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Click on an image below to view an enlargement of the photo, and click anywhere on the enlargement page to return to this page.

Doug Walling’s World Voyage
(Shown in reverse chronological order)

6/6/08

The attached picture is of the Winooski River, that runs through the city of Burlington, VT. There is a fabric/cloth mill that gets the power to run from this dam in the river.

We climbed around the shore-side rocks, and saw Cormorant birds diving for small fry fish and sea gulls standing around the shore. This is fresh water, and Salmon are spawning in the river as we speak. We could see them in the clear water. Vermont in the Spring is quite beautiful. We visited Georgetown and Maine on our weekend drives.

4/23/08

Doug and Lang in Vermont, USA. Doug and Lang came to Burlington, Vermont in connection with Lang’s work.

4/15/08

If you’ve followed Doug's adventures through the years since his 1997 Monterey departure, and 1999 Newport Beach launch, you know he's been living his childhood dream, a dream that started with The Sailor Dog, a children's book lovingly illustrated by Garth Williams, written by Margaret Wise Brown. Doug set sail on a solo-around-the-world journey that took him to Fiji, Bora Bora, New Zealand, and tossed him asunder in the Tasman Sea. Doug spent a year in Australia, survived pirate chases in the Straits of Malacca, and settled in Malaysia—where he survived the 2004 tsunami. Not long after, Doug married Lang, who also went through the tsunami. Both were at Telaga Bay at the time. Both their boats were seriously damaged. Work on them continues. They now live in Singapore, where Lang's computer assisted design work takes her to the US periodically. Noel and I met Lang for the first time today, and saw Doug for the first time together since 1996.

4/7/08

The photo at the right is of a mini-lighthouse on a platform just offshore of the Malaysia Peninsula, south-west, between Singapore Island, and Malaysia. When we depart sailing from Singapore, bound for Langkawi , Penang, or Phuket, sailing up the Mallaca Straits...to the North...this is the first near-shore, coastal lighthouse we see.

4/17/07

We mixed a little business with the pleasure, by looking at timber yards and sawmills along the way....We were looking for a replacement timber for “Calliste’s” bowsprit, and finding a jungle timber over here has proved to be quite difficult. Like in the U.S. most of the quality timbers have already been logged, years ago, so boat and shipbuilders are using alternative woods, that wouldn't be acceptable for a bowsprit. At this time we are still chasing down a couple of leads, and hope a timber is eventually found. I was happy to see first hand the eastern coast of the Malay peninsula, as that side faces the South China Sea, and unlike the US west coast, there were not the large ocean waves, swells, and breakers, that we are familiar with there, instead the small shore break, of one foot high, reminded me a of a lake shore. Lang assures me that this coast does at times get large waves during the North East Monsoon. I was surprised to see soooo many roadside stalls/counters selling snack food along the beach areas. Almost a continuous line of them from one city to another. Nasi Lemak, is popular for .50 cent, Malayan rengit, about USD $ 15. Nasi means rice, so this snack is a pile of rice, wrapped up in a banana leaf, with a dab of chili sauce on top and usually three very small salted/dried anchovies, head and all, on top of the dab of chili. The rice is the cheapest quality, but most locals like to eat their Nasi Lemak.

One thing good about it is, there is nothing to spoil in the hot climate, as it sits on an outside counter top. We also drove inland to the mountainous middle of the Peninsula, and stayed at a place called Gentine Highlands. Lang has stayed here before, and she knew that there would be inexpensive accommodation there, and no reservation required. It took a long time driving up the very twisty road to the mountain top and surprising, there was a small city of skyscrapers. This is a Casino city, in the clouds, theme park, that some developer shoved through the Malay government, as Malays being Islamic, can’t drink alcohol or gamble. Well, Chinese love to gamble, and come from all over to go here--like the gamblers that go to Las Vegas. The attraction that I liked the best was the cable car ride, over raw mountainous jungle terrain. I took the attached picture of the “Tree Ferns.” They were huge, not like the small ones that were on Goldie Pfeiffer’s property in Big Sur. After our one night rest, we drove back down the mountains, to the Capital city of Kuala Lumpur, for lunch in the big city, then back to Sebana Cove that evening. As usual we were glad to get back to our boats for a little rest before heading back to busy Singapore.

