2012 Sailing Adventure – SG to Aur to Tioman

Foyer of our flat: Collecting stuff that are going with us.

It seems like we have a pattern that is influenced by the prevailing S. China sea climate. Every year, about end April, we go on a boat and head out to Tioman. We’ve done that in 2009, 2011 and now 2012! .. I almost made it in 2010 in Eleanor.. I took off, but didnt complete it tho.. Well..,  we are probably doing it 2013… pretty sure .. on route to Japan… possibly, cant be 100% sure, but its a good chance that we be doing that.

Kayaks loaded, fuel loaded, ready to go

This year, I am taking time off work between Labour day and Vesak day to make this a 10 day sailing adventure on board S/V Calliste. Didnt feel too good about leaving 2 cats to the care of 2 teenages in my partially renovated flat.. hope they’ll be alright…

27 Apr 2000hrs: We moved onboard with fresh groceries. Put things away and put kayaks in their places, took awnings down…. At about 2359hrs, we were too pooped to continue and nah… we are not leaving at 0400hrs.

28 Apr 1400hrs: We are finally underway. Yeah! While in Singapore waters, we continue to enjoy mobile broadband and that was fun… Hopefully, we get Maxis broadband to work just as well… I had to make arrangements to get the Maxis Sim card ahead of our departure, and sign up for the monthly prepaid broadband for RM68. Thats not bad, but only 3G of data and wonder how good is the transfer rate.

At about 2000hrs, it was just beginning to get really dark, and I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me… there was a strip of very black water ahead of us…. hmm…. seems to be getting bigger… WHOA! Throttle back engine way down, change course 90′ Port! That was just reflex action and good thing too. We were less than 10meters away from running into some really dense fishing stakes that ran a long ways down to somewhere that I cant see the end. Almost a heart attack… anyway, we got around it by going inshore and passed it in 6meters depth. This end was lighted by some very small blinking red light… I was like, WHOA! Damn crazy garbage people put up this unmarked trap! Yeah right! What blinking light! Damn! #$!%#*@. This is, btw, off Tanjong Ayam.

Approaching Aur. Our favorite island in South China Sea

2200hrs, going thru the narrow passage among the rocks off Rumunia. Good timing, we had a slack tide and passed the dangerous North rocks easily. It was very dark and we relied totally on my 7 yr old Garmin GPSMAP76C and 2005 Bluecharts. I have done this route 3 times before, going up to Tioman, so I was pretty sure that if the old guy(GPS) is working, we would be okay.

Here we are. Moored on the Duyong side of the channel.

29 Apr 0100hrs: My watch. Lots of lights out there to our Starboard. Could be anything, fishing skiffs, big ships… looks like something is closing in on us, I am starting to see some bright red, green and white lights… must be some SG power boats going the same way… hearing their engines now… WHOA! Look at that … how many are there…? They look exactly the same… size, height and lights, and seems to be quite large… 60 to 70 ft perhaps… Changing course 20′ to Port, wanting some distance from this convoy… On closer look, they are military vessels and 7 of them. WHOA! And every one of them checked us out with their on board spot light! I think we have our picture taken 7 times tonight… hmm… are these Malaysian Navy? I didnt think they keep their vessels so up and running… everything seem to be in good working condition…

Calliste at Aur mooring

0400hrs, my watch again. Looks like another big vessel is coming up on our starboard. Couldnt tell where he is going, but its coming a little to close for comfort. 20′ to Port, looks like a very black hull passing us about 50meters on starboard… got beamed again.! They definately saw us…. and bully us into giving way altho it would be nice of them, being the big boys to show a little class and alter course to pass behind us. Since they never did alter course, we did… We know not to expect better of them working vessels in Asia already.

We really love the rocks at Aur and Duyong. See, how pretty.

0630hrs, my watch again… we do like 2hrs on and 2hrs off. Seems to work pretty well. I got this sunrise shift, which is exactly what I wanted. Hoping to catch a glimpse of jumping fishes at the instant sunlight touches down on the water. That was a experience that I had last year and it was so natural and left me with a desire to see it again. I decided that when we are out to sea, I reserve all sunrise watches… I bully Doug into it anyway … Well, this time, I am not so lucky. No jumping fishes, but some consolation, the rising sun was really round. Most of the other sunrises or sunsets that I have seen, usually the sun is partially obscured by clouds.

and Aur waters are beautiful! As usual

0930hrs, off the SW corner of Aur. We are looking for anchoring spots and discovering other parts of Aur that we havent seen last year. See, we really like Aur… more than Tioman really, but its too rustic and we cant be very comfy staying around here. We miss A/C and fresh foods… no, we dun fish and we dun put jumping prawns into a pot of boiling water and cover up quick.

