So, we had arrived Mumbai and I checked into Hotel Elphinstone Annexe, est. 1946, an old colonial style building near the port on 149 P. D'Mello road. Not in the heart of Mumbai but close enough for comfort. The rooms were worn out but clean and had working hot water and A/C.
Our first day went in that we had lunch with Saini at the Balgi and then I took Jira to Crawford Market. From there she took the reins as it was shopping time. It was shoes. bags, clothes - the works. We even bought a light banderoll. Dinner we skipped and just rested at the hotel.
Dhobie Ghat laundry
Next day I went to the Gateway of India but as it started to rain heavily I treated Jira for breakfast at the Taj instead and from there we walked around Colaba picking up a bottle of Attar. Then I hired a taxi and we went to Chor Bazaar where we got a 3 different sizes of Nepalese bells. After this I showed her the Dhobie Ghat, Queen's Necklace, Malabar Hill and Jain temple with the silver doors and fittings. It was again raining heavily at the Hanging Gardens so we took the taxi back and got some lunch at Leopold's and at same time showed her the bullet holes from the 2008 terrorist attacks. After this we got the stuff back to the hotel and went for a movie (The Sorcerer's Apprentice).
Hotel Elphinstone
View from hotel
19th was the last day for Jira, we checked out of the hotel and went for breakfast at Mondegar Cafe and after this we went for Crawford Market to do some last minute shopping at Roopam's and looked for some fake jewellery. They were all quoting high prices so we just settled at looking at the beautiful creations that mostly was sold in bulk. After some time we went for a movie (Inception) to pass the time and after that an early dinner at Mondegar's again. Once having dined I asked a taxi to take me to the airport and he agreed.
Shopping in Mumbai
We sat in the taxi and he did not move. I asked the driver what was the problem, I got no reply only heard some indistinct muttering. He was parked some distance from the kerb and after awhile another car came and honked at him as he was in the way. He started the car and moved a bit so the other car could pass and then he stopped the engine. I got out of the taxi and asked the next one if he would deem to take us to the airport. He said "yes", so the driver, who couldn't decide whether to drive or not, lost a fare.
After a fair bit if driving we arrived the airprt that was congested as usual we lined up at the gate and I asked the police if I could escort Jira to the check-in and help her on the way. He said yes and off to the check-in counter we went. The personnel was perplexed as I was not going to fly. Apparently it is not allowed to escort people to the check-in counters. Well, check-in was done and I saw Jira off to the immigration queue and I went out of the airport. The police officer was the same and he let me out of the airport alright. I caught the same taxi-wala and went to Khargar to stay overnight at Saini's pad so we would go together in the morning onboard. My vacation was now truly over and the work and toil is looming ahead.
Next morning Richard picked us up again and on we went for the Padmanabhapuram Palace, the former capital of Kingdom of Travancore until it was moved to Thiruvanantapuram (Trivandrum). This palace is now in Tamil Nadu but is being administered by the Government of Kerala. The Palace entrance was lined with the usual sellers peddling everything from postcards to wooden carvings.
Stopped on the way to get some palm fruit, there was no wine
Our Ambassador taxi
The Palace is a huge complex of different rooms and audience halls made out of wood as well as a stone temple. The route is set by arrows and in many places there are guides that will reply to queries. Not sure if they speak English though as I had Richard ask them in Tamil. The floors were still in original condition and fully made out of natural materials such as coconut, burnt coconut husks (for color), egg whites, sugar and whatnot.
We walked through reception hall, council chamber, Kings and Queen's bedroom, the Armory, Guest house for International guests (all doors were bigger here), Kitchen area, Temple.
Portrait of last King of Travancore
Kitchen building behind the washing fountain
The buildings had at ground level a special window made of slats where the royalty could see out but nobody could see in. All upper levels were made of wood that were covered with clay roof tiles. After walking through the Palace there was a small museum adjacent to it where old tools, weapons, wooden and stone carvings of deities and other utensils were on display.
Squirrel carved into a pillar
Lion carving at temple
Naughty carving
There were also several stone tablets in Tamil script from hundreds of years back and I was surprised that Richard could actually read them. It is interesting that Tamil is one the worlds oldest languages still in daily use and it was the same language that the ancient Romans heard when trading with the Tamils. Latin is only spoken in universities nowadays...
