We spent six years in Asia and it kind of crept up on us; once it was strange and exotic, next it was familiar and comfortable; our home.
Manila, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, and Bangkok and Phuket,Thailand; how we miss those places where we sailed and traveled so often. How we miss the friends we made there, the places there where we used to eat, the stores there where we used to shop. Asia was like an old coat that you wanted to keep wearing forever.
It doesn’t seem real that it is as far away as it is. It seems like just yesterday that we were there and that we could easily return to those old haunts if we wanted to. It seems like the eighteen day passage across the Indian Ocean wasn’t real, just a dream. The ocean crossing is compressed in my mind into just an instant, a single image of huge waves and the white wake of our boat stretching out behind us across vast, open, ocean. It does not seem like the three week passage from one world to another which it actually was.
But then we realize that Asia really is an ocean away. We really came a long distance in those eighteen days and it might as well be to another planet. We are not in Asia any more.
We are in Africa.
Because, just as the Philippines was our first taste of Asia, Mauritius is our first touch of Africa and we now will look forward, not back.
Forward to another new world; one that already seems strange and, if not exotic, is certainly different.
But it is our future. Asia is our past.
Today is the first day of a new year and as I tear off the last page of my Chinese calendar I realize that just as there are no more pages on my Chinese calendar, there is no more Asia for us.
The next time we untie the dock lines in Thailand we won't be coming back.
We've now got two weeks until we leave Thailand to begin our voyage to Africa.
It's time for some sea trials.
Not that we have a lot of new systems to test out or that Wings is unproven, it's just that we know better than to depart for Africa after sitting at the dock for several months.
Shit happens.
So to see what might go wrong we went out for a short sea trial.
A "Mini Sea Trial".
Just a little trip to Phang Nga Bay, do a little sailing, do a little motoring, test everything, fix what is broken, then come home feeling a little more prepared for the big departure.
It went well. Oh, we had a few bugs, and fixed them all, but mostly it was an uneventful trip.
That's the way we like it.
Now we are back at the dock in Yacht Haven and counting down to the big cast off.
Back from the cold of the Pacific North West of Washington State.
Back from the sunny but cool south of the USA.
Back from Iowa.
Back from Golden California Sunshine.
Back from bustling Hong Kong.
Back to steamy Thailand and back aboard Wings.
And, most of all, again separated from all of our loved ones and friends back home. We loved the times we had with you all, and we will miss you. Again, apologies to those friends we could not visit.
You can click on the archives for April 2010 and May 2010 (on the right side of this page) to go to the stories and photos from the whole trip.
Now we have work to do: we brought a load of parts (some of it pictured below) which need to be installed or packed away, and we have preparations to make for our next ocean voyage.
It started out small but by 6:30 you could surf on it; long, dark, rollers sweeping in from the North. We had no idea where they came from (other than the north) since the wind was from the east but they were here, they were big, and it was the last straw for the anchorage we were in on the north end of Koh Yao Yai.
Damn! We had to move, no question about that.
It was disappointing. Earlier in the day, while sailing past, we’d scoped out this place and in a settled easterly wind it was a gorgeous: 20 feet of clear water, complete protection from the East and a nice white sand beach to look at while sipping our 5:00 glass of white wine. We came back and anchored that afternoon with high expectations.
We didn’t ask for too much: Just give us the predicted easterly wind, the wind we had all day, the wind in the forecast, some flat water, and let this place be as nice in the night as it was when we saw it in the daytime.
Nature laughs at us.
First there was the tide against the wind. We had the easterly wind alright, and some northerly, and also some southerly, but no matter which way the wind blew we faced south into the flood tide. Bummer! When the boat does not swing to the wind direction the motion is not comfortable and the ventilation below doesn’t work. But we can live with it.
Then the squalls came. First out of the south, then the west, finally the north. Rain, wind, waves. Ugly! But squalls blow over, we can wait these out.
But when the swell arrived…We’re moving, NOW!
Not much light at 6:30 PM but we decided to go to Ao Labu, a big bay to the south of us about 5 miles which we rejected earlier because it was shallow and you couldn’t get in very far, plus we knew the easterly winds would fairly whistle through the bay due to the low isthmus on its east side. We knew all this; we’d been there before.
And what choice did we have? We couldn't stay where we were and on this part of Phang Nga Bay there are damn few anchorages and none which are very good. Ao Labu it is. Besides, we knew the place and we felt we could go in after dark. Night moves are sometimes required.
In the growing darkness we weighed anchor and began motoring rapidly south along the Yao Yai shoreline not taking time to set the sails or even to switch off the gas barbeque but comforted at the fact that we were taking action rather than sitting in the heaving swells all night and hating every minute of it, unable to relax for a moment; we had regained control of our own destiny. The move itself was uneventful; Wings did her job, engine running smoothly, autopilot working, navigation and steaming lights on. The distant headland guarding Ao Labu was still visible when we got underway but in the gathering gloom it soon turned into a black shape and I watched it as we drew nearer, Judy frequently ducking below to track the position and progress on the electronic chart displayed on the computer in the nav station. She gave heading changes to me which guided us down the coast and finally around the corner into Ao Labu where, thankfully, the swells were blocked and the wind was gentle and steady out of the east.