1 happy kayaker among rocks at Aur

1130hrs, everywhere around Aur are pretty rocks or sandy beaches. We pick up a mooring on the Duyong side this time, as it seems to be a busy weekend for the dive operators on the Aur side.

Now time to cook a little something for brunch, and then time to relax and catch up on sleep… Yes, the midday heat almost killed us.

1 laid back kayaker in the cool shade among rocks at Aur

1600hrs, time to crawl out of the cabin and go for a little exploration. Things are starting to cool down around here and there’s even a little sailing breeze if we are going anywhere.

We found this little inlet among the rocks at Duyong. This is so serene.

1800hrs, done with rock grocking. Very pleased with ourselves for having done that. Its like 1 thing off our list. On the paddle back to Calliste, I went around to the other 2 sailboats moored off the resort. Socializing… sun down happy hour. Everyone’s bound for Tioman in a day or two.

30Apr 0330hrs, we left the mooring. Nobody came up to collect for our mooring… guess we were lucky once again. One of the sailboats paid RM20.

It was a very dark night. The moon had set and other than a few little lights for the various boats in the channel, we could see nothing… and then there were some flashes in the sky and we could make out the edges of the islands. We relied on my trusty old GPS and our tracks to help us get out of the channel.

Reosrts at Tioman… yawn… havent we seen that before…

0400hrs, we are out of the lee of Duyong and I wondered if we should turn back. Seems to be heavy weather brewing out there. Doug thinks it wont be too severe and nothing that Calliste couldnt handle. Ya, I know, but… ok… prepare for a boisterous ride over to Tioman. Here we go… Choppy 2 -3 meters wave coming in from starboard. Wind against current… so we got a good boost from the current and even tho we are bashing into the waves, we make good speed. Overall 3+ knots, sometimes 4… until we crash into a biggie wave, then we drop down to 1+ knots and slowly build back up.

Leaving Doug to helm the most boisterous bit with his stronger stomach, I went down to get the 1st snooze… Lying flat in the cabin while Calliste is being knocked around… wasnt too bad for me. Nah, I wasnt feeling queasy at all… but standing up and bracing in the cabin for a few minutes, I start feeling my stomach turned upside down…

0600hrs, my watch now. Doug was so nice, he got me up when we entered the lee of Permangol island. We have shelter from the island for about 1hr as we travel north. Well, its my favorite sunrise watch again, but it probably would be dissapointing because of the weather… kinda sleep drunk and a little drudging it… but got to be fair eh…

Yep, here we are. Snug as a bug in a rug at Tioman marina

0800hrs, Tioman insight and the seas are a little less boisterous now. Looks like the storm blew itself out and we didnt get any rain that we thot we might… yes, I was right about the disappointing sunrise… off watch, head straight for the bunk.

1000hrs, finally up again… and now have some energy. Now we can gawk at Tioman and resorts as we pass them. The seas are not quite settled yet, residue from the storm.. but I am surprise, we still have the current going with us… interesting…

1300hrs, we arrived and tied up temporarily inside the marina. Now to take care of the paperwork and be formally cleared into Malaysia. 1600hrs, we moved into a more permanent slip. 1800hrs, off to a cold beer with the gang at Captain Kerks. Yes! We have arrived!

The new walk from Keppel Marina to Labrador park

At the waterfront walkway infront of Caribean and Reflections

So we have a new Boardwalk across the water, linking us on Calliste @ Keppel Bay Marina to Labrador Park… lets check it out.

Its a nice morning walk.. while its still cool.. across the bridge linking Keppel island to mainland Singapore, then onto the landscaped waterfront walkway along Caribean Condos, onto the waterfront walkway along the soon to be occupied Reflections, onto the boardwalk across a swamp and finally onto Labrador park.

Yup, across the swamp on a broadwalk.

The walk is about 1.5km across everything manmade. Stone slabs floors with embedded lights, designer park benches and dwarf palms. Looks nice and maintained, un-natural and cold…

Looks like a exciting day out for these guys

Labrador park is just a small little park that is really quite nice and more natural. Its more for real people to have fun in. People actually fish, walk and gawk at the flowers and set off on expeditions here.

And off they go.

