Boating in Singapore. Where to go?

You've finally got your Powered Pleasure Craft Driving Licence, you're thinking of going boating on your newly purchased boat. The question is where to go? This simple question is hard to answer when it comes to boating in Singapore. The simple answer is, there is no where to go but Lazarus Island and Pulau Hantu. You see, boaters cannot anchor in a channel or a fairway. They can't just drift along either as you'll be impeding the safe passage of  vessels & ships in transit. Beaching is not allowed either, along the entire East Coast Park, Changi and Pasir Ris and certainly not at any Island in the South. Singapore may be an Island Nation surrounded by water, but boating in Singapore is unnecessarily restrictive. No thanks to the numerous restrictions set by Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) officers who haven't a clue about the sport of pleasure boating. Most of them are Master Mariners (ship captains) but have never seriously driven a pleasure craft.
As a large ship captain myself and a pleasure boat owner since 1975, I appreciate the hazards of piloting a ship in Port Singapore and the huge difference between the two. You see, ships keep clear of water shallower than their deep draught. So they will keep clear of reefs and shoals. Pleasure boats are attracted to reefs and shoals for their fishing and diving activities. Hence you would think we're able to keep out of each others way. Unfortunately of the 40 odd Islands belonging to Singapore, only 4 Islands are open to the boating public. Namely; Hantu and Lazarus Island in the south, Pulau Ubin and Seletar Island in the North. Almost all the Islands are restricted entry to boats. Eg.
Pulau Sentosa, Sebarok, Semakau, Busing, Ular, Bukom, Sudong, Pawai, Senang, Biola, Satumu, Sisters, St John's, Kusu, Jurong Island, Seraya, Tekong and Ketam to name a few.

So where do you go after you have exhausted your interest on those 4 public Islands. Well you do what the other boaters have been doing these past years, you cruise offshore to the Malaysian Islands of Tioman, Tinggi or Aur or you check into Nongsa Point Marina where you explore the 1,000 odd Islands off Batam and Bintan.

 
Hence buying the right boat is crucial to your boating enjoyment. If you just want to get away over the weekend for a couple of hours just cruising Singapore waters, its best to get a small boat that can be stacked in a dry berth. If you want something larger, like a cabin cruiser, make sure it can take sea state 3 and has a minimum range of 500 nautical miles. A decent cruising speed of 15 to 22 knots would be good. For those with time on their hands, get an economical passage maker that cruises at 10 knots.
Over the years I acquired a deeper respect for non traditional multi-hull yachts, especially displacement Catamarans. These boats allow you to cruise economically at 9 knots or push to 18 knots when the situation calls for it. They have ample room and are a lot more stable at anchor than a mono hull.

     

A good example of a smaller and hence cheaper Power Catamaran suitable for boating from Singapore is the Aspen. although a Cat, it is fitted with a single engine inside the larger twin hull. The design is clever and out of the box.

Till then happy boating....