12-25-05, South China Seas

The Good Little Ship, “Calliste” is back in the water and giving excellent service. We departed Singapore, and now having Christmas in Penang, then going to sail to Langkawi (70 more miles), for New Year’s activities, and to sort out some things there. We wish to continue on to Phuket, for some needed R & R in January and February, expecting to return to Singapore late Feb or March, where we will resume boat work and living. Lang and I are doing well with our marriage, and most things are very good for us here. We may make a trip to the USA sometime next year, for a visit, but have not planned the time for the trip yet.

1-18-05 Langkawi

My ISP’s are still giving me fits. I am sending this at 02:40 because this is the time that I can get online. Just returned from Singapore with 2 quotes from repair yards there, and it now seems that it is likely, that I motor Calliste back down there to have the repair work done. Singapore is more expensive, but there are distinct advantages, and it will take from 4 - 6 months to complete repairs. After that where I go is unplanned so far.

1-4-05, Langkawi

Currently Calliste is berthed at the Royal Langkawi Yacht Club. She just had a partial survey for insurance purposes. I am still in shock , and it will take some time to get sorted out again. House is OK and not affected. Same with car. I took the attached photo just as the first waves were back washing out to sea. Notice the man clinging to the pole in the right foreground. Calliste's yellow mast is visible at the middle background. A back water eddy spun Calliste near a pontoon, I jumped aboard , grabbed a rope, and tied her up again. That small action saved her, from further damage. ISP's here are very frustrating. Can only get online to send and receive emails around 02:30. I am seriously thinking of motoring Calliste back down to Singapore, and getting the repairs done there, for many reasons. Thank you for your concern. Things are getting better.

12-30-04, Malaysia

Doug Walling: Latest Information by Telephone. Doug has the following wonderful news (under the dire circumstances). He lost no friends, though many of his friends lost their boats and homes. His home and car are fine. The roads on his island are passable.  His boat has sustained much damage, but is stabilized.  As of 12/29, 8 PM PST, Doug was just getting underway for the safer harbor at Kuah, Langkwai. He's applied to Royal Langkwai Yacht Club there to work on his boat and ride out some of the aftershocks. When the tsunami hit, Doug had just stepped off his boat five minutes earlier to go to lunch. Lucky man! He got back to the boat as soon as possible. (See his description below.) In Telaga, he said about 10 in 100 boats were saved. He was one of the fortunate mariners. He has no email service, as the server there is jammed. He has too much mail to download, but expects to be able to send some emails on the 4th or 5th of January.  He will send photos for this site as soon as possible. He says to thank everyone for their concern and support. The Walling Family.

12-26-04

Doug’s Firsthand Account of Today’s Earthquake and Tsunami (Click on any photo below to view an enlargement)

Had just moved Calliste over to Telaga to fuel up for a week cruise around Langkwai. At 12:15 26/12/2004 local, noticed a series of breaking waves about 3 - 4 meter high coming up Telaga entrance, flattening out by the fuel dock to about 1 meter high, hitting the boats and slips with such force, rolling side by boats 30 degrees both in opposite ways, masts crashing, slips ripping from gangways, then gang ways ripped off pilings, sickenng crashing sounds, people thrown off their boats into the water, off the docks into the water, boats attached to pontoons floating out to sea by themselves. A hurricane effect with out the wind and rain. No advance warning. Colossal damage. Much work to return to. My boat was a lucky one so far. Quick work at the right time kept her mast up. Was caught in an eddy and secured by shear luck, but still heaps of damage just the same. I am in shock. Even though I have insurance it will not be enough.

Rebak had same problem. Rumor has it no slips left there either. No ferry landing for transport. RLYC seems unscathed , by rumor that is . It will take years to repair all this. Was an 8.9 Richter in Ache, Sumatra. All fishing villages devastated. Have to rest now.

Doug Walling's World Voyage

In May of 1997, my expatriate* explorer ex-husband and friend Doug set sail to realize a dream he'd cherished since kindergarten. His mother, our dear Grandma Kit, read him The Sailor Dog, a classic Little Golden book by Margaret Wise Brown, with illustrations by Garth Williams that could warm the wildest sea. To write a book of such magic and power, one that decades into the future continues to influence and inspire, has to be the best hope on all picture book writers. To find the perfect match in an illustrator the caliber of Garth Williams, truly sets the voyage in motion. Doug left Monterey with an autographed copy of The Sailor Dog and a dream in his heart, one I’m thrilled to report he continues to realize with every passing day. Few people chase such dreams across the world in a 27 foot sailboat. Fewer still, find them. (*expatriate: i.e., wandering at will, living outside his native country—not renouncing it.)

