Labuan - Docking
There are also several anchoring options here.
Anchoring Options
Yachts can anchor on the other side of the river from the ferry terminal of the Water Village on stilts (Patau Patau). It does start to shallow off here, so be aware of the depths. There are a few moorings for small local boats. Also, the seabed is strewn with much litter so dig the anchor in well. It is perhaps too shallow to go further up the river.
Anchoring directly off the marina wall, between the breakwater and shell oil pier, is also possible in about 10 metres of water, although the rebound of wash from ferries, fishing boats etc. makes for a very bumpy anchorage.
To go ashore to the town you can hail a water taxi (VHF channel 67) or for short visits you can tie your dinghy up at the ramp of the water taxi jetty. There are two water taxi companies and the one that operates from near the ferry terminal are reported to be the cheapest. If you find a driver you are happy with, ask for his phone number so you can call him when you want to go ashore.
Boats at anchor are able to leave their dinghy at the marina when going ashore, and have access to the showers as well as get water and drop garbage. With the limited access and a gate guard, it is more secure than the beach landing.
If anchoring off the Sports Complex, there is a dinghy dock below the restaurant. Water is available at the complex as well as a garbage disposal. The holding is good, but rather exposed in a squall.
It is possible to stay at Menumbok, or one of the smaller islands, and make a day‐trip into Labuan harbour to provision if you are reluctant to stay there overnight.
- Photo from SV Altantis
Marina
After 2 years of renovations, the government-run Marina reopened in March 2014 with a second breakwater to reduce wash from the commercial traffic, which does appear successful. This marina is prone to silt, however, the starboard side of the inner harbor is suitable for visiting yachts (details below).
Whilst the marina is no longer part of the Waterfront Hotel business, the hotel pool is still available to marina guests for a small daily fee. There are two restaurants/bars on site which can be lively at night. The current management is very helpful and will accept mail for you if you let them know in advance.
Security
It is essential to lock your yacht and stow outboard engines and other easily portable items below. Thefts of such items have been reported here in the past.
Last updated: October 2018
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Related to following destinations: Labuan, Malaysia, Malaysian Borneo (Sabah)
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Just checked out of Labuan today and the customs office has moved to the ferry terminal, it’s in the same corridor as the immigration office there. I have found on my last two visits here, you only need to visit Jabatan Laut when arriving from Sabah or Sarawak in Malaysia, on leaving, you should do immigration first, then Jabatan Laut, then Customs. Check the Jabatan Laut clearance sheet as Customs went over every detail and sent me back to Jabatan Laut due to a small error.
SV Sister Midnight
September 2017
Reported by Evan on Catamaran JAVA
Anchored off the beach between marina breakwater and Shell oil pier in 23ft sand. Some roll from ferries but ok for the two days we were there.
Walked to check in offices by the ferry terminal, bought duty-free/groceries and checked out the next day with no problems.
The only problem is buying fuel since no station we found would sell over 40 lots at a time, but it’s cheap at RM2.05/lt. Guess you could taxi around from stations, but we found a friend with a car who did it all for us for RM80 tip.
(Side-note: we checked out to Kudat, but had good SW winds so sailed straight to Bonbonon on Negros Oriental. Ended up with 2-day SW GALE (WindyTy was wrong!) but who could argue with a fast trip with a max boat speed of 16 knots!)
Here is the newest situation at Labuan Marina, Borneo, Malaysia.
Coordinates 05’16,35 N – 115’14,85 E
Labuan Marina has been rebuilt two or three times. It reopened about three years ago after a second breakwater was added to keep the wash of the ferries out of the marina. The second breakwater improved the situation in the marina, but still, some surge runs into the marina. The new marina entrance is well lit with red and green.
The marina is divided into an inner and outer harbour. The starboard side of the inner harbour has sufficient depth for sailing yachts (3 to 3.5 m at low tide). The pontoons in both inner and outer Harbours are deteriorating. In the outer harbour, on one of the pontoons, a pile broke and fell onto a yacht. This pontoon is now secured with a thin line which blocks the access to this pontoon.
The berths are equipped with stands for water and electricity, but water pressure can be very weak. In the outer harbour the pontoons are very long and have not enough cleats and sometimes water and electricity are far away from the berth. There is no fuel station in the marina.
The way to the outer harbour is via a very narrow wall.
There are many local boats berthed in the marina and boats move in and out constantly. There is no security guard. Everybody can enter the marina.
There are a couple of hardware stores and small supermarkets with limited choice in town, which is about 2 km away from the marina. Labuan has an airport with flights to Kuala Lumpur and Kota Kinabalu.
The duty-free status of Labuan has been newly regulated. Sailors are allowed to buy 3 boxes of beer (3 x 24) and five litres of wine or spirits per person per month.
Even Labuan Marina is cheaper than Miri Marina, which is 120 miles further south. Miri Marina is the better and more secure alternative to leave a yacht unattended (in our opinion).
Walter and Gisela Mittasch
SV. Atlantis
I just arrived back into Labuan after being away for over 3 years, and I wanted to inform sailors that Labuan Marina is open again. They have created several long fingers docks. However, one finger has broken off (first one once you enter the marina) and it has been reported that the pylon is hiding underwater where the end of the docks are. The marina staff are very friendly, and there is a great little cafe on site (the same cafe as before they closed).
The swimming pool can be used for a reported 16 MYR a day at the Waterfront hotel, right next to the marina. Duty-free shopping is plentiful, however, I found the local Giant Supermarket lacking in many items, and the prices not that great. Diesel fuel seems to be hard to come by – apparently you are only allowed 20 or 30 litres per person from a gas station, in jerry cans. I would recommend Sutera Harbour in Kota Kinabalu for diesel fuelling (if vast quantities are needed). It is still a nice place here with very friendly locals.
We have anchored off the ferry jetty in Dec. 2013 and went for diesel. No one said a word even though we filled up 3 jerry cans, totalling 60 litres (Esso gas station).
We have used the water taxi and the drivers first asked for 5RM per pax, we offer 5 for both of us and some even accepted 2RM. One guy didn’t want anything.
Water is available either at the Esso gas station (for free) or from a faucet, which is located at the back of a stall with fried plantains on the right when you get to the road from the jetty where water taxi takes you. The stall seems to be open only in the late afternoon, so get your water in the morning and you won’t disturb anyone.
We tried to enter the marina (anchored out as they will tell you to leave as we were told by other yachties), but the marina was all locked up. Our charts indicate that anchoring around the marina is prohibited, but no one seems to care.