Admiral Marina Port Dixon to Pangkor Marina Island

Gaviota
Sun 4 Dec 2016 08:07
04:12.719N 100:35.541E

We left Admiral Marina 10.00am on Sunday, 20th November and did the first stage of the 150 mile journey to our next stop Pangkor Marina Island.  Most of the Rally boats had already left as Rally activities were due to start on Monday 21st.
 
Our first day was mainly motor sailing but we did manage a couple of hours of sailing, we actually had a good wind but for the most part it was dead against us so sailing was impossible.  Our first night’s anchorage was in a creek just off the main entrance to the huge port of Klang (the Malaysian equivalent of Harwich in UK). 
 
Early start on Monday, 21st and another long day motor sailing to our next stopping point which we reached just before dark, surrounded by fishing boats we anchored just off the main channel in the huge mouth of a river.  Boat traffic was constant through the night so we left every light on that we had – there were too many reports of yachts being rammed in the night and even attacks by fishermen wielding knives, not a place to hang around!
 
We left 8.00am Tuesday, 22nd and motored into a glassy sea the last 27 miles to Pangkor Marina Island.
 
All was going well as we neared Pangkor Marina then I noticed that the engine temperature gauge was on red!!!  Syd sprung into action and turned the engine off.  At that point we had been about to drop the mainsail but we left it up and drifted.  Luckily the sea was flat and there suddenly was no boat traffic around so out came all the tools and Syd disappeared into the engine.  On we drifted.  The problem was the fan belt for the alternator which just happened to be in about the most awkward position it could be in the engine.  After a lot of swearing and sweating he managed to put on a new fan belt (last spare!).  By this time the wind had started to pick up and we were making 3 knots (current with us) with just the mainsail up, we rolled out the genoa and sailed into the anchorage outside the Marina.  The Marina was full so it was the only option.
 
The Rally had organized a bus trip to a Mall for provisioning and a visit to 3 hardware shops (very sensible and obviously a very popular trip for all the yachties!).  Then in the evening there was a wonderful buffet with live band and free beer which was put on by James the owner of Pangkor Marina which turned into an excellent night.