Sailing in Malaysia - Exhilaration In Tropical Waters

Exhilaration in Tropical Waters
There are a growing number of marinas and yacht clubs throughout Malaysia where it's possible to tighten the mainsail, tug on a halyard, hoist a spinnaker and let the tropical breezes take you to new and exciting destinations.

Recreational sailing in Malaysia is expanding, affordable and a wonderful way for visitors to discover Malaysia's island and extensive coastline. There are many places to hire powerboats and Luxury cruisers for making discoveries in style. For those who like to sail the open waters for several days, cruise liners pull into several Malaysian ports and islands.

Several major sailing events highlight Malaysia as an exciting boating destination. These include the Raja Muda International Regatta, the Asean Regatta and the Royal Langkawi International Regatta.

Langkawi is a great place to start a sailing holiday as the waters of the Andaman Sea are superb, the sailing infrastructure is excellent and it is a resort island with abundant attractions. Alternatively, there are many East Coast islands where safe anchorages are assured and along the busier West Coast the min ports of call include Port Dickson, Port Klang, Lumut, Penang and Langkawi.

East Malaysia offers more adventurous sailing with excellent marina facilities at Kota Kinabalu's, Sutera Harbour. Some sailors arrive on the east coast of the island of Borneo and then make their way from Tawau to Sandakan, Kudat, Kota Kinabalu, Labuan Island and then to various ports along the Sarawak coast before heading westward to Peninsular Malaysia.

Crosswinds of Asian Sailing
Malaysia is situated between one and seven degrees north of the Equator and enjoys mostly balmy, year-round weather. The wet northeast monsoon blows from November to March, along the East Coast of the peninsula as well as Sarawak and Sabah. Even during this period, there are periods of fine weather and smooth seas. The southwest monsoon blows from April to October. Generally, westbound yachters travel during the northeast monsoon and those traveling east, during the southwest.

Malaysia is no longer a place for yachters to pass by; it is at the crosswinds of Asian sailing. Historically, it has been at the centre of regional maritime trade and this continues today.

The Starits of Malacca on the West Coast is the main route taken by yachters traveling from Australia to Thailand, Africa and Europe. The East Coast is much quieter with many islands offering excellent places to moor, relax, scuba dive and stock up on essential requirements. The main ports here are Mersing, Kuantan, Kuala Dungun, Marang, Kuala Terengganu while the enchanting islands of Tioman, Perhentian, Redang and Kapas also provide basic services.

East Malaysia is becoming increasingly popular for yachting and as a stopover for boaters from distant shores. Those arriving in Sabah from the east can sail westward around the coast stopping at exciting destinations before continuing towards Peninsular Malaysia.