What NEXT after getting your PPCDL?

Posted on September 24, 2012 by iuboating

This iuboating website is created to help more people get their boating licence, in particular, the PPCDL. Recently, many readers are starting to ask, “So, now that I have gotten my PPCDL, what’s next?” “Should I get a boat now?” “What type of boat?” “& if I am not gonna buy a boat now, what else can I do?”
In fact, there are many people out there who basically did nothing or didn’t know what to do after obtaining their PPCDL. What a waste!
So, how do we not let our PPCDL go to waste and “collect dust”??

I was in that same situation as well. After following strictly my own strategies for getting my licence in the shortest possible time period, I took the practical test and passed on my first attempt. Thereafter I embarked on the journey into the boating world. I spoke to many people in the boating scene for the past many months, in particular, seeking advice on what to do next after getting my PPCDL. In conclusion, I believe that every person can start their journey into boating by doing the following 7 things:

1. Buy a boat; go on friends’ boats; visit a yacht broker near you

Probably you have already decided on the exact boat to buy even before taking your PPCDL test. So now is the right time to go ahead and buy it. But if, like myself in the beginning, you are not sure yet whether you should get a powerboat or sailboat, don’t rush into things first. Take your time. The famous saying in boating goes:”The 2 happiest days in your boating journey are when you bought the boat, and when you sold it”. Buying a boat is unlike buying a car or even a property, where the market is pretty liquid (at least here in Singapore) So no need to rush, unless your name is Larry Ellison. You can always call on your friends who own boats, and join them in their cruises. Better still, offer to pay for the fuel for the trip, though I doubt they would take it. We went on some of our friends’ boats, ranging from cruisers to formula-one speed boats to beautiful sailboats. Here are some other ways to “own” a boat.
Also you can visit some of the yacht broking companies and chat with them. A good broker will want to aid you in your journey into boating, and build a long-term relationship with you. Of course, a good broker wants to sell you a boat! But I would not recommend bothering them too much if you have no intention at all of owning a boat in future. I know a friendly American guy from Simpson Marine. You can look him up if you intend to get a boat soon.

2. Join a marina club; get in the right environment

If you don’t have anyone in your social circle who are in the boating scene, go check out the marina clubs in Singapore. My wife and I went to check out a few before purchasing a life-time membership at ONE°15 Marina Club at Sentosa.
We decided on ONE°15 because (i) it is away from mainland and offers us a peaceful environment (ii) there is a small community of liveaboards there & we intend to get a sailboat to sail to nearby islands & to live aboard for a few days a week (iii) it has full facilities and a beautiful infinity pool (iv) it is also a great place to entertain our family, friends & business clients (v) the marina is directly opposite some beautiful islands for a quick sail-away. Thus far, we have already met some very nice people there to share with us their boating experience.
So, to get involved in boating, get involved in the environment where there are “boating people”! Marina club memberships should range from a few thousand dollars to less than fifty thousand dollars. Not expensive at all when compared to golf country club memberships. Marina clubs here include:
* ONE°15 Marina Club
* Marina @ Keppel Bay
* Republic of Singapore Yacht Club, West Coast
* Raffles Marina, Tuas
* SAF Yacht Club, Changi
* SAF Yacht Club, Sembawang
* Marina Country Club, Punggol

3. Join a boating online forum, make friends

If you are not joining any marina clubs for the moment, go online and checkout some interesting boating/sailing forums. One of them is cruisers forum http://www.cruisersforum.com/
And I actually made some friends there who got me introduced to the beauty of sailing vs powerboating. I saw some people offering their time and asking to be put as crew onboard after they obtained their PPCDL. (I think this is only feasible when you are going into sailboats. Never heard of powerboat owners needing “extra” crew onboard.) But first, make sure you can provide value-add to these boat-owners. Have a can-do attitude. Put others’ comfort before your own. Follow instructions, ask questions if you don’t understand. Volunteer to do extra work. (On a sailboat, say if a line needs to be coiled or if a sail needs to be folded, you’re the first one up there helping out.)
Personally, I still feel the best is to buy your own boat.

