Monday 23 November Ao Chalong

return to Chalong

We cleared in to Thailand last week at Ao Chalong, Phuket using the new electronic system at the new offices on the end of the pier. With far less forms to complete manually it was quick and easy. The recent requirement for visiting boats to have an AIS transponder switched on at all times not a problem either. It was on while we were checking in and the habour master only asked for our 9 digit ID code for his records.
With our paperwork completed we were free to reacquaint ourselves with Chalong town. The area around the long jetty and the road leading to it are still clogged with coaches and buses bringing mass tourism for boat trips to the islands. I held my breath to avoid the spew of diesel fumes and ducked in to the first (of many) dive shops which line the street. There are more dive equipment shops and dive kit repair shops concentrated in one place than anywhere in the UK. Here you can buy, or repair almost anything so we'd come with a shopping list: a tank band to replace one on which the fastening had broken, O rings, and a high pressure valve seat for one of our air tanks. This last item is smaller than the tip of your little finger and acts as a seal to stop air escaping from the tank and it had become worn allowing a slow release of air either when the tank was being stored or in use. We've been searching for the correct size for our Italian valves for a year without success. All were a fraction of a millimetre too big. However, the man who services compressors and air tanks had a box of the exact size we need. We bought four and ticked off the first of our wish list. The Mares dealer had a tank band in stock and O rings. Ticks number two and three.
With all our shopping done it was time for lunch at our old favourite, Anker restaurant and we do enjoy Thai food. It's one of the things I was particularly looking forward to and will do my best to eat as much, and of a wide variety, as I can while we're here.
Over the next few days we set up a SIM card for the smart phone, visited the excellent hardware shop for a new dining chair for the cockpit and revisited our absolute favourite restaurant. I don't know the name because it is only written in Thai. The young couple who own it keep the list simple and the prices keen; a big bowl of rice noodles in duck stock with bamboo shoots and crispy fried chicken for £1 is heavenly. 

big marble Buddha

Public transport is difficult in Phuket and the traffic system suffers from too many cars for the available road space. Most locals use small motorbikes to get around. We hired one for 24 hours. We've found if we collect the bike at 11 o'clock on day one the time up to 11 o'clock on day two can be used for food gathering trips. On day one of the hire we buzzed off to the marina at Boat Lagoon which has two good chandlers. When you ask the question 'Do you have?'. The answer is 'Yes'. Like our shopping list for dive kit we were able to tick off most items on the boat bits list and had lunch at the workers cafe in the marina. (More food, but it is just too good to miss.)
On the return trip to Chalong we popped in to Tesco which we've found to have promotions on diesel engine oil on previous visits. Can you guess? Yes. There was a special offer running too good to pass.

smaller gold Buddha

The next morning there was enough time for an early morning ride up the hill to see the Big Buddha who sits gazing out over Ao Chalong. From the sea he is the bright white marble statue on the hill. Standing next to him you can see the thousands of individual tiles which give him his glow and alongside a smaller Buddha blazing gold in the sunlight. After Big Buddha there was still enough time to dash to the supermarket and use the bike to carry the heavy bags to the dinghy at the end of the long, long jetty before our time ran out.
On Saturday and Sunday we move across the sheltered anchorage known as Panwa Bali where the water is calmer and cleaner to clean the hull and scrub the waterline. It's been so peaceful I feel I'm on holiday.