Sailing Into Trouble

[boatboy]

However the recent total stupidity of the placement of concrete mooring blocks secured by rope in the fairways of the Bay and placing them too close together has already had tragic consequences.

Have you got any more information on this?

[Sailing into trouble]

^

Hows about this.
PHUKET: After spending 5.8 million baht to install new moorings in Chalong Bay and at Ao Por, on Phuket’s east coast, the chief of the local Marine Office now says he needs more money to fix the moorings, which have sunk one boat and damaged at least three others.

The moorings in nautical terms are brand-new. They were dropped in the waters off Phuket 14 weeks ago – 200 in Chalong Bay and 100 at Ao Por.

Reports surfaced barely a month later that many of the new moorings in Chalong were not usable because the buoys that marked them had broken loose and disappeared. They broke loose, experienced yachties say, because the lines attaching them to the concrete blocks on the sea floor frayed due to improper tethering.

However, Phuket Marine Office chief Phuripat Theerakulpisut this week rejected accusations that the tethers were “cheap” and “ineffective”. Instead, he blamed the broken lines on "sabotage".

He did not explain what might have motivated the sabotage.

“Some people have cut some of the moorings. I have no idea who they are. I am trying to find out,” he said.

“Some of the moorings broke because they have been used for a while [since November 29]. If we are going to fix them, we need the budget – but I have yet to draw up any budget proposal,” Mr Phuripat explained.

Further, Mr Phuripat said he was not convinced that the situation required urgent action just yet. “I am now thinking about it,” he admitted to the Phuket Gazette on Wednesday.

With no buoys to mark them, many of the moorings, lurking just beneath the surface, now present a serious danger to boats and their crews and passengers, according to several local yachtsmen, each with more than a decade of experience in navigating Phuket’s waterways.

The danger of unmarked mooring blocks in shallow waters became clear two weeks ago, on February 26, when the tour boat “Booze Cruise” collided at low tide with an unmarked block in the middle of the approach channel to Chalong Pier (story here).

The collision rammed a hole in the boat’s hull, causing it to sink quickly. The daytrippers on board jumped into the sea and were rescued by onlookers.

Not two hours later, a speedboat carrying tourists from Chalong Pier to a popular island resort off Phuket struck an unmarked mooring in the same location.

“It could be the same unmarked mooring, but we’re not sure,” the speedboat captain told the Gazette.

The speedboat’s gearbox was damaged, forcing the captain to gingerly guide the boat toward the marina under construction in the bay so the tourists could board another boat and continue their journey.

“We don’t know how much it will cost to fix. The boat is still in the repair yard,” the captain said.

Local yachtsmen have confirmed to the Gazette that “about a dozen” moorings were placed in the approach channel.

“About four of them are still marked by [mooring] buoys,” one yachtsman said.

“Where the remaining unmarked buoys are located is anyone’s guess,” he added.

Another concern raised by local yachtsmen whose vessels remain anchored in Chalong Bay is that many of the moorings were placed too close together, raising the prospect of boats colliding while tied to them.

One long-term expat sailor in provided a list of costs to the Gazette showing that his yacht suffered damage of more than 118,000 baht. His boat is still under repair, and cannot be used for charters until the repairs are complete.

Popular Phuket yachtsman Richard Spraggs, from New Zealand, paid with his life for a boat collision while at moored in the bay. He drowned in the early hours of January 25 while trying to reposition his yacht, which had drifted too close to another boat (story here).

Yet Mr Phuripat remains unmoved, the yachties say, by the growing list of calamities associated with the new moorings.

“Boat accidents in Chalong Bay are common. The bay is usually crowded with tourists and boats. It is one of the main piers from which to take a boat to many tourist attractions [in Phang Nga Bay],” he explained.

“As I told you before, what I really do not like are reckless boat drivers. They drive too fast and do not drive along the fairway [approach channel]. This is the main cause of boat accidents,” Mr Phuripat insisted.

This article first appeared in the March 9-15 print version of the Phuket Gazette.

Google Phuket Gazette and it has several stories on such.

[Lorenzo]

Thailand is homogenous in culture and people

Not .

Wot 'e said.

Are you really that ignorant about Thailand, Lorenzo?

Ignorant? Many are, they only wise up after ther are scammed out of their cash, houses, kidnapped or killed.

Many, possibly most Thais in Phuket and Pattaya are Isaan Thais.

Same same but different.

[PAG]

Many, possibly most Thais in Phuket and Pattaya are Isaan Thais.

