kts of
headwind--not fun.

By early morning we were reaching at 10 kts; the high
spires of the islands filling the horizon ahead. These are limestone
monuments that rise 1000 ft or more, often perfect phallic replicas. At Ko
Phrank we sailed under the 385 meter high cliffs and noted a cave entrance
that I had not found in '99. By dingy we entered the cave and soon all
outside light was gone. Canoes from a tour boat paddled by us. Their
flashlights showed us the way as well as the bat colony overhead. We finally
saw sun light from an exit 100 meters ahead. This exit gave us only a few
inches of clearance so we layed on the floor of the dingy as we entered into
an open-top sea chamber, a lagoon surrounded by 1000 ft cliffs of vines and
ferns. A true lost world. Our exploration was short as the tide was rising
and the exit was getting smaller by the minute. Back on the boat we anchored
here for the night. Eagles screamed and wealed in the heights at sunset and
dawn. Truly a great start to our trip back to America.

Jeff's Log ~ Sunday, March 16, 2008 8 11.470N 98 29.197E Panach Bay, Thailand.

This morning, we loaded the dink onto Pipe Dream and left Naihearn Beach. We had to use the engine until we were well east of Phuket Harbor. Then we turned more north and set the sails. I had almost forgotten how good that feels on this boat. Pipe Dream performed beautifully and sailed very fast. We are now anchored in the lee of Ko Pranark which is a limestone island that is 345meters tall. There are caves and passages through caves into very lush jungle type areas where the center of the island has collapsed. I took the dingy into one of those, but I was a little late and the tide was rising quickly. I made it through the cave, and had to push down to get into the center area. There was another small arch of limestone before I got into the real lush area, but I could not take the chance of getting stuck inside, so I stopped and turned around, and went back out the way I came. There were bats in the darkest area of the cave. It was pitch black, and with a light you could see them. They were chattering and some were flying about, and you could definitely smell them.

It is nice having Scott back on board and be sailing again. The girl from Coconut bar that has been cleaning the inside can also cook quite well, and Mark and I thought that a home cooked Thai dinner would be kind of cool for Scott to arrive to. He enjoyed her cooking so much that he asked her to accompany us while we are still in Thai waters to cook and clean. Tip is thrilled to be along, and never stops smiling. She will not sit down to eat with us though. She says “I am working” and never stops until the last crumb is cleaned from everything, dishes, table, stove, and floor. She feeds all of the natural food waste to the crabs, and even makes sure that everything is cut into fish bite size pieces. We are all enjoying the home cooking, and she makes enough to feed a small army. Tonight, I convinced her that soup and two entrees was plenty, and not to make the third. She was happy about being finished early, and went outside to talk on the phone. Thai people are usually happy, as I am sure Clara can attest to.

Scott is very happy with the boat it seems, and has let a few compliments slip out. He is not happy with the paperwork, but it is what it is. Paperwork and I just don’t quite see eye to eye. He hasn’t fired me yet, so I guess it is not that bad.

The scenery here is breathtaking. There are thousands of islands rising from the sea as far as the eye can see. Most are on the small side, but very tall with sheer limestone faces and stalagmites near the water When the sun was setting, the cliffs became very colorful. We saw three eagles soaring above the island as the sun was setting, and we could hear their cries. That was quite cool. After the moon came up, things became very surreal, and I really did thank God that I am able to be here and see this.

Jeff's Log ~ Friday, March 13, 2008 Back at Naihearn Beach. YEAAAA!

We are free again. Yesterday we left boat lagoon on the high tide and motored back to Naihearn. Keith and his girlfriend Yung came along with Mark and I, just in case there was some breeze to sail on. Unfortunately, when there was breeze, it was right on the nose. We arrived at the anchorage at about 4:30 and set the hook with no trouble. I went for a massage because my hamstrings were so tight they were pulling my back out of whack. I guess that all of the week’s stress ended up there. Big Tip the masseuse worked on just my legs for over an hour before she finally got things untied. I sure did feel much better after that.

