Workers in Raffles Boat Yard

wingssail image-Fredrick Roswold
Sanding

There is something about the sound of air-powered tools in a boat yard that I love. I always like hanging out where I hear this sound. I must be strange, but I love it.

The workers at Marina Yacht Services in the boat yard at Raffles Marina in Singapore seem a good as any we've had anywhere, and their tools sound and work the same as all other boat yards in the world.

Here the guys are doing a light sanding job on the bottom, along with fairing some blisters and installing new through hull fittings.

New Paint

wingssail image-Fredrick Roswold
Wings'Deck

This deck takes a beating; it gets scratched, chipped,dinged and dirty and both cruising and racing are hard on it. Every two years we need to repaint it.

Usually we do this ourselves. It takes two people three days to do it: One day to mask, one day to paint two coats, one day to remove the masking. We've done this about 10 times in the past, and once a few years back we had all the hardware removed and the deck sanded down to bare glass. Otherwise it is just a repaint after a light sanding right over the old paint.

This time we had the boat yard do it and I have to admit they did a nice job.

They also used some proper marine deck paint so we'll see if it lasts longer.

Yanmar Going Back In

wingssail image-Fredrick Roswold
Engine

We had the engine out for some exterior servicing and here it is just getting reinstalled.

After 15 years our Yanmar three cylinder still ran great (and it has had recent servicing) but there was rust and dirt on its exterior, many of the engine bolts were frozen, and the motor mounts were shot. On top of it all, we needed a new oil seal on the transmission. The Yanmar manual said we needed to take off the tranny to fix that seal, and with a few stuck bolts in some tough places this was going to be really hard. So we had the whole engine taken out.

They did all the work we asked, replaced the leaking seal, removed and replaced and greased all the frozen bolts, put new mounts in plus they repainted the engine, but it turned out the seal could have been fixed without taking out the engine; it comes off from the back!

Oh well, the rest of the work was needed anyhow.

Light Moment

wingssail image-Judy Jensen

A light moment on Wings. Wé're relaxing and waiting for the wind to fill in a direction which would work for the spinnaker.

Map of Wings' Voyages, Updated 2007

wingssail images-fredrick roswold
Click on the map to enlarge

Great Irish Beer

wingssail image-fredrick roswold
Kilkenny and Guinness

Two pints of great Irish beer poured fresh from the keg: now this is the way to start Saint Paddy's day in Bangkok... or anywhere

Tacking the #3

wingssail image-Fredrick Roswold

Getting a crew up to speed is a lot of hard work and practice, sometimes the rewards seem few and far between, but I think this bunch has some potential, and if we think we're having fun now, wait until we start winning.

Girl on a Ferry

wingssail imge-Fredrick Roswold


Bangkok

Erawan

wingssail image-Fredrick Roswold

Near Samut Prakhan, on the river south of Bangkok, is the park and museum of Erawan, where lives the giant elephant.

Statue

wingssail image-Fredrick Roswold

Inside the Elephant

wingssail image-Fredrick Roswold

In the belly of the elephant it was quiet and dark and it gave us an eerie feeling. We waited here until everyone else left, then we walked down slowly, and enjoyed the place.

Draw This!

wingssail image-Fredrick Roswold


I knew this huge elephant was nearby, but how to tell the cab driver?

I drew a picture of it for a coffee shop owner and he recognized it instantly and wrote the name of the place on a paper for me to show the cabbie.

First Look at the New Sails

Kevlar

We hoisted the new sails and went racing before we even had time to see how they should set and be trimmed. Only looking at the photos later did we see that a few lines needed a bit more pulling and tugging

On the Wind

Wingssail Image: Judy Jensen


Carrying the kite on a very close reach isn't the fastest way to go; often a headsail reach is quicker. But sometimes it is fun, and when your competitor is right behind you, and he is carrying a kite, maybe you don't want to take the chance of letting him get by. So you you choose not to drop the spinnaker.

Tessa

Close Reaching In Johore Straits

Photo: Kledkofoed
Wings

There is something about the flat green water of a broad river delta on a hot, windy tropical day when you can work the boat upwind for an hour and then the mark appears out of the haze right where it should and you call the lay-line perfectly, and set the kite for the trip home. Now that is what I like.

Rope Burns

Pierre's Hand

Pierre held the main sheet a bit too long during a jibe and he got a real bad rope burn from two ropes across all four fingers. The burns don't show here very well, but I can tell you that Pierre was miserable for a few hours after the race.

After The Race

Tessa's parents join us for an "after the race" beer, and Joe (her dad) sailed with us and was a great crew member.

Sail Repair

I've been doing this after every race, and you can only patch together these old laminated sails for so long. We have a new main and genoa now. This #3 is on it's last legs too I think.

Bird's Eye View of Bangkok

Vertigo

We've been trying to get to the Vertigo rooftop bar at the Banyan Tree at sunset for a few months and finally we made it. This photo shows that in addittion to drinks, the Vertigo offers a spectacular view of Bangkok.

