by Judy Handley | Nov 8, 2009 | Malaysia, Sailing Logs Year 5 |
Day 13, Year 5: Thirteen Is NOT a Lucky Number
Date: Sunday, November 8, 2009
Weather: Sunny and Hot
Location: Rebak Marina, Pulau Rebak, Langkawi, Malaysia
Today was just one of those days when things didn’t go quite right, so when I started to write this log and saw that is was our thirteenth day into this cruising year, I can put the blame there. I’m sure tomorrow will dawn with a much more positive aura and things will be fine again aboard Windbird. Nothing really bad happened today, it is just that nothing went smoothly. The first big issue is our website. If you are reading this log, the site probably looks considerably different that it did yesterday. We have been having issues with our logs getting posted since we returned and this morning Mark went into he site to try and fix the problem. First mistake. We always have our son do the fixing, but he is at a conference in Florida and we decided to be a little more independent. Second mistake. When Mark made the fix, the site came back saying we needed to do an update, so that is what Mark did. The next thing we knew, all of the logs had disappeared. We had only a white screen. Since we had been having problems, Justin had emailed the current information on how to contact the webhost, so we did that and Mark has been in a back and forth email conversation all day. Basically, we should never have done the update. But since we did, we have lost all formatting on the travel logs part of our site. We’ll muddle through until Thursday when Justin will be available again and hopefully he can get things back to normal. In the meantime, the webhost is restoring the website to their most current backup on November 2. But that restoration is taking a very long time as the website is large–8 gigabytes according to the host. So things might be a bit crazy until Thursday or Friday. Just hang in there with us and we’ll get it all set right.
We had planned to have an early morning video Skype call with Heather, Jed, Sam, and Jonah, but we overslept. By the time we got up at 8:15 am here it was 7:15 pm on the East Coast of the US. That is bath time in the Goldstone household, so we emailed Heather letting her know we would connect on another day. But about that time, we heard the Skype call signal on our computer as she was calling. Things started out great, but then we kept losing sound and finally the video. We called their home phone and talked to Heather, but we didn’t get to watch Sam and Jonah in action for very long. We did get to see Jonah sit up all by himself (he’s only four and a half months old) and we watched as Sam tried to explain that he was on the moon collecting water. So we did have contact but it was disappointing that the internet signal just wasn’t strong enough.
Today was Mark’s organization day. All of the extra spare parts from our refit in Thailand needed to be stored away and there was no room to store anything. So we worked together to consolidate, record what things were going to be stored where, and then get things put away. We have another day of work to do on that, but progress was certainly made.
Everyday boats come in and other boats depart. Today Peter and Catherine on The Southern Cross left for Thailand. We will probably be in the Andaman Islands at the same time as they are, so we plan to see them there and continue on toward the Red Sea at the same time. They are a catamaran, however, and we won’t be traveling at the same speed. During the next week we hope to connect with other cruisers heading our way that travel at about the same speed. There is a boat from New Zealand right across the dock from us, Hanalike, that looks like a possible match. We hope to find time to connect with Mike and Linda and check out their plans. Wild Card, Fatty and Carolyn Goodlander’s boat, arrived here yesterday. I know they are also headed our way and should be compatible in speed, so we need to check with them to see what their plans might be. So the search has begun and we now have Windbird organized enough to start and put our efforts into planning for the months ahead. Right now we are thinking December in Thailand, January in the Andaman Islands and Cochin, India, February in the northern Maldives with arrival in Salala, Oman. And then March from Salala to Aden in Yemen and on through the Red Sea with arrival in the Med in late April or early May. So now I have put it in writing and this will give us the incentive to really start doing our research to see if this is really the schedule.
