We've been binge watching your channel for the last month to get caught up. Your travels are amazing and we really enjoy you three! (Love to Millie!) You put up the reality of sailing which is so important. We are sailing a tiny 30' sailboat, S/V Incredible, here in the Carquinez Strait and San Francisco bay. Watching for the big ships is one of our main concerns. I can't imagine having so many of them moving around you at once. My most exciting moments aboard involved staying out of the way of ships in the channel. We are subscribed and will be adding to your Patreon list very soon! Fair winds! ~Steffanie and Tim
That looked insanely busy! Nice that the coast guard assisted with the crossing of paths and was a friendly escort none the less! Busy looking chart too.... nice work navigating!
Sailing on the south side of all these channels, on the Indonesian side, and then crossing back over towards the anchorage, I realize now, is how we avoided the traffic and rocky hazards in the area back in 2015. Fun to see you filming the passage through the busiest waterway in the world!
Lived and sailed out of Singapore for five years till 2016 with a British registered yacht. Done both east and west passages many times.. Always used to sail through the anchorages, not in the shipping lanes. Never been hailed by the coast guard. Maybe they knew that we were Singapore resident from our AIS but I doubt it. Your experience wass quite different.
Wow, I guess it's a good thing that the coast guard runs such a tight ship there since it's so busy. I can see how one or two vessels not toeing the line could wreak havoc. Hope you three are well and enjoying your secluded anchorage!
[Liz] We were surprised at the number of coast guard and naval boats were patrolling. And they certainly let quite a few ships know when they were in the wrong. We were lucky as they were very kind to us.
A great adventure. Do you ever worry about your safety? Do boaters from foreign countries have any difficulties in this part of the world. Thank you for sharing this incredible journey.
[Liz] Safety is at the forefront of every sailor's mind, I'd say. We try to avoid dangerous situations by following charts, using our eyes and maintaining equipment. There are no difficulties peculiar to foreign-flagged vessels in this part of the world, every vessel has to contend with the same conditions. Peace and fair winds!
Very nice dedication. I love that area, one of my favorite ports. Singapore is a very neat city, but very crowded. None of my non-sailing friends believe me when i tell them how crazy busy the shipping traffic is. Great job Navigating all that!
Hey guys great to see y'all, watching your video and taking a break. We've been cleaning up after Hurricane Irma, thanks for sharing. From your fans here in central Florida smooth sailing.
Esper looks like an Austin Mini driving through an interstate truck stop! Didn't see any other "yachties" as you call them. Which way did they go? Whatever possessed you to play with the big toys? I sail for the solitude and that didn't look relaxing. I'm glad you made it though,and looking forward to better scenery and quieter adventures.
[Liz] It's not our favourite type of place to sail, either! But we had no alternative if we wanted to get to true peace and tranquillity in the Anambas islands. Keep watching the episodes and you'll see what I mean. ;)
Can you show on a map the exact position where you anchored? It seems so amazing to arrive in Singapore by boat ..... I like you both very much. Baci from italia
[Liz] Thank you, we wanted to show viewers exactly what to expect the first time they transit this area. When we go back the other way, we'll video it again!
Aaah too bad I am living in Tanjungpinang and cross this channel once a month to go to Singapore! Next time drop,to Tanjungpinang it is in Indonesia so not sure what are the issue of boat entry! Safe journey and good sailing!
Thanks for the vid. Laughed out loud at the brief view of the hilariously named "Ocean Princess", which could be a star in the annuls of filthy, decrepit, marine junk. The only 2 sailing vessel vids I have watched concerning their travails through the Singaporian waters were yours and Delos. Both portrayed a passage through busy and crowded waters. I didn't observe a close call in either video as radar, AIS, appropriate vigilance, and adroit seamanship made the passage safe. Has there been a history of small sailing vessels being involved in collisions or being rammed and sunk by large, fast commercial traffic? Ray
[Liz] Yes, I watched the Delos vid too! As far as I know there's no history of small sailing vessels getting into trouble here. I think everyone is on high alert when they go through. Peace and fair winds!
