Singapore to Malaysia.

One more picture of Singapore of the cable cars and sky scrapers.

Of course the beautiful sunset at anchor.

Reflection on the of the water  as the sun was setting .

Full moon

One of our rally boats. Sailing solo.

This little island inhabited by sea gypsies.

This huge  mound of debris came floating by us while we were anchored but heading for the trimaran. It also missed him luckily.

This fishing boat came by wanted to sell us a huge fish,but we were not interested.

This village at first site looked like it was built on the side of a mountain, but as we got closer it was a big resort of high rise.

SINGAPORE TO PORT DICKSON

December 5, 2014 Friday

We departed One Degree 15 Marina at Sentosa Island for Admiral Marina near Port Dickson (02-28.5’ N x 101.50.7’ E), Malaysia.  The distance from Singapore to Phuket, Thailand is around 550 nm.  The check in point we chose for Malaysia is Port Dickson which is around 153 nm from Singapore.  We plan to do this distance with a few overnight anchorages.  The biggest problem with sailing at night is the numerous fishing boats and their net and fish traps.  To get one of these caught up in the propeller means a dive overboard, in open ocean, to cut it out.  As a result, we only sail at night if necessary.  The currents in the Malacca Straits run NW for 15 hours and SE for 9 hours: lots of variations and tidal differences.  The currents run strongly at 2-3 kts inshore and 1.5 kts offshore.  Most of the distance is covered by motoring since there is very little wind in this part of the world.  The ideal is to motor with the NW’ly going Tidal Stream close inshore and anchor against the SE stream.  The waters are shallow enough to drop anchor close to shore in less than 30 ft.  We try to plan it out so that we are near some island where there is a little protection against winds from thunderstorms and a Sumatra.  The Sumatra is a very strong Thunderstorm moving off the Sumatra coast and crossing over the Malacca Straits.  They can pack winds to 50 kts and kick up a very nasty sea.  Usually, they don’t last more than four hours.

With all this in mind, we chose to make Pulau Pisang (01-27.537’ N x 103-15.797’ E) , 43 nm from Singapore, our first night’s anchorage.  Almost invariably, there are afternoon thunderstorms in this area:  Not a whole lot of wind but torrential downpours.  This gives us the opportunity to top up our water tanks with rain water.  We have been able to collect 30 gals in an hour!

At 0618 hrs, on December 6, 2014, we heaved up anchor at Pulau Pisang with plans to sail to Pulau Besar (02-06.267’ N x 102-20.020’ E).  There would be another overnight anchorage since the distance is 69 nm but we hadn’t decided just where.  As we left the anchorage, there was an ominous black cloud bank to the SE.  At 0730 hours, we experienced our first and only Sumatra for this trip.  The winds came on in excess of 30-40 kts and kicked up a nasty 6-7’ sea.  We weren’t able to motor against it so we set sail and returned back to Pulau Pisang where we dropped anchor at 1024 hrs to weather it out.  By 1206, the Sumatra had run its course and the seas started to come down so we heaved up anchor and set sail for Pulau Besar.  Using the Tidal Streams in the Straits of Malacca and motor sailing, it’s possible to make 60-70 nm during daylight.  At most places along the Malay coast, it’s possible to drop anchor and wait for a favorable current or stay for the night.  In this case, we found a small bay at Tanjung Tahore, which was about 38 nm from Pulau Pisar, and dropped anchor there (01-50.635’ N x 102-45.368’ E).  We were sailing with another couple that had a Van de Stadt 40 called “Honey Bee”.  It was a quiet night in the anchorage with no thunderstorms around.

On December 7, 2014 at 1015 hrs, we heaved up anchor and got underway towards Pulau Besar which was only around 32 nm from Tanjung Tahore.  The wind was out of the N-NNW at 10 kts so we were able to set out mainsail and jib.  Later on we had to motor sail on and off but by 1340 hrs the conditions were near perfect for a beautiful even though we could see thunderstorms making up to the North of us and coming off the Malay peninsula.  Our friends on “Honey Bee” were just behind us.  With the same boat length and sail configuration, when two sailing vessels are close together, it becomes a race.  We did everything possible to get the maximum speed out of “Solstice” but “Honey Bee” was a little faster and passed us on by.  By 1436 we had to drop all sail as the approaching thunderstorm was upon us:  nothing severe but worthy of respect. At 1630 hrs, we dropped anchor off Pulau Besar (02-06.267’ N x 102-20.020’ E) in 24 ft water depth with 140 ft chain out.

