Now what?

Fun with cellophane and LED
fairy lights

With all our out-of-water boat work nearing completion, we scheduled a splash date on December 25, which would have meant finally getting back in the water. Even with our eleventh hour decision to get our standing rigging replaced, we thought we could make the date.

Perry with her new paint job
and vinyl boot stripes

Long story short, we will not be splashing on December 25 and will soon be traveling to Cambodia (by air, not boat), both to see the country and because our visas will be expiring soon. So, what happened?

Since our last post, Jimmy from Prestige Marine services finished the prep and sprayed our topsides with Awlgrip. A few days later (after we sanded the entire boat  below the waterline) his team sprayed Coppercoat onto Perry's bottom. A lot of time, work, and luck (especially with the weather) went into getting those two seemingly simple projects done.

These guys! Digging rudder holes in the heat...

Once the Coppercoat was on, we were able to get lifted in place by the sea lift to put our rudders in. We did get them in, but had to dig some holes because the lift couldn't get us quite high enough. With a delay caused by the lift driver feeling ill, the rudders weighing a ton (not literally, but they sure are heavy) while also being a tight fit, and the need to dig those holes, the day was stressful.

Fu Lin Kong Temple (part of the
Pangkor Island rally tour)

But, it was the moment of truth for our rudders and even though we were pretty sure they would fit properly, Matt and I breathed a sign of relief when they actually did.

Off with her mast

The problem with our schedule came with the rigging. The rigger here, who has been very professional and helpful, was able to get almost all the parts we would need except some eye-toggles in the right size, which would take three weeks. We did not want to wait that long and had resigned ourselves to giving up the idea of re-rigging.

Another random tour picture:
Conrad at the fort on Pangkor Island

Then another rigger with a seemingly decent reputation in a different town told us that his supplier had them in stock and we could have them in less than a week. We asked several times whether he was sure because we thought he must have the same UK supplier. He promised us up and down that he could get the parts and we believed him because he seemed sincere.

Cats watching us watching
traditional wooden boat building
on Pangkor Island

We pulled the trigger on the rigger here at Pangkor (putting down our 50% deposit and having him order the parts) and wired the money to the other rigger for the eye-toggles. We kept asking for a tracking number, which was never sent, but he assured us several times that the parts had been shipped. 

Mark and Cardie at the Fort, Pangkor Island

Finally, a week later, when we called for the umpteenth about a tracking number and that very morning being assured the parts had been shipped, we got an apologetic email saying that the parts had not been shipped and the supplier did not know when they would be. We have not had good luck with vendors lately. We did get most of our thousand dollars back (except for the $27 that got lost in wire transfer exchange rate purgatory), but the big problem is the delay. Now we are waiting to see just how long it will be.

Gua Tempurung - A huge cave
that we visited on our way back from Ipoh

Of course, we could have done the rigging at almost any point in our 8-plus month stay here at Pangkor Marina. But (1) we did not think it was necessary based on the age of the rigging according to the previous owners and (2) we had other priorities. As our Indian Ocean crossing looms closer and on the heels of a survey (for insurance), it seems like a good idea. The rigging would need to be replaced within the next few years and it will be cheaper here than in the U.S. or the Med.

Gua Tempurung - those are
stairs, to give you a sense of scale.

With the additional delay, our visas will expire before we are ready to leave Malaysia. So we are headed to Cambodia for a mini-vacation/visa run. Since we are flying on Christmas Eve Day, we celebrated the holiday a couple of days early. It's also the 7th anniversary of our move aboard Perry.

On our recent trip to Ipoh (for an MRI of Matt's sore shoulder) we visited the gigantic cave pictured above and stopped for the locally famous peanut candy (think a crispy, less sweet, and saltier peanut brittle). There was a long line and a couple of security guards, presumably to keep the peace. Like many Asian sweets, it's very subtle and not really a 'dessert' in our book but we give it a thumbs up as a tasty snack.

Ming Yue Confectionary. Almost as bad a
wait as Garrett's popcorn on Michigan Ave.

Still here...

The view from the top at
Perak Cave Temple. We took
a side trip when we got our visas
renewed in Ipoh.

Yes, we are still here at the boatyard, but we (mostly Matt) have made a ton of progress since my last post. Our rudders are done! All they need is some bottom paint.

Rudder Thing #1

Rudder Thing #2

We had to wait a good spell for the rudder stocks to be machined (and re-machined). I would like to say that I have gotten more patient since being here, but that would be a lie. Generally, you can get quality work in this part of Malaysia but in most cases, it won't be fast.

The path to the top at Perak Cave Temple.

Now we wait for our hull painting to be completed (you can't rush perfection--or almost perfection). Also, one of the painters fell from the scaffolding and broke his ankle in several places. It could have been way worse but he will be off his feet for awhile. That won't help speed up the process.

There were monkeys on the way up.
An adolescent snuck up from behind and grabbed Matt's ankle.

In other annoying developments, we apparently looked too closely at our starboard prop shaft and found the start of a possible small crack.  These are the types of things that drive you nuts on a boat as it is probably fine, and would probably last for years without an issue, but there's no way you can just ignore it and hope it won't break.  Not when it could happen on an ocean crossing. 