Such good luck, we see a kayak fishing group preparing and going off. 0800hrs, they are off already. Check out their gear. Seems like they are a group that has finances setup and ready to enjoy off days with a passion. I mean, they do stand out among the locals who are financially well set but have no passion. Think you need a job to keep from going senile and becoming useless? Why not a exciting (yes, it expensive) hobby?

BTW, a group of older folks stopped and gawked at their equipment and energy… and said out loud, “Wonder how much fish they are going to get from all that money and effort.” Obviously, they dont get it.

Last 2 days in Tioman

Day 5 0700hrs, join Terry and Anna at the ramp. We are going for short easy walk thru Berjaya to Paya, so says our friends… We didnt know how long a walk it was going to be… well, we are in for a surprise…

A very "feng shui" picture! Berjaya resorts.

Its only a short walk to the Berjaya resorts, the only difficulty being the 500m steep uphill walk.

The Berjaya resorts is about golf, beach, water sports… anything and everything that makes a great island resort experience is available here.

The more exquisite of Berjaya offerings, Shahzan Villas.

Check out this very feng shui picture! All 5 elements are here!

The whole property is very well situated in Tioman. Flats, hills, beaches, cliffs and a small waterfall, they have the opportunity to make the best use out of it. Using the natural slope and rocks, here on this hill is the very exquisite Shahzan villas. Access to the suites is by verticular, ..something like a cross between a cable car and a train. The blue thing on the right of this picture is the verticular…

Tat turtle santuary stone marker! So cute!

Anyway, being on the hill offers a spectacular view off the Tioman coastline. .. I imagine… cos I wish.. but I dun get to ride up and check it out for myself… wonder how much it cost for a weekend in a villa… hmm.. ?

Turtle recreation home.. but they are not home right now

A short walk thru the golf course brought us to the TAT turtle Sanctuary… I thot the stone marker is so old fashion and charming… cute!

And then the little hut.. was hoping to catch a turtle hanging out on a beach car .. but nobody is in at the moment.. turtles are not expected till Aug…

Paya resort chalets..

From this point, the walking becomes more challenging. We had to walk on the sandfly infested beach, cross a stream on a plank, trek uphill and downhill thru a dense forestation and rocks trail. This stretch is about 1hr of some difficulty.. quite tiring…

Our taxi back to Tekek

Then we emerge into daylight again, pass a little village, walk over 2 more bridges and viola, we are at Paya. We would never make it.. if not for our guides Terry and Ana… ..

… but we are not in good shape to retrace our track back to Tekek… we opted for the easy way out.. we 2 only, Terry and Ana is gonna walk back and enjoy the games room at the Berjaya…

Paya village... not the resort

So we ordered the taxi and then they start fixing it to take us back… not a very comforting sight… life in Tioman… The ride is 30rm per pax, and they did the trip for just 2 of us.. thats not bad. 

The idyllic Paya village.

BTW, Paya resort is pretty nice too. No golf, but lots of beach and watersports. .. and its next to the Paya village, a tiny little community but people seems to be nicer than those at Tekek… and no squeeching motorbikes and horns! Its much quieter and so much more relaxing around here.

Anyway, we had to wait… so I got us some T-shirt souveneirs, fried bananas aka “goreng pisang”, lemonade aka “limau ais”. Its a really pleasant little village.. nice…

Our ride back is only 15mins.. very fast and surprisingly not too wet. .. so we are back to our very warm boat.. 1300hrs.. time for afternoon siesta. .. zzz.. and we are too pooped for anything else… no partying tonight for sure..

A good looking sail in the marina

Day 6, we are getting ready to leave this evening. I found that cooking underway is not so fun. Much better to be prepared ahead of time, if possible. Spent the morning preparing food that we be eating underway. Ginger fried rice is one of the best 1st sea meals.

A pretty tanbark sail raised in the marina, a sure invitation for pictures. They are going nowhere, just airing out the sails..

Thats Calliste at Tioman marina

Day 6 aft, spent 2hrs running around, looking for the harbour master, customs and immigrations. Pooped already! but at least thats done. Last minute shopping for dinner, next day lunch, eggs and more beer.

We are planning a late evening departure. If we leave 2300hrs, we should make it to Aur around 0800hrs next day at just 4.5kns. .. Okay, we overslept a little bit.. and we actually left 0015hrs…

Day 3 and 4 around Tekek, Tioman

Day 3 0900, opps the day kinda started late and its almost too warm to start walking… it took abit more energy to get us started on the walking thing, but I am glad we did go.

