Welcome to our world baby Hali!

It was all a bit different this time round. We'd made an appointment so when our magical day came we were pretty well rested. We rowed ashore and got the bus (well that bit was the same) but then I was checked in by a nurse and shown to our enormous room complete with en suite wet room, fridge, kettle, air conditioning and nurse call bell. There was a phone and a tv too but we quickly unplugged those for fear of being charged extra for Ravi's transgressions.

They shaved me and gave me an enema (totally unnecessary but I went with the flow) then took me down to the operating theatre which was well looked after and well resourced. The anaesthetist proceeded to give me an injection into my spine (very competently) and then they tied my arms down to the arm rests.

I know! Like I was going to try to fight them or something? This was indicative of our whole experience at this private hospital in Phuket. It was well resourced, clean and new but the practices by the staff were old fashioned, not evidence based but rather entrenched. The doctors wishes were carried out unthinkingly; not the way we do things in the UK or for that matter in Fiji where Ravi was born.

So we took their rules and over medicalising with a pinch of salt and once Hali was finally delivered into our arms we didn't let her out again and treated it as a nice luxurious hotel. Ravi and Duncan stayed on the comfy sofas and Duncan furnished me with food drink and medication as necessary.

Anyhow importantly, Hali Rhiannon Fagg was whipped out safe and sound. She weighed 3.58kg; big enough but not as big as expected. She was very sleepy and so didn't feed much at first, lost a little weight before starting to gain again just in time for discharge. Hali is a Greek girls name meaning 'from the sea'.

She continues to be an incredibly calm soul who Ravi has welcomed into our family with unexpected enthusiasm. He doesn't have much language yet so we really didn't think he knew what was coming. So far he likes to include his sister in everything he does and squeals with delight and rushes over for a kiss whenever he remembers she is there.

Our bill was as agreed; the package price with no added extras so that was 59,900 baht, about 1,345gbp or around 1,920 usd which though a lot of money we felt reasonable for what was included. Would we chose the same again? Probably not, but we hadn't had long to research, plan and arrange having only cleared into Thailand four days earlier! We felt fairly content in taking the easy option for once.

Bringing her home was wonderful and we were treated to a lovely sunset. The rolling thunder clouds never amounted to much and we all slept well.

Thank your lucky stars you will surely think and we do, but after a week of her sleeping around 23 1/2 hours out of every 24, I thought I'd better get this rechecked. The pediatrician knew she was sleepy when we were discharged but a week on I had concerns. I asked for advice from some expert friends in Australia and we took ourselves along to the hospital for a couple of tests.

My main worry was that she might have a heart defect causing her to be so lethargic but there were other things that might cause it too. We went along, all the tests were fine and on the way there we found out an interesting fact... Put in air conditioning she woke up! Of course she'd been born into an air-conditioned world unlike Ravi but as an already sleepy baby, this heat is just a bit much for her. It will be interesting to see if her personality changes when we get back to the UK!

Since then we've all got used to life as four. We've sailed onwards; at first up and down the coast of Phuket. Happily we then explored the far more interesting and picturesque Phang Nga bay. All the limestone pillars, beautiful beaches and exciting Hongs (spaces hidden inside some of the islands accessed through caves from the sea) have kept us in awe. Whereas these spots can be exceptionally busy, we've also managed to find some secluded spots, paths less traveled and quieter, often Muslim cultured, islands such as the one Chris and Jean (Duncan's parents) visited us at.

Koh Phi Phi's famous Maya bay was a beautiful stop that we really enjoyed. It was heaving during the day with speed boats, long tails and the occasional small cruise ship but either end of the day it was relatively tranquil. With the high sided rock faces there was some much needed shade available most of the day and the water was lovely and clear for swimming with the many tame fish.

Rei Lei had been recommended and was indeed gorgeous but out on the water the noise of the longtails was too much to bare and didn't let up all day. It was like being anchored in the middle of a busy airfield!

Chris and Jean stayed in a bungalow at Koh Yoa Yai where they not only had air conditioning and a shower but also a balcony which afforded a nice breeze and views of wildlife. They spotted monkeys, an otter and many interesting birds.