by Judy Handley | Nov 8, 2009 | Malaysia, Sailing Logs Year 5
Day 12, Year 5: Lines Up the Mast & Granola in the Cupboard
Date: Saturday, November 7, 2009
Weather: Threatening Clouds Amid Sunshine and Distant Thunder
Location: Rebak Marina, Pulau Rebak, Langkawi, Malaysia
We lucked out today with the rain. The forecast was for rain, but all we saw were threatening clouds and the rumbling of distant thunder. The outside temperature is about 85 degrees F but the humidity must be 110 per cent and when the sun is shining, it feels more like 95 degrees. My work continued today inside the boat, so I was protected from the heat, but Mark worked on deck all day. He was running the lines through the mast which required a few trips up and down the mast. I would go up to tail the winch when Mark was climbing, but that’s all I saw of the outside today. If you are wondering why the lines were not already run through the mast, here’s the longer story. When we had the mast down to be painted last year in Thailand, all of the lines had to come down. When we did that, we ran small messenger lines (disposable lines that show the way for the real thing) so we would eventually be able to attach the real lines to them and pull them back through. Without the messenger lines, weaving lines in and out of the mast would really be a trick. And I guess they are called messenger lines because they leave the message as to where the real lines are to be run. When we left Thailand, we didn’t put the lines back up the mast as we knew we would have to take them all back down again before going home. So we motored the 100 plus miles from Phuket to here and saved ourselves an enormous amount of work. If you are wondering why we would not just leave the lines up while we traveled home, the answer is that the tropical sun is deadly on lines, so you protect them when you can. So the lines that had been carefully washed and soaked in fabric softener in Thailand and stored inside the boat while we were gone are now all back up in their right places. Mark also got the staysail up today and hopefully the headsail will go up tomorrow. The mainsail needs to be taken to Kuah, the main town on Langkawi island, where a new sail cover will be made. We are planning on renting a car on Tuesday or Wednesday of next week to take the mainsail to town and to start our food provisioning for the trek across the Indian Ocean. But back to the mainsail . . . our current sail cover is a Doyle Stackpack and our mainsail is actually sewn into the cover. When the sail comes down, we just have to zip up the cover that is always right there on the boom. Ben, the sailmaker we will use in Kuah, is going to make us a new stackpack that will work just like the old one, but this time the sail will not be sewn to cover. That way it will be much easier to make repairs to the cover or to replace it without having to remove the whole sail with it.
My accomplishment for the day was making granola. We have eaten our homemade granola for so many years that we find it almost impossible to find a substitute. So I had the oven going for six hours and was very thankful, once again, for the air conditioner. While watching over the baking process, I continued cleaning out food cabinets, throwing out food that had not made it through the heat while we were gone, and organizing what is left. All spices had to be thrown out and they somehow solidify and mold. Most dry goods were vacuum packed, but that didn’t protect everything. Dried beans made it but lentils did not. Nuts survived but are rubbery, so those had to go. Crackers that have never been opened are all moist and have to be thrown out, but most noodles seem okay. Its like the survival of the fittest, but for the most part, we are going to be provisioning from scrap.
By the way, the cocktail party last night was fantastic. The resort hotel staff treated us like kings and queens, making sure we always had a drink and food in hand. This marina is different from most since it is located on an uninhabited island with only the marina and the resort. There is no town, which makes it slightly inconvenient when you need a boat part or run out of food. But it is a beautiful little island and being able to use the resort facilities makes it especially nice. I guess that is why so many cruisers get stuck here and return year after year.
by Judy Handley | Nov 8, 2009 | Malaysia, Sailing Logs Year 5 |
Day 11, Year 5: Still Raining
Date: Friday, November 6, 2009
Weather: Rain All Night and Day
Location: Rebak Marina, Pulau Rebak, Langkawi, Malaysia
It’s umbrella weather here. We had a deluge of rain on Tuesday afternoon, some sun on Wednesday until late afternoon, and then the rains started, and they just haven’t stopped. Today was the worst. It was dark and stormy all day. The weather report calls for rain through Sunday and then only scattered thunderstorms on Monday and Tuesday, so maybe we’ll get a bit of sunshine in between rains. That would be a welcome change. Having to be totally shut up with no air conditioning in this weather would be almost cruel with the high humidity levels, so we give thanks for the air conditioning that is making life inside Windbird most pleasant.