At the 1990 Society of Children’s Book Writers conference, I had the chance to join Garth Williams for dinner, and talk with him about the way Scuppers (The Sailor Dog), and other characters in his books empowered children—and continued to, even after they became adults. When I told him that the book he signed was for Doug, that he would be taking it on the very voyage it inspired, he said, “You must just hate me for that.” Far from it, I told him. I have nothing but affection for anyone who inspires someone to realize a dream. Here are some email entries I’ve come to think of as Scupper’s Journal.

7-8-03

Just got back from a side trip to Phuket Thailand. Treated myself on the 4th and 5th., renting a kayak, hiring a local guide and paddling for 2 days around Ao Pang Nga National Marine Park. How absolutely beautiful, and spectacular these “Karst Geologic” limestone island formations are. Just blew me away! Got the expected stiff neck, from looking straight up, up, and up, the faces and overhanging cliffs from underneath, sitting in the kayak. This is where the birds nests are collected for Birds Nest Soup, from high up, in caves, on the cliff faces. And, of course this is where the James Bond film, “The Man with the Golden Gun” was filmed. I’ve just have never seen anything like it, so it was a truly an exotic experience for me, and hope to sail over there for a longer and expanded look in the future.

Attaching a photo of a double lighthouse, that I saw and sailed by, in the Malacca Strait, western shore of peninsular Malaysia, between Singapore and Penang. Have not found out why a double lighthouse yet.

8-27-04

I found these small wild purple Orchids in bloom, inside a Hong. A Hong is accessed by paddling a kayak into a sea cave at low tide. The cave is long and pitch black inside. You use a very powerful 8 battery dive light, which only penetrates a little. Eventually you emerge into an inner pond with sheer cliff walls all around, but open to the sky. A micro climate exists here, no wind or harsh waves, just always a black still salt water pond, with untouched jungle and jagged limestone very sharp weathered rock, a secretly hidden, Shangri-La type of place.

When you paddle into this place on a starlit night, the starlight is reflected in the water, and you feel like you are paddling in the sky itself. In the day time you get to see beautiful wondrous things, like these blooming wild Orchids, or Macaque Monkeys swimming under the shallow water catching small crabs and feasting on them right before your eyes.

There is a Thai ceremony called “Loy Kratong”, where people construct plate sized, floating crown-like offerings. They are made of banana leaves, and contain candles, incense, flower petals, a lock of hair, a coin or two, and are launched with a prayer to the water spirit to forgive the people who anger the sea. When you paddle into a Hong at night, and it is a breathless still black night, then light the candles and incense, and set these offerings afloat, something magic happens. Indescribable spiritual feelings arise inside of you, and you can no longer speak. You just sit awe struck until the Loy Kratong float out of sight.

This is only half of the story, you have to experience the rest on your own. All my efforts, exhaustion, and expense to get here, were repaid the night of the Loy Kratong ceremony. This is why we live, I think-- to be awe struck from time to time.

9-1-04

The attached photo is just one of the many distinctive rock formations in Pha ng Nga Bay. Sort of looks like a monkey head to me.

It could take a few years before I want to go west some more, if ever!

10/27/04

The adjacent photo was taken from Langkawi's highest mountain, looking North across the Cincin Channel to the southern most Thailand island, named Ko Tarutao. It was a rainy day, and the Thai / Malay border is roughly in the middle of the 5-mile-across channel. This area is steeped very deeply in pirating history, and if these mountains could talk, we would be very happy that we are living now, and not back then.

The Rhododendrons are in bloom now in Langkawi, and when I see them I always think of Howard Press growing his “Rodys” on Pfeiffer Point [Big Sur].

2-1-04

While paddling my kayak one afternoon, I discovered this small shallow cave on a cliff face, “nape”, and the forms, coloring, and texture, reminded me of Carolyn Kleefeld paintings. I wouldn’t have believed that her paintings could have matches in nature, but here is proof of it! Extraterrestrial or what?

There are so many different geological faces and facades here in Phang Nga Bay, Thailand.  Shade for us humans is always important in this tropical heat, and some relief for me while paddling my kayak was found here under, what is called "the nape" of the rock cliff face. Sea water wave action, has eroded the cliff face, at the nape, then freshwater has predicated down through crevices to create these limestone stalagmites. A view of other islands across the bay and beyond.

To the left is children's picture book that inspired this voyage: Margaret Wise Brown’s The Sailor Dog, illustrated by Garth Williams. An inspirational must read for children. Well worth the search!

Much earlier kayaking--Pfeiffer Beach, Big Sur

Click above for the maker of
his Bristol Channel Cutter.

Click images below to donate to these relief efforts.