December 8, 2014 at 1030 hrs, we heaved up anchor and started to motor sail towards Port Dickson which was 41 nm North.  The late start was necessitated by an early morning thunderstorm which kicked up a nasty sea so I decided to weather it out at the anchorage.  Enroute to Port Dickson, we passed by Malacca (Melaka) which was one of the early settlements involved in the Spice Trade.  Starting with the Chinese at the beginning of the 15^th century, there followed the Portugese, Dutch and English; all contesting the strategic importance of the city.  Influence and control was granted by the Sultans of the area who seem to have been feuding amongst each other and, for guns and support, they granted large tracts of land and trading concessions.  Interestingly enough, the decedents of these Sultuns are in control of the Malaysian legislature today and, at least one of them, is one of the wealthiest men in the world.  Melaka is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  Sailing by it, one doesn’t see anything of the older city as it is surrounded by modern skyscrapers and oil terminals.

We managed to make fantastic speed with a favorable current running around 3 kts and, by the time we rounded Cape Rachado – five miles from Admiral Marina – we were making 8.5 kts.  At 1654 hrs we made fast to Berth C-32 at Admiral Marina.  The marina is about 5 nm South of Port Dickson so, in order to clear into Malaysia, one has to take a taxi or bus into Port Dickson proper and check in with  Immigration, Customs and Harbor Master.  A simple process with no complications or fees.

Port Dickson is rather unremarkable as a city but has many beautiful beaches and upscale resorts catering to Singaporeans that arrive by bus or air.  It has just about anything the cruiser needs and provides a stepping stone to Melaka or Kuala Lumpur (KL).  For yachties, the jewel is Admiral Marina – a five star resort – with marina berthing facilities.  This is a fabulous place to relax and prepare the boat for the next leg North.  Prices in Malaysia are a fraction of what we found in Singapore.  That’s why so many come from Singapore to submerse themselves in the luxury of the five star resorts at very affordable prices.  We spent eight day at the marina working on the boat: polishing Stainless Steel stanchions and cleaning.  We didn’t get a chance to visit Melaka but will have the opportunity to do it on our way back next year.  Admiral Marina is a very secure place and virtually weather proof.  For this reason, many yachties leave their boats here for extended periods of time.  The security personnel and general help are from Nepal.  They wear red berets and are very polite but vigilant.  A friendly “Namaste” invokes a smile and response as they place their right hand on their heart.  Malaysians have far more wealth that comes from oil and the associated refineries.  There is a large industrial base and employment is readily available.  In fact, there is a demand for labor so it’s easy to get a work permit.  The Chinese and Indians control many of the businesses.  There is preferential treatment given to Malays so that they can compete with other economic interests in the country.  The medical and dental facilities are good and very affordable.  The small amount of Indonesian Bahasa that we learned is spoken here so the transition is quite easy.  The Malaysians are polite and friendly but more reserved than the Indonesians.

Our plans are to sail from here to Penang with several stops along the way: it’s 230 nm and, with very little wind, it a motoring trip.  The Volvo Penta engine is running OK but has a small exhaust leak coming out of the middle injector (there are three injectors).  Our friend, Gary, can fix this when we get to Phuket.

I was just thumbing through the “Southeast Asia Cruising Guide Vol. II).  In addition to navigation info, they give a small sampling of the local languages.  In Papua New Guinea, over 800 languages are spoken so “Pidgin English” became an effective way of communicating with each other.  In Pidgin the words for “Government offices” are “Haus Bullshit”?

BANDAR BINTAN TELANI TO SINGAPORE

On November 24, 2014, with an engine that had a “Low Oil Pressure” alarm going off, we decided to accept a tow from one of our friends on “Southern Star” – a Nordhaven 46’ power boat – to the Singapore Immigration and Customs services at Sisters Island.  The distance is about 33 nm so we made an overnight anchoring stop (01-11.724’ N x 104-07.131 E) just east of Nongsa Point on the Indonesian Island of Batam.  This left us with a 20 nm tow across the Singapore Strait which is one of the busiest waterways in the world.  That being said, there is a Traffic Separation Scheme and the ebb and flow of ships is orderly.  We were three boats crossing the strait:  Stormvoegle (German), Southern Star (Aussie) towing Solstice (USA).  The currents in the Singapore and Malacca Straits are strong so timing is important to us them to advantage.  We left our overnight anchorage at 0530 hrs in the morning of November 25^th and anchored off Sisters Island (01-12.891 N x 103-49.897’ E) at 0900.  Since we were still able to motor a short distance without an alarm, “Southern Star” dropped us and continued on to their berth at Raffles Marina.  I didn’t think we would have any problems motoring to our berth at One Degree 15 Marina which is only 2 nm from the Immigration check in point.  As  a backup, another one of our rally boats, “Gypsy Rover” was escorting us to our berth at the marina.  Everything worked out just fine and we had no problems.

