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April 18, 2007 - A New View of Penang
by Beth & Al Liggett

We are moored in Penang. If you go back far enough in the Sunflower archives of SetSail, you can dredge out some articles I wrote about Penang back in 2001. (July and Oct). You will find that although we really enjoyed visiting Penang, we didn't like the anchorages. So most of the time we didn't bother to take the boat to Penang, but went there by ferry from Langkawi. In fact, our last visit with Sunflower was back in 2003!

Partial view of the Tanjong City Marina in Penang.

Two years ago a new marina opened in Penang. Everyone was hopeful for a new base of operations, as it is located right in the city within easy walking distances for shopping, workshops, restaurants, supermarkets, buses to take you to hospitals, and historic sites.

Well, it didn't work out quite like that. The yachting community quickly found there was more to criticize than to praise - particularly the high berthing fees, the extreme rolling around in the pens, and the shallow depths in many berths. It wasn't exactly boycotted; people just made other plans, went to other places. And we continued to make our visits to Penang by ferry.

Last year there was a Boat Show in Langkawi (LIBEX), and one of the displays set up was a promotion for the Tanjong City Marina in Penang. We spoke with the representative who was well aware of the bad press the marina had had in the past. We were given a coupon for a promotional rate on the berthing at the marina. We had quite a few things to take care of in Penang, not the least of which was repairing our defunct anchor windlass motor. So we decided to take advantage of the promotion and to check out the conditions at the marina ourselves.

Street market vendors set up each morning nearby, providing handy fresh food shopping for us.

We have been here three weeks now, and by and large it has been most comfortable. The company has dredged the basin so that even on extreme low tides there is enough water in the pens for the boats. The fees have been adjusted: on the promotion it is costing us US$6.70 per day - which is the yearly contract rate - but on standard berthing rates it would go up to $10.15 per day, less on a weekly or monthly basis. The pontoons and the grounds are well kept. There is a "Yachtie" Lounge - air conditioned, with sofas and chairs, a big TV with cable channels, and a book swap area. The WiFi Hot Spot antenna for Internet access is located in the room, but so far we are able to get the signal right on the boat.

Regarding the roll - the marina is well aware of the problem and so far has assigned only one yacht to a double berthing pen. This marina is located right on the main shipping channel (about 1/2 mile wide) and right next door to the cross channel ferries to Butterworth. These ferries run 24 hours, but only have heavy traffic during daytime hours. We have watched them come and go for many days without causing much grief to the boats in the marina. But it seems there is one cowboy of a captain (yesterday he was on duty), and his ferry caused such a wake into the marina that some of the boats were rolling almost gunnel to gunnel! Sunflower managed just a sedate roll. I think we have the optimum spot in the marina for comfort; we have noticed that some of the berths catch more commotion than others. Formal complaints were made, and one yachtie who was going to leave the boat here for 2 months went and asked for his money back.

A restored shop house along one of our walking streets.

We are having a very relaxing time here in Penang. The marina is right in the heart of Georgetown. Just two blocks away is "Little India," with colorful displays of fabrics and dry goods, vibrant music coming from the music and video shops, jewelry stores full of ornate gold ornaments and gems, and incense wafting through doorways and temple gates. There are traditional spice shops where you purchase peppercorns or turmeric powder by the gram from huge tubs or barrels! Last but not least, plenty of restaurants serving tempting snacks and full meals at very little cost. Dinner for us in our favorite vegetarian restaurant is rarely over MR15 - about $4.30. There's hardly any point in cooking!

We have probably walked on every street in Georgetown by now, mostly on quests for this or that for the boat. When we found we weren't having any luck getting our windlass motor repaired in Phuket, we asked our friend Terry to visit an alternator/starter shop we knew of here in Penang to see what he could turn up. Well, he turned up a brand new, exact armature for the motor! A little machining, some new seals, bearings and electrics, and the windlass is back in business!

Al does the final servicing of the anchor windlass now that the motor is once again operational.

With plenty of time to spend, we have been visiting sites in Penang we never have had time for before. Two streets over is a restored Baba-Nyonya mansion house dating to the late 1890's. It is a museum that boggles the senses! Every street seems to turn up a clan house, a temple or two, a restored row of shop houses, or a historical landmark - like Fort Cornwallis out on the NE point of the island. Even this marina is situated in the old Church Street Pier area, where sampans brought goods and passengers across from the mainland side. There is also a traditional "Food Trail" walk - but I think we have made our own trail of favorites by now!

Egg delivery.

One morning's walk along the "Artisan's Trail" gave us a look at a shop making joss sticks, a noodle-making shop, a food stall cook making up a batch of won tons, a sign board carver, shops making paper offerings to burn at temples, medicine and herb sellers, fortune tellers, and porcelain painters. Then there is the "chemical man" - Mr. Ong, who is an icon in the yachtie community for providing acetone, chloroform, water glass, oxalic acid and such.

His shop is so full of stuff it is hard to move! He cleaned it all up a few years ago, but "container creep" has nearly brought it back to overflowing again.

Al and I celebrated our 42nd wedding anniversary in Penang with friends who had come down from Langkawi.

We have nearly finished all our projects. The leisurely pace has given us a more comprehensive view of Penang than our usual dash down by ferry can accommodate. We will keep an ear to the "Yachtie Grapevine" of news about the City Marina. If all bodes well, we will certainly sail Sunflower back to Penang for our next visit.