I have often found Richard a great help as when we are visiting Malaysia, Singapore or Thailand we always meet local Indians there and they most likely speak Tamil as they are descendants of their Indian forefathers that have settled abroad for one reason or the other. This way we get local knowledge of how to find venues and where to get materials (without soliciting the help of an agent).
I can also see that the Tamils are the ones that has been taking the Indian culture abroad for millennia, the Angkor Wat in Cambodia or even the Thai script is a good example of that.
After getting our car and driver hired we set the route and out first point of call was Jantar Mantar. It is a compound with huge observation instruments (yantras) for celestial movements, azimuth & altitude and also time. Originally built by the Maharaj Sawai Jai Singhji of Jaipur in 1710 it is still standing (restored 1910) and it is also listed as a UNESCO preservation site. One could still see the carefully carved measuring scales on the stones and each instrument had a plaque explaining for what celestial body was being measured (declination, time, etc). I did not linger long and left for our next stop.
Next on stop was Qutb Minar (pronounced Qutab) some way from old Delhi. It is a 5-6 story tower in a compound now with a defunct mosque Quwwatul-Islam (Might of Islam) that was built from parts of 27 Jain and Hindu temples in 1197. The mosque had some very beautiful stone carvings.
The old mosque
As a quriosity it has a metal pillar that according to archeologists hails from Bihar and is of hindu origin. The pillar is still perplexing researchers as to why it does not corrode after so many hundreds years. Local superstition says that if you can grasp your hands with your back against the pillar all your troubles will be solved. Unfortunately it was not possible to try it as a fence has been erected around it preventing people from touching it.
The iron pillar
This site is also on the UNESCO protection list, see more here
The Bahai faith Lotus temple is a huge construct looking like a partially open Lotus flower. We parked at the parking lot after diligent checking of boot and engine compartment with mirrors. Apparently the terror risk is present so no risks are taken for any possible bombings.
Lotus temple
From the parking lot we came by the admin buiding where I suppose the last conversion takes place as it said something like "familiarisation centre". The was along bee line going towards the temple itself and about half way we had to remove our shoes. I've gotten used to that practice in Burma where one must always remove shoes when entering the Temple compound. The ony bad thing here was that the walk way up was done in red sand stone and it was scorching hot. There was a carpet placed that was leading up but it was not much cooler, at least it prevented serious burns to my soles.
Once at the shadow of the Lotus we were arranged in rows and explained in hindi how to behave in the church (no talking, no photos, no running, etc.) and then we were let inside. Once started to walk in one muppet came up to me starting to explain the same thing in English, I did not stop to listen as it was not my first in a church and I had checked up the Bahai faith from before. He seemed a bit peeved about it, but Saini told him he translated the hindi explanation to me already.
Inside was very quiet and peaceful, only birds flying inside the church made some noise. The trappings inside were very simple, plain wooden benches and a small speakers podium (not raised) was in front. At the corners of the Lotus was plaques with words of wisdom from Baha'u'llah, their prophet.
Then it was time to go to the Humayuns tomb (lot of tomb's in Delhi). Actually it is called the "Dormitory of the Mughals" as there are over 100 graves inside the mausoleum. It is a precursor to the Taj Mahal in Agra. This is the earliest example of Persian influenece on Indian architecture, built in 1565. Emperor Akbar i also buried here.
Isa Khan's tomb
While walking towards the Humayun tomb there is another tomb called Isa Khans tomb. According to plaques it used to contain a whole village in the compound once. The wall surrounding the mausoleum has a mosque incorporated and all the trappings for defenses with shooting holes and guard towers.
Now we were on the way to India Gate which is a war memorial for all the fallen soldiers in various wars India had praticipated in. An imposing structure even bigger than the Gateway of India in Mumbai. It was guarded by naval soldiers and an eternal flame was burning under it.
The Red Fort was our next to last item on the list, we were becoming a bit overwhelemed of the cultural overload we had been exposing ourselves the whole day but nevertheless we slogged on. The Red Fort is huge constructon in middle of Delhi, just outside the entrance is Chandni Chowk, the famous shopping street. It is also listed as one of the UNESCO world heritage site.
