Zero To Hero: Week 2

8-14 FEBRUARY 2019

After an exhilarating first week is was time to tackle the second half of our course, without knowing what adventures it may bring! Whilst the Bareboat Skipper course has set hours that you must complete, there is no specific schedule in which you complete them. So, being relatively new to the world of boat management and maintenance we got stuck into some tasks around the marina.

First job: send Em up the mast! Whilst we were out on our passage in the first week of the course, we noticed that the anchor light on top of the mast hadn’t been working. Em is notoriously fearless (!) and she jumped at the chance to go up and take a look. Mastering the bosun’s chair is a useful technique to learn for the both of us to ensure we can do this safely in the future. It required a harness and two halyards (long lines running up and down the mast; useful for hoisting sails and people), both of which Em tied herself - a good test of those bowline skills! :) Using the winch at the mast we hoisted Em to the the top. It was a beautiful day but scorching hot, so it wasn’t an easy job, but we got it done. What a cool experience and an even better view!

One of the things on our agenda to learn was familiarity with other vessels, including different types of sailing yachts and keel designs, so this was best done around the boat yard. This area of the marina is used for ship building, intense repairs and long-term dry storage for a variety of boats. Managed by Popeye Marine, the lovely Des Kearns is also from our hometown of Dee Why in Sydney (and a member of the Long Reef Surf Club in the Northern Beaches, no less). He has written a few books on his sailing adventures, and has been a mariner all his life. So great to chat with him and see how that side of a marina works.

John then decided it was time to sample some off-marina cuisine, so we jumped in the car with Dougie for a short drive down to a local fish restaurant. Despite the strange music choice (think: out-of-tune strangled cat in a tin can), the food was stunning and the location (an old wooden jetty over the water) was charming. Then is was back to the classroom at KBL for afternoon theory, brushing up for our skipper license exam.

We needed to wait for the return of a different catamaran before we could head out for our next trip, so the following morning we got up for some revision and intense study (cramming!) before sitting our Bareboat Skipper exam. This is a much more involved course, featuring sections that aren’t included on the crew course, as well as some deeper learning. But we were soon in the examination room (John’s lounge!) and stuck into the exam. Fortunately, there is not much more to say than WE ACED IT! What a great feeling to both come out with a pass mark of over 95% - just brilliant!

Just before lunch we were able to take a tour around Esper, home to Jamie Furlong of Follow The Boat fame. She’s an Oyster 435 ketch coach-roofed cutter (built in 1989). How interesting it was to see how other people setup and live on their boats, especially someone who has been doing it for so long. Thanks Jamie!

That afternoon it was time for some Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB) training. And whilst we had done some small dinghy work with the catamaran, we hadn’t tried out a large RIB with some serious horsepower. It’s always good to know how to operate other types of boats if required, and in this case the practical course does require it. Just outside the Krabi Boat Lagoon there is a beautiful network of mangroves, rivers and a floating village. This allowed us to take the boat for a good spin and really feel how a RIB behaves; how to get up on the plane, how to steer safely and how to stop quickly without flooding the engines. A thoroughly enjoyable experience and a good adrenaline rush to boot!

Given that we were already out on a dual engine RIB, practicing manoeuvres and mooring back at the marina was much like operating a small cat. We worked on our practical skills, like reversing, spinning whilst stationary, coming alongside, and working with the wind and current. And being in an inflatable made it a bit like driving a bumper car. :) But the biggest thing we learnt was to remain calm and make small movements - there’s no need to rush!

Tomorrow we would be out for our second liveaboard stint, so we headed off to the local Big C for provisioning, followed by dinner in Krabi Town. It’s a short drive away, which was fortunate given we were racing back to join the crowd down at the Captain’s Galley for the Six Nations (Ireland v Scotland).

The morning started swiftly with another change of plan as we got news the boat due to come in for us to turnaround had a flat battery. It was about 1hr away and so I headed out on the RIB with a fresh battery and one of the local crew to rig up. Em headed out with John to cover the kids sailing as a rescue boat (Chinese students learning on laser dinghies as a holiday pastime). Of course, just as we finished filling up the RIB with fuel we got the call that the catamaran had started and was on her way back. These sudden change of plans seem to be the way of marina life, so we changed tack again (ahem) and it was back to the exam room to pass our VHF Radio Exam! This is an essential qualification to ensure you can safely operate the radio with all the call signs, language, channel usage etc. Not such an arduous test, but extremely important.

