Phang Nga Bay and Koh Racha Yai
Marita3
Mark & Helen Syrett
Thu 24 Jan 2013 04:36
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Since the New Year we have been exploring some of
the islands further north but not until we had celebrated Oscar's 14th birthday
at Phi Phi Don.
 We went to Railay and spent a few days there. It is
a lovely place but unfortunately plenty of other people think so too,
including a vast number of Russians and Japanese who have taken to
Thailand in a big way as a major holiday area.
We dinghied to some of the neighbouring
beaches
 and went ashore in the evening for
sundowners
 this photgraph was taken in the early morining and
shows karsts (tall rocks) around the beach that are climbed day and night--- a
big sport here.
 Chinese lanterns are lit on the beach at
night
 We then sailed north to Koh Hong, a group of small
islands that are within the National Park. We had to anchor in deep water (25
metres) and dinghied ashore.
 The rocks formed a small lagoon but as it was some
distance from Krabi there were far fewer tourist boats.
The wind turned to the south east and we had a
rather uncomfortable night so as the tides were ideal (high water springs at
midday) we set forth for the shallower water further North in James Bond
country. Spectacular scenery.
 We did not actually visit the Bond island but could
see it in the distance----apparently literally thousands visit each day,
including the Russians! The water in this area is cloudy and shallow, mostly
about 5 to 7 metres at high water. We stopped for the night at Ko Phanak,
an island that has an amazing internal lagoon which was actually an enormous
cave that meandered right into the middle of island. Very dark and easy to get
lost especially as the channels forked off in different directions. Another
tourist hotspot but as we arrived towards the end of the afternoon most boats
had departed
 unfortnately it was so dark the photographs did not
come out but there were stalactites and bats
 We then returned to the Yachthaven marina to
reprovision. We had a nightmare going into the marina with a strong tail wind
and tide running down between the pontoons making any turn to come along side a
pontoon near nigh impossible. After abandoning the first attempt at the last
moment when we lost all steerage we manged to turn the boat and with aid of
marina staff in a dinghy we got alongside without damage to ourselves or the
neighbouring boat---phew!!
We agreed to meet up with Camelot at Ao Chalong so
we sailed down there by which time the winds had increased to
about 20 knots from the North east and East. We
found a very secure anchorage (Panwa Bay), having been told that the moorings
were not to be trusted.
A visit to Ko Racha Yai was next on the itinerary
and we sailed the 13 miles with Camelot in a brisk easterly.
There are two islands and we are anchored off the
Northern island in a very sheltered bay.
 a view from the beach where there is a 5*
resort hotel, hence the very useful floating pontoon
 and interesting company at night on the
anchorage
 and some other beaches within walking distance
across the island
  After three days we are still at Ko Racha
Yai!
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