They told us it was a low wind region. That was the understatement of the year, there was so little wind you could almost keep up swimming! Me, I’d say that is a no wind region. We sailed 7 hours in 2 weeks, which adds up to a mere 10% sailing. Not quite what we are used to… such a pity, because the yacht was the best we ever had! The good thing was we had lots of time for other things…

Plus see the positive side: the food was really good, the snorkeling was sensational, (the boys said the best ever), we did get to relax very well, and it’s cheap. You can go out for dinner for less than $50 for 4 persons and bring home tons of souvenirs. The down side of that is that there is a lot of cheap mass tourism spoiling the really beautiful islands and exotic beaches here.

DAY 1: 11.3.17

Getting started

We take a taxi to the supermarket in Thalang called Tesco Lotus. We get everything we need, and with a well filled minivan we move on to the harbour: Phuket Yacht Haven Marina. After some waiting we get shown to our boat, the ST EMILION. Time for a cold beer and since the fridge is working, but not managing to cool things down as fast as we’d like, we head for a restaurant. Luise, the base manager, recommended Mama & Papa, not in  the fancy new building to our left but a little walk to the right. Turns out it is Mama’s birthday so food is for free, drinks are not. We get a table in the very basic waterfront restaurant which is filled with locals and a few foreigners. A tiny little wrinkled grandma points at the table filled with food, there is papaya salad, pat thai, massaman curry, skewers with shrimps, a glass noodle salad, a vegetable curry and much more. Grandma keeps urging us to eat but we are dying for a cold beer. After we’ve had that we head for the table. The food is simply delicious !

DAY 2: 12.3.17 – Distance 40,5 NM

PHUKET-Yacht Haven Marina 8°10,2N – 98°20,4E to

KO PHI PHI-Tonsai Bay 7°43,7N – 98°46,2E

We leave the Marina and after about 90 min we are at the end of the channel and head south towards the southern tip of Ko Yao Yai. It is around 14:00 as we get there. As the wind picks up mildly we start an attempt at sailing, but give up after 15 min as our speed drops to under 3 knots, which is dead slow ! You can keep up walking at that pace. Ko Phi Phi is dead ahead, just doesn’t seem to get any closer. Slowly, slowly we move towards it and arrive at 17:00, exactly 8 hours of motoring and 40 nautical miles are behind us.

DAY 3: 13.3.17

Land day

We are picked up at 08:00 by our longtail captain, he probably has Swiss ancestors, he is so very punctual ! First to the Maya Cove at Ko Phi Phi Don, we don’t even bother to get out of the boat, there are more people here than there is beach. Wah, let’s go, next stop round the corner on the SE side to Loh Samah Bay. Nice little cove where we snorkel, even Ancilla and me are at it quite a while. After a while we move on, the Hong Pileh, which is really pretty but already full, so on we move on once again. Past the Viking Cave, where some poor sods permanently live and climb the ceilings to get bird nests. No entering, so we just drive past.

Back to Ko Phi Phi Don, to the Monkey beach at its SW end. Whilst I take photo’s of the longtails in the extremely shallow blue water, trying to keep as many tourists as possible out of my picture, Ancilla manages to get bitten by a stupid monkey because the very stupid lady next to her stopped feeding them (which is absolutely forbidden). The monkeys then turned to Ancilla who didn’t have any food. As  she walked away three of them attacked her and even bit her. Luckily it’s not too bad. From there a 20min trip to Ko Mai Phai or Bamboo Island where we stop for more snorkling, the boys love it ! Then back to our yacht.

In the evening we even walk up to the viewpoint. It was only 4km but I believe I have never sweated so much in my life. Once up there we joined the crowds and looked into the sun. Must go at sunrise next time for better photos. Must now head down and get a very cold beer !

DAY 4: 14.3.17 – Distance: 20 NM

KO PHI PHI-Tonsai Bay 7°43,7N – 98°46,2E to

KO HA YAI 7°25,7N – 98°53,8E

Today we head for Ko Rok, about 35 NM, which means about 7 hours, probably under motor again, the wind prognosis are dreadful, never over 10 knots, I doubt we will be able to sail at all this holiday. We leave at 08:30, the wind prognosis was way to optimistic, we have no wind at all ! So our motor runs and the good thing, our fridge cools. We change plans and go to Ko Ha Yai, just a few rocks in the middle of the ocean, said to have great snorkeling.

