Taking any newly built yacht away to sea is never smooth sailing. Even if you take a high-quality new boat on a long passage there can still be problems. Finding this out many years later a bespoke gaff rigged Pilot Cutter from Canada to the Channel Islands during the fall.
Sailing ‘Kalayanee’ 40ft Ketch from where she’d been built in Laem Chabang, Thailand in ‘74 certainly wasn’t trouble free…from first time I saw the boat she seemed to look more like a schooner than a ketch. Her mizzen looked much too tall.
Due to import duty of 100% being imposed in the Thailand at that time all the new sails were in Singapore. Luckily, she had been fitted with a new diesel engine which had been imported legally by the owner.
Cheap cotton sails had been made locally as a substitute. There was no track to run them up the masts. We solved this problem by stretching wire-rope on the aft side of each mast. This was shackled to mast fittings top and bottom. Then buying a multitude of tiny shackles to run all the sails up and down. There was a plethora of other small problems but we left…
On our first leg heading south down the Gulf of Thailand (Laem Chabang is near to Pattaya). We were beginning to discover plenty more maiden voyage wrinkles. The engine only drove the boat very slowly. Our maximum speed flat out was about four knots; provided there wasn’t a headwind! The cotton sails worked well but blew out in any tiny squall more than 15 knots (what can you expect from a Chinese shopkeeper who usually made clothes). They provided plenty of sewing keeping us busy. The mizzen also waggled around alarmingly in a seaway. Keeping the sail set permanently helped stiffen this mast slightly!
At night there were many fishing boats about with very bright lights. Eventually after a week at sea, we stopped on the west side of the gulf at Songkhla. More diesel and fresh provisions were needed. We’d only managed about 350 miles. This fishing port was where we hoped to solve some of our problems. Having worked out by now that the propeller must have the wrong size pitch!
Joe, an American had joined me, as crew. He’d lived in Thailand for several years and married a Thai lady; after serving in Vietnam. Most importantly he spoke the language well. This really helped when it came to explaining our problems.
We managed to dry the boat out enough and removed the prop despite a lack of tidal rise and fall. More pitch was added to the blades and after it was re-fitted, we went out for a short trial. The motor now drove us much better; although we still only achieved six knots…
One evening Joe and I went to see some local Thai boxing. There were more than half a dozen bouts. Some contestants looked very young. It looked brutal and several were knocked out by a shuddering kick in the head. Joe’s been to see some of the bigger bouts in Bangkok; explaining this very traditional sport/art to me. He also recognised that many of these fellows were just starting out. They couldn’t defend themselves well…
We departed Songkhla after fixing some of our teething problems. Hoping to reach Singapore quickly but the wind either remained light or headed us. By now we’d left the Gulf and were now in the South China Sea.
Passing several islands, Pulau Redang etc. They looked very beautiful and rather inviting but had been inhabited by refuges that’d desperately fled the war in Vietnam.
Needing another stop for fuel we dropped the anchor in Terengganu after another week at sea. Having reached Malaysia with only 250 miles to go to Singapore. Sewing continued apace, whenever we found good wind…
Finally after a short trip of five days we were approaching our first goal. Being very careful to avoid fish traps that seemed to extend right out to sea. They were a nasty hazard at night.
It felt like it took several hours before we dropped the hook in Singapore. Due to all the large ships at anchor and the bum boats serving them whizzing about.
We settled into Kallang Basin very close to a floating Chinese Night Club called the Oasis to finish off the boats re-fit. It was a hot muddy place but ideal for what was needed.
Sail tracks were fitted by bosun’s chair, the new Terylene sails bent on and the mizzen was cut down in length by 6ft 2ins (having worked out the yard in Thailand had left the same amount of foot on this mast, as the keel stepped mainmast!).
The mizzen mast was lifted out by a Finish flagged Missionary Ship that was moored close to us. She was an old wooden UK Minesweeper that I’d spotted had a big davit on her aft mast. Every afternoon at approximately four o’clock it rained heavily in Singapore. It proved a good time to finish our work and go ashore.
Jo and I always stopped in enough time to hit the happy hour of Singaporean live; the bars were full; under this sports stadium which I’ve been told has since burnt down. Good fresh Prawn Cracker were always on the bar. Although the government had tried to clean up Singer’s; long hair wasn’t allowed, hippies etc. but Bugis Street was still alive.
Finally, we took the yacht round to the north part of the island to Changi Yacht Club to dry her out, scrap off and re-new the Anti-foul. It was a good job the boat was very strong; as we smashed right through a fish trap during the night on the way.
Here we were met by one of those white British ex-WWII Service Dragon’s…which the Singaporean’s employed to keep proper yachtsman away! It was more of a social club at that time. After a tiny bit of argy bargee; he proved to be fine chappie. We, the boat, us were ready to tackle the next leg through Indonesia…
