Monday 12^th September 2016     Position 1:25.03N 103:39.47E at 2400 in Puteri Harbour

I took the 0200 to 0500 watch.

The shipping lanes close on the stb side were extremely busy, with the occasional tug towing massive barges coming quite close to us in the inshore passage. Also encountered a small boat with a strong searchlight that illuminated us several times. The risk was that this was a fishing boat warning us of nets in the water so I took evasive action. It then motored off at speed past us and astern of us at which point he switched off his lights - very suspicious. However, the lights came on 10 minutes later and it disappeared into the distance.

Went up on deck around 0830 to find that we were in the Singapore roadstead. I have never seen so many ships. After being told to maintain position while one ship entered the channel and another left we resumed course around to the N of Singapore Island and under the bridge linking Singapore to Malaysia. At 1120 we reached Puteri Harbour, which looked like a tower block building site from the river but which turned out to be a very attractive brand new marina complex surrounded by hotels, restaurants and apartments.

The showers were very welcome and the laundry facilities meant that we could start the long passages with everything clean.

Dinner at the Spice Grill – without doubt the best Indian meal I have ever had – the prawns were the size of lobsters (literally – 200g each).