Hali sleeps on giving a gorgeous smile whenever she has a happy thought...

Chris and Jean brought with them many gifts including this capsizing lifeboat which now tows around behind the dinghy.

Ravi is getting more and more confident in the water. Just in the time Chris and Jean were with us he went from clinging on and taking many mouthfuls sinking between his arm bands to splashing about on his own and enjoying being chucked overboard with them on. He can now propel himself around the boat and climb up and down the swim ladder; another reason to make sure it's always put away when not in use!

Oh oh... Up the steps, onto the cabin roof, climb the boom gallows, over the boom and bouncy bouncy trampoline/ sunshade. Oh my!

Lots of new family photos... And finally we made a Thai courtesy flag.

All the more nappies to wash and with water being bought and lugged about, they're getting washed in salt water until a final rinse in fresh.

Hali waking up for a stretch on the beach whilst Papa does a bit of yoga, and then back to sleep...

Too posh to push? Hospital shopping in Thailand...

We started looking at hospital options many months ago, back when it started to become clear that we were not going to have as much time to do research on location as we'd planned. We don't have health insurance, so though cost is not the main issue, we have a keen interest in getting value for money. After Ravi's birth being difficult resulting in an emergency cesarian section we knew we wanted a hospital with good facilities on standby in case something might go wrong again.

We started by looking up a few birth stories on expat websites. These were mainly centered in capital cities; Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok and Singapore, none of which we wanted to anchor at. We then looked at the maps and charts to find possible hospitals with sensible anchorages nearby. Then with a long list of hospitals we sent emails to them all giving a little information about ourselves and asking about the services they offer and possible prices.

The response was disappointing, we only got about four replies from around fifteen requests, one saying they do not have facilities to treat foreigners at present. We tried a bit harder calling and emailing a selection of preferred choices and in the end had a list of options as we sailed up the coast having left it all very late.

As it happened we had excellent conditions sailing north from Indonesia. For the first time in ages we had a lovely time sailing day and night. The current seemed to be with us much of the time, making sailing into the light to moderate north easterlies close hauled fast and pleasant. With the breeze being offshore the water was mostly pretty flat allowing us to make 7 to 10 knots much of the time. In the few patches of windless hours we motored happily on in calm water.

Our most favoured destinations had become Penang in Malaysia or Phuket in Thailand. Both heavily touristy busy islands; well populated with both private and government hospitals. The anchorages in Penang are not ideal and prices for cesarians were more so we decided to press on for Thailand where we dreamed of beautiful beaches and clear water in which to wait for the new babies passport.

Malaysia is very welcoming to yachts, clearance being totally free, the boat can stay indefinitely and we were given a 90 day visa as a matter of course. Thailand is a little trickier so we applied for our 60 day visa in Penang which can be extended once by a further 30 days which took two visits to the embassy and a small chunk of money.

So here we arrived in Phuket on Saturday and unwound our tightly coiled springs over the weekend at a nice Beach before clearing in and looking at hospitals on Monday. The first we stopped at could not help us; they either did not have a childbirth unit or possibly could not offer childbirth for foreigners. Our Thai is non existent so communication was tricky but they advertised obs and gynae services on the bill board outside so we're not sure.

The next was our first and most promising reply from back when we first started researching; the Siriroj international (private) hospital. We knew all the prices and details of their facilities and so were happy to have a check up and talk with the obstetrician. We didn't tell them that we were merely researching at that time; our due date being only 9 days hence at this point.

After a quick once over the upshot was that he would strongly recommend a c section. Not only because we'd had one last time only 16 months ago, but also because his ultrasound showed the baby to be on the big side and with its back to my back (as Ravi had been, though his main problem was a twisted head). We had expected this. Thailand in general and private hospitals in particular prefer cesarian births.

We had already decided that if it was recommended we'd go with that. When researching we found out that if we'd been at home in Bath (UK) they would have supported a trial of labour with close supervision but that if we'd given birth in Australia they would have strongly encouraged a cesarian due to the risk of rupture. So we left having paid for the consultation and with a date booked. (We were offered the next day but chose a little more time, it's wierd picking your kids birthday).