Once we were safely moored alongside out slip, I started to address the Low Oil Pressure Alarm:  changed engine oil to a heavier grade 20/50 instead of the 15/40 I have been using; changed all oil filters and fuel filters; called Volvo repair services for a mechanic to come and replace the oil sensor and check out the engine.  The end result of this is that the new oil sensor indicated that the engine had 40 psi which is just fine.  I have a small compression leak on one of the injectors but this should be OK until we can get to Phuket, Thailand.  We have a good friend, Gary Gilbert, that will fix it.  Also, he will be undertaking the new Beta Marine 43 engine install with my help.

Singapore is one of the world’s great cities.  It is a gigantic warehouse of every major manufacturer’s luxury items.  It staggers the imagination to see super gigantic mall after mall displaying the world’s most expensive luxury items.  At any one time there are several hundred ships anchored off her shores just waiting for a berth to unload more products.  More interesting than the “chic toys” is the racial and ethnic mix of Singapore’s inhabitants.  Immediately, it becomes obvious that this city is one of the most diverse melting pots in the world:  Chinese, Malay, Indonesians, Bengalis, Bugis, Sri Lankans, Arabs, East Indians and Expats account for a majority but there are so many more from remote parts of the world.  This mélange is all rolled up into a great City State with the Chinese controlling the political and economic scene.  It’s an extremely well organized society that obeys rules and regulations or suffers a fine for not doing so.  It’s illegal to chew gum in public, dispose of trash anywhere but a receptacle, eat on trains or buses and the list goes on.  Singapore is a “fine” city so some of the humorous signs display.  Any serious infraction of the law is dealt with harshly.  Purse snatching gets three years in prison and four strokes of the Rotan.  This is a bamboo cane that is wielded by a dedicated punishment practitioner across the buttocks.

The culinary delights of the city are so diverse and delicious that one could eat something different everyday throughout the year.  Chinese, Indian, Malay, Arabic and other local dishes are reasonably cheap.  An average Chinese meal cost about $US 3.00 in December 2014.  If you want imported western food and meat, the price goes up to whatever you can afford.  Singaporeans are enjoying a very healthy economy and are, for the most part, well to do.  This excludes all the foreign help and servants that seem to do the menial hard labor jobs.  Singapore’s climate is hot and humid with almost daily thunderstorms.  It’s practically on the equator.  Rain arrives in torrential downpours but is soon replaced by sunshine.  We have never before seen the torrential amount of water that can come out of a thunderstorm.

There are lots of amusements to keep the population happy: spacious parks, botanical gardens, cable cars, museums, boat rides.  It has it all – just break out some more money!  So here we are in one of the world’s most fascinating – not to be missed – cities.  On the boat scene, anything can be found or ordered at reasonable prices.  Some things are as cheap as a US mail order catalog price and others have a premium attached to them. 

We have decided to depart Singapore on December 5^th and head up the Malacca Strait to Port Dickson, Malaysia (02-28-519 N x 101-50.733’ E) for check in.   Supposedly, Admiral Marina is a first class place to berth.  Check in procedures in Malaysia are easy next to the long drawn out procedure for Indonesia.  Also, there are no fees.

Singapore

We got to Singapore on Nov. 26th after a wonderful send off farewell to Indonesia.

This lion  sculpture was made totally from a piece of wood. Pretty amazing.

You can read it for your self.

More wood sculpture.

Termites on the wood.

This picture and the next consists of three towers with a restaurant and swimming pools on top. When we were coming in to the harbour it look ed like a ship, but it isn't. Unfortunately we didn't get to see it up close.

A view from the cable car ride .

When we took the cable car ride they had a museum the cable cars. This car was made of all Lego.

Pretty amazing, don't you think?

A view of Sentosa and area in Singapore.

A temple in Chinatown.

Temple in Chinatown.

Also in Chinatown.

In the temple we visited they had an orchid garden on the fifth floor.

This temple claims to have the Buddha's tooth.

These next pictures of the Botanical garden

The following pictures are of the Orchid Garden, they were exceptionally beautiful.

That is an orchid hanging down not a dried leave as I thought it was. You will see in the next picture.

party. What a big difference from Indonesia which is quite cheap and Singapore which is very expensive, very modern and very beautiful. The architecture is amazing. We did do some sight seeing. We couldn't leave without doing that.. We are leaving for Malaysia on Fri.Dec. 5th.So I wanted to share a few pictures before we left.