January 16, 2007 - Phuket to Andamans Passage Day 2
by George & Merima

Hi Everyone:

We had a relaxing Sunday evening on the mooring at Ko Miang, chatting till we faded away after the barbecue dinner. The water below Moonshadow was crystal clear and we could see the giant mooring we were tied to as if it was within arm's reach. On Monday morning we motored six miles north to KO Similan and picked up another mooring and spent a couple hours snorkeling in the clear waters there. There were plenty of fish on parade, and the usual loud and fast dive and tourist boats. On one dive I dropped down to about 25 feet and stuck my head under a piece of coral. Staring back at me was a white-tipped reef shark, with its tail crossed over another about the same size.

At noon we shook off the mooring line and took a lap around the beautiful bay. Everyone enjoyed the rocky shoreline, which made for some great photo opportunities. We then set a course for Port Blair in the Andaman Islands, approximately 340 miles northwest. Winds were light and seas were calm so we motorsailed most of the day. The breeze finally filled in the afternoon so we could shut down the engine and sail at a respectable speed. Winds throughout most of the evening were about 10-13 knots from the NNE so we were moving along quite nicely, but the seas were confused a bit, making the ride was a bit bumpy. During the 0300-0600 watch the breeze picked up to 16 knots and moved aft of the beam, and we were scooting along at 10+ knots for an hour or so, before it moderated back to the earlier levels.

As it's been more than a year since we have done a night passage, we have gotten to experience some things that we haven't seen for awhile - bioluminescence, satellites passing overhead, beautiful star-filled skies, cool evening breezes on our faces, and the Southern Cross constellation to our south. The combination of it being our first night at sea, along with the lumpy conditions, didn't allow anyone too much sleep - we're a bit slow today.

I put out the fishing line at first light this morning and caught a small barracuda. While it was great to hear the buzz of the reel peeling out line again, we tossed it back in hopes of snagging something more flavorful, like a mahi-mahi or a tuna for dinner. At least we know the lure is still attractive to something out there in the big blue sea besides plastic bags.

It appears as if our first leg is going according to plan. At noon today, we had covered 185 nautical miles since we left the Similans, which will time our landfall in the Andamans around first light tomorrow morning. If we can wade through the lengthy check-in process in one day, we may be in for an Indian dinner in Port Blair tomorrow evening.

Cheers, George, Merima, Graham and Thane