The turning point 25yrs ago - Time heals

It all began when I received a single page letter from the MPA in June 1998.The Port Master, then Capt M.H. decided that third party contractors were not allowed to conduct PPCDL courses. That simply meant, I had to wind up my Nautical School, Capt Francis Log Pte Ltd and if I were to continue teaching PPCDL, I had to do so strictly under an Authorised PPCDL Centre. I could not advertise my courses and could not use the name of my school publicly. All admin and payments had to be done thrrough an authorised PPCDL centre. A part of me died that day. I had built the largest PPCDL School in Singapore, averaging 1,500 to 2,000 students a year at it's peak. I had 9 boats, a classroom in town, 12 PPCDL Instructors and a permanent office with a full compliment of staff who depend on me. Rather than give up and close my operations, I decided to shift the admin office to my home, and teach under the umbrella of Raffles Marina at Tuas. It was no longer viable to operate at Ponggol Marina because of complications. I shall always be grateful to YP, then the GM of Raffles Marina who provided the berthing for my 9 boats and a classroom. All at a very low cost to help me survive the crisis. Unfortunaltely, things didn't get better. I faced many restrictions that maimed my spirit. I finally closed the business, sold the boats at a huge loss and let go my staff. The money I got from the sale wasn't enough to pay the finance company. At the same time, the Asian Financial crisis hit and I faced the hash reality that my cash flow was negative for the first time since starting work in 1978. By year 2000, I had exhausted all my funds and has to declare brancrupt. I experience the worst financial crisis for the next 7.5 years and finally got out of the hole in 2008. By mid 2009, I was financially free again after having paid all my debts to OCBC and Maybank. Life was begining to look up once again.

Overland Trip from Singapore to Phuket

Overland drive from Singapore to Bangkok and back - 21 May to 2 Jun 2023

Every once in a while, I feel the need to break out of my mandane routine and drive up north. Short trips are usually to Genting Highlands or Ipoh and loger trips would be to Hat Yai or Bangkok and sometimes all ther way to Chiang Mai. These trips jolt me out of the comfort of my routines and I get to see the world around me in a different light again. On two occasions, I got to drive all the way to Tibet in a convoy. Those were the best overland trips I've done to date. So on Sunday 21st May night, I got up early at 3am and made my way to Woodlands check point. It was totally quiet as expected and I got thru with no queue. I had intentionally avoided the Vesak day long weekend on Fri 31 May, knowing the jam would be bad. (on hindsight, it was reported that 250,000 vehicles passed thru the Tuas and Woodlands check point that weekend). It must have been painful. I usually drive all the way across Malaysia to Hat Yai on the first day. This time, I took a break at Cameron Highlands at a friend's place up in the mountain just below Tanah Rata and above the small town of Ringlet. Stayed at Cameron for two nights. It was delightful. Time was spent visiting the vegetable farms on an all-terrain-vehicle (ATV). That was fun. Being back to nature teaches you a lot of people and aboiut living in geenral. I enjoyed the freedom of large open spoaces and the cool mountain air. Everyone we met were happy and friendly. It was a nice change from the stresses of city living in Singapore, where rules and regulations invade into every aspect of your life and you were expected to follow all of them whether you know it or not. Simple living is real living. On the third day, we made our way down Cameron Highlands towards Tapah, then to Ipoh George Town, Alor Setar and finally to Bukit Kayu Hitam. We stopped by the first road side stall that sold insurance for car crossing into Thailand.

I paid RM45 for 19 days of car insurance coverage whilst in Thailand, although I only needed 10 days. All I needed to produce was our passport, Car log card and Singapore Car Insurance. The agent also provided the added service of printing our Thai entry cards with our names and information nicely printed. From there it was just 10km to the Sadao Border crossing. The last time I made the crossing was 9 years ago. Then the immigration & customs were opened till 5pm. The Malaysian side of the CIQ was standard. The Thai side had improved a little with opening hours from 6am to 12 midnight. Since it was only the wife and me in the car, we drove straight to the immigration counter and hasd our pasport chopped. Next we parked the car at the customs building and got off to get the car import permit done. This document is crucial and must be returned on the way journey back. Loosing the import/export permit would incur a hefty fine of 10,000 bath.

