HOLIDAY OCEANVIEW MARINA is the first and only marina in the Gulf of Davao, located in the northernmost tip of Samal Island (7°11.94N, 125°42.74E).

A)    BERTHING

The facility offers 2 docks (A and B) with a combined total of 56 berths, Each berth can fit yachts up to 50 feet LOA. The end of Docks A and B can fit longer yachts up to 100 ft LOA.

B)    BOATYARD

There is one slipway for hauling and launching vessels. Vessels are hauled out using a trailer system.

A)    UTILITIES

RATES:

Visiting boats are very welcome. We ask you to book a berth in advance. Call us on VHF channel 68 or by email at holiday_oceanview@yahoo.com or info@holidayoceanview.com or by mobile phone no. 0929- 510-5160

A)     WET-BERTH RATES – in Phil. Pesos

• All berths have access to fresh water and individual power points
• No charge to water; power is at price posted
• Fuel can be arranged, at prices posted
• Laundry, shower and toilet facilities are conveniently located in the clubhouse building. Open 24 hours throughout the year to berth holders, accessible with key
• The marina is protected by security 24/7
• OFF-SEASON DISCOUNT (MAY TO OCTOBER)

- 35% OFF ABOVE RATES

B) BOATYARD/DRY-BERTH RATES – in Phil. Pesos

• Slipway for haul-out and launching (may have to coincide with high tide)
• Individual heavy duty cradle with adjustable arms (for monohulls)
• Water is available 
• Power at price posted
• Fuel at prices posted
• Miscellaneous marine services available
• Tradesmen and labor from Php100 to 400 / hr.
• To make a boatyard booking, email holiday_oceanview@yahoo.com or info@holidayoceanview.com with boat details – LOA, draft, beam, weight and type of keel.

ARRIVAL DETAILS:

A) 

The Holiday Oceanview Marina's goal is to achieve a standard that is accepted worldwidA)    SEA APPROACH

Entering the Gulf of Davao, vessels can approach on either east or west side of Samal Island.

The channel between Davao mainland and the westside of Samal island is busy with boat and ferry traffic. The narrowest  area (just over half a nautical mile wide) has a strong tidal current, mostly south-setting.  Sailing closer to the Samal side, the westside is lined with resorts and white sanded beaches.

Latitude:                7°11.94 N Longitude:         125°42.74 E

Radio Channel: Channel 68 Email or contact Marina prior to arrival is preferred.

Davao Tide Table link: http://www.mobilegeographics.com:81/locations/1502.html

B)    MARINA APPROACH

The marina is surrounded by a stone wall (breakwater).  Stay well clear of the breakwater until ready to approach. The 20 meter-wide entrance is on the NW corner, marked with red and green flags. Approach from the north and turn port into the marina. Caution: Breakwater walls are lined with rocks on the seabed.  Allow clearance. The entrance has a metal gate to prevent swells and debris from entering the marina. It is left opened when there is a vessel expected  to arrive or depart. Otherwise, it remains closed. It can easily be opened when a vessel is sighted approaching.

C)    CIQ (Customs, Immigration and Quarantine) CLEARANCE

Check in or out service is provided by the Marina. A vehicle and staff will drive/assist you to the different offices for checking in or out. This is to expedite dealing with the CIQ officials. Alternate route for self check-in is to anchor on entry, at the quarantine area near Sta. Ana wharf, for CIQ boarding.

LOCAL INFORMATION:

A)    DAVAO

DAVAO CITY, being near the equatorial belt, is typhoon-free. The city enjoys a weather that remains balmy all year round. It is characterized by a uniform distribution of rainfall, temperature, humidity, and there are no wide fluctuations of the barometric air pressure. There are two seasons – the NE monsoons (October to March)  and the SW monsoon (April to September). The beginning and end of the seasons are normally transition periods. Northeasterly winds are predominant during the NE monsoon season and this will the best time for cruisers when the weather is pleasant and the chances of being caught in the path of typhoons are minimal. The SW monsoon is the rainy season. Winds are predominantly southerly, humid and warmer.

