Cruising Info

Pacific Cruising Info

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Lavigan Inlet, Davao Bay, 6º18.16'N 126º11.21'E, 32' mud, no cell signal

We came into Lavington Inlet on a moonless night, which we wouldn't recommend, after running over a huge FAD in the dark (which we also don't recommend ).  There's a series of small, round reefs just offshore that extend NNE from the end of the Lima Point reef, which don't show up on charts, so good light and satellite imagery are best.  We had 20' (6m) where we came over the string of reefs (see the satellite image).  We wanted to avoid anchoring in the middle of the channel, as there's an active fishing fleet based there, so we explored to the north a bit, but couldn't find a good place.  In the end, we anchored in the channel and left our cockpit lights on all night.  Note that currents can run strongly along this coast, which can be disorienting at night.

Lavigan Inlet anchorage and approaches

Lavigan is one of the closest anchorages to Cape St. Agustin, and offers good protection from all points except the west.  It's a good jumping‑off point for rounding the Cape and starting up the east coast of Mindanao, but it's 63nm to HOV Marina, so a long sail.

Lavigan fishing fleet in the early AM

Return to: Top, SE (Mindanao), Central (Visayas), Coron/Busuanga, NE Palawan or NW Palawan.

Baksal Cove, Davao Bay, 6º40.71'N 126º05.23'E, 51' mud, 3G cell signal

Baksal Cove is one of about 4 anchorages along the eastern arm of Davao Bay that provides protection from the southerly winds that we had in November.  There's only 1 small reef to avoid when approaching from the west, but to the NW are a sprinkled handful of reefs that extend for 6nm that need to be avoided.  Our winds were light, so we anchored fairly far from shore, but in stronger winds there's probably better protection closer to shore and/or a bit further east, although there are lots of fishing boats to the east.

Baksal Cove anchorage and approaches

Otherwise, the anchorage is unremarkable.  It's only 40nm to Holiday Ocean View Marina at the north end of Samal, so an easy day sail in either direction.  Cell towers are visible from the anchorage, so there's good internet.

Baksal Cove, a typical sleepy village

Return to: Top, SE (Mindanao), Central (Visayas), Coron/Busuanga, NE Palawan or NW Palawan.

Holiday Ocean View (HOV) Marina, Davao, entrance at 7º11.89'N 125º42.62'E, good cell signal (& free WiFi)

There are at least 3 barriers to prevent unauthorized boats from entering the marina, so make sure to let the office know when you plan to arrive, as it can take several minutes for them to move the barriers.  As of early 2020, they wanted boats to only use the right (eastern) set of slips.  220v 60Hz(!) power is available, with generator backup.  Dock water is free, RO drinking water is $0.80/jug (20L).

Holiday Ocean View Marina and approaches

In the satellite photo, the 3 big white buildings are the "condo‑tel" (mostly unoccupied) and to the right the black‑roofed marina clubhouse, hard‑stand, workshop, and haul‑out ramp.  To the north of the clubhouse is now a small but pleasant open‑air restaurant.  Up the steep hill is an area for housing, but there wasn't much happening there in 2020.  The road at the bottom is the main road around Samal, left going to Babak and the ferries to Davao.

HOV Marina is a bit like Hotel California, in that it's so nice that it's difficult to leave.  Cruisers organize potlucks, trips to local restaurants, singing nights, and exercise classes. The undeveloped property on the hill above the marina is part of the marina property and is a great place for walks and birding.  A free shuttle runs to the ferries (and Babak, the local village) 3x/day, and another free shuttle takes people to the big Davao shopping malls and back every 2 weeks.  Our 45' cat was charged $360/month, including electricity for our air‑conditioner.  There's no charge for water, but the WiFi really only works at the clubhouse.  Toilets and hot showers are in the clubhouse, along with laundry facilities, a TV and fridges with beer and sodas (honor system).  Tata runs the workshop and can organize laborers for about $10/day.  They can do wood, fiberglass, and some metalwork, including stainless steel welding.  Unfortunately, the owner of the marina wants to turn the hard‑stand into more parking for the condo‑tel (which had very few patrons in 2020) so they're not allowing boats out for extended periods anymore, just for a quick bottom or repair job.

