CanKata

February 2012 - Ko Phayam and Ko Chang

2012-02-16T16:56:00.000-08:00

Ko Phayam was highly recommended to us by a number of other yachties. A few months ago, when we thought we had sold CanKata, one regret that Darrel had was that we hadn’t sailed to Ko Phayam. So when we took CanKata off the market, we immediately started planning a visit. We headed there on February 3 with two other yachts - Aqua Dreams and Ultimate Dream - to fulfil our "dream".

Lonely Planet describes Ko Phayam as “a friendly, demure little island which supports about 500 inhabitants, mostly Thai and Burmese, with a smattering of expats and a few dozen ethnic chao leh (sea gypsies) thrown into the mix. Locals support themselves prawn-fishing, farming cashews and working the rubber plantations”. Concrete pathways, suitable for motorcycles, criss-cross the island.

We had two big disappointments: water visibility wasn’t great, and it wasn’t easy to get a massage. Another minor problem was that Long Beach, where we first anchored, is very shallow and that meant a lot of dinghy-dragging when the tide was low. And the sand was fairly muddy.

But there were many positives: The eateries were affordable with fresh, tasty Thai food. The scenery was very pretty. The island was very quiet and peaceful. You wouldn’t call Ko Phayam “over-developed”. It has a number of small resorts, but nothing over a storey high. It is certainly a nice haven for a cruiser who has spent too much time in a marina or at Patong (a very touristic beach town).

We prefer Nai Yang, with its clearer water, easier dinghy landing, and scads of services not available on Ko Phayam. But if we ever feel the need to “get away”, Ko Phayam is a destination to consider.

Ko Chang:

We knew no-one who had been to Ko Chang, which is a few miles north of Ko Phayam, but had heard that it might be a nice spot to visit. We gave it a shot, and found it even more pleasing than Ko Phayam. The water is less desirable, but as a quiet get-away, it gets top marks. It is much less developed, but there are a few great eateries and a couple of fabulous massage places. There are beach huts for rent, scattered here and there, but no large resorts. For $5, you can catch a ferry to the mainland centre of Ranong to get any supplies you need. We had everything we needed on CanKata, so stuck to swimming, eating, strolling, and getting massages. Ahhh.

A very nice anchorage on the way to Ko Phayam.

Julie, Steve and Darrel with
CanKata, Aqua Dreams and Ultimate Dream in background
on Long Beach at Ko Phayam

One of the many beautiful sunsets we enjoyed.

One of the concrete paths/roads.

The paths invariably took us to a beach.
(Julie, Steve and Darrel).

A temple on a pier.

Selecting an item from a menu was always pleasurable.

Dinghy landing was easier on the north beach of Ko Phayam
(Richard and Susannah of Ultimate Dream)

CanKata awaiting our return from Mr. Gao's restaurant.

A scenic beach at Ko Chang.

Ta Dang Bay restaurant -
what will we eat today?

Steve, Darrel & Julie hauling the dinghy -
one of the activities that keep us fit
(or maybe wears us out).

Enjoying Julie's homemade banana bread,
along with mangoes and eggs from the island.

Susannah rowing Richard back to Ultimate Dream.

A beautiful beach along the way ... just us!

Thinking we should probably take this journey again.

Shay & Louis Visit CanKata

2012-01-26T18:26:00.000-08:00

January 17-26: the days we got to visit Shay and Louis (they actually arrived very late on January 16 and left in the wee morning hours of January 27).

We had a wonderful time getting to know our niece and her hubby. When we were living in Canada, we were separated by many miles and didn’t see each other much at all. So it was good to have them just to ourselves for ten days.

Here’s what we did together:

- ate Thai food regularly, and sometimes pizza (and hamburgers once)

- biked around Nai Yang

- went to two Quiz Nights at the Dewa and discovered how little we knew

- snorkelled

- went to the local market (where the fish smells upset the baby-to-be)

- sailed on the west coast of Phuket

- watched the sun set and marvelled at the beauty of the night sky

- visited our Thai friends and cruisers from around the world

- had an exquisite brunch at the Indigo Pearl

- toured Phuket and visited the Big Buddha

- went to the Aphrodite cabaret

- chatted and laughed and reminisced

- planned Marleen & Larry’s Thailand itinerary

Here’s what Shay and Louis wrote in our Guest Log:

“(S:) Thank you both for making our trip to Thailand an experience we won’t forget. You have shown us much more than what we had expected coming here. It was a long trip, but we both agree it was worth it! We can’t thank you guys enough for all the organized events you planned for us to see Thailand.