So that is how we came to anchor at Ao Labu in the pitch black night, navigating by electronic chart and the depth sounder, creeping our way in until we got to 18 feet and there were anchor lights around us. We dropped the hook. After that things got better; it was calm and we could rest the night.
Wings left Telaga Harbor, Malaysia, heading north, on Feb. 23, bound for Thailand.
A bay on Taratao Island’s West Coast was planned to be the first stop and we had good sailing on the way, beating north in a light wind with a full main and the #2 jib. We even engaged the windvane.
The weather, as it often does, changed our plans.
By mid afternoon there was a solid westerly wind blowing which turned the beat into a reach and the planned Taratao landfall had become a lee shore. It was just an afternoon sea breeze, but it seemed strong and the waves were crashing against Taratao’s beaches and rocky headlands.
We didn’t like the idea of anchoring on a wide open lee shore so we diverted to Koh Bulon which afforded some protection from the west as well as the east. There are virtually no all-weather anchorages in this part of Thailand and the bay at Bulon is too shallow for Wings; we couldn’t get very far in. We anchored as best we could under the lee of the point but the wind driven waves came around the point and it was choppy in the anchorage. We were glad to leave the next morning.
Our next day’s leg was 44 miles up to the west side of Koh Muk. The weather was calm in the morning but we arrived at Koh Muk in the afternoon under kite in another stiff north westerly wind and the anchorage was again rough. This time we decided to stick it out; Koh Muk was highly regarded by friends of ours and after all, the wind should die off by dark, right? It didn’t. Two other boats in the lumpy anchorage weighed just before dark and motored off towards the next island to the west, Koh Kradan. We stayed, as did Big A, Horst Lakit’s red C&C and it was not a peaceful night for either yacht. The wind blew until after midnight and the waves were still there in the morning. I wondered how the boats fared at Koh Kradan, which was exposed to the NW. Probably not much better.
The local weather forecasts showed more of the same: strong Westerly or Northerly winds every afternoon for several days and not much in the way of a North Easterly. We moved Wings around to the east side of Koh Muk seeking shelter from these unusual winds.
I got on the Internet and did some checking: A look at the overall Asian weather maps revealed that the Asian High, which usually gives us the cool NE winds in February, was not clearly defined in its usual position over Beijing and the flow of cool air down the China coast and across the Gulf of Siam was weak or missing. Hong Kong even has Southerlies; it’s a bit early for that.
So now we know: the NE winds in Asia have been cut off; the westerly sea breeze can flow unimpeded. The situation does not look to change much for the next week or even longer.
At the moment we are sheltered from these unwelcome winds and making the best of it; we went ashore to the resort last night and had a nice dinner and a bottle of good Chilean wine and today it is clear and bright outside, but blowing. We are protected from the west and don’t expect anything from the east. However, there are Northerlies coming and we are exposed to them, plus we need a new strategy and some new anchorages for the remaining passage back to Phuket. The SW Monsoon is not here yet but with the current weather pattern the usual West Coast anchorages are no longer advantageous.
We’ll pour over the charts and see what we can find; I’m sure we’ll figure out something.
On Thursday we were beating south in a boisterous fresh breeze with a reefed main and a small jib. Wings sailed well in the conditions and we worked the waves and held high aiming for the far side of Taratoa; the windward side.
We could have taken the more direct route to Lankawi; it is a straight line from Phetra passing to leeward of Taratoa. Instead we chose the windward path. The decision was based on the desire to see the unseen. Why does the man climb the mountain? Because it is there.
So is the far side of Taratoa.
It required one tack to clear the northeastern cape and another to break out of the island string which runs along that side of Taratoa then we sailed down the windward coast looking at surf beating on the dark shores, at deep forested hills and small patches of golden sand beaches trying to see something to validate the island’s reputation for mystery. It was a prison camp in the 30’s but the prisoners somehow took over and it became a pirate’s den in the 40’s, then the Brits came in the late 40’s and cleaned it up, they claimed, and the King made it into a national park.
What we saw as they sailed past on Thursday were mountains disappearing into the low clouds and impenetrable jungle. Hawks with rust colored wings circled overhead riding the updraft of the island’s peaks.
At 17:00 we tucked in behind one of the small offshore islands and dropped anchor. A squall blew through with pouring rain and the waves were choppy even behind the small island. Taratao was lost in the mist. It got dark.
There have been rumors of skirmishes between pirates and the park rangers, and other unexplained encounters, but the rumors are just that, rumors, and morning dawned uneventfully. After breakfast the Hawks dove on a meat scrap thrown overboard then fought over it.
Some fish jumped.
We inflated the dingy and went ashore. There was a road and a ranger station. The rangers were painting furniture. A pair of Germans cycling around the island stopped to take some photos. Otherwise nothing moved and the day was still.
