RE-ENGINING IN BOAT MAROON. PHUKET 26th March 2012

Out with the old.

The frenzy of work on the hardstand is now behind us so now we are winding down a little in anticipation of the arrival of Joan, Davids 89 year old mum, for  a sailing trip to Langkawi. Joan has visited before and I understand she is really looking forward to the trip.

We are ticking off some of the items on a long list of jobs. They are never all "done". If we waited for that to happen we would never leave.

In with the new

The major jobs we have done are the engine refit and all the attendant sundry stuff that goes with that like extra alternator and damage control pump, replace the whole exhaust system and all the fuel lines, instal the new control panel and run the wiring for it. All this is pretty time consuming in the confines of a small yacht, in the awful heat and humidity at Boat "Maroon". 

The mast re paint was not quite as straight forward as we had hoped and as prices in Phuket have soared in the last year or so, we elected to paint it ourselves, after which we fitted some new halyards and sheaves before hoisting that back into position. 

Huck hard at it.

The inevitable bottom sanding and re anti-foulling was also achieved without too much outside "interference!!."  Needless to say, after a month on the hardstand and all that work we were seriously needing a break.

Huck arrived  and worked like a dog to get the engine installed in record time considering he had to start virtually from scratch inside. The engine beds were a little too high  and had to be lowered and the rails for the mounts had to be designed and then built at Luk Engineering in Phuket Town. This involved hundreds of kilometers in the trusty old Honda CRV we had rented. The structure on the front of the engine which houses the second alternator and a large Jabsco damage control pump really should be in the Louvre. Its a work of art and painted silver on the top and red on the underside....should we ever see the red ...we know we are in a lot of trouble!!

Installed

Huck and I were doing the final oil checks and filled the gear box whilst Taipan was in the lifter being carried to the water for re launching. It was a moment of great excitement and pleasure for Huck to hit the key after final checks and the new engine roared into life without a single splutter.... Huck always said it would!!!

After hauling on the 27th of Jan , Huck arrived on 8th of Feb, Karen arrived on the 15th of Feb and we relaunched on the 23rd of Feb so it was a pretty good effort considering three of us did all the work with the exception of the sanding of the hull. 

Splash down

       .

Never again will we go to Boat Lagoon and we would never recommend it to any one else. It was one of the most awful haul-out experiences we have ever had! 

The only highlight of the whole experience was making the acquaintance of Sue and Rex Whistler, new owners of "ARIEL" the beautiful Morgan next to us. Thank you for the beers and for your endless good humor and for keeping us sane!!!

Time for a rest.

The trip to Langkawi with Huck and Karen was uneventful if a little hurried and all systems worked flawlessly. It was often windless so the new engine got a thorough work out and we had a lovely restful time stopping at Koh Hong, Hen n Chicken, Koh Muk, Tatatao and then into Rebak Marina. A couple of days were spent enjoying the pleasures of Langkawi before they flew off to Penang for a real rest at the E & O Hotel, and then back to Perth.

Huck

David and I then made our way back to Phuket to finish off a few projects and await Joan's arrival.
Since arriving back in Yacht Haven Marina Phuket we have installed the new fiberglass companionway stairs, refurbished the anchor rollers, fitted big chain plates on the stern to attach the Jordan Series Drouge if we ever need to deploy it...I hope not! Sundry sewing jobs have been started and finished and now the galley calls for provisioning. Marmalade made, vacuum sealing, freezing and drying in progress.

We hope to clear out of Phuket and head south next week. Joan David and I will all fly out of Langkawi to KL on the 16th of April before heading back to Perth for Tim and Vanessa's wedding on the 28th in Albany.

AGROUND! BOAT MAROON.Janurary 27th 2012

New Orca Windlass installation.

The lead up to this haul out has been hectic to say the least. Since we arrived back aboard Taipan on new Years Eve we have had the deck painting completed on schedule and we moved to a "normal" pen from the "work dock" which was a total joy!

The deck and cockpit look great. The new anchor winch was the next project which had to be completed before departure. It took a week or so to get the anchor windlass, deck fittings and gear back on and then we were able to head out towards Boat Lagoon. We had two nights on anchor before the onslaught begins again. When we left the marina all was well until anchor o'clock... suddenly neither of the depths sounders were working so it was back to the trusty string and sinker. 

Dont you just love it when you are motoring gently along on a windless day enjoying a day away from the dock when a big fat stink boat (aka "Moon Sand") comes by at 15 knots and the bow wave is 6 feet high! High enough to put about 200 gal below deck and drench me while um standing on the foredeck trying to shut hatches!!!. Do they use brick designers to design these monstrosities!!!.