Flight into Tioman

We are walking North towards the marine park, checking out the villages along the way. We were walking along the airstrip when the Berjaya flight into Tioman was coming in. Got this pretty good picture of the plane.. and then my trusty Nikon L20 died… sigh… we’ll count on Dougs’ L21 from now.

Map of tioman

Newly constructed waterfront walkway.. a sign of the village getting more touristy. Modern homes were being constructed and lots of sewerage systems and piping were laying around… not so rustic anymore eh..

Lots of trees line the waterfront. We try to walk under shade where we can. .. So we got to the marine park and its free entry and free to swim. Life jacket and snorkels are for rent but hanging out with the fishes is free. Okay we are coming back tomoro with our own gear.

Gina preparing for party on Supercat

Back to Calliste for lunch and nap. Its too hot for anything else. Snooze up and be ready for the next party at Supercat.

Day 3 1900hrs, we are on board supercat and were introduced to the 14 very fun Filipino employees of Berjaya Resort. The party has began! Once again, Phil and Gina, spoiling us with great food, drinks and entertainment. This was a Filipino themed Easter Monday night. The Berjaya crew had to work on Sunday, so party had to be on Monday… but hey, this is island life! Anyday can be party day!

Dawn at the marine park..

We retire to Calliste at about midnight… the party is still on, the band is still singing and the girls are still dancing… but we were pooped!

Day 4 0720hrs, we are out and on our way to the Marine park. This time, Doug is going snorkeling and I will be snacking and lazing around. Its only a 2km walk, which should take only 24mins at normal walking pace.

Snorkel and fins on

We were there at 0800. Its dawn at the marine park, the sun is behind the mountains and its nice and cool. The fishes are just waking up to welcome us. We like it that we have the whole place to ourselves.

That strange big fish in the aquarium

I am not a water person… really.. I try not to get wet… I am sure Doug will enjoy swimming in the aquarium… and I will enjoy watching the strange “big fish”..

Crabbie

So while I was there… check out the other creatures around here. A good looking crab with pinches still intact.

Oyster wall art

A wall of oysters! Look at the purple lip. .. its only at the edges of the shell.

After 1hr of soaking, I got Doug out.. before he gets too pruny… and yes yes, I had a earful of whats going on down below..

The day was still cool, so we walked over to Air Batang.. just over the hill from the Marine park. A short 10 min trail and viola, we’re there. A nice little resort and restaurant. Just looking around. A little more rustic than Tekek, a little more relaxed around here.

Sunsets are usually quite nice after warm days

1200hrs, we’re back on Calliste. Another flak out hot afternoon, save for some cooking for our small dinner party tonight.

17o0hrs, time for a little stroll around town. Visit captain Kirk and his table of beer downing friends. Ordered our booze. To be delivered on Thurs.. our last day in Tioman. ..

1900hrs, time for our private little dinner party on board Calliste. Our long time friends from Sebana, now here at Tioman. A simple Chinese home fare kinda meal. We have so much to catch up on. .. and so we yakyakyak.

<… continue… again later..>

The park at my new neighbourhood

We really wanted to go to the old colonial mansion on the hill that we saw on our kayaks. We drove up to the gate and found it to be private residence, locked gate and everything. Seems like there are 4 very exclusive and secluded bungalows there, 20, 22, 24, 30 Cermin Road… none that you can see from the road, and only 1 is seen on the water.

The same old mansion seen from Labrador park.

Oh well, on to our next stop, Labrador park. I am a native to this island and didnt know this park existed until moving to Keppel. This park is kinda hidden away. Unless you know where to look, else you wouldnt find it. Had to use the road map to bring us there. The good thing about a hidden away park, is that parking is so available and its FOC.

Eating place at the park.

BTW, there is a chalet sort of hotel in this park. Wonder whats their rates… hmm… and a little hangout bar and fresh seafood restaurant. We might wanna drop by some evening with a couple of friends … food, beer and company.. should be nice.

Colorfully decorated exterior of the public loo..

The park is very clean, have a fascinating toilet, manicured lawns and pretty amazing flowers. See pictures..

My favorite display at Labrador park.

Lets start with the flowers. This pretty orchid is new to me. Its so pretty!

Flaxseed lily..

And this Flaxseed lily, miniture flower. Only 1/2″ wide. It was difficult getting a good picture of it, especially on a breezy day.

Sea grapes.. would you eat it?

Sea Grapes? Thats what the sign says… I wonder if its edible…

Empty park benches

There were a bunch of other plants that I was less interested it, moving on… empty park benches? Where are the people?

