Sailing in South East Asia
Perhaps you are considering collecting your new boat from the Seawind factory in Vietnam or simply have another opportunity to sail with others in South East Asia, the undeniable development of the Asian economy means that sailing in the region is changing for the better, with cruising permits becoming more easily available and investment marina & service facilities happening rapidly.
With headquarters in Saigon, Vietnam, there are now many Seawind owners that have opted to take delivery of their new boats in Asia, taking the opportunity to sail in new waters and in many cases explore coastlines they would never otherwise see. Often the thought process is “Once I get the boat back home, we’ll probably keep it there…” so why not take some time out, enjoy the new boat and start somewhere different with a little adventure. In this article, we look at what’s really involved in collecting a boat from Vietnam and then cruising in Asia.
New Boat Handovers:
We offer two options depending on the time of year for handover. Nha Trang is a 2 day sail north from the factory and if in central Vietnam. The boat is sailed up by the factory delivery team and customers can enjoy a handover location in Nha Trang that offers some sheltered waters and easy sailing along with clear waters and some beautiful snorkelling spots.
Our alternative handover location is much closer to the factory, just 2 hours away in the city of Vung Tau. With typical southerly winds from September through to February for people wanting to cruise to Thailand, Singapore or Indonesia, a Vung Tau handover makes sense. Having said that, heading east to destinations such as Kota Kinabalu in Malaysia or Borneo, then the Southern winds offer near perfect wind direction, beam reaching all the way across the South China Sea.
Where to from Vietnam?
Thailand; Indonesia (Batam or Anambas Islands) Singapore; Malaysia…
Each has their own attractions and weather does often have a significant influence however our owners have sailed to many different ports following handover in Vietnam.
Certainly the easiest option for inexperienced sailors is to take you boat to Thailand for the first passage. It’s a 4-5 day coastal navigation to the island of Koh Chang where you can then access other areas of Thailand which has a relatively developed cruising setup with easy sailing conditions and professional services. Definitely a great option for skippers and crew wanting to familiarise themselves with their boat before taking on longer or more remote passages.
Anambas Island, Indonesia
The route back to Australia…
For many of our customers, the goal is to bring the boat back to Australia which can be done quickly with two and a half weeks being achievable to Darwin for a direct delivery. Having said that, the idea is to take advantage of what the region has to offer and often we have found owners do a number of months onboard and then park up the boat and return to Australia before doing another leg of a 12 month cruise back to Australia. It should be noted that on entry to Australia after 12 months, GST is assessed on a current valuation, and therefore 12 months of cruising can make excellent financial sense if it fits your schedule.