Year 2 -13 December 2025 –Phuket -Thailand

It is my youngest daughter’s birthday today so happy birthday to Rosanna.

 After a hearty breakfast I got the 10.00am boat to AOPO Marina. This is a 20-minute blast across the channel between Khao Yai Yai (at about 20+ kts) and the marina passing some of the small islands off Phuket on the way. Stormbird was on the hard with Sammarine Men crawling all over her. They were sanding her bottom and polishing the hull etc. It was good to see on a Saturday they were working hard. They were also getting Puffin down – the pram dinghy which needs some tlc in terms of varnishing so they have taken it away to do.

I met Francis the Rigger who was actually French and had lived here for 11 years and he enjoys it here compared to France. I showed him the gooseneck and boom fittings and he will take off and check and change spacers etc. I also showed him the chaffed Staysail halyard and he suggested he go up the mast to have a look to see if he can see why it is chaffing.

We therefore got out the bosuns chair which we attach to halyards and unfortunately the winches at the mast are not electric so I had to wind Francis up the mast which is quite a workout. Due to sanding going on both sides we had to use our mobile phones to communicate when he was up the mast!. He came down and said he could not see anything so he wanted to take out the wheel that the halyard goes round to see more inside. Therefore with his tools this was another haul up the mast. He could not see anything wrong so he came down and suggested we took out the halyard and we would need to tie what is called a mousing line (thin line) to the halyard and pull it through so when we want to put the halyard back then we can pull it back through the mast again we can use the mousing line.

Francis went up a third time to put the wheel back and once he came down we attached the mousing line which got stuck somewhere. It then rained so we waited and once done Francis went up a fourth time and cleared the sticking of the line. By this time it was 15.45pm (we started at 10.30am) and we had not stopped for lunch but just the odd glass of water. I had to go as the last boat went at 4.00pm. I ran for the boat and got it. Francis managed to get the halyard down and out which he will take away to be shortened.  At least we got that part done.

I returned to Santhiya and had a swim. I was quite tired from winding Francis up some 26 meters and being in the sun waiting on deck each time to bring him down.  

 The picture of the day is Stormbird with her bottom having been sanded.

 Need/Opportunity Year Three

In year three I will be going from Thailand to Sri Lanka, India, Maldives and then on to Mauritius, Reunion, Cape Town, St Helena, Azores and back to the UK. 

I am looking for crew from Mauritius/ Reunion Island to Cape Town and from Cape Town to the UK. If of any interest do email me.

The blog will continue as we continue the journey. If you have any comments or suggestions about the blog then do email me on hine.nick9@gmail.com