Happy Christmas everyone!

Rudely woken this morning to the sound of wind and rain blowing in through the open hatches. Quite a squall.

The Christmas BBQ last night was a great feast of meat and rice produced by James (owner of the Marina) along with side dishes prepared by the yachties. I made a red cabbage salad and Diana took some Christmas bunting thoughtfully brought out from an Xmas fair at home.

The do was very well attended, with hosed down sailors emerging from the depths of their boats like minors blinking in the sun. Some we recognised from bumping into them by the toilet block, or using their specialist skills-fit Nick the electrician and large Gary who can weld stainless and is going to adjust the ladder for missing teak thickness. Shah was in charge of beer distribution -no-one was allowed an empty can standing before them. We talked mostly to Mike and Michelle who have taken on a blind purchase here having decided they needed to get back on the water after years away.  They sold a house in Spain )but still have 3 in Sweden) and the boat was not much but they are beginning to realise there is no such thing  as a cheap yacht. The work needed is daunting and dainty Michelle is gamely scrubbing sanding and painting all the inaccessible spaces while Mike puzzles the out the chopped off wiring.  Mike is proud that we has never had more the $3000  in is bank account having left Tonbridge school without doing exams and blagging his way around the world – settling in Sweden after a friend gave him a job. Michelle now gets a medical pension for a condition but has to return to Sweden for 6 months a year to collect.

We await our new linear drive from Cactus Marine-could be here on the 28^th and if it work could set sail except-

Our trip around the island Friday/sat was very enjoyable with nice weather and a calm anchorage. The bay we overnighted in overlooked by an unfinished hotel complex being swallowed by the jungle. A lone security guard with a hungry looking alsation told us that it was going to be resurrected in a couple of years but by then I wonder if the jungle will have absorbed it completely. The guard warned us that there were wild pigs along the beach one way and snakes ‘like anaconda’ the other. No doubt trying to discourage exploration. Large jelly fish discouraged Diana from swimming there.

Unfortunately the gearbox oil had also been absorbed when we got back to the marina- Zaman informed and will look on our return from Georgetown.

I need to pack my bag from our trip to Penang- taxi to bus station arriving shortly.

As a c

Best Wishes

Adam

Adam Power C.Eng MICE.

51 Crown St, Banham,

Norwich NR16 2HW

Tel 01953 660281

adam {CHANGE TO AT} adampower {DOT} co {DOT} uk