7:20 Looks like an LNG tanker, they say that if one of those blew up in the English Channel you would hear it in London, you look a bit close to me. 9:51... well if it did blow up you would not have known about it.
[Liz] It was tiring! I think the first time is the worst, I'm hoping it will be better going back now that we know what to expect. If we made a night crossing I think we'd just stay on the shipping lane periphery. But it's going through the anchorages which was probably more intense - all kinds of vessels coming at all kinds of angles!
[Liz] Yes, the Dover Strait has more ships through it in a day, but I'd suggest the concentration of ships is far greater in the Singapore Strait. Jamie has sailed both and says the Singapore Strait was far more intense than the Channel. You make a good point, though, and we should have made this clearer.
Is the Nationality flag you display in your rigging really a smiley face on a blue background? What kind reaction does it bring, particularly from authorities.
I can't help but laugh a bit at so many of the comments for this video. Passing through the Singapore Strait is NOT dangerous, nor is it difficult. Does it require 100% of your attention? Yes, of course! Is doing the passage during daylight smarter for first-timers? Yes, of course. But I've lived here - as a regular sailor - for nearly 30 years and have sailed and motored the Singapore Strait probably 50 or 60 times, west-to-east/east-to-west, and never once encountered a "scary" or dangerous moment, a close-call, or one that would call for swift, evasive movement or anything of that nature. Long before chart-plotters and AIS were common we used to do it with a paper chart in our lap and eyes on a compass. Common sense, a good eye on shoreline detail and channel/nav markers and it's a piece of cake! It's all very well organised and nothing is moving very quickly so staying clear of any potential collisions is quite simple. Your use of "chaos and carnage" to describe the Singapore Strait at the end of the video was more than a little over-stated mate. Anyway...I'll step off my soap box now. Happy sailing guys!
[Liz] For 50th or 60th timers, I get that it is "a piece of cake". But for anyone doing this for the first time, even seasoned sailors like us, there is a certain level of concentration you have to employ. Our reason for devoting one episode to this passage was to give others an insight into what to expect. As you say, you need "common sense, a good eye on shoreline detail and channel/nav markers", which is good advice for all sailing situations. I would still say that this is a challenging area to sail and should not be taken lightly.
I can see why singapor was first in mandatory ais. Thats a disgusting looking place. I will be sure to avoid singapor forever. Funny how it sounds so exotic but in reality its a hell hole. Expensive i hear as well and i guess you avoided it too? Looks like you have a lot of smoke or vog down there.
Isky Hassan yes i really should just go have a look cause clearly the footage shows just the ocean bits. But unfortunately i am still in thailand doing my 9 month long 60,000 mile refit .
Disgusting looking place? Hell hole?! Have you ever been to Singapore? Some call Singapore one of the most beautiful cities in Asia - I do. It is most certainly the cleanest, most organised and having the lowest crime rate - by a long, long way - of any SE Asian nation. You should actually experience a country before passing judgement, don't you think?
[Liz] We didn't make it to Singapore, mainly because we were trying to get to the South China Seas in a hurry. It does seem expensive to berth a yacht, but we'd love to visit at some point (maybe berth in Malaysia at Sabana Cove and take the ferry across). The viz wasn't good because of the weather, but once it cleared it was beautiful!
We've been binge watching your channel for the last month to get caught up. Your travels are amazing and we really enjoy you three! (Love to Millie!) You put up the reality of sailing which is so important. We are sailing a tiny 30' sailboat, S/V Incredible, here in the Carquinez Strait and San Francisco bay. Watching for the big ships is one of our main concerns. I can't imagine having so many of them moving around you at once. My most exciting moments aboard involved staying out of the way of ships in the channel. We are subscribed and will be adding to your Patreon list very soon! Fair winds! ~Steffanie and Tim
[Liz] Hey you two, thank you so much for coming aboard our Patreon crew! And thanks for your first comment on our Patreon page. :) xx
You conveyed the 'minnow amongst the giants' brilliantly - lots of keen eyeballing, analysis and decision making required.👍⛵️
[Liz] That's it in one!
Very nice tribute...mentioning the USS John McCain loss. Thank you.
[Liz] You're very weldome.
I was out fishing right in front of Raffles Lighthouse..