The dry moat
The Fort is surrounded by a moat that according to my guide book has been bone dry for at least the last 200 years. It was very dry but I think a bit more humid than the other dry areas as verdant green shrubbery was covering the bottom.
The throne terrace
We walked in and came to a walkway through the wall that was lined by curio and souvenir shops. Here I bargained myself a small idol of Durga down to 1000Rs from 1800Rs. I think it was a good deal.
Next we came to the Moghul throne hall where the reception of visitors and audiences were carried out. A huge covered terrace (that used to have awnings reaching out from the building) with a dais for the Moghul to sit on.
Moghul's private quarters
Behind this terrace were the Moghuls private quarters, almost same kind of terraces but walled, very airy. built of marble with a shallow water channel going through all the buildings into the hammam. Separately there was a mosque for the Moghul's private use. The private quarters were facing the other side of the Fort and it had a bacony where it was said the Moghul showed himself every day to his people.
By now we were quite tired but decided to visit our last highlight on our list (having deleted the Birla temple and Rajghat), the Akshardam temple. It is supposedly the world's largest hindu temple. It certainly was imposing even from a distance. The parking lot was enormous. We were not allowed anything inside, no cameras, no phones and a long list of other items. It would have been easier to list what is allowed inside. Apparently there had been terror incidents so the security was very strict, we were patted down twice very thoroughly.
Akshardam
So, I was allowed to enter with my wallet and clothes on. The temple had very beautiful carvings of elephants surrounding the mandir (main temple), unfortunately it was closed for renovation. Everywhere else were carvings of all kinds of other animals. We went to a sort of history show where one sat in a boat that followed a channel and was passing exhibits if historical highlights of India. The name was 10000yrs of history in 10minutes. I was too tired to wait for the english boat so I took the hindi boat and relied on Saini's translation, well done exhibit.
There would have also been 2 other shows, the singing fountain and somekind of movie but by now we had our mettle full and so we left the temple not having the patience to queue up. Besides time was running late. At the exit there was a souvenir shop and I could also see what encouraged to keep cameras out of the temple. The sale of postcards was going well. I bought a set + a box of keyrings and at the ayurvedic counter a bottle of Aloe Vera concentrated juice.
The driver picked us up and dropped us off at the local bus station. We tipped him 100Rs on top the fee of 1500Rs and he was quite happy about it. Moreover he had earned another 500Rs on us (kickback) for taking us to a tourist shop where we bought nothing.
Well, last month ended in our arrival to the beautiful Island of Langkawi and we arrived in good weather, slack water and tied up in an orderly manner just stern stern with m/y Sinbad at the Royal Langkawi yacht club.
Dubey & Kalpu ready for the night
I was met by our agent, John Orr, and got the arrival procedures in progress. This time I was properly prepared and all crew had multiple entry visas to Malaysia, yessirree. In the evening John invited the crew for some welcome drinks at the marina Charlie’s bar. I met a lot of old faces that I’d seen at our last visit although the bar seemed a bit emptier than usual. People said punters were going elsewhere nowadays for entertainment. For dinner we went to the "The Pier" restaurant where one could get a decent Thai fare.
Following day was spent drumming up people who could repair our A/C plant that had given up during the trip here. In fact the plant got temporary repaired twice and we could use half the plant. I got a local contractor called Michael that had done the aircon plants at most hotels and resorts on the Island. In the evening we had a magnificent seafood dinner at Wonderland seafood restaurant.
After the contractors were all gathered and activated I left with Vivek and John for Lumut to check out the Grade No 1 shipyard. We were met by the OPrations Manager Fuad and we started with a walk around the premises. Grad No 1 is a new shipyard that has been operating for abt 2 yrs and so far has lifted 60 boats. The shiplift is a 800ton capacity lift with 12 slings. There are big sheds where paint jobs and aluminium works can be carried out and mechanical and electrical workshops. Great facility. I am planning to do our drydocking here just before the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Singapore.
Once our rendez-vous in Lumut was complete I continued towards Singapore to do my visa for Thailand as well as meet up with Roger Chan and Angie Ng. I checked out some new radar technology, bought some stuff for the ship and had lunch with Angie in Toa Payoh. Once I had my visa I was heading back for Langkawi, I took the bus to Alor Star and from there the ferry to Langkawi.
