Yachting amid skyscrapers

CAPTAIN'S LOG / Asia
5 December 2019

Whether you’re newly qualified or a seasoned captain, the prospect of a voyage to Singapore is always exciting. The Malacca/Singapore Straits is the second-busiest shipping passage in the world, only narrowly outdone by the Dover Straits. Heading to this iconic stretch of water is sure to excite the bridge team and call on their finely honed passage-planning skills.

Written by Captain Mike Ebsworth

SINGAPORE IS FAMOUS FOR ITS FUTURISTIC SKYLINE of hotel towers, biodomes and neon-lit Supertrees, but there is so much more to this vibrant Asian city. If you can drag yourself away from the ritzy champagne brunches and shopping malls, you’ll discover a true taste of Asia as you wander the rabbit-warren streets of Chinatown or tuck into a plate of chilli crab at a bustling night food market.

A visit to the UNESCO-listed Botanical Gardens is a must, followed by a Singapore Sling at Raffles Hotel where peanut shells accumulate under the wicker chairs and reed fans spin lazily above. When night falls, there’s no better place to be than at the rooftop bar at Marina Bay Sands, fifty-five storeys above the city.

Singapore’s shipyards, marinas and yacht show have created a regional yachting base ideal for getting some work done or launching your cruising in the region. Guests and crew alike will find plenty to love in the City in the Garden.

Arrival and clearance

The passage through what is referred to as STRAITREP is managed with typical Singaporean precision and regulation – and rightly so, given the amount of marine traffic that passes through each day. The well-prepared navigator will see that the process of arriving from any direction is very well documented with planning charts, the Admiralty list and Singapore Marine Department resources. For more information, visit mpa.go.sg.

Once in the approaches and entering the STRAITREP VTS, there is little room to be guessing your next manoeuvre. Your passage plan ensures a smooth and straightforward voyage, leaving you able to enjoy the sights and the hustle and bustle of this fantastic Asian port.

Pilotage and agents

All vessels of 300GT or above are required to engage a harbour pilot when entering Singapore. It is best to appoint an agent to handle the formalities. The two agents I’ve found who support the yachting community the best are Scott Walker of Asia Pacific Superyachts and Fang Yeow Huey of Yachting Singapore.

For all yachts, the pilot boarding ground is located at PEBGA (Pilot Eastern Boarding Ground). An accurate ETA at PEBGA is required so that your agent can make the pilot booking ahead of time. Pilot service time can be changed, but any last-minute changes could result in delays. Once the pilot is on board, you’ll proceed to AWQI (Anchorage Western Quarantine Immigration) south of Sentosa for immigration clearance.

A small workboat will come alongside you and immigration officers may or may not board the yacht.

Either way, when you get your passports returned, be sure to check that they are all stamped, verifying your arrival into Singapore. From the AWQI anchorage, it is again necessary for yachts over 300GT to have a pilot on board to proceed to any of the marinas.

For yachts under 2,000GT planning on using Singapore as a base for cruising in the region, getting the pilot exemption is an option. All that is required is a half-day classroom briefing followed by a half-day on the simulator. An exemption certificate is good for one year and is renewable.

Marinas

Keppel Bay Marina has floating concrete berths for yachts up to 80 metres inside the marina itself, or for yachts of any length alongside the wall to the south coast of Keppel Island. The marina at Keppel Bay is probably the best located for crew as it is only a short walk to the Vivo City Mall where you can jump onto the MRT trains and get to anywhere in Singapore.

ONE°15 Marina Sentosa Cove is also a wonderful location with great facilities located around the marina. This award-winning marina accommodates superyachts up to 60 metres and a draft of 4.5 metres. To get to the MRT is a taxi ride to Vivo City Mall.

Raffles Marina is located on the north-west side of Singapore at Tuas and is the oldest marina in Singapore. Berths for yachts over 20 metres are on the outside wall, which is a fixed structure, creating mooring and access problems with the tidal movement and offering little protection from winds from the north around to the west.

If only in Singapore for a short visit, Raffles Marina is a fantastic place to refuel, quickly service the yacht, or just spend a few days exploring this fascinating Asian city.

Dropping anchor

Slowly lifting