A Captain, A Birthday and a Wild Wild Ride

Message in a Bottle
June 2008

A Captain, A Birthday and a Wild Ride

Now that More Magic is in safe harbor at Boat Lagoon Phuket the story must be told of her Maiden Voyage under her new name. This adventure is not for the weak or the faint hearted, so prepare yourself for the rough ride, there’s lotsa water coming your way!

Sunday 22^nd June 2008

The time has come to leave the fair shores of Langkawi. The Handsome Captain Ganghook has made a vow he will have his heroin The Buxom Wench on the tropical paradise island of Phuket for her birthday. Is this vow in haste?

“But we have no ships papers!” The Wench cries. A forging she shall go. Begged, borrowed and scanned papers are expertly photo shopped (don’t you just love modern technology). Sleepless nights haunt the Wench – A fear for Thai prison invades her breathless dreams. The day has arrived. A sailing they must go.

More Magic is named; a mythical naked dance around the mast is performed by Captain & crew. The ship must leave the shores

Then miraculously the Bonified ships papers are emailed from Australia.

All is well, and all is ready with only 5 days to go before the Wench’s Birthday.

“Hoist the main sail, throw the lines, Phuket or bust!!!!!!!” Is Ganghook’s cry.

A slight breeze and a five nautical mile sedate sail to Talaga Harbor where customs & officials await.

More Magic rounds the heads and prepares to drop the anchor. OH NO the slight breeze has built 25knotts and gusting, the Genoa furler is jammed, the sheets are flogging, the Wench at the helm, dodging moored vessels, the wind howls, the Captain Yells from the bow amongst the tangle of sheets & sails. The Radar reflector fly’s of the mast and plops into the water.

The halyard is dropped, the sail falls to the deck, the anchor is lowered, phew! As More Magic swings and jerks this way and that. Not Happy Jan!

A radio call to the marina office is made and a temporary berth is granted. The crew looking very smart in their newly embroidered official uniforms completes the formalities, and then prepares to throw the lines once again, in the pouring rain. Maybe there is a sign out there!!!

The rain slows, the breeze has calmed and the seas are slight. Oh we are sailing,(reminds me of a song) this is the life. 7.30pm sees More Magic is anchored of the picturesque island of Koh Tarutao, the first of 52 national park islands in Thailand, just 30 nm north of Talaga. With a good nights sleep and joy in there hearts to be finally out on the majestic waters of Thailand, hot coffee and croissants on deck, MM slides effortlessly through the calmness. Bang! Shudder! jolt ! coffee tossed, Wench thrown and slammed against the combing Hard Aground, who put that whopping great reef there? More Magic is wedge tight in the reef. She has lurched over the reef with the keel in one hole and the rudder stuck in another, the Wench recovers and looks over the side, 6 inches of water can be seen and the most spectacular reef structure since the Great Barrier Reef. With a suspected falling tide, a PAN PAN, PAN PAN, PAN PAN. Call is made, to a nearby vessel at anchor. This vessel is anchored a mere 100mts away, it is 8am, no response; the Wench mans the blow horn 3 short bursts, still no response, 3 long blows, still no response. The ever capable captain fly’s into action, The Wench offers to swim to the other vessel but no she is needed onboard. The dingy is lowered, a tow line is attached the captain is preparing to tow MM to deep water, a quick survey of the situation, no water taken down below, the Wench is gripped with fear of her beloved galleon becoming one of the many wrecks found along the coastline. The wench returns, up on deck she moves the rudder, then the reef disappears, she informs the captain who is on the starboard side, the captain suspects the wench has lost the plot. He takes a look on the port side, Tis true, the reef has submerged, the tide is coming in, MM is afloat. Blessings are made, the dingy is re stowed and a fresh brew of coffee is called for. All this excitement before 9am. And still the anchored vessel has not stirred. “Just another skid mark on life’s underpants”. (A quote from the wise one.).

Hopes are high for a good days fishing, but alas the weather has other plans. A condition of fishing is,( No fishing to windward), and a windward we are going. The seas are rising, the skies are black and the rain is falling, (maybe should have stayed in bed this day). For 42 miles the wet soggy crew beat their way through the torrential rain, being blown this way and that. The winds come from all directions, 25knotts, then 50knts, back to 10 knot’s. What to do. The weary crew finally set the anchor off the small island of Ko Phetra in 6 mts of water, amongst 20 or more trawlers seeking respite from the savage winds. The large cliff wall is a huge concern to the crew of More Magic, as bullets are being forced down from the cliff, smashing the anchored vessels. The Captain is anxious the rope which holds the anchor will not last the night. More Magic is yanking and pulling, the rope is wrapped around the keel, this is not good. The crew are tired and fearful for their safety, an escape from this situation is not an option. The captain is pacing the deck untangling the rope for many hours during the long wet night. The winds do not ease; as the horse shoe life ring is ripped from the stern by the savage bullets as they continue to pound the decks. Daylight comes and the crew prepares to up anchor and turn back to Langkawi, and safety. But NO! there is a wind shift and the safest route is to press on, so on the exhausted crew travel. The sun shines the breeze blows a gentle 15 knots and More Magic and crew begin to relax into the rhythm of the sea. Lunch is served all is well, then the tell tale dark clouds race across the sky, reef the main sail! Reef the Genoa! don the wet weather gear, there’s a bad blow coming. For the next 15 miles the sea and the sky meet, a wall of white is all that can be seen. The bow of More Magic is lost in the white, the wind howls all about, and the crew seeks refuge yet again. Koh Kradan is the closes island on the charts, the course is altered, another large fleet of trawlers are on moorings and at anchor sheltering from the storm, there is little room for More Magic to swing on her anchor. A large trawler moves of its mooring bouy to make room for the new comer. A quick survey of the mooring shows that the rope is to short, the captain has to go for a swim in the dangerous conditions to secure a longer line to the mooring to make fast More Magic. Ohh he’s such a hero. The wench is besotted with her Man of the sea.

Meanwhile the Wench mans the helm and expertly steers her beloved MM onto the mooring. Securely moored, the crew enjoy a hot shower and a steaming bowl of hearty soup. They sleep fitfully, ever on alert; the Wench is well past the sleepless nights and dreams of the security of being a Marina Baby. The crew are up early, ready to take what ever the day has on offer for there last leg of the journey to Phuket. “Just get me there!!!!” demands the irate Wench. And the rest of the journey is history, As they say in all good story books.

For these are the mysterious waters where pirate movies are made and Bond loves to play!!!! (James that is- Shaken not stired)))))).

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.