Episode two – plain sailing in the Singapore Straits ...
Finally, we are safely on board – try boarding a big cat from a small dinghy on a surging sea in pitch dark with five weeks’ luggage, albeit minimal. But, hey, we are sailing!
And so our voyage of discovery starts in the Singapore Straits, said to be the busiest shipping lane in the world. We are well used to dodging the MV Finlaggan, squiffy Scottish Series sailors and the odd sneaky lobster pot, but this is giant ships in their hundreds surrounded by frantic fishermen and kamikaze crazies. Mental.
Somehow we navigated our way through the Spaghetti Junction of the sea and made it round the corner. Some of our fellow adventurers were not so lucky. Two got their props chewed up with unmarked nets (which entails getting off the boat and into the busiest shipping lane in the world to manually free them, then pay off the furious fishermen, possibly with crocodiles all around). And two others were assailed by the Singapore military for getting too close to shore and got their marching orders – possibly at gunpoint but I may be adding melodrama.
Once clear of the slings and arrows of the Singapore Straits, it was plain sailing to our first port of call. Except for the road bridge over the river separating Singapore from Malaysia.
The pilot book says it is 25m at high water. Some Facebook wit has already commented on its remarkable similarity to the Erskine Bridge.
But we’ve sailed under the Scottish version. This is not only the main highway from Malaysia to Singapore, it’s much, much lower. Gulp.
Our substantial catamaran has a mast 24 metres tall – close enough to have all four of us holding our breath for longer than is recommended for your average 60-something-year-old. Once again we have lived to tell the tale and now happily tied up in Puteri Harbour.
With a gin and tonic and not a Singapore Sling in sight. Happy days.
Next: The Malacca Straits – most dangerous passage in the world? We’ll sea!