Great video. Safe sailing and journey.
Take care!
That looked insanely busy! Nice that the coast guard assisted with the crossing of paths and was a friendly escort none the less! Busy looking chart too.... nice work navigating!
[Liz] Crazy busy indeed! The coast guard were sweet to us, but much more unfriendly towards big ships which strayed!
The sheer volume of shipping there was mind blowing. Glad to see you thread the needle safely.
[Liz] I like the threading the needle metaphor.
Sailing on the south side of all these channels, on the Indonesian side, and then crossing back over towards the anchorage, I realize now, is how we avoided the traffic and rocky hazards in the area back in 2015. Fun to see you filming the passage through the busiest waterway in the world!
[Liz] Yes, we considered that, but decided to save time by making life difficult for ourselves!! Haha!
Love what u do..
Did it too last week there as boat passanger lol n excited wth lots of ships and tankers coming from everywhere! ❤️🇸🇬🇲🇾
Chaps, I really get such pleasure watching your blog, thank you.
[Liz] And we really appreciate you telling us, thank you!
Madness, but it looks like Millie handled it well.
[Liz] She never stopped working, don't know where we'd be without her!
Great Video, brings back fond memories of navigating the straits on the way to Tioman each weekend.
[Liz] It was worth it to get to Tioman!
Great insight into sailing/motoring through busy shipping lanes, love the time lapse stuff, bit disappointed in Millie not pulling her weight!
..she was doing her job making sure nobody sneaked (snuck?) up from behind. Good job Millie! 🤙
[Liz] Haha! She did well...
[Liz] We hoped to give viewers an idea of what to expect if they come this way... Thanks for the comment!
Lived and sailed out of Singapore for five years till 2016 with a British registered yacht. Done both east and west passages many times.. Always used to sail through the anchorages, not in the shipping lanes. Never been hailed by the coast guard. Maybe they knew that we were Singapore resident from our AIS but I doubt it. Your experience wass quite different.
[Liz] We thought security might have been heightened because the world's eye was on Singapore after the McCain disaster...
Wow, I guess it's a good thing that the coast guard runs such a tight ship there since it's so busy. I can see how one or two vessels not toeing the line could wreak havoc. Hope you three are well and enjoying your secluded anchorage!
[Liz] We were surprised at the number of coast guard and naval boats were patrolling. And they certainly let quite a few ships know when they were in the wrong. We were lucky as they were very kind to us.
Interesting part of the world, and busy! You did well ;-) thanks for another goodie!
[Liz] Cheers!
Nail biting episode! Millie seemed to cope quite well!
[Liz] She's good under stress.
Really liked today's video, peaceful,,,,,,,highly stressful,,,,,,peaceful.
Cheerz
[Liz] Haha! That's about it!
Thanks for sharing. Glad you had decent weather and good visibility.
[Liz] Yes, we were lucky with the weather!
Love the description of overnight and the noise from other ships, I assume it was a comfort noise.
Gogs if
[Liz] Kinda...
A great adventure. Do you ever worry about your safety? Do boaters from foreign countries have any difficulties in this part of the world. Thank you for sharing this incredible journey.
[Liz] Safety is at the forefront of every sailor's mind, I'd say. We try to avoid dangerous situations by following charts, using our eyes and maintaining equipment. There are no difficulties peculiar to foreign-flagged vessels in this part of the world, every vessel has to contend with the same conditions. Peace and fair winds!
Very nice dedication. I love that area, one of my favorite ports. Singapore is a very neat city, but very crowded. None of my non-sailing friends believe me when i tell them how crazy busy the shipping traffic is. Great job Navigating all that!
[Liz] Next time they don't believe you, show them this!
Hey guys great to see y'all, watching your video and taking a break. We've been cleaning up after Hurricane Irma, thanks for sharing. From your fans here in central Florida smooth sailing.
[Liz] That sounded pretty terrible. Feeling for you all over there. Peace and fair winds!
Well done for taking that in your stride !
[Liz] Little tip toe steps might be more accurate for me, Jamie was pretty cool, and Millie was comatose.
you both have Balls of steel! well done. best wishes from me x
[Liz] Millie's are ball bearings.
