Seal Superyachts Borneo
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Welcome to Seal Superyachts Borneo Seal Superyachts - Borneo is based in Kota Kinabalu. Our company was formed with one thing in mind: to make your visit to Borneo stress free by providing a comprehensive range of support services to visiting superyachts. Whether you are a superyacht captain interested in visiting Sabah or Malaysian Borneo for the first time, or a private yacht owner who requires repairs, Seal Superyachts has an experienced and friendly team who are available to help. With our first-hand experience operating luxury yacht charters in the region, visiting yacht owners and Captains can be assured that we know how to make all the necessary arrangements for your shore support services, including navigational information, detailed itineraries, land tours and other travel arrangements. We look forward to seeing you in Borneo! Services We Provide . Marina Berthing . Customs and Immigration Clearance – Inbound & Outbound . Food Provisioning . Bunkering – Fuel, Oil, Water . Shipping and Air Freight . Visas and Visa Extension . Recruiting Yacht Crew and Licensed Skippers . Sourcing Assistance – Legal, Medical, Travel, Repatriation . Engineering Services . Outboard Motors, Maintenance and Repairs . Maintenances and Repairs . Manufacturing or Repairing Timber Masts and Spars . Fabrication and Engineering – Stainless Steel and Aluminium . Hydraulic Engineering . Machining and Precision Engineering . Galvanizing of Chains and Parts . Casting Ferrous and Non-ferrous Metals . Yacht Delivery Borneo Borneo The world’s third largest island conjures up images of lush tropical rain forests, exotic and rare wildlife and the infamous headhunters of days gone by that the 36 ethnic tribes found with its borders gave up their head-hunting ways and became “civilized”. But it is still possible to experience the rich cultural heritage of the peoples of Sabah that now blend into a harmonious community of ethnic tribes, predominately Kadazan, Dusan, Rungus, and Murut living peacefully alongside Chinese, Malays and Indians. While there is no possibility of losing one‟s head anymore, a journey to Borneo is an exquisite glimpse into a land of rich diversity. Visitors can combine the delights of crystal clear waters, tropical islands and mainland coastal bays, with extraordinary diverse mainland beauty – the highest mountain in South East Asia, Mt. Kinabalu, virgin rainforest conservation areas, waters, canyons, exotic wildlife, flora and fauna, and a myriad of adventure, cultural and eco- tourism activities to truly experience the tropical paradise. Three countries are represented on the island of Borneo, Indonesia to the south, Brunei in the middle and the Malaysian states of Sarawak and Sabah to the north. While each country has its own charms, it is recommended that the most hassle-free itinerary for a journey to Borneo focus on Sabah. Sabah and Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo Sabah, one of Malaysian‟s thirteen states, has long been an exciting holiday destination for lovers of nature, culture, diving and adventure. Known as the “Land below the Wind”, this lush corner of Borneo lies outside of the typhoon belt free from major climatic disturbances. Sabah almost seems unfairly blessed in terms of natural beauty, not to mention a stable society and rapidly developing economy. For visiting Superyachts, there is much to explore from tropical islands, including coral atolls and oceanic islands to giant rivers winding through dense tropical jungle and 4000m high mountains, all with an abundance of nature and wildlife surrounding. In fact, if you are looking for the „next cruising destination‟, look no further! Sabah’s rich cruising waters from Labuan to Kudat offer some of the most spectacular and beautiful waters, islands, and mainland attractions in South East Asia and can possibly be seen as the most diverse cruising playground in the world. A journey around the Tip of Borneo is also worthwhile and the East Coast is renowned for diving particularly the world-famous Sipadan, ranked amongst the world‟s top-five dive sites annually. Visitors can combine the delights of crystal clear waters, tropical islands and mainland coastal bays with extraordinary diverse mainland beauty – the highest mountain in South East Asia, virgin rainforest conservation areas, waterfalls, canyons, exotic wildlife, flora and fauna and a myriad of adventure and eco-tourism activities – all accessible as a day or overnight excursion from your yacht! There are numerous other activities including white water rafting, cultural outings, agricultural park/ orchid parks and adventure based tours. Sabah’s West Coast – An Emerging Riviera Kota Kinabalu, the Capital of Sabah, is an ideal base for yachts, having both an international airport and excellent marina facilities. Undoubtedly, this is the lush corner of Borneo will one day be one of Asia‟s most popular yachting destination and the government has been working hard to enhance the attraction for boating tourism with a series of