Some TLC For Gromit
12 April 2013 | Satun Shipyard, Thailand
Gromit is Hauled Out!
After 4 1/2 years of sailing, it was time to give Gromit some tender, loving care.
We left the Telaga Bay anchorage on Wednesday. We'd hoped to dive on the propeller to clean it the morning of our departure, but there was a really bad diesel slick on the water, so swimming was not an option. Within minutes of our departure, we knew that something was up and we suspected that a barnacle covered prop was the culprit for our pathetic speed. We were far enough off shore to safely turn off Gromit's engine and drift while Michael, Liam, Maia and I scraped the nearby 1/4 inch of barnacle build up off the prop and around the hull. Zoe stayed on board to keep an eye on things up top.
When we got back underway, we almost doubled our speed. We hadn't been as diligent about cleaning our hull, as we knew we'd soon be hauling out to renew the anti-fouling on Gromit's bottom.
We anchored on the north east-side of Langkawi for the night. That put us only about 12 miles away from the ship yard in Satun, Thailand. We had to time our arrival well, because the ship yard is quite a distance up a river and navigating that river is tricky with a 6 foot (2 metre) draft, so had to be done at high tide. Also, we needed to arrive as close to high tide as possible which would ensure that the tide would be slack, meaning that the flow of the water would be minimal. This was really important so that we could enter the marine railway bay that would pull us onto land. Navigating a narrow river with a strong current in a boat with a full keel can be nerve wracking. Luckily, we arrived at the right time and only had to circle around a couple of times while the yard launched a huge fishing boat.
I drove Gromit into the slipway and my 4 trusty line-handlers threw our dock lines to the waiting yard workers. The cradle was soon sliding down the railway into the water below us and the workers positioned Gromit between the supports. Then we were on our way onto land. It was a short and somewhat jerky ride, but we were finally there. How I had fretted about the whole event and what a relief to finally have it behind me.
Ideally, we'll only be here in the yard for a month - the list is long - but realistically, we'll probably be here longer. Day by day, we'll tick jobs off the list and see how it goes.