Further Information

Posted 20th June 2010

Our thanks to Jean-Jacques Nicole for these notes and the updates to Puerto Princesa information.

I sailed from Puerto Princesa to El Nido along the Western and Nothern coast. From Puerto Princesa to Dumaran there are no difficulties.

From the approach of Dumaran to Paly Island, shell farms have been installed. Following the recommended routes on the charts, there is no problem. Most of them have poles with lights delimiting one side of the farm but by night it is difficult to guess on which side of the lights the farms lay. A typical farm is made of 50 to 100’s of horizontal ropes (2cm in diameter) about .2NM long with buoys every 15 to 20m. From every buoy, a secondary line goes down. At both end of the mainline/rope 2 buoys. Do not cross the line/rope because in the middle you only get a 1m draft if you are lucky. The buoy can be metallic round buoy or plastic ones. A big farm can be up to half a mile wide and 3 miles long.

You can cruise along the coast following the charted route. If you go out of the route there is no problem as long as you have adjusted your GPS position. You have many possibilities to anchor but most of them are not sand but rocks.

After the island of Kabuli which is the intersection between the Sulu Sea and the China south sea, the little tourist village of El Nido is worth visiting. Beautiful beaches, transparent water, caves, and snorkeling are waiting for you.

Comments on the previous report (below):-

Re Brunei Bay Radio Cruising Notes for West Coast of Palawan – I was unable to get a copy, nor did I receive an email reply from Allan at Brunei Bay Radio.

Report originally posted 21st May 2009

Brunei Bay Radio has just released another set of Cruising Notes, this time for the West Coast of Palawan. The anchorage notes were recently created by the crew of a 40-foot catamaran during their December 08 to March 09 cruise from Kota Kinabalu (Borneo) to Subic Bay (Philippines). Additional information has been added by Allan – Brunei Bay Radio – based on previous information on the area, and input from local contacts.

The NE Monsoon period – Sept/October to March/April – which is also the dry season for most of Palawan, is the best time to cruise the area, partly because the coast – which is not well charted – is a weather shore, and partly because this is the principle diving season, with the best visibility.

Allan at Brunei Bay Radio – www.bruneibay.net/bbradio – also has cruising notes for the west coast of Borneo, and for passages from northern Borneo to Australia via Sulawesi region. Email Allan for copies – [email protected].