My favourite part of the trip was snorkelling for my first time. It will be something I will do on more trips to come. And of course spending time with my uncle and auntie. It was nice to get to know you both more than what I remember as a little girl.

(L:) My favourite part of coming to Thailand was learning how to sail and taking CanKata by the helm. Thank you for helping us arrange our tours to see the sites of Thailand.

(S:) We really appreciate you letting us use your new condo to stay in during our holidays!

Love always, Shay and Louis”

And now some photos …

On CanKata in Nai Yang Bay at sunset.

Playing "Farkle" on CanKata.

Walking along Nai Yang Beach.

On the way to do some "plane spotting".

In Nai Yang Park ... uncle in the background.

Louis at the helm ... uncle in the background.

Shay in the cockpit ... uncle in the background.

At our unit at the Dewa in Nai Yang

Tidying lines on CanKata.

Bow-riding on CanKata.

Kayaking in the caves at Phang Nga Bay.

Getting ready for the dinghy ride to CanKata ... uncle in the background.

We had our last supper at this restaurant.
Thanks for the treat, guys.
Wishing you all the best.
L&D
xx

HIgh Season in Thailand

2012-01-07T20:03:00.000-08:00

There are a number of names for it:

- dry season

- hot season

- North East monsoons

- peak season

- high season.

Whatever we call it, it is certainly our Favourite Season. This is the time of year, generally from early November to late April, when the rain falls less, the sun shines more, the winds change direction from SW to NE (allowing us to cruise the west coast of Phuket), and the tourists arrive (meaning that it will cost more to rent a motorcycle or book a hotel room).

So now here we are with CanKata, on the west coast of Phuket, in our favourite bay of Nai Yang, enjoying fabulous restaurants, clean waters, friendly locals, pristine beaches, and amazing sunsets. In Nai Yang, there is also a market three times a week, a couple of pharmacies “just in case”, a post office, a mini hospital and shops galore. As you may recall, our condo is also here at the Dewa Resort (off limits to us in the peak season while it is in the rental pool). We brought our bicycles with us, and enjoy the lazy, tree-shaded lanes that take us into the back country.

We have some plans to sail a little further north this High Season … nearly to Burma. Before that, we will enjoy a ten-day visit from our niece Shaylynn and her husband Louis. It promises to be a good season. Oh what a life.

CanKata in Nai Yang Bay.

We have a safe place to store our bikes.

This is Mo from one of our favourite restaurants "Octopus".

Street dogs are quiet during the day,
but we hear them partying in the night.

We sometimes stop at this spot in the park for fruit shakes.

The locals love to picnic in Nai Yang park.

Bicycling through the park is cool and safe.

There are some pretty cottages for rent in the area.

The airport hospital.

The airport post office.

Saturday market. Also on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Flowers for sale.

Checking for money ... but we don't need much.

Lots of veggies and meat available.

Then home to rest.
Or maybe party with Bach & Byte.

Best Wishes for 2012

2012-01-06T20:52:00.000-08:00

The CanKatans ended the year with parties, and then started the year with parties. It seems to be a theme with us. It was wonderful to be surrounded by friends – old and new – to celebrate the season in the festive fashion that seems so appropriate at this time of year. Of course it would have been sweeter with a few family members around … maybe we can arrange something in the future … but we know our families had special celebrations of their own, and that we’re all entering 2012 with health, optimism, love and happiness. We wish all of that to all of you!

December 20: we did some "plane spotting" with
Julie and Steve of Aqua Dreams near Phuket airport.
(Concept introduced by Kay of Bach & Byte).

We got a good view of the underside of a few jets.
Photo by Julie of Aqua Dreams.

December 23:
CanKata organized a dinghy drift In Nai Yang Bay with
Aqua Dreams, Ketoro, Jemimah, Que Pasa and Reflections.

We continued with our Thai lessons, right through the holidays.

