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Kim's blog 3/14/13:
Today we loaded Georgia J on the Thorco Svendborg for the trip to Turkey.
We have had an anxious few days awaiting the ship's arrival. The schedule changed repeatedly as we rushed to complete
all work on Georgia J and cover teak, blocks and winches with canvas, tape and plastic to protect against Red Sea sand
and sun. We had to leave the marina yesterday in order have sufficient depth during the full moon tides. We had
pleasant overnight anchorage at a beautiful island, our first night on Georgia J since November.
We met the ship
today at our noon appointment. Unfortunately, our loading was delayed for 4 hours while we circled the ship in the blazing
sun. The only glitch in the process occurred due to a sun induced headache. I intended to take a few Tyenol, but
took Tyenol PM by accident. When our time finally came, we pulled up alongside of the ship with a perfect three point
touch down, barely touching it's rough metal hull. A perfect controlled collision- despite the Captain's drugged
state. Workers spent almost an hour securing straps underneath with a diver's help.
After Georgia J was
lifted aboard, we went on board the ship, climbed a ladder to Georgia J and reattached the rigging. We think she is
in a good spot at the back of the deck where she will be more protected in the Red Sea sand storms.
As for us,
we fly to Israel in two days to tour the Holy Land and will meet Georgia J in Marmaris, Turkey around April 1st.
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| Georgia J's Ride to Turkey- note yachts at back |
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| Georgia J flys |
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| Georgia J succesfully loaded |
Kim's blog 3/1/13- Georgia J refloated
Today was the big day when Georgia J went back in the water after almost 4 months of work. We were more
than a little nervous when the lift came to pick us up and gently us drop in the water. Would the engine
start? Would the boat leak? Most important, had we forgotten how to manuever her through a marina and into a slip.
Our shinny new paint job depended on a successful transit to the berth.
As soon as we began moving, I realized
something was terribly wrong. The boat was not responding correctly. Then the awlful truth hit me.
The steering cables had been reversed. When I turned the wheel right, the boat turned left. When I turned left,
the boat turned right. It took all my concentration to manuver the boat opposite to my instincts. However,
with help from the marina staff, we completed our 100 yard voyage without a scratch.
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| She Floats! |
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| Nicole - age 2 |
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| One mighty big Budda |
Sharon’s Blog 01/31/12- Out and About in
Thailand
The re-fit is continuing to go well; we are very pleased with the work being
done. Kim has had to be content with getting on board during the lunch hour and after 6:00 pm.
My bribe (to continue cruising), a new Force 10 Range went in yesterday. Yeah!
Recognizing
that we have spent way too much time in the resort, we have finally gotten out and about a bit with Michael and Sue.
Last week, we all went with another cruiser and a delightful local woman who took us to an amazing restaurant we would
have never tried (or found). We dined beside the water and enjoyed a fresh seafood feast, appetizers, soup,
multiple mains, ice cream and beer, all for 700 bat (about $23. per couple). Some of the food was so spicy
we were in tears, but we are getting acclimated to the heat, at least in our food.
This
week we went to visit the giant Buddha, Phuket’s top attraction. The Buddha, sitting on top of a
mountain between Chalong Bay and Kata, can be seen from miles away. It is 45 meters high and 25 meters
across the base and is layered with white Burmese marble. It glistens in the sun and the nearby trees are
filled with tinkling bells. This impressive structure was built solely with donations and functions both
as a temple for Buddhists and a tourist destination.
On the drive up, we saw numerous
elephant treks. We chose to visit Nicole, a 2 year old baby, who was not chained and scampered to greet
us as soon as we pulled off the road. Nicole eats 80 kilos (176 lb.) of food daily. At
the speed, she grabbed bananas from us, this is no surprise.
On
the way home, we stopped at a supermarket which caters to Western ex-pats and cruisers. Now this may not sound like much of
an outing, but buying groceries has been a challenge. The local markets have very few products labeled
in English and practically no one in this part of Thailand speaks English.
We
are planning a land excursion to Vietnam soon. We are still waiting on a date for shipping Georgia to Marmaris,
Turkey.
S/V Georgia J on the hard in Boat Lagoon (Sharon and Kim in a condo)
Sharon’s Blog 1/18/13- Phuket, Thailand Happy New Year!
We arrived back in Phuket after fabulous holidays and wonderful visits with family and friends.
Truly special was our time with Erica, Alex, and our adorable grandsons. Observing the activity
level in that household makes our life look pretty easy.
We do not recognize any discernible
drop in temperature in Thailand even though we are in their winter. It is pretty hot here.
