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Kota Kinabalu : Profile

Clearance

There are various marinas where one can moor the boat before proceeding into the commercial harbour to visit the various offices. Immigration and Customs are on the waterfront, north, out of town, on Jalan Pantai. Immigration must be visited first at the port authority wharf located in a small building behind the main building. Customs is next and is located on the third floor of the same building. Next to visit is the Marine Department behind the Gaya Centre on Fuad Stephens.

There are no charges at any of these Departments although 2-3 RM for the price of the form may be requested. Checking out is the same but in reverse order.

You receive a 90-day visa and at the end of that period you can leave the country and re-enter and get another 90 days without taking the boat out.

It appears that in some cases Sabah, Sarawak and the Malay Peninsular are treated as separate countries i.e. if you left Labuan or Kota Kinabalu (Sabah) for Kuching you would get 90 days when entering Kuching and the same when you entered the Malay Peninsular. In all instances however it is easy to cross the border to Singapore, Brunei, Indonesia etc. to extend your visa.

Docking

Auythorised Entry Point by sea

It is possible to anchor in the harbour and Harbour Control will tell you of any restricted areas. However most yachts anchor/moor at either Gaya Resort, Tanjung Aru or off the Kota Kinabalu Yacht Club. There is also a new marina - Sutera Harbour 3 km from Kota Kinabalu.

There have been reports of thefts of dinghies and outboard motors from yachts at the Shangra-La anchorage/mooring area and the Gaya Island mooring area.

Gaya Island Resort
Gaya Island
Taken over by new management, there are 2 moorings available for a fee but not maintained. Facilities ashore: toilets, water and cold shower. There is now a charge of RM20 roundtrip per/person for the ferry ride to Kota Kinabalu. Gaya Island is a good anchorage in the SE monsoon, located at one of the state parks with wildlife near the city.

Sutera Harbour Marina
1 Sutera Harbour Blvd, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia 88100
Tel:(6-088)-308127/308128, Fax:(6-008)-252211, VHF Channel 16, 71
marina@suterah.po.my
Harbour Master: Mr. George Lam. A new marina attached to a 'country club' type resort. NOTE: Only yachts with holding waste tanksare allowed. The marina has 104 berths and is well-protected, with plenty of depth in the approach channels and the harbour itself. There is a dry stack day boat storage, launching and retrieval facilities, a fuel jetty and pump out facility. Other services include 24 hour security, electricity and fresh water and a chandlery. Visiting yachts can use shower facilities and telephone service at the Marina Club House. Water is included in the berthing tariff and electricity is based on consumption. There is a shuttle service to the city centre and travel information can be obtained from the harbourmaster's tower.

Tanjung Aru Marina
Shangri-La's Tanjung Aru Resort, W.D.T. 14, 89459 Tg. Aru, Sabah
Tel:214215, Fax:240966
The Shangri-La hotel at Tanjung Aru has some mooring buoys and an anchorage area. Care and a good chart is needed for getting into the anchorage area as there is a reef to cross -if you can contact the Marina they will come and assist you in, it is better to arrange this before hand as they do not seem to monitor any VHF channel. The mooring buoys are 80rm a week, and you are allowed to us the hotel pool, which has excellent showers attached. The restaurants and bars are very good but expensive. It is better to walk to the Golf Club, Yacht Club or the hawker stalls that are past the hotel for meals. The staff are very helpful and will arrange gas, fuel etc. You can get parts, mail and faxes delivered here. There is a shuttle from the hotel into Kota Kinabalu but it is cheaper to take the local bus, which stops at the staff entrance. Contact: Ramlee Mustapha, Senior Operations Manager.