Hi from Singapore

[DeBattista]

Hi there. I am a Canadian who has lived out of his country for more than twenty odd years and now find myself in Singapore. We ( family of 5 and a dog ) are looking for a change and are considering a live aboard as an option. So I have been exploring for the last few months all the different Marinas' and clubs in my area and also online so I can preen out as much information as possible before deciding to take the plunge in the next eighteen months or so. Any help from members who have families and are interested in passing along information to me would be great. We will be here in Singapore for a few years I suspect and after that I do not know, but while we are here I am wanting to start getting the kids into sailing, and get my wife and I to get some certs behind us, and of course some experience. Though I don't want to run into any of this blindly I think that some times it is better to forge forward with your dream and deal with your problems head on other wise you over think everything and you rarely decide to take that first step. So, this is us, we are in our late forties, kids are 11/9/6 and all adventurers at heart.

[JRA1968]

Welcome aboard. Sing is a fun place i visit once a year as i have family there Good luck on your journeys

[Hartley18]

DeBattista, welcome to SailNet.

I'm sure you'll find Singapore to be one of the best places in South-East Asia to raise a family and also the most expensive place to own a yacht.

For the family, I'd start with Changi Sailing Club and move northwards.. RSYS is a nice place to visit - but if you ever plan to do so, make sure you have plenty of money!

[DeBattista]

Yes Singapore is a bright shiny place and I am trying to find a way to live aboard instead of living on land here. Rent( and you can't buy) is anything from a townhouse for 6-7 k a month on upwards and I mean upwards. So for us , we spend well over 100k a year in rent so I am thinking put it into a nice big Cat. Atleast I will recoup some of it some way. A birth at Keppel Bay is 15 dollars a foot per month. So a 50 footer ( and I am just doing math not picking a length yet ) is 750 with probably extras I am not aware of. There is a lot more math and investigation involved. And yes Singapore is pretty good. Great jumping off point to the rest of Asia.

[Hartley18]

DB, there's no-one stopping you buying an apartment if you have the $$$ and it is certainly a great long-term investment, but you'd need $1million or so to start off. If you don't have that sort of money and can handle the lifestyle (and the heat) then you are on the right track..

Keppel Bay?? No, no, no you don't want to go there. Yes, it's nice and yes it's close, but it's waayyy too expensive!! ..and, yes, there are extras.

If you don't like Changi, try SAFYC Sembawang: http://www.safyc.org.sg/. Give them a call. They're friendly, out of the way, and the MRT will get you into the city whenever you want.

Happy hunting!