Our Experience of Singapore

Advance Organisation

We contacted Changi Sailing Club (CSC) to see if we could have a mooring ball.  We’d not heard back from them to confirm, so when we went to Singapore on the ferry from Batam, we made a detour to CSC to find out exactly what was happening.

On the CSC website, it says that boats have to be less than 50ft; we are 53, so we needed to confirm it was ok. We spoke with May Ling from the office and she said they weren’t sure if they could accommodate us, but they would confirm in a few weeks.  In about five days, she emailed to confirm our booking and that we should contact the agent, James Lim and he would help with the paperwork.

You MUST have an agent to clear into Singapore.

We sent our documents to James and he confirmed they would expect us at a certain date and time and reminded us not to be late.

Crossing the shipping lanes, we radioed VTIS  on VHF channel 11 before we  started to cross and they advised us that it was ok to do so, but to keep a sharp lookout.  We also heard them warning other ships that we were crossing and to look out for us. After we had crossed they radioed to advise us not to go through the anchorage, but to get into the main channel that leads to Changi Harbour. This meant a detour, but we had left plenty of time to arrive.

Arrival in Changi

When approaching Changi Buoy (marker), we radioed to advise we were near the sailing club and they confirmed it was ok to go in and a (CSC) man in a yellow skiff was waiting to show us which buoy to take. He didn’t help us pick up the buoy, but they have pick-up lines attached. The Customs/ Immigration authorities had heard us on the radio and the boat was ready to pick us up and take us to clear in. We added fenders to the side of our boat just in case.

We were taken to the ferry terminal and we only had to produce our passports, have our photos taken and fingerprints electronically scanned and then we were allowed to walk back to CSC – about 10 minutes away.

Changi Sailing Club

The club has a ferry service to take you to and from your boat. It runs every day from 08.30 – 20.30. You just call on the radio from your boat.

They have showers on shore and towels available. You can also have a key for a locker, we kept this for the duration of our stay.

The cost for mooring is S$35 a day and then you have to join the club and pay S$10 pp per day. There is a swimming pool, restaurant and a members bar. You get a discount on food and drink of 15% .

Leaving Singapore by Plane

If you wish to leave Singapore by air, then as crew on a boat you will need to request permission and also permission to return.   It’s supposed to be three days before, but we had permission granted within 24 hours. You just need to advise your agent and he will arrange it . Make sure you take the permission paper to the airport as you will be stopped when you try to exit via the electronic gates.

Boat Stamp

If you are buying anything in Singapore and want the GST waved, then they like you to have a boat stamp.

Useful shops in Singapore

Mustafa Centre
Sells everything!
Address: 145 Syed Alwi Road, Singapore – 207704
https://www.mustafa.com.sg

Horme Hardware
Address: 1 Ubi Crescent #01-01
Number One Building, Singapore 408563
https://www.horme.com.sg

Marintech Chandlery
They were very helpful, we didn’t find them to be too expensive.
Address: 101 Kitchener Road #02-14
Jalan Besar Plaza S(208511)
https://marintech.sg

Eng Haut & Co
This is the shop where we took our alternator to get fixed. Unfortunately they said it would be too costly to fix as it was water damaged so they obtained a new one for us. A lot less expensive than in the USA.
Address: 8 Sam Leong Rd, Singapore 207900
http://www.yongfa.com.sg/about-us

Kings Materials
Where we bought new glass (polycarbonate) for our hatches. They would have cut them exactly for us but we just got them to cut them for us and we will recut them ourselves at a later date.
Address: 8 Kaki Bukit Avenue 4, #04-38, Singapore 415875
https://kingsmaterials.com.sg/product/polycarbonate-solid-sheet/

Laundrette
Excellent laundrette, take bus 29 and then walk around the corner or go to Changi village and get bus number 2.
Address; Komo Shoppes, #02-15 963C Upper Changi Road North, Singapore 506790
https://www.komoshoppes.com.sg/tenant/the-good-husband-laundromats-drycleaners/

Clearing Out

The ICA officers work 0700 – 1900. We arranged with our agent to clear out on Sunday at 6pm.  We walked to the ferry terminal and they were expecting us, but we had to ask a few members of staff before they called the ICA officer over. They wanted to see our new electronic Singapore arrival card that we received when we arrived back from India by plane. They took us back to our boat and we stayed on our mooring overnight.

Our agent told us that you are supposed to leave immediately after clearance, but that if you just stay on the mooring until the morning and then leave, then that would be ok, just don’t tell anyone that you are leaving the following day.

When we went to clear out, one of the officers at the ferry terminal said that we just needed to be out within 24 hours.

The ICA officers didn’t say anything about leaving immediately and we didn’t mention it.

We passed 11 Singapore police boats on our way to Pinetree Marina (Malaysia) and no one stopped us.  I suspect that the 24 hour period means that you are ok in Singapore waters. It took us 10 hours to get there, we motor sailed and the tide was with us most of the way until we got near to the bridge that goes to Malaysia.

Charges from the agent were S$700 – this includes the fee for the boat that picks you up when you arrive and the one that brings you back when you have cleared out. We paid cash and left it in an envelope for the agent to collect from CSC reception.

Maria and Allen Wadsworth
SV Jamala

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About the Authors

When we set off from England, we genuinely thought we would be back home after five years with our feet up and the telly on – adventure done and some salty yarns in our repertoire to share with anyone with open ears. So sure were we of our timings, that we drew up our expected dates in each country on a world map for everyone to see at a party at our home six months before we left. According to that map, we should now be on our sofa glaring at a widescreen tv.

Six years on we made it halfway around the world. We have been idling along at less than half speed. If we carry on at this rate, we won’t be back until 2029. But who knows? We certainly don’t. There could be another pandemic; it might be challenging to transit some areas because of political instability, or the weather could become even more unpredictable. Or it might be that we like somewhere so much that we want to stay longer, as with French Polynesia. Or we might get a move on.

We have met people who have taken 20 years to complete their circumnavigation and some who have whizzed around in three. We stand a fair chance of being somewhere between the two. But as long as we enjoy it and can do it, we will continue blundering our way around the world.

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Follow their voyage at:

• www.untilthebuttermelts.com

Other Noonsite Reports from SV Jamala:

• Indonesia:  The Positive and Negatives of Joining a Rally
• Kei Islands to Riau Islands and Stops Along the Way
• Australia, Torres Strait:  Entering Australia at Thursday Island
• Fiji:  Anchorages Update from SV Jamala
• Fiji, Savusavu:  A Relaxed and Friendly Bula Welcome
• Tonga, Vava’u:  Local Customs, Laws and Cruising Options
• Niue:  Visiting the Biggest little Yacht Club in the World
• Pacific Crossing: Farewell to French Polynesia and Bora Bora
• French Polynesia:  Tuamotus, Tahiti and Gambier Islands

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The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not reflect the view of Noonsite.com or World Cruising Club.

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