What happened to Ponggol Marina?

You could say that the center of boating in Singapore used to be Ponggol. There were at least 4 prominent boatels then in the 1970s. There was Ponggol Boatel, Ponggol Boating Centre, Marina View Boatel, Yap Boatel and perhaps another 1 or 2 other smaller operations along the shores of Ponggol beach. Almost all the boats were trailer-ed and kept in the open grounds of the boatels. Boating was a simple enough affair then, with mostly small ski boats and run-abouts powered by outboards. A few wooden Trengganu hull 45 footers were moored off Ponggol Beacon just off the old Ponggol Jetty. 40 odd years have since passed. Things have taken a dramatic change. There are no more boatels in Singapore. They have all been replaced by Marinas. Going clockwise from the North, we have the SAF Yacht Club Sembawang, Marina County Club, Changi Sailing Club, SAF Yacht Club Changi, 1Deg15, Marina at Keppel Bay Republic of Singapore Yacht Club, and finally the famed Raffles Marina at Tuas that started the Marina lifestyle trend 21 years ago. The real question is, have we made giant leaps forward with the introduction of marinas or have we actually made boating affordable only for the rich.

Whatever our opinions may be, Marinas are here to stay and boating will continue to be a rather expensive sport for the majority in the immediate future. That's not a good thing but a reality of "progress". The MPA will not allow you to register a boat in Singapore without producing a Berthing Letter from a registered Marina or Yacht Club. Every registered boat must also be fitted with a transponder, eg the HART or AIS system so that the MPA can track your position & movements. Things have changed indeed from the old days at Ponggol. Have we really progress or have we gone afraid of the free world we now live in?      

The Boat Shed at Marina Country Club 

DP Yacht Services handles Yacht maintenance & repairs

   So what happened to the old Ponggol Boatels. Will boatels ever make a come back again to "allow" us ordinary folks the opportunity to go boating on the "cheap" again. Sometimes all you want is a small 18 footer open boat with a 15hp engine. No need for fancy walk-on pontoons and fancy restaurants. Just a simple open makan place will do, especially when you've just come back from your boat still dripping wet. Enjoy these old pics that I found on the web.

They were it was, not too long ago actually

I used to take a bus there in the 1970s, carrying my inflatable canoe

I can still remember the smells during low tide, it was really rustic but welcoming

The road today leading to Ponggol end

Things have changed for the better. The new Jetty at Ponggol End

 

The work never ends on a Fish Farm

The healthiest way to loose work is hard physical labour. Here on a fish farm, work is never ending. Just like on board a yacht, there's always something that needs cleaning, repair & improving. It's back breaking work but somebody's got to do it. To add to the hardship, you always at the mercy of the blazing sun, wind & waves. I concluded that it's always fun to visit a fish farm, but never easy to work on one.

Foreign workers are tough & focused solely on work. A great help indeed. 

  

Mending nets damaged by barracudas, rats & fair wear & tear. 

Fish need to be transferred into new net cages to clean the growth off older cages

Working from dawn to dusk and still more work to do

A real working farm is seldom clean & neat, but they work 

Joseph, the fish farm owner still working at it after 8 years

Now that you've bought your Dream Boat

The Yacht Show is just round the corner, 10-13 April 2014. Soon thousands of boating enthusiasts will congregate around 1Deg15 Marina to enjoy the fun-filled atmosphere. Majority will be there to update themselves on the latest developments and just go window shopping. A few will be swarmed by the electrifying atmosphere and upgrade their current boats. A small group will be bitten by the bug and actually buy their first boat. This would mark their entry into the world of boating a world where little is well known although much has been seen in advertisements and nowadays on Youtube.

Last Years Yacht Show at 1Deg15

A friend of mine recently bought a boat at the Yacht Show because he could. He knew nothing about boats but had been invited for a few boat trips before. He bought a boat that  fitted his wallet rather than his skills. So his first boat purchased was a 42 footer fly-bridge cruiser. It has been 6 months since that impulse purchase. He has used the boat 3 times. Lack of knowledge & skills and a fear of the unknown has kept him from enjoying his million dollar toy. My common sense remark to him was why he didn't engage a boat captain or even a deck-hand to maintain the boat & assist him whenever he feels like taking the boat out. As was the case, the boat sits in her berth at the Marina baking in the sun with her hull, propellers & rudders becoming home to aquatic parasites. The only answer he could offer was he wasn't a boater and was clueless as to what to do after he got the boat. Joe is not alone, they are many new boat owners out there that need help. As much as the sales person tries to assist, he is probably not the right person to lead Joe from raw boater to master mariner. Surprisingly, Marinas are also not well established in that area of service. Nevertheless they probably are still the best place to get information and probably the best avenue to eventually land a deck hand or a captain that will do a better job of bringing Joe out boating. It would be all too easy for Joe's boat to turn into a white elephant if he did nothing other than wash the boat & paid the Marina.
   