Same Friday we went running with the Hash House Harriers, almost all crew participated with 30 RM a head, it was beers and food included. We started the run along a small creek and ended up in a rubber plantation running through some fields and finally ending up circling in our old path and getting back along the same creek. All crew finished the run and we were welcomed by the hash circle that ensued in the aftermath of the run. Once the circle completed we had dinner at Silversands in Kuah town until late.
Next Saturday we decided to scout out the diving haunts near Langkawi. We put down
our tenderboat in the morning, loaded her up and off we went to Pulau Payar that is abt 10’ SE of Langkawi. Langkawi in itself don’t make good diving due to all the limestone so the seas are all murky. We made good speed in following seas and arrived P. Payar in abt 30minutes. The Island is a group of 3 islets and the biggest one has a resort on it (surprising considering it is a nature reserve). The Islets are covered in lush green forest inviting you to go native. We consulted our diving book and scouted around until we decided to dive S of the Island at a smaller islet. We geared up, me, Saini and Dubey went down while Rajaram and Kalpana were looking after the boat.
The visibility was fine around 10 meters and we saw some coral heads, a turtle, a Moray Eel, a reef shark, some parrotfish and numerous other fish. It was not really spectacular considering it is a marine preserve, but it was better than nothing at all.
The second dive we found a breaking reef near the S Is of P. Payar and down we went again. We must have hit some convergence zone for the Strait currents as suddenly the visibility went down to just a couple of meters and I stopped to admire clown fish at a sea anemone and I realized I lost my diving buddies. I waited the requisite minutes and I surfaced as the guys could not get back to find me. Once the other guys surfaced we started back to Langkawi.
By this time at late afternoon we had a stiff NW wind blowing and the waves were getting to 1,5m height. Needless to say we could not make 20+ knots in these conditions so we took 2hrs to get back to Langkawi and by that time I had nice sunburn that turned me into having a “boiled crab” look for the next 2 days.
Same evening we were invited for “pork night” at Ying Loong Makanan Laut (Seafood) restaurant. We were present in full numbers except standby crew (Sunil who don’t eat pork) and evening started with suckling pig, followed by roasted duck and wild boar curry. Very delicious food in good company, everybody went home not hungry at all.
Another evening I attended a quiznight at Pantai Cenang, very demanding questions and contest was won by the expat teacher team (not surprising). We managed as the Force India team, we held the tail…
Then I had to send Martula home for family reasons, she came back after a week at home. Rajaram and Sunil left for their annual leave as too, both will return to Phuket before July.
One night I arranged a BBQ on the jetty for 8 invited expats and the crew. The guests brought the beef, we supplied the braai, salads and beverages. Same time we took opportunity to sample out the new Four Seasons and Bohemia wines from UB Group that we received in Mumbai. The rose’ and white wines received very positive appraisals. Hope the word gets around.
21st I had dinner at Oasis, I had very delicious tex-mex food (chicken fajitas) and the hamburgers were massive and also the Indian dishes looked very delicious. A very recommendable eating experience with nice ambience.
22nd and 24th was again run with Langkawi Beach Hash House Harriers and the F1 GP in Monaco. The post hash dinner was in Thailand restaurant. The crew especially enjoyed the run but the F1 was skipped as everybody followed the IPL cricket as the Bangalore team was in the finals.
25th it was time to bid farewell to our agent John. We bunkered up and pottered into Thai waters. What happened then I will tell you next.
I had been invited to meet my friend Atul Gaikwad that lives close to Mumbai (at least when you look at the map) and this Saturday I decided to go on a short excursion. I bought a "Volvo" class ticket for 250 Rs on Friday.
Then on Saturday 4 pm I went to the rendezvous point. There I was crammed into a local black and yellow Premier taxi and off we drove. The escort was a nervous young guy chewing paan or gutka and talking into to two mobile phones simultaneously. It did not take long and we arrived to the bus. It was a big Volvo. I was escorted to my seat and soon the bus left, surprisingly on time too.
