Where to go in Singapore
This being my third pass by Singapore we headed straight to Puteri Marina on the Malaysia side. We needed fuel, food and a few things and only wanted to stay a couple of nights. Puteri was the best choice.
Cruisers stopping in the Singapore area have several options, most I had seen last year. One place I hear rave reviews of is 1degree 15 North, a very upscale and modern marina very close to downtown Singapore, I will try it someday. The other options I have tried. Last year we spend three weeks at Raffles Marina on the north side of Singapore Island. This is a very well-run luxurious marina with many amenities, love that pool. Like everything on the Singapore side it is very expensive. The other drawback is that it requires checking into Singapore, another set of customs hurdles or pay the marina one hundred dollars to do it and again to check out to cross the channel to Malaysia.
On the Malaysia side there are two options. Danga Bay is a popular stop; the Sail Malaysia Rally originates there. Last year we stopped by, saw the place and talked to the, less than charming, manager and left. It is dirty, shallow and has little in the way of amenities. It is close to some great shopping and restaurants I hear. I needed fuel and the afore mentioned manager was not very helpful, to say the least. He also gave me misinformation about fuel at Puteri Marina but my opinion of him instantly formed I called to check and found they did have fuel.
That brings us to Puteri Marina in the channel about five miles up from Raffles. Last year we stopped there and were blown away by the friendly staff and service, this year there was only one choice. This is part of a huge, slow going, development which will someday be a shopping center, hotel and new customs center. Today it is a nice marina and a bunch of large buildings under construction, we saw little change from last year.
After the “jerry can delivered in a canoe” program of Indonesia, a real fuel dock is a sight to behold. Puteri has one, sort of. It is a small float loosely attached to a wharf wall and one fuel hose. It is easy to use and the staff jumps to with a couple of guys who do the fueling. It is also cheap, at least a dollar a gallon less than Singapore and fifty cents less than other Malaysian fuel stops. The hose is slow but the fuel is clean.
I began emailing the marina and received friendly returns instantly, “glad to have you back.” When we arrived it was pouring down rain and umbrella toting dock hands rushed to help us. From there the service just got better. They handle all the clearance program for free. Dana, the marina manager, drove July to the store and waited as she shopped. Then, get this, they loaded the provisions in a golf cart and brought them to the boat! I needed a new start battery for the gen and Dana drove to get one and also picked up some other supplies for me. This was so far above anything I had seen it was wonderful. All this and they gave me a 30% discount so the moorage was about $25 dollars a night.
http://puteriharbour.com.my/private_marina.php
We ran into old Indonesian Rally friends, Margaret and Will off of Atlantia and had a great time catching up. With all of our chores done in one day it was good to relax. I rose before dawn and quietly pulled out of the marina headed up the famed Malaka Straights, Thailand is only 470 miles away!
This being my third pass by Singapore we headed straight to Puteri Marina on the Malaysia side. We needed fuel, food and a few things and only wanted to stay a couple of nights. Puteri was the best choice.
Cruisers stopping in the Singapore area have several options, most I had seen last year. One place I hear rave reviews of is 1degree 15 North, a very upscale and modern marina very close to downtown Singapore, I will try it someday. The other options I have tried. Last year we spend three weeks at Raffles Marina on the north side of Singapore Island. This is a very well-run luxurious marina with many amenities, love that pool. Like everything on the Singapore side it is very expensive. The other drawback is that it requires checking into Singapore, another set of customs hurdles or pay the marina one hundred dollars to do it and again to check out to cross the channel to Malaysia.
On the Malaysia side there are two options. Danga Bay is a popular stop; the Sail Malaysia Rally originates there. Last year we stopped by, saw the place and talked to the, less than charming, manager and left. It is dirty, shallow and has little in the way of amenities. It is close to some great shopping and restaurants I hear. I needed fuel and the afore mentioned manager was not very helpful, to say the least. He also gave me misinformation about fuel at Puteri Marina but my opinion of him instantly formed I called to check and found they did have fuel.
That brings us to Puteri Marina in the channel about five miles up from Raffles. Last year we stopped there and were blown away by the friendly staff and service, this year there was only one choice. This is part of a huge, slow going, development which will someday be a shopping center, hotel and new customs center. Today it is a nice marina and a bunch of large buildings under construction, we saw little change from last year.
After the “jerry can delivered in a canoe” program of Indonesia, a real fuel dock is a sight to behold. Puteri has one, sort of. It is a small float loosely attached to a wharf wall and one fuel hose. It is easy to use and the staff jumps to with a couple of guys who do the fueling. It is also cheap, at least a dollar a gallon less than Singapore and fifty cents less than other Malaysian fuel stops. The hose is slow but the fuel is clean.
I began emailing the marina and received friendly returns instantly, “glad to have you back.” When we arrived it was pouring down rain and umbrella toting dock hands rushed to help us. From there the service just got better. They handle all the clearance program for free. Dana, the marina manager, drove July to the store and waited as she shopped. Then, get this, they loaded the provisions in a golf cart and brought them to the boat! I needed a new start battery for the gen and Dana drove to get one and also picked up some other supplies for me. This was so far above anything I had seen it was wonderful. All this and they gave me a 30% discount so the moorage was about $25 dollars a night.
http://puteriharbour.com.my/private_marina.php
We ran into old Indonesian Rally friends, Margaret and Will off of Atlantia and had a great time catching up. With all of our chores done in one day it was good to relax. I rose before dawn and quietly pulled out of the marina headed up the famed Malaka Straights, Thailand is only 470 miles away!