Pulau Paya: racing for buoys.
Fleck
Mon 28 Mar 2011 01:09
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Recent position P Paya, 6:03.9N
100:02.753E
Current Position, Tanjung City Marina, Penang,
5:24.854N 100:20.641E
27th March 2011
Set off yesterday from Langkawi with everything
ship shape, Bristol fashion, plus 15 metres of brand new 16mm black
nylon mooring warp: I was headed for Penang Marina, with fearsome surges
from the adjacent car ferry dock, and where multiple mooring lines pay big
dividends.
Quite a stormy day, with appreciable wind for the
first time for ages, and heavy rain. But no more procrastination:lets go. Last
minute advice from the dock experts: try taking the Diving School mooring off
Pulau Paya: you can rest up for the night and be in Penang during daylight the
next day. Having previously arrived in Penang at midnight I could see the big
advantage of this, so I went cap in hand to the Dive school, and was given
permission to use their mooring buoy, and was even given a little map of little
P Paya with the buoy marked. It's a marine protected park, no anchoring on the
coral, such as it is, it is the only coral for miles in these northerly parts.
Thus armed I set off with up to 15 kts of wind behind me, sailing for the first
time for months. An enjoyable trip until I began to close the little Island of
Palau (that means island) Paya: out on my starboard side I was being rapidly
overhauled by a large yacht steaming along with his engine on. Paranoia set in
at once: he is going to try and get there first, he knows there is only one
buoy, he is going to steal it from me! I mouthed a lusty barrage of abuse as he
eased clear ahead, and as I waved cheerily from about 4 cables distance. Fifteen
minutes later we rounded up under the lee of the Island, where we
discovered three nice big soft plastic mooring buoys, none occupied. The dive
schol buoy was a huge metal device: to be avoided at all costs by yachts which
are allways colliding with their mooring buoys as the currents, tides, and winds
orchestrate a merry dance. Big boy did of course choose the most protected
mooring, but her crew was then kind enough to come over in their towed dinghy to
help me tie up, The skipper didn't let on whether he knew about these new
uncharted moorings or not, but best of friends now, and we congratulated each
other on our chosen strategy for the Penang approach.
The second days leg of 50 miles was quite
uneventful, the usual Straits weather of 0-10 kts of variable wind, engine on,
4.5 kts over the ground, an 11 hour daylight run. Nice weather, no
thunderstorms. Directed to a berth in Tangung City Marina, always a difficult
tie up with the surging current, and I didn't notice till the first lines were
secured that I was next to Big Boy, Its such a small world, but of course I kept
all thoughts of littleness to myself. In the night his still lowered
towed dinghy swung round and its big outboard slammed my topsides. So
up I was securing it to a cleat on the dockside using an ostentateously
large knot, under the moonlight.
Tomorrow I have to go and check in, so that I may
check out the day after! My cunning plan this time is to steal a few miles by
leaving late afternoon and anchoring out under the lee of P Rimau. This will get
me beyond the poorly marked 'second crossing' mainland bridge construction
work, and out into clear water with 65 miles to the next thundersrtorm proof
harbour. Starting to wonder if the anchorage will turn out to be big enough
for me, big boy, and big boy's dinghy.
PS Good manners, concern for harmonious European
relationships, and fear of my wife all conspire to prevent me from disclosing
the Nationality of 'Big Boy'.
PPS two bonus points if you spotted scouting for
girls. The next round is Mornington Crescent.
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