It seemed to me that we trawled every street from point of departure to New Mumbai in search for passengers and cargo. Sometimes we would stop and load parcels, sometimes people. The driver apparently had only 2 positions of the aircon, it was either "off" or "on". The bus was frigid, I was tightly wrapped in my fleece blanket that was provided with every seat. At one stage the bus got quite full and I lost my privacy when an Indian sat beside me. I did not mind that at all but unfortunately my seat fellow was in a dire need of a shower or his Rexona had given up on him - badly. I was sniffing on my Thai "yaa dom" (made of camphor, eucalyptus etc) to cover the smell. I got lucky as he changed seats after awhile or a seat was vacated.
When we entered New Mumbai and started to get to the outskirts of the city we encountered huge zhopad patti's (slum dwellings). People were living like ants, the hovels extended far away into the smog that is lingering everywhere this time of year. Soon enough we crossed the river and entered the Expressway which was in excellent condition. We soon made good speed and the bus rolled past lumbering trucks. After some time we started climbing hills, it was already dark but I could see the view was nice with all lights from the city below the mountain. After the mountains we gradually came to Pune.
I was dropped off at the railway station at 9.30PM, an hour after schedule. soon enough Atul picked me up in his car. We had a local specialty as I was famished that looked like a Greek chicken kebab but was definitely better. After this we picked up a few Kingfishers and headed for Atul's pad. There we ordered some home delivery and we had a very nice veggie dinner and chatted for awhile before it was time to call it a night.
Next morning I woke up to the sunshine and Atul prepared a Maharastrian breakfast "Pooha", made of rice flakes and whatnot. It was very filling and delicious. I had thought of going to visit the Rajneesh Osho resort but it turned out it was a bit more difficult than anticipated. More info here
Osho was a controversial person who founded his own cult and did away with gurus and taught his own dogma. He was thrown out from the US for various reasons and finally ended back in Pune where he had started his mission. He has been compared to Buddha and still today his legacy lives on. More info here
Considering all options we finally headed for the Rajiv Gandhi Zoo that housed an extensive snake collection.
I entered after paying 25 Rs for entry (10 Rs for locals) and walked for the tour. There was quite a few other animals as well. Snakes are generally a boring subject to watch as they do nothing, them normally being nocturnal in their activities. In the video you can see one snake that was definitely giving value for money and was snaking around his pit.
We also saw various species of crocs, porcupines, sloth bear, various deer, iguanas, turtles, terrapins, tigers and incredibly fat leopards. As it was Sunday and it was India, people kept pouring into the Zoo and we soon found our way out of it. After that we picked up Atul's wife Snehal and went out for lunch. We drove through Pune and circled close to Osho and I could see foreigners traipsing around in red robes that they have to wear inside the resort.
Finally, we decide to have lunch in a Punjabi restaurant and we had a vegetarian fare. Dhal, rice, roti and Paneer in gravy. I have hard time remembering what dishes are called in India. All was very delicious and filling and we headed for the bus station where I got a ticket for 235 Rs to Mumbai. I thanked Atul and his wife for their hospitality and boarded the bus.
This bus filled up 100% and I got a huge fellow sitting beside me, he was big as a barndoor and round as a hippopotamus, me myself not being a small guy either felt very small beside him. I was crammed between him and the window most of the trip as he disembarked at the outskirts of Mumbai. The beginning of the trip was interesting as I had not seen the countryside in daylight.
We passed many places where they made bricks and of course farmhouses. Bricks were piled in big piles, then covered with what I presume was straw and mud. After that a fire was built inside these piles to get the bricks burned. I can only imagine how long this operation is taking, weeks I guess. I've seen similar brick ovens in Vietnam and there they had a slow fire burning from rice husks. The land looked very brown and dry as the rains had stopped some months ago.
Eventually I arrived Dadar after 3hrs journey and from there I took a taxi to Yellow Gate and came onboard, too tired to eat dinner and just collapsed into bed. Short trip and not so eventful, but at least I have an excuse to go back.
Again we were packed up and ready to depart for India and on the 2nd Dec 2008 we cast off at highwater in Yacht Haven. We were waved off by Marina Manager Nick and Zara as well as our agent Toby and Nong. There were no weeping maidens with a broken heart though.
Taking on a greenie
We had a strong NE breeze and the forecast promised winds from the stern, there was only a small low pressure at N end of Sumatra that was not that intense and winds were fair. Our port radar was inoperable again despite the repairs we did in Singapore. In general things looked good.