As Georgia is on the hard, we have rented a condo in Boat Lagoon. It is almost funny how much
better a place can look on-line than it does in reality. It is just very tired and in dire need of a paint
job and new furniture. Our air conditioning upstairs (bedrooms) has not been working and the downstairs
toilet leaks. Other than that it is a palace. The Australian owner has been so darn nice and responsive;
we are trying to make this work. There is a real shortage of short term rentals. Most
houses in Phuket do not have kitchens ad driving here is a nightmare. Being in Boat Lagoon, we can walk
to the boat, numerous restaurants, spas, and we can use the resort amenities. Our close friends, Michael
and Sue from Infini, are here and it has been great to re-connect with them.
The work
on Georgia is going really well. The teak decks and the hull painting looks so good, we can almost feel
good about all the money we are spending (almost!). We will be reluctant to ever put her back in the water.
Of course, the scope of the project has grown as we encountered some unknowns.
Isn’t that always the way? Kim is chomping at the bit to be on the boat so we can start
our own massive to do list. It will most likely be the end of February before
all of the work is done. That will give us a short time to do shake down sailing and cruising here before
we put her on the ship to the Med.
Our visas will run out the middle of February so
we are contemplating some land travel to Vietnam and/or Burma. We are still negotiating that between
ourselves.Coming back was a bit tough, but we are quickly getting re-settled and back in the groove.
We will keep you posted on our progress.
S/V Georgia J On the hard at Boat Lagoon, Phuket (Sharon and Kim in a condo in Boat Lagoon)
Kim’s Blog 11/10/12:
After
a week of agonizing, we have decided to proceed with a refit of Georgia J. Here is the shopping list:
· Remove mast
and inspect rigging
· Cut backstay chain plate out of fiberglass and inspect
· Remove deck fittings and repaint top sides and hull
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Remove teak decks and replace with quarter sawn Burmese teak.
· Strip external
varnish and replace with 10 new coats
· New Force 10 range
· Reupholster leather nav station seat
· Recover cockpit cushions
· Inspect and
repair sails
· Repaint bottom
· Other
miscellaneous cleaning, polishing and maintenance
Although expensive,
the work is a fraction of what it would cost in the USA.With the help of
only 14 Thai workers, we hauled Georgia J out today. The mast and rigging will be removed before we fly
to the good old USA next week. We are extremely eager to see family and friends.
The work will hopefully be completed when we return in January. We
plan to spend some time exploring the cruising grounds near Phuket. In March, Georgia J will be shipped
to Turkey. Although we would have liked to have bragging rights for circumnavigating, we decided
to fly over the Red Sea pirates.
s/v Georgia J, on the hard at
Precision Shipwright, Phuket, Thailand (see www.precision-shipwright.com)
Sharon’s Blog 11/05/12- Phuket, Thailand
We pulled into Ao Chalong harbor only one day beyond our goal of November1st. The anchorage
was crowded with a few cruising boats, many boats that looked semi-permanent and many tour boats. Following
the guidance of our cruising guides, we took a mooring ball (actually two, the first being too close). Fortunately,
a friendly surfer dude from North Carolina came to our boat to tell us the mooring balls were all privately owned.
We retreated to the back of the pack and anchored gearing up for a long dingy ride to shore. After
Singapore and Malaysia, we are surprised at how little English is spoken here. Without
question, we are the guests and have no right to expect English, but we rarely encounter Customs and Immigration officials
who speak no English.
After a couple of nights of squalls and
electrical storms, we made the journey to Boat Lagoon, about 15 miles away. The marina is located at the
end of a windy, shallow narrow channel through a mangrove swamp. We had traveled over 13,000 miles without
running aground until this day. We actually hit bottom twice but managed to plow our way out of the mud.
The marina is a nice facility with more marine services than the
last three countries we have been in combined. However, it is HOT and HUMID with almost no air movement.
After a couple of nights, we surrendered and found a tiny little condo in Phuket Town. The traffic
is crazy with motorbikes and scooters coming from every direction at our little car. Of course, the whole
family will fit on a single motor bike. We are already struck by how different Thailand is than anywhere
else we have traveled. “Thank you” is expressed with folded hands and a bow and shoes are left
at the front door of most establishments.
We are busily meeting
with service providers and pricing some work we may have done on Georgia as well as frantically working to get the boat ready
to leave for 7 weeks while we head back to the States. Seeing Phuket will have to wait until we come back
in January. Right now, Captain Kim is wielding that “to do” list!
S/V Georgia J Moored
at Boat Lagoon, Phuket (Sharon and Kim in an air conditioned condo in Phuket Town)
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