Traveler is Still in Thailand
Hi, Everyone,
We are still at the Royal Phuket Marina in Thailand, even though we checked out of Customs and Immigration over a week ago and started to leave for our next country. As some of you know and other may have guessed, our engine failed, again, this time as we were departing this marina and heading for Sri Lanka, so we had to drop anchor and have the mechanics dinghy out to the boat. They determined it was (after fixing the boat already twice before) a faulty fuel pump after all and fortunately were able to fix it, but after another three days of delay. Then, as we pulled up anchor to leave the second time, our windlass failed. It has been one problem after another since Dili, East Timor. So we bought a new anchor windlass for about $1,500 and it will be installed this morning. We hope to be on our way today with the noon high tide, and if not today then tomorrow for sure.
Right now I am a cafe with wifi that is one of Thailand’s top 20 restaurants listening to classical music and having a wonderful breakfast at sunrise, while Barbara, Brian and Brandon are sleeping in. The carpenter and electrician to complete the windlass installation are due to arrive in a couple of hours. I’m catching up on my emails and then we will do one (hopefully) final provision to buy fresh fruit, veggies and bread. We love this place–gorgeous islands and beaches, great food, friendly people, fabulous weather–but it’s time to move on, while the NE monsoon winds are still favorable, especially if we are going to see the Med this Spring and Summer.
Our revised schedule over the next six or seven weeks is now:
Phuket, Thailand–hopefully depart today
Galle, Sri Lanka
The Maldives
Salalah, Oman
Aden, Yemen (through the Gulf of Aden where all the pirate attacks have been happening)
Eritrea
The Sudan
Egypt
Suez Canal, we expect by the end of March
However, as the saying goes for us yachties, “Man makes plans, and God just laughs.” I don’t know why I even make planned itineraries with expected dates anymore because nothing has gone according to plan yet on this voyage. Nevertheless, we’re still in Southeast Asia, alive and well, and,
Livin’ the Dream,
Michael and Barbara