Davao City boasts of some of the finest beaches and mountain resorts in the country, and proximity to the Philippines’ most captivating diving spots as well as its highest peak, Mount Apo.   Metro Davao can also be dubbed as The City of Royalties or The Royal City, because of the presence of the kings and queens of the nature present in Davao. The Queen of Philippine Orchids which is Waling-waling, the King of Exotic Fruits, which is Durian, The King and Grandfather of Philippine mountains, Mt. Apo, the largest eagle in the world and the King of Philippine skies which is the Philippine Eagle.

B)    SAMAL

Nearby and only 10 minutes Samal-Davao ferry ride over, in the Gulf of Davao, is the ISLAND GARDEN CITY of SAMAL. True to its name, the island is a paradise surrounded by a natural garden of corals. The island has become a tourism hub for southern Philippines, boasting its pristine, white sandy beaches, natural wonders and attractions, yet it still remains unspoiled. This beautiful virgin island has been protected from commercialization to preserve ecotourism. The 116 kilometer stretch of coastline and crystal blue water is rich with underwater wildlife and the colors contrasts harmoniously from the green lush vegetation of coconut trees, to the white sandy beaches, to the dark blue color of the sea. From the hairy squat lobster to the Hawksbill Turtles to the Duggongs and a vast array of tropical fishes and corals, this island has become a diver’s haven. For the landlubbers, you have the mountains and lush forests for serious mountain-biking, camping and extreme sports. You can test your endurance as you trek and negotiate your way through caves of varying sizes.

Davao and Samal both boasts of very friendly people. Festivals or fiestas would be a good way to observe how happy and sharing the Dabaweños are. Fiestas are their way of showing their love of their homeland,  culture and traditions. Amidst the chaos, hostage taking, war and conflict happening in some parts of Mindanao, Davao is still at peace and order. This is evident during the KADAYAWAN festival, the ARAW NG DAVAO festivities and Samal’s HUGYAW Samal. One must not miss seeing and participating in these festivals. It is definitely a must-see event.

The Gulf of Davao is situated on the south coast of Mindanao Island and is approximately between latitude 6° 15' and 7° 20' East and longitude 125° 25' and 126° 10' East. It has a water area of 10,500 sq. km. and approximately 520 km. of coastline from Calian Point in Davao del Sur to Cape San Agustin in Davao Oriental. Within the Gulf are the islands of Samal and Talikud in Davao del Norte, Kopiat in Davao Oriental and Lunod in Compostela Valley. Samal Island is the largest of these islands, with 118 km. of coastline.

C) GULF OF DAVAO

The Gulf has a unique pattern of water movement. During flood tide, water mass south of Samal Island flows southwest. In the northern portion of the island, between Bassa Point and Gill Point, water mass flows northeast, then southward and swiftly veers east-northeast during the peak tide current. In addition, the more saline oceanic waters flow into the gulf through the deeper section of the Gulf pushing the existing water mass northward. Tide waves occurring ahead at the eastern section cause older water to wave towards the area of low elevation at the western side. Eddies and standing oscillations are present. There are 33 rivers and creeks that empty into the Davao Gulf. Water exchange is mainly tidal with relatively good surface mixing during strong monsoon winds. The northern portion is generally estuarine in character due to the massive influx of freshwater from the flood plains especially during the rainy season. This is why there would be a lot of river debris such as tree branches and river bank debris, especially during highest tides and heavy rainfall.

Are you interested in what's happening up in our galaxy - the world beyond that exists only in our imagination? Well, when we are sailing, there is nothing else to excite me at nights but what is happening up in the skies. I would read up on astronomy, positions of well-known stars and planets that are visible to the naked eyes. I would spend hours looking for them at nights. What helped in my imagination is the greek mythology surrounding the stars. It is really quite interesting.

Although it is easier to study the skies from the ocean without the urban obstructions, it is still possible from where you live. Just the other day, I was able to watch the partial lunar eclipse. I knew it was supposed to be a full moon night, but when I looked up, the moon was not full. And how did I know that a partial lunar eclipse was going on? It is because I occasionally read the Astronomical Diary. You can do likewise here - link.