A short walk in the jungle revealed little more than what we could see from the yacht. Taratao is an island which holds its secrets.
We stayed for two days and on Saturday set out for Langkawi.
Fred & Judy, SV Wings, Taratoa
PS, We've gotten some shots of this place, click here for a few. We'll post more of them as soon as we get some solid, high speed, Internet.
On Wednesday we sailed from Lanta Flats to Ko Phetra.
Never mind the flat gray day or the rain spitting from the low lying clouds all day; the wind was constant if not steady, jib pulled like a horse, the windvane steered and it’s been a long time since we had a day of good sailing like that.
We needed it. Not fast the whole day but in the gusts we hit 7 and anyhow it felt good to be heeled over. We took turns on deck watching for fish traps and minding the vane and we ducked behind the dodger to stay out of the rain while the other snoozed or read below. Easy; three watches, 35 miles, 6 hours.
Ket’s sails were perfect. The jib is going to open a whole new chapter of sailing: 6+ knots of boat speed in 7 knots of wind and it will carry the breeze up to 15 knots. The main is beautiful right out of the box. Thank You, Ket.
At 5:00 we eased into the lee of Koh Phetra and dropped the hook under another of Thailand’s tall limestone karsts.
And had a glass of wine.
A good day on SV Wings.
Fred & Judy, SV Wings, Koh Phetra, Thailand
PS, We'll post photos as soon as we get some high speed Internet
After three months of hard work we finally finished our projects, spent a week packing the boat, several hours waiting for the tide, and got underway from Phuket, Thailand on Sunday, November 15, 2009, as planned. We're back in cruising mode now. We're finished with work, every thing we own is on the boat and we're free to go where we please. And it is a great day for sailing.
However despite the great day for sailing we didn't do any; we fixed things.
After a 12:30 departure we motored the whole afternoon while we dealt with and resolved, one by one, a bunch of niggling problems, and one significant problem which still needs a resolution.
We had trouble with the charting software and found that it lost the nav input when the monitor shut down every 15 mins (to save power). We changed that setting.
We had trouble with the instruments. The buttons on our 30 year old B&G are getting downright sticky. I managed to get them all to work in the end.
I repaired a leaking dingy tube (twice). It seems to be holding now.
But the big deal was the leak which we found in the shaft log. There has been water appearing in the engine bilge for months (when we are motoring) and I thought it was the packing gland, which I've adjusted a few times. I decided that it was someting else and after sponging and drying the bilge completely I tracked down the source of the water: a leak under the fibreglass tube which brings the shaft into the boat. I suspect the tube itself is broken. This will be a difficult fix; it is hard to get to and hard to repair when wet. We might have to haul the boat out of the water. Tomorrow I will remove the rubber hose which covers most of this tube and look closely at the problem (with a dentist's mirror, since I can't get my eyes down into this spot) and maybe I can repair it with some waterproof epoxy long enough to get some fiberglass on it.
Maybe not.
Anyhow, we put the cover back on the engine, anchored at Koh Yao Yai, cooked burgers on the BBQ, and woke up this morning with Phi Phi Island beckoning from 14 miles away.
We've been packing and finishing projects for several days and we are nearly ready to depart for Malaysia. Wings sinks deeper and deeper into the water as we pack more and more of our equipment and supplies on board. Its been three years since we carried all this stuff.
We are also throwing out a lot and we've been giving away piles of unwanted items such as extra clothes, linens, useless spare parts, worthless sails; you name it. We put little piles of junk on the dock near the trash can and it disappears instantly as local boat workers decide that our unwanted items are their new treasures.
Last night, in a late night of work, we installed the new Nav screen and we've set up our system to use MaxSea with the CM93 charts we have. This will allow us to interface with the new AIS transponder which we are anticipating buying in the US next spring.
This morning we took on fuel, not a lot, it's supposed to be cheaper in Malaysia, and Friday we will check out of Thailand. Actual departure is planned for Sunday, November 15, 2009.
Wings' project is going fine even if we have had a lot of rain. (Check back later for photos.)
The primer for the new paint is 50% on (rain delay). Hull looks very fair. Rudder is back, R&R completed to spec. Windvane renewed completely, looking like a work of art; invoice was 50% of my estimate. Sails ordered, very low price and service is great; Sailmaker Ket on the boat today to validate all of my measurements. Engine to be put back together Monday, hydraulics rebuild still in progress but the report is good. Many small projects completed.
We like these projects where a dozen people are working every day while we get to sleep in and then we go down to the boatyard and do a walk around inspection, work for an hour ourselves, then go to lunch. Afternoon: a nap. How come we never thought of this approach for that last 30 years? Jing Loey!
On sunny days we go to the pool for a swim before bfst.
We went to Singapore to see Sherry, Judy's long lost niece, and our trip was great; we had a chance to catch up with Sherry after 30 years. WOW! How time flies. And also had some time with our other friends Marco and Tessa and Tara in SG and put them all together & got Sherry onto a SG mobile phone (GSM, Wot's that?), did some camera shopping (unproductive, but we did break down and buy a new Prolink cellular modem).
