Pilot books

1. Cruising Guide To Southeast Asia,  by Stephan Davies & Elaine Morgan
   Imray Laurie None & Wilson Ltd. Wych House, The Broadway. St Ives Cambridgehire, England.
   Volume 1. South China Sea, Philippines to Singapore. ISBN 0-85288-296-3
   Volume 2. Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, Singapore & the Malacca Strait to Phuket ISBN 85288-378-1

2. Malacca Straits. Cruising Guide. LATITUDE ONE Publishing, 2000. Singapore.

3. SAIL Thailand. (Volume 4, 2002) ARTASIA PRESS, Bangkok 2002

Note that Google Earth can sometimes provide quite useful information about your destination.

Important VHF channels in Singapore waters:
Search & rescue: 16, 07, 70 (DSC)
Distress communication: 16, 07, 10, 12, 14, 21, 22, 68, 73
Immigration: 74. Call 'Changi immigration' at Changi and 'Western immigration' in Sisters Fairway.

Changi Sailing Club: 77 (http://www.csc.org.sg/ , (01.53.00N, 103.58.71E)
Keppel Marina: -- (http://www.marinakeppelbay.com/home.asp , (1.16.00M, 103.48.50E)
ONE15 marina: 77 (http://www.one15marina.com/new/index.htm ,( 1.14.50N, 103.50.40E)
Punggol Marina: 77(http://www.countryclubs.com/ponggol-marina.php (1.25.02N,103.54.03E)
Raffles Marina: 77 (http://www.rafflesmarina.com.sg/ , (01.20.53N, 103.38.22E)
Republic of Singapore Yacht Club: 77 (http://www.rsyc.org.sg/ , (01.17.60, 103.45.70E)
SAF Yacht Club: 77 (http://www.safyc.org.sg/ , (Sembawang 01.28.28N, 103.49.18E;  Changi 1.19.00N, 104.01.00E)

Sebana Cove Marina.
Safe passage to Sebana Cove Marina ( http://www.sebanacove.com/, position 1.24.80N, 104.09.60E, Johor)
In the mouth of the 'Sungai Santi, the river leading to Sebana Cove Marina, is a sandbar (stretching from 1 to 2 miles NE of ‘Merlin’), with a chartered depth of 1.7 meter. The deepest ‘channel’ towards the entrance is a COG of 45 – 47 degrees from the isolated danger mark ‘Merlin’ (1.22.80N, 104.05.00E). It is wise to not enter the river if your draft exceeds 2 meter on a falling tide from 2 h before low water onwards till 2 h after low water. Note that low water in the river mouth is about 5 minutes before low water Singapore (Tanjong Pagar) and is slightly lower. The first mile east of ‘Merlin’ there can be a strong cross current, so watch your COG.

The river itself is generally deep up to the marina but keep to the middle just before you arrive at the marina as there are two shallow spots. Call the marina before entering (VHF 71, call sign 'Sebana Cove Marina') to announce your arrival and to get a berth. Staff will be assisting you on the pontoon upon arrival. 

Sebana Cove Marina is worth the visit and it is one of the places we regular sail to. The atmosphere is relax, the staff friendly, the swimming pool nice and cool and the food in the restaurant is good. You can rent a bike or just go on a discovery tour in your dinghy on the river with its many side arms. Sebana organizes evening trips to watch fire flies. Beware of mosquitoes!

You can rent a taxi to visit the nearby village for shopping or an excellent sea food dinner.

Port Dickson.
Safe passage into Port Dickson’s Admiral Marina (http://www.admiralmarina.com, 02.28.75N, 101.50.40E) West of the marina are shallow spots and submerged rocks and some care has to be taken to safely reach the marina (see picture):
Coming from the north follow the following way points: Fairway buoy (02.29.50N, 101.43.00E), PD North Channel (02.30.00N, 101.48.00E), west of marina entrance (02.28.75N,101.49.25E) and then proceed to the marina.

Coming from the south round Tanjung Tuan or Cape Rachardo (02.25.50N, 101.50.40E), then proceed to 02.25.75N, 101.50.95E), then 02.28.42N, 101.49.73E to finally turn east into the marina. These waypoints were provided by Admiral Marina.

VHF channel of the marina is 14. The very friendly staff is there to assist you in all matters. If you need immigration, they will do it for you. 

