14th February - Valentines Day in Nai Harn Bay (Phuket) - fish friends - battery problem solved

Friday 14^th February

Happy Valentines Day – much love to one and all…

And to celebrate the day...some more pretty food from Old Phuket Town - I have no idea what is in these small parcels - cockroaches??  Steamed rice??  But they are so cute...

My little gang of friends here in Nai Harn Bay are appalled to hear that we don’t have a washing machine on 2XS.  Sue and Suzanne both opened their eyes very wide and said, NO!  I can’t believe it!!  Pete you HAVE to buy Marguerite a washing machine for Valentine’s Day!

Well no he doesn’t…I am quite happy doing the washing on deck, in my big black plastic tub.  I have become reasonably proficient at it, especially with the help of Napisan to soak out the worst stains.  (Well…I am happy in a hot climate; it is not quite as much fun when there is a cold wind whistling around my ears, and my fingers.)  Putting a machine on 2XS would mean giving up one of the bunks, and creating a whole lot of upheaval. 

Upheaval #1

Mind you Pete and Andrew’s current battery project is involving more than a bit of upheaval…BUT – Pete thinks, just quietly, that their labours have not been in vain and that all is now well, on the battery front.  WEEHEE is all I can say!

Upheaval #2 - but fear not; everything has been tidied away again

Yesterday morning I had yet another beautiful swim, along to the other side of the bay.  I have discovered a fish attractor, which certainly attracts fish.  I spent a happy time floating around this area.  

The fish were very friendly, very interested in me and the camera.  They came right up and pecked at my fingers.  Whole layers of different fish – small beige ones, tiny black and yellow ones.

 And garfish, gliding along elegantly just below the surface.

 I showed Pete and Andrew my 87 photos (well, I culled them and showed them just two, as they bustled past on their busy way) because I wanted them to see what the fish attractors look like from below.  From above, they are…invisible.  Andrew said that yes, he believed there is a whole lot of stuff underneath our boats.  One of the yachts anchored near Settlement had a lot of trouble pulling up their anchor when they were leaving the other day.  And when they got it up, they found, attached to the anchor, a fairly large broken boat!

Last night, from the little bar which kindly provides a safe dinghy dock

And are we moving on, up the coast??  It does not seem that this is a happening thing right now… Maybe I will get to visit my little fishyfriends at the attractor yet again!

Sunset at the (with Thylacines, Poco Andante, Santana)