Sailing Pattaya To Phuket

[sucher]

hi

planning to buy a multihull sailboat 48' in pattaya and plan to bring it around to phuket next month.whole crew is 3 people of which 2 have little and no prior experience.the third guy is the knower.are here any sailers that have good useable advise or know where i should turn to?i am in phuket.maybe there is a better forum for that?thanks

[craigt3365]

I've sent a PM to somebody who might be able to help. Also, let's try this over in the sports forum.

Topic Moved.

P.S. Did you contact Scott, the harbor master at Ocean Marina? Great guy....

[sucher]

hi craig

you mean the marina in pattaya?will try that.i am in pattaya tomorrow.thanks

[steveromagnino]

I hope it isn't a dodgy wharram or some old 4KSB beast not up to scratch.

If it is a decent modern cat, then you will have a relatively tough sail down to Singapore corner and then easier up the other side; the wind is in the SW monsoon, so it will be upwind most of the way and you WILL encounter several times major wind and sea (as in 30-40 knots) coming in squalls. So you will need to have at least the ability to get the sails up and down, and/or a TRUCK LOAD of fuel. Long periods with no wind also not uncommon.

The race yachts coming from HK basically motor the entire way when they head to Samui or other places, so that requires:

- well serviced engines

- a HUGE amount of fuel (the TP52s often carry upwards of 50 jerry cans and are basically not sailing much as they come over with crews of 3-4)

- delivery crew who know how to run in watches and can handle the heat (it is pretty warm the lower you go)

If you want to do in one hit, you will need a watch system because the entire way is like a motorway with a ton of fishing boats and nets; nets are a bit of an issue for motoring and the first night will be a mind screw as you will swear you are about to run into a motorway due to the lights.

The usual method if cruising is to do in pieces. Enjoy the trip along the way. Piece one is to Samui (on the way). Then down to Southern Malaysia. Then all the way around the corner in one hit without stopping in Singapore which is a huge extra amount of time; you will need to be very vigilent in the channel Malaka straits area due to amount of traffic. Get some good nav maps and equipment for that bit. Next stop can be the dump like Port Klang or you can plug on to Langkawi area. Then to Phuket.

All up I have no idea of the type of boat so cannot accurately estimate, but averaging 6-7 knots under motor I would guess 9-15 days maybe? It's not a small undertaking!

Most important thing is to get a decent boat, sail it out of the marina a couple of times, practise getting the sails up and down, check check check the motor(s) and pack a load of fuel.

If you have anything to do with Ocean Marina, make sure you have your wallet ready, the harbour master is a relatively knowledgeable guy and can help you but if you need servicing etc nothing in that area is cheap (as in it costs the same or more than Australian prices for the most part).

A trip to samui isn't a bad start, that's about 36 hours. Unless you are buying some sort of ORMA fancy pants multi in which case you can get there way faster.

Hiring a local to help you run the delivery may be worth it. If you have some cash for a delivery crew then PM me I can help you with that a little.

Edited March 13, 2012 by steveromagnino

[sucher]

hi steve

great post.after we check out the boat tomorrow we know if it is a buy or not.if we go for it i will contact you.are you in pattaya?

thanks a lot anyway

[steveromagnino]

In Pattaya some of the time. I know most of the boats in the area. PM me on the details as I may be able to share more info with you.

[craigt3365]

Incredibly excellent info Steve!!!!!

[bazmlb]

Good info Steve and agree 100% on having a delivery crew that knows how to work together is a must, the other side of the coast is the hardest bit, liferaft is a must with Epirb(a 406 preferrably and handheld VHF) and grab bags well provisioned, there is no help out there like in western countries where you set off an epirb and instantly SAR in put into action.

Gary Baguley is also another you can talk to at Blue Sea marine (http://www.austchamthailand.com/atcc/asp/corpdetail.asp?SponsorID=0&CorpID=1188), he is very good at getting boats ready for trips like this.

[sucher]

hi again all

just got back from pattaya after looking at the boat.was not what we expected.no buy.i hope the next boat that will interest us is closer to home.thanks again to the smart,knowledgeble tips you given me.i am dissapointed now that the trip will not happen but also have some relief.only did one 2 night sailboat trip before

[melvinmelvin]

hi again all

just got back from pattaya after looking at the boat.was not what we expected.no buy.i hope the next boat that will interest us is closer to home.thanks again to the smart,knowledgeble tips you given me.i am dissapointed now that the trip will not happen but also have some relief.only did one 2 night sailboat trip before

if one 2 night trip is the extent of your sailing experience I would advice you to get some help

before you set off (that is if you find a suitable vessel)

Patts -> Phuket is a long trip

you should be well prepared and the trip should be well planned

boath boat handling and sail handling should be well practiced before dep.

you would need a couple of persons with ample deep sea experience

and with ample experience re navigation

[steveromagnino]

check out Gulf Charters they do some longer distance cruising and so on as do many other boat owners when they are doing deliveries which means you can try it out for free or for cheap and see if it is for you.

It looks like a simple romp down the coast but sailing even from Pattaya to Samui can be a big sea big wind scenario. I agree with Melvinๆ it's a deep sea sailing experience with an extremely crowded shipping lane, huge number of small unmarked fishing boats, strong currents and the warm weather onshore is NOT what you will encounter out there.

There are an awful lot of s&*t boats in Asia with unrealistic owners trying to flog for top dollar. Conversely, there are some absolute bargains. Personally, I think the really cruising orientated cats aren't so great here due to the mostly light winds, but then again with a big motor you are fine.

Also....don't want to burst anyone's bubble but working on boats here, if you start outsourcing it here in Thailand, isn't cheap. It's cheaper than the west by maybe 20-30% on the labour; parts often more expensive, work rate slower; marina fees are extremely high in Pattaya especially short term. It's not a good hobbie to get into if you dont' have the coin to run the boat properly.

Better to have a good friend that owns a boat, and sail on that IMHO ;-)

[David006]

Yup...the dream.lol

Suggest the OP closes his wallet and gets some real sailing experience and vessel knowledge before jumping in....

Loads of cruising guides/sailing books in second hand book shops and marina offices...learn from those who have done it!

As he is an Ozzie (I think) he should get and study a copy of Dick Gandie's Australian Boating Manual ...used for training purposes in Oz and has q and a section at the end of each chapter.

That said, sailing in SE Asian waters is interesting to say the least.

Hang out with some yachties,lots of real experience out there....... carefully filtering all the BS you are bound to hear from some quarters....lol

[mcyachty]

I have just seen this thread as we have been busy at Ocean Marina building 100 new berths. I thank steve for the personal comment and his reply was very informative highlighting the dangers of ocean voyages.

Ocean Marina is not that expensive compared to other marinas in Thailand. Unfortunately building marinas is not cheap. You can spend millions of dollars like Ocean Marina, wait 10, 15 or 20 years to see an eventual return from the marina as long as it is built properly. The alternative is to put a pontoon in a creek and provide no services.

It is all relative, and in this great world we have choices. If you want a marina with services, repair facilities, sailing schools, brokerages, yacht charter, boat builders, hotel, bars and restaurant, then fortunately you can have it here in Pattaya at Ocean Marina. If not, then there are cheaper options.