The drive into Thailand is always pleasant. You enter into a different and slower-paced world. Thai drivers are alot more courteous. You hardly hear a car horn and when you signal to fliter left or right, you can be assured that the vehicle behind will give way to you. the speed of traffic is significantly slower in Thailand. On highways, cars average 110kmph and you seldom get dare devil cars screaming down the highways, unlike in Malaysia where the fast lane is almost always occupied by "race drivers" tearing down the highways at speeds often exceeding 140kmph. Speed limit is 110kmph. King of the highways are BMWs. You hardly fine one on the slower left lane occupied by heavy vehicles. But then again, the Malaysian highways are a lot smoother than the ones in Thailand.

No more paper charts - its all e-charts the past 26 yrs

I grew up on paper charts. It was in the Navy and I do love exploring the intricate details printed on charts, especiall old charts in B&W. But as soon as GPS came into the market, I started buying and using them. It did not make sense using paper charts on fast open boats. GPS was a dream come true. Chart plotters were not even created yet. So when the first chartplotter arrived, I eagerly bought them. My first chartplotter was a Garmin 276 portable. That was probably 20 years ago. I have only used electronic charts for navigation and passage planning ever since. Today chartpotters are the rage and are no longer just called chartplotters. The new buzz word is MFDs (Multi Function Displays) since you can connect sonar, AIS, Zoom cameras. CCTV, auto-pilot, engine data and so many other sensors to the MFDs. Chartplotting is just one function amongst many. About 8 yrs ago, a new feature was introduced called Automatic Routing. Planning a route has always been done manually until this feature, familar to car drivers came along for Navigation and its so simple. Simply select your start point and destination and the chartplotter will plan the route for you in a few seconds. It is important to to manually set the perimeters before engaging auto-routing. Basically key in your boat's draught, height clearance, cruising speed. fuel consumption and max fuel capacity and the machine computes your route. It is generally safe, but I would caution that you go thru the route offered and make manual adjustments to ensure the route is safe and does not cut thru prohibited and restricted waters or too near shallow reefs. It's always better to keep a wide berth of shallow waters and danger zones. Whatever the case may be, it is going to be very difficult to go back to paper charts for navigation after having used Chartplotters the last 20yrs.

A BOATING CULTURE WE CAN BE PROUD OF

A BOATING CULTURE WE CAN BE PROUD OF It has been said, “It takes a village to raise a child”. This statement opens our mind to a far larger reality. As parents, we hold our children dearly and try to protect them from elements of society we judge undesirable. Family always comes first, and charity begins at home. That’s an undisputable fact. But we know children have a mind of their own and often the bigger influence may come, not from family and relatives but from interactions with the larger community of classmates & friends who they spend more time with and from the influences of culture & popular practices of the village. As fellow human beings, we share similar character traits and personalities. Putting race aside, it is culture that sets us apart and the differences can be conspicuously distinct. Likewise, it takes a whole boating community to raise a boater. Left alone, he/she will not unconsciously learn the ropes and grow into a proficient seafarer, although there will be exceptions. The journey of acquiring one's sea-legs is a long and arduous one. The burden of "parenting" cannot rest on government authority or PPCDL (Powered Pleasure Craft Driving Licence) Schools. It is not a simple case of issuing a driving license. The PPCDL initiative is a sensible start. The journey continues and the learning and experiences never ends. The task of the village naturally rests on the shoulders of the boating community. In our case Fellow Boaters (both professional & leisure), Marinas, Yacht Clubs, Associations and Sea Activity Centers. If we give credence to this adage, (It takes a village…..) it will raise the tide of our consciousness to this obligation and hopefully trigger a new found courage to take up collective ownership of the local boating culture. Simply put: Let’s undertake the task of building a boating culture that’s promotes the OBSERVANCE OF GOOD SEAMANSHIP & BOATING ETIQUETTE. Let’s take it one day at a time, one boater at a time. Every drop makes an ocean. WF

