It has been a while since I blogged, but we have been busy enjoying ourselves and catching up with friends and time has flown by. We are now in Malaysia, anchored at Danga Bay Marina, Johor Bahru, which is at the southern tip of Malaysia very close to Singapore.
We checked out of Indonesia on 9th October from Nongsa Point Marina on Batam Island. It was quite a relief to arrive at Nongsa and enjoy the comforts of a marina and a very nice clean one too. It is attached to a resort so we had use of the swimming pool and restaurant, great showers and a laundry. It was good to get the boat scrubbed as it was quite dirty after nearly 3 months without a fresh water scrub down.
We had heard allsorts of stories about crossing the Singapore Straits, most of them not good so we were feeling a little apprehensive about the trip. Jerry put a lot of thought into planning the trip so we would hopefully have an easy trip across, which as it turned out was quite an easy interesting day, although very tiring as we had to keep a good lookout at all times We set off at 6am under motor only as there was not a breath of wind. It was very hot and sticky but at least we had flat calm sea. Fortunately the shipping channels did not seem to be very busy and we had time to enjoy looking at our surrounds.
The Singapore shore was not so clear as there was a lot of haze around but watching all the different ships pass us was quite interesting.
We stuck to the Indonesian coast for a while and had planned to cross the straits at the narrowest point in the hope of avoiding as much shipping as possible. Just before we got there Jerry saw a break in ships and decided to cross. We were off, no turning back now. It is a very short crossing only 2 miles at the most but if you time it wrong it can be very scary. We crossed without any problems and then we were in Singapore waters. This is where it started to get very busy and we had to keep all eyes looking forward, behind and sideways. Patrol boats and airforce jets cruise the border and come very close to see who you are.
It wasn’t long before we turned to starboard and were heading up the Johor Straits and into Malaysian waters. From here when you look at the Singapore shoreline it is protected by razor wire fence. Going under the 2nd Link bridge was ok we had just enough room. This bridge is one of 2 that link Malyasia with Singapore.
Our first stop was Puteri Harbour, a fairly new marina with great facilities but lacking in “character” and in the middle of nowhere. So we checked out the following day and headed another 3 miles upstream to Danga Bay where we are now. This marina while not as clean as Puteri it has lots of “character” and is a local bus ride to anywhere you want to go, even Singapore. And at $30 a week it’s also very affordable. There are a lot of yachts here having a break in cruising and some who just choose to make the marina home for a while. It is a little noisy at times with music from the local bar that goes on until 2am. Some of the bands are quite pleasant to listen to but then there are some who call for ear plugs to be put in so I can get to sleep. Nothing seems to stop Jerry from sleeping!
We enjoyed Deepavali celebrations on our first night in Johor Bahru City.
The Festival of Lights in Little India.
Our friend Peter came over from Singapore and stayed overnight for a visit, then we went back with him to learn the “ropes” on how to use public transport to get there ourselves. It costs no more than $4 and takes about 1.5/2hrs depending on traffic. So easy and simple. Of course once in Singapore its shopping time to get all the boat bits you need or in some cases don’t need but nice to have anyway!
We took time for some tourist outings. Off to Kudeta Skybar at Marina Bay Sands for a sun downer and enjoy the spectacular view from this amazing skyscraper. But at $25 a drink we didn’t stay too long.
The view was magnificent and well worth going. Maybe one day we will get to swim in the infinity pool that spans the 3 towers.
We also had a walk around Tiger Balm Gardens. Built in 1934 by Aw Boon Haw for his brother Aw Boon Paw. The family that invented Tiger Balm. Very old and a little tired, it was built to educate the younger generation important lessons in life. We had good fun interpreting these stories.
While in Singapore we stayed onboard Shadow at RSYC and enjoyed the comfort of an air conditioned boat, once Jerry had “Jerryfied” Peter’s set up.
As Jerry does!
oooh! I think i just pooped my pants!! Thunder and lightening overhead. The storms are big up here and the thunder and lightening takes some getting used to. This one is a beauty!
Now where was I…. oh yes, air conditioned boats. Most boats eventually have an air conditioner of some sort jammed into a hatch on deck, especially if you are going to spend time in a marina where there is not a lot of airflow. For now we have bought a 240v fan to assist our 12v fans and we are able to sleep ok at night but it can get a little sticky during the day. But that”s life up here so we shall have to get used to it, or eventually but an air conditioner for those sticky nights.
Not so hard to get used to is the delicious Malaysian food that is so cheap it makes cooking on board a waste of time, energy & money plus it heats up the cabin too much. So we have happy hour on TToo, not many restaurants sell alcohol, then head out for dinner at $3 –$4 a head! You can’t complain about that. Of course when the heat gets too much we can always wander around one of the many air conditioned shopping malls, go to the movies, have a coffee, maybe a massage or even a haircut. Its all here and it’s all very affordable.
Next weekend we are flying home for a 10 day holiday to be with Ben and Kate for their official engagement party. Are we excited, YES, very. It will be good to see family and friends and then when we return we have Malaysia to discover.
And to finish with we are in the land of signs and directions, here is a funny one for you found outside the marine chandlery store we visited.
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