S/Y New Dawn: On My Way To Penang Up Along The West Coast Of Malaysia.

Usually I worry when I see these boats come close up. In most cases they are friendly people, but after my experience with the "net people" the other day and knowing that the Malacca Strait has a poor reputation with pirates, I worry each day.

I made a stop up the river to see the "new" marina of the Port Klang "Royal Selingor Yacht Club". In fact to also get rid of one week's garbage. The marina is only 4 years old and already falling apart. A thing I have seen in Malaysia several times. The staff was uninterested in replying to my calls and were in fact, playing card games in a room facing the car parking and not the marina. Some of the pontoons were dilapidated and broken. It seem that the different Counties had decided that they should each have a state marina. They were all build, but no one knows how to manage a marina, so they quickly fall into despair. What a pity. In any case this one is located in the middle of nowhere. It will never work. No power and no water were connected.

Some days I had absolutely no wind. The area is known from its calms, and I will add to that also to the changes of the wind direction.

Another day in the office.

Dead calm.

Loads of rubbish floating around, if you can see it?

This is Pangkor.

Where they have build a private Marina; usually full.

Houses on stilts.

Spend two nights at Monkey Island. I could hear the Monkeys and loads of birds, including the massive Sea Eagels, which are very beautiful and amazing gliders. But I could not clearly see the Monkeys, except form some movements in the trees. But I certainly could hear The Monkey Broadcasting Radio each morning and evening.

These fishing boats comes in all sizes and shapes. The top steering houses looks a bit like the old fashion loos?

Not only rubbish, but also trees are floating around and one need to be attentive to avoid ramming into them.

This to me is worrying when they come like this. But so far so good.

Now arrived finally in Penang and this is the north bridge which has a clearing of 28 m, but I did not dare test this with my 25+ m mast, so I went around from the west side.

This family has build their villa at the edge of a dump ground, but it is "pied a'leau".

Fish farms everywhere.

Penang City Marina, was build only a few years ago and was damaged in a storm and abandoned. A pity, as I wanted to use it as it is right in George Town, Penang.