[password] KUDZUU1114
[position] 06 49.798N 09 53.281E
[status] Perhaps you thought the person on board Mersoleil with the responsibility of insuring that our two marine toilets are always open and ready to receive and dispose of whatever comes their way could not possibly fall any lower on the organizational chart of dreadful boat chores. You might have thought that, but you?d be wrong. Perhaps you?ve already sensed the whiff of a change afoot from the overly wordy introductory sentence, the use of an irritatingly ambiguous style marked by indirection and the complete absence of facts and details. Perhaps you?ve noted that Bev, lo these many years the sole author of the much-loved series ?Where is Mersoleil? has, in the literary sense, gone missing and not been heard from for months. It is perhaps dawning upon you now that the worst of all possible outcomes has occurred: Bev is taking a short break having, I think, burned out on the somewhat emotionally unsatisfying task of sending her words out into the ether not knowing if anyone, anywhere, at any time actually reads them. This, Dear Reader, leaves only me, Robbie, to shoulder the fallen standard, set aside my marine toilet duties for the good of the ship and take up the pen. As Mr. Trump is fond of saying at the end of his many, many tweets: Sad!

Over the next several weeks I?ll try and fill you in on ?the missing months?, particularly our land travels to Cambodia and Viet Nam.

For the moment I?ll stop here and simply report that we have left Malaysia, if not in the rearview mirror, then at least astern. We are presently under weigh having crossed over into Thailand waters last night and now motor-sailing in light air and sudden rains punctuated by searing sun and enervating humidity which robs one of any, and I repeat ANY, ambition more complicated than labored breathing. Our next anchorage is a lovely marine park called Koh Rok Nok still 30 nautical miles north where we will spend the night and then move on to Phuket, Thailand. And, because inquiring minds want to know, Phuket is pronounced Poo-ket, not Foo-ket.

[speed] 6.0 kts motr-sailing
[heading] 359 M
[weather] Wind NNE at 9kts; swell less than 1 meter; temp 91; sky partly cloudy; baro 1014
[END]