CanKatans had an exquisite Christmas Eve dinner at "C @ Nai Yang" with
Odyssey 9, Jenzminc, Aqua Dreams, Daedalus, Jemimah, Tiaki and Reflections.

On Christmas Day, CanKatans partied at the park in Nai Yang
with Odyssey 9, Jenzminc and friends, Aqua Dreams & J,

Daedalus, Jemimah, and Reflections.

Santa was good to us. All edible gifts.

Christmas Day, around the tree, gifts already opened.

Our yachts in Nai Yang Bay, waiting patiently for our return.

Boxing Day: started the Bar Hop with oysters etc. at Hula
on the beach at Nai Yang. Joined by Aqua Dreams,
Daedalus, Odyssey 9, Jenzminc, and Jemimah.

Paulina of Hula (hugging Loretta) joined us for this photo.

Second (but not last) stop of the Bar Hop.
The bar tender performed magic and card tricksl

It wasn't a hangover ... honest! A flu bug first got Darrel on
December 27, then Loretta 24 hours later.
Literally knocked us off our feet. We slept close to "the head".

We started celebrating New Year's Eve with lunch at Hula
with Bach & Byte, Aqua Dreams and Daedalus,
then partied on CanKata. Finale: fabulous fireworks.

Year-end sunset: CanKata at Nai Yang.
Photo by Kay of Bach & Byte.

January 3: Annual Staff Appreciation Night.
Everyone attended. Speeches were delightfully short.

On Piracy

2012-01-06T20:08:00.000-08:00

By Darrel

When Loretta and I set off on our circumnavigation in 2004 we knew of certain areas which were prone to piracy. At that time however, piracy was usually considered to be cases of minor theft so in preparation we took a few precautions to avoid a piracy situation. For example when we left the Caribbean islands heading for the Panama Canal we tried to travel with at least one other boat and in questionable areas we would travel without lights and unnecessary communication on the VHF radio. We also stayed a safe distance of at least fifty miles off the Venezuelan and Columbian coasts. We try to keep our deck clear from any inviting items to attract theft, and we lock up our dinghy as well as our doors and hatches.

When we arrived in S.E. Asia three years ago, we had only planned a one month stop in Malaysia with another one month stop in Thailand after which we would continue westward across the Indian Ocean and up the Red Sea into the Mediterranean. Believe it or not, just three years ago, piracy in the Indian Ocean and passing by Somalia was a minor issue.

After sitting in Thailand for a year, the piracy (or sea terrorists as we prefer to call them) began to escalate, especially near the coast of Somalia. This still did not cause us too much anxiety since we would be staying along the Oman coast which was still considered to be relatively safe. Besides we were still not certain at that time when we would be heading west. However, two years later, the sea terrorists were expanding their hunting grounds and had changed from taking over yachts and removing anything of value to capturing the yachts and crew and taking them back to Somalia where they would be held for ransom. We have heard that the Somali pirates now have over 800 hostages from yachts, fishing boats, cargo ships and anything else that floats within 1500 miles of Somalia. They have now taken over the entire waters eastward to Yemen and as far south as the

Seychelles

Now that three years have passed since we arrived in S.E Asia, the open corridor for sailing up the Red Sea has been slammed shut. Loretta and I are astounded that a small community can take over a major transportation route serving vessels of all sizes.

Needless to say, if we were to continue west, we would be altering our route to go south around the Cape of Good Hope thereby missing the Red Sea altogether.

Some yachties still go through the Red Sea ... by carrier.

I need not say more on this topic since there is already a lot of information out there (and besides it gets my blood boiling to even think of this situation). But if you want to hear more from the perspective of a fellow cruiser, who we met here in

Thailand

, you should take a look at Fatty Goodlander’s site at http://www.allatsea.net/article/July_2011/Fatty_Goodlander_Releases_Somali_Pirates_and_Cruising_Sailors.

(Photos found with Google).

CanKata Not For Sale

2011-04-17T14:44:00.000-07:00

Evidently, this is not a good time to sell a yacht. This has worked in our favour: during the six months that CanKata has been on the market, Darrel and I have had plenty of time to rethink our plans.

As a result of all this thinking, we are taking CanKata off the market. What happens from here is still a little unclear, but we think we will probably live on land during the wet season (May to October) and live on CanKata during the dry season (November to April). CanKata will probably spend the wet season in a near-by marina or securely anchored on a mooring ball, and we will stay on her once a week to give her some TLC and keep her systems operational.