We knew we were happy with the place and thought the set price package to be reasonable. However thrifty to the end, I felt uncomfortable having not researched thoroughly every option. We looked down our list. The other private hospital was significantly dearer and since we were happy with this one we saw no point in visiting that. But there were two more government options. We'd already spent twenty five pounds on taxis, it was getting late and we were tired so we went home.

Duncan was very happy with our choice but I couldn't let it rest in my mind, so after we'd taken the boat back to a quieter much more protected anchorage I took myself off with Ravi into town on the bus. My reasoning was two fold. I wanted to find out the bus route and timings (there are no bus timetables in Phuket, supposedly to keep the tourists in the taxis) and I thought I'd take a look at the last hospital. By then I'd found out that one of the government hospitals would be a similar price to the Siriroj if we needed a cesarian due to rules about making foreigners pay so ruled that out.

The bus took hours! I went for it before 10am but didn't get to town until well after midday. The driver drove in first or second gear for the first half of the way, he only sped up once he'd picked up a few more passengers. It was a mile from the bus route end to the Vachira hospital so by the time we got there Ravi and I were hot and hungry. I bought him some rambutans of which he promptly scoffed the whole kilo. Again communication was a problem but I was able to speak to someone on the phone in English who gave me some estimated costs and said I would need to see the doctor in the private clinic at 5pm to see if they felt I needed a cesarian or I could just turn up when I'm in labour and take my chances.

The place appeared clean and well looked after. But it was also very busy and quite noisy with lots of old people being wheeled around in rusty wheelchairs and children getting underfoot. It's funny that in Fiji we'd liked that frenetic feeling in the hospital but there, they spoke English. Here it seemed a little intimidating and weighing it up I didn't feel the price difference to be worth it.

So what does it cost?

Siriroj hospital offers all inclusive packages which we are assured are much cheaper than if you were to pay an itemised bill (even if you get a cheaper room and stay less long, allegedly)

Natural childbirth package 46,900 baht about 1,060 gbp
Cesarian package 59,900 baht about 1,360 gbp

But if you were to arrange a natural birth and then have to convert to c section like we did with Ravi they would whack on an extra 10,000 baht. Always read the small print!

Government hospitals quoted around 20,000 baht for natural and 40,000 to 50,000 baht for cesarian. These were just estimates rather than packages so we don't know if these are worst case or best case figures. The price for Thai nationals here would be much cheaper, we spoke to one lady who's sister paid 13,000 baht for her c section, I don't remember which hospital that was.

We weighed up the costs and the risks and plumped for a known cost in a nice place with much less chance of anything going wrong. If we'd have been able to have a natural birth last time we would have made a different decision, but in the end and after the last few months'trials and tribulations we decided it's time we gave ourselves a break!

Impetuous four....

Here’s an interesting and novel tale,
About a couple who loved to sail.
They bought a boat made strong and stout,
And proceeded to sail her West about.

Of course there was difficult work to do,
But that didn't phase our Impetuous two.
Sanding and filling were most of the task,
But in woodwork they found joy, even built their own mast!

Having a boat they'd rebuilt gave them confidence and style,
They had pride in her lines and basked for a while...
In frequent admiration over what they had done,
Though lining up to do all that work there'd been none.

From there to here, from here to there;
Wonderful things could be found everywhere.
Texas to Mexico, Belize, Guatemala;
Always in time, they found a safe harbour.

Working betwixt their adventures was sure…
To make them appreciate their life all the more.
They found that hard work was what could be said,
To bring about the ‘luck’ in the life that they led.

Cuba was a joy that could not be overstated,
Though seasickness all the way there; Ruth hated.
Panama beckoned; perfect islands, wondrous art.
Through the canal they traversed; frugally every part.

Late in the season, the cruisers' boat party was downhearted,
Stocked to the gunwales a few days later they departed.
The Galapagos, of course, to visit would have been nice,
‘Expensive', ‘uncomfortable', ‘over regulated’ came the advice.

So five long weeks at sea they toiled,
Two slow, three fast, faster still the seas boiled.
There many young sailors, some with startling boat failures;
Adventurous new friends, they found in the Marquesas.

