Berthing in Singapore. Experiences and Opinions.

[SoniaVersky]

Originally Posted by 40Knots

Yes Chris is right, he is not bald. He is Ang Moh guy with short hair
But he was walking around SYS 2014 in described uniform
I can also confirm his behaviour towards boaters, he might have a tricky job to handle billionaires and normal people, but you can never loose control; it's just not right.

I know who is that guy too. i am currently in malaysia and my last stop was at the one 15 marina, everyone was so nice and friendly. I was having a beer with my friends when i say him walking along the berth shouting and yelling at the bunch of people working on a boat. The thing i find weird was those guys were just cleaning boat and earning a living for themselves, why does he have to disturb them?

[BigJohn]

Originally Posted by jolly jack tar

I was there 33 years ago and i was there yesterday

so u fly thru this city and that makes you an expert on what Singapore is? A "prison state" as you call it ???

u r as uninformed as they come ...

[jolly jack tar]

Originally Posted by BigJohn

so u fly thru this city and that makes you an expert on what Singapore is? A "prison state" as you call it ???

u r as uninformed as they come ...

I am probably more informed than most on the subject,

The first time I went there was 33 yrs ago. I have been visiting the place regularly on business ever since. The day this thread was posted was a day after my last visit. You make assumptions without knowing all of the facts.

I am not here for a fight, but i know what I have seen happen over the years. Sorry if you don't like it.

On topic:

it seems that several other sailors have experienced rather unsatisfactory treatment at the marina and I gave an opinion which is what the thread title asks for.

cheers,
JJT

[LordByron]

Originally Posted by Parmenter

It's Disneyland with the death penalty
If I wanted big shiny expensive city I would probably stay in Sydney or Melbourne.

The you'd be a stay at home bore missing out on a fascinating city that has a lot to offer if you take the time to look and don't just visit Orchard Road.

AND moreover, if you want something done today, then you're not going to do better than Singapore, especially in SE Asia.

PS. I lived there until recently and have very fond memories of the place so I am a bit biased.

[chris in SG]

Originally Posted by jolly jack tar

I am probably more informed than most on the subject,

The first time I went there was 33 yrs ago. I have been visiting the place regularly on business ever since. The day this thread was posted was a day after my last visit. You make assumptions without knowing all of the facts.

I am not here for a fight, but i know what I have seen happen over the years. Sorry if you don't like it.

Sorry JJT but your throw-away remark about a "prison state" is exactly the sort of comment that gives a forum a bad name. You know perfectly well that Singapore is not a "prison state" and yet you express your dislike of the city as though you are an expert. Very similar, really, to those who knock a yacht design or fellow sailor without direct knowledge.

The politics and policing of Singapore may be off-topic (though you were the one to raise the matter) but I note you now claim to be the one with access to "the facts". So, tell us what facts you have about the "prison state". Perhaps you have some statistics on prison occupancy rates in comparison with the US or UK? Since your expertise has been gained through business trips, presumably you must have witnessed people being arrested without cause, never to be heard of again?

I'm not impartial, I've lived and worked in Singapore for 30 years, and my reaction is somewhat like the long-time owner of an XXX yacht who hears an armchair expert say "Well XXX yachts are clearly deathtraps, I saw one in harbour the other day".. And how often do we hear that?

[BigJohn]

Originally Posted by jolly jack tar

I am not here for a fight, but i know what I have seen happen over the years.

then stop making baseless, offensive comments ...

[BigJohn]

Originally Posted by chris in SG

Sorry JJT but your throw-away remark about a "prison state" is exactly the sort of comment that gives a forum a bad name. You know perfectly well that Singapore is not a "prison state" and yet you express your dislike of the city as though you are an expert. Very similar, really, to those who knock a yacht design or fellow sailor without direct knowledge.

well said chris ...

i've lived here over 16 years now and it's clear to me that jjt knows squat about singapore ...

[BigJohn]

Originally Posted by Neptune's Gear

Pretty much as above. To enter Singapore waters now you MUST have an AIS transponder. You can be fined if you don't. Also, once there you cannot take your boat out of the marina, unless leaving the country, without a local POWER BOAT licence! Yes, even if you have an internationally accepted masters ticket! Ridiculous, but true.

from what i understand, the coast guard / police need to know where you are mostly for security reasons ... since both indonesia and malaysia are but a stone's throw away ... and don't forget, piracy does exist in the region ...

so you get two options - either you have an AIS on board, or you can rent a HARTS transponder locally ... this enables them to see your location at all times ... and this is mandatory for even jet ski's ...

the licensing requirement stems from local waters being extremely busy with commercial traffic (so you know and understand lights, sounds, etc.) and the need to know local waters (so you don't run aground) ...

