More Magic & The year of the Rat

2007 has been a many faraway plentiful year for Capt. Ganghook, the Wench & the faithful crew of Magic. So many lands have they plundered, Malaysia, Thailand, a revisit to Grand old Australia and of coarse the small island ladened with treasures to the South, the land of the Chicken & Camembert Pie.
Magics beam bursting with loot the time has come to up size to a larger galleon. The search began!
Magics treasures were off loaded to a secret location buried deep in the caves of an island paradise of Langkawi.Ganghook travels far & wide in search of the perfect vessel to continue the journey with Cheese, (the ships rat) by his side. He scourers the net, word has it New Zealand is the place a large vessel worthy of the Magic crew is there, but alas, this is not so, the Wench, Ganghook and Cheese search the shores of Phuket where many a fine pirate ship lay in waiting to be plundered and taken, still non can match the Wenches needs. The Captain roams the lands, back to Australia, then to Hong Kong, 'Singapore, Penang. Mean while the Wench with her companion Lulu return to the secret location to watch over the hidden treasures of Magic. Ganghook sends word he has found a worthy sailing ship, an excited crew prepare a take over and make ready for Hong Kong, but NO WAIT! another potential ship has been found in Singapore, the Captain and his loyal friend Captain Terry take to the air, this is "The One" the Wench hears, both Captains are delighted she is a fine ship, so yet again a take over is planned. A Singapore we shall go. AH Pirates can not be trusted, the Singapore Sting is taken from under our watchful eye, o Deal. Back to Hong Kong we will go.

With bags packed a divided crew, consisting of Ganghook, The Wench, Lulu, Cheese and Ted the anxious party wing their way with hope of a new bed for Christmas. On inspection the crew are pleased. A large Captains quarters, raised saloon, big galley, spacious cockpit and room for stowaways.Complete with in mast furling. A haul out and test sail, the deal is done "More Magic" is born.

A 7 year old 2 cabin Jeaneau 43 Deck saloon, She's a little beauty!!!!!


For most of December the crew worked hard preparing "More Magic" who had laid dormant for most of her short seven years in Hong Kong. Much preparation was to be done. Dim Sum , sights to be seen treasures and spices for the taking.

January 2008 is here, Year of the Rat and More Magic is ready. 5th of January, the sails are set, ropes are cast fair winds are predicted and Hong Kong - Sai Kung disappears into the distance smog haze behind the setting sun.

For 2 days and 2 nights both crew and ship perform admirably, with wind in our sails food in our belly's, hopes and dreams for the New Year what could be better. Singapore here we come, 1350 nm the crews longest passage to date.

Day 3 the wind drops, the Wench is taken with the plague - Sea Sickness that is, oh No, - NO Wind No Wench, 2 more days this continues, a slow progress. Day 5 shows promise, clouds in the sky. Yes wind we all say, but alas only a zeffer. With such an impressive sailing ship on the waters we are payed visits by several ships, some fishing boats,

Some Super tankers,up close & personal. These large vessels stealthy move threw the night, fear factor is high, the South China Sea, No plundering is planned for these high waters. Singapore is our One stop Shop till you drop. Bring it on.

Day 4 (night watch) Ganghook is blissfully watching a black monster powering thru the water at 20+knots for about 10 minutes before he realised that, no it was not going to change course for a yacht on PORT tack. Bugger. Poled out heady and all, the good captain steered us onto a parallel course and at the same time she sounded her hooter. Have you heard a ships hooter close up? No good!
The Wench emerges from her slumber to the mighty sound of screeching engines, hooters kitted in life jacket with the grab bag, a first aid book and water bottle. She took some calming before descending to the bowels of our pride and joy once more.
Won't do that again. We found out that Chinese skippers like to skip in front of your vessel to wash off their nasty spirits. It doesn't matter that your vessel is only 40 feet long and weighs 9 tonnes and theirs is 1000 feet long and weights, well who knows.
From then on the code of the sea was adopted calls of Port to Port used.
None acknowledged the message just turned to starboard to show us their red light, among the myriad of others displayed on their black hulls.
A few managed to almost ignore us completely and that was when the Wench pulled out her secret weapon. The 50 watt deck light flashed on and off a few times, together with lots of yelling and waving the dolphin torch about. That worked a few times but sometimes we had to change course to avoid being run down by one of these monsters.
So there was no snoozing on deck on More Magic this time.
Where do these giants go? During the day we hardly saw any boats. One here and there on the horizon. Occasionally we would be jolted alert by a close encounter with a wave maker.
After 12 days at sea we finally decided that most of the really big ships waited just over the horizon during the day lulling us in to a false sense of security. Not many about today the Captain would comment, only to find that there were dozens bearing down on us after dark.

Day 7, January 11th 2008, still no wind, Captain and crew are now rationing, fuel,water and fresh produce is low. A 9 day passage was hoped for a 14 day planned for, We shall see!

January 14, 380 nm to go and wind at last this is our ticket home, the wench tethered in the cockpit the swell rising and the sound of wind and water oh the noise, where is Ganghook when you need him. Ah the captain he resides in the Master cabin keeping a close eye on Lulu and dreaming of plundering the shores of Singapore.

January 17th 2008 the call of land ahoy, Singapore is hidden behind the thousands of anchored tankers, The crew are weary but elated and dreaming of Fish, Chips and a pint of Guiness, but first stop - Bed.
Then the next adventure will begin.