Jacques Brel; Gauguin; Herman Melville found a home,
On these glorious rich islands, which truly stand alone.
Among waterfalls and mountains where dreams are fulfilled,
Pamplemousse; mangoes; breadfruit; chillies all found in the wild.

The Tuamotus and Societies could never disappoint;
Iconic and exotic, their excitement was joint.
Through the Cooks on to Tonga where whales could be seen,
They made many firm friends at that party for Halloween.

The land of the long white cloud rose out of the grey,
After a terrific New Year's party they decided to go play….
Down the bottom where only the most Impetuous go,
they found out just why when it started to snow.

Into Milford they bouldered the wind on their tail,
All computers were damaged, but they'd weathered the gale.
All around them the mountains rose out of the gloom;
They thanked their lucky stars they were graced by the moon.

The Fiords are all beautiful and thrilling in their way,
Ample fish when they ran low on food saved the day.
The weather was wild with no folks to be found,
But the scenery; untamed nature, could not fail to astound.

Foveaux straits dolphins were worried and so were they all,
When the wind was so strong, Impetuous started to stall.
In the lee of Stewart island she could heave-to in peace,
How they wished they'd found time to sew in that fourth reef.

Over the years they had sailed many atolls and isles,
And always were met with genuine smiles.
They learned much about both the lands and the sea,
And started to think that they'd like to be three.

Money had to be found to fund all of their plans,
So Impetuous; left again lonely, in far away lands.
Ruth nursed; Duncan taught, so back they could go...
With a bump in the tum; so happy they did know...

Lovely Ravi arrived in beautiful Fiji,
As mangoes dripped from the trees bright and leafy.
They were sad to move on from all the friends they had found,
But truly they loved to sail all around.

His first Christmas was spent at sea bold and breezy,
Ravi never seemed fazed as he chewed his first lychee.
The timing was perfect as round other boats they did weave.
Arriving in Sydney amongst the rockets; New Year's Eve.

They sailed on around Tasmania, to again feel the cold;
People were friendly, and there were great mountains to behold.
Then they sailed again north up the land of down under,
When the seas rose up, poor Ravi would chunder.

On and on they traversed along the Barrier Reef Great;
The Louisiades had to be postponed; they were late.
Across the Arafura sea, and into Indonesia...
With still many miles to go before the delights of Malaysia.

But now our family are having a difficult time;
The sun in Indonesia refuses to shine.
The winds are against us and the currents inclement.
Pip the engine is protesting with new problems fervent.

Delay after delay has put them at odds with the weather,
To be this far into the North West monsoon is not clever.
But sailing is what these sailors do,
Otherwise they wouldn't be Impetuous Too.

Whilst sailing onwards, we've kept a secret,
With New Year's day, we thought we might leak it...
Before too long there's going to be more;
Before too long they will be the Impetuous four.

Drifting up the East coast; migrating with the whales

Actually it hasn't all been entirely laid back. Certainly we have had some enjoyable lazy days of slowly drifting along, hoping an offshore breeze might pick up later. But we have also had some stonking southerlies that have slalomed us up the coast.

The general run of the weather has tended to be against passage north, until, with some ferocity, a southerly change arrives. After an initial surge, the wind drops, dies and changes then the system repeats.

The trick lies in not being out when it howls with antarctic shrill nor still being out when the lumpy seas remain but all traces of wind have gone. Suffice to say our timing still leaves a little to be desired, but so, for that matter does the forecasting...

Kangaroo grazing with a seaview near Iluka

We see whales almost every day as they too migrate north, but have given up on trying to capture their feats on camera and have resolved to enjoy their displays instead. Sometimes they even come over after we've anchored and have a nosey around like snuffling huge but slow dogs.

We were sad to leave Sydney in our wake. Its a fantastic city which suits the sailor. We had made various friends in Tasmania and further afield who we could now meet on their home turf.  The anchorages and public moorings are all over the city and free. Right at the end of our stay we found some amazing free hot showers laid on for the swimmers of Balmoral. If only we'd found them sooner the tourists at the fishmarket would have had less of an eyeful of us showering in the cockpit.