During the wet season, we will do the land travelling that we have been planning and will attempt to immerse ourselves in Thai culture.

During the dry season (aka ‘High Season”), we will rent out our unit at the Dewa and sail around SE Asia on CanKata, and maybe beyond.

The best part of all this: we can still dream that our grandchildren will someday have a great adventure on CanKata.

Our nephew Kevin took this photograph from the top of the mast.

Before the paint job, with both sails flying

Stateroom with queen-size berth

Galley with two sinks and two-burner stove with oven.

Galley counter and microwave; port-side head

Starboard queen-size berth.

Salon dining table and navigation station.

Starboard cabinets and library space.

Starboard head with separate shower stall.

T/T CanKata, c/w removable wheels.

News Release from SY Aspen regarding pirates

2011-03-14T21:24:00.000-07:00

We met Steve and Maria from SY Aspen in the Caribbean. We left on our “intended” circumnavigation a couple of years before them. They caught up with us here in Thailand, but our busy schedules stopped us from getting together. We did email each other, and we told them that we were pleasantly “stalled” here in Thailand and we wished them a safe and successful circumnavigation.

After hearing the news of recent pirate attacks, we emailed them again to see if they were safe. Attached is their response that shocked both Darrel and I to the core. We were very relieved to hear that Aspen and other yachts are taking these extreme safety measures, but we are deeply saddened that it has come to this.

THEIR EMAIL:

Loretta and Darrel,

Hi! It is nice to hear from you. Yes, it has been a difficult journey since we left

Thailand

. We are glad you are staying there! Below is the press release we sent out yesterday. Keep safe!

Steve and Maria, SY Aspen

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 12th 2011.

The 2009/2011 Blue Water Rally has effectively come to an end in Salalah, 17 months after the fleet left Gibraltar to sail around the world. The original rally plans concluded in Crete at the end of April, however the remaining skippers have decided to ship their yachts directly to Marmaris,

Turkey

This decision was taken when four American rallyers were fatally shot by pirates after their sailing yacht Quest was captured on passage from Mumbai to

Oman

and the subsequent capture of sailing Yacht ING with a Danish family onboard.

These incidents and other recent acts of piracy in the area have made proceeding in any direction from Salalah too high-risk for the vast majority of participants. Strong recommendations from The UK Maritime Trade Organisation and The Maritime Liaison Office were decisive factors.

An action team was quickly set up by the skippers and crews to handle the planning and negotiations necessary to extricate the 20 yachts currently berthed in Salalah. A maritime transport company has now been contracted to ship the yachts. Over the coming weeks, crews are keeping themselves occupied with preparatory boat work and exploring some of what the Dhofar province of Oman has to offer.

_________________________________________________________

CanKata hopes that all goes well with Aspen’s new plans and that all the rally members are soon able to enjoy peaceful sailing and ease of mind.

The Andaman Islands

2011-03-11T18:24:00.002-08:00

On February 4, 2011, we left Thailand heading for the Andaman Islands. You probably haven’t heard of the Andamans unless,

1. you live in S.E. Asia,

2. you sail in S.E. Asia, or

3. you are a backpacker looking for a place hardly anyone goes to.

We heard about the Andamans from friends who have sailed in this area. They all, without exception, recommend that we make the trip.

GENERAL INFORMATION: The Andaman Islands (a territory of India) are located between the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea. There are three principal islands and a cluster of small islands, all hilly and heavily forested. Port Blair is the territory's capital. Timber, coconut, hemp, tea, coffee, and rubber are the principal products of the Andaman Islands. Most of the inhabitants are Indian; Negritos, the islands' aborigines, now number only in the hundreds. Some of the Negritos are a little unfriendly, and we were not allowed to visit some of their islands.

HISTORY: The British established a penal colony at Port Blair in 1789. The penal settlement was discontinued after seven years, but in 1858 it was re-established to imprison Indian “freedom fighters”. The islands were occupied by Japanese forces from 1942 until the end of World War II in 1945, when the British regained control of the territory. The islands became a union territory of India when India gained independence from British rule in 1947. The remains of some settlements, especially at Ross Island, were fascinating to see – most of the brick buildings almost entirely covered with the roots of strangling fig trees.

