Gong Xi Fa Chai

The year of the snake is upon us ... it started a few weeks back with a green and yellow sea snake trying to climb aboard the dinghy at Kata beach in Phuket.  No photos I'm sorry, we were too busy trying to discourage it !

However this year is set to be an interesting one for us - we're up to our necks in planning a departure from Asia, after seven years.  The current plan (and it may change of course) is to head down to Singapore in May, then move down through Indonesia to the Sunda Strait, Krakatoa and then the Cocos Keeling Islands.  From there we'd head south west, across the Southern Indian Ocean to Rodriguez, Mauritius and La Reunion, about 4000 nautical miles in total we estimate.

I Love My Onan Genset ....?

So everything is being serviced and updated in preparation for our first long distance voyaging in some years.  This rush of activity has not been helped by yet another genset breakdown - working on it this morning I couldn't help but remember the sea snake that called our genset home for a few days back in New Caledonia - quite exciting to remove him.  This year may well be equally exciting !

We're presently anchored at beautiful Nai Yang Beach in northern Phuket, ticking off maintenance jobs and updating all our safety systems for the voyaging ahead.

The list of changes and updates required is a little daunting, and it includes some new technology that we hope will improve crew safety at sea.  We'll post news on that work over the coming weeks.  Visitors are expected later this month, so we hope to cruise back to beautiful Ko Phayam again in a week or so.

Nai Yang Beach & Anchorage

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