Work is progressing nicely on Wings these days and Judy & I are enjoying our lives in Phuket. We have lazy mornings at the apartment at Boat Lagoon and usually this includes a few laps at the 50 meter swimming pool then after breakfast we go over to the Royal Phuket Marina Boat Yard to see what Khun Oot and his boys have gotten done since yesterday. Right now they have taken all the paint off and are doing a great job filling the cracks and dents in Wings' sides prior to putting on new paint.
Today we also drove down to the engineering shop where the rudder and windvane are being repaired. We found that work to be going well there too.
Haven't heard from the hydraulics guy or the engine man but we suspect that they are doing what they said they would do and will be bringing the parts back this week for re-installation on Wings.
As for us we do a little each day ourselves. Today we fixed the deck around the rudder tube where some of the balsa core had gotten soft by inserting new hardwood core and re-glassing the deck over it and we made a short stainless steel splash board for the wall behind the galley sink. Both of these projects benefited from the supplies and materials we had in the lazerette which we have been digging through lately. It's nice to have some useful stuff but we should not have been carting around all this junk for years just to avoid a trip to the hardware store once in a decade.
Progress is so good right now that we think the work here will be done and we will be going to Malaysia in early November. Of course there are still several potential snags so we will see.
On Tuesday we drove our rented SUV, stuffed with bags, the rest of the way to Phuket.
Click here and here to see more photos of Bangkok & Surat Thani
By Thursday we had packed up Wings and set sail for the Royal Phuket Marina in Phuket Town where we had arranged a haul-out and the next morning the staff there lifted Wings out of the water.
We have a big project to finish at Royal Phuket including repainting, rudder work, engine work, hydraulics rebuild, upholstery, and other items. We expect it to take up to two months; the weather may be the biggest factor since this is the rainy season in Phuket and that will slow the painting portion of the project. We got right to work.
While this work is being done we will live nearby in an apartment at Boat Lagoon. We are set-up here to do more work in our professions but we will be very choosey about which offers we accept.
After this refit at Royal Phuket we will sail to Malaysia for further work. Stay tuned for progress updates.
Click here for more photos of our hauling out experience.
We've done some touring around the Bangkok area while we've been staying in Thailand. One weekend Andy and Nita came down from Hong Kong and we rented a little Bimmer and drove to Hua Hin. The town isn't much but we found a very nice and elegant hotel there and saw some pretty sights on the drive back when we stopped at the Khoa Wang temple. This temple on a hill-top was once one of the the homes of the King of Thailand. Even on a very hot day in July the King's house at Khao Wang was cool and breezy.
And we visited Marco & Tessa & Tara at their Hotel in Bang Tao on Phuket while we were down there to work on Wings. We had some fun in the pool and at the beach.
At 300 meters Koh Phanak casts a sizable wind shadow and our course took us to leeward of it. We stood off but still the edge of that wind shadow reached out to us and we had to keep sailing away. Despite our efforts the wind got light and Wings stood upright and we slowed. We considered dropping the sails and starting the motor but we waited, hoping for some breeze to climb over Phanak’s crest and drop down to our small boat sailing up its east coast; wishing for just enough to keep us moving.
The long tail with two men in it was converging and one of them held up something pink which could have been prawns and I motioned them over thinking they could come alongside as we sailed but their small air cooled engine couldn’t keep pace with us. I cast off the main and jib sheets and in the light breeze the sails waved gently off to leeward undulating like giant flags and without the drive of the sails Wings coasted to a stop.
They came up to our starboard side and I grabbed their short painter and tied it off forward on a stanchion then I sat down on deck to fend with my feet as they showed me their catch. The man in the blue shirt holding us off aft had a stub of cigarette hanging out the corner of his mouth and I noticed that the paper was brown and that it wasn’t lit. The skipper wore a checkered blue head scarf but I didn’t know it that meant he was a Muslim man, or just needed protection from the sun. They had a few fish and some small crabs and a few hundred grams of fresh prawns over which we bargained briefly and then I bought them all for THB 200 and I might have gotten them down but I didn’t have the stomach for grinding these poor fishermen down to their last satang. They seemed happy and anyhow it was a good price.
When they shoved off and restarted their engine I looked aloft and saw that there was a bit more breeze. I sheeted in and Wings started to move.
Now the breeze was coming around the north end of Koh Phanak in light puffs and shifts and we came up onto a close reach and started to heel over in the puffs. The next island was Koh Nok Khuan and I asked Judy which side we had to pass it on. She dropped down the main hatch to check the chart.
“Either side of this one but we need to go to weather of the next one”, she said.
Our course was taking us to leeward of them both.
I headed up and we wound in the sheets.
Now we were closed hauled and the puffs came stronger and the breeze lifted us. Judy watched to leeward and she said we might clear Koh Nok Khuan and the other island if I could just stay high. I wondered if I might have to tack. But the puffs continued lift us and some were strong enough to make us heel sharply and accelerate. I let the boat carve to weather and it felt good to be alive.