PagAsa is the weather station in the Philippines. This is where I check our weather satellite picture (updated hourly from 6 am until 9 pm). Not only does it report weather, but it also features articles of other weather phenomena affecting the country.  This coming August, the astronomical diary states this will be the month to observe meteor showers. If you have not seen one yet, try looking out for them. I have seen quite a few during our sailing years and it is very exciting.  

I have been saying how cold it is here in Southwestern Norway and that it is not usual. I've been expecting a lot of rain and strong winds, instead I get subzero temperatures, no wind, clear sunny skies and a lot of snow still on the grounds. Hmmm, what is going on? On TV, I hear news about the blizzards and snow in Northern Europe and also in Beijing, China. It is also very unusual for Beijing and the Chinese people there are not quite prepared for it. In Germany, I heard the news that some 9 homeless people have died, basically froze to death.

I don't really check on the weather patterms too much anymore because we are not sailing. Today, I decided to read up on what is causing this cold weather and more importantly, why people are caught unprepared for it. To me, the idea of living up north means it is cold! If somebody tells me "Alaska" - I think "cold, snow and igloos".  Same with Norway - I would normally think "snow, cold and wind". But not apparently so. Yes, it is cold, but being in a coastal area, I really don't see much snow - not to the extent I see it now. Kjartan said that when he was young, it was like this - snow on the grounds until his birthday in March. Wow. That is 3 months too long for me.

Anyway, back to the "strange" phenomena". Here in the Atlantic ocean, there is a weather pattern called the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). The word "oscillation" denotes movement. So this NAO is actually what causes and determines the strength and movement of the wind. To make it simple from how I understand it, there is a difference in barometric pressures between the Icelandic LOW and the Azores HIGH. (Azores is a small country in the Atlantic ocean located west of Spain). The bigger the difference in pressures between that in Iceland and in Azores (positive NAO), the stronger the wind is from the west and Europe will experience wet and mild winters.  If the difference in pressures is weak (negative NAO), the wind is very weak which then causes the arctic air from the north to be able to push and spill in southwards.

Based on the explanation above, I can then say we are in Negative NAO at the moment. This means the barometric pressure in Iceland and that in Azores is not that highly different. Below is the weather picture for today. I can see the low pressure system just above Iceland is 1008. Down in Azores, the high is at 1024. The difference is not that high, as compared to a low of, for example, 980, and a high of 1040.

I am not sure how they calculate the negative and positive NAO, but records show that this winter 2009/2010, there is a strong negative NAO between - 1.50 and - 2.10. The only winter months with a lower NAO index were February 1978 (-2.20) and January 1963 (-2.12). January 1963 was one of the coldest months on record in the UK and the Eastern US.

The wind is indeed very mild, and this is the reason the cold artic air from the north is spilling in to the south, all across Northern Europe, and from Russia into China.

There you go - that is the simple explanation for the "strange" weather up here. And NO - it is not because it is EL NINO year this year. 

PS - The Viking sailors were the ones who first discovered the North Atlantic Oscillation pattern. Why do you think they were able to sail far far away and first discovered lands?

This is an article I wrote last year which I will re-post again. This year, I felt the northeasterly winds a month later than last year, but it is definitely the northeast monsoon season now. Last week was actually cold - NICE!! I can't believe I was wearing a jacket early in the morning, while drinking my coffee.  Anyway, here is the article:

Davao, being near the equatorial belt, is typhoon-free. Winds are very seldom stronger than force 4. However, the effects of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) characterized by widespread cloudiness, occasional thunderstorms and precipitations are felt here.  Typhoons generally originate in the region of the Marianas and Caroline Islands of the Pacific Ocean which has the same latitudinal location as Mindanao. Their movements follow a northwesterly direction, sparing Mindanao from being directly hit by the typhoons that cross the country.



The city enjoys a weather that remains balmy all year round. It is characterized by a uniform distribution of rainfall, temperature, humidity and there are no wide fluctuations of the barometric air pressure. There are two seasons - the NE monsoon season "Amihan" (October to May) and the SW monsoon "Habagat" (June to September). The beginning and end of the seasons are normally transition periods.

