Chinese New Year, Phuket---before, during and after
Marita3
Mark & Helen Syrett
Sat 23 Feb 2013 10:02
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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.
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