We arrived in Port Blair on February 7 at noon, and then had to check in with Customs, Immigration, Coast Guard, the Harbour Master and the Forestry Department. We had to pick up the two Customs officials and then the three Immigration officials with our dinghy, but the Coast Guard arrived the next morning in their own big boat (we had plenty of fenders awaiting them!), and four officials came aboard.

Once we answered piles of questions and handed over scads of forms and then completed scads more, we were allowed to go ashore to visit the Harbour Master and the Forestry Department. There are a couple of islands that require special permission in order to go ashore, and we filled out the required forms and waited nearly two days to get the written permission. But when we saw the fee – over $45 per day – we decided that there were enough other islands to visit, so didn’t pay the fee and didn’t get the permission.

So while we were in Port Blair for four days, it actually only took 24 hours to get the clearance we required. For three of the four days, we were able to go ashore and tour, shop, eat and get lots of great photos. Port Blair is

India

without the extreme smog, hustle, smell and poverty of the mainland, so we thoroughly enjoyed our stay there, and got some great photographs.

Darrel and Tim (Rubicon Star) searching for the perfect banana.

The “out” islands are spectacular. Unbelievable as it may sound, there are still islands of breath-taking beauty that are untouched, uninhabited and swarming with reef fish, even if the reef itself is bleached and dying in the warmed-up seas. Highlights

· catching lobster

· spotting a manta ray

· swimming along HUGE and colourful parrot fish

· watching the full moon rise

· and then days later watching the crescent moon and Venus rise at almost exactly the same time

Ross Island

Havelock #7 Beach

Fishermen at sunset

The Cinque Islands

Rutland Island, South Bay Beach

CanKata at Rutland Island in the Andaman Islands

The People of the Andaman Islands

2011-03-11T18:24:00.001-08:00

We were thrilled to get permission from so many beautiful people to take photographs. Following is a small sample of our collection.

Waiting for a ferry.

Climbing for coconuts.

Out for a stroll ... with a penguin?

School children at Long Island, Andamans.

Just arrived by ferry after a long day at work. Still smiling.

The Coast Guard on CanKata.

I don't think they knew what I meant when I said "Say cheese".

A teeny-weeny lady selling fruit.

Beautiful mother and daughter.

Wow.

The Andaman Islands: Go Back! Go Back!

2011-03-11T18:24:00.000-08:00

Havelock Beach #7 was one of our favourite anchorages in the Andaman Islands. We stayed there for four days. Highlights:

· had Indian lunch and spicy ginger chai (tea) ashore on three of those days

· caught a taxi to the small village on one of the days (did internet and shopped at the market)

· bought a coconut from a teeny-weeny ancient lady
(I say this with much respect and with the hope that someday I will deserve that description)

· saw elephants on the beach

· did lots of snorkelling

On day three, we were alarmed to get more information about an incident that happened on day two. While Darrel was hunting for grouper on day two, I snorkelled closer to shore to get a better look at the coral (which this year is unfortunately bleached and colorless). I heard a whistle and stuck my head up. A man wearing military garb and carrying a rifle was waving me away from the beach. “Go back! Go back!” he commanded. I obeyed and joined Darrel in his hunt for a grouper (no luck), wondering if I had encroached upon a private beach.

Then, the next day, came the alarming news. The man with the whistle and gun was warning me away from a beach where there had been a crocodile attack! Rumour has it that there have been 24 attacks in 25 years, or maybe it was 10, or maybe it is all an exaggeration. Whatever the truth, I didn’t return to the beach. Maybe there is no crocodile, but there was certainly a man with a gun.

... and wondering if it's wise to swim with crocodiles.

The Andaman Islands: BBQ Ribs

2011-03-11T18:23:00.000-08:00

Our friend Jim loves to fish but doesn’t eat fish. Lucky for us. We had nearly ten meals in the Andamans complements of Fisherman Jim, including grunt and barracuda. When Darrel cleaned the barracuda, he took the remains to Jim to be used in his crab pot. Mate, said Jim, you’ve got to take the rib back and toss it on the barbie. Bloody good, mate.