Northeasterly winds are predominant during the NE monsoon season and this will be the best time for cruisers when the weather is pleasant and the chances of being caught in the path of typhoons are minimal. During March and April January and February, the northeasterly trade winds are established and blow dominantly, affecting the eastern sections of the country.

The SW monsoon is the rainy season. Winds are predominantly southwesterly, humid and warmer, especially during the months from July to September where heavy rainfalls affect mostly the western sections of the country.

During the first week of October, I started feeling cooler northeasterly winds. The Easterly Waves have arrived! Briefly, these are wavelike perturbations embedded in the easterly current. It is more frequent during the transition period.

Now, I look forward to the Christmas holidays.

As I mentioned in previous articles, Kjartan has agreed to crew for SV Backchat back to Australia, together with Jock. He was taking welding classes and was not be able to go until the classes ended on October 16. Plans were made to cast off on October 18. They did take off at 6:45 am that Sunday morning. One hour later they found out the autopilot was not working. Not wanting to hand steer 24/7 all the way, they turned around and came back.

After replacing the autopilot with a spare one, they again took off yesterday, October 20th, at 6:30 am. Weather and seas expectations? They expect winds to be mostly on the nose, light and possibly current against them. The plan was to head due south, in between the Indonesian islands, where sea currents may be more favorable for them. I will try to update this article if I can get their positions everyday.

Day 1 - October 21 at 6:00 am -140 miles, bearing 140 degrees, seas smooth, southwesterly wind.

Day 2 - Oct 22 at 6:00 am - 140 nm, motoring 4.6 knots, bearing 138 degrees, seas NNE, southerly wind, .5 to .7 knot current against. Heading east of Halmahera.

Day 3 - Oct 23 at 6:00 am - 100 nm, motoring 4.0 knots, bearing 145 degrees, seas NNE, light winds with one hour of NNE winds last night.

Day 4 - Oct 24 at 8:30 am - 130 nm, speed 3.5 knots, bearing 145 degrees, against current. Had 15-20 knots of wind yesterday all afternoon which was not in the forecast. My note: I think they were going through this system (convergence zone) which is right across New Guinea.

Day 5 - Oct 25 at 8:30 am - 100 nm, speed 4.0 knots, bearing 135 degrees, against 1 knot current. Total 620 miles so far.

Day 6 - Oct 26 at 8:00 am - 105 nm, motoring, speed 5 knots, bearing SE. Both guys need a shave badly by now.

Day 7 - Oct 27 at 8:00 am - 125 nm, no details given due to bad propagation. Total to date = 857 nm

Day 8 - Oct 28 at 8:00 am - 107 nm, 10k SE winds, bearing 115 degrees against current. Total to date = 964 nm, ETA Saturday ( 3 more sleeps - yehhey!!)

Day 9 - Oct 29 at 8:00 am - 132 nm, 12k East winds, bearing 165. Sailing at 8 knots speed. Will try to arrive Gove Friday evening. Good easterly winds now.

Day 10 - Oct 30 at 8:00 am - 160 nm, NNE winds, bearing 140. Sailing at 7 knots. 145 miles to go.

Day 11 - Oct 31 at 7:00 am - Had a good rest the night before anchored in Wessel Isles. Now sailing at 9 knots toward Gove with 22k wind. Autopilot not working (very lucky for this to happen with ony 40 miles to go).

Day 11 - Oct 31 at 12 noon - GOVE, AUSTRALIA!! Welcome and Congratulations. You made it in 11 days!! I must say that if it was Wiskun, we wouldn't make it this fast.

The destination - Gove Harbour/Gove Yacht Club - known as the Gateway to the Northern Territory and Indonesia, is located in Melville Bay on the North West tip of the Gulf of Carpentaria. From the pictures, it is a beautiful bay, with white sand and spectacular sunsets.

First, to friends and family who are wondering about us here in Davao, we are fine. It is my normal habit to check the satellite weather picture every morning and in the early mornng of September 26, I saw a very dark red blob painted over Metro Manila. I even said to Kjartan "Oh oh, Manila has lots of rain today". Even though Manila is hit by floods every year, I could not imagine it was going to be this terrible. Typhoon Ondoy, international code name Ketsana, poured more than a month's worth of rain in 9 hours (total rainfall for the nine-hour deluge was 41.6 centimeters (16 inches), breaking the previous single-day record of 33.4 centimeters in July 1967). Almost 80% of Metro Manila is under water, some parts as high as six metres (20 feet), forcing the government to declare a "state of calamity" that allowed authorities to use emergency funds. Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced, homes washed away, and at least 240 people dead or missing. You can help by donations to the Philippine National Red Cross.