Port Klang.
If you are sailing the Malacca Straits and want to stop in Port Klang, you could moor at the Royal Selangor Yacht Club, located up the Klang river (http://www.rsyc.com.my/). Beware of shallow spots! The river has a very strong current and mooring is not very pleasant due to current and traffic (choppy). If you do not need to go onshore and want a quiet well protected anchorage, a good place to stop is in between the islands Pulau Che Mat Zin and Pulau Pintu Gedong at 2.55.11N, 101.15.71E. Another possibility is to enter the Klang River towards the South Port and drop anchor at 3.00.00N and 101.22.70E in about 4 meters of water. The current can be strong but the holding in the muddy bottom is good. The current in the Klang River can be quite strong and it makes sense to plan the passage with a favorable current.

Pulau Pangkor.
Pulau Pangkor is located in between Port Klang and Penang and is a good overnight stop for those who prefer not to sail at night. The best anchorage is in between Pulau Pangkor Laut and Pulau Pangkor (way point 4.12.60N, 100.3300E). You can drop anchor in 3 to 9 meters water and are quite well protected except for a south east wind. Try to drop anchor as far as possible to the north-west to have reasonable protection in case of a Westerly. Also watch the prohibited area (underwater cables). You can approach the anchorage from the west (stay clear from the rocks on port side) or from the east.
Other anchorages at Pulau Pangkor are the two bays on the western coast. The most southern bay (4.14.50N,100.32.30E)has two shallow spots in the south, so keep to the northern part of that bay. The northern bay (4.15.20N,100.32.60E) has 4 to 8 meters deep water all over the bay. Holding is good, but beware that the swell in these bays can be quite unpleasant and the protection in case of a westerly is minimal. The northern bay has a resort with swimming pool and a very good restaurant. You are welcome but you have to buy a day ticket to be able to make use of the facilities. A fishing village is at walking distance and you can buy fuel there (they will deliver to the resort.
You can also enter Lumut (east of Pangkor), which has a small marina ( phone:+60 56837800) past the naval base on starboard. As there is a bank between Pangkor and Lumut and you have to stay west of that (prohibited area). It is advisable to have a detailed chart to get safely into the marina. Continuing up the River just opposite the prominent flour mill is a branch in the river where the new Perak Yacht Club (04º16.3'N 100º42'E) is located.
Lumut has quite some services as it is an important fishing and navy harbor.

Penang.
We seldom stop at Penang as the possibilities are not very good. It is also quite a detour when on the way to or from Langkawi. We prefer to pass Penang on the west side. If passing it on the east, the north eastern part has a (new) marina, which can, however, be quite choppy as the ferry terminal is very close. The marina (Tanjong City marina) is located at 05.24.90N, 100.20.70E) and can be called on VHF 68 ( www.tgctmarina.com ). A restaurant and showers are quite close and it is walking distance into George Town. You can also drop anchor nearby, but again quite choppy because of the ferries.
Another anchorage is on the SE point of the island at 5.16.00N, 100.17.90E, just outside the channel (hardly traffic) and west of the red can and isolated danger mark . It is good holding in mud.

Langkawi. Langkawi has been many times the destination for our sails. It is a perfect area to spent many days. It is cheap (tax free) and has good facilities that are so much cheaper than in Singapore and the quality of workmanship is generally comparable. There are several marinas in Langkawi and countless nice anchorages that are all well described in pilot books like for example Sail Thailand, Vol 4, 2002 (Artasia Press, Bangkok, 2002).
The location of the marinas and contact details (all VHF 69) are:
Royal Langkawi Yacht Club (Kuah, http://www.langkawiyachtclub.com/)
Rebak Marina (island NW of Langkawi, regular (cheap) ferries to main island, http://www.rebakmarina.com/. Rebak has haul out facilities (see useful links)
Telaga Marina (in the NW corner of the Langkawi ( http://www.telagaharbour.com/)
Please note that the anchorage behind the breakwater at Langkasutra is not in use anymore!

