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"Before you venture overseas, why not tour your own backyard first?" This line, from a gregarious guide, resonated with me prior to the start of the Raffles Lighthouse tour, which is organised by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA). Now, everyone knows that Singapore is a maritime trade powerhouse, but few realise that apart from the Tanjong Pagar and Tuas ports, our coastline is also dotted with docks and jetties. And as the second-busiest port in the world (Shanghai is the busiest), Singapore is home to several lighthouses, too. Five of them, including Raffles Lighthouse, are operated by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA). You'll travel by ferry from Marina South Pier to reach the Southern Islands Getting there First things first: Raffles Lighthouse is not the lighthouse you'll find in Raffles Marina. Raffles Lighthouse is the second oldest of the five lighthouses operated by MPA. It is located on Pulau Satumu, an island about 23km away from the mainland. It is the southernmost point of Singapore. To get here, one must join an MPA tour which costs around S$50 per person. The five-hour tour includes a guided visit to the Maritime Gallery, plus ferry passage to and from Pulau Satumu. Lighthouses operated by MPA, as seen on this map in the Maritime Gallery Prior to the tour, I mistakenly assumed that the entire trip took five hours because there was plenty to see and do at the lighthouse, and perhaps lunch would be catered as well. However, most of the time was spent travelling from Marina South Pier to Pulau Satumu and back. Three hours, to be exact, as it is a 1.5-hour ride each way. While the ferry chugged along, our guide enthusiastically pointed out the different types of ships (LNG, LPG, bulk carrier, etc.) we passed. Of greater interest were the outlying islands or Southern Islands. It didn't take long to see St John's Island, Kusu Island, and Lazarus Island. The Singapore skyline looks cool from this angle, too. The building in the foreground is Marina Bay Cruise Centre. In the distance, we saw Pasir Panjang Port, Brani Island, Jurong Island, and Pulau Bukom, home to the Shell Refinery. This part was the eye-opener for me. We all know that Singapore has other islands, but how many do you think we have in all? 10? 20? 30? Nope. My jaw dropped when our guide said we have 64 islands! Singapore is small relative to the rest of the world, but man, the geography lesson that afternoon was an eye-opener. Seeing the outlying islands and massive vessels anchored offshore was truly an experience. Here we are, a little red dot on the world map, yet all these vessels are on the way to one of our ports. Even if you regularly fly, the many ships dotting the sea is something you might not really notice, especially if you typically fly at night. You'll only have 40-45 minutes on Pulau Satumu, so take in the views while you can One-tree island 'Satumu' means 'one tree' in Malay. As the ferry approached the dock, the lighthouse seemed to shine in the sunlight. Completed in 1855, Raffles Lighthouse was designed by John Bennett, who also built Horsburgh Lighthouse on Pedra Branca. Next to the lighthouse are two network antennas. Photographing these structures is forbidden due to 'security issues' and attempting to feature them on social media could land you in trouble. At the very least, you might find parts of your pictures censored by the powers that be. At least that's what we were told. The waters surrounding the island are surprisingly clear Now, the lighthouse itself is not very large and unfortunately, you're no longer allowed to climb to the top. We were, however, ushered into an air-conditioned room and shown a collection of artifacts and memorabilia to add to the nostalgic feel. Interestingly, one of the 'museum pieces' was an unused armoury locker. Lightkeepers in the past must have needed rifles to defend themselves against marauding pirates in search of booty (or booze?). Each lightkeeper works on Pulau Satumu for 10 days before returning to mainland Singapore. If you despise crowds and love solitude, a career as a lightkeeper might appeal to you. It's too bad we couldn't interview the lightkeepers. But from what I could see, the cleaner air and gentle sounds of the waves lapping the shore make for idyllic surroundings. And even if you're far from civilisation, civilisation isn't far from you. I had 5G coverage the entire time, so you'll always be connected. I was glad that there was no souvenir shop, as it would have made the experience touristy (and not in a good way). But MPA obviously considered visitors' needs, as there were at least three toilets. Hoarding is good (sometimes) because we get to see stuff like this 4th Order Optic from 1968 Explore more I may have spent more time on the ferry than I did at Raffles Lighthouse, but that's not a bad thing. If I were on a faster vessel with a shorter travel time, I wouldn't have been able to hear the guide's stories. Knowing that Singapore is the second-busiest port in the world is one thing; seeing the vessel traffic is another. And learning a bit about our other islands was another pleasant surprise. Most of us don't know or don't care to know about the ports and maritime issues because they happen beyond our sight. But if there's one thing I learned, it's that without our maritime trade, commerce and life as we know it would slow to a crawl. Could I have learned about Raffles Lighthouse and our other islands online? Sure, but the experience wouldn't be the same. It's just like watching a travel vlog - you get ideas from the videos, but nothing beats travelling there yourself.

Hi everyone, I have 3 boats to give away. First one is a Larsson 25 footer. The boat is presently berthed at punggol Marina. Boat is seaworthy,you need to replace the outboard engine which you can get new from $18k.cabin cruiser The two other boats are berthed at my fish farm. They are diesel engines and both of them requires engine overhaul Maybe $5-$8k each. Anyone interested please pm me

not a good summer in Thailand and Thai divers were kept busy

Back in school days, i almost sign up power boat course to get a license to sail. but last time me poor student, $500+ for a course is a lot of $$ to me. that's why i save up the $$ to get a class 3 driving license in the end. Now, there is this lobang to learn power boat at only $150. http://tinyurl.com/6jkdkul Even after adding Examination fee ($70) and medical check-up ($30) fees...total add up only $250. Anyone with power boat license here can share how useful is it? Heard that next time punggol going to have some water sports facilitates, which is very near where i stay

Hi all fishing enthusiastic bros out there I am organising a boat fishing trip to southern islands. The boat capacity is 8 and I have already got 5 confirm going still short of 3. Per boat is $400 exclude baits so we divide accordingly.....the date is on the 8th Dec 12. Anyone interested can pm me for slots!