Stay outside the boundary of Raffles Light House

Raffles Lighthouse is a beautiful lighthouse situated on Pulau Satumu. You can't visit and you certainly can't go closer than 300m from the Island. The Lighthouse is protected. The moment you stray into the imaginary boundary, 300m from the light, you'll be intercepted by the PCG (Police Coast Guard. There's no ifs or buts, stay out or face a heavy fine. I speak from experience... one that I do not wish to repeat again. I went to the lighthouse to fish on Sun 6 Jun. The fishing was good. I was distracted. My anchor was dragging. I wasn't paying attendtion... too busy trying to catch a big one. It was only when I saw a PCG boat heading straight for me that I instinctively checked the boat's position on the chartplotter. We had indeed dragged anchor. I was inside the Restricted zone. Too late. I quickly pulled up the anchor but before it was even half-way up, the PCG was already breathing down my neck. What followed was an hour of sending them my NRIC, PPCDL licence and boat documents through whatsapps. They were extremely polite to me, but I knew, the MPA would send me a summons soon. Alas! my quiet day of fishing on a sunny Sunday afternoon turned sour. AFTERNOTE: I didn't receive a summons. Not even a Notice or Warning. The PCG Officer was true to his word. He concurred that I was anchored outside the Restricted zone and saw my boat dragging on her anchor. I am grateful to that PCG Officer. He indeed has a Seaman's eye. I've since upgraded my anchor to a heavier 7.5kg Bruce and increased the chain from 30ft to 50ft. That should be more than enough to hold the 26ft Catamaran.

Everybody dies, but not everybody lives. I have been fortunate to be born in an awesome country where you could make a decent living, have the freedom to make your own life and the security to reach to a ripe old age. I decided at an early age to experience everything, do everything and travel everywhere and live a fulfilling adventurous life. I would not regret, not having done all that I wanted to. Since I love the sea, I bought my first boat, an 18 foot wooden sampan at the age of 16 in 1976. I paid $188 for the bare boat. I couldn’t afford an engine, so I used long oars, secured to rowing-pegs to get around and occasionally borrowed an Evinrude 4hp from my friend Chris who lived in Telok Kurau. The sampan was beached at East Coast Park. It was there, that I learnt many valuable lessons about real life and experienced the seafarer spirit. It felt warm, spontaneous and contagious. We helped launch and recover each other’s sampan, carried each other’s gear and watched for each other’s safety whenever we were out at sea, fishing and netting. My fishing guru was Mr Lim, a local fisherman who lived in a 3 room HDB flat at marine Terrace. He had a larger sampan propelled by a Johnson 6hp. I marvelled at the ease with which he fished and cruised along the East Coast laying his nets. Mr Lim taught me how to repair the nets and maintain the sampan myself. Every few months, I would caulk the gaps between the planking just to keep the boat watertight or risk sinking. I had two bailers onboard. One I cut-out from a used 4-litre oil can and the other a plastic bathing scoop that I secured with a string. I would fish at night and go to school the next morning. Weekends at the beach was packed with onlookers vying to buy the giant prawns that we mostly targeted. $10 for one catty. (1 catty equals 600gm). The most precious equipment onboard for night fishing was my Butterfly brand Pressure Lamp. It lighted the boat and also served as a stove to heat and cook small food. In 1978, I was enlisted into the Navy. Goodbye kampong fisherman, Hello new world. My life took a dramatic change, I was sucked into the work environment of rules and regulations, conformity, discipline and regimentation. You had to account for your whereabouts every minute you’re at work or risk being charged for AWOL. I was forced into a straight-jacket, but I soon adopted and began to love the life in uniform. I grew up quickly from a boy into an officer and a gentleman. There were no ifs or buts, you had to conform or be thrown overboard to feed the sharks. Fifteen years came and went in a flash. In January 1994 I left the Navy and became a civilian. What a strange feeling. I was free again. No stringent schedules, no duties, no routine and no AWOL. They pulled me back July 1994 for reservists, as Commanding Officer of an Ocean Tug. I was elated, I had missed the Navy and felt proud of my Naval heritage. Unknowingly, the Navy had become a major pillar in my life. I felt the pride of being a Naval Officer. I was ready, willing and proud to serve. Today I turned 61. I am fitter, leaner and healthier than I was in my forties; or so I hope. I am optimistic, I am happy, I am content. I look forward to the wonders and adventures that lie ahead of me. The future is exciting. I want to be free and experience everything once again. No staying home. No tip-toeing through life, hoping I’ll make it safety to death. Nope, that’s not me… I’m casting off the bow lines, hoisting my sails, welcome world, I’m off to another adventure. It going to be awesome. WF 1960

