January 2004 Phuket Thailand

So the year started in Langkawi, Malaysia and after a week or so we cleared Custom and Immigration and headed for Thailand. Most people spend a week or two making their way to Phuket to check into Thailand. We were keen for Courtney to have her birthday with some kids so did and overnight sailed straight from Rebak Marina to Nai Harn at the southern corner of the west coast of Phuket.  The north-east monsoon winds blew well and we flew across with twenty knots of wind on our beam (the wind at right angles to the boat).

We met "Dave the Cat" and they were able to supply four children for the birthday party, their own kids Shannon and Simon and two visitors Craig and Lisa. The bay was crowded with yachts and the beach was teeming with tourists, with whole beach lined with umbrellas and sun lounges for rent. Courtney wasn't well the day of her birthday so a party was held over til the next day and at the next beach up the coast, Kata Beach. Just as pretty with fewer boats anchored but just as many tourists on the beach.  

While at Kata beach we spent two days running around Phuket island to check out options for slipping Reflections. There are two main yards one at Ratanachai, close to Phuket town, which is very traditional slip and the other Boat Lagoon, a resort style place with a very clean open yard and units to rent. With charges very similar we decided on  Boat Lagoon.

A short move up from Kata beach brought us to Patong. This the 'night-life' capital with streets full of bars and girls and middle-aged western tourists. Definitely the place to go if you're in need of a bit of 'sleeze'.  That said Liz and I went in one night without the girls and had dinner and wandered round - got bored and went home to bed!

For a cruising yacht, Patong is not the bay of choice as there are heaps of jet skis buzzing around. Inexperienced riders going really fast, really close is not conducive to a relaxed afternoon at anchor!  We heard of several other boats with kids aboard and soon heard one of the yachts "Uhane Kai" on the VHF radio.  They told us that they and "Brilliant II" each had a twelve year old boy aboard with another boat "Raptor" having a twelve year old girl.

Also they told us about a dive shop selling off it's equipment.  With the thought of meeting more kids and possibly getting dive gear we ran the 12 miles back down to Kata beach to meet up with them.  We fulfilled all needs with the girls meeting up all the kids described above and we bought two sets of scuba diving  gear.

The two boys Dylan off Brilliant II and Kai off Uhane-Kai had recently completed dive course and were also heading to Koh Similan National Park. This is the main diving destination around Phuket and we were all now well equipped.

Next Page: Koh Similan National Park