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mid-February, 2007 - THE NEW YEAR IS GETTING VERY OLD
by Beth & Al Liggett

(SetSail note - this article was originally sent to us in mid-February, and should have appeared before the previous "Chinese New Year" article - but due to Internet gremlins, we only received this article at the end of March - hence posting it April 4.)

We've been following Moonshadow's westward progress on SetSail.com. It was really super to meet up with George and Merima here in Malaysia/Thailand, and we shared some special times together! Likewise, we are keeping up with other friends, Tom and Liz, (Feel Free) who are sending us email reports of their voyages from places like Galle, Sri Lanka, and Ullugam Atoll in the Maldives. And new friends - Graeme and Isabelle, (Quiet Achiever) have us drooling in envy with their reports of good sailing, productive fishing, and beautiful snorkeling in the Andaman Islands. We will miss them all. And we are jealous of all these reports of great sailing and new adventures.

I'm thinking, "No fair!" It's hard to watch all your friends set sail over the horizon when you know you can't be joining them. Because if all had gone as planned, we would be out there too, enjoying good sailing and hitting the same anchorages together. Instead, we are sitting around in Phuket, Thailand. I'm making regular visits to the dentist, and Al is trying to sort out problems on the boat.

That's why this New Year is getting VERY old! Actually, the boggles began in December. While we were sailing around Langkawi we noticed that our wind speed/direction instrument wasn't playing with a full deck. It had a mind of its own as far as the apparent wind speed and direction was concerned - the wind showing wrong direction and at too low a speed. I mean, how MAGIC to be able to sail on a beam reach at 5.5 knots when the apparent wind speed is reading 2 K, and the pointer has the wind DEAD ahead!! We may be the only boat in the world to be able to do that!!

Both the depth sounder and the speed log have had their LCD screen die - in about a 3-hour period while we were coming north. Both - at the same time -- ??? Of course, they aren't made any more - they are 9-year-old Standard Horizon Series 50. The Standard tech support people wrote a very informative letter to us about what we might use as an alternative that would still work with our existing transducers. However, we found that the replacement models aren't made any more, and we can't even locate some used parts either. Is there some Black Hole that is swallowing all options? Meanwhile, you can just BARELY see the numbers on the depth and speed instruments behind the foggy LCD if you look from the proper angle and hold your tongue just right.

Of course, we sailed around the world in Bacchus with just a lead line to measure depth, a Walker trailing log for speed, and red ribbons tied on the lower shrouds for wind direction tell-tales. We still have the lead line and the Walker log. And we have again tied red ribbons on the shrouds. But you know, once you get used to the technology thing...

Now I know things happen in threes - but the Jinx-it Genie has zeroed in on the yellow sailboat and just doesn't know when to stop counting!

A much BIGGER problem than the instruments dying is our anchor windlass. It up and died on us - January 1st! Fortunately, we were just leaving one bay to come to a more protected anchorage, and there were only about 2 feet of chain and the anchor left to haul in when it gasped and quit. You know, this same thing had happened to us in Phuket in the same bay, on January 1st back in 2002! Now what are the odds of something like that repeating itself! Al took the motor apart and the brushes were worn out. But the mechanic at the motor shop where he took it (and the last time too) didn't think he could do anything about the commutator part - it is really worn out and too thin to be resurfaced. So we have been casting the net far and wide for a replacement. But having an old boat means our stuff is all discontinued, not made anymore. And so far, no luck.

We've tried all sorts of avenues for repair/replacement of the anchor windlass motor. But no joy anywhere, and we've sorta thrown up our hands. We can always use our little 15lb Danforth with a bit of chain and line - far easier to handle than all the chain and our CQR anchor. This area has good mud for holding and the line won't break Al's back like hauling all that chain in by hand would. The "Too Hard" basket is getting fuller as we speak.

Because next, my camera quit on me. And just one month out of warranty! Another boggle. Another disappointment. Now it's this computer - it looks to be developing old age wrinkles on the screen. Leprosy? It is a tactile decomposition, it is growing, and I'm sure the computer days are numbered. Suppose the computer has been in collusion with the LCD instrument screens? All told, it's been a depressing way to start the New Year.

Even without the windlass and instrument problems forcing a change in plans, we weren't going anywhere anyway. I have been involved in doing dental work: a root canal that dragged along, then the crown installation once the root canal was completed. So I haven't been feeling very good either. There is very competent dental service here in Phuket. It all just takes time.

Time. It never seems we have enough of it. But since we weren't sailing away and weren't cruising locally, we found we suddenly had too much time. We were just sitting around, looking for things to do. Of course here is always a list of "Things to Do", and we have checked all the minor items off. And found other little projects that needed attention that weren't even on the list. But alot of the items on the list are the "not here/not now" sort of stuff. Then again, it is blowing like stink out there - the NE monsoon winds finally cranked up to their potential and are keeping some useful anchorages way too sloppy to do any varnish work. And the wet dinghy rides getting ashore don't help either. I have cleaned out lockers and inventoried the food stores. Since it is the first of the year, I have been cleaning out some old files, folders and fol-de-ral. Al has been head down with his computer and the video camera, trying to edit some of our "Summer 2006" footage into a little movie to share with friends. Editing takes a whole lot of time and is NOT user friendly!

LATER...
Time is passing, things are looking brighter. My tooth work is finished. A friend has located what he thinks is the proper replacement motor for the windlass - in Penang! We will leave Thailand next week and sail back to Langkawi then on to Penang. We have a hefty chain hook and will try using it and line and the primary winches to haul the anchor aboard. We pretty much know all the anchorages between Phuket and Langkawi, their depths and bottom conditions, and can still swing a lead line. The GPS will tell us speed and distance; the tell tales, the wind direction. The wind...there are whitecaps in the anchorage today - it's still blowing like stink. Any bets about the Jinx-it Genie getting in one last "gotcha" and either turning it all off or making it come from the South instead?