We started our day with a ferry ride to the main island. Every Friday, the food man (known as the Veggie Man even though he sells wonderful meats) comes to the ferry dock in his van. He has the most fantastic array of frozen meats, cheeses, and fresh veggies available in this part of the world. You pay a little more, but everything he sells is fantastic and you don’t have to rent a car to go buy it. So going to see the Veggie Man on Friday mornings is a ritual when you stay at Rebak Marina. Mark went with me this morning just so he could see first hand what everyone talks about and he was quite impressed.
We returned to Windbird by 10:30 am. Mark went over to check on Robert and Tina’s boat, Shirena, and did a little visiting along the way. When he returned, we had a great Skype call with Justin, Jo, and Ziggy. Ziggy is the most verbal baby I have ever heard. When Justin or Jo tries to talk, he starts squealing. It almost sounds like he is saying, “Wait a minute, guys, I want to do the talking here.” As soon as they stop talking, he gets quiet. It is really a riot. He now has his first two teeth, lower front, and just seems to be such a happy baby. Justin and Jo announced that they are moving from Santa Fe back out into the desert to a town named Madris. It was once a mining town and then became Hippy Haven in the 1960’s and 70’s. The hippies have grown older, but the town is still a really kicky little place. They are doing this so that they can buy horses and keep them on a ranch in nearby Cerillos. Why do they want horses? Because they plan to travel across the country in a covered wagon drawn by horses. You reap what you sow and Justin is definitely his father’s son with dreams of adventures beyond the imagination. Do we worry? Of course we do. But we once sold everything we owned and headed to Alaska to build a cabin in the north woods. We actually ended up in northern Idaho and built that cabin. It was a wonderful experience. So we can’t say much when Justin and Jo come up with their dreams that seem a little over the top. All we can do is to hope that their dreams really do come true.
After talking with Justin and Jo, I spent the rest of the day trudging away at cleaning out the closets and cabinets on the boat and Mark worked on getting various electronics working once again. He is still trying to get the new wifi booster working, but he is having trouble with that one. So that will continue tomorrow. And I am still trying to dry the clothes that I washed yesterday morning. I had them hanging in the cockpit, but they just weren’t drying with the humidity. I brought them inside today and let the drying of the air con work on them.
There is always more work to do on a boat, but we are setting Monday as our deadline for starting to spend at least four hours each day looking forward. We have got to make some decisions about our stops along the way when we leave Thailand. Are we going to the Andaman Islands, and if so, when, and are we going to stop in Cochin, India? If so, we have to go back to Penang to get a visa for India. Are we going to be in Thailand for more than two weeks? If so, we also have to go back to Penang to get a Thai visa. It is really weird, but you can only get two month visas if you apply in another country. If you enter by plane or boat without a visa, you get only two weeks.
We are now off to the cocktail party being thrown by the marina and resort. That should be great fun and nice way to end a dreary day.
by Judy Handley | Nov 8, 2009 | Malaysia, Sailing Logs Year 5 |
Day 10, Year 5: One Little Job at a Time
Date: Thursday, November 5, 2009
Weather: Rain Off and On All Day
Location: Rebak Marina, Pulau Rebak, Langkawi, Malaysia
It was a rainy day with very little sunshine. Just as the sun would begin to shine, the black clouds would come once again from the northeast and shower or deluge us with rain. The good thing was that without the hot sun beating down the air conditioner was allowed to keep the inside of the boat cool. The bad thing was that I did a huge laundry that had to be taken down each time it rained and hung back out between rains. I finally found a way to hang it all in the covered cockpit, but it is still not dry. Now the hope is that it dries before it mildews.
