Cathy did last minute stocking of fresh meat and veges at the local market, Malaysian style
We headed for Ko Chuku. ( Ko means island in Thai). We were fortunate to be able to tie off on a mooring buoy for the night after the local tourist boats departed and relished in the peace and tranquility as the sun went down.
We were up and away at daybreak as there was an uncomfortable roll into the anchorage. We negotiated many flagged fish traps and pair trawlers necessitating strict watches.
At midday we pulled in to the island of Bulan Le where we inflated our new double inflatable kayak and paddled ashore to enjoy lunch at a resort restaurant.
In the mid afternoon we continued on to the majestic island of Koh Phetra rising 377m above sea level, passing spectacular rocks rising vertically out of the sea.
The jungle fringed cliffs are honey combed with caves and crevices and it is one of the main collection points for birds nests. We watched an eagle dive near the boat to retrieve a fish. Unfortunately too quick to capture on camera.
At first light the bird song was awesome!
The next stop after a day of light breezes which involved sails up and sails down we arrived at Koh Muk where the notorious "Emerald cave is situated.
We explored the beach at our private anchorage, which on arrival looked idyllic until we walked along the rubbish littered beach. It was interesting to see what floats in with the tide!
As the sun began to go down and the longtail tourist boats disappeared we entered the Emerald cave.
The entrance way is an 80m pitch dark passageway
leading to a completely enclosed circular, cathedral-like Hong, with a diameter of 60m.
The walls are draped in lush foliage above a patch of white silica sand.
We had it to ourselves for 20mins before other yachties arrived.
On the way out there is a glow of emerald as the sun reaches the aqua coloured water.. Most people swim in with a torch and local guide.
The next day we snorkelled under the boat and cleaned off the slime and barnacles. An exhausting but exhilarating job. We had to visit the cave again before departing this beautiful place.
Day 6 saw us anchored at the 5 island rocks of Ko Ha Yai which are small outcrops of limestone poking up out of the sea. They look like the work of a drunken bricklayer!
We enjoyed the pristine, clean water, snorkelling under the overhangs and exploring the crevices in the kayak. Eric suggested he catch a fish for dinner to have with wine...... I don't think so!
When we arrived it was flat calm but the wind picked up late in the evening and as we had no protection from the swells we decided to sail through the night to Phuket.
Night sailing is not advisable in this area due to fish traps but this stretch is deeper water so we only had the fishing boats to contend with.
We spent several days in Ao Chalong ( the southern end of Phuket) and hired a motorbike to get about. As we had been here by land previously we felt confident to join the thousands of bike riders.
We are now at Yacht Haven marina in the Nth of Phuket where a refrigeration technician will check our motor driven system. Then we're off to explore the islands of Phang Nga Bay
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