Approaching the HOV Marina entrance, next to the blue-roofed guard tower

In 2015, the terrorist group Abu Sayef kidnapped 4 cruisers from the marina and eventually executed the 2 Canadians.  But President Duterte was Mayor of Davao for many years, so it was a huge slap in his face, and he promptly improved security all over the area.  Now a patrol boat lives in the marina, there are (very friendly) armed guards all over, a tower and guard post at the far corners of the breakwater, and no fewer than 3 floating barriers to entering the marina.  While the satellite photo shows few boats there, it was taken shortly after the attack.  Now more boats are there, and it feels very safe.

Babak is the town on Samal between HOV and the ferries.  There are several shops, but quality and prices will probably be better in Davao.  The public market on the water is generally very good for fresh fruits, veggies, and pork.  There are several vendors selling spit‑roasted chickens, which are excellent and less than $4.  We used Santos (get one stuffed with lemon‑grass).

HOV Marina. Clubhouse left, workshop right

Davao is a fairly amazing city, and much bigger than any city we've been to in SE Asia for a long time.  Luckily, Google Maps seems to know where everything is.  There are several shopping malls, for those so inclined, as well as a bustling (if cramped) Chinatown.  Taxis are all metered and air‑conditioned, and were our preferred mode of getting around.  They start at $0.80 to get in, and a 30 minute ride might cost $5.  Jeepneys are much cheaper, but they stop much more often, aren't air‑conditioned, are usually very crowded, are difficult to see out of, and we didn't get around to figuring out where they went.  Some Davao highlights:

• Solastra sold Powitt 400W solar panels with a guarantee (12 years materials & workmanship, 30 years performance) for only $200 ($0.50/watt, credit cards OK) in 2020.  They also sell several MPPT controllers (SRNE ML2430 for us), inverters, mounting hardware, and accessories.  Nelson Fernandez (+63‑922‑869‑0042) is the branch manager and speaks excellent English, but he doesn't know boats and he's not a system designer.  Mostly he supplies panels wholesale to building contractors (300/month).  We replaced our 8x120W panels with 3x400W panels, each feeding its own MPPT.
   
• ECGas (in Davao, +63‑932‑122‑5884) sells German made fiberglass LPG tanks (filled and with regulator) for $114 (cash only).  They're the same diameter as our steel 20 lb (9Kg) tanks, but slightly taller, and they hold 11Kg.  ECGas is just up the road from S&R (see below).
   
• Jim Upholstery (+63‑823‑226‑263 or +63‑917‑165‑9459) was able to repair our big Stack‑Pack sail‑cover, replacing the entire top panel and moving the (25' long and new) zipper to the new panel.  We supplied all materials, including Sunbrella and UV resistant thread, but this job was too much for our domestic machine, as some parts required sewing through thick webbing‑strap.  They speak OK English, but didn't understand that the side‑flaps had to protect the zipper from UV, so we had to unpick the zipper and re‑sew it, but that was a minor part of the job.  They also replaced the boat‑name on both sides, doing a nice job of copying our letter font.  Job was on time and at the quoted price.
   
• Vikings all you can eat multicultural buffet, at the SM Lanang Mall.  $13 for lunch includes beer(!) and soft drinks and the dessert bar.  The menu changes daily, and the food was excellent.
   
• S&R Membership Store, like a Costco.  Membership costs $14/year.  The shuttle from HOV comes here about once a month.  The Swiss Deli across the street was also a favorite restaurant.
   
• Dr. Bryan Guevara (+63‑927‑021‑8138) is a dermatologist in the building across from Brokenshire Hospital.  He's young but seems very thorough, and he does his own pathology.  He gave us both skin‑checks, which resulted in Jon having several bits of his favorite hide removed.  If you need skin work, he's a good guy.

Return to: Top, SE (Mindanao), Central (Visayas), Coron/Busuanga, NE Palawan or NW Palawan.

Lucatan, East Mindanao, 7º00.11'N 126º25.05'E, 40' mud, No Globe, 3G Smart

Lucatan was the furthest north we could get once we rounded Cape San Agustin from Lavigan inlet, a 52nm day.  There are no hazards to the approach.  In the light NE winds we had at the time, it provided good protection and a quiet night.  Looking at the satellite imagery, it's probably better to anchor about 80m to the east, up on the sand shelf, so the anchor isn't on such a slope.

Lucatan anchorage and approaches

We were a bit surprised to have the local headman, Ri (+63‑938‑853‑9708) come out to Ocelot (with an armed guard) to see what we were up to.  After a gruff beginning, he realized we were no threat, and he became much more friendly, even offering to host us at his small home‑stay.  He then contacted us several times as we continued up the coast and as we cruised the Philippine interior, tracking our progress and praying for our safety.

