Tuesday 10th
By7.30 we are at the boat to finalise the boat cover. I continue with spray painting the chain while Sandra washes the cupboards and floors. It is hot strenuous work and I have three t-shirts I alternate between giving them a rinse through and allowing them to dry in the sun. By 2pm we have finished, switching off the air conditioning, disconnecting the power and sealing the boat as completely as we can. Back to the hotel for a shower and cool down. We visit the few friends we have made over the past few years to say our farewells till our return in October. We will then know if all our hard work has been worth it.
No more blog now till October.

Monday 9th
While it was cool at 7.30 we started on placing the large cover over the boat. After 5 years we are slowly learning the best method and correct order of attaching it to the boat. Once we are sure we can close the final zip at the back of the boat we can start to tie it into place and leave a short opening at the back. I do some more wire brushing with the angle grinder and paint the anchors with hammarite. Sandra washes our Bimini and sprayhood covers. We now concentrate on packing our bags and bagging up any items that are staying on the boat. After lunch we walk to the hotel to sign in. They then take us in a golf cart to pick up our bags -3 at 14kg and 2 at 9kg so we are grateful we do not have to carry them. It is lovely to get in to a nice hotel room where we can unpack the bags to organise them properly which you cant do in the very confined space of the boat. Back at the boat a second coat for the anchors and since I have half a tin of paint left decide to paint the 25 metres of chain that will be in the bottom of the locker and are hardly ever used. We have a lovely warm shower and decide just to have dinner at the hotel. Service is good as they only have 18% occupancy when it would normally be above 85%.

Sunday 8th
We start preparing the boat for placing the boat cover. The spinnaker pole is lowered and attached to the forestay with a good square lashing (the things you learn to do in the scouts). We are going to try a new method of suspending the dinghy from the pole so it does not mark the decks or fill up with water. To save any strain on the stanchion posts when we put on the boat cover I have made up wooden poles to brace each stanchion. We then have to make up a lattice of ropes to stop the cover filling with rain and sagging. We tried two different flexible paints and the one made in Thailand did not work well and there was a few spots where it lifted off the rubberised surface of the cover. Next I had to run the engine through with fresh water, wash the bilges and then completely dry them as we need the inside of the boat as dry as possible when we leave it to stop any mildew. Since I organised my small tool drawer into separate compartments for different screwdrivers and pliers it has been so easy just to reach in and pick the tool you need – not sure why it took me 5 years to do it. I need to check the deck drain on the opposite side and see if it was jammed with barnacles, and yes it would not close completely. To dismantle it I have to empty my maintenance cupboard with all the painting equipment, paints, varnishes, greases, oils, glues, resins, polishes, dinghy repair kits. It was needing to be tidied anyway but the contents took over every bit of floor space and as Sandra sorted through the items we found we had more than 10 scrappers. Sea cock cleaned and greased with lanolin and re-assembled and I now have a tidy maintenance cupboard. Just as we head for the hard dock café to have a shower and dinner I am surprised at the number of insects around the boat. In the shower there are insects everywhere and when we try to have dinner they are all round us – up trousers, down necks and the table is covered with them. They are termites and there are thousands of them swarming as they leave the nest looking to mate and start a new nest within a few hours. They start to loose their 4 wings which are twice the size of their body, then they start to crawl trying to find damp wood or vegetation to form a nest. We find they have got into the boat through two vents and the air-conditioner. We go around with torches killing everyone we see. Lifting floor boards as they can get everywhere. We kill hundreds inside the boat but are shocked the next morning to see the decks and all surfaces covered with discarded wings. We are just a little worried that any might of found some wood to settle in. They can destroy wooden boats within a few months.