Group fishing people

Fishing people on the edge of the water. These guys got some… little ones.. can you see a little one struggling under his feet?

Its a pretty small fish. Dont get poke by the spikes, it will really hurt you.

Loner fisherman

Yup, there it is… the struggler… still wet

Some fish in groups, and some loners. I think hes going for the groupas… rumor has it that this is the place for getting some reasonable meal size groupas.

The replica. As fake as it can get.

And yes, <yawn>, the historic rock! Its not the real thing. The real Long Ya Men rocks that were navigation landmarks, that were documented in Chinese voyagers maps, were destroyed in 1848 by the British to open up the waterways for more shipping traffic to go thru. .. Actually, seeing the replica is sad… the park might be better off without it.. IMO.

Entrance to Keppel

Parting shot. S/V Wider Wake heading back into Keppel. Somewhere in there is our little weekend home on the waters.

Moving “foreign yachts” around Singapore waters

Truthfully, I had a hard time deciding on the subject of this post… which would be better? “Moving foreign yachts around Singapore waters” or “Sailing Calliste in busy Singapore waters” or “Navigating a small vessel amongst the giants in busy Singapore waters”?  

I hope this info is helpful to foreign visiting yachts to Singapore and maybe of some use to the local sailors and at the same time, be a fun blog to read… afterall, I did have a fun day out.

26/06/2010, 0700hrs: We arrive at SAFYC Changi with food and water for a day sailing trip, eager and in good spirits. Calliste has been sitting in SAFYC for a little over 2 months now, Doug expect prop to be fouled. A dive, to clean the prop is top on our list. There is still a sheen of oil on the water, so my job is to try to clear the area around Doug as best as I can with Simple Green and water hose. Despite my best efforts, Doug is still abit oily.

Like I mention in the last post, Calliste has something similar to ”milky lips”, except that its really “oily lips”… just from sitting 2 days in water with the oily sheen water.

1130hrs: It took me longer than I expected to sort out the money matters with the YC. I would like to leave at 1000hrs… but it takes what it takes… BTW, in Singapore waters, I am the captain of foreign registered yacht Calliste. I have the PPCDL (MPA license for boating in Singapore), therefore was able to purchase the MPA required 3rd party insurance for Calliste, on the condition that on any trip, I must captain the boat with at least 1 competant crew (vessel owner Doug).

This is a escape pod? So cute!

1145hrs: Calliste left her berth nice and slowly without any drama…

1200hrs: We were underway, just outside the walls of SAFYC. I, as captain of the vessel and as required of me, made a phone call to the Marine Safety Department of MPA to inform them of Callistes’ intended passage and route. I was shocked, but had to turn back. Permit to make this trip was not granted! Because we hadnot followed the proper procedures to get the cruising permit 3 days in advance! :O . Totally shocked that we may not make this passage when the weather and conditions were fabulous, but simply due to the technicality.

Ohhh... I want 1 of these... ... can I can I can I?

1230hrs: Calliste back at SAFYC, tied to fuel dock. Captain Lang sat for the test for master of foreign vessels in order to obtain the permit… Fortunately I had enuf local knowledge and common sense enuf to pass. Trust me, the test wasnt that simple.. and that was just the 1st hoop.

1330hrs: Captain Lang took the public transport, rushed over to Keppel Marina to rent 1 a Harts transponder …(because the one at SAFYC was not working!).

1600hrs: Captain Lang back at SAFYC, and promptly got underway again. Fortunately for us, the great boating weather stayed with us for the whole trip… but the current was not so good for us… we missed the “free ride” … sigh… and it was all seriously choppy all the way until we make the turn past the Southern Islands..

Eerie looking ship.. and its BIG!

Although we were pretty shaken up by last minute “bureaucratic” events, and the violent tossing, I still am in pretty good spirits to enjoy the trip… and the sights… I dunno about you guys, but I always did enjoy moving small vessels around the super giants… It dont scare me… … and did I hear on the VHF ” little boat little boat, this is MV something… are you crossing my path?”… VHF comms are sometimes very muffled and I have no idea if we are the little boat that should respond to that call…. well, but I did slow down and alter course 10deg port to allow the container ship to pass ahead of me… hmm… did it really think I didnt see him coming…? Or did the captain think that I am going to insist on my right of way and cut infront of him… hmm…? Oh come on, get real…

Hey look, this is an interesting one. See the cute escape pod?

