Pangkor Marina revisited

'Land was created to provide a place for boats to visit' – Brooks Atkinson

This was to be our third boatyard visit in less than 12 months! With the anti foul sheeting off from our visit in February 2016, we had no choice but to haul and anti foul again.

We have two favourite boatyards in this part of the world: PangkorMarina in Malaysia is ideal for quick stops, like our prop shaft job or anti fouling. The sea-lift makes the haul easy and the marina has pretty much all tide access. For major work we prefer PSS Shipyard in Thailand, where most manufacturing is done on site and the different specialised workers are all in the yard.

Pangkor even has a plane using the ramp

We hauled on the 1^st February with a definite 2 week limit for the bottom paint but while we were going to get some additional work completed, the contractors never bothered showing up.  Ah well, let’s paint the deck ourselves.

Entering the hard stand

Painting the decks...again...

We arrived in time for Chinese New Year so of course Tientos had to be decorated even though we were not aboard.

Tientos decorated for Chinese New Year 

Keith fitted the new Raymarine Firefly-4 depth sounder and installed the new transducer. The anodes were replaced and the prop shaft aligned and the anti foul completed with Jotun Seaforce 90 (red). The barrier coat was Vinyguard 88.

Barrier coat completed

Keith always on the ball with PPE

The anti foul is finished!

The transducer was faired to the hull

We had ordered a new sail cover from Zoom Sails arranging to have it sent to Pangkor. We had also arranged for a new raw water pump from Parts4Engines in the UK to be delivered. Pangkor is exceptionally easy to have parts delivered.

Accommodation was arranged by the Marina office at the Marina Island Pangkor Resort opposite the yard.  With air conditioning, kitchen and a washing machine, it made life easier being off the boat. The yacht cats however, were a different story! We could not take them into the Resort so life on board continued for them and they were not happy cats. Another plus for PSS as the cats join us in the flat. Our view looked back over the Island area and a light show was on for the holiday season.

View from our room at night

Pangkor is surrounded by small towns, large malls and virtually everything is accessible here.  We hired a car in Lumut for about AUD10 a day which made getting around, and visiting great restaurants, a breeze. My Australian passport was expiring this year so we took a drive to Kuala Lumpur to renew at the Australian High Commission. This was two easy day trips with parking next door and opposite the Twin Towers.

The Twin Towers are opposite the Australian High Commission

Both Keith and I did took the opportunity to do our Medicals at Pantai Hospital…less than the cost of a normal Doctor visit in Australia with highly qualified staff in a brand new fully equipped hospital.  I also arranged a new set of glasses at a local optometrist…Armani at a fraction of the cost at home.

Even the hospital celebrated Chinese New Year

Boat work and our own missions completed we were happy to leave the Marina on the 28^th February to spend a few days at our own private beach at Teluk Siapu on Pangkor Island.

Tientos back in the water

Quiet relaxation time

May all your bars be wooden and well-stocked!

2018 and The Blog continues

"The secret to a rich life is to have more beginnings then endings"– Dave Weinbaum

2018 started with our return journey from Thailand back to Malaysia. 
It also meant the recovery of the Blog finally so time to update quite a few happenings.

New Year’s Eve was marked with the usual stunning sunset and, as midnight is way beyond us, early champagne.

The sunsets never fail to amaze

Champagne in stunning locations

A friend had given us the coordinates for the ‘island with no name’ so that was to be our last beach side stop in Thailand. We all thoroughly enjoyed the layover, food and scenery. (…I give you the location)

Sinh always enjoys the views

The secret location

Beachside bar and restaurant

Easy access for the dinghy

Beachside relaxation

Timmy always wants his cuddles

At our anchorage at Bidan, enroute back to Langkawi, we answered a knock on the hull totally surprised! A group of young people were on their way camping through Thailand in a dinghy. I suppose that is one way of doing it but we will stick to the creature comforts of Tientos.

This is how these guys are seeing Thailand

Our trusty Navman Chart Plotter, installed in 2004, was recently being hard to navigate (pardon the pun) and we knew it was on a one-way street to failure, as was our Navman Fish Finder.  This trip was to be its final gasp but the Raymarine Radar/Plotter we installed in 2012 is continuing on now as the primary plotter. 

It lasted well for 14 years through 6 countries

Back in Langkawi, we needed to arrange a Vet for the boys’ annual vaccinations. Getting three cats to a vet is a logistical nightmare, but luckily Dr Kas from 
Schrödinger Veterinary Clinic (yep,named after the paradox) is happy to come aboard at anchor. Keith collected her from the Clinic, and we enjoyed dinner after the cats were finished their terror moment. 

Dr Kas and the needles

We also purchased, from Asiatic Marine, a new Raymarine Dragonfly Fish Finder to replace the dying sounder and lo and behold, it also comes with a plotter!  I love multi-tasking devices!

