After a short but busy stay in Singapore, we arrived in Chiang Mai, Thailand, ready for the next phase of our travels. It was time to unwind, explore, and... cautiously rebuild our financial footing after the misadventures chronicled in our last post (RIP, Singapore ATM-eaten debit card). With one card left, we were in no mood to gamble with machines and sought reassurance at every step.
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| Elephant statue overlooking the Old Chiang Mai Moat |
Singapore—a city where everything gleams, everything works, and everything reminds you not to break the rules. It was our two-day stopover en route to Thailand, a chance to see a friend, stretch our legs, and apparently, lose a debit card to a hungry ATM.
It started at the airport. Bright, efficient, and humming with activity, where we foolishly assumed we'd withdraw some cash and be on our way with Singaporean dollars. Singapore, however, had other plans. The ATM promptly swallowed our card without so much as an apology. We were left standing there, cashless, in one of the world’s priciest cities.
Cyclone season is back, and cruisers everywhere in the South Pacific are scrambling to make their grand exit. Most pack up and head south to New Zealand, others west to Australia, and then there’s a small group of us who stay put in Fiji. Last year, we rolled the dice, kept Rhapsody close to a “hurricane hole” (or as close to one as you can get in the Pacific), and decided to try our luck. Cyclone Mal stopped by for a brief visit, (you can read about our experience here) but otherwise, we enjoyed quiet anchorages, empty marinas, and zero races to the best anchoring spots with other boats.
After weeks of planning, preparation, and patience, we finally arrived at Denarau, and Rhapsody was hauled out, ready for her major heart surgery. Our old engine had carried us through many journeys, but now it was time to welcome its replacement.
The very next morning, a large crate caught my eye near the mechanic’s shop. Could it be? I went over for a closer look—and there it was, our brand-new engine, a striking shade of blue. After all the anticipation, I felt a mix of relief that it had arrived safely, excitement to finally re-power, and a bit of nervousness about the installation ahead.
This is the continuing saga of our engine woes. If you missed part one and want to read that first, click here.
After the death of our engine, many people asked, "Aren’t you a sailboat? Can’t you just sail?" Well, yes, but it wasn’t that simple. We faced two major challenges—one at the beginning and one at the end of our journey.
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| Rhapsody is located at the blue dot. The typical entrances to this anchorage are left and right, just north of where Rhapsody was anchored. The route due south was more direct, and shorter in the long run, but involved more maneuvering around reefs. |
The Alarm
We were less than five minutes out of the anchorage we had been taking refuge in for the past week. It was a calm, peaceful morning when the shrill sound of the engine alarm cut through the quiet. We immediately cut the engine and tried restarting it, hoping it was just a glitch. But no luck—the alarm came right back on.
"There you go, Mere (pronounced Mary)" "What do you think?"
Mere was silent as she looked around the community center where we had set up our temporary eyeglass clinic. Suddenly she jumped up and ran outside. She began looking all around, looking up at the trees, looking at the buildings around her and a big smile broke across her face.
"Wow, I can see!"
