Hard Work at the Boat Lagoon
JJMoon Diary
Barry and Margaret Wilmshurst
Tue 11 Jan 2011 03:51
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The most significant piece of news is that we have
decided to remain in this part of the world for another year. For one
thing we are not quite ready yet – there are important bits missing from the
engine, the generator does not work and there is trouble with the fridges.
Although it is quite possible that these will be rectified by the time we leave
the marina in about week there will be only another week remaining before
our friends leave with the Thailand to Turkey convoy. To head off for
nearly 3,000 miles across the ocean towards the Maldives and Oman, without
sufficient time to work up, seems too risky. Secondly we are increasingly
attracted to the things we might do here. We shall see whether anybody
would like to visit us for a spot of tropical sailing, we might join a rally
voyaging up the east coast of Malaysia and across to the north of Borneo, we
could make a flying visit to friends in Australia and of course we shall hope to
go home for a few weeks, perhaps in August/September. It begins to look
like an attractive programme.
 Looks like seven workers
on board.
It has all been happening on and around JJ Moon.
Mr Samran and his men have done as good a job on the hull and the cast iron keel
as has ever been achieved.
  A small repair to the
hull (early stages) and our shiny new windlass and newly sanded
deck.
  Mr Samran arrived with
garlands prior to our re-launch and JJ Moon was arrayed to ensure
a successful launch and a safe season.
Mr Phon has been giving the teak decks a major
makeover. The caulking has been routed out, all the teak plugs (hundreds)
have been removed, the screws driven home, plugs replaced, the caulking
renewed and the whole sanded off. It looks as good as new. The work
ethic is highly developed here. Mr Phon is a serious man and a fine
craftsman. His family and other employees arrive on time, work hard and
stay till the end of the working day. They take few days off.
  Phon and Nui
 Many hands to do meticulus
work
We decided to replace our tatty spray-hood and improve
it by providing a stainless steel frame with a grab handle along the trailing
edge. The best of the local stainless steel workers, Mr Sang, took
measurements and a cash deposit at 1500 on Christmas Eve. At 1500 on
Christmas Day the frame was delivered and fitted, with welds almost invisible,
the steel tubes apparently flowing into one another. Now we are chasing
Muzza the New Zealand canvas worker, also reckoned to be a brilliant exponent of
his trade.
The dinghy has had a new Hypalon tube bonded to the
aluminium alloy floor. Hypalon is a much better fabric than the original
PVC coated polyester and the bits and pieces are also of higher quality.
We now have a superior dinghy but at considerable cost, about which I am all
bitter and twisted.
Christmas was a little strange – with so few signs or
symbols about it was difficult to get engaged and to remember how different it
must have been back home. We had a quiet dinner with another couple in the
local Italian. New Year was more exciting; we were invited to a beach
party in the north of the island. The seafood was good, the company
interesting, the fireworks and firecrackers numerous and deafening and at about
midnight we launched our own hot air filled lantern to join the hundreds of
others drifting romantically out to sea.
  New Year festivities on
Nayang beach
 Preparing to float our
Chinese lantern assisted by Pamela
We are now back in the water. Launching off was an
operation infused with quiet drama – in the manner of a small funeral for a
highly respected citizen. We had been warned to be prepared for 1300 so it
was a bit of a surprise when at 1100 there was of roaring of diesel, the shadow
of the mighty hoist passed across the windows and the foreman’s special hat
appeared above the stern. “We hang you in the slings now. Go at one
o’clock.” “Oh, OK” The boat was swarming with deck workers, the
engineer was below and now the anti-fouling men came back to touch up the
patches where the cradle had supported the hull. At about 1200 everybody
disappeared for lunch and silence crept over the yard. After a bit I
climbed down the dodgy ladder and sat on a wall in the shade. The boat
hung, out of her element, giving a slight creak every now and again. At
1305 there was a general stirring and purposeful movement led by the fork
lift truck which was to remove the cradle and lumber. The uniformed team
walked determinedly towards their stations led by the foreman in his
special foreman’s suit and hat. The big diesel started with a roar and
belch of dirty smoke. The leviathan moved off accompanied by the tolling
of a dolorous warning bell. At the sound of the bell security guards
appeared from nowhere to pull temporary barriers across each end of the road to
prevent interference by dis-respectful traffic. At funereal pace the
cortege rolled solemnly towards the dock, the foreman leading under his hat,
each of the mighty wheels watched over by its own official guardian and the
owners close behind like chief mourners. Out over the dock and the
boat was lowered gently in the slings. Soon it was “Right, fire her
up Skip” (actually in Thai, but I got the message), our engineer leapt
below to ensure that the important bits fitted that morning did not leak, the
slings were unhitched and dragged ashore, lines were cast off and thumbs
raised all round. A nudge forward into gear and away we went towards our
newly allocated berth. JJ Moon was back in her
element.
 Travel
hoist foreman. |