And look, lighting make this ship look huge, dark and forebodding. Like something out of a nightmare…

Riptides. See the water going 1 way and another?

1800hrs: We made the starboard turn into the channel between the southern islands and sister’s islands. At this point, the currents changed and now in our favour. The chops ceased immediately, but then we got into the rip tides. This is an area of very fast cross currents. Sometimes we make 7ks(mostly), sometimes 4kns.

The helicopter flypast. National Day Parade review from the sea.

On hindsight… maybe God altered my trip in his strange, but kindly meant ways… being there between those islands at the time we were was simply a treat! We had a fabulous sunset, a learning experience of boat handling in  riptides, beautiful view of the islands and plus the display of helicopters flying in formation for the National Day Parade rehearsal.

Flypast over the Sisters.

Oh, did I mention the moonrise? 1 minute it was sunset, then turning my face about, there was the moonrise! This is just spectacular!

Sun setting over Jurong. Ships anchored near Jurong Island

1900hrs: Passing Sentosa. Its getting a little dark. Time to turn on the lights..

Called Keppel on the VHF channel 77. They will assist us in finding the way into our new berth… BTW, it was quite difficult navigating thru the unknown waters leading into the marina. We almost ran aground at Labrador Park. Definately advise all helmsman to go very slowly around the area at night. The many lights around that area are definately a great distraction for boaters. The red/green leading lights into the marina were small and difficult to find among the numerous lights all over the place. 

It was just getting dark, enuf to see the rising moon.

2000hrs: We are in. Slowly we crawl into our slip. The dock staff were great. They knew how to tie up a boat and receive new visitors, well prepared and well educated on our needs… we got a goodie bag and were hook up to the utilities in no time. Aaaarrrrr, time for a hot shower at their very fancy new facilities… and then back to the aircon cabin for the night… The pleasures of what money can buy…

Riding on the Sebana ferry

I use to travel on the bumboats plying Changi Village and Pengerang, on route to Sebana. Doing that route is somewhat incovenient, but way cheaper. Last weekend, I got into a argument with the guys that was running the setup. I was there at Pengerang terminal at 3pm, and I waited and waited for my turn onto the bumboat. Some people who came later than me got their seats before I did, and I was literally “bummed”. Finally, at 445pm, I was able to get my bumboat ride but it was the last 2 bumboats of the day. The captain of that bumboat smugly announced that his new fare is S$10(RM24), instead of the usual RM15/16. I was furious.

Then I realize that all the passengers in the last 2 boats were Singaporeans. Why is that? So that the captains can extort money from Singaporeans needing to go back!? I flatly refused to pay that new price as a matter of principle… that means I dont get to go on that ride. Fine, I go take the Sebana ferry and paid 2.5x the bumboat price! I have a problem with bad business practice and I will not go along with it! Even if its just $1, its still extortion!

Open upper deck. Looks like its pretty new. Airy and good view.

My return trip to Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal (Singapore) was at 910pm. Late and dark on a lousy old ferry with a Taiwan series going on Channel 8. That was okay. .. sigh S$48 or RM110 for round trip. That really cost alot more, but the timing is better for me and I get to buy duty free on the ride back to Sebana. So the duty free savings may just totally cover it..

Air-conditioned lower deck. Flat screen TV, better seats.

I wasnt expecting it, but my return to Sebana ferry ride was superb! Its pretty new, and I like the open deck very much! Look at my “travelling companions” .. … and .. haha, I was the last passenger on board. Alright, there were only 2 of us on this Friday morning ride. She takes the lower and I keep the upper all to myself! Yippee! All that space was great! I could go left and right without incovenience to anybody… and so I did! I took plenty of pictures of ships today. Its just fascinating, those ships!

The shipping that defines Singapore

Speeding ahead! Our men who stop swimmers across the straits, smuggling and bad boys on SG waters.

If not for the shipping trade, there wont be a city founded on the tiny island at the tip of the Malay Peninsular. Look at the number of ships hanging out within Singapore port limit! And our brave men on this Police Coast Guard vessel.

Closeup on a empty cargo ship serviced by a smaller working ship.

Another view of that cargo ship.

And below is a ship that I totally think is so weird looking… and its bright ORANGE .. .. like it wants to be noticed..

Maybe there is a reason for this split..

Any guess what this box like thing is? ..

Big ship for transporting cars and trucks all over the world.

Its a carpark on the seas! See the ramp on the stern? That how cars are loaded and unloaded. They are simply driven in and out.. Its a ugly looking thing.. practical, but eyesore.