Diving at Pulau Biola

A few years ago, my brother and I had the very rare opportunity to dive at Pulau Biola for a Book project named Islands of Singapore which he wrote. It was tough getting permission and after many attempts, we finally secured a slot from all three authorities to dive there for just an hour. I found a day and time when the tidal stream was slack, usually during periods of neap tines (half-mooon phase). As excpected, the diving was incredible. I descriped it as the Tioman of Singapore. The reef was prestine and full of life. The fish populatuon there was something I had never seen before, not even in Tioman. For the first time, I saw large schools of parrot fish going about their foraging and numerous species of small fish were schooled eveywhere I truned. Although I didn't see any large fish, I'm sure there were plenty of them around. Here's a poory done video of that dive using a cheap land camera in a waterproof-case. I can imagine how beautiful Singapore's reefs much have been in the early 1960s

Moorings for Pleasure Craft

 Saving our Reefs in Singapore is certainly a worthwhile effort for the benefit of our children. One way is to anchor mooring buoys in and around thriving reefs fringing the offshore Islands. Namely Pulau Hantu, Jong, Lazarus & St John's, Salu & Semakau. One project that has done this already is the Sister's Island Marine Park project that was 15 year in the making. Fishing and certainly anchoring is no longer allowed around Sister's to protect the delicate fringing reef. Pleasure boats can secure to the yellow mooring buoys already anchored there on a first come first served basis. Diving is allowed, but arrangements must be made prior for the divers to engage in a guided dive. 

Lazarus then during reclamation works

Lazarus today - a popular spot for boaters 

Pulau Jong is rarely visited and maintains a healthy fringing reef

St John's Island. Once used to quarantine migrants; today a destination for picnickers 

The Helical anchor is superior in so many ways to concrete blocks

    

The December 2019 Powerboat Race at NSRCC, Singapore

I had a fun time assisting in the preparations leading to the Powerboat race at NSRCC off the East Coast Park.  Amidst the Covid-19 pandemic that has captured the full attention of possibly 90% of the world population, I remembered the race, the thrills and spills and joy of having been involved with it. Here are some pictures of the event.

Asia Powerboat Association Championship

The heat is on for another powerboat race in Singapore. It has been 15 years since the last one held at Marina Bay. 

This coming race will be very different. The race boats are entry level for the common man in the street who wants to race. These boats are know as T750s, about 14 feet long fitted with stock Tohatsu 50hp Outboards and capable of speeds up to 55 mph. They are single seat, mono hulls using foot throttles and fueled with 20 litre plastic petrol tanks. 

Singapore anglers avoiding Indonesian waters

Fewer recreational anglers have been heading to Indonesia for deep-sea fishing trips since 28 people - almost all Singaporean anglers, were arrested for alleged trespassing and immigration offences earlier this year. Members of the fishing community here say Singaporeans are instead fishing in local waters or in Malaysia. Two Singaporean boat captains, Shoo Chiau Huat and Ricky Tan Poh Hui, remain in Indonesian custody pending their court hearings in the Riau Islands' provincial capital of Tanjung Pinang. Shoo was arrested on April 16 2018 in Tanjung Berakit, off Bintan, while Ricky Tan and his crew and passengers were caught on Aug 21 2018.

