Has anyone advice on the best route from Singapore to Manila? We are thinking of leaving Singapore in early February for E Malaysia and Kota Kinabalu then up the west coast of Palawan.

There is apparently no port of entry before Manila unless we go overland to Puerta Principessa.

Also concerned that the NE Monsoon wind will be always against us though I have heard it more easterly at this season. What is the availability of diesel and supplies like?

Chris

Graeme F Hay writes:

We in Ketch Skye Melody (LWL25 metres) have NOT been as far as Manila only part way up Vietnamese Eastern Coast, with 3 crossings vis Eastern Malaysia to Cambodia/Thai/Vietnam border and north to Danang.

Singapore to Kota Bahru You will have wind against tide for this part of the trip WITH stiff currents running south – upwards of 2Knts (I assume you will be inside Pulau Sibu, Tinggi and Tioman, do not be put off by the turbid water its from the current, these currents lessen as you approach or are abeam Kuantan, from there the currents slacken until Pulau Tenngol where they tend to swing North West.

I have NOT called at Kota Bahru, passed by very close in and could easily spot the marked channel I have stopped at Songkla (Thailand once) and it is very commercial and not a welcome site due to the “security” problem and MEGA congestion from small fishing boats (You will be very carefully searched at Songkla)

If we are going to Cambodia we often Motor/Sail to Rendang (Very nice) or lay Tenngol also beautiful then set for Condor Reef, wind/ weather conditions permitting. There are many many trawlers and set lines (fishing), These fishing lines and bouys are very frequent, do not feel you need to avoid them as the fishermen have much experience in lines being cut by commercial vessels and these line are thus almost always hung vertically and on the bottom, You only need to keep a lookout for pair trawlers and they WILL SPOT their net for you.

As we have often sailed to this area and thence to Danang be advised as follows

Shipping from Mekong is VERY HEAVY, the Vietnamese have little or NO idea of navigation, Rule 15, in particular, BE AWARE they WILL NOT alter course and are very poorly light at night. I very nearly lost my Skye Melody to one of these morons – Don’t waste time on channel 16 they don’t respond.

Security about the Cambodia/Vietnamese border is very strict with patrol boats often encountered during the day, we never once spotted any at night

Mekong to Danang we sailed this in Dec 1995 and the conditions were excellent flat seas with mild NE to SE winds, we sailed from 3 to 40 miles from coast, being aware of SEVERAL charted reefs and banks (THESE ARE NOT CORRECTLY CHARTED – sometimes as much as 4 miles out of position), however you will sense/feel them due to changed sea swell.

Piracy not encountered although we are very careful near the Thai/Cambodia Border

Fuel MUST be mixed with a biocide as often than not it has been handled many times and stored other than by acceptable methods we filter to 2Mu prior to engine filters and have encountered no other usage problems. Fuel turned to a dark brown/ black and this indicates biological contamination.

TIP if you go to KoKong (Cambodia) and make a “donation – old clothes – bag of rice pens paper etc” to the orphanage. The Tourist office will “facilitate” a pass anywhere in Cambodia.

Lyndon Robeso writes:

I would like to recommend, that if Chris is not in a hurry when he leaves KK he can stop in Mantanani Island that is about 60 miles from KK, then if you’re going thru the west side of Palawan, you can stop in Ulugan Bay. If you have a dinghy you can go ashore don’t worry about the immigration check-in nobody will bother to ask you if you already checked in. You can buy fuel in Ulugan, then from Ulugan, you can stop in Port Barton, you can also buy fuel from Port Barton. You can stop in Liminangkong, this place is between Malampaya sound, you also can anchor in Malampaya, buy fuel in Liminangkong or Elnido which is about 10 miles away from Malampaya. Then from El Nido, you can also go to Linapacan if the wind is really strong you can go thru the small passage between the islets in Linapacan, then Coron, in Coron you can buy fuel. From Coron, you must go thru Tara island, to port, Apo reef to starboard, then pass Calavite passage, hug the Batangas side if you want more shelter. I hope this will help. I do this route whenever the NE wind is very strong, for your information I do this trip every year for more than 10 years already.