The Grand Banks EU42 is definitely the all time evergreen favorite for the seasoned sailor    

The Chaparral Sport Express Cruiser is a good entry boat for the family 

If you're looking for an all rounder, I would recommend the Marlow 53

It has everything you'll need in a reasonably priced Trawler 

The Nordhaven 72, one of the top Passage Makers today

Slightly expensive, but worth every cent if you intend to do long-haul journeys

The Selene 62 Passage Maker

The Meridian 441

All fun and play at the Singapore Yacht Show at 1Deg15 Marina in Sentosa

This year's event will be held at the same place 10-13 April 2014 - Be there....

           

    

Kukup the hidden gem off Tg Piai

Just 16nm away from Raffles Marina, nestled in a small inlet lies the famed village of Kukup whose homes are built on concrete pillars above the mud flats of Kukup Pontian. The first time I visited Kukup was probably 30 years ago. Apart from the wooden pillar foundation being replaced with concrete ones, the house looked very much the same as 30yrs ago. However the houses fringing the main water channel have taken a significant change in size and look. Many have been expanded to accommodate 30 - 40 bunks and build to 3 storeys high. They also have small jetties and home-made pontoons for small boats to tie up to. The water is mirror calm except for the occasional wake from passing local boats & the 2 ferries from Tg Balai Karimun. The following pictures will give you a better insight into this cruising destination next door.

a local inshore fishing boat tied alongside his home

The concrete jetty extended from the chalet

the access path leading to the homes are wide enough only to motorcycles & pedestrians  

A typical room with double decker beds

after a 2 hour journey from Raffles Marina & Puteri Harbour the team arrives at Kukup

a Police RIB capable of 50kts on standby 

David 17 a Meridian 38 joined Andrew of Focus Adventure to Kukup

The ferry from Tg Balai Karimun at the Kukup Ferry Terminal

The Jet Ski Gang, happy to have made it to Kukup in one piece

This was the holiday chalet that we stayed in named Ho Lai run by Ah Seng

      

Availability of Berths in Singapore

There are a 5 Marinas and 3 Yacht clubs in Singapore where you can berth your boat, on a dry stack or in the water alongside a walk-on/walk-off pontoon. They are

1) Raffles Marina
2) Republic of Singapore Yacht Club
3) Marina at Keppel Bay
4) 1Deg15 Marina
5) Marina Country Club
6) SAF Yacht Club Changi
7) SAF Yacht Club Sembawang
8) Changi Sailing Club

The berth allocation available for both wet & dry berth are as follows:

Marinas	Membership	Location	Estimated Berths*
Marina@Keppel Bay	No	South	168
Marina Country Club	No	North East	500
One Degree 15	Yes	South	330
Raffles Marina	Yes	North West	360
Republic of Singapore Yacht Club	Yes	West	347
SAF Yacht Club Changi	Yes	East	60
SAF Yacht Club Sembawang	Yes	North East	34
Changi Sailing Club	Yes	East	150

Fishing the Riau Islands in late December 2013

Pure Pristine waters off Pulau Buaya

Many local fishermen still use only oars today 

The Hatteras 77C at full Throttle

I have the good fortune to be closely associated with a friend who recently bought a Hatteras 77C. I helped him configure some of the options onboard. That alone came to the tune of a million US dollars. The boat's a dream to sail on. Absolutely comfortable, steadfast in heavy sea state 4 seas (Beaufort scale 5). It is equipped with the Cat360 joystick control, which is an absolute joy to use for close-quarters handling, coming alongside & slipping off. In addition, she is fitted with the Express Positioning System, the latest simplified Dynamic Position System for pleasure crafts. At the push of a button, she will stay in position using only her two main props & the bow & stern thruster, all hydraulic of course. The special GPS  antennas ensure she stays in position within 3 metres of the position set even in sea state 3. Astonishing. During our recent trip to the Riau Islands of Pulau Buaya we hardly dropped anchor and used the EPS instead. It was a dream.
Well I'm looking forward to March when the NE monsoon slows down and the boating seasons opens up once again. If you're game and enjoy looking at boats & Nautical stuff, come join me at the Singapore Yacht Show at 1Deg15 Marina Sentosa 10-13 April 2014. Stay tuned till then.