Graptolite - Welding the Team

Graptolite's Sailing Log
Martyn Pickup & Heike Richter
Sun 11 Jan 2009 02:56
07:49.25N 098:21.25E Chalong Bay, Phuket, Thailand Sunday 11th January AM

Now all fully crewed with Colin and Leon now back onboard we had a fine
cruise around Phang Nga Bay and did some 'cave boating' in the dinghy. The
sea caves here are real caves with stalactites and everything and with a bit
of hunting around you can usually find one to paddle into with a torch for a
few hundred metres until popping out into a big open space in the hollow
centre of the island.

We had the usual feast of giant shrimp on the barbie for dinner and then we
were back in Chalong Bay to clear out to go to Sri Lanka.

After a last night out ashore the weather had blown up and Bonnie ended up
submerged after unsuccessfully boarding the bouncing dingy (1). Returning to
where we had left Grapto in the crowded anchorage we found she had dragged
her anchor some distance but cleverly managed to miss other boats on the way
(2). After re-anchoring, the bracket holding the engine alternator on
snapped off and our current problem is where to find a welder who will do a
house-call on a Sunday (3).

Problems with this boat usually come in threes and always seem to happen at
night in howling wind.