06:11.23 n

099:40.7 e

 

Sunday 11 nov Penang to The Fjord, Langkawi. 55nm

 

We motored and motor sailed all the way back from Penang to the superb Fjord anchorage SW Langkawi.

We had a little tangle with some pair trawlers which cost us about 10 significant minutes. We had noted the trawlers ahead of us and calculated they were to cross our projected path with plenty of room for us to pass safely astern clearing any gear they may be trailing, so we relaxed only to look up and find that they had crossed our path and then stopped! all their trailing gear was now in our path. Fishermen stood on the back of the nearest trawler looking at us. We noted they had a lot of lines on floats and we changed course to clear them about 1/4 mile behind but suddenly I saw a very thick floating rope which we had no choice but to sail right over (engine in neutral). we stared helplessly as the rope slid under the keel and miraculously stayed below the skeg and rudder and appeared behind us.  now, was the rope connected to the other trawler? we didn’t see anything else but who knows? why they had to stop right there is also a mystery. honestly I think they are totally oblivious to other sea traffic and just let everyone deal with the consequeces.

we approached Langkawi with a huge angry black storm cloud fast-approaching. unfortunately we were about 10 minutes too late and had to anchor in gusty winds and torrential rains, but made it safely nevertheless.

We stayed 2 largely peaceful nights here anchored next to Pat and Tony on Full Flight, only marred by the continual noise from a French-canadian boat whose noisy antics (wake boarding with the dinghy, kids arguing, mum whooping and shouting at the kids etc) echoed around this nature-filled spot.