There's a good Smart cell‑tower at the end of the point, but no Globe signal in early 2020.  We had fairly strong (2.5 knot) southbound current against us just after rounding Cape San Agustin, but it soon turned into a positive counter‑current as we hugged the coast.

Sailing in towards Lucatan

Return to: Top, SE (Mindanao), Central (Visayas), Coron/Busuanga, NE Palawan or NW Palawan.

Baganga Bay, East Mindanao, 7º36.40'N 126º33.99'E, 32' mud, Good Globe & Smart

Baganga Bay in one of a series of conveniently spaced anchorages along the east coast of Mindanao, just 44nm north of Lucatan.  Unfortunately, it has a shallow reef smack in the center of the approach to the bay, and the reef from Lambajon Point extends south quite a ways (see satellite shot).  You can go on either side of the central reef, but different charts have it positioned differently, so satellite imagery is best.

Baganga Bay anchorage and approaches

The town (Lambajon?) is actually quite big, with several fishing boats nestled at the north end of the bay, behind the dock.  You can anchor just about anywhere along the eastern arm of the bay, but we chose to stay away from any potential shipping that might want to use the dock, so we anchored about in the middle but as far north as we could.  Unfortunately, a swell sometimes works its way into the bay, and it can get uncomfortable if it catches you beam‑on.  There was good cell coverage by both carriers.

Some wonderful sunsets in the Philippines

Return to: Top, SE (Mindanao), Central (Visayas), Coron/Busuanga, NE Palawan or NW Palawan.

Barcelona, East Mindanao, 8º09.58'N 126º26.59'E, 18' mud, good cell signal

Barcelona is another conveniently located protected bay, 38nm north of Baganga Bay.  There are no hazards getting in or out, but the reefs extend quite far south when heading north.  Although the waves can wash over the protecting reefs, the bay itself is remarkably protected, without any swell when we were there.  Anchor as far in as you can, to get the most protection.  The bottom becomes more sandy the further you go in.

Barcelona anchorage and approaches

Like in most other anchorages in the Philippines, we were pretty much ignored by the local fishermen.  This was a somewhat strange, but relaxing change from the Indonesian "Hello Mistah!" that you get from passing children, or the quiet stares of villagers in the Solomons and parts of PNG.

Only reef and this island protect the bay

Return to: Top, SE (Mindanao), Central (Visayas), Coron/Busuanga, NE Palawan or NW Palawan.

Caguait Harbor, East Mindanao, 8º55.66'N 126º17.92'E, 18' mud, Good 3G cell signal

Caguait Harbor is 53nm from Barcelona, so a relatively long day, but the other anchorages to the south all had issues.  Bitogan Bay and Ayninian Island can both have strong currents.  Caguait isn't as well protected from east sector winds, but it was relatively calm when we were there.  A bit of swell came into the bay, but a lovely offshore breeze at night kept our stern to the swell and brought us cooler temperatures.  There are no hazards when entering, but the bay shoals quickly if you try to go south.  Also, there appeared to be small mooring lines sprinkled around the south side of the bay, possibly for tiny fishing boats, so we anchored more towards the middle of the bay.  There were 2 big cell repeater stations on the hill to the north that we could just see from our anchorage, and another much smaller tower in the village. Staying in sight of those repeaters will probably give you a better cell signal.

Caguait Harbor anchorage and approaches

There's a small village ashore, but we didn't go in and they didn't come out to say hello.

Approaching Caguait Harbor

Return to: Top, SE (Mindanao), Central (Visayas), Coron/Busuanga, NE Palawan or NW Palawan.

General Island, NE Mindanao, 9º24.80'N 126º00.14'E, 63' sand, Globe 3G, Smart 4G

There are no real hazards when approaching General Island from the east, but to the west is a small island (with a reef around it) as well as a shallow reef, both of which show in the satellite view, and have to be avoided.  The General Island bay is rather deep, so you really want to drop your anchor as close to the middle of the innermost bay as you can, as you'll swing quite close to the surrounding reefs.

General Island anchorage and approaches

There's a village at the head of the bay, with some nice looking guesthouses on the left (see photo below), and some shallower bays to the east.  Exploring those bays by dinghy brought us to a small resort.  The owners were friendly enough, but since there were no overnight guests at the time, they weren't prepared to give us a meal.  Locals often use the picnic facilities at the resort, for which they're charged a small fee.