Oh well I got the hatches over the chart table shut in time to prevent two computers getting drowned!

Our anchorage was a little exposed because we were being cautious but managed to have a nice couple of days rest. 

Before we left to head in to Boat Lagoon Marina we managed to get the 2 depths sounders working and I loaded the new CMap, Mapmedia derived Charts which were supplied by Furuno as replacements for the Navionics Mapmedia derived charts which we purchased and which were  totally useless. I am very happy to report that the new ones look great. Suddenly we can actually use the Furuno Navnet 3 D plotter!. Just as well because the trusty Garmin which has been with us for 10 years has finally started to get screen failure. How timely!

David had blood tests recently and the medico back in OZ is very pleased with them. He is getting fitter and stronger as each long weary day goes by. His driving is deteriorating!

Since we hauled out for annual maintenance PLUS a few other odd jobs we have been hot sweaty dirty and busy. The mast came out to be repainted and serviced. That's one big and stressful job let me tell you! The painting sanding and repainting is on going and we try to do some on it in the early morning and late afternoon when its a little cooler. Average here is 32deg with 80% to 90% humidity so... yes!... you sweat...not just "glow" let me assure you!

The work begins

We get here to start each morning at about 6.20am and get several hours of shade which is a big incentive for such an early start.

From the other end.

The rest of the day at present is taken up with engine un-installation !! Yes the trusty Volvo MD 30A 65HP is being superseded by a new Yanmar 75HP Turbo. We have agonized over the decision for nearly a year and reluctantly decided to replace it instead of buy a few new parts.  The engine still runs and starts perfectly but some of the peripherals are dying. Starter motor, copper pipes, potentially the main diesel rotary pump may need service...lots of little things which would be easier repaired out of the boat but which added together with the 12,000hrs of great service don't add up financially. In five years it will be a 30 year old engine.  Any way the new engine in here in Phuket and we are awaiting the arrival of Huck... our great friend from OZ who generously offered to come and help with the installation if we went ahead with the purchase. Hes due next week!

We haven't bought a new gear box as it is not so old, so its a bobtail instal....???

Currently we are staying at the Akwaaba Hill Mansion with good friends Mike and Chris who have once again invited us to stay. The boat is not livable...the air con cant work on the hard stand....When Huck arrives we will move into a condo here at the Marina for a couple of weeks before we go SAILING..... hopefully! Thats what were here for after all!!

LIFE IN A BUBBLE December 2011

Plastic and tape...painting job.

We are tucked up back aboard Taipan in Yacht Haven marina Phuket, albeit inside a big plastic bubble with paint fumes. Our painter permitted us to go aboard to kick out 2011 and welcome in 2012. We had a quiet night aboard for the first night in three and a half months. It was midst a fug of mold and closed up boat smell that we savored a good bottle of red and toasted the incoming year. Couldn't find the champs but no matter! The red worked well and we awoke  on new years day with a shocker head just to remind us were not quite up to all the partying we used to do.

Cheers

We flew out of Australia on the 21st only 7 days after the successful completion of Davids treatments. We had a few days each with Annamarie, Michael and Corinne and Andrew and Christine, all of whom spoiled us rotten. Andrew and Christine drove us to the airport and kindly offered to look after our car.

Chris and Mike, sailing friends in Phuket picked us up and welcomed us to their lovely hill mansion overlooking the bay. Several days rest and relaxation and then Xmas chaos reined!. 12 friends  to a wonderful sit down lunch and dinner with all the trimmings. Fabulous day and company and food by the pool with views to Phang Nga Bay.

View to Phang Nga Bay.

We have now settled down to life in the slow lane again...watching paint to dry. David of course cant be slowed down and the ampaphobic is "currently"....pardon the pun... tangled in wires, resistors, relays meters and stuff doing something technical to the fridge and freezer compressors which are apparently confused by the fans!!....??? I cook and clean!

The fridge and freezer were not keen to start when we got back as some old dust in the fans had got damp and they wouldn't start. Suffice to say its all good now the fridge man has been by!

I have banished most of the mold and damp smelly boat smells with concentrated bleach and am now working my way through the cupboards washing stuff.  Cruising life!

We hope to be finished with the paint business in about a week so we can get the boat back together to start the next jobs.....thru hulls and mast....and new engine....sigh. Might as well just slash a hole in all your pockets!!