I saw the long tail off to the side and watching us. Maybe they didn’t see too many boats sailing to windward around here.
We easily cleared both islands and then the wind freed enough for me to put the autopilot on and we started to think about the anchorage we had picked out just up ahead.
An hour later we were anchored at Koh Hong and were cleaning prawns.
Just did a four day cruise in Phang Nga and the first stop was right outside the marina where we anchored so I could dive on Wings’ hull and clean the prop. With blue and yellow leather garden gloves on my hands and a sharp metal scraper on a leash, at 35-45 seconds at a time, it took me nearly an hour to clean the barnacles off the prop, shaft and strut. All the metal was covered in big barnacles, at least an inch across and an inch high. You have to expect it though; it’s been six months and the rest of the hull was clean except one patch on the keel and one on the bottom of the rudder, so that was good. And now it’s all done which will hold us until we can haul out in September.
Anyhow after an hour it was done and then the boat moved normally under power so we headed on out towards Phang Nga and set the main in a nice southwesterly.
We had a destination in mind for the first night and in meant turning left into Phang Nga Bay so the next question was which sail should we put up. Going north we might be able to use the kite, jib, or genoa but it was hard to tell while still heading east in the narrow channel. I used the Tactician program I’ve written for Wings and after plugging in the wind speed and direction, plus the expected headings on the next two legs, it predicted that we’d have about 12 knots over the deck ahead of the beam so we set the #4 jib and as we came up onto the new course it proved to be the right choice. It was the easy sail combination and we had a nice bit of sailing. It’s nice when something works out and really nice when a computer program actually proves useful while sailing.
Halfway to Koh Hong two guys came up in a long tail just as we hoped they would and we luffed the sails so they could come alongside and sell us some fresh prawns. Nice, 400 grams for THB200, about $5/lb; fair enough. Then we sheeted in and had some fun sailing in the shifts and puffs around the islands. Flat water, nice breeze, no reefs; it was great. We did a short video at one point, which I posted last week. YouTube Video taken aboard Wings sailing
It turned out that we probably could have gone all the way to James Bond Island that day but the chart showed us crossing some shallow areas and with the tide on an ebb we decided to wait until Sunday, so we anchored at Koh Hong, a beautiful favorite of ours which we first went to with Candace last year. It was 4th of July but nobody around here celebrates the colonies’ independence from England and we had nothing onboard to set off so no fireworks this 4th. It’s OK, we celebrated with cold white wine and had fresh BBQ’s prawns and pork and went to bed early.
Sunday we motored across the flats in some light rain, never saw less than 20 feet so we could have done it on Saturday, waited out one squall, and anchored near James Bond Island surrounded by stunning scenery. If not for the abysmally flat light we could have gotten some nice photos. As it was the shots were only fair, but I’ve posted a bunch anyhow.
Click here and here to go to the photos (same as linked in the previous posting.)
We read and took naps and relaxed. We didn’t even put the dingy together, and motored home on Tuesday; it was one of the best trips we’ve had on Wings in a long time.
We were sailing yesterday and now are anchored near James bond Island in Phang Nga Bay and we've just been posting some photos of yesterday's sail on the wingssail images site from our anchorage.
We'll post a story about this trip soon. Meanwhile you can click here for some photos and here for some more photos.
Our YouTube Video of Wings sailing in Phang Nga Bay:
In May we flew to Chiang Mai for a long weekend with the idea of doing a little road touring and taking some photos. Late Thursday arrival; Friday morning pick up the rental car; and then head out for three days to see Chiang Mai and the surrounding area, mostly mountains and rivers.
This post contains the links to the wingssail images pages where all the photos can be found.
On Saturday we headed out of town to see some of Chiang Mai's famed mountains and hills. Along the way we found rivers and valleys, and several small Thai towns.
Near the top of Doi Inthanol, the tallest mountain in Thailand we stopped at the Napamaytanidol monuments to the King and Queen of Thailand. The air was cool and the location was spectacular.
There were many signs along the road directing us to waterfalls and we decided to stop at this one. It was the last chance to see one before the light was lost to the shadow of the mountain. We were glad we stopped.
After all the driving we needed some activity so that night in Chiang Mai we went looking for music. There are a few rock clubs along the river and after sticking our noses into three of them we ran into this great punk band at the Riverside. Here is a short video clip we made to the music of Franz Ferdinand. When the band played this song the whole house started jumping.
After a late start on Sunday we made our way up to Chiang Mai's local mountain temple, the famous Doi Sutep. This temple nestled in the forest on the mountianside high above Chiang Mai has a stunning chedi of gold. In the late afternoon sun it glowed against the blue sky.
We had to climb a long set of stairs to get to it but it was worth it. Click here for more shots of the Temple of gold wingssail image-fredrick roswold
Where there are tourists you often find performers with a collection box on the ground who will dance or sing or play music for donations. At Doi Sutep there were a number of young kids playing music and dancing under the watchfull eye of their parents nearby. We put some extra baht in the box and took photos.