He handed Darrel the barracuda’s backbone and all the spiny bones and meat attached to it. We covered it in salt and pepper and threw it on the barbie (Q), cooked it for a few minutes, and then enjoyed one of the best fish feasts we’ve ever had. There was a lot of tender, juicy meat on the “rib”.

Those Aussies know how to enjoy their fish, even when they don’t like eating it.

Cheryl showing us Odyssey 9's big catch.

Not the barracuda, but nearly as yummie. Another gift from Jim.

The Andaman Islands: NOT CanKata

2011-03-11T18:22:00.000-08:00

We get some great photographs of our buddy boats. And it seems that more often than not, our buddy boats are catamarans. And it seems that more and more, other boats in our selected anchorages are catamarans. Therefore, to avoid any confusion, the following photos come with the footnote, “NOT CanKata”.

Murungaru

Odyssey 9

Odyssey 9 and Ultimate Dream

Rubicon Star - a converted Tasmanian fishing boat. Not a catamaran.

Heading to the Andaman Island

2011-02-02T13:45:00.000-08:00

CanKata is heading to the Andaman Islands (India), setting sail early Friday morning – February 4.

We should arrive some time on Monday and plan to stay for the full 30 days that we’re allowed. Then we’ll head back to Thailand. We’re pretty excited about this trip.

We’ll fill you in on the highlights once we get back. And we'll probably have a few photographs to share.

Visitors – Dave & Jan

2011-02-02T13:39:00.000-08:00

In the streets of Nai Yang, Phuket, Thailand

"Jan in Jan"

We met Dave & Jan in St. Martin, Caribbean a number of years ago. They visited us there, then in Australia, and now in Thailand. When they visited us in Australia, Jan had written in our guest log, “We are already anticipating where in the world we will be together again”. Turns out it was

Thailand

… we would never have guessed.

We were thrilled when we managed to set a date for this visit. The creators of our signature toast “May you never have sand in your mud” have been great buddies over the years. Avid sailors and travellers, they have taught us many lessons on living life to the fullest and being good guardians of the environment. They even taught us how to pack efficiently

Here’s their guest log entry for this visit. Note: although they were here in the dry season, the weather was very wet. Sorry about that, guys.

January 24 – January 30 2011

The “Dry” Season ???

CanKata started our stay with a fantastic light show: cloud formations and shadows, sun rays, lightening, lightening and more lightening. Simply beautiful!

Our days went by so easily … swims, lunches, massages and fresh water showers.

Creative additions [box crib: 15 two, 15 four and a pair is eight] and G&Ts ended our nights.

Highlights: rain swimming … sailing to our destination … brilliant fishes … 17-legged purple and black star fishes … rain walking … hugs … Buddha’s ear [the Big Buddha had his back to us, but his right ear was listening in] … imported cappuccinos and fries [the restaurant said “Yes, we have” then an employee had to hop on a bike to get the potatoes and another employee ran next door to get our coffees].

Conversations ranged from stars to gender to families to politics at the drop of a hat … which Darrel did manage to do [overboard, but he jumped in to retrieve it].

CanKata in all her new fineries kept us comfortable and dry. She is still so lovely!

We wonder where next we will share adventures and catch up with these wonderful friends of ours.

Thank you Darrel & Loretta. “May you never have sand in your mud”.

Love, Jan & Dave

Beautiful Freedom Beach, Phuket

Cloud shadows at Freedom Beach

CanKata and a longtail at Freedom Beach

Wet from the rain at the Nai Yang Market

In Thailand, wondering where in the world we'll meet again.

Nai Yang Sky

2011-01-18T19:55:00.000-08:00

During the dry season, one of our favorite places is Nai Yang Bay in Phuket Island, Thailand.

Here are some sunsets we enjoyed, and a picture of a moonset that turned into a work of art for Darrel.

Sometimes the sunsets are silver.

Sometimes the sunsets are dusky red.

Sometimes the camera just goes crazy!

Let Me Check Your Body

2011-01-16T00:58:00.000-08:00

Swimming suits don’t last a long time on CanKata. Between the sun, salt, chlorine (from marina swimming pools), and laundry detergent, the colour soon fades and the elastic soon gives out. I can live with the fading, but the stretched elastic can lead to OOPS – BOOB (see previous article).

