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Sunday, September 21, 2014

Yacht Charter in Singapore - An Amazing 4-Hour Getaway for 10 Persons via Deal.Com.Sg!

I was just sharing with my colleague last week that i have been attempting a lot of new things this year; threading, forest adventure, first visit to Taiwan etc. The one event i missed out was a yacht trip i embarked with former colleagues around two months ago! 

Rewinding back to the day before the start of the hungry ghost month, all seven of us arrived on time at ONE°15 Marina Club (Sentosa Cove); prepared with loads of snacks, bottles of soft drinks and a pack of ice (you are allowed and encouraged to bring along your own food).

The yacht that would service us for the day; SZH1227H! 

Entering the off limits area under the marina club. Unlike in the past, there is now a retail and dining section within Sentosa Cove which is accessible to everyone; so do not be overly worried about "security clearance".

Outdoor, sheltered area where we deposited our belongings! Time to check out the rest of the yacht, which wasn't big yet comfortably sized for even more than the maximum of ten persons allowed in the deal purchased from deal.com.sg

Helm of the boat - well, given i have no technical knowledge unlike Alex, the ex Navy sergeant who was featured on Navy Newsletter, i think it's better i don't mention anything in case i embarrass myself! 

Additional seating near the helm that was better protected from the weather elements.

If you need more comfort, check out the cozier seating at the bow, in front of the helm! I am very prone to motion sickness, especially when i am housed in such contained areas! So it's a no no to keep me inside! 

I did make a mistake of visiting the tiny water closet (WC) when the boat was travelling to its destination; the constant motion caused me to have a minor headache! 

Second level - partially shaded and accessed via a ladder. Another no no for miserable, motion sickness prone individuals like me as the seats were placed against the direction! Bloody! 

Another helm. 

Back view from the second level. Notice the floats? More on that later even though i was totally expecting a boring boat cruise to nowhere.

Time for the engine to roar! Cruising past the The Pinnacle Collection; an establishment with over 300 premier units and marketed as the tallest buildings in Sentosa Cove.

See, all the others all short short ones. Having said that, the short ones (namely the bungalows) commanded a price tag of over S$30 million each a few years ago! 

Crew for the day! There were three in total and the person in charge is this Mr Alex Yip! Shall share his contact details later so that you can liaise with him directly for yacht charter.

A cloudy morning (our reservation was from 11am till 3pm).

Incredibly sad to see all the water... because i forgot to bring along any extra clothing!! I was in a haste to leave the house and didn't even bring along my snorkeling gear! :(

Let's go back to explore the yacht again; there's a sink, an induction stove and even an electric kettle! We should have brought along cup noodles for a slurping competition! 

Two large ice boxes were available for your usage. We didn't check beforehand and i had to lug along my classic Kentucky Fried Chicken ice box! That thing still works okay!

There was even a barbecue pit! You may of course bring along your own items although you may arrange beforehand with the yacht; top up separately with a bit of money for a BBQ session! I am already thinking of arranging another yacht session with my family (p.s. most of them hate the sun though). 

I believe this is a good luck charm to ensure good weather and a smooth sailing journey. 

We were supposedly allowed to anchor at the island of our choice (Pulau Tukukor, St. John Island, Kusu Island, Sisters' Islands, Pulau Seringat or Lazurus Island) or even island hopping but i guess we were not even sure what we were in for except for a yacht cruise.

Nevertheless, it was company that really matters and our companions that day were great! A pity Kaijing, Xiangrong and Alex couldn't join due to last minute commitments. By the way, the two islands above are the Sisters' Islands.

I maybe good in directions when i am on land. On the water, i am just lost most of the times. According to the photos i took, the yacht anchored shortly after going past the above sign that clearly indicated St. John Island.

Chanced upon another yacht which was quite similar in design with the one we were on. The people there were clearly having a fun time! 

From memory, i think we were anchored somewhere at/near the "red star"; a lagoon that was only recently formed when a connecting route was built for Lazurus Island and St. John Island.

Our fun would be beginning shortly!

With a splash, the rectangular float was first to hit the water! We were hesitant as i guess most of them are not strong swimmers and we know how different swimming pools are compared to the sea and ocean! 

Besides the floats, there was also a kayak! Although i can swim, i have never attempted kayaking due to a fear for deep waters (thanks to the movie series; Jaws).

KJ had the balls to jump off from the second level! One wrong move and his balls shall bear the responsibility of enduring indescribable pain that only a man can empathise with! Anyway, it was a successful jump!

Lovebirds trying their best to navigate in that super tight position! Eventually, it became a battle of sacrifice as they veered too far off course. 

Restricted view (hence the mosaic) as i was goofing around with a person who is as an equal nutcase; Mr Lock Li! Correction: i am mild compared to him!

A surfboard that doubled up as a kayak! They were having so much enjoyment; i decided to attempt the kayaking and boy was it fun despite soaking my pants (with seawater, not pee)!

As expected, there were loads of splashes! Come to think about it, Lock chalked up the best record for constantly getting into the water; there was once he even attempted to jump across when i was kayaking! Seriously, that was frightening as i could not afford to be thoroughly wet! 

He also doubled up as a one-man rescue team! 

Water skiing! I often see people doing this near Seletar dam. Since i have been trying quite a few new things this year, maybe the next one would be water skiing! 

Bloody hell; isn't this the flying fish?!!?!? Thought this happens only in places outside of Singapore like Bintan and Batam Islands?!?! By the way, the aforementioned two activities were not conducted by us. 

The connection between Lazurus Island and St. John Island - after close to two and half hours, it's time for us to leave the lagoon.

Anchor was so small; how did it manage to keep the boat from floating away?! Never mind, i would leave to Alex, the guru, to explain the rationale to me. 

Another yacht (looks like a catamaran) - this time, with a weirdly designed float! Is that supposed to be a dining table concept?! 

On the way back; after all the energy sucking water activities, everyone were snoozing except for the crew and myself. When life gives us opportunities, grab them! Haha.

Kidding! I only have Lock in his incredible sleeping mode; this man can sleep literally ANYWHERE! Anyway, i was mostly on the second level taking picture after picture of Singapore's skyline. 

Private yachts of the super rich in Singapore - some even came with personal jet skis! Envious? Should i be? A rich person may not be always happy and a poor person may not be always sad. Be contented with what we have and we will be happy too! 

Reaching the private pier of ONE°15 Marina Club. I am not sure about the rest but for me, it was an amazing getaway where i can have a good time with a big group of friends without burning a hole in the pocket! 

-The End-

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Location
Embark / Disembark from the private pier of the club. Meeting point shall be the arrival plaza of Sentosa Cove, where 7-11 convenience store and cold storage are located.

Booking
You may contact Mr Alex Yip at 9382-2720 for more details on the chartering rates. We paid S$350 nett for our 4-hour session with a S$100 top up for weekend charter. Food can also be arranged. 

Mr Yip was recommending a 12-hour overnight charter from 8pm till 8am which comprises visiting some of the offshore islands at low tide for spectacular viewings of marine life. If i recollect correctly, the cost would be S$900. 

4 comments:

  1. hi there, i came across your blog when i search for yacht rental. is $350 fixed price for 4 hours?

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    Replies
    1. Hallo! That was purchased during a deal. Please call Mr Alex Yip at 9382-2720 for a more accurate quotation. Thanks! :)

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