Sam Holmes Sailingvideo
Giant Ships, Strong Currents, and Diving Tiomans Pristine Reefs
31 May 2026 · 36 min · 74K views · East coast of Malaysia
Catamaran frames Tioman’s forested peak through yellow boom
What this video covers
A three-day passage from Putri Harbor around Singapore to Tioman Island burns 65 liters of fuel, most of it fighting contrary currents and barnacle-fouled bottom through the Singapore Strait.13:35 Sam Holmes departs at 5 a.m. to time the tides, having replaced the heat exchanger the day before and noting a sketchy exhaust hose.0:12 Progress is repeatedly stalled: a plastic bag wraps the prop, requiring a water entry to clear it, and a month of marina growth — accumulated while waiting for engine parts at Putri Harbor — costs nearly half a knot.2:58 He scrubs the hull at anchor mid-passage.7:50 Crossing the Singapore Strait, he describes the shipping traffic as manageable by simply staying in the gaps between lanes.5:57 Offshore anchoring in roughly 100 feet on a seamount works when the current runs too strong to reach shore.12:17 At Tioman, the anchorage on the south side offers good reef diving — sharks, rays, sea snakes, clownfish, and healthy coral — plus a waterfall hike inland.19:46 A sudden overnight storm at a less-protected northern anchorage makes conditions uncomfortable enough to abandon a planned island crossing.28:47 Sam checks out of Tioman at the Harbormaster, Immigration, and Customs before departing for the Anambas Islands.35:00 Barnacle buildup severe enough to cost speed accumulates in as little as a month in a marina, making weekly or biweekly hull scrubbing essential in tropical waters.8:00
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