Well, first day enroute we’re making good speed abt 9kts and we started to get some ocean swell but winds were still NE force 3-4. Ship started to roll and we engaged the stabilizers. After 12hrs we had to switch them off as the other side was excessively leaking oil due to corroded hydraulic piston shaft. I guess too much inactivity. Then our centre engine started heating up and consuming lube oil, we reduced revs on the engine and the problem seemed solved for the time being. Come 2nd day (4/12) the engine got worse and was literally drinking lube, the exhaust was white and one could smell LO on the bridge. The engine was stopped, it seemed either piston rings had gone or the turbo charger. After conferring with Vivek we decided to press on with our remaining 2 engines and overhaul the centre engine upon arrival Mumbai.
Come evening 2nd day wing engines crankshafts started heating up too, we had to decrease revs. This was either due to seawater pump giving up or water lines clogged by sea growth, no way of solving the problem at sea. In addition the auxiliary engine exhaust silencer had started leaking water, it was raining in the engine room. As we had just passed the Nicobar chain and looking at Vivek’s face when he told me abt the new problems I decided to divert to Port Blair as the distance was half compared to Galle. Also at this time the swell had turned to our port bow and we were pounding the waves and taking the occasional greenie on deck. Winds were still NE’ly force 3 or less, but we made speed only 5kts. After setting new course for Port Blair we were making 7kts with the swell from our stern quarter. I started wondering whether there was higher forces in working that did not want us to reach India, perhaps it was the magic of the Kingdom keeping us in its grip refusing us to depart.
Seasick girls taking a fresh breath of air with Rajaram
As usual when water depths hit over 1km the sea turns a beautiful turquoise or azure blue. At times we would be visited by dolphins that came to play in our bow wave. An everyday occurrence was the frightened fly fish that scuttled clear of us. Fish was flying port and starboard and at times onto the aft deck too.
5th Dec our A/C plant overheated and blew out the coolant gas. There was no end to the Engineer’s misery. Damage reports were sent to office and list of spares requirements were drawn for organizing engine spares to Port Blair in order to have a speedy overhaul and continue our voyage.
We finally arrived 6th Dec close to midnight at Port Blair and anchored in Phoenix Bay for Navy clearance. They arrived shortly after anchorage on a RIB with weapons galore and checked the crew (face check) and the ship for (I assume) illegal aliens and/ or substances. After completion it was time for a few hrs of shuteye before pilot boarded at 6am.
On the 14th morning we finally had the engine running and pilot onboard and we went for sea trials. Eventually the engine was found running well and I headed out and anchored off Aberdeen jetty opposite Ross Island for port clearance. Once all clear and having said our goodbyes to Salim and Ashraf we left for Galle at noon, our intention was to take cheap bunker there and possibly install a new turbo charger.
15th Dec we were alone in the middle of nowhere, not a ship around, not even on the AIS. It was Jessica’s birthday and Richie fixed a cake and come dinner time we all sang to “Happy Birthday” to her and she even got a few presents.
16th Dec onwards the swell just got higher and the Ocean was just deserted as before. Not a soul in sight. Jessica and Martula got seasick and lay on the saloon floor like fish out of water.
We made good speed 9kts all the way to Galle, the swell was from our stern and we were surfing with the waves that caused us to roll heavily at times. Anything loose was sure to move. When we neared the Island State we got a remarkable stern current that whisked us forward at 11kts at times and I amended our ETA to morning in order for us to depart on same day after bunkering. We had decided to overhaul the turbo in Mumbai as the engine seemed to be holding well together.
17th Dec went printing documents for the port authorities. I always wonder where these papers end up. Does anybody read them afterwards? Or do they just end up in vast archives to collect dust?
We arrived Galle roads at 7am 18th Dec and I contacted the Port control. Port Control instructed us to proceed in and a naval patrol boarded us to do inspection.
Evening when sailing along the Sri Lankan coast was littered with fishing boats, they looked more like narrow dinghies and had a smaller pontoon rigged on the side for stability, we had to get 10’ offshore when we cleared all fishermen. Once out on the Gulf of Mannar we got a good NE’ly force 4-5 and a swell as well.
