November 12, 2007-Reclamation Bay

wingssail image-fredrick roswold
Wings at anchor in Reclamation Bay

We are at anchor for the first time in nearly two years.

It feels great.

On Friday morning we departed Raffles Marina on a bit of a shakedown cruise. We wanted to test all of Wings’ systems away from the dock so we could be better assured that things will go well when we sail north to Phuket later this month. It all worked two years ago but when you don’t use it you lose it, as they say, and Wings has been strictly a day-sailor since we arrived in Singapore in 2006.

First thing we wanted to do is run the motor. So when we left the marina instead of sailing, we motored. Hard motoring, on the autopilot. The motor worked, and the charging system, but the autopilot failed. We put on the spare. It worked. So we have to buy another autopilot drive unit to carry as a spare. Check.

Then we anchored in Reclamation Bay (or Bob’s Bay, as some locals call it, named after one the first guys here who dared to go in and anchor). The anchoring system works fine.

We got out the chairs (thanks Andy) and had a drink. The freezer still makes ice cubes. Check.

wingssail image-fredrick roswold
Hey, this is nice!


The next day we checked out the dive bag. The zipper was frozen. Replace the zip. Dive bag fixed. We dove on the boat and cleaned the bottom. Easy, it looked good already. We watched the battery performance. Humm? That’s not so good. The seven year old batteries don’t have much life; another thing to put on the list. We set the automatic anchor light. It works fine.

We launched the dingy and the Mercury started on one pull; another win.

Then some friends from Raffles came into the bay and dropped the hook. They invited us over for drinks, and then a barbeque on the beach. This is fun, just like cruising.

So we spent three days and nights at Reclamation Bay. It was very pleasant. When you are at anchor, even in a hot and humid place like Singapore, it feels good: the boat moves a little instead of the motionless feeling you get at the dock. It’s cool. Whatever wind there is cools you better at anchor as you swing to the wind, which can flow unobstructed. It’s quiet; there are no marina sounds. You can jump in for a swim if you want.

I think we forgot how good this is.

Click here, and go to Novemeber 2007 to see more photos from our shakedown cruise.

Fred & Judy, SV Wings, Singapore