18th November 2009

Motoring up the Malacca Strait.


We have traveled quite a distance since my last blog. Motoring along the calm waters of the Malacca Strait seems a life time away from rafting in Borneo. We left Kota Kinabalu with the intention of stopping at Labuan, a duty free island, to stock up with beer and then next stop was to be the outskirts of Singapore. 750 challenging miles during the transition from SW to NE monsoon when the wind changes daily from strong SW head winds to light NE winds. The Malaysian marine forecast is quite unreliable and most days it is completely wrong. Cruising plans change regularly, some times on a whim of eating at a recommended restaurant and quite often because the wind is in the wrong direction for comfortable sailing.

Slamming into a South westerly chop with a building wind and rain clouds looming, a change of plan was required. Only a few hours out a of Labuan, on the coast of Brunei, we looked on our chart and realized we were very close to a nice comfortable anchorage, Prince Jeffery's anchorage or the Sultans Wall. Prince Jeffery is a younger brother of the Sultan of Brunei, the disgraced, banned from Brunei brother. His over spending on many things was I think the reason for being banned from his own country and this anchorage alone must have cost millions to build. Two long arms of high rock wall curve out from the coast, each about 1 mile or more long, to enclose a man made island and some half built wharfs. The story we heard was that the Prince needed an anchorage for his super yacht. The only yachts that go there are cruisers looking for a safe haven on the Brunei coast and only for a night or two as shore visits are not permitted. The wall and island have been very well made. I think who ever planned this anchorage should go and advise the Malaysians how to build marinas that don't fall to bits within months of being built. Thanks to the Prince we had a calm night and set off the next morning once again for Singapore.

The wind died completely, so after motoring several hours we decided to pull into another Brunei port, Kuala Belait. This is a river anchorage and after waiting for a big tug and barge to leave the river we motored up stream to the Kuala Belait Yacht club. Another calm night, tucked up close to the river bank away from the constant movements of large oil rig servicing vessels then back out to decide whether Singapore would be the destination of choice the next day. South westerlies again, with heavy rain, Miri Marina was a tempting few miles off our rhumb line and we would be in by lunch time. We ended up staying 3 nights in Miri until the weather looked good for a whole week ahead. Four days to the out skirts of Singapore, 2 days sailing and 2 days motoring a good trip. The North East monsoon had at last won the transition battle. We had the company of two other boats, Far Niente and Seafari , for the trip across. When I say company we couldn't see each other but talked each morning on the radio checking on each others position and progress.

The affects of the world wide recession on the shipping industry is very obvious in the Singapore strait region. Hundreds of anchored ships, from monster tankers to small cruise liners, clutter the Singapore Strait and spill out into the Sth China sea and for several miles into the Malacca strait. When we crossed to Singapore from Indonesia in 2007 transiting ships were about 12 minutes apart this time the gaps between ships seemed much longer. We crossed the shipping lanes, this time, just as we approached the southern tip of Malaysia and entered the straits along side the incoming ships. A reasonably stress free entry, the biggest problem was that we were pushing a strong current and chasing a sinking sun so we pulled off to the side to anchor. We found a spot out of the way just inside some anchored barges and oil rigs, all looking like they hadn't worked in a while. Looking across to Indonesia all we could see was a mass of lights from wall to wall anchored ships. The next morning at day break we started to wind our way through the anchored and moving ships for the trip around to Dang Bay Marina in the Johor Strait. The Danga Bay Marina is well situated for easy access to Singapore, its Malaysian so no clearing in and out as well as the added incentive of being free until the New Year. The early start also gave us a huge lift with the tide, scooting through Singapore waters with up to 3knots of current with us a lot of the way.

On the corner of Johor strait and Singapore, tugs were weaving their way through anchored ships, towing sand laden barges to a huge area of reclamation. Singapore is adding more country to its country. A new Port area seems to be being built although with so many redundant ships in the area I am not sure that there is a need for it. I guess they hope the world economy will have bounced back by the time the area is finished. Once past the reclamation work the trip up the straits is very pleasant and almost rural considering Singapore is just over the fence and the large city of Johor Bahru is not far away.

The odd rock or beacon meant we occasionally strayed towards the Singapore side of the narrow Johor Strait and when we did a little blue Singapore patrol boat buzzed towards us. The huge skull and cross bones danger signs and barbed wire security fence on the Singapore shore would deter even the most desperate Singapore wannabe. When we did go to Singas for the day we went through the lovely new Malaysian facility at Johor Bahru , a much more comfortable way than over the fence and through an Army firing range!

Pete and Sue from Koru were at Danga, we hadn't seen them since Langkawi early last year, we had a lovely catch up with them. We also got a new bimini cover for our aft deck, stocked up on fuel filters as well as groceries. After 9 days we said fare well to Koru, not sure when we will see them next as they are off to Borneo, Philipines and back to Aus. On this trip we've been saying a lot of goodbyes to friends going the opposite way to us but we continue to meet new people and there are still many people to catch up with in Langkawi and to travel with next year. As we say..'that's cruising".