The shopping completed in Langkawi we headed to Crystal Beach for some relaxation time before heading to Pangkor Marina for yet another haul out.

Crystal Beach has always been one of our favourite anchorages

The 4 day trip to Pangkor from Langkawi was its normal boring voyage without surprises and it was, with some relief, we anchored opposite the Marina beside this beautiful Mosque.

We berthed in the Marina just in time for Australia Day and of course, the obligatory lamb at our favourite German Kitchen & Bar. 

Dressed for Australia Day

Roast Lamb 

May all your bars be wooden and well-stocked!

Thailand revisited

"Year's end, all corners of this floating world, swept" Matsuo Basho

The last two months have seen us end the year back in Thailand where we started in January and, of course, at the same bar.

Our normal Chang beer and a Margarita

One of our favourite anchorages is Patwa and of course the famous Beach Bar.  It is also a favourite yachtie hang out to watch the sunsets over a cold libation. 

The evening sunsets are spectacular

Mr Pi and his doppelganger

Another yachties hang out

From this anchorage we can clear in/out, shop and do all the touristy stuff without having to endure Ao Chalong and all the fast boats!

We finally got to see the Big Buddha!

Tientos is down there somewhere

It was time for visiting old haunts and finding new anchorages and we actually managed to have a sail occasionally. Remembering our previous visits from 2006 the quality of both the water and the coral has deteriorated and the tourist numbers seem overwhelming. 

Swimming is now all limited by nets 

The boat food is still just as good 

Hey we actually managed a sail or two

The Chicken Islands where we pay to go ashore

There were strong NE winds which made the West Coast a little uncomfortable before the change of the Monsoon so we didn’t get to see this area…oh well next time. Having said that, we are quite over this area with hoon boats, dirty water, and tourists,so it may be time for a sea change and head east.  However yachtie plans are always written in the sand at high tide...
We did see the tail end of the King’s Cup at Kata Noi and some yachts like very big courtesy flags!

Now that is a courtesy flag!

Forget the endless days of sunshine, palm trees and cocktails….on a boat, there is continually maintenance in exotic locations and Keith managed to paint another section of the navigation area.  Sadly it also looks like our 3rd haul out in 12 months coming up as the anti-foul we used in February is sheeting off. 

Part of the navigation area painted...slowly getting there

Always checking the terminals and leads

The yacht cats still enjoy their cruising life afloat with ever-changing views and undivided attention. Sinh of course is always supervising something.

Sinh supervising the sail set

Bennett is always more interested in cuddles

With Xmas coming, the freezer was stocked, the tree put up and we headed for a quiet anchorage to enjoy.

The tree is up...more for the catz pleasure we think 

May all your bars be wooden and well-stocked!

The preparation continues...

'Life begins at retirement' - Author Unknown

On the countdown to the last days of our working life, the myriad of jobs required to prepare Tientos seems to rise exponentially.
The gas guy came aboard and confirmed our system all good and fixed a little problem; I was having problems with stir fries and not enough heat. Apparently the regulator needed a little adjustment.  
The propeller was sent off for testing and returned all calibrated and shiny.

Propeller all balanced

All of the standing rigging, 3 stainless steel forestays, 2 backstays, 4 cap stays, 4 shrouds, was replaced. Nobles manufactured the galvanised rigging and Keith was a busy bee up and down the mast. The turnbuckles and shackles were also replaced.

Keith replacing rigging

Old and new

Whilst he was hanging around up there, he discovered the spreader lights were full of water; new sealed units replaced these and a new block for the main halyard was installed. 

Old spreader lights a little wet

No water coming in on these beauties

The porthole in the forward cabin was a fixed plastic job and needed to be replaced. After bashing it out, a nice new opening porthole is now in place.

The old fixed porthole

Looking messy

Like new

Can't tell the difference

I designed 'passports' for the catz and had them printed; they are now ready to leave the country after their Rabies shots which are scheduled for May. Because Timmy was Mum's rescue cat, we had to make up a birthday, so based on his 'years' calculated by the vet, we gave him Sinh and Bennett's birthday; cakes all on the same day!

Cat Passport (three of them)

The greatest news for our preparation is we will now have a water maker! Our friends Grant and Mary Forbes saw our wish list on the last blog and offered (at a fantastic price) the one they had purchased for their boat 'Endurance of the South'. They never used this as they went on to buy El Gato, a cat the size of a third world nation, which has its own water maker. Many thanks guys and look forward to seeing you up north!
More jobs still to do but hopefully leaving the Marina in the next week or two and haul out planned for the 6th June. Lea will be in Bali for the three weeks the yard nightmare occurs.
Congratulations to Geoff Birch from Miranda I who is taking over from Keith as Lockmaster.

May all your bars be wooden and well-stocked!