Saturday 26 October 2013

Fwd: MALAYSIA AT LAST!!!!! Danga Bay Marina Lat. 01 degree 28.5' N Long. 103 degrees 43.4' E

----- Original Message -----
To: "Alastair Whitelaw" <awhitelaw@xtra.co.nz>
Subject: MALAYSIA AT LAST!!!!! Danga Bay Marina Lat. 01 degree 28.5' N Long. 103 degrees 43.4' E
Date: 25 Oct 2013 05:51:30 -0000
From: zmq5985

It's hard to believe but we have finally arrived in Malaysia. This has been our endgame since leaving NZ but we were so tired yesterday that it was difficult to feel any elation. However, there is definitely a sense of quiet achievement. We are here!!! It's been a long way.
We finally received the necessary and endless paperwork via Customs and Sail Indonesia which enabled our departure. Just as an aside the IDR745,000 had to be paid in cash, whereas all marina charges could be paid by credit card. Just as well, because we only had just over a million left in cash and the only ATM for miles was inoperable!! Only in Indonesia. And what is it with the requirement for cash only?? Makes one wonder where the cash ends up.
We left Nongsa Point (and Indonesia) at 0630 yesterday (24/10) in overcast conditions and a 10-15 knot wind from the SW - on the nose as usual. Had the main up but really only to help dampen any rolling. We followed the "inshore route" along the north coast of Batam. The intention was to anchor for the night off one of the many islands west of Batam as the total passage was 51 miles and we thought it would be best to break the journey. That would normally take us 10-11 hours under power but we found that with the tidal current in our favour we were doing over 7 knots over the ground which was making a huge difference. So, when we were opposite the Singapore Straits crossing point, we made a snap decision to scrap the anchoring idea and head straight for Danga. In the end we took 8 hours for the passage - an average speed of 6.4 knots. We had an excellent view of the tall buildings that litter the Singapore CBD as we passed along.
Before we arrived at the crossing point we had to dodge a number of tugs and barges as they were like us keeping to the south of the main shipping lane. All exciting stuff and designed to keep you on your toes! At one stage we passed between two barges with about 50 metres from each one port to starboard. At a closing speed of at least 10 knots it causes a bit of a knot to form in the pit of one's stomach! There had been a beacon to port marking a nasty rock and to starboard was the major shipping channel with one ship after another all powering along remorselessly so not much choice really. The number of ships using the Singapore Straits always amazes. The Rule of the Road at Sea (Colregs) stipulates that you keep right so the west-east passge was nearest to us and we were going east-west.
So, when we decided to cross we were at a point where the crossing was as near as possible to right angles to the shipping lane directions. We waited for a break in the west-east traffic (much like crossing the road) and turned to starboard heading for the Raffles Light on the end of Senang Island, Singapore. There is a gap in the middle between the two lanes and we had to wait there for about 10 minutes while a tardy car carrier trundled past coming from our starboard side. Then we started moving again and headed NW 9 miles across the ship anchorage before arriving at the massive reclamation west of Jurong Island. There were ships everywhere of all shapes and sizes - gas tankers and container ships in the main. All swinging around their anchors costing their owners heaps.
Then a 45 degree course change as we came up to the reclamation and we were at last entering the lower reaches of the Straits of Johore between Singapore Island and the Malaysian mainland. The channel was all very well marked and this part of the journey became quite boring as it seemed to go on forever and the landscape on each side was flat and uninteresting. We passed under the new and massive Tuas Bridge just after Raffles Marina on the Singapore side. The bridge has a clearance under the main span of 25 metres - plenty for us as our masthead is only 14 metres above the water. The bridge itself is an impressive modern concrete structure with a huge complex on the Singapore side for controlling the border. Singapore is very security conscious as we were shadowed by various Singapore Coastguard/Police launches all the way from the bridge to Danga. Always up to a quarter to half a mile astern but always there. One wonders what they would have done if we'd dropped the anchor!
We were then approaching Danga which is just 3 miles short of the famous Causeway, across which the Japanese invaded Singapore in 1942. We could not see any markers for the entrance so things were getting a bit stressful (again!!) until we finally raised them on the radio and they talked us in. But coping with the boat and trying to understand Malaysian English over the radio made for rather a trying time all the while nervously watching a jetblack thunderstorm with the usual forked lightning only a short distance inland. However, it left us alone and eventually moved away.
Finally we spied some frantically waving characters on a dock a short distance ahead and once we had fenders and lines rigged we moved in.
Danga is really quite unattractive. A low lying shoreline and brown water. Lots of sand bars and much industrial activity taking place including dredging the marina approaches and work going on in the marina complex itself. But very friendly and relaxed.
Had dinner last night at a seafood restaurant and NOT cheap - MYR107 (Ringgits) which is NZD41.
Then to bed and a deep sleep. Tomorrow is another day.
Lotsaluv from us..........
Jim and Jean
s.v. Tiare Taporo III
Danga Bay Marina
Johore Bahru
Malaysia.
www.tiaretaporo3.blogspot.com
----- End of Original Message -----

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