While in Nai Yang – one of our favourite beaches on the island of Phuket in

Thailand

– we stopped at a small beach store to see what sort of swim suits were available. I was looking for an over-the-shoulder top versus the halter-neck tops that are so popular here. We had been searching for quite a while.

The friendly sales lady greeted us with “Hello! Welcome!”

Darrel asked her if she had any bikinis with over-the-shoulder straps. “Yes, yes. Come in!” was the answer.

So we entered the shop, and then she grabbed my shoulders and said, “Let me check your body!” She grabbed my breasts to check their size, then she cupped them to estimate their heft, then she felt my rib cage to estimate the girth, and so on with my stomach and buttocks. “I have your size!” she announced.

She found a box, entered it head first and dug around for a few seconds. “Here, try this on”, she commanded. “If you no like color, I have others!”

The little shop, jammed with all sorts of lovely sun dresses, short-shorts, halter neck tops and so forth, had a shower-curtain type dressing room. Our lovely sales lady pulled the curtains around me and waited patiently while I changed. When I stepped out of the curtain, she yanked at the bottoms and stuck her hands in the top and announced, “Too big!”

Back her head went into the box and out came a smaller suit. “Here, try this on. If you no like color, I have others!” (Yes, it’s true: all her statements ended with an exclamation point).

When I came out of the curtain the second time, I was not subjected to another pat down. “Ah, yes, very good!” declared our lovely sales lady. “You like color? Here, pick the one you like!”

Up until now, we have not discussed price. Darrel and I had set the budget at 600 baht ($20 Canadian). While I’m searching through her selection looking for a color that looks good even when it has faded, I ask her the cost. “450 baht – special for you because you first sale for today!” she said with a shining smile.

“How much for TWO?” was the only response I could think of.

In the end, we bought THREE, at the price of 400 baht each.

“Now, does Mister need a swimsuit?” she asked. “Will you be measuring me?” was the only response Darrel could think of.

He didn’t get one.

OOB - Object Overboard

2011-01-14T19:34:00.000-08:00

It was the Christmas season, and we were partying on S/Y Ketoro with a group of friends. As happens at boat parties, a glass was knocked overboard. The next morning, when the conditions were perfect for a search, we donned our snorkel gear and undertook the search for the glass. No luck. It was not to be found.

Later that day, I mentioned to Darrel that we should make a simple device consisting of a buoyant object, a weight, and enough line suitable for the anchorage we happen to be in. “We could call it an OOB”, I suggested. All sailors know about MOB (man overboard); the OOB is a slight variation.

So Darrel dug in our lockers, located a small buoy we found on the beach, stole some fishing line from my gear, and retrieved a heavy piece of redundant hardware that he had buried deep in our bilges. He put it all together, and – Voila! – Our first OOB.

We presented OOB 1 to our friends on Ketoro. They have since used it (in stand-by mode when replacing zincs and as a hammer to insert the zincs – how creative) and are pleased with the results.

We have since made OOB 2. It is amazing how many spare buoyancy objects and weights a catamaran can hold in her bilges. So next time we lose a clothes pin or zinc or wine glass, it won’t be OOPS … it’ll be OOB.

Where We've Been

2010-12-18T02:20:00.000-08:00

If you are interested in the whereabouts of CanKata, check out the web site http://www.winlink.org/. In the first section, click on “position reporter” and when prompted, type in VA3LME. You will see an “x” that marks the spot of where we last reported to Winlink where CanKata was situated. You can zoom in and out. It isn’t “live” but it will give you a good idea of where we are close to. You can zoom in and out. Another web site also tracks CanKata’s position: http://shiptrak.org/ (you will need to type in VA3LME). It plots each position report in chronological order so you can watch us move from the Caribbean all the way to our current position.

CanKata - Darrel and Loretta Smith

2010-12-17T20:04:00.000-08:00

Reconnecting with dust.

Believe it or not, we were born and bred in the prairies. Saskatchewan is the birthplace of both of us (and our son, Dylan, too). Maybe all those dusty summers and frigid winters are what made us yearn for a life at sea, and a life close to the equator. Certainly, our eight years in Prince Edward Island and just as many years boating on the Big Rideau Lake in Ontario gave us a pleasant taste of what a boating life could be.