Chinese New Year, Phuket---before, during and after

Marita3
Mark & Helen Syrett
Sat 23 Feb 2013 10:02
Before Chinese New Year we rested at Ko Racha Yai for a few days and snorkelled and enjoyed the beach restaurant.
and buffalo inland
We sailed to Panwa Bali beach anchorage where there was a mix of boats from many different countries including England.
There was a fringing reef,
some lovely sunsets
and beautiful crab markings in the sand.
We went to the west coast of Phuket but this time went further north to Patong as the pilot book said there was a good jetty that could be used by dinghies---we were becoming rather fed up with getting soaked very time we went ashore.
Ashore was also interesting. A very full beach during the day
a frenetic night life with a full range of offerings
all mixed in with Macdonalds, KFC and Banks.
Chinese lanterns were lit on the beach every night and we found one in the rigging one morning-----that was what caused the smell of burning on the boat the night before!! A narrow escape as it could easily have fallen onto the mainsail or bimini.
Back to Panwa Bali to receive Henry's in-laws on board----Kirk and Alannah. The weather was too windy on the first day and we aborted the attempt to sail to PPDon after one hour motor sailing into 22 knots and a very uncomfortable sea. Not good news for the first day. The second day gave us some lovely sailing to Ko Racha Yai and K and A soon settled into life on board. Kirk found the helm very similar to the steering wheel of his vintage Bentley.
A good sail to Nai Harn to meet up with HORKs (Henry, Livie, Rufus and Kit) where we anchored off the beach. The villa that Henry and friends were staying in was about 10 minutes away and some of their friends joined us on board for swimming---the ''boys''
swimming (Henry and Rufus, Hamish and Jimmy)
and the following day a daysail to Ko Racha Yai including the ''girls''-----Livie and Kat.
The villa was great and we enjoyed the hot showers with unlimited water and delicious suppers
although we had to brave beach landings and launchings in the dinghy---none too successful!
With everyone back in Singapore we returned to Yachthaven Marina to clean the boat and reprovision in readiness for Lucy's (Helen's youngest sister) arrival----and to replace the cockpit dodger that Mark failed to dodge when diving through it!
Lucy arrived and was soon into the sailing life
although the next morning when we were 20 minutes out from the marina there was a dreadful noise from the propeller so we anchored and Mark went down under--- a successful retrieval of some old fishing net, bindings and floats that were wrapped around it.