We pushed the weekend in Chiang Mai as long as possible only flying back to Bangkok at midnight on Sunday night, but we had a good, mostly relaxing, time and we are so glad that we finally got to see Chiang Mai. Next weekend we go back to Phuket for more boat projects.
A type of umbrella of wood and paper and waterproofed with the juice of persimmon has been made in Asia for centuries.
I first saw them in as a sailor Singapore in 1971 but even back then buying one was difficult. All I could find in the shops in 1971 were steel and black nylon umbrellas from Japan. Yet the paper ones had to be sold somewhere; the local people were using them every day on the streets of Singapore. The taxi driver I enlisted for my umbrella shopping quest was patient and I was persistent back in 1971 and after several stops we finally found a paper one for sale in a small shop which I bought from the elderly Chinese shopkeeper for a dollar and some small change, all I had in my pocket at the time. That umbrella became a treasured memento of Asia for me and found its way back to the USA in my Navy sea bag. It knocked around the house for many years and eventually lay gathering dust in the basement. I left it when I moved to the boat but I always missed that paper umbrella
This year I saw in a tourist brochure that there is a place in Northern Thailand where paper umbrellas are still made. Now I had a chance to revisit the Asia I knew from 1971.
Judy and I drove to Bor Sang and found several small factories where men and women made umbrellas of wood and paper, hand painted and waterproofed with persimmon juice, the same as Singapore in 1971.
It made for some interesting photos.
And yes, I bought another paper umbrella, three in fact. They are in a shipping box in the apartment Bangkok at the moment and we'll put them on the boat this time where they will replace the rusting and broken steel and nylon ones we carry under the port pilot berth.
With the camera on the back seat, new items for the boat in the trunk (picked up at Home-Pro on the way out of town) and with a hastily packed bag, we hit the road.
What else could we do when we found ourselves in Phuket for three days with no where to sleep, (the boat was un-inhabitable) and with the workers aboard we couldn't even do our planned projects?
Take a drive.
Where to go? Koh Lantra came to mind but Nick and Zara said, "That is a long way, how about Khao Sak National Park"? I could see from his face he was appalled that we'd try to head to Koh Lantra; too far. So we got out a map. Yeah, Khao Sak looks good. Let's go.
Ok, we got a late start (or more truthfully our shopping detour before starting kept us in Phuket for far too long), so we had to make a stop Friday night short of reaching the national park. We found a hotel at the beach on the way, had a walk, a nice dinner, and then hit the road again the next morning.
For two more days we drove all over the Khao Sak area, took a lot of photos, took a hike in the jungle, got caught in the rain, got attacked by leeches (UGH), and saw a lot of neat scenery.
The town of Phang Nga was the best part. We've heard of this place, seen the signs for it, but never had anyone mentioned that it is in the most stunning setting for a town we've seen in a long time. Check out the last link above to see Phang Nga town, it is beautiful even in the rain.
Next week we are going to Chang Mai and plan another road trip there, so we'll have another of these reports. Someday we'll have sailing update too.
“Hey, Judy, let’s get the anchor up, we’ve got a squall coming.”
“OK”, her voice comes up from below deck and I know she is moving about. Soon she appears at the hatch and she scans the sky. One look is enough; she is on deck and we start the engine and are raising the anchor when the first puffs of wind come. They are cool and fresh but we are working quickly to get underway before the stronger wind hits and we don’t have time to enjoy the wind’s coolness.
Judy had disappeared below deck to take a nap after lunch while Jim and I sat topside and talked about airplanes.
The day was still and oppressively hot. We were anchored off a small island in the place where the wind left us when it died. The sunlight hurt my eyes and I tried to shade them with my hand but the heat reflecting off the water against my face feels unbearably hot. The resonating sound of the Cicadas on the nearby island sounded like time stopping. We found shade on deck and waited.
The season of squalls, otherwise known as the Southwest Monsoon, is fully upon us in Phuket. The days in April are boringly hot and still but we generally get a squall in the afternoon. You see them coming: a tall a dark cloud to the east or north and below it a grey mass which obscures the horizon. Then the wind starts; at first as a gentle brush on your cheek but soon it builds and continues to build until it is a force which buffets you. Rain too, a few big splattering drops fall, then sheets of it follow, drenching.
Ashore you deal with it differently then you do at sea. Ashore you pull the door shut or you hurry along to reach shelter from the wind and rain and you wait it out. It’s just an inconvenience from Mother Nature; a fact of life, nothing more.
But at sea the squall takes on a different reality. At sea when the squall comes you are alert, you watch and you are wary. The squall brings danger, maybe disaster; at least excitement.
We just went out for a short sail today; just an afternoon on the water and maybe a chance to get the sails up and hopefully see a bit of wind. It has been a month or more and we need the sailing fix. I told Judy I’d be happy with a just a few minutes hard on the wind with the sails sheeted in Wings and heeled well over. In the back of my mind was the thought that we might get the daily squall while we were out and I didn’t think that would be bad; at least it would be some breeze but there wasn’t much wind when we left Yacht Haven; just a whisper. Then even that died and we anchored.