Two anchorages in Langkawi stand out. One is the 'Hole in the Wall',  a channel/river (Sungai Kilim)  in the north-eastern part of Langkawi. located between the main island and Pulau Langgun. Once you have entered the channel you are surrounded by high cliffs and mangroves and you can go a few miles in. It is a very safe anchorage (but heavy fouling) and there is a restaurant (Ramat's restaurant) that serves you a perfect seafood dinner! The local chart distributor (stationary shop next to BayView Hotel in Jln Pandak Mayah) in Kuah  has a sketch  (RM10) that will pilot you safely into the 'hole'. From the north you sail eastwards in Selat Cinc till position 6.28.80N, 5551.00E) and then sail COG 160. After passing a small stretch of shallow water (2 to 3 meters) you enter a deeper channel (5 to10 m) that brings you till the entrance of the wall. From the north you sail along P Langgun (keep to the east where is the deeper water till you reach the entrance of the hole (6.25.60M, 99.52.20E) and turn in.
Another beautiful and very protected anchorage is near Pulau Buntung east of Pulau Gubang Darat (6.11.20N, 99.47.20E). You can enter the narrow channel between P Gubang Darat and P Dayang Buntung from the north of the south. The channel is every where 6 to 10 meter deep The limestone rocks are just next to you boat on both sides!

Phuket area. Also the Phuket area is well documented in pilot books and not much can be added to for example the information found in Sail Thailand, Vol 4, 2002 (Artasia Press, Bangkok, 2002). Phuket has 3 marinas and a number of bays that provide perfect anchorages for both seasons. The marinas are:
http://www.phuketboatlagoon.com/ (Boat Lagoon, mid east in Phuket, VHF 71 or 67)
http://www.royalphuketmarina.com/ (Royal Phuket marina, just before Boat Lagoon, mid east in Phuket, VHF 79)
http://www.yacht-haven-phuket.com/ (Yacht haven NE in Phuket, VHF 68).
The entrance to Boat lagoon and Royal Phuket Marina is very shallow and the marinas can not be reached at low tide. If you are not familiar with the entrance, call the marina and they will guide you in. Yacht haven is better in that respect, but it is quite far up north and there are lost of fishing sticks in the water. Boat Lagoon hosts a few companies that do repair work, painting, rigging etc. Boat lagoon is not cheap but workmanship is generally very good. The coffee shop in the marina serves a good breakfast!

Nongsa Point Marina.
Nongsa Point Marina on Batam (http://www.nongsapointmarina.com/) is quite a nice place to sail to as once you are south of the TSS of the Singapore Straits you have unobstructed sailing. Over the years the place became less popular, partly due to visa regulations. Citizen of many countries need a visa, to enter Indonesia, but now you can get a visa on arrival, which makes sailing to Nongsa less of a hassle.  Late 2007 the marina was upgraded (open again in Feb 2008) and the breakwater extended, which makes the marina during the NE monsoon a much better place to be than it was. The entrance to the marina is east of the ferry entrance (there are four beacons marking the entrance of the ferry (the two west beacons) and the marina (the two east beacons) and best is to use position 1.12.202N, 104.05.777E as a waypoint to enter the marina on a COG of 165. Beware of a sometimes strong cross-current. There are reefs east of the entrance, which are sometimes but not always (!!) marked.

Pulau Sibu.
Pulau Sibu is the most southern island of the East Malaysian islands (with Tioman as the main island). A good anchorage near the island is in a northern bay at 2.14.00N,104.03.47E. The bottom is sandy and has a good holding. The anchorage is reasonable protected against 'westerlies' as long as you go deep enough into the bay. Beware, however, that there are reefs quite close to the coast. On shore is a resort with a nice bar and restaurant. Another anchorage is on the NE coast of the island at 2.13.70N, 104.04.20E. Also here a resort is just close.

Pulau Tingi.
Pulau Tingi (Malay for tall) has a good anchorage on the east side of the island. When approaching the island from the west  depths becomes about 3-4 meter quite far from the coast and stays like that till close to the beach. Anchor at 217.00N,10406.85, not far from the jetty. The resort on the island was deserted when we visited Tingi in 2006. There are quite some fishing boats moored at the anchorage, and you could also pick up a mooring buoy. However, beware that they are not all safe. The anchorage is not protected in case of a Westerly.

Pulau Rawa. For us Pulau Rawa is the pearl of the islands together with 'Monkey Island' (see below).  Anchor at 2.31.00N and 103.58.60E on a sandy bottom in about 5 meters of water. In front of you the jetty and the view of a nice white sandy beach. There are two resorts on the island, The one south of the jetty is frequented mostly by young people and the parties on the beach are sometimes loud. The bar has an excellent lime juice! The resort north of the jetty is a family resort that serves most of the time buffet dinner. The island is not cheap.