19th Dec got us going doing good speed 10kts sideways to the waves at times rolling heavily, wind increased to E force 6-7 and at 5am our eggs were cleared off the shelves onto the galley floor. Luckily we are due to shelter from Indian mainland in another 5hrs, if we would have been delayed the 12hrs I would have been forced to sneak my way up the Sri Lankan coast and slink over to the Indian side instead of taking the straight route. 6am one of our steering pumps gave up, that was probably the last technical item we had not had any issues with so far.
There would be no more omelets before Mumbai nor any birthday cake for me. Other people have big bashes when they turn 30 or 40, I believe that during both anniversaries I have been at sea. 10 yrs ago I was working on Superstar Leo in Malaysia, I recall I had no party that time, not surprising recalling their draconian personnel policies. At 1800hrs when I went on duty, Saini told me to go and have some dinner first and I was met by Richard who presented a cake against all odds. It was a bit hard but tasted good with cinnamon and all masala he had added. After all it is the thought that counts.
Anyway, by the time we passed Cape Comorin we were only doing 8.5kts and the E’ly turned to a NE’ly.
20th Dec saw us picking up speed again, at times we were doing 10.5kts. The sea calmed down as a result of the shelter from the Indian mainland provided. Wind was all the time a NNE’ly, the sea turned a drab green as water depth went down to 50m and less. Also our dolphins and flying fish had abandoned us. In the afternoon we spotted bigger ocean going fishing boats pulling up their haul, I counted abt 20 men on deck, no shortage of man power there.
My guys and girls started to setting up ship as much as they could. In fact Raja Ram and Sandeep had been scrubbing the deck for days on end now. On the bridge the Captain’s chair finally gave up and plonked out of its swivel socket - it had served well.
In the evening 21st Dec, while passing Mormugao (Goa), the notorious hippie haunt as well as a major iron ore port in India, there were several ships on the roads waiting for a berth. I saw several fishermen in mere dinghies pulling nets in pitch black darkness only illuminated by a fluttering open flame kerosene torch 12’ offshore. Richard said they come and go by the tide. I wonder how many of them are lost to Poseidon annually.
22nd Dec brought a NNW’ly swell and Kalizma was pitching like a bronco trying to rid his rider. We sure have had our share of pitching, rolling, yawing and broaching during this trip. Wind had died down to a N’ly force 2. Afternoon was again spent printing out documents for the thirsty bureaucrats of Mumbai. Jyoti was setting aside some JW Red Label for them. At 1800hrs we entered Mumbai pilot boat cruising area and picked up our pilot for taking us to our anchorage in front of the Gateway of India. We had finally arrived Mumbai after 20 days of sailing.
23rd Dec the day started with Immigration clearance, the customary whisky was offered upon completion and the Immigration Officer promptly asked for 2 btls more and some T-shirts and caps. Well, I gave him the whisky but had to inform him that I was all out of T-shirts & caps. Immigration Officer said I could send some to his office once I got some. Errrrrr…..oh well… Indian bureaucracy.
We departed Phuket on 12th of Aug for Langkawi. Weather was again fine, only when we got out of cover Ko Yao Yai did we get swell in from the Indian Ocean. We steamed on for the whole day and anchored for the night S of Ko Rawi (Butang group). Next morning we awoke to marvelous surroundings of high Islands covered in lush green and specked with white sandy beaches.
M/y Kalizma in front of Ko Rawi
Ko Rawi
Morning 13th Aug was sunny and spent making a dive around Ko Palai and another on the bay at Western tip of Ko Rawi, we saw a great deal of sea life (puffers) as well as loads of giant clams. The coral here is very nice and unspoiled, also absence of tourists is notable, it might be otherwise during high season of course. At Ko Rawi the coastal cliffs goes straight down to several metres and divers are rocked by wave surge.
Beach had a lot of hermit crabs
Afternoon was partly overcast and spent setting up for a beach barbecue on Ko Rawi and some snorkeling. The coral heads S of Ko Rawi were numerous and colorful. The beach on Ko Rawi had many hermit crabs that were running about everywhere. I took to exploring the Island and found a natural fresh water stream that I followed up to its source, the jungle elsewhere looked impenetrable, consisting of thorny brush and ancient trees.
