Time for a haircut

17^th June 2011

Following our 40 degree anchorage and midnight re anchorage, at 0600 the next morning we set sail with a pleasant ten knots of breeze for Ko Khlui N08 14.388 E098 38.492 Here we stayed for one night before making our way down to our planned anchorage at Ko Yao Noi N08 07.814 E098 37.675 While this is a very beautiful anchorage, there was a swell caused by recent winds and tides that made it rolly and uncomfortable. So after going ashore to clean the dinghy hulls on the nice sandy beaches, we set sail for calmer anchorage between Ko Yao Noi (north) and Ko Yao Yai (south).

While anchored at N08 05.119 E098 34.2 we took a long tail back to Ko Yao Noi and then hired a driver ($15) to take us in to the main village of the island and then around the island. 

Our limmo for the day

Waterside villa

Paul and I needed a haircut, and before long we found the village barber. $3.00 later we were looking a lot smarter, Paul even had an old fashioned cut throat shave included in the price. During our drive around the island we saw our first anchorage, this time from land. We all agreed that we had to come back to this island again, soon, it has a lot to offer, is very beautiful and the people are so very friendly.

The next morning we went ashore in our dinghy and explored Ko Yao Yai, hiring a driver for the same ($15) price to take us around this island. Almost everywhere near Phuket you will find rubber tree plantations. Being at least twice the size of Ko Yao Noi, Ko Yao Yai has a much larger rubber tree industry and our driver took us to family home where they were processing the raw rubber off the trees and turning it into rubber sheets ready for drying and then to become Bridgestone tyres or something.   

Our first ice cream for months

Even here on this small island, they love their motorsport. This bike has been stripped down to the bare minimum,
with only around a 100cc engine he did a wheel stand in 1st, 2nd & 3rd gears as he left the cafe.

More local transport

They mix a setting agent too the raw rubber that comes off the trees

After it has set they roll it a few times until it becomes a 1" sheet

They then hang the sheets out to dry

It was almost high tide at 1400, we needed to get going in order to make a safe passage over the shallow areas between the two islands. Making our way through this shallow passage saved us at least a days steaming around the bottom of Ko Yao Yai, however this meant that once the tide had turned the current and wind were against us for the rest of the shallow passage. This was unavoidable unless we made the voyage at night, so we put up with a slow run until we were well clear of Ko Yao Yai island and then set sail for Cathy’s favorite anchorage in this area, Ko Nakha Yai N08 03.258 E098 28.303. Here the water is quite clear and Cathy enjoys a swim, it is here that there is also the beach cocktail bar and polished timber restaurant.     

The next morning we made our way back to Ao Po, and anchored at our usual spot on the north side of Ao Po Grand Marina N08 04.294 E098 26.732. From here we access the marina and leave our dinghy safely tied up on the marinas jetty. We met with Peter, Lyn, Errol and Brad for dinner again at the Ao Po Grand Marina restaurant. Peter and Lyn kindly left their hire car for us to use the next day, this enabled us to do some shopping, pick up some spare parts, do some more shopping and take our outboard in to the doctors for a carby checkup.

With a couple of quotes in hand for re furbishing our interior timberwork, and one quote to re paint the deck and hull we decided to see if the tradesman at Yacht Haven marina were any cheaper. On Friday June 24^th we set sail for Yacht Haven Marina, we had a great sail almost all of the way and anchored outside the marina, quite close to the dinghy jetty at N08 10.110 E098 20.566 We stayed at this anchorage for two days while obtaining more quotes from the local trades. On Monday 27^th June we moved into pen B04 at Yacht Haven Marina and Marly and his team from Yachts Repair Co Ltd began work immediately, even before we had time to move off the yacht and into accommodation. Kay from the marina café offered us her apartment in the Yacht Haven Marina Guest House, we moved in at 1600 on Wednesday 29^th expecting to be off the boat for at least four weeks.

“Mandella II” was ready to go back in the water, after having all her timberwork re varnished and bottom re anti fouled. Cathy and I offered to give them a hand, as the channel from Boat Lagoon Marina is difficult at the best of times. Everyone we have spoken too suggests using the free of charge Pilot, which we wisely did. The Pilot comes out to meet you in his dinghy and you simply follow him in too or out of the marina. Almost all of the boat owners that have tried to navigate this channel without the Pilot, have run aground. We made a safe return back into the water and a safe passage back to Ao Po Grand Marina. Peter and Lyn stayed in Ao Po Grand Marina for a few days while they cleaned up their boat and re stored the pantry etc. They had hoped to steam up to Yacht Haven Marina in time for Mark’s birthday on 6^th July, however they only had to drive from Ao Po Grand Marina to Boat Lagoon Marina as "Mandella II" was not quite as ready as Peter wanted.

Generally our day to day chores are now quite different. Instead of cleaning, maintaining and sailing “Catcha Star”, we now spend our days gathering quotes, sourcing parts and picking up equipment and parts. In the evenings we are taking Thai lessons, in an attempt to improve our ability to communicate with the locals. Unlike Indonesia and Malaysia Thai people do not speak much English at all, even the children have little or no English and most of the signs are in Thai. Reading Thai however is another story, thank God for Google Translator. 


Yacht Haven Marina



The apartment room is ideal, with a view looking down onto “Catcha Star” in the marina. Down being the operative word, to get to the room from the boat we climb the gang plank up to land (very steep at low tide) then climb up three flights of stairs to the car park, then the half kilometer driveway has a 45% incline to the road. Once you make it to the road it’s a left turn and another half kilometer 30% climb up the road to the guest house driveway, the guest house driveway then has a 25% incline all the way to stairs that take us to the second story………

"Catcha Star" is in the left hand bottom corner of the marina

A room with a view and air conditioning is always very welcome. Having just made it back to the room from the boat, we will quite often receive a call from one of the tradesman. “You need us onboard”? “Okay, see you down there in a few minutes”. We always project enthusiasm when they need us onboard and we sleep like babies at night.

Poolside on Sunday is a popular spot for many Live Aboard's