Sunday 8th
We start preparing the boat for placing the boat cover. The spinnaker pole is lowered and attached to the forestay with a good square lashing (the things you learn to do in the scouts). We are going to try a new method of suspending the dinghy from the pole so it does not mark the decks or fill up with water. To save any strain on the stanchion posts when we put on the boat cover I have made up wooden poles to brace each stanchion. We then have to make up a lattice of ropes to stop the cover filling with rain and sagging. We tried two different flexible paints and the one made in Thailand did not work well and there was a few spots where it lifted off the rubberised surface of the cover. Next I had to run the engine through with fresh water, wash the bilges and then completely dry them as we need the inside of the boat as dry as possible when we leave it to stop any mildew. Since I organised my small tool drawer into separate compartments for different screwdrivers and pliers it has been so easy just to reach in and pick the tool you need – not sure why it took me 5 years to do it. I need to check the deck drain on the opposite side and see if it was jammed with barnacles, and yes it would not close completely. To dismantle it I have to empty my maintenance cupboard with all the painting equipment, paints, varnishes, greases, oils, glues, resins, polishes, dinghy repair kits. It was needing to be tidied anyway but the contents took over every bit of floor space and as Sandra sorted through the items we found we had more than 10 scrappers. Sea cock cleaned and greased with lanolin and re-assembled and I now have a tidy maintenance cupboard. Just as we head for the hard dock café to have a shower and dinner I am surprised at the number of insects around the boat. In the shower there are insects everywhere and when we try to have dinner they are all round us – up trousers, down necks and the table is covered with them. They are termites and there are thousands of them swarming as they leave the nest looking to mate and start a new nest within a few hours. They start to loose their 4 wings which are twice the size of their body, then they start to crawl trying to find damp wood or vegetation to form a nest. We find they have got into the boat through two vents and the air-conditioner. We go around with torches killing everyone we see. Lifting floor boards as they can get everywhere. We kill hundreds inside the boat but are shocked the next morning to see the decks and all surfaces covered with discarded wings. We are just a little worried that any might of found some wood to settle in. They can destroy wooden boats within a few months.

Sunday 8th
We start preparing the boat for placing the boat cover. The spinnaker pole is lowered and attached to the forestay with a good square lashing (the things you learn to do in the scouts). We are going to try a new method of suspending the dinghy from the pole so it does not mark the decks or fill up with water. To save any strain on the stanchion posts when we put on the boat cover I have made up wooden poles to brace each stanchion. We then have to make up a lattice of ropes to stop the cover filling with rain and sagging. We tried two different flexible paints and the one made in Thailand did not work well and there was a few spots where it lifted off the rubberised surface of the cover. Next I had to run the engine through with fresh water, wash the bilges and then completely dry them as we need the inside of the boat as dry as possible when we leave it to stop any mildew. Since I organised my small tool drawer into separate compartments for different screwdrivers and pliers it has been so easy just to reach in and pick the tool you need – not sure why it took me 5 years to do it. I need to check the deck drain on the opposite side and see if it was jammed with barnacles, and yes it would not close completely. To dismantle it I have to empty my maintenance cupboard with all the painting equipment, paints, varnishes, greases, oils, glues, resins, polishes, dinghy repair kits. It was needing to be tidied anyway but the contents took over every bit of floor space and as Sandra sorted through the items we found we had more than 10 scrappers. Sea cock cleaned and greased with lanolin and re-assembled and I now have a tidy maintenance cupboard. Just as we head for the hard dock café to have a shower and dinner I am surprised at the number of insects around the boat. In the shower there are insects everywhere and when we try to have dinner they are all round us – up trousers, down necks and the table is covered with them. They are termites and there are thousands of them swarming as they leave the nest looking to mate and start a new nest within a few hours. They start to loose their 4 wings which are twice the size of their body, then they start to crawl trying to find damp wood or vegetation to form a nest. We find they have got into the boat through two vents and the air-conditioner. We go around with torches killing everyone we see. Lifting floor boards as they can get everywhere. We kill hundreds inside the boat but are shocked the next morning to see the decks and all surfaces covered with discarded wings. We are just a little worried that any might of found some wood to settle in. They can destroy wooden boats within a few months.

