I had met a sailing friend at Kota Kinabalu while sailing in the South China Sea. I was missing sailing so I wrote him an email advising that I was heading back and to find out where he was presently. He replied that he was in Langkawi, Malaysia and was soon to be heading to Phuket, Thailand and that I was free to join him.
I arrived in Langkawi in September, 2010 and joined Stephen aboard his yacht. We had an uneventful sail north to Phi Phi Island where we stayed for 5 nights. Then it was on to Phuket, another 6 hour sail. Once we arrived in Ao Chalong, Phuket, I moved ashore and stayed in a hotel there as it was cheaper than catching taxis back and forth from the yacht each day. I stayed in Au Chalong for a few weeks before moving to a hotel in Patong Beach. I stayed there for another week before taking a flight to Bangkok and then on to Pattaya.
During this time I was busy checking out yachts for sale. I inspected yachts in Phuket, Pattaya and also planned to go back and see some for sale back in Langkawi. Julie during this time had arranged to come across and meet me in Kuala Lumpur where we met and flew to Langkawi together to inspect some yachts for sale there. We had another wonderful time together, and after the inspections caught a ferry across to Penang. Found a great sea food restaurant there and saw the sights before it was time for Jules to head back to Australia and her family and work.
At Talaga Harbour, Langkawi.
Our favourite seafood restaurant in Penang.
Fish Spa
Relaxing after the attack of the Pirhana.
After seeing Julie off at the KL airport I caught a flight back to Bangkok and then on to Kohn Kaen to see more of Thailand. It is a beautiful country.
After about a week in Kohn Kaen I flew back to Bangkok and then on to Hong Kong. I hadn't been back to HK since I left in December 2009. It was great to get back there and catch up with friends and to be able to go back to Church there at ICA. I was only back in HK for a few weeks when I received an email from a yacht broker in Phuket, Thailand notifying me that he was about to list a Beneteau Oceais Clipper 331. Alan asked if I was interested, and as I had viewed one of these yachts in HK in 2009, and had just missed out on buying it by another very eager buyer. I advised that I was very interested and asked that as soon as he had more information to let me know. A few days later Alan came back to me with the details and a partial inventory. This boat was set up for live-aboard and despite being a 2001 model, the same as the previous 331 that I had inspected in HK, this one had a lot of new gear aboard, including new sails, chartplotter, dinghy, dinghy engine, radar and pretty well everything that i wanted. I immediately advised that I was coming back to Langkawi (where the yacht was moored) to look at it. I was in constant contact with Julie all this time, and she was very supportive as she knew this (living aboard a yacht in SE Asia) had been a dream of mine for a long long time.
I booked my flight from HK to KL then onto Langkawi to view Cabrima. I met Alan at the Royal Langkawi Yacht Club and we went to inspect Cabrima. A Beneteau Oceanis Clipper 331 isn't a large boat for live-aboard, in fact it is at the lower end of the scale. However at a length of just under 34' she was designed with surprisingly good head room. As I stand more than 6'1" it is important to me that I dont have to walk around inside the boat continuously ducking. Many larger boats have much less head room and they just atrent suitable for me. Besides that, she was well equipped, well designed and had 2 cabins and could accomodate up to 6 people. I decided quickly that she was suitable, so then it was just a matter of bargaining for the best price I could get her for.
I made an offer which was 8,000 Euros cheaper than the asking price, and after some procrastination and deliberation this price was accepted. However this offer was made subject to a survey report being completed. As it was quickly approaching Christmas, it was going to be touch and go whether I could get the survey completed before I headed back to Australia for Christmas.
Cabrima
I managed to arrange a surveyor to inspect the boat and he was able to do it almost immediately. The survey had to be completed at Rebak Marina as they have travel lift facilities there. I arranged with Alan for us to take Cabrima over to Rebak Marina from Royal Langkawi Yacht Club and Marina. I also arranged for the surveyor to join us and this would be a part of the sail test prior to the inspection.
We met at Royal Langkawi Yacht Club and made our way to Cabrima. After some simple checks we started the engine and dropped the lines and we were off for the short sail to Rebak. There wasn't much wind so we motor sailed most of the way doing a few steering tests and other manoeuvres along the way. The surveyor spent most of his time telling stories, jokes and smoking in the cockpit. I was disappointed as this was supposed to be a sail test, making up part of the survey, but he took very little interest in the operation of Cabrima and just enjoyed the ride. I came to the end of my tether when the surveyor made a comment suggesting that first impressions are important to him and that his first impression was that Cabrima was a very good yacht. For a start, this is a private matter and as the broker was acting on behalf of the seller, the surveyor was acting on behalf of the purchaser - me. It isn't usual for a surveyor to make comments regarding the survey or his opinion of the boat in front of the seller or the broker, as depending on the result of the survey, further negotiations may be required regarding the selling price.
After we arrived in Rebak we set the lines and made sure Cabrima was secure. Alan made his way to the marine office to make the berthing arrangenments. When that was completed we made our way to the ferry to catch it back to the main island of Langkawi again. I was very unhappy with the surveyor and decided to sever the agreement I had made with him. I called him and advised him over the phone. He wasn't at all surprised and we agreed on a suitable fee for the time he had spent sailing to Rebak with us.
It was only a few days later that my flight was booked to return to Melbourne, Australia for Christmas. I still didn't have a new surveyor arranged so had to do that from Melbourne.
The owner of Cabrima had left for Sweden.
The days leading up to Christmas were spent contacting surveyors in Langkawi, Penang and Phuket, Thailandand trying to find one who was able to complete the survey urgently. Eventually I found 2 partners in Phuket who were able to come to Langkawi and complete the survey. It was more expensive as I had to pay for their fares and accomodation, but the survey was completed before Christmas, 2010.
I had already paid my deposit on Cabrima and their was a schedule that I had to fit in with regarding the survey and the finalisation of the contract. Once I had received the survey report by email, there were further negotiations that had to take place. The main item of concern was that the rigging needed replacement. I knew the rigging was original from when Cabrima was new, and that was almost 10 years ago now. I knew the rigging would be tired, but wasn't prepared for the immediate cost of replacement. I knew I also had other costs as in anti foul the hull, and a few other more minor concerns regarding the instruments, the anchor chain needed re galvanising at the least, replacing at the worst.
The owner tried to deny that the rigging needed replacement, and employed someone else to inspect Cabrima just to refute that. Meanwhile, I was making offers less than the previously agreed to figure. It all became a bit of a nightmare, and made worse as Cabrima was being sold in Euro's. The value of the $ AU was falling and the longer this went on the more I was going to have to pay. Luckily the Dollar surged slightly and I made a final offer, take it or leave it, with a time limit on an answer. The broker took the offer to the owner, but the owner was still reluctant to accept. By this time we were only 500 Euro's away on the price. In desperation the broker made contact with both the owner and myself and told us that despite the fact that he felt he had fully earned his commission, to finalise the deal he was going to forgo 500 Euro of his commission. I liked Alan and had to agree with him that he had fully earned his full commission and it would have been unfair to him not to receive his full compensation for his work. I contacted him back and told him I would pay an extra 250 Euro's, and that he should let the owner know so that hopefully he would do the same, but from what I am aware the owner made no such offer. Payment was made and I arranged my flight back to Langkawi to take over my new yacht.
I arrived and arranged a hotel in Kuah as I knew it would take a few days for the money to go through. On the 15th of February I moved aboard Cabrima, still at Rebak Marina, and began to settle down to some cleaning and maintenance.
To be continued..........
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