>Ondoy's Trail of Fury

In checking the 7 day weather forecast, I see 2 low pressure systems building up west of Palau. One will travel northwest towards Northern Luzon and the other more northwards towards Japan. This is just a forecast based on computer models and it changes daily. I pray that it will not hit the Manila region when it is still vunerable.

We welcome our new visitors from Australia. She is a beautiful catamaran, 48 foot long and I believe 23 foot wide. They were on their way back to Australia via Indonesia when they got caught in the sustained southerly winds (thanks to the developing low pressure system that eventually became super typhoon "Morakot"). As I understand it, the headwinds were strong, but it wasn't the wind that bothered them, but the constant banging into the big swells. Because of this, they have some damage to their boat, major enough that they cannot continue on with their original plans. SV Lady Emma has suggested for them to come here to Samal to assess the damage. Here they are now and we will help them as much as we can.

Inside the Davao gulf, we do not feel the effects of a low pressure system outside other than some passing squally rain and wind. We do not see the building seas, the big swells, and the crashing waves. Instead, we complain of yet another hot, muggy and windless day. In the gulf, we are protected by the mountains and the land surrounding us. However, during the habagat season, the prevalent winds are from the south. Since the opening to the gulf is in the south, we do have swells coming in. This recent low pressure system deepened to Super Typhoon Morakot that destroyed the coastline of Taiwan. When it was developing, the seas started to build up outside and I have noticed the swells coming into the gulf. So much so that the bangkas (outriggers) and boats that normally anchor south of us moved over to this area where we are. As you can see from the picture, the area here is somewhat protected from the southerly swells.

Back to our Australian friends, Kjartan went to look over the damage. The original thought was to beach it somewhere in order to repair it. However, to do it right, it is best to haul out. The boatyard is not ready to haul out any other vessel while the ferry is there taking the whole area. With several brainpowers together, they came up with the idea of using a crane to haul the catamaran out. It is possible - and with the nods of everyone concerned, action is now implemented to start building the sling for the haulout. More articles will come from this, I am sure. For now, we are happy to just sit back, relax and socialize with our Australian friends. It is very nice to talk "cruising" talks again. As for our friends, they should just do the same - sit back and relax. Nothing can be done now anyway as everything has to take its course. It is easy to fret over so many problems that need fixing, but taking one thing at a time is the best attitude to take. I must say this was a very important attitude Kjartan taught me over the years and I thank him for that.

By the way, we now have 2 Australian catamarans tied to the moorings we dropped last year. Each have different needs and we will try to accomodate as much as we can.

We welcome another cruiser from New Zealand. SV Lady Emma is anchored fairly close to where we are and we decided to dinghy over to say hello. Just like in the good old days of our cruise, we were invited onboard to chat over drinks. Lady Emma is on its way to Indonesia and has opted to stay in the Davao Gulf, away from all the constant rain up north. We've had a few get togethers ever since and it is very nice chatting with them. We will try to arrange a tanker over to fuel them up for their sail south. For now, they are enjoying the dry days here in Samal while their friends up north are complaining of another wet day. Welcome!

As I sit here in the office, I am watching the downpour of rain outside. I am thinking of the floods that I will have to drive through to get to Sasa Ferry terminal. I think I better wait awhile. The rains don't usually last long here. But the rainy season has started and the sailing season in Philippine waters is over.

I have heard on the radio that this is La Nina year - this means more rainfall than normal. For the past weeks, we are certainly experiencing above normal rainfall conditions and even a very early typhoon. This is due to the presence of low pressure areas that are embedded in an active Intertropical Covergence Zone (ITCZ). From the satellite picture below, taken today, you can see the band of ITCZ all across Philippines, Indonesia and connecting to the South Pacific Convergence Zone (SPCZ) across Papua New Guinea, Solomons and Vanuatu. Wow, that is certainly a very wide area covered. I wouldn't want to be sailing through this.

