Pangkor by daylight
Fleck
Wed 30 Mar 2011 10:52
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Last night P Rimau 5:14.811N
100:16.703E
Tonight, Pangkor Marina Island 4:12.681N
100:36.065E
30th March
Trying to keep a little momentun, now, but stopping
to chat to other sailors is always bad: everyone is full of gloom about the
weather, and I seem to be the only boat this week that hasn't run into
some really nasty stuff. Sorry to have left Penang so quickly, it is a great
place to just wander round, soaking up the atmosphere of the different Quarters,
and this time I visited Fort Cornwallis: where the Brits made their mark,
courtest of one Francis Light: the bastard son of a Suffolk Squire and one of
his village girls, and a Museum: a restored mansion, showing how the
prosperous Perankans (Straits Chinese) lived a century ago. And their glasswear
came from: Stourbridge! a huge collection, in art deco style.Yes, Wordsley
really was part of the Jewel of the Orient.
Very pleased to be out of the rock and roll marina
however: it is so convienient for the 'Old Town', but so uncomfortable and
dirty. Seems that the four shot dead sailors put in here at Christmas:
all the staff remember them because their boat got damaged, and they created a
big stink, threatening to sue all and sundry.
My clever stop strategy worked very well last
night, maybe I should advise Lewis Hamilton! I got clear of Penang Island and
the second road bridge works in daylight, and spent the evening in a very
peaceful anchorage where I had supper and three hours sleep. My mobile woke
me at midnight, and despite an ominous bank of cloud, we set off south.
Generally the wind and waves were ok and we motored and motorsailed at 4kts
which was the plan. 10 to 15 min cat naps with the kitchen timer, depending on
the density of fishing boats, and it was dawn in no time. The weather cleared up
and the wind dropped and later came in from the north, we reached Pangkor Island
at 16.30: an hour ahead of time.As mentioned above three other arrivals today,
all with tales to tell. Hope my luck holds. I came in here last year in the dead
of night: daylight is certainly preferable, and the marina building work is
slowly progressing, but still no showers
The Pangkor Island trawler fleet was steaming
out as I came in: an impressive sight. I counted more that 40, each is
about 45/50 feet long. They are of identical design, wooden, and all painted
rather similar colours: blue and green predominantly. There is a command pod,
like an prison observation tower, perched on top of everything. I reckon that
there is a crew of eight or nine. Each has some sort of decoration at the bow,
with bright paintwork. What struck me is how are these things organised? There
has to be someone in charge?, stop them all trying to fish in the best spot? It
also struck me that Trawler Captains must be just about as herdable as Surgeons.
And can anybody have a go? I suspect not. So many social structures we know
nothing about. I wave gaily at the pods, but never an acknowledgement in return:
whatever, you keep well clear of these things after dark!
Tomorrows very provisional plan is to
explore the Sembilan Islands, ten miles south of here, and leave from there
for the Port Klang area in the early hours of whatever day it will be by then!
May just get a weather forecast first, though! My friends Peter and Cathy are
still in Langkawi: do they have an engine? do they actually have sails under
their nice sail covers?!
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