4. Take up further course

PPCDL teaches you how to drive a boat, but not anything about maintenance, route planning, reading weather conditions, knot tying, coastal navigation & sailing! At this time of writing, I came across a 1-day Route Planning Basic Course offered by METS. It is supposed to help us acquire more in-depth knowledge of route planning and the skill of coastal navigation. I will check it out soon.
For those considering getting a sailboat, I would highly recommend the courses offered by Keppel Bay Sailing Academy. They are very professionally run by the RYA-qualified instructors on beautiful Beneteau First 40.7 yachts. I have completed their 5-day Competent Crew Course recently. It was a magnificent experience.

5. Get some boating gear, iphone apps, books/magazines, attend a boat show

This is somewhat similar to point 2 – Get in the Right Environment. Go to a popular bookstore. You should be able to find some boating/sailing magazines. Let me know if you want some softcopys of previous issues for certain titles such as Yachting Monthly, Boating World, DIY Boat Owner, Boat Buyers Guide etc. They are particularly useful if you are intending to get a boat & have some practical experience after getting your PPCDL.
Yes, there are many iphone/ipad apps relating to boating. I have the Navionics AustralAsia version for ipad, DragQueen (a simple anchor alarm), Knot Guide, Ship Finder (shows you the vessels in Sg waters). There are also ipad apps by developer Prestige Vision Inc (beautiful virtual tours & videos of awesome yachts normally above 50 foot).
I don’t think I need to elaborate on getting boating apparels, shoes, attend a boat show etc. You got the idea.

6. Get more friends to take up PPCDL & journey into boating together

Someone once said, “Fastest way to learn golf is to teach! Cos’ you can’t teach what you do not already know!” Well said, but he could be teaching the wrong things! Well, we cannot teach our friends how to berth a boat yet but we sure can get them interested to go get a PPCDL and then journey into boating together. I first got interested in boating because I read about the benefits of boating on the internet & my friends invited me to go boating with them. Then I realised “Better get more friends keen on boating, so that we can share the same hobbies and go boating together!” And now is the best time to get your PPCDL, here’s why.

7. Boat charter; travel to Langkawi/Phuket/Australia

When looking to purchase our next car, we usually go for a test drive. Boat wise, they don’t normally offer “sea trial” until you have placed a deposit. And because the local boat scene is not as vibrant as that in US, Europe, or even Australia, the boat you want to buy may not be in stock over here. I have friends advising me to travel to places such as Phuket, Australia, and charter a boat there where they have more variety. This is a good way to “try” different boat models without making that commitment yet.

Conclusion:
In conclusion, I believe every person can start their journey into boating by doing the above 7 things after they get their boating license. & do subscribe to this iuboating site (below) as there are more developments coming your way. Cheers to your boating journey!

Questions:
Why do you want to take PPCDL test? What have you done after you got your PPCDL? How do you ensure the time & effort you invested in getting the PPCDL is worthwhile? Are you enjoying boating/sailing thus far?

(Please feel free to voice your comments below)

Interest in boating rising here

Posted on September 24, 2012 by iuboating

Interest in boating rising here

By Fabian Koh
The New Paper
Monday, Apr 16, 2012

Owning a boat – a rich man’s hobby?

Mr Derrick Ong, general manager of Marina Country Club (MCC), thinks that’s a stereotype.

Said Mr Ong: “Wrong. Don’t have to be rich. Nowadays $10,000 or $20,000 can get you a reasonable boat.”

With a maximum berth capacity of 750 boats, MCC, situated in Punggol, is the largest boat storage area in Asia and boasts a triple-level dry berth that resembles a multi-storey carpark.

“The most expensive yachts we have here cost up to $3 million or $4 million,” said Mr Ong, who added that such yachts are all less than five years old.

The marina is busiest on holidays and weekends.

“We have queues to enter the marina during these periods. Boats have to radio in and await permission to berth,” said Mr Ong.

He said that the waiting time during these periods has doubled from around 15 minutes to half an hour.

The heightened activity also showed at other marinas TNP spoke to.

There is also an increase in demand for berthing space at the Republic of Singapore Yacht Club (RSYC) in West Coast.

Even with a new five-storey dry stack, berth spaces are filling up fast, with 55 per cent of the 230 new lots already occupied.

The club had to purchase two new fork lifts to increase the efficiency of moving boats around.

For Marina at Keppel Bay, 90 per cent of its 168 berthing lots are occupied, and it is still receiving enquiries for berth space.

Some of its 136 boat owners berth more than one boat with the marina.