Siam Niramit

Siam Niramit

It was a great performance at the Siam Niramit Center, but we couldn't take any photos of the show itself. This is the plaza outside the theater.

Thai Boat

Thai Boat

Lumphini Park

Orchestra
One Sunday night we went to Lumphini Park with Donnacha, my boss, and listened to the Bangkok Symphony Orchestra.

Siam Paragon Bandstand

Bangkok Rock

We often see a band playing at the Siam Paragon on our way home. We don't usually stop.

Racing in Singapore

Chris Schuler Photo
Racing in Singapore
The crew love it riding the rail in 20 knots of wind. Who says the sailing in Singapore is dull?

Frangipangi Girl

Chris Schuler Photo
Frangipangi Girl

David Ross's gorgeous Swan 53 came charging up when the wind filled in and we held him up as long as possible. Here they try going over us, but couldn't make it. Finally Dave steered Frangipangi Girl down and they blew through our lee to finish ahead. Good racing!

Fred and Judy

Chris Schuler Photo
Fred and Judy
We are sailing hard on the wind and having fun. Daniella and Judy and Lucas holding down the quarterdeck as Fred steers; Great day on the water

Crew Shot

WINGSSAIL IMAGE: Fredrick Roswold
Crew Shot
After we finished we opened a few cans of beer and had a nice sail to the rendezvous. Does this crew look like they are having fun? I'll say!

Reclaimation Bay

WINGSSAIL IMAGE: Fredrick Roswold
Reclaimation Bay
We arrived at the small bay in Singapore's "reclaimed land" where Frangipangi Girl was already moored and we wondered, "How sweet is this?"

Volleyball

WINGSSAIL IMAGE: Fredrick Roswold
Volleyball
Judy waits for the set-up that never happens as Phil Blake blocks the shot into the sand. See the ships in the background? That's Singapore now as it always has been; I remember the roadstead full of anchored ships from my first visit in 1971 and it never has changed.

Beach Party

WINGSSAIL IMAGE: Fredrick Roswold
Beach Party
While the others played volleyball, we had a good hamburger barbeque and drank some beer. Can it get any better?

Pierre

Photo: Chris Schuler
Pierre
Pierre brings a Gallic passion to his job as jib trimmer on Wings, and we love him all the more for it.

Chris

Chris Schuler
Chris stepped aboard and ran the main all day, in a mainsail intensive day. he did fine.

Medhi

Photo: Chris Schuler
Medhi Khaled
Medhi came aboard and immediately found himself at home on the foredeck. We can use him. Hope he can come often.

Lucas

Photo: Chris Schuler
Lucas
Chris brought his son Lucas, and Lucas was great: no complaints and no problems, even when the boat was on it's ear. Plus, when I told him I was the captain and he had to follow Captain's orders, he said "Ok" and did it. We like him.
He slept on the deck all the way home.

Soi Sip Sam

WINGSSAIL IMAGE: Fredrick Roswold
Soi Sip Sam
The street we live on in Bangkok is known as Soi Sip Sam, or, in English Soi 13

Lumphini Park

WINGSSAIL IMAGE:Fredrick Roswold
Lumphini Park
Bangkok's Lumphini Park: Serenity in the middle of the city

Street Food

WINGSSAIL IMAGE: Fredrick Roswold
Street Food
A cafeteria on Silom Avenue

Bangkok Kitchen

WINGSAIL IMAGE: Fredrick Roswold
Street Food
Many Bangkok residents know that the best food is cooked in streetside kitchens like this.

Map Session

WINGSSAIL IMAGE: Fredrick Roswold
Map Session
Before you set out for a tour in Bangkok, be sure you have a good map, you'll need it.

Waffle Vendor

WINGSSAIL IMAGE: Judy Jensen
Waffle Vendor

Summer Palace

WINGSSAIL IMAGE: Judy Jensen
Summer Palace

Ancient City

WINGSSAIL IMAGE: Judy Jensen
Ancient City

Noodle Vendor

WINGSSAIL IMAGE: Judy Jensen
Noodle Vendor

Meals on Boats

WINGSSAIL IMAGES: Judy Junsen
Meals on Boats

Hats

WINGSSAIL IMAGE: Judy Jensen
Hats

Floating Market-2

WINGSSAIL IMAGE: Judy Jensen
Floating Market-2

Floating Market

WINGSSAIL IMAGE: Judy Jensen

Floating Market

Thai Elephants

WINGSAIL IMAGE: Judy Jensen
Elephants waiting

These Thai Elephants were waiting for tourists to climb aboard for a tour of the ancient city.

Sleeping Kids on BTS

WINGSSAIL IMAGE: Fredrick Roswold
Sleeping Kids on BTS
Big day out for kids in Bangkok turns into nap time on the BTS