BBQ
BBQ
The fresh water itself out of the mountain was very cool and refreshing and I took several dips in the streams naturally carved out hollows. Once back at the BBQ it was getting dark and we fired up the grill and enjoyed the sunset accompanied with dinner. When darkness set in petrol lanterns were lit and we sat around joking and telling stories while enjoying some more grilled food. At abt 9pm we packed all gear in the tender and got back onboard for an early night as we needed to haul up anchor in time for us to arrive Langkawi HW.
Seagypsies
14th morning 6am anchor was heaved up and course set for Langkawi. On the way we passed a big congregation of sea gypsies. The weather was overcast and dead calm. We arrived Langkawi at 11am and made fast sb to floating pontoon at Wavemaster shipyard. We had arrived to the purpose of our voyage – 5year class renewal survey and routine maintenance.
Departure 29/05/2008 at 0600hrs ship left Yacht Haven Marina in good weather. The sea was calm as can be, only some wind ripples could be seen. Upon leaving the channel and reaching open seas we experienced a gentle swell coming in from the Indian Ocean. However as we progressed on our voyage it became apparent that prevailing wind and current from Malacca Strait were against us. We passed Phi Phi Island on the east about 1000hrs and turned more south for a straight course to Langkawi Island. The wind became somewhat stronger and the swell more pronounced, but still the weather was fine, sunshine at times overcast the next, in the afternoon we even got a few showers. At 1800hrs we were already approaching Langkawi but night was setting and we entered the Kuah channel in darkness, at 2200hrs we dropped anchor in the General purpose anchorage outside the Royal Langkawi Yacht Club.
M/y Kalizma @ RLYC
30/05/2008 We woke up to a sunny day and about 0930hrs we heaved up anchor and we shifted alongside to the marina in front of a passing rain shower that made a magnificent rainbow display. In the marina I was met by the ships agent, Mr. John Orr, and we went through the official bureaucracy of clearing the ship. The crew was invited by John for drinks in the yacht club the same evening. At 1730hrs I was in the club meeting local expats, a psychologist, a ret. Hong Kong police inspector, an artist, a ret. business man and so on. The beer was good and cold and we had a few nice pints before I was invited to have dinner at the “small Hat Yai” as they call the local Thai community settlement. I had some lovely Thai food at Doug’s restaurant and after that we went for some more refreshments at the Cakra Café.
Langkawi archipelago
31/05/2008 After completing daily routines we launched the tender and went exploring the channel between Pulau Tuba and Pulau Dayang Bunting. The sun was shining unobstructed and the vistas were very picturesque with mangroves in front of rippling greenery up the Island slopes. The river between the Island was quite shallow but we had no mishaps, bare limestone cliffs offered a splendid scenery. Once through the channel we explored the Lima Islands nearby and found a big cave where one could hear bats screeching. After seeing what was to be seen we headed back to the marina north of Pulau Tuba. For the evening I had invited the ships agent with a few friends of his onboard to have some Kingfisher beer. We met at 1730hrs and chatted for a few hours while enjoying Kingfisher together with some nibbles served by Chief Stewardess Jyothi. At 2000hrs it was time for dinner again and as a person of habit I went to Doug’s restaurant in little Hat Yai.
M/s Lili Marleen, a local Langkawi based ship
01/06/2008 Was Sunday and the whole crew rested or went sightseeing Kuah town which actually do not offer that much for the tourist, all resorts and venues are mostly found on the west and east coasts.
Pulau Tuba
02/06/2008 We woke up to a rainy morning and at 0930hrs we cast off from the Royal Yacht Marina at 0930hrs. Eventually I experienced some difficulties getting off the pier due to rising tide. Finally ship managed to maneuver free and subsequently anchored at the GP anchorage in order to refuel. When refueling was completed at 1330hrs Kalizma departed Malaysian waters for Phuket accompanied by gentle rain showers. We sailed straight north following the coast and after nightfall at midnight we dropped anchor off Phi Phi Island.
Pulau Tuba
Lime cliff formations
03/06/2008 We woke up to a lovely and dead calm morning, hoisted anchor and steamed for Yacht Haven Marina at 0730hrs in order to arrive at noon high tide. Our approach was uneventful and we tied up in normal fashion. All and all it was an enjoyable trip but it is nice to be back in Phuket again.