Same same but different.

Actually, in the case of Phuket, no they're not (unless your knowledge of Phuket Thais is restricted to bar girls in which case you're correct).

The overwhelming majority of Thais of non Phuket origin living and working on Phuket are from Southern Thailand, particularly Nakhon Si Thammarat and Hat Yai.

[boatboy]

^

Hows about this.

Yes, that is a monumental fuckup
Sounds like mooring away from the carnage with my well oversized Manson Supreme will be my plan
Google search on Phuket Gazette Moorings

[PAG]

^

Hows about this.

Yes, that is a monumental fuckup
Sounds like mooring away from the carnage with my well oversized Manson Supreme will be my plan
Google search on Phuket Gazette Moorings

The head of the Phuket Marine Department is indeed a buffoon. The mooring installation fiasco is another in a growing list of his incompetencies. Only a couple of days ago he was spouting about the creation of a pier at the end of the Phuket airport runway so that speedboats could ferry new arrivals to Patong (at an estimated cost of nearly 200 million baht), and thus avoid the road congestion.

He also has a multi million baht brand new reception centre on Chalong pier, supposedly to house Customs and Immigration as a 'one stop shop' for new arrivals. Of course nothing has happened, and even the Governor is now asking questions.

Mundane matters such as lack of competency of speed boat drivers, who have caused several tourist deaths due to negligence, are of course minor matters that are only to be expected (according to him), and not worthy of policing.

[Sailing into trouble]

PAG,

SO how safe are boats and boaters in CHalong at the moment?

[thailazer]

SIT.... Do you have a website yet for your trip or will you be posting here? Would love to ride along.

Do be prepared for anchorage intruders in the hatchway. Lots of legal options from pepper spray to Hawaian Slings. I can attest to the effectiveness of Grizzly Spray (15% Oleo resin) blinding the nefarious for about ten hours. Have used it twice to let the unruly feel the cold justice of stainless steel handcuffs. Put a wireless infra red alarm on deck so you know when someone boards. Waking up enough to act is the hardest part.

[Lorenzo]

Many, possibly most Thais in Phuket and Pattaya are Isaan Thais.

Same same but different.

Actually, in the case of Phuket, no they're not (unless your knowledge of Phuket Thais is restricted to bar girls in which case you're correct).

The overwhelming majority of Thais of non Phuket origin living and working on Phuket are from Southern Thailand, particularly Nakhon Si Thammarat and Hat Yai.

I agree .... Same same but different

[PAG]

PAG,

SO how safe are boats and boaters in CHalong at the moment?

I would say no different than on any other occasion. There is the season element of course, and we've just come into the SW monsoon so the western anchorages of Ao Chalong aren't recommended, as is anywhere on the west coast including Nai Harn.

Security is always an issue, and these recent occurrences, whilst nobody wants, aren't unusual either. First issue is security of anchorage or mooring (weather related). That is the first priority of any boat owner. Next is the potential of local theft, and what steps you as the boat owner can mitigate that. Somebody who is cruising is obviously going to have a larger boat with all the equipment that cruising requires. Short term anchorages are thus going to attract attention from locals looking for the owners going ashore with perhaps larger than normal amounts of cash, and attractive loose equipment.

Long term anchorage vessels tend to have their attractive equipment temporarily removed, and are more secure to opportunistic thieves.

In short, I don't believe that there is any difference in the necessary security arrangements for vessels in Ao Chalong than have always existed. Dinghies and outboards, amongst other loose boat items are always attractive to thieves and should be secured accordingly.

The area has a large amount of small vessel traffic (long tails, local speed boats etc), and so somebody boarding your vessel wouldn't be easy to detect. Have secure locks on any hatches/companionways. If cruising and visiting, carrying large amounts of cash currency, get it ashore into a bank deposit (quite easy to do). I do want to add here that any cruising vessel and occupants will already be well aware of these recommendations and far more.

Lastly, if a visiting vessel, make sure that you check in with your details, and get the relevant contact numbers from the Immigration people (Tourist Police, Police, Immigration, Customs, Hospitals etc etc). Touch base with the local sailing club (in Ao Chalong) and get first hand info and guidance from those who live the local life.

[Sailing into trouble]

SIT.... Do you have a website yet for your trip or will you be posting here? Would love to ride along.

Do be prepared for anchorage intruders in the hatchway. Lots of legal options from pepper spray to Hawaian Slings. I can attest to the effectiveness of Grizzly Spray (15% Oleo resin) blinding the nefarious for about ten hours. Have used it twice to let the unruly feel the cold justice of stainless steel handcuffs. Put a wireless infra red alarm on deck so you know when someone boards. Waking up enough to act is the hardest part.