Jo, an Australian girl who manages a detail co. took the floor boards for varnish on Saturday afternoon and brought them back finished before we left on Thursday. She kept apologizing for a poor job, but with only a very short time to deal with, I think that they look remarkable. They certainly are shiny and smooth. I did not give them enough time to make them perfect, as the decision to do them was made when the salon air conditioner broke. The gloss on them brightens up the inside of Pipe Dream very nicely.

Little Tip will be cleaning the inside again today to be sure everything is ready for Scott’s arrival at 3:00 on Saturday. Rick put the new stronger snaps on the dodger, and took one of the side curtains to finish repairs. We fit the new cockpit cushions, and he also took them back to his shop for some minor alterations. I gave the cushions a trial sit, and they are very comfortable. Mark finished the stanchions and reinstalled the life-lines. The surveyor e-mailed the boat’s survey to me, and there are just a few items that need to be addressed. I was very happy with that, as she is 13 years old. They did give my performance as a captain-engineer good marks, and that makes all of the hard work worthwhile. Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy too.

On Tuesday, I flew to Bangkok to pick up my new passport. This time I flew into the new airport. The place is huge, and quite a piece of architecture. I was lucky, and got a taxi driver that spoke some English. He took me right to the proper entrance, and assisted me with quick access so I did not have to wait in a very long line. He waited for me and I took him to lunch. We went to a gourmet Thai restaurant in the business district. The owner of the restaurant used to cook for the King, so you can just imagine how good the food was. I know I talk about food a lot, but I like to eat, and appreciate good food. The menu had no English, and I asked him to order his three favorites so we could share. We had some slightly spicy fried prawns that he ate shell and all. I just ate a small piece of the shell for the flavor. I am not quite hardy enough to eat the whole thing. They were great though. We also had large chunks of fish that was lightly seared, and then cooked wrapped up in some kind of leaves and baked in the oven. My mouth still waters thinking about that dish! We also had a spicy Tom Yam which is a seafood soup. After all of that, I just could not leave without having dessert. He chose again, and it was very pretty when it got to the table. There was a large ball of shaved ice surrounded by creamy white coconut milk with chunks of fresh coconut, watermelon and mango. Time was running short, so we removed most of the ice, and I thoroughly enjoyed it without the ice.

It was then time to return to the airport and come back to the boat. The spinach pie lunch on the airplane was rather anticlimactic after the lunch I had. I got back to the boat, and we cleaned the bilges and called it quits for the day.

Jeff's Log ~ Sunday, March 9,2008

Still on the t-head of A dock.

Pipe Dream reminded me that she is still a boat. Things were progressing very nicely, and it was looking like a Monday departure, when the main salon air conditioner decided to send smoke signals. It turned out to be a previous wiring repair that went up in smoke, but the whole port side of the interior had to come apart to get the unit out so that repairs can be done. The a.c. company did not return on Saturday, so I figured that as long as the boat was torn up again, I would really tear it up good. I sent all of the salon floor boards out to get varnished. I thought I would be able to do them, but survey items and the air conditioning will take the remainder of time available.

Mark arrived from Miami last night, and his luggage arrived a few hours later. That was actually all right as it turned out, as we had a nice dinner at a Thai restaurant not fart from the airport. I don’t know what a couple of the dishes were called. I just pointed at pictures, because the menu had no English. The food was really good, and the main course was prawns served on some kale with a sweet sauce. The prawns were the size of my fist and perfectly cooked. I had avoided prawns until now, because they are fresh water creatures. These were farm raised though, and just as white as snow, and delicious.

After returning to the airport, we went to the boat and had to clear a bunk for Mark. We decided that the big front cabin would be easier to clear, so that’s what we did. If anyone saw this boat now, they would never believe that we are sailing in a week. It will be done though, I live for this kind of stress. Tearing a boat up and getting it fixed and back together on a time crunched schedule is exciting, and when done, there is a good feeling of accomplishment. Every now and then, though, things do not happen correctly, and then it bites me in the ass, but that is boating.

Today is my little sister Linda’s birthday. Happy birthday Lil Sister, and many many more!
`The stabilizing clamp that I designed for the backstay radar mount is completed, and made of stainless steel. Nop’s men did a good job on it and polished it so that it looks like chrome. I broke two of the clamping bolts in the trial fit because I did not lube the stainless threads, and they galled when I went to disassemble. Tomorrow I will get some new ones and acorn nuts to make it look nice.