Thanks to everyone for your support and good cheer during a trying 2011. Looking forward to sailing this year....somewhere...anywhere!

NEW HARD DODGER AND BIMINI. 2010

NEW HARD DODGER AND BIMINI TOP July 2010

 
Tossing off the lines on Thursday just before dark we motored out to the anchorage off Yacht Haven Marina, Phuket, our home since last November. On Friday morning after a hectic night stowing the final stuff we headed out towards Phi Phi. The sailing was good and Taipan was covering the miles so we kept going to the southern end of Ko Lanta. We had covered roughly 70 nautical miles in good conditions. 

Friday loomed a little gloomy so we abandoned the idea of heading to Rok Nok to do our last snorkeling in Thailand for a while and headed towards the northern tip of Ko Taratao to rendezvous with Egress ll. Several hours on  that course with the wind dropping  before we changed our mind and hardened up to get a good sail, and headed to the Butang group. It was further, over 70nm,  but sailing conditions were great and we even bagged a brace of mackerel. Yummo!!. The new rapalla lure strikes again.!...

Saturday and easy 24nm run downwind to Telaga to deliver a dingy and outboard we had bought down for someone. 

Sunday we motored the 4 nm over to Rebak Island to berth in the marina and ready the boat for the haul-out today at 9.30

Now its Monday and we are safely parked on the hard with all the gross underwater work ahead of us. Its overcast but not raining and humid and heck!

So now we don the overalls and get down an dirty!

REFIT. UPHOLSTERY. May 2010

The finished upholstery by Mr Peh and his team, from Charminsin in Phuket. They have done a great job and we are pleased with the finished effect. The fabric is a very hard wearing microfiber from the US. Something to lighten up the area was called for.

 

Above photo of forward cabin refit. New water tanks below the bed and an extended bed. The forward head and shower have been re-modeled to facilitate access to a hitherto difficult space. The bed covers and cushions were also made by Charminsin

  

 Preview of work in progress on new hard dodger. Awaiting side curtains.

REFIT. CHART TABLE AND GALLEY.. March 2010

Taipan's galley now has new Staron tops by Absolute Kitchens in Phuket. Staron is an acrylic product which is very similar to Corian.

They were very professional and have done a great job.It's much cleaner and brighter. Nice new sinks to keep the Admiral happy. We still have some minor finishing to do and the stove to re install.

The chart table is having a major refit with new teak to replace the original surface which after all the different equipment being installed and removed, has a number of holes. 

The new top has replaced the poor old teak veneer which just wasn't hard wearing enough for  a  computer chart table. 

Nice and fresh, lighter and very hard wearing.

FITOUT PROGRESS IN PHUKET August 2007

Six months on and we are still in Yacht Haven Marina on the north eastern tip of Phuket Island. Thailand. We have been working solidly but as anyone with a boat project knows..... it all takes time.

David has become quite the cabinet maker. Amazing what you find out doing the demolition work. Suddenly all is revealed and the task doesn’t seem so daunting. Now with the deconstruction complete and the “making good” period also behind us, we are finally well into the reconstruction phase!

Out with the third cabin and in with a Laundry - Shed and new “Garage” out the back! The hot water system & batteries now re located under the No 2 cabin bunk to make way for an automatic washing machine and small freezer under a new work bench with cabinets for tools and other shed paraphernalia.

The new “garage” is accessible from the cockpit for storage of bikes, air conditioner, (which we might just keep a while longer!) Spare sails anchors ropes and Jerry Cans.

My contribution has been primarily chief veneer replacer!. Water damaged teak has been renewed. I have replaced the veneer on the front of the Chart Table with the good captains help and now the varnish is going on there. I have removed a drawer to make way for our computer mini tower.

There have also been modifications to the companionway. We have lost 3 steps. Access is much improved as a result. Work is almost complete now just varnish and some teak trims to go.

At the beginning of July we moved into the marina managers house. While we house kept for Munchie, Nick and Zara's cat, we also took the opportunity to varnish the floors. We used Epiphane and although the drying time is a good 24 hours it was worth the trouble. It looks good after 5 coats and will improve when the final 3 coats to go on in Rebak in September.

A word of warning about Thai paints!.... they are generally substandard and we know of more than one case of the varnish just "falling off"!! Buy your own and make sure its an imported brand!

In the end I am sure it will have all been worth the discomfort and inconvenience with a much more user friendly and comfortable boat.

Noi and Ham. Young men from Marleys workshop at Yacht Haven Marina. Excellent cabinet makers who came to help us with the fine woodwork.