General Island village, with guest houses at left

Return to: Top, SE (Mindanao), Central (Visayas), Coron/Busuanga, NE Palawan or NW Palawan.

Kantiasay, Nonoc Island (south end of Dinagat), 9º51.02'N 125º35.07'E, 35' sand, 4G Globe, 3G Smart

Kantiasay is actually the village on the right, and San Pedro (shown as Hamgad in CM93) is on the left.  There are no approach hazards except a green float in the middle of the bay, but it's pretty deep until you get quite close, and the shallow areas usually have fish traps (or pens) on them.  Favor the east side to take advantage of the big sand flat.  We had strong NE winds that kept us off the shallows.

Kantiasay anchorage and approaches

There's a 1/4nm long footbridge that joins the two villages, and also blocks boats from entering the big lagoon, but the bridge has a high spot where dinghies can get under if you want to explore.  A local ferry (with outriggers!) leaves from San Pedro at 7am to go to Surigao, and returns about noon.  There's a tiny cell‑tower in Kantiasay.  Smart reported the stronger signal, but we got better performance from Globe.

Although we were headed for Surigao, Kantiasay provided shelter in the NE winds before we returned to the coast of Mindanao and the west side of the peninsula that houses Surigao town.

Approaching the Kantiasay sand-patch

Return to: Top, SE (Mindanao), Central (Visayas), Coron/Busuanga, NE Palawan or NW Palawan.

Mabua (Surigao), NE Mindanao, 9º47.83'N 125º26.30'E, 20' mud, 4G Globe & Smart

There are no hazards to approaching Mabua.  Come as far into the bay as you can, and anchor as convenient.  It's all shallow, gently sloping mud.

Mabua (Surigao) anchorage and approaches

In the NE season, the entire coastline off Surigao is a lee shore, with no protection at all.  Therefore, we decided to sail around the northern peninsula and anchor off Mabua, thinking we could take a bus or jeepney to Surigao.  Several other boats have reported that this works well.  There are no docks, but there are several small resorts along the beach who will apparently watch your dinghy.

However, a swell can come around the point and down into the bay, making life uncomfortable.  We moved our bridle around to our side, to keep us bow into the swell, but sometimes there wasn't enough wind to keep us pointed correctly.  In the end, we gave up and continued NW without ever going ashore.

Cute island north of Surigao

Return to: Top, SE (Mindanao), Central (Visayas), Coron/Busuanga, NE Palawan or NW Palawan.

Santa Paz, Panaon, 10º05.54'N 125º07.40'E, 18' sand, Good Globe, Good Smart

Santa Paz was a bit out of the way for us, but we had friends there we wanted to reconnect with.  There are no real obstacles to entering, but the reef comes up pretty quickly, and the shallows extend out from shore by as much as 100m (330').

Santa Paz anchorage and approaches

Our friend, Isabelle on s/v Manta, took a mooring a bit NW of us, very near a coral outcropping.  So the next morning we did an easy dive around the reeflet where the coral was very healthy and sported many colorful tunicates and small fish.

The town is small and the people very friendly when Isabelle and Sue when ashore for a walk.  But our goal on Panaon was to hunt for the wild and elusive ... whale shark! (see below).

Santa Paz Village from water level

Return to: Top, SE (Mindanao), Central (Visayas), Coron/Busuanga, NE Palawan or NW Palawan.

San Antonio, Panaon, 9º57.65'N 125º14.20'E, 40' mud, Good Globe, Good Smart

San Antonio is on a fairly open bay that faces SSW, and is often referred to as Sonok Point.  There are no hazards when approaching or leaving.  There are actually 2 good anchorages just SE of town on small sand‑fans that you can see from satellite images.  The anchorage just off the town has more coral and we don't recommend it.

San Antonio anchorage and approaches

At the southern tip of Panaon is a shallow bay where one can often see whale‑sharks, which was our mission when we were there with our friend Isabelle on s/v Manta.  We went into town and asked for a whale‑shark guide, and were directed to a small shop where we signed in and paid our money.  In 2020, we paid $4/person, plus $6 for a guide and $4 each for 2 spotters, which is about what we'd pay in Triton Bay.  They arrived the next morning and we loaded 3 people into each of our dinghies, and we towed one of their spider‑boats.  It's over 4nm to the southern bay, but each dinghy could plane so it went pretty quickly.

