Although we dallied in Nai Harn bay, it was hard to get a sense of Phuket. Rampant and unchecked development has far outstripped the infrastructure of the area and it seemed to us that the island was just one endless strip mall. Similar to those seen in many US towns, only longer. Roads were of much inferior quality of course and footpaths more or less non-existent. Walking was quite hazardous, dodging scooters, cars, open and foul-smelling drains, rubbish, and other assorted obstacles. Like much of Asia, Phuket does not handle waste disposal at all well and dumping of garbage is widespread. The water is contaminated with plastic but not to the degree seen in Indonesia. Electrical wiring overhead on the streets was akin to the kite-string tangles depicted in Charlie Brown comics back in the day. Sufficient I am sure to give a sparky nightmares for all eternity. Local culture was very hard to identify as it had been subsumed by the drive for the development/tourist dollar. There was a run down temple at Nai Harn on the edge of a small lake but it seemed to be home to packs of dogs more than spiritual elements. The lake provided a 2km circuit for pelotons of road cyclists in the mornings. A favourable easterly blew Diomedea up the coast, NW towards the Similan group, about 60nm away. Sailing at last. Well, until midday, when it was back to the diesel after a very brief interlude with the asymmetric kite. Our anchorage was at Ko Miang on its eastern side where there are good moorings provided by the National Park. Water visibility was outstanding and fish life good. Sadly coral seemed non-existent. We remained puzzled about the legions of scuba divers being dropped into the depths. Have no idea what they were looking at, if anything. Day tourist boats turned the anchorage into a washing machine as they roared in with the three 225HP outboards on the transom going at full throttle. Now, you dear reader may well remember our seemingly endless dilemmas with heat exchangers, first coming around East Cape in NZ and then across the Coral Sea. This time it was the genset heat exchanger which had been repaired in NZ. I suppose we did well to get a year out of the repair but it started leaking again. Fortunately we had a brand new spare so half a day later it was fitted and we were up and charging once more. Diomedea chugged the short hop up to Ko Similan for two glorious nights in the northern anchorage in company with Mojo from Sth Africa ( and a lot of dive boats). We moored in gin clear water over white sand, coral rubble and granite boulders. The outstanding Sail Rock loomed overhead and provided an excellent view of the bay upon its ascent.