Great music choice guys.
[Liz] Thank you, that means a lot. Music is right up there in the importance quota when it comes to our editing.
Esper looks like an Austin Mini driving through an interstate truck stop! Didn't see any other "yachties" as you call them. Which way did they go? Whatever possessed you to play with the big toys? I sail for the solitude and that didn't look relaxing.
I'm glad you made it though,and looking forward to better scenery and quieter adventures.
[Liz] It's not our favourite type of place to sail, either! But we had no alternative if we wanted to get to true peace and tranquillity in the Anambas islands. Keep watching the episodes and you'll see what I mean. ;)
Great episode!
[Liz] Thank you so much! It was an exhausting day, and Jamie relived it all again when he made the edit, haha!
Great video. More like this please!!!
[Liz] We film what we do, so if we do more of this we'll film it!
Can you show on a map the exact position where you anchored? It seems so amazing to arrive in Singapore by boat .....
I like you both very much.
Baci from italia
[Liz] We didn't anchor in Singapore. We skirted the island and ended up anchored off the Malaysian coast, around:
1° 23.121'N 104° 5.827' E
Nice video , shame you couldn’t stop over at Changi Sailing club. Hope you visit Aseania resort at Pulau Babi Besar on the way up the coast
[Liz] Keep watching for our continued passage north and east... Peace and fair winds!
You did an awesome job , safe sailing!
[Liz] Thank you, we wanted to show viewers exactly what to expect the first time they transit this area. When we go back the other way, we'll video it again!
I found myself holding my breath a few times during this video. Quite stressful just watching. Happy you made it through without incident.
[Liz] Me too! Thanks for the comment. :)
Could you share what setting you use for the time lapse? E,g frequency as in seconds between shots. Thanks! Always love your vlogs!
[Liz] Almost all our timelapses are one frame for every two seconds. Sometimes we speed them up in editing to fit a timeframe, or go with the music.
yea I read about the ship crash, so sad to hear. Amazing how busy it can be - wow!
Always good to have a "cat scan" of the traffic patterns...
Aaah too bad I am living in Tanjungpinang and cross this channel once a month to go to Singapore! Next time drop,to Tanjungpinang it is in Indonesia so not sure what are the issue of boat entry! Safe journey and good sailing!
[Liz] We may do that next time!
Just out of interest what did a millimeter on your plotter convert to in nautical miles/cables/meters inside the harbour limits?
[Liz] We were zooming in and out all the time, so it's difficult to answer this. Maybe 10 meters?
Thanks for that. Cheers and always look forward to your excellent episodes.
At least they had the manners to escort you thru the danger...
[Liz] They were very polite to us, but a lot of other ships were given serious warnings!
Thanks for the vid. Laughed out loud at the brief view of the hilariously named "Ocean Princess", which could be a star in the annuls of filthy, decrepit, marine junk. The only 2 sailing vessel vids I have watched concerning their travails through the Singaporian waters were yours and Delos. Both portrayed a passage through busy and crowded waters. I didn't observe a close call in either video as radar, AIS, appropriate vigilance, and adroit seamanship made the passage safe. Has there been a history of small sailing vessels being involved in collisions or being rammed and sunk by large, fast commercial traffic? Ray
[Liz] Yes, I watched the Delos vid too! As far as I know there's no history of small sailing vessels getting into trouble here. I think everyone is on high alert when they go through. Peace and fair winds!
That is a lot of big ships..
[Liz] Bloody loads of 'em!
that was awesome
+Raphael Gushtaspi [Liz] Haha! Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for taking the time to comment. Peace and fair winds!
Why no stop in Singapore?
[Liz] Way too expensive for us! We'll try to visit by road/air at some point though... :)
I suppose Singapore is an expensive country, but I recommend a visit when you can - even a couple of days.
7:20 Looks like an LNG tanker, they say that if one of those blew up in the English Channel you would hear it in London, you look a bit close to me. 9:51... well if it did blow up you would not have known about it.
[Liz] Ain't that the truth.
What a stressful day. That's not a passage I would undertake as a night crossing. Sleep well sailors.
Peace.
