June 14, 2006
Not too much to say right now; we've landed in Singapore, and we've found a place to stay. We're starting to find our way around, trying to get established here, and we're looking for jobs.
For us, this is what cruising is all about. We sail into a new place, park the boat, and start to make a life for ourselves. This time we'd like to stay a while, two or three years, maybe more.
Thanks to Neil and Ley, our friends on Crystal Blues, we were able to find a good marina to stay in, ONE15 Marina at Sentosa Cove. It isn't finished yet. The marina is in, but the shore side facilities are still under construction. Some time next year there will be a fitness club, a pool, laundry, and WiFi, even stores. Right now we have to rough it without any of these. Tough life, huh?
We've started to get around a bit. We have passes for the mass transit system, have found some grocery stores and a laundry (albeit very expensive). We've discovered that Singapore is more expensive in some ways than other places we've been; that’s the price we pay, I guess, to be in this big and booming city.
We've started to look for jobs. Judy is looking again in the legal field, and she had made contact with a court transcription company, like the one she worked for in Hong Kong, that may turn into something. I've been talking to recruiters in the IT industry. There seems to be some activity in this market, job wise, but we'll have to see. Salaries seem OK, not high though.
WINGS is OK. We have a few problems to deal with, like a leaking water tank (again), a leaking transmission, and a B&G instrument system which demands constant attention to remain operational. Actually, it’s all very typical; boat fix-it lists never get to zero.
What is not typical is the likelihood that we won't be sailing much for a while. We really want to focus on employment and our general living situation; going sailing isn't high on the priority list. Plus, Singapore apparently does not allow foreign registered yachts to move around in their waters. In other words, we can't take the boat out.
Right now that’s OK. We'll see how we feel in a few months.
Fred & Judy, SV Wings, Singapore