Pulau Babi Besar. On the way north from Tingi to Rawa you would pass Pulau Babi Besar on the west side if you would like to stop for lunch or the night. We have anchored at 2.27.02N, 103.58.17E and at 2.25.26N, 103.59,10E) in about 5 meters of water. The a\anchorage is not protected from the west and depending on wind there can be quite a nasty swell. There are resorts on the island but we never visited them.

Pulau Aur. In Pulau Aur you pick up a mooring buoy in between the two islands (Pulau Aur and Pulau Dayang). You will have to pay for the mooring. the water is crystal clear and fish is all around your boat. The diving resorts on Dayang are quite crowded over weekends and public holidays and parties with loud music go on till early morning, reason for us to avoid the island during weekends. You can climb up the hills on both islands top see your tiny boat moored in between. Nice!!

Pulau Tioman. If you have to do port clearance and immigration you must be at Tekek. There is a new small marina just south of Tekek jetty, but you can also drop anchor at 2.49.20N, 104.09.00E and take dinghy to the shore. Both immigration, customs and port clearance are at the jetty (2007) and paperwork is done within some 15 minutes. It is expected that all paperwork can be done at the marina in 2008.
The marina is relatively small and narrow, and beware of sudden gusts (katabatic and/or anabatic winds). Quite unpleasant when you are just about to go alongside!! There are a few shops near the jetty and the airport and note that Tioman is, like Langkawi, a tax free island!. If you drop anchor and go ashore, there is a small local resort where you can rent a room for a few hours to take shower. the lady is very nice and helpful and they also serve a reasonable lunch or dinner!
There are a two shops in Tekek that also sell petrol and diesel (in jerry cans) as long as the amount is reasonable. They deliver to the marina. Beware that the fuel might need some filtering before filling your tank.

If you don't want to stay at Tekek after clearance, just sail to Monkey island (Pulau Tulai, 2.54.80N, 104.06.20E) if you still have 2 hours before dark and stay there overnight. The bay at Monkey island is perfect for snorkeling and is, specially after 5 when the tourists are gone, like paradise.
Along the west coast of Tioman are several resorts and jetties with places to anchor or to pick up a mooring buoy. We have stayed a few times at Berjaya jetty (about a mile south of Tekek, moorings) and at Paya Beach (mooring). If you go ashore at Paya Beach there are restaurants and a  can take a nice walk to a small waterfall in the forest. refreshing!. There are more places south of Paya Beach but we never tried it.
On the eastern side of Tioman the coast is rocky and not suitable to anchor, except at Juara (2.47.40N, 104.12.60E). You can anchor in the bay or pick up a mooring buoy that is not used by a local boat. From Juara you can take a walk uphill (about 1 h) to the waterfall (nice cold and refreshing water after the steep clime). The waterfall you can also reached from Tekek. In Juara are a few shops where you can buy groceries.

Jason Bay. On the way to Tioman from Singapore,. you can stop overnight and anchor at Jason Bay (1.52.00N, 104.08.00E). However, depending on the draft of your vessel you can not go in deep enough into the bay to get real protection from the elements and the anchorage might be rough, depending on wind conditions. The holding is, however, good.

Kampung Kong Kong (Laut). About 5 miles north of Pulau Tekong on the west banks of the Johor River, Kampung Kong Kong is located. Beware of a shallow at the entrance and once between the main land and P Juling, keep as much north as possible because of the many fish farms. The holding in mud is good. beware of a strong ebb current. Anchorage at 1.31 43N, 104.00.00E. There is a nice sea food restaurant near the entrance on the main land.

Kampong Serindet.
If you are looking for a nice anchorage with a day sail reach of Singapore, try Kampong Serindet. If you sail up the Johor River (Sungai Johor, keep to starboard and go up the  Lebam river. It is easy to navigate as the river is deep if you keep the middle. Anchor off Kampong Serindet at 1.31.36 N, 104.06.10 E in 4 to 5 meters water (muddy bottom). The river has plenty fish, but if you are not lucky, try to get some prawns from one of the many fisherman.