Sailing The Seas With Stops In Between

I took advantage of the beanbags on the bow/front netting of our “BIG”Catamaran (The Dream). Life is pretty darn good.

Our days have taken on a routine of having a large breakfast and coffee americano before we pull up the anchor and take off to our next “port of call”.

The little black dots on the map are our targeted destination points and the skipper uses the locations to chart our course.Sometimes we have the sails up.Either by sail or with just the motor running we travel at a good clip. It has been sunny and hot with a little breeze but air conditioning at night is a necessity. There is no way to adjust the temp and airflow but I have ingeniously found a great use for the umbrella that I brought with me. (I have not needed it for its primary purpose—yet). I haven’t seen many stars at night but it is hard for me to stay up late for that view when my cozy cabin and latest mystery book are calling.

Most days we have lunch and dinner on board. Chef Su mixes the selections up but we are able to have many “Thai” dishes. When we are anchored or secured on a mooring ball for the night near an island/beach town we have the option to go to shore in the dingy for some “partying “.

Traveling from dot to dot takes two or three hours providing ample time for rest, reading or just gazing out at the sea. Our longest sail has been four hours. This boat is very stable and we don’t have too much “rock and roll”.

Sailing gives us an opportunity to troll for fish and our crew did not let us down but landed a beautiful tuna for lunch. This is Bank (assistant to everyone) showing off his catch. Two hours later we had tuna sashimi. Now that’s “living large”.

This is “A” our guide showing off his catch (it was in the tuna’s mouth).

A whale shark was spotted off our port side jumping about 5 feet out of the water but he wouldn’t pose for a pic.

Now for the good part: our mission is to find the least crowded and best places to snorkel, swim or play on top of the water. We have enjoyed two stops on most days. The water is really warm as this is the end of summer in this tropical paradise. The islands are formed from limestone and most don’t have much vegetation.On Tuesday we went in to Phi Phi for lunch. I joined Ronald, saying “hello” in Thai–I’m loving it!

I didn’t eat lunch with him but I had a yummy noodle bowl with lots of condiments and passion fruit for desert.

This “on land” sojourn permitted me to have another 2 hour body and foot massage for $20. These experiences are beyond description.

Before sunset on Tuesday, we went to have a look at “The Beach”—yes the same one Leonardo made famous in 2000. After that movie–about finding oneself–this tiny spit of sand drew up to 5000 visitors a day. Today no one is permitted to do any “finding” and the spot is closed. Pictures are permitted.

Some pic’s to end the day before resting up for