A Vessel costs you 95K versus $112.9K for a 1.5L Honda City Any people here who know something about boats can verify what was broadcasted?

CNA Expat alleges overcharging by Boat Quay seafood restaurant By Leong Wee Keat, TODAY | Posted: 17 June 2011 0632 hrs SINGAPORE: Company director Ian McArthur could hardly believe his eyes when he saw the bill for lunch with his friend on Wednesday: It came up to $1,107.32, including S$348.80 for a 1.6kg lobster and $564 for a 3kg crab. The Scot, who has been working here since last October, told TODAY: "I thought, 'It must be wrong. I can't believe this.'" Mr McArthur then approached the staff of Forum Seafood Village - a restaurant at Boat Quay - seeking an explanation. He was told that those were the market prices. But Mr McArthur told TODAY that the staff did not inform them how much the crustaceans weighed or the total cost before cooking the food. "It wasn't just the price. We feel that we were misled that's why we were upset about it," he added. Apart from the king crab and lobster, Mr McArthur and his friend had a plate of fried rice and four glasses of beer. Alleging that he was "grossly overcharged", Mr McArthur filed a complaint with the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) on Wednesday against the restaurant, seeking a S$900 refund. But Mr Vincent Hoh, a restaurant employee who served Mr McArthur, said he told the diners the crustaceans' weight. When asked if he told the diners the total cost of the crustaceans, Mr Hoh replied he did not. Forum Seafood Village manager Jo Chia said the restaurant does not usually inform diners of the total price of their seafood, unless diners ask for it. Said Ms Chia: "We tried to tell customers (the total price) but some guests say it's too troublesome and tell us not to bother them." Some patrons have also commented that, by informing them of the total price, the staff would be suggesting that they could not afford it, Mr Hoh said. Ms Chia pointed out the restaurant's seafood prices are listed clearly - according to cost per 100g - at the restaurant's entrance and on the menu. "Our prices are market prices. We won't overcharge our customers," she said. Ms Chia said the restaurant's owner is overseas and has not decided on its course of action with regard to the complaint. Forum Seafood Village, which operates two outlets along Boat Quay, charges S$21.80 per 100g for the Australian lobster and S$18.80 per 100g for the king crab, after discounts. The usual prices were S$32 and S$25 per 100g for the lobster and king crab, respectively. A check with neighbouring restaurants found one restaurant charging S$18.80 per 100g for the Australian lobster and another charging S$10 per 100g for Alaskan King Crab. Responding to TODAY's queries, CASE said it has received 12 complaints for overcharging by food and beverage outlets in the first five months of this year. There were 27 complaints last year, up from 15 in 2009. - TODAY

For those who like this song but might have forgotten abt it. One of my favourites. Used in quite a few clips. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jpg-KIKD5gU http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4eoMxGDEJA Both clips are hilarious.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A cargo ship contracted by the U.S Military Sealift Command has fired at least one shot toward an Iranian boat, a U.S. defense official said on Friday. "It was an MSC vessel," the official said, confirming the ship fired on an Iranian boat. Other details were not immediately available. A spokeswoman for the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain did not have any immediate comment. The United States in January said Iranian boats threatened its warships on January 6 along a vital route for crude oil shipments.

my deepest condolences to families and friends of our Singapore Dragon boat boys remembering in my prayers....

Curious whether anyone own a yacht here?

2-day detail. Interior saturday, exterior sunday. Here's a pic of it after I brought it back on Friday night. Paint was full of dirt but not too rough (not driven much), still showing signs of protection. Plenty of swirls (no pics as camera didn't catch them) and scuffs. Bit hazy on the bootlid and rear panels. Process on interior: Take out mats (all 11 of them!) Vacuum and scrub with Simple Green 10:1 - EO Leather care to scrub seats and leather trim x 2 Let dry and buff off - Clean trim with Simple Green 20:1 Dress vinyl/plastics with 303 FK1 #425 on wood trims - Apply Pinnacle Leather conditioner on seats and leather trim Let dry and buff off Process on exterior: Wash, Clay, Rinse, Dry Optimum Compound w/ Cutting Pad Optimum Polish w/ Polishing Pad Poorboys Polish UPP Spray - looks like UPP but lacking slickness I thought so I decided to go with the next step UPP spit shined with UPPS - Poorboys BnB on tyres, Stoner Trim Shine on wheel wells Optimum Compound and UPPS on battered windshield UPPS on headlights and tail lights Some of the products I used: 1st row: Optimum Compound, Optimum Polish, Four Star Ultimate Paint Protection aka UPP and UPP spray (UPPS) 2nd row: EO Leather care, Pinnacle Leather Conditioner, Poorboys Bold and Bright tyre dressing aka BnB, Stoner Trim Shine, P21S Windshield wash booster 3rd row: Meguiar's W-7006 cutting pad and W-8006 polishing pad Quickly became painfully obvious how much work the seats needed. Spent 1.5 hours on leather alone. Finished up a noticeable lighter shade of beige. Tree sap stain was rubbed out with 2000 grit wet sandpaper. Scuff mark on rear bumper before and after and what I used all over the car for spot buffing: After polishing and UPPS: Interior after. UPPS on door jams. Poorboys BnB after being left to dry. Not the wettest tyre dressing if you like that sort of thing, but being water-based was very easy to apply and no oily residue. Final shots: Guess where the paint was wetsanded ...