Malacca Strait to Singapore

It wasn't without some trepidation that we headed south towards the Malacca Strait and Singapore. After all, just a few years ago, this area had a fearsome reputation for piracy. There are still commercial piracy incidents taking place regularly, but, none against a yacht for a decade. Our insurance policy actually excludes travel through the Malacca Strait, but, there's no other easy way to get through. When we got close to the start of the traffic separation scheme, we were interviewed about our boat and crew details on the VHF radio by a Malaysian warship, just routine, but, it was somewhat reassuring when they said if you have any trouble just to call them on 16.

It is the most traveled shipping strait in the world and the sheer volume of traffic could seem daunting. We've crossed the English Channel a number of times, been through the Kiel Canal and through very heavy shipping in the North Sea and this seemed comparable in terms of traffic separation zones and monitoring, so, we weren't too worried. Our plan was to cross over to the south side of the Strait at a very narrow point before we got into Singapore proper and just stay out of the way. The night before the crossing we anchored at Pulau Pisang. It was a very calm night and we enjoyed watching the endless stream of ships on the horizon as the sun set. These ships are actually spaced quite far apart, they were usually much closer together. In the morning, they were coming at us four abreast.

Our strategy went well, crossing the Strait at the requisite right angle meant it was only about 5 miles wide at our crossing point. We got across the northbound lane easily, but, then got stuck in the middle and had to wait almost an hour for a decent break in the southbound traffic to enable us to get through. This wasn't a time to be impatient, we just had to wait for the right moment. Once across, the rest of the journey was uneventful, we hugged the shipping lane without going into it and only had a few confusing encounters with tugs, high speed ferries and local fishing boats.
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The other reason for hugging the south, Indonesian side, was so that we could anchor overnight. You're not allowed to stop and anchor in Singapore waters (or sail, for that matter). We anchored and had another calm night. There was only about thirty miles to go until we reached our destination, Nongsa Point Marina, in Batam, Indonesia. From there we could catch a ferry to Singapore. It only takes an hour and is a lot more cost and time-effective than trying to take your own boat into Singapore, especially now that they are requiring yachts to hire an agent for in/outbound clearance.

Visibility from seaward wasn't great, but, the first view of Singapore was still an impressive sight.

The marina turned out to be expensive, but, rural, quiet and very nice.

We rested for a couple of days and then headed over to the glitz and glamour that awaited us just across the water. We weren't sure what to expect. We'd booked two hotel nights at the Four Points Sheraton on points (thanks once again Amex/Starwood) and couldn't wait for two air-conditioned sleeps.

Actually, we liked Singapore very much. It was a fascinating blend of the old, new and four cultures: Chinese, Indian, Malay and British. It is as spotlessly clean as everybody says it is. Everything seems new and prosperous with lots of construction and land reclamation. The old and new can clearly be seen in this juxtaposition.

The Marina Bay Sands, a multi-billion dollar development was just stunning, from every angle. The cantilevered observation deck is an engineering marvel. It was very impressive.

The landscaping was impeccable everywhere, whether at ground level, or, above.

One thing that surprised us was that Singapore is also a river city with a river (more like a canal really) running through it. From the hotel, there was an excellent, 8km walking path, lined with bars and restaurants with great buildings and street art. This bronze sculpture was stunning.

There was so much to see, I'll share more photos in the next post....