02°39.39N 101°26.41E

9/5 1200LT

Wind 8kn SE

 

Singapore to Yangon for a makeover, cleanup and new topsides paint colour. After 4 years, the “Kermit Green” nickname still applies – “It’s not easy being green...”

 

 

Finally cast off from Raffles Marina, Singapore yesterday morning at 1100 after an 8 month lay-up.

Plenty of pre-departure work in last week after so long at the dock, a quick initiation on the work involved for the two newbies on board. Also had to bring on a ton of stuff for the makeover. Joining us for this trip is RSYC – Klang’s big boss Malcolm Elliot because between his yacht being on the hard now for too long, and too much time in the office organising Regattas including the Raja Muda, he needed a taste of the sea again. He’ll be jumping ship at Telaga. Rogerio the ever enthusiastic crew of Applejack in the CYCA’s twilite series, his first time at sea but being Portugese we expect him to know how to cook, so of course he’s welcome! And rounding out for entertainment value, and his understated offshore and big yacht experience (including Jim Clark’s Athena), is Seaman 1st Class, Yachtmaster Ocean, Morale Officer and plenty of other qualifications not suitable for printing Luke “Silky” Salkowski, and his wife Aimee for her first offshore and long passage experience.

 

Day 1. Just over 24 hrs out now abeam of Lumut/Klang, usual thunderstorms last night around midnite. Plenty of lightning but wind squalls no greater than 15 kn. Motoring only so far with the typical light winds for here. Hoping to get some reasonable sailing conditions over next two days N of Pangkor.

Otherwise everyone settling in, and the usually over-excited euphoria (mostly of the uninitiated) of departure already being replaced by the subdued, sleep deprived, overhung and generally exhausted peace and quiet more usually experienced on passage...

 

SJB