can we help
+44(0)1983 296060
+1 757-788-8872
tell me moreJoin a rally

Menu

Firefly - Close reaching back to Phuket



It is Wednesday 24th February 2016, our 26th Wedding Anniversary and Firefly is taking us southwards back to Phuket, Thailand. Early yesterday we left Surin after spending 6 very enjoyable days there. The winds in these parts are very fickle and of the 50 miles we traveled, Firefly was sailing for about half of the time, the other half the engine was on as well - either the wind was too light or coming from head on.

En route we stopped at Koh Taichia for a break and as we reached the island the onshore wind picked up to about 15 knots and the water off the glorious beach was really choppy. This deserted island attracts daytime tourists in large numbers and there were upwards of 20 passenger speedboats all bobbing about have disgorged their clients who we could see on the beach, several hundred of them. The water is crystal clear and away from the other boats, we managed to find a large sandy patch and anchored in about 10 meters. Once we were confident Firefly was holding firmly, we grabbed our snorkel gear, jumped in off the pitching stern and headed over to the nearby coral bommies. The combination of the sand, coral and the clear water was beautiful but the chop made it uncomfortable. The snorkeling was therefore short lived and after managing to get back on board, the anchor came up and we were off again while there was wind.

The destination was Koh Miang, one of the Similan Islands, where we had previously spent several nights. Our original plan had been to sail down the mainland coast as we returned to Phuket but instead we chose the island route as we were keen to re visit places we had been before. There were a number of other sailing yachts, one large 'gin' palace, Sapphire, and 2 or 3 live aboard dive boats in the anchorage when we arrived. we recognised most of the yachts as there are not that many that travel north and we had seen them in Phayam or Surin while we were there. Sapphire was noticeable not just because of her size but because of her flag and one of her 'toys'. On consulting our book, the well named 'Landfalls of Paradise', complete with a compendium of flags, we discovered she was from the Marshall Islands way out in the Pacific - surely a flag of convenience.

Anchoring in the channel between Koh Miang and Koh Hok as before we were able to have one more swim in what we later referred to as the 'ultimate aquarium'. Deep, totally clear water near the granite shore of Hok, it was better than we remembered and it had definitely been the right choice to come back again. There is very little coral here but the massive granite boulders, littered about randomly are very dramatic and there is abundant marine life. We watched a Hawksbill Turtle who was unfazed by humans and an Octopus who was considerable less relaxed, hiding under a rock, peeping out every now again to see if we had gone. Back on board, as the sun set and the full moon rose over Koh Hok we were treated to an air display by the helicopter drone from Sapphire. Possible on an evening photo shoot, it flitted over the islands and then hovered by the boat before landing on the aft deck.

Our month in the islands north of Phuket was over and with a forecast of strong winds in 48 hours time, it was time to head back to Phuket and to re stock our supplies as some of the essentials have run out. Today, the wind was forecast to die away to nothing by about Midday. It had gone by 1130 and at that point the engine came on and stayed on for the second half of the trip. Firefly's anchor had been raised at about 0730 and the wind was between 8 and 10 knots for the first half of the 45 mile passage. The conditions were surprisingly favorable; on a close reach, the fastest point of sail in light winds, no waves apart from a ground swell coming in from behind us giving us the odd surge forward and a favorable current giving us a boost too.

Nai Yang Bay will be our first stop on Phuket, a place that we know from previous experience is good when the north east trades blow hard. Even when its windy, landing the dinghy is easy and as well as reports of a good supermarket we had already visited the excellent street market that opens on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Dinner out is also on the agenda for this evening in order to celebrate our 26 years of marriage and we have a good restaurant in mind. As Firefly sailed away from Similan this morning it was interesting to reflect that last year we had our Silver Wedding Anniversary in Akaroa, south of Christchurch, New Zealand and the one before that was on Isabella, one of the Galapagos Islands - its been an amazing trip so far!

Paul and Susie

Previous | Next