CAPTAIN OF POWER REPORT

Powerboat Sub-Committee

Mr Eugene Wong

Captain of Power MAJ Christopher Soh Deputy Captain of Power Mr Eric Emmanuel Tan Committee Member

Mr Edmund Toh

Committee Member

Mr Jaya Sankaran Mr Gerald Heng

Committee Member

Committee Member

The Powerboat Committee’s main focus on the following: 1) To promote power boating as a hobby/sport or lifestyle pastime to Members and the general Public. 2) To conduct PPCDL courses to train boating enthusiasts to prepare for the PPCDL license. 3) To conduct talks relating to Boats and Boating. For example OBM/Engines/Boat hull maintenance workshop. 4) To promote boating and fishing in and around Sembawang / Seletar / Punggol Changi waters. 5) To encourage Boat ownership among Members and the general public.

Powered Pleasure Craft Driver’s License (PPCDL) Courses

SAFYC continues to be the premium training Centre for the Powered Pleasure Craft Drivers’ License (PPCDL) course in Singapore. The Powerboat Committee continued to ensure the best training quality by our keen instructors to uphold the reputation of the Club. We have conducted a total of 36 PPCDL courses this FY with a total of 553 trainees. All the PPCDL instructors in SAFYC are accredited by MPA to conduct PPCDL lessons, and positive feedback from our PPCDL trainees has always been the main source of publicity for our strength in this area. The high passing rate and consistent referrals are testimonies to the professionalism and enthusiasm of both the instructors and staff of the Club. The Powerboat Committee wishes to express our gratitude to all our instructors for their unrelenting dedication, professionalism, and unwavering support to conduct PPCDL lessons.

PPCDL Immersion Course

The Committee has also been in discussion with one of the Club tenants to jointly conduct the PPCDL immersion course. This course aims to provide Members who had obtained their license with in-depth knowledge of operating a boat. The course covered both theory and practical which is held over a period of 2 days. Contents included safety at sea, common problems encountered at sea, use of navigation aids, and sea sorties along East Johore Straits (local knowledge) highlighting areas of danger. For this FY, a total of 11 participants enrolled in this course.

Powered Boat Self-Drive Charter

The Club has a new corporate member who joined us this FY. The company - Bearboat charter offers powered boat self-drive at a competitive rate for Members. Their boat is equipped with GPS, a fish finder, fishing rod holders, and a toilet onboard. Members can look forward to self-drive a powered boat and explore the northern shores of Singapore.

Fishing Competition

The fishing competition was canceled for this FY in view of strict safe management measures enforced by relevant authorities. In the coming FY, the Committee plans to organise this competition.

Marina Expansion Works

The Marina expansion works have been completed. A total of 19 new fingers were added to cater to boats of up to 45ft. The entire duration of work spanned 8 months and the Marina was operational in Aug 2022. It comprises 9 additional fingers with a 24m extension at the end of Pier 2. The 7 fingers facing seaward have also been reinforced with piles at the end of each finger. The entire Marina Deck has been replaced and new water/electrical pipes and pedestals were installed. There is also a dock box provided to boaters. Currently, we are operating at more than 75% capacity. The new pontoons at the end of Pier 2 cater for dry berth boaters during the weekend and also conduct of alongside drills for PPCDL participants.

Conclusion

The COVID-19 pandemic continues till this FY, which has affected our annual Boating trip to Nongsa. However, I am pleased to see more boating activities by our Boaters as seen by the higher launching and recovery of boats by at least 30%. As most of the countries’ borders have slowly opened, the Powerboat Committee would explore bringing back the boating activities for the coming FY such as the annual Nongsa Point Marina Boating 9

trip, fishing competition, boater’s workshop, and Kelong lunch. Together with all SAFYC Boaters and Members, please provide your suggestions so that the Powerboat Committee can further improve the engagement level in the boating community. We have established a good relationship with RSYC and we hope to develop more relationships with other Marinas to serve our Members’ boating needs.

I would like to formally appreciate the sturdy support from all Members, MC, and staff of the Club, and we endeavour to serve you better in the upcoming term. Also a big thank you to Allan Mok, our Marina Manager, and his team for their unwavering support to our Boaters, all Powerboat Committee Members, Maj Chris, Eric, Edmund, Jaya & Gerald, for their active participation as well as their contribution in time, resources and efforts.

Lastly, we welcome our boaters to volunteer their ideas, time, and resources to serve in and with the Powerboat Sub-Committee.

Eugene Wong Captain of Power