Wish this picture was clearer..

 

Coming up next, a cute little thing (cute is relative to its surroundings)… a tugboat! The Tug boat. Unsung hero of Singapore “literal” expansion of land mass. 

The Tug boat..

And the scene at the land reclaimation site. Men and machines that make it happen. .. Women are more reluctant to hurt Mother Nature, I think…

Growing island. .. The things man do to Mother nature.

 

Ha ha... Hmm...

After 30mins of gawking at “men at work”.. and those great hulks of the sea.. we enter the peaceful flat waters of the Santi river. Things get abit slow around here..

There is no one around … alright, I’ll take my own picture.. like so many people do with their phones these days.. .. after many photos and 1 that turn out ok.. that I realize we have passed the fishfarm restaurants .. oops that would have been a nice picture to end this tripblog.. And oh yes, a picture of us arriving at Sebana would be great too.. Maybe Doug have one on file…

Oh well.. thats it folks.. til next time.

Tioman, day 2, 3 and 4

Morning coolness goes away quickly around here. By 0900hrs, it was scorching. The cool South wind blows thru the marina, giving some heat relief to us who have no aircon.. I didnt think it was going to happen, but I got a burnt back in just 2hrs working around the boat.

Water taxis waiting for passengers.

The captain and Doug work on boat chores all morning till lunch. Checking the engine, refuelling for the trip back, sorting out the gauge problem. I did little chores.. like holding the umbrella over Doug while he refuel the tanks, crochet away on my poncho to be, made lunch and washed up.

The captain felt a nap was necessary.. he was recovering from hungover.. the whiskey and beers at the party the night before did him in..  Thats alright with me. A little bit of free daylight time to walk around the village for us.

A nice leanto business on the beach

Some of the sights around around the village. A great location for this drinks and snacks stall. Under shade from the palm trees, this lady runs a thriving business on the beach.

Colors of Tioman

Natives on Tioman are quite artistic. I like how they recycle the surfboard and the use of colors.

Only small planes allowed on Tioman

This small plane flies between Seletar (SG) and Tioman. 4 propellers and high wings, I wonder how it feels riding in it.. Think it takes a maximum of 15 pax.

Our duty free delivery

It was a really hot day. We got to the beach and decided to turn back. After a rather expensive round of soft drinks and goreng pisang at the city square, we head for the duty free shops. Altho duty free, the prices were not so cheap… I mean if compare to Langkawi, prices on Tioman are 10-30% more. Even the 5l box wines were RM 69 each, compare to US$15 (RM55) at Shaws’. I guess the whole US is duty free on alcohol and discounts given.

The captains

My wild ride in the sidecar of the delivery bike. This picture was taken quickly as the ride is only a short 2 mins.

We spent the afternoon putting away our duty free purchases. Lets see, 8 cartons of Tiger, 1 carton of Gordons, 2 box wines, vokas … etc.

Then it was time for dinner with the Harvest Eagles at the Chinese restaurant. The evening ended with drinks and chitchat onboard Harvest Eagle. See picture of Captain Peter, M/V Eastwind II and Captain George of Harvest Eagle. We all retired quite early for the night in preparation of another early start in the morning.

I am out of batteries.. Not really, but.. everybody was offering Alkaline AAs, but I dont like to use them. Since we were leaving, I didnt think there are more picture opportunities and the gps track coming up to Tioman would be enuf for us going that way again in future.

1100hrs, we got underway, headed for an overnight at Pulau Tinggi. 1500hrs, anchored off Tinggi. Start cooking pot luck for dinner onboard the Eagle. 1800hrs, dinner. 2000hrs, hit the sack.

Day 4 0300hrs, we are moving again. The Eagles have a 2hrs headstart and will wait for us before the trecherous North Rocks.

0700hrs, Captain wishes to have sausages for breakfast.. hey but its the Taiwanese kind, not suitable for English style breakfast. .. So the cook, me started on the Teochew porridge, fried the sausages in the larp cheong way and tau you omallete.. Much enjoyed by captain and crew..

1100hrs, join up with Harvest Eagle at the North Rocks. 1300hrs, made noodles lunch. 1500hrs, berthed in Sebana. 1600hrs, Yahoo! Back online again!

Tetek and marina village, Tioman

Eastwind II @ Tioman

Our stay at Tioman was very short. Only 45hrs. Not enough time to get to know the neighbours, much less the island.

Setting up water and electric to Eastwind II.