Charter Boat Captain Ricky Tan back in Singapore after his release

Charter Boat Captain Shoo Chiau Huat

Their passengers, mainly anglers, were deported shortly after being detained but the captains were held for trespassing or immigration offences. Earlier this month, 10 Singaporean anglers were also stopped for sailing in an unlicensed boat off Bintan island. Their Indonesian-flagged vessel was said to be sailing in Indonesian waters without valid permits and a proper passenger manifest. The Sunday Times understands that all 10 passengers on the fishing boat have been released and since returned to the country. Indonesia has been increasing sea patrols - mainly targeting illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing - since President Joko Widodo announced plans to beef up the country's fisheries sector last year. Anyone who enters Indonesia illegally could spend up to a year in prison, while infringement of the Fisheries Act - which covers illegal fishing - carries a sentence of up to five years in jail. Mr Joe Ng, 60, owner of Joe Fishing Tackle in Beach Road, estimates that there has been more than a 50-per-cent drop in the number of anglers travelling to Indonesia. He has been in the fishing business for more than 20 years and used to travel to Indonesian waters. "Those who go regularly to Indonesia to fish are generally above the age of 40," he said. "Such trips often involve spending nights on a boat and can be uncomfortable for land-lubbers." But anglers enjoy fishing there as they catch more as well as land bigger fish. Mr Augustine Chai, 48, owner of trip organiser Fishing Affairs, said that since the incidents, around half his customers who were heading to Indonesia either cancelled their packages or chose a local fishing trip. He added that boat captains are being cautious. "Instead of staying 12 nautical miles away from territorial borders, some stay 20 nm or more away." Mr Soh Hoe Jiang, 50, a fishing boat charter operator and boat captain of 16 years, sails to Indonesian waters about twice a week but has seen a fall in bookings. "Our operations now involve clearance, such as passport and port clearances and customs declarations, with Indonesian authorities in Nongsa Pt Marina or Bintan before we fish in their waters," he said, adding that customers fish for leisure and not profit. "Problems arise when they consider us commercial fishermen." Mr Ivan Goh, 37, chief guide of Deep Sea Fishing, which runs fishing charters, said the firm has stopped making trips to Indonesian waters where the incidents took place as a "precaution". While he will be taking customers on a trip to Indonesia next month, he said, they will head to East Kalimantan, further from the area where the arrests took place. The group intends to travel by plane before going out to sea on an Indonesian-flagged vessel. He added that anglers are attracted to fishing in Indonesia because of the different species found there, such as large stingrays and shovel-nose sharks.  (Information Source. Straits Times) 

Beautiful beach, no boating activity

The East Coast Beach that was created in the 1970s by National Parks

The 185 hectare East Coast Park is the largest park in Singapore, and is built entirely on reclaimed land with a man-made beach, where swimming is possible. The beach is protected by breakwaters.

The park is a popular place for people to relax and unwind. The park has barbecue pits, chalets, food centres and amenities for various sports activities. Visitors can fish at Bedok Jetty (Area F). A cycling and inline skatingtrack runs along the perimeter of the park, which measures over 15 km long. It is connected to Changi Beach Park by the Coastal Park Connector Network, an 8 km park connector running along Changi Coast Road.

Overnight camping is permitted in East Coast Park, at Areas D and G. A Camping Permit is required and can be obtained from the National Parks website.

What is evidently missing is boats. Back in the early 70s, sampans were kept at no fewer than 5 boat parks. Today there's only one. 

Boat owners are expected to berth their crafts at any of the 5 Marinas or 2 Yacht Clubs in Singapore. Namely; Raffles Marina, RSYC, Marina at Keppel Bay, OneDeg15, Marina Country Club (formerly Ponggol Marina), SAF Yacht Club and Changi Sailing Club. Owning a boat is no longer cheap. My first boat was a $188 wooden 18 footer sampan. The 4hp Outboard was borrowed. Berthing was just over S100 a year paid directly to the MPA at the One Stop Documentation Centre at Tg Pagar.

I hope that with the growth of the new Greater Southern Water Front region, simple boating will make a come back to these waters.  