Source: http://www.weather.org/Pacific.htm

According to Pag-asa, "the early migration of the ITCZ is enhancing the southwest windflow over the western and southern parts of the country. The characteristically moist southwest windflow is expected to prevail due to the intensification of the High Pressure Area over Australia especially in the months of July and August. Other rainfall causing systems relative to the Southwest Monsoon such as the ITCZ and tropical cyclones may be modulated by the recession of the North Pacific High Pressure Area and breaks in the rain periods could be expected before the normal peak of the rainy season in July and August. The rainy season will start receding towards the end of August until its normal termination by the end of September."

In Davao, we certainly are affected by the active ITCZ. You can feel the moist and warm southerly wind and this brings rain mostly in the late afternoons or evenings. The ITCZ gives birth to low pressure areas which may turn to typhoons as they migrate north or northwest. When typhoons hit the northern part of the PHilippines, for some reason Davao (Southern Mindanao) usually gets no wind and becomes hot and muggy.

Determining the best departure times for your route planning, the following links will provide weather conditions and forecasts in this area:

Philippines

• Pagasa station - http://www.pagasa.dost.gov.ph/ 
• Tides – Davao gulf - http://www.mobilegeographics.com:81/calendar/year/1502.html
• Buoy weather - link here 

Japan to Philippines, Pacific Northwest

• Anaylysis chart - http://www.jma.go.jp/en/g3/

                                 - http://www.oceanweather.com/data/

• Wave chart - http://www.data.kishou.go.jp/kaiyou/db/wave/chart/awpn_e.html
• Severe weather info centre - http://severe.worldweather.wmo.int/tc/wnp/

Singapore, Indonesia, Malacca Strait, Philippines

• Surface wind chart - http://www.weather.gov.sg/wip/c/portal/layout?p_l_id=PUB.1023.3 
• Wave chart - http://www.weather.gov.sg/wip/c/portal/layout?p_l_id=PUB.1023.2
• Regional weather chart - http://www.weather.gov.sg/wip/c/portal/layout?p_l_id=PUB.1023.8 

Asia

• Australia weatherzone - link here 
• Wetterzentrale (German)  - http://www.wetterzentrale.de/topkarten/fsavnsas.html

World wide

• Tropical storms - http://www.solar.ifa.hawaii.edu/Tropical/ 
• FNMOC Wxmap - https://www.fnmoc.navy.mil/wxmap_cgi/index.html (some browsers have difficulty accessing this site)
• Buoyweather - http://www.buoyweather.com/index.jsp
• Passage Weather - http://www.passageweather.com/ 
• Radiofax broadcast schedules - http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/marine/rfax.pdf (be sure to print this updated list before you cast off)

Underway, the following are voice frequencies and schedules. 

• MMNETSEA

The Mobile Maritime Net of Southeast Asia is hosted by Richard Donaldson-Alves. The Net is operating on 14,323 MHz on the 20 meter band at 0025 GMT. At 0055, Wx forecasts are relayed. It covers Japan to Seychelles - Hong Kong to Northern & Western Australia. (Specifically: Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Northern Australia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, The Andamans & Nicobars, Chagos).  Note: Richard has indicated that there is almost no propagation with the Philippines, but far off stations are okay.

Richard reports on severe storms regularly here.

• Brunei Bay Radio

Allan Riches has spent years promoting the southern South China Sea/Sulu area for tourism and alternative cruising area other than the usual route from Darwin to Bali to Singapore to Phuket. Brunei Bay Radio is the regional gateway for the Sailmail network.

It provides the following services:

• Low cost HF SSB radio e-mail service for recreational vessels - This service is suited to cruisers who need more daily connection time than a standard SailMail subscription, i.e. children's long distance education or running a business while cruising. It is also for commercial vessels and for remote land sites. For more information, check here.
• Voice services - For schedules and frequency of voice services, visit here.
• Cruising notes - If you want to send or receive cruising notes on west Borneo, southern Philippines and a route from here to Makassar, email Allan directly at radio@bruneibay.net.