As usual, arriving at a new berth in another marina means rewiring the cable to a socket that fits and work out the fixture for water. Why does the marinas not use standard fixtures? Me thinks is so that they can sell the highly marked up sockets to the unprepared sailor. Doctor had to pay RM60 for a socket that was normally sold for S$8. Public marina, also used by fishing boats.

Public marina, also used by fishing boats

Tioman public marina is probably gov run and operated very differently from private marinas. The rates are low, but so is the service and facilities. There is no wifi, even tho there is a connection, and the bathrooms are a terrible mess, despite the obviously expensive fittings in them. … I must say, the sinks and toilets were modern design and look to be much better quality than I could afford for my home, but cheap faucets and ugly piping that are not working well at all. Usually, marinas do not allow fishing boats to tie up inside. Here, the divide between the working boats and the fun boats is only across the gangway.

Urchins and oysters

Urchins and oysters on the rocks around the marina. Schools of fishes hangout under the boats and comes to surface for a bit of tan maintenance.. as you know, all fishes have a darker topside.. … Well, the pictures of the fishes didnt turn out well at all..

Yachties fav watering hole

Every evening, yachties make their way towards Captain Kerks. Duty free Tioman suits us just fine. This little place run by a friendly local Chinese man,  is a provision shop with couple of chairs and tables out front.

Phil on the grill.

So it seems, we arrive at the perfect time at Captain Kerks’. We were just done with 1 can of Heine and was already invited to dinner on board Supercat, the famous party boat around this area. It was Elaine’s birthday and a party was planned for her. Phil, Gina and Elaine were great hosts, and the food was superb… IMHO .

This is a picture of Phil using the grill mounted aft of this big cat. Dinner tonight, Aussie beef wrapped in bacon, fried potatoes and rice. I had 3 pieces of that great meat.. there was 1 left but I was shy about asking to take it back for supper.. was so sad to see it thrown overboard. .. what a waste. 

Thats day 1 in Tioman. Upnext, day 2 and 3. Stay tuned.

A pretty place, full of troubles

Sebana Cove Golf & Marina notes and pictures.

Scenic view

S/V Calliste and S/V Eleanor arrived at Sebana 2006 and has been there since. Quiet marina, very still water, pretty place, the reasons why we decided to stay.

It is unfortunate that I have many stories to tell that contradict the seemingly serene setup where we now call our weekend home.

My favorite colors on a butterfly. Elegant grey/white, does that remind you of Trio..

2007 case1: Our container at the dry storage area of the marina, was broken into multiple times. Its a long story, but I dont want to narrate the whole thing, but only this, the brazen thieves cut away our lock and replace with their own. They see we have so much valuable stuff in there that they want to keep other thieves away from it, including us. We had to break in ourselves, into our container! We lost about US$9k, which we are recovering from the marina, thru the legal route.

2007 case2: Not all bad incidents take place in Sebana, but our weekend forays into Malaysia increases our exposure to general crime and danger. After leaving Sebana at 4am, I arrive at a Shell in JB for refuelling. While standing by the fuel pump, 2 men in a motorbike came up, opened my passenger side door, grabbed my bag and gone! I was only 3 secs slow in my reaction to prevent the snatching! Fortunately my wallet was not in the bag.

A place of many beautiful sunsets

2007 Case 3: Trio accident. Small damage, small incovenience. That however, could be really nasty. What if the guy didnt have insurance, what if the guy is a bully… If you read other road incidents and crime news in JB, you would realize that this small matter in other civilised society is a very dangerous situation in Malaysia… From that day on, I am not allowed to drive alone in MY. Never again! Urgh Urgh!

There were no notable things that happen to us in MY in 2008. Probably due to our heightened state of safety and security paranoia. We spent afew thousand on security devices for the boat, container and Trio. Unauthorized entry into the container now is probably going to be a painful experience…

As for travelling between home and weekend home, we changed our driving patterns to avoid traffic in JB to reduce our exposure to accidents and thievings. And we never left Trio parked and unattended for more than 30mins whenever we have to shop, even if we see security guard holding rifles and patrolling with dogs. Yes, security guards with rifle slung over shoulder, is the standard crime prevention standard for large shopping malls in JB. Unbelievable!

2009 case 1: Doug’s bagpack went missing for 24hrs. Nothing lost…? We dont buy the story about us misplacing the bag and the security found it next day.

Hope you enjoy the pictures, and be advised of the troubles under the pretty surface. .. Go visit, and enjoy pretty places, but always be careful, thats how I feel about journeying.