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 They have all been replaced by Marinas.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