Sunday, December 19, 2010

Rainbows

We’d had a fantastic time sailing around the Koh Chang archipelago. We experienced everything from high winds and stowaways to perfect sunsets and beautiful resorts. We made more new sailing friends, who had great stories to tell, and were well fed and watered by the locals. But the time had come for us to finally leave Thailand. Our visas were up and favours running out, besides we had decided to head to East Coast Malaysia on the first part of our new journey. The winds were blowing in the right direction, we’d checked the weather, we’d provisioned up, watered up and fuelled up and were ready to go.

I had set our course to our first destination, the Perhentian Islands, (the first group of islands after leaving Thailand) and determined it would take approx. 3 days and 2 hours. The NE winds blowing behind us would make for a smoother and faster passage – everything was perfect! So, 9th December we pulled up the anchor, raised the mainsail and headed south. For about an hour everything was great –sails full, 6.5 knots of speed and the anticipation of what was ahead. Then the wind died. We were reduced to about 2 knots (snails pace), the headsail had backfilled and the main was luffing dreadfully. No other option but to bring in the headsail and turn on the engine. We’ll engine out past the islands, then when we get into the gulf proper we’ll be full wind speed ahead we thought, but it was 9 hours before we were able to turn the engine the off.

Come day 2 things hadn’t improved much and by 3.30am the engine was back on, this time for 16 hours. The wind Gods had deserted us. Our main concern come daylight was that if we continued on our course and still didn’t get wind we’d be out of fuel with a full days sailing still to do. If we had little to no wind at that time we could really be in trouble and it could take days (or weeks!) to get to our destination. We had a choice, we could alter course completely and head west to Koh Samui where we knew we’d be able to buy more fuel. It would take us about 1 and ½ days to get there, but at least we could re fuel and continue south from there confident of making the trip. So that’s what we did.

We slipped into a good routine ending each day with something out of the “Captains Locker” at sundown! This was undoubtedly the best time of the day (and not just because we got to crack a beer or rum!!), but everything was cooling down and becoming peaceful. We watched the moon grow from crescent to half and started to recognise certain stars as they came out, but that engine running constantly was a reminder that we weren’t really sailing, just humming along.

On our 3rd night watch thing started to get a little tense; we were running through a series of gas and oil fields which during the day probably wouldn’t have fazed us, but at night the platforms and well heads were lit up to high heaven. We didn’t know what to make of the first one we saw. It started out as a bright light on the horizon and got closer and brighter. We didn’t know what it was except it was very big and very bright and we needed to avoid it!! As we got a full view of it in the dark it was like a “Mother Ship” straight out of Doctor Who! It seemed huge rising out of the sea, so flooding the sea with light from the dark sky. We altered course a few degrees just to make sure we didn’t get too close and looked in awe as we slowly sailed past it. As we looked to the horizon we saw more rays of light that could only mean more of them. Sure enough, we navigated through one after another after another………..Finally the sky started to brighten from a different energy source, the sun, and dawn broke along with the line of well heads.

By the time we got to our anchorage in Samui we had motored for 42 hours – unbelievable how the wind could just die on us like that, but we knew then, that we’d made the right the decision to divert.

Of course, when we did get the wind it was when we least wanted or needed it! Day 4 had passed and I was just about to wake Gareth up after doing my 2-hour night watch when I felt a drop in temperature and large drops of rain falling. G woke up immediately as he felt it too and we knew a squall was coming through – great, just what you need at 4.00am!! G stayed below as he was still dry and I was getting soaked very quickly. He took over navigation duties to ensure we stayed on course as the wind was really blowing by now and the rain was lashing down. I couldn’t see where the sky ended and the sea began, it was just blackness ahead. Oh well, if something is out there lit up at least I‘ll see it I thought! G being the ever - resourceful sailor threw the bucket to me and after about 20 minutes things calmed down. Pelangi got a much - needed shower and we had collected enough rainwater for a few showers too!! Once again the sun rose and we got our first sighting of the Perhentian Islands. What made everything the sweeter was that a rainbow appeared in front of us and we sailed (or motored!) into Malaysian waters as a rainbow passed through a rainbow (Pelangi is Malaysian for rainbow). It was as if she was being welcomed home!!

We left the islands after a few days for our final destination; a nice marina in Terengganu, about 1/3 of the way down the Malaysian East Coast. Of course, our final hour was also filled with drama as once again a squall hit us as we were approaching the harbour entrance after a morning’s motoring. But this time it was daylight and although we weren’t 100% sure of the entrance we ventured in slowly and found a safe place to anchor close to the marina berths. We looked like drowned rats and to be honest it seemed like a soggy and slightly disappointing end to what had turned out to be quite an adventure.

So, we are safe and well (and now nicely dried off and warm again!!) and learned much about Pelangi and ourselves during our 8-day, 500 nautical mile voyage. We’ll probably spend some time ashore now waiting for better wind and weather conditions (although, as we now know, you can never really tell!!) and still have a wee something in the “Captains Locker” to crack open on Christmas Day!!

We hope you all enjoy your Christmases whether on the beach, in the garden, in a bar, on the sea or (in Our Bev’s case) in front of a log fire, and wish you safe journeys and fairwinds for the coming year.
Cheers then

Capts. J and G