WEEK 13: 1 May – 7 May – Phi Phi Don to Ko Hong (Krabi)

DAY 85 - Saturday 1 May - Phi Phi Don to Ko Muk

Left at 7am and had a good sail with both main and headsail for a little while then of course the wind died and we motored to Ko Muk. We anchored at first but weren’t happy with the holding so upanchored and picked up a buoy in 4m of water. It was a great comparison to when we came up a week or so ago – calm this time. Went to shore but our little restaurant had closed for the season so we went to the resort for dinner. The service was mediocre and the mosquitos savage. It was a lovely still night.
Miles: 38 Total: 6,384

DAY 86 – Sunday 2 May – Ko Muk to Ko Lantra
07°32.147N 99°02.851E
Went to the Emerald Cave at 7.30am. There were only two people in there. The noise was just like the Disneyland Pirates of the Carribean!! – the water hitting little caves and making a very eerie noise. Had a lovely time in there then Phil and Dell swam out then we dinghied around to the other beach and went ashore for a swim. Back to the yacht and we left at about 11.30 and went up the coast to Koh Lanta. We managed to anchor where there were a lot of rocks ashore!! But managed to land the dinghy in a gap in the rocks. Peter can’t walk very far at the moment as he has done his back in and it is very sore. A lovely lady named Oom came to greet us and invite us to her bar. It was an interesting bar on the beach and they had snakes in bottles – not Dell’s favourite. We sat at a table near the beach for dinner. A little girl started doing a dance for us and then got her fire chains out and did that (without the fire – she was only about 3) – she was very good. We had a lovely meal and then one of the men did the fire twirling – it was a wonderful evening and then back to the boat. Debbie and Phil slept on the deck – heard Phil fall out of bed onto the deck sometime through the night!
Miles: 20 Total: 6,404

DAY 87 – Monday 3 May – Koh Lanta – Nth Koh Dam Khwan (Chicken Island)
07°57.575N 98°48.498E
Peter’s back is no better. We thought of staying – it was so calm through the night. Oom had said that this time last year the weather was really bad and surf was breaking on the beach. In the end we decided to go and left at around 9am. Gained an extra knot of speed with the headsail out for a little while then motored taking it in turns between Debbie, Phil and Dell for the watch. There were heaps and heaps of fish traps to look out for. We arrived at Chicken Island at around 3pm. Anchored about 50m away from the reef. Around 4pm Debbie, Phil and Dell went into the island and left Zed there and snorkelled but a longtail who was distracted headed straight for us so much yelling and splashing and he finally noticed us. After that we snorkelled holding on to Zed, The fish were small but a few of them were aggressive – even the little Nemos didn’t back off. The little brown camouflage fish put a fin on a rock on either side of it and sat as still as it could thinking – you cant see me! The coral was very shallow and covered in sand but further out it was much better. Phil wasn’t well and Debbie and Phil slept on the deck again and we had another beautiful night.
Miles: 29 Total: 6,413

DAY 88 – Tuesday 4 May – Nth Koh Dam Kwan
Today is a down day to catch up with ourselves. Dell made muffins and Peter made bread and we are most intrigued to know what all the tour boats are looking at. This is a beautiful spot between four island with sandspits between two of them. The sandspits dry at low tide and you can walk between the two islands. There were so many people there this morning it looked as though they were walking on water! We went to the place where everyone had been snorkelling but the clarity wasn’t very good and all we could figure was that they were feeding the fish there. Saw a longtail with a monkey in a jacket on board.

DAY 89 – Wednesday 5 May – Nth Koh Dam Kwan – Rai Le Beach
We went snorkelling early in the morning but the tide was out and there were so many sea urchins that it was a bit dangerous so we headed back to the boat. Upanchored and went to the southern tip of Krabi where there was supposed to be a cave and a pool. It was a beautiful spot with large karsts rising out of the water and a resort on the beach. Dell, Debbie and Phil went ashore and walked to the cave with all the phallic symbols and had a swim over to an inlet in the rocks but didn’t actually see any cave or pool. I am sure with another visit we will have to explore a little more. We then motored around to the next bay and anchored in 4m and all went ashore. This place is renowned for its rock climbing so D, D & P walked along the beach – lots of backpacking places and came back to where we had left Peter and watched a fellow climbing under an overhang. When he fell the line was taken taut by the trainer on the ground. Deb & Phil found a little local eatery up a lane and the lady produced an old table and some odd chairs to accommodate us. She said it was up to her how hot our food would be and we had the loveliest meal we had had in ages. Went back to the boat as it was threatening rain but nothing came of it but it was shallow on the way back and the motor touched bottom a couple of times.
Miles: 5 Total: 6,418

DAY 90 – Thursday 6 May – Rai Le Beach
Peter stayed on board and D, P & D headed around the headland to the next bay in Zed. There was a special on massages so Debbie and Dell had a pedicure and massage – both for 450 Baht – about $15 (for two). We then walked around town. Taxi prices are ridiculously high but we found a bike taxi would take us to the Wat and wait and bring us back but by this time it was getting a bit late. We also found out the fruit and veggie market was about 5k away but as it was getting late and the water getting a bit rough we headed back to the boat. We all got soaked but arrived safely back. Dell has been driving Zed in Peter’s absence. We decided to eat on board as there was lightning all around and then we had a big storm with heaps of rain and we filled our two jerries and all the buckets in no time. It lasted about ¾ hr and then it was over and gone leaving us refreshed after our shower in the rain on the deck.

DAY 91 – Friday 7 May – Rai Le Beach – Ko Hong
We had a late start trying to decide whether to go round to the bay again or back to find the cave and pool but in the end decided to head for Ko Hong. It took a couple of hours and we picked up our buoy at Ko Hong about 1pm and headed to the beach. Peter and Dell had a swim while Debbie and Phil did the walk and then came back to the beach for a swim. Had a lovely afternoon – there weren’t as many longtails or tourist b oats as last time and in the end it was just us and about five other people. Beautiful calm evening.
Miles: 11 Total: 6,629


Love and Cheers

Fair winds and calm seas

Dell and Peter