So, to allow us to sleep better at night, we ordered a replacement shaft from Australia. Since we need it quickly, we made sure to ask if the store had it 'in stock'.  Apparently, 'in stock' means something different to these yahoos because we were told yes, it's here and 'in stock'. Of course, a week later when it hadn't shipped yet, the reason given was that it hadn't arrived yet from their supplier, and of course, the bush fires were delaying things, and the dog ate the homework, etc, etc. So 'in stock'...uh huh. See above about patience and lying.

Kellie's Castle, built by a Scotsman,
also on the way back from Ipoh

Kellie's castle was only partially built
and is reportedly occupied by ghosts

Once we have the new shaft in place and the painters are done with our topsides, we can have them spray on our Coppercoat bottom paint and then reinstall the rudders.

More castle.

A kid boat called Whiskey Jack, whose people know our good friends on Field Trip and other kid boats, have been at the marina for the past week. Mark and Conrad speed through school so they can hang out with Cardie, the 12-year old boy, and his 10-year old sister Mo.

The Sail Malaysia rally to Langkawi is here this week so staff is really busy and the boatyard is filled with new people wandering around asking questions about where things are. As Sail Malaysia alums and boatyard occupants, we have been lucky to be invited to the rally events, including what is supposed to be one of the best rally outings--a fantastic tour and meal on Pangkor Island. 

Wax on, wax off

Perry all dressed up with mesh for
the painters, who are also sanding our hull

I like to think that we're not just sanding the bottom of our boat, we're also learning karate.

There hasn't been an update for awhile because the only thing less inspiring than spending day after day working in a boatyard has to be reading about it on someone's blog. But I offer this post as proof of life. We're still at Pangkor Marina and making slow but steady progress.

The big unknown at this point, besides whether the rainy season will completely hose us, is our new rudder stocks. We have been waiting about three weeks to get the finished posts back from the local stainless steel expert (the estimate was a week, but this is Malaysia). Once we get them, we will start rebuilding the rudders. 

The rain has cooperated with our work schedule by mostly coming at night. A few times now, we have had way-too-close, teeth-rattling thunder and lightning. When it comes time to paint, we will want clear skies, which are a rarity these days. At least the rain has knocked down some of the smog, caused by fires in Indonesia and making the air quality a serious issue in Malaysia.

Our plan to be in the boatyard for two months (including our trip to India and Nepal) has stretched to over six months and we hope to be out of here in less than eight. 

Pangkor Marina is still the best boatyard we have been in so far, thanks in large part to the locally famous owner, James Khoo. The friendly and helpful staff are like family and there is a monthly barbecue or other get-together for cruisers. We have lots of cruising friends here. Unfortunately, it's become a common occurrence to say goodbye to friends leaving their boats for months, thinking we will be gone by the time they return, only to be here to greet them after all.

Goodbye Aunt Francie

Matt lost his Aunt Francie (Francoise) to cancer last month. She was 93.

We didn't get to see her often because when we were in Chicago, she lived halfway across the country in California. Then we moved aboard and traveled even further. The boys never had the chance to meet her but she sent them thoughtful, mind-expanding gifts like a subscription to a kid's nature journal and electronic Advent calendars that they still enjoy.

Aunt Francie had an adventurous spirit and loved to travel. She introduced us to Tom Yum Soup and took us to a Moroccon restaurant where a belly dancer entertained the diners. She trekked in Nepal more than a decade before we made the journey there, at an age that earned her the nickname 'grandmother' from the locals. We thought about her often as we traveled around Nepal. We will miss her.

Aunt Francie with Matt's
Mom and Uncle Vince

When you assume...

by Pel Laurens

Everyone knows what happens when you assume. Apparently, we have not learned this lesson well enough.

Remember that rudder post I was whining about? (We need a 39 mm rudder post and no one makes them, blah blah blah.) Well, as it turns out, the post is actually 40 mm, which is a standard size.

Why did we think it was 39 mm? We assumed that the two rudders were the same (because on a catamaran there would be no reason to make them different, right?). Our starboard rudder, which is the one that had the issue, was off site, hopefully to be worked on. So we measured the port rudder, which does measure 39 mm.

When it was clear that it might be awhile before we could order a new stainless steel rod, we retrieved the starboard rudder and blade from the foundry. But we still didn't bother to check the diameter. When you need new tires for your car, do you bother to look at the sizes of each tire?

We were still working hard on getting a 39 mm shaft and found a local place that might be able to machine one for us, when we discovered that we would need 2 rudder shafts. All our work trying to hunt down the elusive 39 mm rod made us double-check the integrity of the port rudder shaft. We found some corrosion on it, which though not as bad as the corrosion on the starboard side, is enough to make us replace it as well.

After we returned from Singapore, Matt got busy opening up the port rudder blade. The fiberglass did not come apart quite as easily as it did on the starboard side and we thought it might be because water had gotten into the starboard blade and rotted away some of the foam, making it easier to pull apart. 