new developments. In the nearby port of Labuan, a public marina has recently been completed and more facilities are sure to follow. From Kota Kinabalu, the most accessible islands are in the Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park. From here one can travel up or down the west coast towards scenic bays, rivers and islands with attraction above and below water. North of Kota Kinabalu is Mantanani, notable for resident dugong (sea cows), a sheltered anchorage deserted white sand beaches and typically crystal clear waters. Just 35 nautical miles south of Kota Kinabalu is Pulau Tiga (the original „survivor‟ island from the reality TV series). Geothermal activity below the center of the island has created warm bubbling mud baths which are not only relaxing to sit in but also therapeutic. Here one can stretch the legs on nature trails which take you through the jungle. Resident wildlife includes macaques, giant monitor lizards, wild boar, and hornbill. Further north is Mengalum Island where you can have a hand at fishing in an area that is known for Dogtooth and Yellow Fin Tuna. The adventurous divers among you may want to venture further north again to coral atoll called Layang Layang which is famous for its resident schools of Hammerhead sharks, and incredible underwater visibility that rarely drop below 30 meters. After a cruise, visitors can set their sights on climbing the majestic Mt. Kinabalu or take on a white water rafting challenge on one of the major rivers flowing down from the Croker Range. A Sejour in Kota Kinabalu offers the opportunity to relax tired muscles at a 5 star beach resort and pamper oneself with shopping, spa therapies and fine dining. Sabah’s Northern Tip – Natural Beauty Discover the secluded northern beaches and islands of Borneo, starting from the sleepy and idyllic town of Kudat. Once the capital of British North Borneo, used to be a stop-ever point for ships carrying cargo back and forth from Labuan to Kota Kinabalu to Sandakan or up to the Philippines. This northern region is still very rural however with a new marina, golf course, and a planned tropical villa development, the northern most tip of Borneo promises to be a cruising playground of the future. The area‟s natural beauty is set to harness a new wave of discerning travellers seeking the ultimate tropical lifestyle away from the crowds of the enduringly popular Bali and Phuket. Furthermore, adjacent to the marina in Kudat is a small dry dock with haul out by travel lift making it an ideal place for yachts to carry out minor maintenance. Kudat is also the heartland tip of Borneo, are the islands of Bangai, Balambangan, and Malawali, which are gazette to become Malaysian newest and largest Marine Park. However, please beware of the shallow fringing reefs surrounding these islands. In fact the reef hazard means that there are several shipwrecks for the underwater adventure to explore many from WWII lying in 20 to 50 meters of depth. Banggi, Balambangan, and Malawali are only accessible by boat. Banggi itself is the largest island in Malaysia with an area of 440 square km. and is very quiet with a population of only 20,000. These islands offer a real escape and feeling of isolation, with empty white sand beaches, jungle covered hillsides, clear waters, beautiful bays, reefs and mangroves. Here there are indigenous people who still live in isolation from the modern world and retain century-old traditions. Sabah’s East Coast – A Wildlife Safari The East Coast of Sabah is divided from the west coast by the rugged Crocker Mountain Range and visitors often fly into Sadakan which becomes the starting point or gateway to a remarkable wildlife safari. Sadakan is the world renowned Sepilok Orang Utah Rehabilitation Centre. Known not only for its contribution to the research and rehabilitation of the Orang Utan‟s, the center also focuses on the study of the endangered Bornean Rhino. Labuk Bay Conservation Area is another 30 minutes from here and known for the Proboscis or long-nosed monkeys. A visit to the Sandakan yacht club together with the English Tea House and the Agnes Keith Museum are all that remain to remind the visitor that this was once a charming even idyllic outpost of the British Empire, replete with white chapels and picket fences. For a sense of this forgotten age, Agnes Keiths memoire („Land below the Wind‟) is a highly recommended read. Sailing out of Sandakan Bay and into the Sulu Sea, we find the serene and secluded tropical islands of the Turtle Island Marine Park. The park has an important turtle breeding program, the first and the largest in South East Asia and they are safe-havens for both Green and Hawksbill Turtles. A few hours further north, Lankayan Island, known for Whale Shark spotting holds crystal waters and healthy coral reefs. In diving circles, Lankayan is highly regarded as a „macro‟ paradise. Sailing south of Sandakan, we can find the mouth of the Kinabatangan, the second longest river in Malaysia with a length of 560 km from its headwaters in the mountains of southwest Sabah to its outlet at the Sulu Sea.