Big mistake, the boys don’t want to leave anymore ! Must say the snorkeling is tremendous here, lots of fish in just about any colour you can think of and beautiful coral gardens. This is not recommended as an overnight stop, but we feel safe, the mooring seems to hold pretty well and the boys are begging us to stay, there are five islands rising from the ocean like big chunks of rock, washed out and undercut by the sea with coral gardens around each one, they have to expore them all.

DAY 5: 15.3.17 – Distance: 20 NM

KO HA YAI 7°25,7N – 98°53,8E to

KO ROK NAI 7°12,9N – 99°04,2E

The sunrise is at 06:30, as it is just about every day, and from there on I can’t really sleep anymore. Do some shots of a longtail boat cruising around at sunrise with a beautiful golden cloud in the background.

After breakfast what do we do ? Of course, we go snorkeling !

We move on. The water is like a dark blue silken sheet, soft, dark and not a ripple to be seen. How do you  get an ocean like that ? Exactly, no wind ! Even less than yesterday, if that is possible…. so our motor runs and runs, and we sit and relax and sleep a little. After about 3 hrs we reach Ko Rok. We approach in the centre, in line with the gap between Ko Rok Nok and Ko Rok Nai, there is one more free red mooring and we take it. The water is 10m deep but as clear as glass ! After lunch we head for the beach. Ancilla and me check out the beach and do some photos whilst our men go snorkeling, what else ! They return about an hour later, the water was getting very shallow, the low tide is  2 hours away and the waterlevels are still going down. That and the 2m shark which suddenly appeared made them come back to the beach a little earlier than we had expected. Unfortunately they had left the camera and GoPro in the bag on the beach, so no proof of the shark…

DAY 6: 16.3.17 -Distance: 19,4 NM

KO ROK NAI 7°12,9N – 99°04,2 E to

KO KRADAN 7°18,6 N – 99°15,6E

We start our journey for Ko Kradan at around 11:30, it takes us about 2,5 hrs, motoring again, no wind as usual. We anchor in the SW bay which should have the best corals. We are spoilt after Ko Rok, this is not good enough for the ladies to get wet. We do enjoy the scenery. Over the mainland there is a storm brewing, major clouds and thunder and lightning. We are spared. We decide to move to the west side of Ko Kradan where our anchorage, suitable only in NE season is. It is blowing so bad, and from NW, that we decide not to use it, instead set sail. YOH OUR FIRST REAL SAILING EXPERIENCE HERE ! We get up to 6 knots speed or so ! We do a circle around the island of Ko Kradan and go to the anchorage which is usually safe in the SW season. The wind is blowing from NW which makes it equally safe to stay ! Had we know this would be our only 2 sailing hours for the first week…we probably would have enjoyed it even more.

DAY 7: 17.3.17 – Distance: 18 NM

KO KRADAN 7°18,6 N – 99°15,6E to

KO KRADAN 7°18,6 N – 99°15,6E

In regatta sailing there is something called a triangle course. We did something like that, just very very slowly….because once again there was no wind ! The day started with the eastern horizon filled with dark grey clouds, no proper sunrise, the positive thing is that its not too hot yet. After sleeping late and having our breakfast we headed almost due north to the next island called Ko Ngai. At it south end is a reef with excellent schnorkeling. Took us a while to get there, but we made it, motoring al the way as usual.

In the afternoon our next stop is the island Ko Muk, SE of Ko Ngai, way to wavy and a horrible swell as well, so we won’t stay here. But the book says we can get provisions here, so we go ashore. There is a little shop on the resorts grounds, which unfortunately only sells crisps and suntan lotion. After a lots of asking, (as usual hardly anybody speaks English), we find out we have to go to the other side of the island.

So we take a taxi, something like a motorbike with a side part to it where 2-4 people can sit. Good for us the island is not too big, it takes about 5-10 min to get to the other side. The shop only has half of what we need but the guy speaks decent English and promises to tell our driver where to go next. The second shop has some of the missing items but there still is a lot  missing. Have to go now, sunset is always at 18:30 and by 19:00 it is pitchdark. The famous Emerald Cave will have to wait. We leave Ko Muk and return to last nights peaceful anchorage on the SE side of Ko Kradan, a straight line and it only takes us 45 min, we arrive way before sunset.

For our best photos Go to gallery

To be continued !