Once there, we milled around the bay with several other small craft, with our spotters spotting as best they could.  When someone shouted, we zoomed over and jumped in, leaving our spotter to look after the dinghy.  The whale‑sharks are not fed, so they're always moving.  They don't swim very fast, but it's a good workout to keep up with them as they cruise around the bay.

s/v Manta in San Antonio, looking west

Return to: Top, SE (Mindanao), Central (Visayas), Coron/Busuanga, NE Palawan or NW Palawan.

Maasin, Leyte, 10º07.66'N 124º50.04'E, 28' sand, Good Globe, Good Smart

There are no hazards when approaching Maasin, and our anchorage is in a lovely sandy patch.  You can anchor closer in, but then you get more rocks.  There's another somewhat more protected bay about 4nm to the east (Ichon) and we saw some boats anchored there, but the town is much smaller, and we wanted to shop.

Maasin anchorage and approaches

One problem with Maasin is where to put the dinghy.  Going around the semicircular reef, you can approach the tiny sandy beach (middle of the photo) from the west.  It's quite shallow, but you can pull your dinghy up on the beach there if you want.  We ended up going due north from our anchorage to the near corner of the area with the white‑roofed building.  The concrete wall and road are quite high there, but you can walk or wade on some rocks to get around the corner and up to road level, where you can tie your dinghy to some structures.

Maasin has a nice public market, and friendly people.  We took our fuel‑jugs ashore here and a tricycle took us to the fuel‑station and back, then the driver helped lower our jugs 7' (2m) into our dinghy with a rope.

Approaching Maasin

Return to: Top, SE (Mindanao), Central (Visayas), Coron/Busuanga, NE Palawan or NW Palawan.

Hingotanan, Bohol, 10º14.54'N 124º28.70'E, 42' rubble, Good Globe, Good Smart

As you can see from the satellite photo, the reefs extend out for over 1/4nm from the islands, and you need to know where they are as you approach, so satellite imagery is useful.  And it's almost essential for safe navigation inside the lagoon, as there are several reefs.

Hingotanat anchorage and approaches

I think a better anchorage can be had either NE or SW of ours, as the bottom was smoother, so it's probably sand instead of the coral rubble we dropped onto.  There's room for many boats to anchor.

Both islands are essentially covered in village, but we didn't go ashore, and nobody came out to talk to us.

Hingotanan Island over the extensive reef

Return to: Top, SE (Mindanao), Central (Visayas), Coron/Busuanga, NE Palawan or NW Palawan.

Mactan, Cebu, 10º19.65'N 123º58.30'E, 27' mud, 4G Globe, 4G Smart

There are no real hazards when approaching, but the shallows extend NE of Mactan Island for a fair way.  The rectangular area just west of the yacht club is a ferry landing, and the ferry comes several times a day.  If you anchor too close, he'll honk at you.

Mactan (Cebu) anchorage and approaches

The YC wants P200 ($4) per day to leave your dinghy on their dock, but it's the best game in town, as other places are more expensive.  The YC has a restaurant (small red roof) and a small chandlery, & there's another chandlery (larger red roof) just to the east.  Going out the guard gate and down to the corner brings you to Robinson's Mall, which is quite up‑scale, with a good grocery store.  There's another big grocery store diagonally across the main road.  The public market is a jeepney ride to the west, past the second bridge.  There are other malls as well.  We did not get into Cebu proper.

This is a great anchorage if you have people flying in, as you can walk to the airport.  Then you can negotiate with a jeepney (or taxi) for the trip back to the YC.  And, of course, all of Cebu City is just across the bridges, if you need stuff for projects.  Cebu's as big as Davao, so should have just as many resources available.

Approaching the Mactan anchorage

Return to: Top, SE (Mindanao), Central (Visayas), Coron/Busuanga, NE Palawan or NW Palawan.

Port Carmen, Cebu, 10º34.07'N 124º01.83'E, 15' mud, Good Globe, Good Smart

The approach to Port Carmen is tricky, as big ships are also using the narrow channels.  There were floating buoys to mark the entrance, but not subsequent turns or passages, so satellite imagery is very useful.  The common anchorage is to the south, in a small, shallow pond that can hold about 15 boats.

Port Carmen anchorage and approaches

There are many ships being loaded with gravel (or something) just across from the southern anchorage.  Unfortunately, the breeze often turns at night to come from shore, so the dust and grit of the loading operations gets all over the boat.  You can anchor in the northern bay, and this puts you closer to the local town, but there have been (unverified) reports of thefts there.

