June 7, 2010-Boat Projects Resume Despite the Rain

wingssail images-fredrick roswold
Yacht Haven-Phuket Thailand

"April is the hottest Month".

The locals told us this frequently in Bangkok but it also applies to Phuket; it turns out.

OK, say we accept that, can you explain, please?

What about July and August?

It's all about the rain.

You see, by April the NE monsoon has stopped and the with it the cooling breezes from Asia. It gets hot in Thailand without those breezes.

May is about the same, actually, but this fact is not mentioned by the locals.

But by June the SW Monsoon, with its rain showers, begins to assert itself.

And in advance of each rain shower the air cools down.

So June is cooler.

And the rain continues until October, or so.

Ergo: April is hottest (ignoring May).

Well we like the rain, and we were glad to be gone in the heat of April and May, but too much rain cramps our style when it comes to boat projects.

Like fixing some paint which got scratched while we were gone. The frequent showers (some might call them squalls, but what is 25 knots between friends?) make it tough for the painter to do his little repair job.

Even simple tasks like hooking up the new solar panels can only be completed in fits and starts as we have to retreat under the boat cover whenever a big rain shower comes.

Or are we just pansies unable to work in a little bit of rain?

Maybe.

Anyhow, with all the major work completed last year we are now left with just a few dozen minor boat projects on the list (which of course we will ALWAYS have) which must be completed before we depart to cross the Indian Ocean in August.

August! That's close!

We hope the rains give us a break.

wingssail images-fredrick roswold
More Rain Coming!

Fred & Judy, SV Wings, Phuket, Thailand