We had lunch and prepped our gear just as Compass Rose arrived in the marina. We had one hour to turn the boat around; fill her up, clean her and get out of KBL before the tide was too low. We just scraped through the river-mouth entrance in time, and then motor-sailed over to Railay Beach to anchor in time for a quick sunset swim in the tourist hotspot. The evening even allowed us to enjoy some cheese and wine on the foredeck, which was bliss! Since John had been sleeping out on the trampoline some nights, I decided to give it a try. Armed with just a couple of towels I lay out to watch the stars, feel the gentle breeze and get a relatively calm night’s sleep. Although it’s not entirely comfortable when the wind sends up a cold breeze off the water from underneath the tramp, it was certainly a lovely experience. It’s been a long time since I’ve slept out with nature so it was well worth it.

With just one last full day of sailing left, it was sure to be a cracker. After breakfast we hauled anchor and moved on to the turquoise waters of Koh Hong. The passage over provided a good opportunity to tack and gybe, and practice some storm tactics. (Heaving-to being the most satisfying to perfect. A good method for taking a rest and to get reset before getting underway again.) Arriving at Koh Hong finally gave us the chance to pick up a mooring ball. Hovered relentlessly around a boat seemingly poised to leave gave the right message! And so, after a brief lunch, Em and I took the dinghy through the narrow entrance into the stunning Koh Hong lagoon. How rewarding to see these sights under our own steam, rather than via a tourist boat. And you could ask for a better location to explore than the southern islands of Thailand. We found our own private beach to take the dinghy ashore and test out the transom-mounted Beachmaster Wheels (we’ve added them to the shopping list!). It’s going to be very important for us ensure one person can haul the dinghy and heavy outboard up the beach (or even over rocks). After a snorkel with the local fishes, and checking out a bat cave, we jumped back onboard to head for Tubkaek (Cupcake) Beach. As the wind picked up we reduced the sail area in advance, putting reefs in the mainsail. And boy did we need them, as we got our first taste of gale-force winds... It was evident how much pressure the boat was under, and we were flying! Although still under control, it was an important lesson in understanding what those winds feel like and how the boat handles in strong conditions.

As we came close to anchoring we had one more test... The mainsail was jammed in the mast and wouldn’t come down. Not ideal in gale-force winds! Twisted halyards and pressure on the cars coming down the mast, prevented the sail from dropping. Thank goodness we had John aboard to reassure us that these things happen and the best move is to remain calm and try a few different tactics. In this case that meant easing the main sheet to allow the pressure on the cars to drop, letting the mainsail come down swiftly. Phew!

Anchoring off the bay in a reasonably low tide, we quickly got sorted and went ashore to one of John’s favourite local joints, Sai-ing Beach Bar. It was the perfect place for a relaxing sunset drink, and sharing some good food with other sailors… including the very interesting American McGee of Shanghai - well-known game designer, and now part-time sailor.

It was an early start to get back to Krabi Boat Lagoon with the tide, and after no rain for 10 days we got our first downpour on the way home, plus plenty of traffic again coming towards the channel. Although the sail home was fairly uneventful, there was lots of talk about how to approach and moor at the marina. As we neared it was time for us to fully take control for the berthing of Compass Rose. We each took turns bringing her up the narrow channel and into the marina, stopping and spinning slowly to ensure we could handle the mooring manoeuvres. A little bit stressful, but slowly does it! Now it was time to shimmy past all the other boats and reverse dock her into the berth. It definitely required more than a few people to help out: lookouts on the boat, people to catch lines on the dock, and lots of people watching from the Captain’s Galley! The pressure was on. Although it was quite a straightforward manoeuvre it required lots of small movements on the throttle. The biggest learning point was probably that once you get close to stationary (prior to berthing), you pretty much ignore the wheel, keeping her at midships to allow the rudders to have little effect. Instead the engines used in tandem give precise and small movements, allowing us to swing her into place. No scrapes, no bumps. Done! Aaaaannnnd breathe.

Sadly it was then time to pack up our gear, finish all the paperwork, sign off, and say our goodbyes and thank yous. What an amazing experience with a brilliant team. A huge thanks in particular to John and Jessica at Java Yachting!

Wisely, we carved out two nights in Ao Nang for a well-deserved finish to this trip. This allowed us time to relax, reflect and say a little hello to the place we stayed as backpackers back in 2006. Oh, and a thoroughly deserved Thai massage and spa day. ;)

And there you have it! Our 10-day liveaboard Zero to Hero course was complete. I think the biggest gift we received from the past two weeks is the confidence that we will be able to do this all on our own. Whilst we will always be learning and humble about doing so, we have the determination and grit to make it possible, and do it safely. Cheers Thailand, we’ll miss you!

-Ben