Further south (at the bottom of the photo) are some small marina‑ish things, with several (somewhat derelict) boats.  But Zeke's is apparently not a bad place to work on your boat, and Jeepneys and taxis can get you into Cebu city for whatever you need.  Some cruisers do their Cebu port clearances and visa renewal from here, since Cebu will grant you a 6 month visa extension (most Immigration offices only give you 2 months).

The little pond off Port Carmen can get crowded

Return to: Top, SE (Mindanao), Central (Visayas), Coron/Busuanga, NE Palawan or NW Palawan.

Poro Island, Leyte, 10º37.65'N 124º24.20'E, 30' rubble, Good Globe, Good Smart

There are no hazards to avoid when approaching this anchorage, but it's not as good as it looks.  We thought we'd be anchoring on sand, but it turned out to be coral rubble.  Scrutinizing the satellite imagery, it looks like the anchorage in the next bay to the east, near 10º37.63'N 124º24.82'E, might offer a better bottom.  We had some rain here, and something caused the wind to wrap around Poro and come from the east, which gave us a bumpy night.  Not sure how common that is in the NE season.

Poro Island anchorage and approaches

By going around the docks we could load and unload passengers at the ramps that the ferries use, and perhaps we could have left the dinghy tied to the side of those ramps.  We rented some scooters ashore and set out around the island, but the roads are pretty poor, so progress was slower than anticipated.  The town itself is cute, and the people very friendly, so walking around town was fun.  Our visiting family said the snorkeling was good, but we didn't go ourselves.

Poro Town from our anchorage

Return to: Top, SE (Mindanao), Central (Visayas), Coron/Busuanga, NE Palawan or NW Palawan.

Palompon, Leyte, 11º02.70'N 124º22.85'E, 30' mud, Good Globe, Good Smart

There are no real hazards when approaching Palompon, but the reefs extend out quite far, and they're often covered by muddy water, so you can't see them well.  Satellite imagery would be a help here.  Proceed past town and anchor as convenient.  The estuary is quite large.

Palompon anchorage and approaches

There are some interesting wildlife viewing towers SW of the anchorage, and that whole area is a nature preserve.  Unfortunately, the dock and walkways are falling into disrepair, so judge for yourself if they're safe enough.  The tower itself is concrete, and quite strong.  It gives some wonderful views, but the local cyclone damage hasn't been repaired since 2014.

The estuary south of the anchorage is large and invites exploration by dinghy.  The town looks large and vibrant, but we'd had a rather sleepless night at Poro Island, so we didn't go into Palompon town.

Anchorage is on the far side of Palompon

Return to: Top, SE (Mindanao), Central (Visayas), Coron/Busuanga, NE Palawan or NW Palawan.

Malapascua, Cebu, 11º19.77'N 124º06.57'E, 28' sand, Good Globe, Good Smart

There are no hazards when approaching Malapascua except for the extensive shallows to the south, but given Soggy Paws' track (red) you can probably sail over that if necessary.  The best anchorage changes depending on the season.  We were there in February, with NE winds, so we anchored in the SW.

Malapascua anchorage and approaches

Malapascua is quite a tourist island, with lots of diving opportunities.  There's an interesting dock with car tires embedded in the concrete as bumpers.  It makes a good place to tie the dinghy, but make sure it doesn't slip under the dock to get squashed by a rising tide, and leave room for the "spider" work‑boats to load and unload.

Ashore there are lots of bars, restaurants, and resort accommodations to fit any pocketbook.  There are a few tiny shops, but apparently most companies import their own needs, so very little is actually sold on the island.  The people are friendly and we enjoyed walking around the south end of the island.

Crowded Malapascua from our anchorage

Return to: Top, SE (Mindanao), Central (Visayas), Coron/Busuanga, NE Palawan or NW Palawan.

Roxas, Panay, 11º36.13'N 122º42.66'E, 20' mud, Good Globe, Good Smart

There are no hazards approaching Roxas (pronounced Ro‑hass).  You can even come in at night, as both sides of the entrance are marked with flashing lights.  Note that the Philippines seems to use the US buoyage system (Red Right Returning, or Red Left Port).  Ships use the dock to the north, so make sure you give them room to turn around.

Roxas anchorage and approaches

Do not go further in than we did, or if you do, anchor further north, as that's where the channel is.  If you look closely at the satellite image, you'll see a faint line extending in a curve from the lower breakwater up and to the right, just in front of where we anchored.  That's a mud‑bank that dries at low tide.