It's hard to explain what was so lovely about Sydney.  Everything seemed to work and feel positive.  Getting around to far flung suburbs for engine parts and services (boring fuel injection pump) was easy, speedy and affordable between google and our opal card (prepaid transport card).  There was more cultural diversity than other parts of Australia and we felt welcome, interested and at home. Plus of course it's a stunning harbour where there is almost always some wind for a sail.

Whilst there we also splashed out on three very different treats.  The first was a fancy feathering propeller which we'd heard about whilst at the wooden boat festival in Tasmania.  George the boss had sent his apprentice Jake down to do a little touting and he managed to talk us round.

Since grinding our original fixed blade prop off on a reef in Fiji we have thought that this would be a good opportunity to buy either a feathering or folding propeller. When researching from Fiji however we couldn't find one that we liked which would fit in the  space between our hull and rudder, so at the time we ordered a replacement fixed blade from New Zealand in order to get moving again.

We were therefore ripe for persuasion when Jake showed us their design which fits, is simple requiring little maintenance, adjustable in pitch and affordable. We are delighted with our find, made locally in Sydney by JBC engineering; the Hydralign. They were extremely friendly, helpful and knowledgeable and whilst there we were able to introduce Ravi to the untold delights of engineering shops being shown around by guys who genuinely loved their jobs and were thrilled when we all showed interest.

The next came from a seed sewn whilst Sally was visiting us.  She happened to mention the number of British acts on bill boards and that she'd even seen a poster with Billy Bragg on it.  A few weeks after she'd left us that thought crossed my mind so we had a look at what was on... there he was, Billy Bragg was playing the main theatre at the Opera house and in just a couple days time.  How could we pass that up? We urgently went on a baby ear defender chase since the ones we'd used in Hobart had been inadequate.

The third was not to be available in Sydney but we ordered ourselves an inflatable kayak online and had it delivered to our friends in the hills above Brisbane.

Just a stones throw up the coast and a gentle drift for us was the inlet of Broken bay, a confluence of estuaries, many surrounded by native bush. Quite the antidote to the city life we had been leading.

After a day of chundering crew, a stop in Port Stephens seemed a logical but unplanned choice. It also gave me the opportunity to catch up with an old friend I had gone to school with decades ago. Surrounded by our children, its sobering to reflect that some of the offspring were only a little younger than we had been when we first met.

After a brief pitstop in a horribly rolly Coffs harbour we pushed on principally under motor to arrive at the delightful Clarence river prior to another northerly change.

What has made these passages so pleasant has been the ever positive charm of the Australians; many like us making their passage north to the tropics as antipodean winter takes hold. Indeed we have always; since arriving eight months ago; been  5°C too far south.

Bolstered by wine cheaper than anywhere we have known it, everywhere we go it is easy to find good anchorages with water available and when we need them, easy to find shops a nice walk away. In every mainland destination there has been another playground we can take Ravi to and now it's getting warmer the waterparks abound.

Brisbane offered us the opportunity to catch up with our friends from Fiji who had taken delivery of some books, toilet and gas parts and our lovely new kayak. They were pleased to show us their unusual and beautiful self built hilltop home so we spent a rare night ashore. We also met not one but two previous Alajuela owners; one having bought his when they were new years ago before setting off across the Pacific.

Ever conscious of the days ahead when we wont have shops close to hand, we stocked up from the Indian shops that we found within the city. We think this should last a while, semolina and dal being some of Ravi's favorite dishes, though to be honest he chomps on everything we feed him. Clearly a product of his parents.

Fortunately though we are now past Brisbane so with luck have returned to the trade wind belt. All whiffs of baby vomit have been vanquished from our pillows and bedding. We're looking forward to a return to trade wind sailing whilst nestled behind the great barrier reef.

We have pressed on up the coast visiting various anchorages behind the sand islands of both Moreton and Fraser. As well as Mooloolaba where we missed another friend from Fiji and her two children by a few days, they had returned to their floating home.

Wild dingos at Fraser island

Then it was on to the slightly odd sugar farming town of Bundaberg with it's wild west feel. One of the tasks we had set ourselves was to have our chain re-galvanised so it would no longer drop its rusting debris on to our foredeck. Getting it off the boat, ashore and in to the back of a hire car was the first task; fortunately its return was easy enough, everything being that bit nearer.

