After months of seeming endless preparations Meniscus and I have left Phuket on the start of my trip and completed the well travelled route down to Langkawi with 2 guests on board, Helen and Cassandra Tan. We stopped in Kho Racha, Kho Rawi and Kho Lipe in The Butangs and then Telaga Harbour and finally Kuah. It was a mixed trip starting out with light wind in sunny conditions and finishing in squally and stormy days from the Butangs with winds of up to 30 knots gusting 35 at times. There have been a few inevitable teething problems with Meniscus but nothing serious. With any luck I will set off from here early with the intention of completing the next 2 legs and have a bit more time Johor Beru/Singapore – if weather permits.
Helen and Cassandra are novice sailors and this was not the nicest trip for people who have never been on a boat before. I must say it was a pleasure having them on board, they did really well, completing their Competent Crew practical courses and an Essential Navigation Theory Courses.
Here is what they say about their trip:
Leg 1 of the cruise to the Philippines – Phuket to Langkawi
Written by Helen and Cassandra Tan
We left Phuket on the start of my trip to the Philippines on the well travelled route down to Langkawi with 2 guests on board, Helen and Cassandra Tan.
Because of potential bad weather in the future we took the most direct route via Kho Racha, Kho Rawi and Kho Lipe in The Butangs and then Telaga Harbour and finally Kuah.
It was a mixed trip starting out with light wind in sunny conditions and finishing in squally and stormy days from the Butangs with winds of up to 30 knots gusting 35 at times. There have been a few inevitable teething problems with Meniscus but nothing serious. With any luck I will set off from here early with the intention of completing the next 2 legs and have a bit more time Johor Beru/Singapore – if weather permits.
Helen and Cassandra are novice sailors and this was not the nicest trip for people who have never been on a boat before. I must say it was a pleasure having them on board, they did really well, completing their Competent Crew practical courses and an Essential Navigation Theory Courses.
To see what they say about their trip click below and read on:-
Phuket to Langkawi – by Helen and Cassandra
“Sailing from Cape Panwa in Phuket to Kuah Town in Langkawi – 2 September to 7 September”
“We travelled 168 nautical miles from Cape Panwa in Phuket to Bass Harbour and Kuah Town in Langkawi, passing kho Racha, Kho Rawi, Kho Lipe in the Butangs group.”
“It was a very exciting trip as we sailed through sunny, non-windy motoring conditions to stormy rainy days. We did 10 hours of nights sailing. Waking up and starting on the second day at 0300 am was bit tiring but we took turns taking naps so that someone was on watch all the time while sailing. At night the sky was cloudy but clear enough to see the Meniscus Moon and Venus, the brightest star.”
“Getting to know the toilet system was very interesting! We also learned that fresh water is very vital for the vessel and crew and saving water was being strictly practiced. This was something very useful and made us realise that we have wasted too much water daily at home.”
“Captain Marks cooking skills were awesome and we loved his Thai dishes very much. Whenever it was meal time he would ask what we would like and we often chose noodle soup, a stir fried or a curry.”
“The navigation course was fun! Mark guided us through the syllabus very effectively. As a one to one lesson from the skipper it felt easy to learn rather than having an instructor teaching us in a conventional way in a class room. We were so hyped up plotting positions using the RYA training charts that we worked through the questions till well past midnight – we finished at 0100 am!!”
“Most importantly we learned to disconnect from all electronics, social networks and media. We started off feeling bored and annoyed without it but it has been a great time to relax and release stress. Without the stress we actually feel better, our skin, especially our faces look much more vibrant and nourished.”
After their trip Helen wrote again :-
“It was great sailing with you! We loved the experience. Although it took us 5 days to get adjusted back to the non-rocking world, we are missing the all day on the boat time! I’m really happy with the course being taught through the more practical way and you were right in recommending us to do the 7-day cruise. Had we chosen to complete the course in two sails, we wouldn’t have learned what we had learned from the continuous 7-day cruise. Also, now I understand what you meant by being out in the sea and being disconnected from the world every once in a while. I felt more relaxed getting back at work, as a matter of fact, my colleagues told me that I look more refreshing after coming back. I guess the mind needs a bit of break every now and then, particularly a break from the reality to a non-stressful distraction-free environment.
Oh forgot to tell you, although I’m back and swamped with work now, I can’t help but miss the times on the boat every day, I can imagine going for another sail very soon with Cassandra. Anyway, thanks for the good times and I will upload the videos and photos and send you the link as soon as I get the time.”