MCC takes in about 10 new members every month. It currently has around 500 members.

Gradual increase

A spokesman from the RSYC said it has recorded a gradual increase in membership since the end of last year. It currently has around 2,400 members.

Marina at Keppel Bay is seeing a similar rise.

A spokesman said there has been a steady increase of about 10 per cent to 15 per cent in membership applications annually since it opened in 2008.

And don’t be surprised by the changing profile of boat owners.

Marina at Keppel Bay and MCC both have boat owners ranging from young working adults in their 20s to retirees in their 70s.

Mr Ong said: “While there are still the rich businessman and rich man’s sons, there are many who live in HDB flats.”

In recent years, interest in boating has slowly been taking off in Singapore.The Straits Times reported in 2006 that there were 3,202 licensed pleasure craft.

Though this means a decrease from 3,223 in the previous year, 192 new licences were issued, compared to 184 in 2005.

The number of de-registered pleasure craft also halved in 2007, compared to the previous two years.

Most people use their boats for sporting activities, like fishing and wakeboarding.

There are also those who use their boats for commercial purposes like ferrying people to nearby islands.

Others use them for leisure – with some even going on their boats for karaoke or barbecues.

“Some also play mahjong. Have you ever played mahjong on a swaying boat before? It’s quite an experience,” joked Mr Ong.

Mr E.K. Tan, an instructor from Maritime Education Training School (METS), has been conducting Powered Pleasure Craft Driving Licence (PPCDL) courses for 12 years. It costs about $400 to get a boating licence.

Boating is popular with people of all ages, said Mr Tan. “I get the full range of them. From as young as 16, which is the minimum age, up to retirees in their 60s.”

A spokesman from the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) told TNP that 151 PPCDLs have been issued so far this year, taking the number of valid PPCDL holders over 28,000.

The number of PPCDL holders has increased consistently in the last 10 years.

One of those attending an ongoing PPCDL theory class was aerobics instructor Eileen Kang, 25.

She was there to learn how to drive a boat as her 29-year-old boyfriend had bought a wakeboarding boat recently.

“We enjoy how laid-back boating seems to be. It’s fun and I’m really looking forward to driving it,” said Miss Kang.
This article was first published in The New Paper.

Advance Powered Pleasure Craft Driving Licence for pleasure craft>24m in length

Posted on August 23, 2012 by iuboating

With effect from 1 January 2012, pleasure craft of 24 metres in length and above shall be handled by those who hold a valid Advance Powered Pleasure Craft Driving Licence (APPCDL) issued by MPA or as approved by the Port Master.

ADVANCE POWERED PLEASURE CRAFT DRIVING LICENCE (APPCDL)

24 METRES = 79 FOOTER

Eg the 80 foot Ferretti Motot Yacht

Congrats to reader “XB” for passing his PPCDL!

Posted on August 21, 2012 by iuboating

Thanks iuboating!! Just passed my handling test on 18-Aug-12, v close shave, remember to release all 3 ropes, i missed out on the forward rope, mistaken the middle rope as stern rope

plus the navigational lights are on top of the boat, nt the sides like the picture, haha, i was looking high & low for them

ganbateh everybdy & best of luck~~

hope everybdy who went last Saturday passed~~

Why now is the best time to get your PPCDL License?

Posted on June 27, 2012 by iuboating

A video of fast sailing in Sg waters…

A friend whom I met at a wedding lunch told me that he is keen to get his power boat license (or PPCDL license). I replied saying, “Why not now?”

In fact, I personally feel now is the best time to get your PPCDL licence. Why? Below are 5 main reasons:

1. It could become more expensive to obtain the PPCDL in future due to rising demand and inflation.

2. It could be more difficult to pass the PPCDL, especially the handling test, due to more people applying for it and the authorities ultimately deciding to limit the number of licenses issues at any specific time.

3. Who knows? COE being applied to PPCDL & owning a boat in future?

4. More marinas are now available in Singapore compared to 10 years ago. Hence there would be more opportunities to partake in boating & sailing. Now even the famous Volvo Ocean Race has come to Asia.

5. Why not just get it and get it off your chest! 🙂

And I believe with the economic uncertainty now in Europe, US; which affects Asia as well, it is a buyers’ market in the boating scene. Time to scout around!