Now I watch the clouds to the east: a tall dark thunderhead. It could be trouble brewing, a squall. At first it seems that it is moving south and will miss us but then I realize it is coming our way.
Heading directly into it we motor slowly and work the mainsail up. In the steadily increasing breeze it flaps and shakes the rig and we have some trouble with the running backstays but we get the sail up and we bear off until it fills. The boat heals over and we start to make way. I kill the engine and now we silently face the wind and Wings is moving slowly. Without much way on the rudder is unresponsive and I have to take care to avoid getting into irons. I ease the main a little to gain some speed. The helm begins to work a bit better. The boat heels even with just the mainsail. The wind is 27 knots and the sky is dark ahead. Now we are settled down and sailing and the boat feels solid under us and in control. Wings is big and powerful and when we are underway this squall is nothing to her. On board we face the wind try to see what is coming next. Rain starts to fall. I cannot go get a raincoat, so I just decide to accept the wetness. It is OK.
We see that the jib on the foredeck either needs to be secured or hoisted. We don’t know if the wind is going to continue to rise or drop off, so we delay setting the jib. Judy goes forward to tie it down.
In a few minutes it looks like the wind has stopped building so we set the jib and we sail towards the squall, but it is dying and we don’t really get up to speed before it passes as quickly as it came and we are left rolling on a still sea. We wait for a while to see if more wind will follow but it doesn’t so we drop the sails and motor home.
The daily squall has passed but tomorrow there will be another.
I turned 63 this week. Judy is a few years behind but we both are traveling down that path. Old age or not, we like to feel well and exercise is important. Our apartment building in Bangkok has a small fitness center and we hit the gym or the pool every day. Usually Judy and I both go in the morning and Judy gets back down there during the middle of the day. I think it's working; on the day I turned 63 I beat my all time best time for 10K on the excerise bike and I've been tracking that for at least 10 years. It's been steady improvement every year as I keep working a bit harder each time.
To celebrate the birthdays of Fred and Randy and John Jorgl the six of us pictured here went to the Indigo Pearl Resort at Nai Yang Beach in Phuket and spent three hours at brunch, with endless food and wine. It was all quite decadent and superb and best of all we spent it with good friends. I won't try to tell you all the great food and drink we had but trust me, it was the best brunch we ever had.
Now we have to get back into the gym and work it off.
Click here to see more shots of the buffet at Indigo Pearl
A night out with good music, good friends and a bottle of whisky: That’s what last weekend was all about when Randy and Laura from Pollen Path joined us at the Phuket Blues Festival. We had a great time.
Tracking down some little joint where live music is being played in a faraway exotic place has been a fun part of cruising for us and we’ve found some neat ones: a outdoor rock concert in Papeete where local kids rocked out all night. A converted warehouse in Noumea where an American blues rock band played to a packed house and the encores went on for hours. Judy dragged me home from that one at 2:00AM. And of course in Bangkok we’re often found crowding up to the stage late at night at Tokyo Joes’ to hear the Soi Dog Blues Band.
But the Phuket Blues Festival is not an out of the way exotic place to us anymore; by now Phuket is as familiar as an old shoe and we came to this event last year. Still, we like to be on the field on the grounds of the Phuket Arcadia Hilton on a warm tropical night and hear the live bands from around Asia and the world play everything from BB King to Chicago Boogie Woogie. This year, like last year, the night got off to a bit of a slow start: the first band was OK but the crowd was small and subdued. Sitting around the table waiting for some excitement got old for me in a hurry. I went to the bar under the tent in the back and negotiated a price for the whole bottle of whiskey sitting there.
Once I screwed off the cap and I plonked that bottle of whiskey onto our table things started looking up. Oh Johnny. The ice soon ran out but that didn’t stop Judy and I. Before long half the bottle was gone, a hotter band was playing and we were up front dancing on the grass. We never stopped.
After harassing the band leader for “faster, harder, louder” music he gave us just that and we ate it up. After exhausting all the batteries and memory cards on the Nikon I just waved it around while I danced.
And when the music stopped we were tired and happy and drenched in sweat.
We don’t know where we’ll be next year but if there is music, we’ll find it.
Two weeks ago we completed a week of competition in the Phang Nga Bay Regatta.
We placed third in a class of 5 yachts; squarely in the middle, mediocre some would say.
I don’t.
No, we didn’t win and we only beat two boats. As each of you saw with your own eyes and ears, and know, I was deeply disappointed. That is putting is lightly. I wanted badly to win in this regatta as I always do in any regatta. I know each of you wanted to as well otherwise you could find other, more pleasant, ways of sailing than spending a week on a hard deck in light to non-existent winds and blistering heat taking orders from me.
But we swallow our disappointment after time, we let it go, and then we can look back and assess our actual achievement.
