South China Sea outlook

South China Sea © Noonsite

Indonesia: Noonsite has been advised of a new regulation for yachts visiting Indonesia by a reliable Indonesian agent, however, further details are proving hard to come by. Since July 1, 2024, it is no longer permitted to change crew or add new crew members (i.e. crew lists from the port of entry must be the same at the port of departure). From investigations to date, it appears this new rule is currently only being actively enforced by officials in western Indonesia in the Anambas Islands. If any cruisers have come across this new rule, please get in touch with the team at .

SE Asia to Australia: Having cruised from Borneo to Brisbane twice, cruiser Dave Bowden offers some tips and recommendations for those planning this route. Although written 13 years ago, his in-depth reportcontinues to prove very popular with Noonsite users. Share an update if you have undertaken this passage recently.

Fishing Boats in SE Asia: Cruiser Catherine Hayward has posted a comment on Noonsite warning skippers of the erratic behaviour of fishing boats off the west coast of Malaysia and to be prepared to get out of the way if a fishing vessel suddenly turns towards you. Possibly local fishermen may see crossing the bows of another vessel as bad luck, however almost being "charged" by a fishing boat in the waters between Klang and Pangkor, proved to be a scary experience for Catherine and her crew. Practical Sailor this month have produced a helpful video covering the nuances of right of way between sailboats and fishing boats.

This article has been provided by the courtesy of noonsite.com.