Back Farewell and crossing from Langkawi toThailand and farewell 2007-02-07 Boléro is ready to sail with a new layer of anti-fouling incl. our heart painted on it, polished by our favourite polishers and Zainol, our technician, had checked the engine. Fully loaded with flour, Dutch cheese and roast beef from Allen, cans with… and of course also the tax free goodies of Langkawi, we departed the familiar Royal Langkawi Yacht club Marina! The last couple of days we said farewell with a tear and a smile to all the familiar faces and friends, those we got to know so closely. Thanks for the super time in Langkawi where we learned a lot and experienced very closely that Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, Christians......just all the people of Langkawi are able to live together in harmony. Quietly Early in the morning the mooring-lines were thrown off and yet a couple of early birds and local monkeys waved us farewell. Our trip to Phuket was a real sailing-trip and after 14 hours (average 9 kn), in the pitch dark, we dropped our anchor in Ao Chalong bay near Phuket. Carrying a little too much sail, the boom hit with a lot of noise the water which sounded horrible but everything inside was stowed okay. The reefing lines were not yet shored into the boom! That odd job could not be done during sailing in the bay, too much wind which we had not for such a while. In Phuket we liked to pay a visit to the dentist and to check our skin, everyone was satisfied! A visit to the local market is still a thrill, such a great variety of fresh fruit and veggies over here Langkawi can’t cope with that. All kind of things happened before we were planning to weigh the anchor Just a fountain of saltwater on the bow so the deck wash pump is working again. Yesterday Ed had to get over a big shock and me hours later…my mouth felt open! We just finished our last shopping. Ed with the whole lot to the dinghy included the new pump and the laundry, yes, I manage, you stay here (shopping mall), you can do your things what you like to do, I am going to fix the pump. Loading the dinghy, everything went okay, also unloading it but while ed was doing this he heard the pump-alarm, it was a hell of a noise. Lifted one of the floorboards, the water was just under it!!! The saltwater whale pump in the galley was leaking, had been used early in the morning for rinsing the breakfast stuff. So of course there was something of a panic before he discovered the leak. We could be close to sinking!!! The sea-cocks will be closed again during sailing. Ed fixed the pump, there was quite a big hole in the membrane and by now we also know why every once and a while there had been water in the bilge. Past Friday we forgotten to stop the generator so that one had been on for 12 hours as consequence the batteries fully loaded and ed had stopped the fridge. In all those years it never had happened before! The morning before your departure, we went to the market and the German bakery, we also visited the under construction Buddha on the highest hill of Phuket. A monk called me and I was blessed, got a bracelet with the 3 lucky buds plus a red pear, please take it with both hands! So I keep on feeling very well and happy. It was a great tour up and the view was splendid, a nice closing of our stay in Phuket. And of course the tears and the smiles came when we did our farewell tour along our acquaintances and friends which we made here as well, a warm feeling. Together we drank our one for the road in a ‘girlies’ bar. A kind lady, two children, aged 6 and 8, works in Phuket in stead of Bangkok and of course earns money for her kids, raised by granny, and her family. We gave her our last baths, she was moved and she even kissed us. . Krop Kun Kaa dear, friendly Thai people and Sawadee Kaa for your big,big smile! We learned a lot from you: put ones back into it with a smile and life the day!