For the benefit of other cruisers who may be considering a visit, this was our experience during a week here.

Closed for Renovations

The resort is open but the marina is closed for renovations.  When we were there, the marina was apparently open but the renovations had not begun.  Management said it will be coming soon!  The floating docks are in bad shape because many of the wooden boards you walk on are broken or are ready to be broken when you step on them (rot due to climate). So you should walk carefully on the part of the wood over the aluminum supports.

The floating pontoons below and the pilings seems to be fine and that is a good thing so your boat is well secured on strong cleats. Electricity & water is currently limited to some pontoons.

There are few boats using the marina at the present and no-one living aboard. The marina is so well protected inside the river that the boat is safe from bad weather. The security guards are vigilant so your boat should be safe from theft. The personnel is very nice and will do their best to make your sojourn agreeable.

So I will try to sum up the plus and minus facts so you can better decide if this marina is a good place for you or not.

On the Plus Side:

• + calm & relax, situated in nature
• + protected from wind or currents waves
• + medium rates (discounts for long stay)
• + friendly personnel
• + restaurant with limited menu but good food, inexpensive for a resort
• + outside swimming pool in nice surrounding
• + sauna & exercise room at no extra charge
• + international airport of Johor Bahru only 1hour 45minutes away
• + pets allowed (not inside resort but ok to go outside)
• + brackish water so much slower underwater growth on hulls than in the Malacca

On the Minus Side:

• – floating docks are in great need of repairs
• – no marine services or boatyard
• – place is isolated and taxi / rental cars are expensive to go shopping around (no free shuttle anymore and not a great choice of stores nearby)
• – Pengelih ferry is not running to Singapore anymore (since Covid) so it takes about four hours to get to Singapore Changi international airport unless you can use the one ferry per day from the new Desaru terminal (departure to Singapore around 5.30pm / return from Singapore around 8.30am). 40min taxi + 90min ferry

Conclusion:

If you are looking for a safe place to leave your boat while going away or you need a temporary shelter and would like top enjoy a quiet resort ambiance while waiting for a change of monsoon, this might be a great place for you. But if you plan to do boat projects, or like to shop around or like to be in a big community of sailors, this might not be the best place for you.

Contact the marina management if you decide to make a visit to this marina, to check it is still open.

Luc Callebaut,

s/v Sloepmouche

Marina Contacts:

Mohd Faizal Bin Mohamad Ramly

Ph:  +60 011 5917 700;  +(607) 826 6688 ext 201

Email:  mohdfaizal@sebanacoveresort.com

Update:  January 2023

The marina is currently closed for renovations.  New management have taken over but as yet there is no date for a re-opening of the marina facilities.

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About the Author

Luc with his partner Jackie, have been exploring the warm waters of the world since 1992 on board their 42 -year old, 46ft Norman Cross trimaran. For the last 30 years they have lived and worked in the Caribbean, Pacific and now SE Asia.

Luc worked as a regional editor for Noonsite for many years and has assisted Jimmy Cornell with a number of his round-the-world rallies. When Jimmy asked him to act as Event Manager for the GLYWO 500, he accepted without hesitation. “I do my best to assist Victor Taburiaux, also an experienced rally event manager, during stop-overs to make the GLYWO 500 rally a success by taking care of all red tape and insuring the participants have a safe and fun event. While it is true that going around the world in just three years is fast, you can see a lot if you are well prepared and waste no time. And you can always go around slowly a second time, revisiting your favorite places and visiting the places you missed the first time.”

Find out more about Luc and Jackie go to https://cornellsailing.com/archives/past-rallies/the-team/#LucJackie

Other Reports from Luc:

Pacific Crossing 2022 – Panama and Galapagos Update

Pacific Crossing 2022 – French Polynesia Update

To view videos about their cruising adventures, check out the YouTube channel “Tropical Sailing Life” which has over 600 original, edited, titled, cruising videos.

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The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not reflect the view of Noonsite.com or World Cruising.

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