Let the fun begin!

Enough theory and class-rooms for a while and on with the real-world responsibility, exhilaration and freedom found in sailing on the high seas, especially when one is the skipper for a particular leg of the voyage! Being competent crew is fulfilling enough but being the skipper of a successful voyage is extremely satisfying especially if sailing in and out of strange ports using only published data. On this great trip we used the following guides:

Cruising Guide to South East Asia (Davies and Morgan), The Andaman Sea Pilot (Image Asia), Tide Tables Malaysia 2011 (Hidrografi Nasional), various appropriate nautical charts and of course the trusty old GPS to check up on our charting accuracy. We also made extensive use of bearings, using a hand bearing compass, from recognised land marks, buoys and lights to plot our position on the chart regularly.

The assigned skippers for each leg will need to individually plan the stages in great detail with pilotage in and out of ports and passage plans backed up with an hourly log. The plan is to sail seven legs for the round trip broken down as follows:

Penang to Port Dickson, Port Dickson to Singapore, Singapore to Kukup, Kukup to Melaka, Melaka to Port Klang, Port Klang to Lumut (Pulau Pangkor Marina) and Lumut (Pulau Pangkor Marina) to Langkawi.

Altogether we were destined to sail a total distance of about 900 nautical miles. The crew for this voyage will be:

GARY ONIK

Gary Onik from Florida USA. Gary has just finished building and fitting out a custom built 52 foot aluminium catamaran. He is at the school to learn all he can to be able to manage this magnificent craft and his immediate goal is to enter the first leg (Florida to the Caribbean) of the round the world yacht race. Gary decided to leave the voyage (and the school) in Melaka and continue his journey around the world by traveling down to Australia to complete his Yachtmaster’s there. We all wish him every success.

LEE RHODES

Lee Rhodes from Derby UK, is one of the most focussed and determined people I have ever met. He is taking the Yachtmaster fast-track sailing course very seriously and together with Frazer, is setting a blistering pace in the learning curve stakes. Lee and Frazer have been incredibly helpful and accepting of me and though I am old enough to be their father, they never once treated me as anything but an equal. For that I will be eternally grateful. I thoroughly enjoyed sailing with these “young studs” and even though I had to work hard to keep up with them it was a truly great experience. Thanks guys! Lee has plans to be a charter boat captain in the Spanish Islands of the Mediterranean and I know he will succeed at whatever he does. I hope our paths cross again on of these days.

FRAZER HALLIDAY

Frazer Halliday who was made in South Africa and hails from Bristol UK. He has done a wonderful job of replacing his native South African accent with a refined British accent now.  He allows nothing to stand in the way of his aspirations and at the wonderful young age of 29, Frazer had the wisdom and perspicacity to take a two year sabbatical to pursue his dream. His dream…..learn to sail (Frazer is also doing the sixteen week fast track Yachtmaster program with the school), buy a yacht ( in progress, with his Dad helping in the search for a suitable vessel within Frazer’s budget), get PADI qualified for Scuba diving and sail from Malaysia to New Zealand in time for the Rugby world cup! Incredible! I am totally impressed and somewhat in awe of someone so young but so in control of what they want! Frazer, you have my every best wish that you will indeed realise your dream successfully and happily. My sincere thanks and gratitude to you too for being a wonderful crew member and helping me whenever you could. I really enjoyed sailing with you and hope we will meet again in the future.

DAVID BRADLEY (That’s me!)

And of course yours truly, David Bradley, was there too. I am following my dream to know what I am doing when I am messing around on boats! Gudrun and I are working towards buying a catamaran late this or early next year so we can indulge in what has become our favorite past-time. Apart from learning all the tricks of the trade we are planning to make this venture economically viable too. Watch this space!

BARRY WICKETT

Finally there was “the captain as is our commander”, the extremely experienced and knowledgeable principal of the Langkawi Sailing School, Mr Barry Wickett, aptly nick-named “the Admiral”. Barry knew what was going on all the time, night and day! His calm and commanding demeanor was instrumental in all of us getting the best possible tuition and sailing experience. When Gary decided to leave our voyage in Melaka, Barry quickly and without protest became the fourth crew member and did shifts with the rest of the crew, continued to do his share of cooking excellent meals (albeit using every possible utensil on the boat!) and a fair share of the KP duties.  I was privileged to share watches with Barry and thoroughly enjoyed my time with him on deck. I have been blessed to have some wonderful teachers and mentors during my life so far and Barry rates right up there with the very best of them. Thanks for all you have done for me and Gudrun so far.