[Liz] It was tiring! I think the first time is the worst, I'm hoping it will be better going back now that we know what to expect. If we made a night crossing I think we'd just stay on the shipping lane periphery. But it's going through the anchorages which was probably more intense - all kinds of vessels coming at all kinds of angles!
Hi guys I'm looking for cheoy Lee ketch 45 to 53 project is okay to if you know any please let me know
2:15 I like this video already, it's going to be interesting, real life on the high seas.
[Liz] Yup! This is how it happened...
3:54 This reminds me of Lagos, Nigeria in about 1974/5, google the great Nigerian cement scandal.
[Liz] Thanks for that!
its the 2nd busiest shipping lane. the first is the English channel, i would have thought you knew that being sailors from England.
[Liz] Yes, the Dover Strait has more ships through it in a day, but I'd suggest the concentration of ships is far greater in the Singapore Strait. Jamie has sailed both and says the Singapore Strait was far more intense than the Channel.
You make a good point, though, and we should have made this clearer.
on another point, i only know what the mainstream media tell me and they are bias... british is best... biggest, busiest. you kow how it is
+jayandjade dillon [Liz] Yeah, I think most countries are the same!
Is the Nationality flag you display in your rigging really a smiley face on a blue background? What kind reaction does it bring, particularly from authorities.
[Liz] It is! So far, in 11 years, no-one in authority has mentioned it...only other cruisers. ;)
Madi Larson singing sounds like the young lady that did vocals for People Press Play..?
Bloody hell.... the m35 on a Monday morning.
[Liz] Yep, just what we thought.
Your kitty doesn't care a dead mouse about all the big ships.
[Liz] Nothing phases her ;)
That is John McCain the third. The current John McCain.
I can't help but laugh a bit at so many of the comments for this video. Passing through the Singapore Strait is NOT dangerous, nor is it difficult. Does it require 100% of your attention? Yes, of course! Is doing the passage during daylight smarter for first-timers? Yes, of course. But I've lived here - as a regular sailor - for nearly 30 years and have sailed and motored the Singapore Strait probably 50 or 60 times, west-to-east/east-to-west, and never once encountered a "scary" or dangerous moment, a close-call, or one that would call for swift, evasive movement or anything of that nature. Long before chart-plotters and AIS were common we used to do it with a paper chart in our lap and eyes on a compass. Common sense, a good eye on shoreline detail and channel/nav markers and it's a piece of cake! It's all very well organised and nothing is moving very quickly so staying clear of any potential collisions is quite simple. Your use of "chaos and carnage" to describe the Singapore Strait at the end of the video was more than a little over-stated mate. Anyway...I'll step off my soap box now. Happy sailing guys!
[Liz] For 50th or 60th timers, I get that it is "a piece of cake". But for anyone doing this for the first time, even seasoned sailors like us, there is a certain level of concentration you have to employ.
Our reason for devoting one episode to this passage was to give others an insight into what to expect. As you say, you need "common sense, a good eye on shoreline detail and channel/nav markers", which is good advice for all sailing situations.
I would still say that this is a challenging area to sail and should not be taken lightly.
What a shitfight.
I can see why singapor was first in mandatory ais. Thats a disgusting looking place. I will be sure to avoid singapor forever. Funny how it sounds so exotic but in reality its a hell hole. Expensive i hear as well and i guess you avoided it too? Looks like you have a lot of smoke or vog down there.
Isky Hassan yes i really should just go have a look cause clearly the footage shows just the ocean bits. But unfortunately i am still in thailand doing my 9 month long 60,000 mile refit .
Disgusting looking place? Hell hole?! Have you ever been to Singapore? Some call Singapore one of the most beautiful cities in Asia - I do. It is most certainly the cleanest, most organised and having the lowest crime rate - by a long, long way - of any SE Asian nation. You should actually experience a country before passing judgement, don't you think?
[Liz] We didn't make it to Singapore, mainly because we were trying to get to the South China Seas in a hurry. It does seem expensive to berth a yacht, but we'd love to visit at some point (maybe berth in Malaysia at Sabana Cove and take the ferry across). The viz wasn't good because of the weather, but once it cleared it was beautiful!