Mark and I both worked on our list of jobs to be done today. After washing three bucket loads of clothes, I made my attack on the inside of the boat by starting in the forward head. My goal is to clean out every cabinet, closet, and drawer in the boat, inventory what is there, and get rid of things we really don’t need. Believe it or not, I only got through one of two cabinets in the forward head plus the four plastic crates that are stored in the forward head. It is slow going, but I will get there one cabinet at a time. Mark’s jobs today included rewiring the GPS, hooking up the new remote control for the autopilot and getting the new wi-fi booster up and working. He finished the first two but he only got halfway done with the wi-fi booster. Internet was not working this afternoon, probably because of the stormy weather, so he will continue tomorrow.
We invited Gerry and Donna of Scot Free II over for dinner tonight. They are leaving in the morning for a couple of weeks or more in Laos. We so wish they were heading on through the Red Sea to the Mediterranean with us this year, but they are determined to spend another year here exploring the countries of Southeast Asia. So we need to seriously start reaching out to find other cruisers headed our way. We know three boats that are travelling our way but they are all catamarans and don’t travel at our speed. We also have Robert and Tina of Shirena, but they are faster than us. I guess they will just have to slow down and we’ll have to push as hard as we can to keep up. But more importantly at this point, we really need to decide exactly where we plan to stop along the way and go back to Penang to get our visas. Mark is lobbying hard for a stop in Cochin, India, so I guess that will be the next big decision. As quickly as possible, the TO DO list of boat chores needs to be accomplished so that we can start focusing on our travel plans. Or maybe we need to institute 50-50 days-half our day working on boat chores and half our day focusing on trip planning. I think I like that idea.
Note: We have been having trouble with the website since our return to Malaysia. Logs are not posting and we are not sure why. So you might read this log as posted, or it could be a few days. You’ll just have to be patient and hope we can work out this situation soon. In the meantime, you are probably going to be reading logs a few days after they were originally sent. Sorry about that. And we are also hopelessly behind in getting our website updated. Hopefully that will happen sooner rather than later. In the meantime, stay tuned for updates in trip planning.
by Judy Handley | Nov 8, 2009 | Malaysia, Sailing Logs Year 5 |
Day 9, Year 5: One Less Hole in the Boat
Date: Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Weather: Hot and Sunny, Late Afternoon Rains That Keep on Going
Location: Rebak Marina, Pulau Rebak, Langkawi, Malaysia
There’s always more than one way to solve a problem, and in the case of our faulty and then leaky through-hull, we simply decided to fill the hole with epoxy and eliminate that hole in our boat. So far, so good. We are back in the water and we have no leaks, so all is well. The hole we filled was one of three through-hulls that bring salt water into the boat. In this case, it was bringing salt water into the forward head in order to flush. We will simply put a “t” in the flexible pipe bringing salt water into the aft head and run a hose to the forward head. So $500 later, that problem is solved. The $500 is the cost of being lifted out of the water and then having to stay overnight on land. If we had been successful with the Dash and Splash, the cost would have been considerably less. But that didn’t happen and we’ll just have to live with it. What an expensive overnighter! But we did get a chance to apply more bottom paint to refresh what was put on last year in Thailand. We use an ablative paint which means that when we do get growth and we dive down to clean the hull, a little bit of paint is removed along with the growth. Now we have more layers on and that should serve us well until we get back to the Caribbean in early 2011. Or at least that is the hope.
We got back to our slip around 3:00 this afternoon, just in time for the afternoon rains. When we first arrived there were just black clouds and wind, but by 4:00 the rains came and they are still coming. Unlike yesterday’s deluge, today’s rains are just a steady dibble dop. We read in the cockpit for awhile just to decompress and then came inside to fix dinner. However, our pleasant evening was disrupted by the realization that our bilge pump was coming on every couple of minutes. We checked all possible sources of incoming water and there was none, so we figured the problem had to be back-siphoning from one of our bilge pumps. When we got back to the dock this afternoon, we raised our dinghy and dinghy motor on the new arch at the back of the boat. The extra weight lowered the through-hull that takes water out of the boat below sea level so that the new bilge pump Mark had installed just before we left for the US last April was now pumping water out and then siphoning it right back into the bilge. Mark dug into the plumbing spare parts kit and found just the valve that needed to be installed to stop the back-siphoning. So once again, a problem was solved. Now it’s time to have no more problems.