[BigJohn]

Originally Posted by jolly jack tar

If you need to fill big tanks with Fuel and Water, Go to either Malaysia or Nongsa point, Indonesia (both close by) and fill up there. its much cheaper.

u can bunker diesel locally at prices much lower than nongsa ...

[BigJohn]

Originally Posted by Olivergm

If u looking to stay just outside of SG I would recommend Puteri Harbour (Malaysia) which is just under the bridge connecting SG with Malaysia a few miles up river from Raffles Marina.

i hear that a regular ferry service is to be started between puteri harbour and raffles marina ... that will drop the travel time to perhaps 20 mins ...

[jim_thomsen]

We stayed in One15 a couple of months ago and thought it was really nice. The local restaurants were good and about normal price for a resort area. The marina people we met were all very nice and helpful.

One15 has a free shuttle bus that takes you off the island to a major shopping center. From there you can catch local busses - very cheap, taxis - reasonable price or use the metro - very modern and easy to use. It could not be more convenient.

Yes, it's a big city, but I liked it. We were able to buy everything we needed, visit the very interesting parts of town (Arab & Chinese) as well as getting a quick doctor's appointment for an ear infection.

One interesting thing did happen to us. We have a Raymarine chartplotter with an AIS transponder and when we got near the port it shut down (AIS, radar and Charts - since they are all on the same system) This happened a few times. When we were in the marina I started to test it to see what the issue was. I left it on for 12 hours and had no problems. But during that test I did not have the AIS on. When I turned it on it crashed immediately. I later heard from others that this happens because of the incredible number of ships overloading our system. So when we left One15 we left the AIS off until we were out of range of much of the shipping and it has worked perfectly since then.

Our website's page on Singapore: http://www.tenayatravels.com/Latest%...March%203.html

[nhschneider]

We arrived in Singapore in November of last year. We had a reservation for a berth at One15 Marina but it was for the following night so we went to the Republic of Singapore Yacht Club instead. As we were checking in and they asked us how long we intended to stay, we said just one night as we had reservations at One15. They said, Fine, but if you're going to travel between marinas in Singapore, you need a cruising permit and before you can obtain a cruising permit you must first take and pass a proficiency test. We elected to stay at the RSYC for our entire stay.

The RSYC has wonderful facilities complete with restaurants, beautiful pool, bar, work-out room (they even provide thick, white towels with RSYC monogrammed on them), an elaborate chart room, a slot machine room (resereved for members only), etc, etc. All of it first class. The docks are a little worn but still adequate. The big drawback is that the yacht club is right next to the terminal where crew and workers board launches to go out to the freighters, which happens 24/7. These are typically 50' to 60' launches with big twin diesels that roar up to the dock, load their passengers and cargo and roar off. These launches easily set down a 2' to 3' wake, causing all the boats in the yacht club to roll violently. It made our stay there very uncomfortable.

RSYC is well-located and even provides a free shuttle to one of the major shopping malls where you can pick up the MRT. Taxis are relatively inexpensive in Singapore so getting around is pretty easy, regardless of where you stay. If you're a member of a yacht club to which RSYC extends reciprocal privileges, the cost to stay there can be very reasonable.

Fair winds and calm seas.

[BigJohn]

Originally Posted by nhschneider

We elected to stay at the RSYC for our entire stay.

i'm sure one of the locals wld hv run u over to 1-15 for a couple of beers ...



yeah, u do get sh*tbagged at rsyc ... much less at 1-5 and considerably calmer at marina keppel bay ... mkb has a serious wave attenuator at the entrance ...

[BigJohn]

Originally Posted by jim_thomsen

I left it on for 12 hours and had no problems. But during that test I did not have the AIS on. When I turned it on it crashed immediately. I later heard from others that this happens because of the incredible number of ships overloading our system. So when we left One15 we left the AIS off until we were out of range of much of the shipping and it has worked perfectly since then.

that's interesting ... never seen that happen before locally ...

Originally Posted by jim_thomsen

Our website's page on Singapore:

love your page mate ... thanks for sharing ...

[Andrew73sp]

Hi guys, I know that marina manager too. A lot of my friends are members that and I often go out on sailing and fishing trips with then where their boats are berth at. Saw twice the guy shouting at boaters who are members of the club. I don really care, but just feel that he shouldn't be doing that. Cause those are members and not any tom dick and Harry on the street. I definitely wants to berth my boat at one marina too but afraid this guy might give me problems.