Recently I revisited Smith Marine Seafood Restaurant for dinner. As usual I would visit the Kelong Restaurant on a Yacht. Good thing I arrived there at about 6.30pm. I was shocked when the staff politely told me that they close at 7pm; government law she said. What!!! That must be one of the most stupid laws, I've ever heard. They actually we forced to close at 7pm because of safety reasons... What!!! I haven't heard of a more ridiculous ruling. I couldn't breathe...
Whoever owns and operate this Floating Seafood Restaurant I thank them for having the innovation and guts to set this up. It breaks the monotony of city. Getting out for fresh sea-breeze especially for the kids is a welcome activity. Better than being cooped up playing computer games at home. So what in the world justified the authorities closing them at 7pm? I had dinner there a year ago till about 10pm with family and friends. It was a wonderful dinner gathering. The sea-food was lovely and reasonably priced. I need to find out why the ruling as a customer and advocate of a healthy boating lifestyle in restrictive Singapore.
Catching a close-up of the aerial aerobatic display from the sea off Changi has become somewhat of an annual tradition during the Singapore Air-Show. You immediately eliminate the long queues, Ticketing and hot environment associated with visiting the show the mainland. What's more you get a really close up of the aircraft flying immediately overhead.
I have been enjoying the use of a 26 foot Grady-White Catamaran the past 7 years. Its fitted with twin Yamaha 150HP 4 Stroke Outboards and the remarkable thing, the boat has never broken down. The ride is silky smooth as it slices through small waves and wakes like a knife thru butter. So its a pretty dry boat and I can even use this walk-around when it rains, as the wrap around plastic clear view screens gives adequate protection.
My experience with Power Cats has been more than positive. It is my honest opinion that the ride of a mono hull cannot match that of a multi-hull in small to moderate seas. Beyond sea state 3 or Beaufort Scale 4 almost all types of boats below 80 feet will struggle with holding a comfortable course. I have had the good fortune of cruising on-board mid-size cabin cruisers of 50 and 60 feet and I observe that they pitch and roll a lot more than the little Cat within Port Singapore in seas confused by the collision of waves and multiple wakes of a hundred passing ships. Obviously a heavier 60 footer would be more comfortable when cruising the South China Sea as a larger boat gives greater confidence and interior luxury.
One of the Power-Cats I've been studying for some years now is the World Cat. It's popular in the US. but hasn't made its way to Singapore yet. Check out this video.
Mono Hull or Cat....... This video will help you decide...
Passage Makers do come in small sizes as the Aspen Cat proves so. The Aspen is a 30 foot Cat powered by a single diesel Volvo 220HP. One hull is larger than the other and she is a full displacement hull, The biggest benefit of the Aspen design is fuel economy and a much larger space for a 30 footer.
The Aspen Power Cat
Here is a video of the Boat builder Larry Graf and his son Nick attempting to set a record for the circumnavigation of Vancouver Island in one non-stop shot. They made the record comfortably.
There are no Aspen Cats in Singapore yet. I can easily see the benefit of this boat for the type of cruising we do in Singapore to offshore destinations in Malaysia, Riau and Thailand.
When the boating season starts again in March/April, I should be heading to Pulau Bawah; 40nm shy of the popular Anambas Islands. Apparently Bawah is stunningly beautiful with plenty of fish life and live corals. It is 141nm from Nongsa Point Marina, where we clear immigration and customs before heading straight for Bawah. We will have to watch the fuel as the nearest fuelling station is at Pulau Siantan in Anambas. The boat I'll be onboard has a range of 288nm at 25knots SOA (Speed of Advance) so we should be fine. From my experiences in the South China Sea, April and May are the calmest months for offshore journeys in a small boat.
We'll I better start getting my dive and fishing gears in order before April.
The first time I saw the Nauti-Craft on Youtube a year ago, I knew it was a great idea. Although revolutionary for a boat, the use of hydraulic shocks is standard on land vehicles and its function is fully understood. The decision to make the Nauti-Craft a Catamaran is a wise one. This has enabled her to cruise at high speeds with standard outboard motors in heavy seas with ease.
Buy why would anyone opt for a Nautical-Craft. The answer is... so they'll arrive in better shape.
This is so true when making an offshore trip to exotic destinations like Pulau Tioman (120nm), Pulau Bawah (140nm), Anambas (180nm). Its easy for a 60 foot Cabin Cruiser to cruise there at 16 - 24 knots in relative comfort. But for a small craft, the faster you arrive at these destinations. the better it is for you. It is unlikely that anyone will be able to sleep along the way or have a decent rest when cruising in a boat less than 36 foot & under 6 tons.When the seas go beyond Sea State 2 (Beaufort state 3), you will have to throttle back to 15kts max. With the Nauti-Cat suspension system, you'll probably be able to maintain the SOA (speed of advance) of 25 kts in similar conditions.
The Nauti-Craft in Head seas fitted with twin Yamaha V6s
As the height of the free-board is unusually high for a boat this size, she provides a generally dry ride. The main hull is built like a standard mono-hull, probably to give it added bouncy in heavy seas. I guess the video say its all.
Much has been said about the rich marine life at Raja Ampat situated west of Pulau Waigeo, just north-west of West Papua, Indonesia. As expected, accessibility to Raja Ampat is only by boat, after a long domestic flight to Sorong from Jakarta. It would probably be quite an adventure to try to cruise to Raja Ampat from Singapore. The journey of 2,000 nautical miles will take 8 days non stop cruising from Singapore at 240nm a day or 10kts SOA (Speed of Advance).
Is Raja Ampat worth the arduous journey there. Watch this video and decide yourself.