Google helps us to track down farmers markets at each stop. Plenty of pesto since Bundaberg!

For some reason our fishing in the colder climbs had been less successful but once more our freezer and bellies are full. In the last few weeks we've caught 5 tuna, one of them a prized yellowfin.

Next we commenced our barrier reef crawl at Lady Musgrave island which is a coral atol. Quiet, isolated and beautiful, though slightly busy with boats... until that is strong winds were forecast.  Then we knew our two remaining neighbours were more our kind of people.

Lady Musgrave with our brilliant new inflatable kayak

Since then we've been creeping up and up and are now at the edge of the Whitsunday islands.  Fringed by coral with sandy beaches these national park islands offer plenty to explore.

We are enjoying Australia so much we have extended our visas giving us plenty of time to explore just a small amount of the barrier reef and to get the boat more ship shape before pressing on. Ravi continues to thrive, develop and keep us highly entertained though we're determined to be stricter with ourselves and get some more boat jobs done whilst amongst the beautiful Whitsunday islands.      

From Rags to Riches

There used to be a time I floated around the Mediterranean and the Isles of Great Britain on a small and leaky wooden Clinker boat. Pegged along the aft safety lines would usually be an assortment of rags. Some were my clothes, some tea towels and some rags. All ultimately became rags in time. It was argued by some, that this time had long since come; I simply chose to wear some.

On an old wooden boat there never needs to be a shortage of rags; to dry the bilge and oil sodden hands upon. Having coaxed a recalcitrant engine back to life or the almost constant struggle to keep two mutinous bilge pumps and float switches functioning, a cloth must always be to hand. In dire circumstances when a few remnants had been lost over the side and I was elbow deep in grime, an old holey t-shirt would be grabbed and the rag pile replenished.

So what's changed? Our boat though not wooden, has many of the hallmarks. We're blessed with grubby bilges, plenty of varnishing to do and an intractable engine necessitating plenty of time nursing it to servitude and cleaning up afterwards. My t-shirts are still purchased from charity shops and worn until bleached by the sun and decayed by sweat they fall apart. I still very much dress in rags but riches are now ours. Since Ravi recently hit the 8 months mark some of his nappies are starting to be too small, to fade, fray and rip. Yes, we're now becoming rich in rags.

We've become nappy origami pros. Our arsenal consisting of different outers; some bought and some homemade, different folds, fabrics and sizes to suits different occasions. Most we bought whilst in Fiji from the supermarket where they were cheap and still the norm. Some are made from a bumper pack of microfibre rags bought in New Zealand and some are made from cut up and hemmed towels. Adorning the safety lines as they flutter in the breeze are always an assortment of nappies.

The very notion of disposable nappies horrifies us. Of course they are not degradable, so can't be thrown over the side. Imagine a week or two's supply of soiled nappies festering in a cockpit locker, stinking. Then imagine trying to find a receptacle to put them in. Who would be willing for us to use their bin for this? Then they either get carted off to landfill to not fully degrade or blow about littering the beaches and scarring the countrysides we visit, where people are struggling to cope with their new found 'conveniences'. We're constantly trying to reduce, reuse and recycle so this was just not an option.

When water is short we sometimes wash them in salt water then do a final rinse in fresh. We've heard from a couple with a similarly young stowaway who have had the forethought to sew button holes in their nappies. Now they can be dragged along whilst on passage then raised aloft where the spray can't soak them. Since we've fixed our third water tank, water is often available onshore and it rains here enough, we find we need to use less detergent and heat by using fresh.

Because we're changing him frequently and only use water and cotton wool to clean him, Ravi has never suffered from nappy rash. There's no doubt it's pretty time consuming but with all the washing, our hands have never been so clean.

As Ravi grows older we're already starting to reap the benefits of learning when its time for him to go; often catching him before its too late. If we stick him on the toilet at an oportune time we are frequently rewarded. Cloth reared children tend to grow out of nappies when it's time sooner than those using disposables. I think its the advertised lock away pockets that does for them. When finally that day happens we will be truly rich in rags.