Each of you can be proud of your performance; you are a team and a good one. There were no crew failures or mistakes the whole week. You were excellent. There is nothing more a captain can ask than that the crew is ready and prepared to execute any order. There was nothing I asked that you didn’t do with flair. Of all the images from this regatta which stick in my mind the one I most, and will always, remember is the short leg on day three when they had moved a yellow leeward mark to about ½ mile from the black windward mark and in about six minutes you got the kite up, dropped the jib, jibed the kite twice, got the jib re-rigged and back up and got the kite down and rounded the leeward mark with speed on and in good trim. That was top notch, you’re great. Probably nobody else saw it, but I did. Superb!
Nor was the boat speed. All week we had excellent boat speed. I don’t mean that we were able to keep up with Yo!2 or Katsu; they are faster boats and they owe us time, heaps of it, so we shouldn’t. No, I mean that we felt fast through the water at all times. I never felt like we were bogged down and unable to move. For a 30 year old liveaboard boat which, even after all the weight reduction we went through, still weighed 2-3 times as much as the boats we were sailing against, this too was excellent. So the sails and the bottom and the trimming were all fine.
The boat speed was not the problem.
Nor was preparation. I took a big chance by leaving all of our spare parts and most of our tools back at Yacht Haven and any number of failures could have ended our regatta. But they didn’t. The whole week we had no failures, not even any minor ones. All of the sails were perfect the whole week. This, itself ranks as an achievement; preparation was flawless. Judy and I will take credit for that, with some help from some of you.
Navigation was also excellent. Even before the first start, in the chaos of the whole fleet heading out to go racing, Judy’s cool head and care to watch the chart kept us from a repeat of last year when we hit the bank right outside of the marina before the first race. Two other boats did hit it this year but we didn’t. Nor did we make any other navigational errors. Again, top notch.
It is tempting to blame the weather conditions, and in fact these were contributing factors on the last day certainly and probably on a couple of other days as well. But even with the last day, there were other boats which managed to do well in the dying breeze so I don’t blame the weather.
No, in the end it comes down to one thing: We just didn’t get it done. Or I just didn’t get it done. Whatever. You go out, you try, and you either succeed or you fail. There is no middle ground and there is no doubt that I would be happy to take the credit if we won, so by rights I need to accept the responsibility when we lose.
I do.
But do I feel bad about it? Should you?
No. Not at all. I can take losing and we can all have pride in the fact that we did our best and we lost honourably. I feel fine about it.
And in fact we should remember the words of one American President, Theodore Roosevelt:
“The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”
So, we’ll take credit for going there and striving and make no apologies for losing. We chose a tough class and we stood up well and have nothing to be ashamed of. You can be sure that Yo!2 and Katsu were counting the minutes after they finished wondering if we would take them.
And even if we got no recognition from anyone, which we didn’t, we ourselves know how well we did and no one can take away that accomplishment.
Would I do it again? In a heartbeat. I know there is room for improvement and I would love another chance, or five more chances, to do better. There is a saying in racing: “There is always next year.” Well, in our case next year’s Phang Nga is probably not in the cards. Logistics just might be too much. But if I had the chance to race with you all again, against the same competition, I’d do it. Judy agrees.
I am a sailor, born of a nautical tradition passed to me by my father and my Grandfather Alfred. I’ve spent most of life on my passion which is the sea and the vessels which go upon them. I have had many such vessels and now I live on and sail on the sloop WINGS.
which I acquired in 1986 with my wife Judy
who shared my passion. For ten years we lived on Wings in Seattle and sailed, including racing. Then we left the Pacific Northwest and voyaged across the world, across the seven seas, to faraway places, and made them our own.
For thirty-eight years I have lived and loved this life. I still live on Wings, in Mexico, and sail and race often. Judy passed away in June, 2023 and I miss her but you can still join us and sail the seas as we did for all those glorious years. Fred Roswold, SV Wings, Mexico
Heading out for a mini sea trial
Thailand Scene near Yacht Haven, Phuket
Wings, waiting in the rain for us
Waiting to be put away.
Planning a night move
Sailing North in Nice Weather
Sheltering from the Westerlies
Departing Taratao
Sailing on the Far Side of Taratoa
Judy Goes Sailing
Phi Phi Island
Early Morning
New Look Nav Station
Wet Day In Phuket
Wings Without Paint
Moving Out
Bangkok
Bangkok Restaurant
Surat Thani Workboats
Hauling Out at Royal Phuket
Removing the tiller
Flowers at Royal Phuket
Beach at Hua Hin
Bangkok, from State Tower
Marco & Tessa and Tara's Hotel in Bang Tao
Phang Nga Bay
Buying Prawns
Under sail
Judy at the top of Thailand
Chiang Mai
Breakfast at the Duang Champa
Wat Pan Tao
Dragons at Chedi Luang Chiang Mai
Terraced Farm Land
Judy visits a temple at the top of Thailand
Waterfall
Doi Sutep, temple of gold
Young Thai Dancer
Paper Umbrellas
Hitting the Road
Judy
Excercise
The Good Life
Blues Festival
Standing Out
On The Podium
Crew Work
Our Crew.jpg)
