Year 3 -6 January 2026 -AOPO Marina -Phuket -Thailand – Testing Day

We woke to a reasonable day and we had bacon and eggs for breakfast – as Keith Watson (Watty) was on board.

I had to meet the Immigration Agent at 9.00am to give her the passports to do our checkout from Thailand. She said that she should have the documents back tomorrow around 2.00pm.

Peter and Keith went through the grab bags (these are the items we take should we abandon ship). Puffin was moved out of the way for the rigger Francis to come. Paul then went up to the top of the pole to look at the fitting and we decided to put a halyard on the top of the pole so we could bring it down which we did. It came down gradually and we laid it on deck.

The man who put the rubber on the davits came and sealed each side which looked good. Francis, the rigger, came about 13.40 and we had prepared slips so we could leave the berth fairly promptly.

Once we were ready we slipped the lines and motored out of the marina and anchored about half a mile away behind two motorboats. The reason we did this was so that when you anchor you normally lie to the wind so if you are putting up the sails you will be into the wind and the sails will not fill with wind.  

We went to anchor and which was a proper test of the windlass and we put out 50m of chain and held well. It seemed that the anchor windlass was working well.

Francis was working on a fitting at the base of the mast to which the vang fitting connects. I think it is steel and the mast is aluminium. In order to prevent corrosion there is a gasket between the two and this looked old and was fraying a little. Francis was trying to take this off bit the screws were securely fastened and they were proving difficult to remove.

I decided to try the water maker which meant turning on the generator and I turned on the water marker but annoyingly the new gauge did not work so I could not operate it properly. B annoying so I got straight on to the engineer and he said he would send his team tomorrow morning. Two steps forward one step back!!

Whilst Francis was working on the mast panel we decided to get up the genoa and it look 3-4 of us to lift the bag out of the saloon and we got the sail out. It goes up a groove in the foil and so we had to attach the top to a shackle and then monel wire the shackle (wind the wire round so the shackle cannot turn) as if it came undone it could be very difficult. We attached the bottom as well and gradually began to raise it and once it was fully raised we were able to furl it in using the furler. I then had to sort out the halyard at the mast end and its bespoke fitting.

We then did the same really with the staysail and before long we had the two foresails raised and furled.

Francis was finding the releasing of the screws quite difficult at the mast so we decided to raise the anchor and get to the right angle to bring out and try the main. It came out and went back in well but there is still a little creasing. Francis could not really help with this.

I decided we would return to the marina and our berth. We eased in and moored up well. Francis carried on working and I suggested to the crew to go for a swim and relax. They could not help any more. I stayed with Francis and he managed to get the bracket off and then used a rubber insole to protect it. He got all the screws back bar 2 where he said the brass inserts were not there. By this time it was almost dark and once he left I had a shower and a shave.

I wondered up to the bar and restaurant and found the crew enjoying themselves and I could finally join in. W had another good supper and chatted.

There are a number of things to resolve tomorrow but hopefully we will manage it and be able to move on. We may, however, have to stay another day. Let’s hope not.         

 The picture of the day is what was behind the bracket that Francis took off. Luckily it has now been resolved.  

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