Windsurfing expedition in commemoration of the Tsunami
mo...@loftsails.com
Thursday, December 29, 2005 6:32 AM
In Commemoration of
the Tsunami
At 10:00 AM on December the 26, I will embark on a trip to commemorate
the tsunami that hit the west coast of Thailand on that date and time
one year ago. I will set out from Ranong, at the Burmese border with
Thailand, and wind surf down the entire west coast of Thailand to Satun
at the border with Malaysia. The total linear distance of the route
selected is nearly six hundred kilometers, but of course on a
windsurfing board the actual distance will be much more.
Although the devastation was most severe in the region north of the
island province of Phuket, people along the entire western coast of
Thailand were affected. This included many Thai and Sea Gypsy coastal
fishing villages in addition to the resort areas that received so much
publicity. So many families all over the world were touched by the
tragedy.
It is a tribute to the resilience of the Thai people that they are
bouncing back. A visitor to Phuket today could not tell that a tsunami
had ever hit. In the short space of one year the damage has been
restored and tourism is flourishing. In Pee Pee Island, where most of
the damage in Krabi province occurred, many shops and resorts have
reopened and the island is reclaiming much of its charm. Even in the
Khao Lak area where the devastation was so severe, resorts a! re
rebuilding and some are already back in operation. Advance warning
devices are now in place even though tsunamis of this kind are a rare
event in geological history. Another is not expected for centuries.
The survivors from the coastal fishing villages still need assistance,
especially in the area north of Phuket. There were so many of them that
lost their homes, their boats and all their possessions, in addition to
family members and neighbors. Many of the smaller relief organizations
that are doing so much good working in direct contact with the people
still depend on direct sources of funding. They have websites that
regularly report their progress on site and they give an accounting of
their expenditures.
In summary, my wind surfing journey along the entire stretch of
coastline is to commemorate the resilient spirit of the survivors. My
plans have been carefully made. The prevailing winds this time of year
are from the northeast and they are generally favorable. For the most
part I plan to surf a few kilometers offshore, depending upon
conditions. The distance traveled each day will depend upon the wind of
course, but target destinations have been selected for each day of the
journey. I expect the whole trip to take approximately three weeks.
Marco Reinard
I am a Luxemburg national living permanently in Thailand.
Marco included images of the start of his trip: his gear, the scenes;
coasts and sunsets, as well an image of the rice dinner a Thai
fisherman offered. Soon we will have his story and images available in
our site www.loftsails.com
Here is his email that arrived with his images...
hello monty , i started my trip just in time on the 26th. of december
. The wind has been light and dropped to nothing just as i found myself
between 2 islands. I folded my sail and started to paddle towards land.
The current was running against me as soon as the sun started to set. I
pointed towards a green light in the distance . The light turned out to
be a fisherman moving around in search for fish . I had no choice then
to follow that only light in the distance which i reached after about a
4 hour paddle. I was happy to hold onto the side of his longtail boat,
the friendly fisherman cooked me a nice meal and allowed me to spend
the night. The next morning I sailed South towards a beautiful island
where I was greeted by some sea eagles. The wind dropped and it wasn't
until the late afternoon that I could continue my journey South. Now I
am at an animal rescue centre in Baan Talaenork from where I am
emailing you. Please find attached some pictures of the journey so far.
My cellphone does not work until I get further South. People can reach
me via email at unomar...@mac.com. They can also get in touch with
my only support and personal friend Patrick at
www.phuketwindsurfing.com.
I will keep you posted as I will travel further South to my final
destination Malaysia..
Thankyou,
Marco.
mo...@loftsails.com
Monday, January 09, 2006 12:59 PM
Hello Monty , last night at around 7 i have landed in Yanui-beach ,the
furthest southern point of Phuket , also my home-beach. My hibrid-board
needs some repairs and i need to let cuts from reefs heal a bit before
crossing over to Phi Phi island and on to Malysia. This time will allow
me to get pictures and text sorted out and forwarded to you <no chance
of that up to this point>....sorry Monty. Your sail is responsive even
in the lowest of winds <in addition to about 16 kg extra weight besides
myself ,your sail only needs a bit of a light breeze to to get moving.
It has also served as shelter and rainwater-catcher and seat for those
windless days when my paddle was the driving force. Your sail has
sailed me 17 km deep into Mangroves <according to a 80year old local
Moken-fisherman, nobody has ever windsurfed in there> . No surprise
there,that is for sure... I will get in touch with you very soon,
Monty. Till then -Marco