Mrs has a website going. Thai cooking Golden Retrievers, Traditional Northern BC Culture and some boat stuff. We will post on it for sure. I will try and remember how to downsize reshape re-puke to get photos on here. Someone said about using cloud?

Anyway website is SouthPacificEngagement.com
Bear Spray is fine unless they have guns. What is an Hawaiian Sling? An alarm is a great deter boarders, the brighter and louder the better, most will go to an easy target. Still can't understand why rig a silent alarm and then not get the cops to go out! Are you cruising yourself now?

[richie22]

These guys nearly escaped and bottled a cop so I reckon they got a bit of what they deserve.

Phuket Cat Thieves Belt Police Officer With Bottle in Botched Escape Attempt - Phuket Wan

What does a Thai cooked Golden retriever taste like>

[Sailing into trouble]

Thanks Pag,

Not my scene at all! It sounds very unsettling to me. Maybe if I got the Mrs to write signs on the side of the boat saying we are broke and are carrying the bird flue virus?

Great spot, but not worth loosing the boat or our lives over.

[Sailing into trouble]

What does a Thai cooked Golden retriever taste like>

Be careful!!!! LOL She maybe small but, Ithas been impressed on me tht "Thais never eat dog!" ANd GOlden Retrievers are rated higher than me brave talk man but keep your distance she has Chef knifes LOL

[boatboy]

And then there was this tragic story from a while back

Pirates killed a British yachtsman and threw his body overboard, before forcing his terrified wife to steer their yacht to shore, police in Thailand have said.
Pirates Held Wife After Yachtsman Murder

Yacht Murder Briton's Body Is Discovered

It really sucks that one now has to turn their vessel into a fortress/prison.

[Camel Toe]

SIT.... Do you have a website yet for your trip or will you be posting here? Would love to ride along.

Do be prepared for anchorage intruders in the hatchway. Lots of legal options from pepper spray to Hawaian Slings. I can attest to the effectiveness of Grizzly Spray (15% Oleo resin) blinding the nefarious for about ten hours. Have used it twice to let the unruly feel the cold justice of stainless steel handcuffs. Put a wireless infra red alarm on deck so you know when someone boards. Waking up enough to act is the hardest part.

I read once that cockroach spray in the can that has the tip that sends a long stream is better than any pepperspray.

[Sailing into trouble]

And then there was this tragic story from a while back

Pirates killed a British yachtsman and threw his body overboard, before forcing his terrified wife to steer their yacht to shore, police in Thailand have said.
Pirates Held Wife After Yachtsman Murder

Yacht Murder Briton's Body Is Discovered

It really sucks that one now has to turn their vessel into a fortress/prison.

Mother of God! Poor bugger, I still don't know what the best strategy is for staying alive in those situations. The sailing Forums are always full of the pros and cons of fighting, shooting etc. What a sad way to go!

[richie22]

What does a Thai cooked Golden retriever taste like>

Be careful!!!! LOL She maybe small but, Ithas been impressed on me tht "Thais never eat dog!" ANd GOlden Retrievers are rated higher than me brave talk man but keep your distance she has Chef knifes LOL

Its just that you said in your post that she has a web site Thai Cooking Golden Retrievers.
Tell her I'm only joking

[Sailing into trouble]

Ya I read my post again, very good. She is nice but loves her Golden s (non fried) :-)

[pescator]

Phang Nga Bay is one of the most spectacular areas on the planet. Unfortunately the secret is out and the rot has set in. This will be all over the cruising forums and it generates more negative press. Soon the Russians will figure out that all they have to do is grease the right palms. Resorts will be bought up and the few areas that are left will become more fairy tail mirages to the low life of Europe.

A spectacular area. Yes. But the shallow water is a bit too much on the murky side, no corals, no snorkelling, no nothing.

The secret is out? It has been so for the last 2 decades or so.
Where have you been?

Low life of Europe? I resent that.
What is that supposed to mean?

As if there was no low life existances among other parts of the world.

[Sailing into trouble]

^ have another beer and a sleep.

The more you cater for mass tourism the more you destroy the reason many went in the first place. Then what you are left with are resorts creating their own little fantasy world. Look at Spain Look at Mexico. Where I have I been for the last 20 years do you want a list. As to why you resent me talking about low life europeans.......... can't be arsed!