Scott also authorized new LED running lights for the bow. I bought the best I could find. They are called Lopo Lights. They are made in Denmark and waterproof to 50 meters. The bow is under water a lot, but we will have to sink in order to exceed that. Tip the girl from the Coconut bar is returning today to help clean up some more, and polish the stainless once more before we go. She is a very hard worker, and takes extreme pride in her job. If she sees me cleaning anything, she stops me and says “my job”. That certainly makes my job a lot easier.

The cockpit cushions arrived just as I was leaving to meet Mark, and I have not unwrapped them. I specified two inch dense foam, placed in a flexible, sealed pvc envelope with the necessary venting, and grey sunbrella fabric covers. The old cushions were only 1 inch, and not water resistant at all. Whenever it rained, the cushions stayed wet for a day or two. I will unwrap them today to check the fit and make sure that they snap in place. Then I will wrap them back up again until the rest of the work is completed.

Rick is scheduled to be here this afternoon to complete the dodger and change the snaps to push dot snaps which hold more securely than the conventional snaps. Right now, I am trying to stay quiet so Mark can get his much needed sleep. I think I’ll go have a nice Sunday morning breakfast at the bakery.

Jeff's Log ~ Tuesday, March 4, 2008 Boat Lagoon Marina, slip #A2

I have a little catching up to do. I wrote a page and sent it, but the green little Martians intercepted it and will not release it. The boat is now on the t-head on A dock, where I will stay until we leave on the ninth for Nihearn again. I hired one of the girls from Coconut Bar to come and clean the inside of the boat. If I did that, the rest of my projects will go uncompleted. She is doing a better job than most detailing companies ever thought of, and the interior is looking great. I removed the bent lifeline stanchions and the top section of the steering pedestal for repairs. Nop is going to cut the bent bottoms off of the stanchions and will weld a new straight piece on.

The surveyor came and did the rigging inspection and the machinery, and added a few things to my list to be done. Just what I needed! Actually, I was happy to have a new set of eyes look things over, because I am not perfect, and sometimes, little things go unnoticed or ignored for a while. I would rather fix a small problem now, than have it become a disaster in the middle of the ocean. I completed drawing plans for the clamp that is needed to stabilize the backstay radar mount. I took them to Nop, the stainless guy, and discussed with his engineer. Language is a problem again, and it may take a couple more meetings before the desired results are made clear. I must say that the drawings did turn out nicely. I drew them at true size, so if need be I can cut them apart and have the separate pieces made and welded together. Hopefully, I will get the problem solved tomorrow when Nop and I meet.

I spoke with my good friend Jimmy on the phone, and he is healing nicely. The cast has been removed from his arm, and the doctor is going to release him in another three weeks for his internal injuries. His mood is very good, and he sounds well.

It rained a lot for a few days, and the whole marina just blew up in flowers. The bougainvilleas are incredible, as well as all of the hedges with red and white flowers. The white ones smell like Jasmine, and I love walking through and just taking nice deep breaths of the sweet scents. Tonight, I made the first box of Macaroni and cheese and enjoyed it immensely. It may sound crazy, but that is the one food item that I really get cravings for. Camille and Leslie picked out some nice cracker snacks for me and sent them with Clara along with a book that I’m sure I’ll enjoy. When I get home, I’ll have to give Camille a big hug and buy her a drink and send a hug home with her for Leslie.

The weather here just keeps getting warmer. I put up the new shade awning, and rigged the remains of the old one to cover the salon area. I then took the side curtains which are 70% shade, and put the two of them together to shade the sunny side as much as possible. It turned out ok, and only looks slightly like the Beverly Hillbillies. The air conditioning pumps do not like 50 cycle electricity, and keep dropping out due to heat build up. I have a new pump, but don’t want to sacrifice the time to change it out now. Maybe in a couple of days. The ac does work fine on the generator that is 60 cycles. I don’t want to burn fuel to stay cool at this point, unless it really becomes necessary.