Position update - leaving Singapore

Island Kea II
Steve and Katrin Everett
Wed 8 Dec 2010 06:07
Position 02:31N 101:39E
 
We left Singapore yesterday about 11am local time.
Island Kea spent about 20 days there but for us it was a busy time as we flew back to the UK and on returning had a full 600 hour service service carried out on the engine.
They found that our turbocharger was completely seized and the elbow so clogged that there was only a small gap.   No wonder the engine was not happy.
The turbocharger had to be flown in from Japan and by miracle got to Singapore very quickly and all got completed on the Monday so we left on the Tuesday (yesterday).
The engine now sounds much happier, the raunchy deep noice we remembered from a while ago and far less shuddering.  - fingers crossed now :-)
 
We spent last night going with the shipping lanes just west of the Malasyan coast and the solent will never look busy to us after this.  The amount of shipping was amazing.
We saw some lightening in the sky but nothing came over us and no rain.  Hopefully we have finished sailing in thunderstorms now after lots of this in Indonesia.
 
Singapore was nice and clean but a bit expensive. we had some meals out, including Chili Crab (a must when in Singapore) and Chili prawns which was all great.
We went to the long bar at raffles and had Singapore sling followed by the most expensive beer so far..  £11 for 1 pint...  This is the only place which can make Iceland feel cheap
as far as beer is concerned. 
We spent some time in Sim Lim Square which is a large building with 7 floors of shops selling computers, cameras etc..  Great..  you can buy anything there, but prices not necessarily much
cheaper than UK, just more of it and all the latest gadgets..
I had my eyebrows done there including colouring and I am just hoping that the colour will fade fast..  :-)
 
today is nice and dry but overcast so not too hot.  No wind to speak of so we are motoring so plenty of opportunity to test the engine.. 
 
We hope to get to Lankawi after two more nights at sea ..