Guest Crew in Langkawi

Hi we are Johanna and Kevin,

We are in Johor Bahru, Malaysia for 6 months on a work trip for Kevin. Been here for 5 weeks now and after a rough start in this country we decided it’s time for a holiday. And what could be more convenient? Heidi and Neill are still in Malaysia, so we don’t even need to leave the country to visit them! We booked a flight to Langkawi, which is located in the north of Malaysia – 99 islands, to be exact.

Day 1. Arriving and settling in.

We landed after a short flight from Johor Bahru on Sunday evening, the 27th of October. Heidi and Neill were already waiting for us at the parking lot when we arrived with the taxi. The ride leaving the wobbly jetty with the dinghy to Artemis took only five minutes. I hadn’t been on her before, but Kevin had. He was in Johor Bahru in July when they anchored there, and he got a chance to have a look at the boat. Heidi and Neill let us settle into the cozy forward cabin. They made themselves comfortable in the salon on the two benches. It was hot and sticky—something that seemed to bother us a lot more than it bothered them! We were nearly melting from the heat, but hey, I guess you get used to it after a while, right?

Day 2. Let’s start sailing.

The day started with a very relaxed and amazingly filling breakfast (as every day). We all took the dinghy back to the jetty for a freshwater refill and a pleasant walk to the supermarket to stock up on food for the boat. Kevin was allowed to operate the engine and navigate us to shore and back. Then Neill briefed us on sailing and gave us instructions. We left the anchorage and actually started sailing downwind (heading in the direction of the wind). We sailed around the next island, Bumbon Besar, and anchored in a nice, quiet bay. But not for long! A few party boats soon arrived, bringing loud music and fun vibes, banana boats and jet skies. By sunset, they were all gone, and the water became perfectly calm. To put it in maritime lingo: “The sea was like a millpond.”

Day 3. First time tacking.

We left the nice, quiet anchorage with the motor running and headed towards the Langkawi landmark – the huge eagle statue. The full tourist experience. Neill navigated right in front of it so we could take some pictures with it. To get to our next destination, we now had to sail upwind (against the wind). We learned how to tack, which involves sailing against the wind in a zigzag pattern. We sailed all the way up to the beautiful bay of Singa Besar Island and anchored there. On shore and walked up to a mysterious black pipe lying in the sand. It was freshwater coming from a river. We hung the pipe up in a tree and had a jungle shower. That’s where my favourite picture of the trip was taken.

Day 4. Sea sickness and the resort island.

We had a chilled-out start at high tide in the bay. The wind picked up right as we left the anchorage, giving us the perfect opportunity to practice some tacking. We entered the open ocean. Until now, we had always been sheltered by the islands, which protected us from the bigger waves of the open sea. It was so much fun. We spent long periods sailing upwind, so I asked if I could sit at the front of the boat to enjoy the rocking and the view. Heidi outfitted me with a harness for safety. In the shade, it was absolute bliss – the wind, the waves, and the endless horizon. Then it was time to tack, and they asked me to move to the other side of the sail. The sun was cooking me, so I decided to head back to the cockpit. Heidi had just started preparing a little lunch snack, but all of a sudden, it hit me: the dreaded seasickness. A mere thought of food and looking away from the horizon, and bam—I was hit with the full force of it! My mouth filled with saliva and I had to stick my head out the side of the boat. I spat three times, then laughed at the awkward situation. The others tried to eat their snacks, and just as quickly as it came, it disappeared. That was my grand total of three and a half minutes of seasickness. Now it was Kevin’s turn to feel uneasy. So, I was back to jumping around, assisting Neill and Heidi as they prepared to enter the marina of Reback Besar Island – a private island with a resort where we could use all the facilities as guests of the marina. We arrived just in time for happy hour and, of course, treated ourselves to a well-deserved cocktail.

Day 5. Oh no the toilet.

Early in the morning, Neill discovered that the toilet was clogged. Apparently, this happens to Artemis about every two years, and it seems the problem is well-known among sailors. One has to dismantle the entire toilet system and beat the pipes to remove the urine scale, which reacts with saltwater. They said it would take a whole day to repair the toilet, but they were optimistic because, in a marina, they had all the freshwater they needed and weren’t out on the open ocean. Heidi and Neill sent us off to explore the island. We felt like really bad crew members, but they assured us that we couldn’t be of any help and that it was so narrow on the boat we would just be in the way. So, we went for a long walk around the island in the jungle. When we came back, they were just finishing up with the goo and still cleaning the pipes. They kindly sent us off again, so we headed to the pool. As happy hour was nearing its end, we brought them two cans of beer as a little thank-you for their hard work. After seven hours of effort, they finally wrapped up, and we invited them for dinner that night.

Day 6. Lighthouse bay.

We got ready to sail once more. Neill gave us a strict briefing on how everything should go as we left the marina—everyone is watching, and it’s very embarrassing if the crew is all over the place. It went very well, and the captain said we all looked very professional. I was allowed to navigate Artemis out of the marina until Neill took over as we approached shallow waters with only a narrow passage to navigate. We prepared the sails, but squalls (sudden, sharp gusts of wind and rain) kept coming, so we kept the motor on the entire way to the next bay. “Anyone who doesn’t want to get wet, get inside!” But we embraced the rain and were actually happy for the refreshing coolness it brought. We anchored in the beautiful bay near Telaga Harbour Marina on the main island of Langkawi, with a view. Just before sundown, Kevin and I took the dinghy to shore, walked along the sandy white beach, and found a few small but fresh coconuts to bring back to the boat. We enjoyed an amazing sunset and, as always, an amazing dinner made by Heidi.

Day 7. Jungle slide.

It started raining in the morning, and Kevin and I went for a swim. It was such a beautiful experience. The raindrops felt cool and refreshing compared to the ocean, which now felt like a warm bath. Around lunchtime, we packed our things and went ashore, taking a Grab (taxi) to the Seven Wells waterfalls. It took us about an hour to reach the top waterfall, called Blue Lagoon Waterfall. The water was crystal clear and so refreshing. We stayed in our swimwear and continued back down, where the rocks in one spot of the stream were so smooth they had turned into an 8-meter-long natural slide. Neill had already tried it before, so we knew it was safe. It was so much fun! The pool it flowed into at the end was surprisingly deep, and the strong current swirled me around until Neill grabbed my arm and helped me pull myself out. It was so much fun, I went down that slide another three times. After a muesli bar, we continued descending along the trail through the jungle and made one last stop at a very scenic-looking waterfall. We had a coffee and fresh coconut at the bottom, then walked to a place made for tourists visiting Langkawi, filled with souvenir shops and clothing stores. It was “the real Langkawi,” at least for those poor souls who can’t sail around the islands and experience the beauty of this tropical paradise the way we did.

Day 8. Last day.

After breakfast, we enjoyed a nice little walk around the marina. We went for a closer look at the scenic lighthouse. Our flight was leaving later that afternoon, so just half an hour before we left, we had one last swim in the ocean. I will miss that. H & N dropped us back at the marina, and we booked a Grab to the airport. Back to Johor Bahru and back to work for us.

It was so wonderful to be there with you two. I said, “The best thing about this holiday is that I have Heidi and Neill all to myself!” Usually, when they’re in Germany for a visit, we only see them for a few hours, and they have so many stories to tell that time just flies by. This time, we could talk for hours, and even this whole time, we just didn’t get tired of them.