Two weeks after we visited the Catalina dealer in Sydney early September 2006 I signed the contract and ordered the boat. We were told it would take about 4 to 5 months before the boat would be ready to be shipped to Singapore. After signing the contract we announced that our Jeanneau SO 33 was for sale. Given the quite lull boating market in Singapore we did not expect her to sell quickly, but to our surprise we were ‘boatless’ within two weeks. It must be said (but who is me as the old owner) that she was in an excellent condition.
A last weekend sail on my birthday did bring us to Sebana and two days later she changed hands. Not to some regrets as she has served us very well over the past six and a half years and a good 15.000 miles.
I visited The Netherlands in October and came back to Singapore with a suitcase full of boat articles that are readily available in Netherlands but not locally, or at a much higher price. We got into contact with the Catalina wharf and had some email exchanges with Warren Pandy, the manager, who kept us well informed about the progress of our 387 and patiently answered all questions we had. We could not have experienced better service, and the boat was not even delivered!!! 

Then finally, early January, she was loaded as cargo on the Ro-Ro ‘Tamesis’ of Wallenius Wilhelmsen. We were able to track the voyage of Tamesis on the companies website from Savannah to Singapore via Panama, French Polynesia, New Zealand, Australia. Tamesis arrived in the evening on Wednesday 14 February at Pasir Panjang in Singapore.

On Thursday late afternoon our 387 was transported to Keppel Marina on a low bed trailer, and the next morning a crane put her on solid ground. Work could start. The following pictures give an impression on what was done before she was finally launched and the mast was stepped.  Many thanks to Winston Wang and his staff at Keppel Marina in helping preparing the boat and to Johnny Lim for arranging all paper work.

The boat just off loaded from the low bed trailer, packed in plastic, keel and mast separate

Aircon units were installed in fore peak and in aft cabin. The cabin floor had to be removed for cables and hoses:

The galley got a micro wave:

The keel was epoxied and four layers of copper coat were applied.

Thursday 1 March the keel was mounted. First the keel was put in place, then the boat was lifted and carefully placed over the keel. The top of the keel was bedded in Sikaflex and the boat was lowered till it was sitting on the keel. The excess Sikaflex was squeezed out. Inside the keel bolts were tightened. the excess Sikaflex was removed and a day later the connection between hull and keel were made flush with glass fiber reinforced polyester putty.

The week of 5 March the hull got 3 coats of epoxy (osmosis prevention) and 4 layers of antifouling. The Copper Coat (4 coats) went on nicely, although there are paints that are easier to apply. Also the mast was rigged and the furling system put together. Inside the cabins the shore power sockets were connected, the flexible coupling on the engine was mounted as well as many many other small things. After cleaning over the weekend she was ready to be launched on Monday 12 March, nearly 4 weeks after she arrived.

The boat was lifted and the rudder was mounted. The spar was set without any difficulties.

On 15 march Mei Poh was sailed over to One 15 marina, some 5 miles from Keppel Marina. Work continued inside, and it will take some few weeks more weeks before she is really ready. Just in time for the planned Easter trip to Sebana where she was Christened during a small party with friends.

Her first sail did not disappoint. In some 15 knots of true wind she showed 8 knots on the log on a beam reach and behaved very well in the sometimes choppy sea. More about her sailing and trips on other pages.

As is always with boats, be it new or pre-loved, they never seems to be problem free. There was a whole list of smaller and bigger 'problems', that had to be solved along the first weeks of ownership. Most of them can be categorized as 'bad' workmanship: Clearly some of the workers at the factory did sometimes have an 'off' day. For future owners of 387's a list of smaller and bigger issues, to check when they get their boat.