An Inflatable dinghy was so much fun in the 1970s

The first two inflatable boats I co-owned in 1976

We carried the inflatable canoes on the bus to Ponggol, inflated them and paddled to Coney Island

The inflatables doubled as seats and storage 

The was an old sign board at Coney Island where we pitched our shelter against

Paddling out towards the anchored ships off East Coast Park

These must have been the very few photographs that my buddies saved over the years. Back then cameras were rare and it costs quite a bit to have the negatives developed into photos.
Those fun filled days boating off the East Coast and Coney Island will always be my most cherished memories. I'm glad for those adventures. They represented the real me. Care-free, fun loving, adventurous and daring.
I must get back to those days of Innocent living soon. Today at 59 yrs old, my thoughts are filled with a desire to live unrestricted without worry, free from the tolls of responsibilities of being husband, father and provider. It's time to let my adult kids live their own lives, whatever way they choose.
Life goes on, no matter what, so I too must live my life to the fullest it will allow me and not miss what it has to offer. The world is my oyster.

Gratitude

Grateful to be alive and grateful to have lived a fabulous fun filled life. This picture was taken on a friend's boat off Port Blair (Andaman Islands) in 1999. I was technically bankrupt and was facing a mountain of debt as a result of the Asian Financial crisis. This fishing trip opened my mind. I became a salesman and made enough commissions selling health supplements to pay the bank and get my life back. I never though I would make it, but I did. I thought I was finished,but the end never came. Sometimes you just gotta forget all the troubles for a while and change the scenery. I did and I'm glad the outcome turned out well...... Today, 20 years later, I'm debt free and own my own home. I may never be "rich" but I'm grateful for the food on the table each day and a strong roof over my head. My family is happy and content.         

The Wim Hof Breathing Method

This gentleman Wim Hof, affectionately known as the Iceman has an incredible discovery leading to wellness and well-being.  Learning his breathing technique is a must if your'e interested in good health.

Advancements in Sea Rescue using technlogy

Modern innovations are amazing. They can turn everyday equipment into new and clever applications not though of before. Such is the power of creativity. Simpler being better. Take a look at the applications of the humble PWC, once associated with the young and reckless. It's now being used for good.    

I'm not a good angler

It always amazes me how local Anglers catch good size fish each and every time they go fishing. These experts hardly ever come back empty handed. Not so for me. I seldom catch big fish and often end up catching the smallest of fish namely; whip tail, 7 banded grouper (Arumugum) and Blueline grouper. These fish are not favored for the kitchen and hence seldom sold in wet markets. 

Whip Tail 

Seven Banded Grouper (Arumugum)

Blueline Grouper

However last week I finally landed the big one. Large enough to fill the length of the ice-box and good enough for the dinner plate. They were 1.5kg parrot fish. Sizable for local waters

WF with a 1.5kg Parrot fish caught off Bukom

Boon with a 2kg Parrot, caught off St Johns Island

Labrador Park Fishing Jetty re-opens

I ust found out that the long awaited re-opening of Labrador Fishing Jetty was reopened in Dec 2017. Many anglers mush have been waiting for this ever since they started  renovating the site. Must make the time to try fishing there soon.

The Grady White F26 Tiger Cat 20 years on

It was built 20 years ago in 1998. For the first 10 years she cruised the waters of the United States of America before being shipped to Singapore in 2008. The Grady F26 Tiger Cat is incredibly reliable and low cost to run. She has never broken down mechanically, never ran out of fuel and her twin 150HP Yamahas have never refused to start so long as I replace the batteries every 2 years. She truly is one hull of a boat for coastal fishing and day cruising in fair weather. The furthest she sailed from her Marina at RSYC (Repblic of Singapore Yacht Club) was to Karang Mas (Eastern Bank) just North of Horsburgh Lighthouse where we spent an entire night fishing. Well, after 20 short years, she is running better than ever and her hull is still rock solid. What amazes be most is, almost all of the original fittings and electricals are still in good working order.

My trusted brother-in-law with his durian farm kaki and sons

My fishing & diving buddy Fred Chua. We've been boating since the SAFYC days in 1990

It is rare for a catamaran to be able to be lifted by a Marina Bull forklift. The Tiger-Cat is the only exception at RSYC

I love the Grady Tiger Cat... It has never broken down