We arrived in Roxas after an 88nm day sail, so we were fairly thrashed and didn't go ashore.  But the bay is quite extensive, and invites some serious dinghy exploration.

Anchor as far past the dock as you can

Return to: Top, SE (Mindanao), Central (Visayas), Coron/Busuanga, NE Palawan or NW Palawan.

Port Batan, Panay, 11º35.80'N 122º28.72'E, 30' mud, Good Globe, Good Smart

The entrance to Port Batan is over 20' (7m) deep, contrary to some postings.  However, the channel is not marked, it's quite long, and it can be difficult to see even with satellite imagery.  It's probably best to follow our track, but you can also use these waypoints: 11º38.0 122º29.9, 11º36.6 122º29.8, 11º36.2 122º29.7, 11º35.5 122º29.4, then curl to the right and anchor behind the docks.

Port Batan anchorage and approaches

Port Batan is actually the town on the SE side of the bay.  There are steps down into the water and some railings you can tie your dinghy to.  There's a pretty good fruit and veg market about a 5 minute walk into town.  There's also a fuel station near the steps, but the diesel is much cheaper on the other side, near the anchorage.  Take your dinghy past the big docks and around to the small ferry landing (also steps into the water).  The station is 200m down the road, so we hired a tricycle to carry our jugs (50p or $1).  This was shorter, easier, and cheaper than going all the way to Port Batan.

The estuary system is huge, with lots of opportunities for dinghy exploration.

Docks, with Port Batan in the distance

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Caticlan, Panay, 11º55.40'N 121º56.73'E, 26' mud, Good Globe, Good Smart

There are some rocks off the tip of Panay when arriving from the north or east, but they're easy to see and avoid.  There's a tremendous amount of traffic going between Caticlan and Boracay to the NW, so anchor as far south as you can to avoid their wakes.  Stay offshore until you can see the runway, and anchor on either side of it.  It can shoal quickly, so you'll probably be fairly far from shore.  The anchorage above is at the end of the lower green track‑line, our third anchorage attempt.  We had 20 knot NE winds, but very little swell came into the anchorage.

Caticlan anchorage and approaches

Unfortunately, there's no good place to leave a dinghy except pulled up on the beach by the runway.  There are lots of docks with steel steps leading down to the water, but they're all used by the local Borocay ferries.  The proximity to the airport makes Caticlan an excellent place to pick up or drop off guests.  Departures is a 2 minute walk from the beach, but arrivals is at the far end of the runway, a $2 tricycle ride.  There's no public market, but there's a busy street with lots of fruit and veg shops.

Boracay Island is the #1 tourist island of the Visayas, and might be fun to explore if you like that sort of thing.  Lots of speed boats, parasails, etc.

Approaching Caticlan from the north

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Ambulong East, Mindoro, 12º11.81'N 121º01.86'E, 60' sand, No Globe, No Smart

There are several reefs to watch out for when approaching.  Even worse, there's LOTS of seaweed farming.  We thought we couldn't get into the inner bay, but it turns out the resort needs boats to be able to get in and out, so there's a good channel.  Inside the bay is completely protected, and we should have moved there once we found that we could.

Ambulong East anchorage and approaches

As it was, we anchored in the outer bay, as it was flat calm.  But at midnight, a strong NE wind came up and pushed us into shallow water over the reef, so we roused all hands and motored off to Ambulong South, which has excellent protection from the NE.  Thank goodness for satellite imagery!

The resort is unfriendly, and is also falling apart.  Only a few of the over‑water bungalows are still there.  There were no guests when we were there, but there seemed to be about a dozen locals around.  They wanted $4/person to go ashore.  We declined.

Seaweed farming in channel at Ambulong East

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Ambulong South, Mindoro, 12º12.00'N 121º00.44'E, 30' sand, No Globe, No Smart

As the satellite image shows, this anchorage is a lovely big sand‑fan extending out from a lagoon.  There are no hazards to avoid, which is lucky for us as we came in just after midnight.  We anchored in 30', but we could have gone in further if we wanted more protection.  In 2020 there was a small seaweed farm on the left side, further in.  The anchorage is well protected from the 20 knot NE winds that were blowing, and we had no swell at all.

Ambulong South anchorage and approaches

At high tide, you should be able to get over the bar and into the lagoon for some dinghy exploration.  We had a fishing boat anchor behind us, but he left before morning.  There are no villages nearby, so no supplies.