But then, there are always problems. I guess that is what makes life interesting. At 7:00 AM I was walking back from a trip to the bathroom at the Hard Dock (can’t use your head when on the hard) when I stopped to say good morning to Peter of Southern Cross. Southern Cross is fairly new catamaran and just yesterday, Peter had discovered water in the core of one of the hulls when installing something on the outside of one of the hulls. He drilled a hole and water starting pouring out-not good. So this morning he was contemplating his situation and said to me that Richard of Sea Bunny had suggested that he find someone with a moisture meter to further explore the problem. It just so happens that we have a moisture meter, so we were able to loan that out. After all the help we received from folks yesterday, it was nice to be able to help someone else. After talking with Peter, I then continued my trek back to Windbird and got to watch the almost full moon go down behind the hill. It was so beautiful. I wish I had known about the Full Moon Festival here on Monday night, but I think we were too absorbed in our through-hull problem to know that it was happening. Evidently all evil spirits were whisked away from there, so that tells me that we should have no more unexpected issues.
by Judy Handley | Nov 8, 2009 | Malaysia, Sailing Logs Year 5 |
Year 5, Captain’s Ramblings 1: Thru-Hulls
Date: Wednesday, November 4, 2009
The saying goes “a boat is a hole in the water into which you pour money.” But the systems on a boat require that there are a number of holes in the boat through which water can pass. The critical issue with a boat is how to keep the water on the outside, or at least keep it directed to the appropriate function on the inside before it is pumped overboard again.
There are several reasons to bring salt water into a boat: to flush the toilet, to provide water for the desalination system to make fresh water, to cool the engine, to provide cooling water for a heat pump air conditioner, and to wash dishes before rinsing in fresh water to conserve the fresh water you may have. Some boats may have more than these, but, except for washing dishes, these are the functions that Windbird uses salt water for (though we haven’t used the air conditioner since leaving Boston).
There are other reasons to have holes in your boat below the waterline: to drain the toilet when you flush and to drain the sinks in the galley and the head(s). Windbird has three sinks to drain and two toilets.
If you add all this up you will find that Windbird could have as many as ten holes below the water line! We actually had eight before the valve bringing water to the forward head broke on Monday. Reducing the number from ten to eight was accomplished by feeding the aft head, the water maker, and the air conditioner from one inlet. These “inlets” (and outlets) are actually called “thru-hulls” because they go through the hull of the boat. And each thru-hull has a valve on the inside of the boat so that if something goes wrong in the plumbing, you can stop the flow of water by closing the valve. However, there’s the rub. All those valves are a potential source of trouble. Windbird has had trouble with three of these. The first, we repaired over a year ago. The second I replaced while in the water just a few days ago. The third defied all attempts to repair or to remove it without destroying the whole thing – which we did finally by hauling the boat out of the water and cutting the valve off the top so the thru-hull could be removed. We then attempted to install a new thru-hull with valve. Twice we thought we had it and twice we were lowered into the water to discover it leaked!
Since we had so much trouble getting a new thru-hull not to leak, we decided to simply plug the hole with epoxy and run a water line from the existing thru-hull that already feeds the aft head, the water maker, and the air conditioner. So we now have two thru hulls that bring water into the boat: one provides cooling water to the engine, the other provides all other salt water needs on Windbird.
Now if only I could figure out how to have all the discharge hoses exit through one thru-hull we could cut the number of holes in the boat to three. Fewer are always better – less maintenance and less chance of a failure at an inopportune moment. But given the separation between the three sinks and two heads, it is not likely. So we will likely be replacing more old thru-hulls in the future.