Sunday 8th
We start preparing the boat for placing the boat cover. The spinnaker pole is lowered and attached to the forestay with a good square lashing (the things you learn to do in the scouts). We are going to try a new method of suspending the dinghy from the pole so it does not mark the decks or fill up with water. To save any strain on the stanchion posts when we put on the boat cover I have made up wooden poles to brace each stanchion. We then have to make up a lattice of ropes to stop the cover filling with rain and sagging. We tried two different flexible paints and the one made in Thailand did not work well and there was a few spots where it lifted off the rubberised surface of the cover. Next I had to run the engine through with fresh water, wash the bilges and then completely dry them as we need the inside of the boat as dry as possible when we leave it to stop any mildew. Since I organised my small tool drawer into separate compartments for different screwdrivers and pliers it has been so easy just to reach in and pick the tool you need – not sure why it took me 5 years to do it. I need to check the deck drain on the opposite side and see if it was jammed with barnacles, and yes it would not close completely. To dismantle it I have to empty my maintenance cupboard with all the painting equipment, paints, varnishes, greases, oils, glues, resins, polishes, dinghy repair kits. It was needing to be tidied anyway but the contents took over every bit of floor space and as Sandra sorted through the items we found we had more than 10 scrappers. Sea cock cleaned and greased with lanolin and re-assembled and I now have a tidy maintenance cupboard. Just as we head for the hard dock café to have a shower and dinner I am surprised at the number of insects around the boat. In the shower there are insects everywhere and when we try to have dinner they are all round us – up trousers, down necks and the table is covered with them. They are termites and there are thousands of them swarming as they leave the nest looking to mate and start a new nest within a few hours. They start to loose their 4 wings which are twice the size of their body, then they start to crawl trying to find damp wood or vegetation to form a nest. We find they have got into the boat through two vents and the air-conditioner. We go around with torches killing everyone we see. Lifting floor boards as they can get everywhere. We kill hundreds inside the boat but are shocked the next morning to see the decks and all surfaces covered with discarded wings. We are just a little worried that any might of found some wood to settle in. They can destroy wooden boats within a few months.

Sunday 8th
We start preparing the boat for placing the boat cover. The spinnaker pole is lowered and attached to the forestay with a good square lashing (the things you learn to do in the scouts). We are going to try a new method of suspending the dinghy from the pole so it does not mark the decks or fill up with water. To save any strain on the stanchion posts when we put on the boat cover I have made up wooden poles to brace each stanchion. We then have to make up a lattice of ropes to stop the cover filling with rain and sagging. We tried two different flexible paints and the one made in Thailand did not work well and there was a few spots where it lifted off the rubberised surface of the cover. Next I had to run the engine through with fresh water, wash the bilges and then completely dry them as we need the inside of the boat as dry as possible when we leave it to stop any mildew. Since I organised my small tool drawer into separate compartments for different screwdrivers and pliers it has been so easy just to reach in and pick the tool you need – not sure why it took me 5 years to do it. I need to check the deck drain on the opposite side and see if it was jammed with barnacles, and yes it would not close completely. To dismantle it I have to empty my maintenance cupboard with all the painting equipment, paints, varnishes, greases, oils, glues, resins, polishes, dinghy repair kits. It was needing to be tidied anyway but the contents took over every bit of floor space and as Sandra sorted through the items we found we had more than 10 scrappers. Sea cock cleaned and greased with lanolin and re-assembled and I now have a tidy maintenance cupboard. Just as we head for the hard dock café to have a shower and dinner I am surprised at the number of insects around the boat. In the shower there are insects everywhere and when we try to have dinner they are all round us – up trousers, down necks and the table is covered with them. They are termites and there are thousands of them swarming as they leave the nest looking to mate and start a new nest within a few hours. They start to loose their 4 wings which are twice the size of their body, then they start to crawl trying to find damp wood or vegetation to form a nest. We find they have got into the boat through two vents and the air-conditioner. We go around with torches killing everyone we see. Lifting floor boards as they can get everywhere. We kill hundreds inside the boat but are shocked the next morning to see the decks and all surfaces covered with discarded wings. We are just a little worried that any might of found some wood to settle in. They can destroy wooden boats within a few months.

Saturday 7th
I rewired the light in the anchor locker as the switch had corroded and failed, so yet again squeezed myself into the tiny space with drill and wire crimpers. I did have a moments doubt as I used a gas lighter to heat the shrink wrap tubing for the wiring as my two gas bottles are in that locker as well. We leave on the 11am ferry and pick up one of Mr Din’s marvellous cars to do some hardware shopping and have a relaxing day after all our hard work. We do a short tour of the island and finish at Cenang to enjoy a lovely lunch then a haircut and massage. Back to the boat by 5 so I decide to tackle the anchor chain. A job I have been putting off for a few days wondering what was the best method of cleaning and painting the chain. There is 80 metres of 10mm chain in three sections joined together. The middle section was particularly rusty. I use a wire brush on my angle grinder and even with thick gloves and safety glasses I still feel all the bits of rust and wire hit my face and arms. The angle grinder is really quite heavy and every few metres I have to switch it off and rest my arm. By 7.30 I am absolutely filthy and exhausted and I hose myself down to get rid of the worst of the dirt. After a proper shower and change of clothes we decide to share a pizza and have it as a take away so we can eat in our cool air conditioned cabin as there is no wind and it is so hot and humid.