Once again we're awake at 0500. We ready the boat for "escape". Freebird revs her engines and we back out of the slip..Judy clicks on the running lights and we move slowly out of the marina. Just as we clear the breakwater the port engine stalls. What now! We can't return to the marina in the dark with one engine... What to do? Freebird doesn't maneuver very well with only one engine. After several attempts to restart the motor Judy spots a large rope coming from under the boat. It's wrapped around our prop and the only way to clear it is to dive. It's too dark now. We press on toward Langkawi...slowly with one engine. After an hour or so Freebird is brought to a stop. Dave dives in the water and removes the humongo line that has stopped the prop. We restart the motors and we're off!

The wind is normally from the Southwest this time of year. As we come out into clear water guess what? The wind is from the Northwest! Unfortunately...so is Langkawi. The wind builds to 25 knots. The boat begins to pound into the large waves. The shallow water here makes the waves steeper and faster. We pound all day like being in a "Maytag"! We would normally fall off the wind a little and set some sail but we're pressed to make the anchorage before night fall. We don't like to arrive in a strange anchorage in the dark. We're hoping that the wind will change in direction 10 degrees one way or another.... At 1430 it finally shifts to the west a little and we set sail. Freebird picks up speed when she feels the wind. The sun is shinning...life is good for a change. We arrive at Palau Singa Besal at 1800. The anchor goes down and .....you guessed it! It won't set. We drag all over the bay trying to set the stupid thing. Finally we pull it up and switch to a different anchor. It sets! The sun is setting. The bay is calm. There are Eagles flying overhead. We enjoy our first cockpit sundowners in a long time ....life is good...most of the time......


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