The guts of the port rudder blade

Instead, as it turns out, the port blade (probably the one original to the boat), was of a totally different construction. Instead of the softer foam filling found in the starboard side, it is constructed with a light material with the hardness of concrete. Once we saw that the construction was different, a light bulb finally went on and we realized that we better check all the measurements to make sure we knew what we were dealing with.  Sure enough the rudder stock diameter and bearings were different sizes.  At some point, the starboard rudder must have been rebuilt using a 40 mm rod, while the port rudder had the original 39 mm rod.

Chipping off the old blocks

Major excavation needed. It
is solid construction with no water inside.
It's a shame it has to be redone.

The internal structure of the rod
supports in this port rudder is
completely different from the starboard.

The starboard side, for reference

So, where does that leave us? For one, feeling really lucky that we didn't spend a bunch of money on a 39 mm rod (and that we didn't order 2, which is the path we were on). We will probably get 2 40 mm rods, hopefully at a more reasonable cost. The 40 mm will fit into the channel in the starboard rudder blade and the port rudder blade won't have a channel (Matt will build a jig to ensure that the placement of the shaft into the blade is correct). The bearings on the port side will have to be enlarged. All-in-all, it probably adds on at least another 2-3 (to 4, to 5) weeks that we are out of the water.

Singapore

Our Malaysian visas were coming due, so we decided to head to Singapore.  It seemed unlikely we would get to visit with the boat, both because of timing and the fact that Singapore has made it increasingly difficult and expensive to clear in there. But we definitely wanted to see "The Lion City", so road trip here we come!

Esplanade Theatres on the Bay
(known as 'The Durians')

Before arriving, my main impression of Singapore was based on the somewhat embarrassing tale of Michael Fay, the American 'kid' whose family created an international incident when they tried to get him out of being caned for vandalizing a bunch of cars. I'm happy to report that it seems he has gotten his life together and now manages a casino in Cincinnati. Singapore is also known for strict laws against drugs (death penalty), littering, spitting and chewing gum (banned since the '90s).  Needless to say, we were on our best behavior.

Merlion Statue (because it's a lion and a
mermaid), with the Marina Bay Sands boat
on 3 buildings restaurant.

We did get a bit of hassle in Malaysian Immigration, both leaving and re-entering the country. Malaysia, understandably, doesn't want people doing an end run around their processes and staying indefinitely (possibly to work or run a business) by doing 'visa runs' every 90 days. So sometimes people have a hard time getting back into the country. In anticipation, we had our letter from the marina, documenting that our boat is at a boatyard, bleeding money from our bank account (not exactly in those words).

Getting ready to watch 'Spectra - A Light and
Water Show' by Marina Bay Sands

We were not expecting the stone-faced Immigration official to question us so closely as we left Malaysia, but she did. She also asked us a bunch of questions and asked to see the letter from the marina, but grudgingly let us leave the country.

Garden Rhapsody with the Super Trees - Gardens By the Bay

Part of the problem with immigration is that we have numerous stamps in and out of the Malaysia, due in large part to our participation in the Sail Malaysia Rally, which creates a bit of a red flag. After we finished with Singapore and returned to Malaysia, the Immigration officer was friendlier but seemed never to have encountered a cruiser before. We explained that we don't have an "onward" or return ticket because we live on a boat. That just seemed to confuse her more but we stayed pleasant and tried to explain and showed all our documentation. We could feel angry vibes emanating from the long line behind us as the officer went to escalate the situation to her supervisors. Eventually it all worked out and we were allowed back in for the full 90-days. Hopefully that was the last time checking into Malaysia.

Kampong Glam, near our hotel

Enough about immigration and on to more important topics! After the long bus rides from Sitiawan to Singapore, we settled into our trendy hotel (that we got because it was a super special deal--almost too good to be true--which it turned out it was; long story that we won't bore you with, but it eventually worked out) and and spent the next few days exploring. Not surprisingly, it was just as hot and humid in Singapore as in West Malaysia and all the kids wanted to do was sit in the air-conditioned room, eat pizza and watch TV. There was some of that, but mostly we walked a lot and ate from hawker stalls. Many places were closed because of the holiday weekend, but we found plenty to sample.

What's up chicken butt (and head,
neck, and back bone)?

We also took a trip down to the S.E.A. Aquarium. There are several enormous tanks filled with all kinds of sea life, large and small. We come from a city with a world-class aquarium and we have lived on the water for years, so we are not easily impressed, but this place was impressive. Even with the crowds (we had to wait in line for 45 minutes just to enter the aquarium, even with pre-purchased tickets), we enjoyed our visit.

Feeding time (there's a diver
in there somewhere)

We also visited the Singapore Botanic Gardens, a UNESCO World Heritage site. We all (even Mark and Conrad) enjoyed the extensive orchid exhibits, though the finer points were undoubtedly lost on us.

Orchids have bilateral symmetry,
like the human face.

A lot of these cute things in the city.
Also a lot of Porsches. Serious money abounds.

Demonstrating helix arms in front
of the Helix Bridge