Posted at Date Time GMT

Information

9th Jan
18:00

The Director announces a new revised routing for the Blue Water Round the World Cruising Rally, and the fleet which is currently in Phuket is now preparing for the next leg of its eventful voyage. For further details, see the 'Current Rally News' page - click here

29 Dec 22:30

We are, of course, profoundly thankful that all of the participants in our Rally have survived this event. That is, of course, not the case for so many others. Whilst Rally participants have helped substantively wherever possible in their local area, friends, relations and other visitors to our web site may wish to make their own contribution to the international effort.

We would recommend to all of our visitors the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC), comprising charities ActionAid, British Red Cross, Cafod, Care International, Christian Aid, Concern, Help the Aged, Merlin, Oxfam, Save the Children, Tearfund and World Vision who are asking for money to provide clean water, food and shelter. People can donate by telephone ( 0870 60 60 900 ) at post offices, banks or online . Click here to go directly to their web site

An eyewitness account from Alistair and Carolyn Roberts of "Nademia" relating their experiences:

Ten Rally yachts gathered in the north-west facing bay of Phi Phi Don to celebrate Christmas at the Jungle Bar, a beach-side restaurant.  The weather was beautiful, and we all had a lot of fun.  The following day, Boxing Day, Carolyn and Alistair of Nademia, Peter of St. Barbara, and Jim and Lolly of Condor (who were staying aboard St. Barbara for a couple of days) were up early to take a taxi-boat over to the neighbouring island of Phi Phi Le.  It was another beautiful day, and at about 11am we entered the inlet of Maya Beach, where the film ~The Beach~ was filmed.  The inlet is steep-sided and almost enclosed, and would be delightful but for the dozens of tour boats of all sizes that were manoeuvring in the bay, dropping off swimmers and snorkellers.  We slipped into the water rather cautiously, as many of the speed boats were dangerously close to us.  Almost immediately we became aware of a strong current dragging us towards the sheer cliffs, which was unexpected, given the topography, and we put it down to the backwash from all the power boats.  Just a few minutes later the current changed direction and increased alarmingly, and we found ourselves being swept further into the bay, totally out of control.  The current reversed a couple more times, and we were dragged back and forth, frighteningly close to the cliff face, in water that had changed from crystal clear to muddy brown, until fortunately we all managed to struggle ashore in a tiny cove some distance from the main beach.  We had no idea what was happening, except that at one moment the beach was many metres wide, with a few fish stranded on the sand, and the next moment a heavy surge of water up to 3 or 4 metres high covered everything, and we were forced to retreat into the jungle behind the beach, and as the surges increased in height, we clambered a few feet up the craggy rockface at the back of the cove. 

We were stranded in the cove, along with a French family, for a couple of hours as the water surged back and forth  into the bay.  There was a huge amount of debris in the water, including tree trunks that had been swept off the beach.  Gradually the water became more stable, and powerboats which had retreated to the open sea began to edge their way into the bay to pick up the hundreds of people stranded on the main beach  There was no sign of our taxi boat, however, and it was still far too dangerous for us to contemplate swimming out to the boats.  Eventually a longtail boat approached our cove, and we struggled out to it through still-swirling water, to find our taxiboat driver on board - his boat had been sunk, along with two or three others.  It was a sombre group that set off back to Phi Phi Don, through a sea that was littered with an amazing amount of flotsam, including two upturned kayaks and a couple more wrecked longtail  boats.  We were dreading what we would find back at the anchorage.  As we drew near we saw that most yachts had put to sea, including St Barbara who had been boarded by other Rally people, and were standing off about 2 miles. 

As we rounded the last headland we saw Nademia - still afloat, and apparently undamaged.  Our relief was beyond words. It appears that the tsunami had surged into the anchorage and across the beach, devastating the resort.  Two members of the Rally were injured, two Rally boats lost their anchors, and a couple of boats sustained other relatively minor damage, but all had managed to put to sea after the first wave, which had swirled around the bay at a reported 12 knots.  Somehow our own anchor had held, but once we were on board we put to sea immediately as there were reports that a second tsunami was expected - fortunately it did not materialize.  

Reports of the effect of the tsunami, both locally and throughout the Indian Ocean region, have been relayed to us via VHF and BBC World Service.  We were very very lucky - I dread to think how many swimmers in the Phi Phi islands cannot be accounted for.  As I write, we are at anchor north of the islands, trying to decide what to do, and feeling the utmost sympathy for the holidaymakers and local population who were less fortunate than ourselves

FIRST NEWS FROM PHUKET

26 Dec 10:40

We are in touch with the fleet in Phuket and gathering information at the moment which will be posted here as soon as possible. Concerned relatives and close friends of rally participants may exceptionally use the following direct line for information from Peter Seymour : 01285 720568