We could have gone further into the bay

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Tara Island, Busuanga, 12º16.57'N 120º21.63'E, 55' sand, Globe Weak, Smart Weak

As the satellite image shows, there's a reef a bit SW of the anchorage bay, and the south end of Tara Island has reefs that extend south for over half a mile, so don't cut the bottom of Tara Island too close.  The bay itself looks big, but don't go in too far, as there are reefs closer to shore.  There's a reef on the south side of the bay that often breaks, but it shouldn't effect entering the bay.

Tara Island anchorage and approaches

The village ashore seemed friendly, but nobody came out to our boat.  Apparently there's good snorkeling and/or diving nearby, but we didn't explore very far.  Exploring to the north looked like it could be fun.  After our harrowing night at Ambulong Island, Tara was lovely and protected from the NE winds, with essentially no swell getting into the bay in February.

The village SE of the anchorage

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Coron Town, Busuanga, 11º59.68'N 120º11.73'E, 44' mud, Globe 3G, Smart 4G

Approaching Coron Town from the east is interesting, as the route is marked with many buoys equipped with AIS transmitters that tell you if they're left or right‑hand buoys.  There are several reefs to avoid, so best if you have some satellite imagery.  We anchored off La Sirenetta restaurant, and tied our dinghy near them, but this might not last.  The satellite image is old, as they're filling in the bay near the restaurant, and the shoreline is changing rapidly.  Make sure the anchor is well dug in, as we had several days of 20 knots plus winds.

Coron Town anchorage and approaches

Coron town is the center of commerce for the area, and it's also a tourist center.  There are nice restaurants, massage centers ($12/hour), gelato and latte stands, scooter rentals, etc.  But we did not find a very good grocery store, just convenience stores.  There's a public market about in the middle of town, by the water.  Diesel was about $1/liter in 2020.

Scooters can be rented for under $10/day, and the roads are good.  There are waterfalls to visit in the wet season, but we were here in the dry season.  There are LOTS of dive boats, and even more day‑tour boats speeding around.  Lots of booking offices ashore, and there's lots to see, especially east at steeply sided Coron Island. We took an all-day boat tour to snorkeling places, beaches, Twin Lagoons and Kayangan Lake for $24/person including lunch.  There are big letters above town proclaiming its name (upper left in the photo), and a path up to the top of the hill which affords a nice view.

Coron Town from our anchorage

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Apo Island West, Busuanga, 11º58.83'N 120º04.85'E, 64' sand, Globe 2G, Smart No

There are no hazards when approaching this anchorage, but the channel is fairly deep, even quite close to the reef.  We decided to anchor a bit further north than previous boats had anchored, mainly because the bottom was flat and sandy, while further south had more coral.

Apo Island West anchorage and approaches

About 0.4nm south of this anchorage (and across the channel) is a sign on the beach, with a couple of small moorings just offshore (the moorings are not suitable for cruising boats).  The sign says that on 24 September 1944, the allies launched quite an air‑raid against Japanese shipping in the area and sank several ships.  One of them was a submarine‑chaser, which is just off the beach.  The front of the ship is quite close to the surface, and you can see it easily just snorkeling, but the back is in much deeper water and requires scuba gear.  It looks like a fun wreck to dive, but the guests we had on board at the time were not divers.  Since it's only 9nm from Coron, local tour‑boats often come to the moorings so their guests can swim over the wreck.

Our Apo Is anchorage, looking north. Note the extensive reef on the right.

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North Tangat Island, Busuanga, 12º00.14'N 120º03.78'E, 50' mud, Globe Edge, Smart 3G

Most charts of the area do not show the extensive reefs shown in our satellite photo, so satellite imagery will help to get in.  You'll also need a sharp eye to avoid the many pearl‑farms in the area.  If strong southerlies make the anchorage uncomfortable, you can go further into the bay to the north, or into the bay to the east, behind the tip of Tangat Island.

North Tangat Island anchorage and approaches

On 24 September 1944, the allied air forces attacked Japanese shipping that was sheltering in the area, sinking several ships.  Several of those ships were anchored in the bay just to the south of this anchorage, and we wanted to explore them.  This anchorage provides reasonable protection from most directions, and allows dinghy access to 4‑5 shipwrecks.  The Irako is only 2.5nm south, and several others are somewhat closer.

The ships all have strong ropes at each end, going up to mooring balls.  The moorings are strong enough for cruising boats if the winds are light, but you may end up with dive boats hanging off your stern.  We would not spend a night on these moorings.

Looking SE over the reef towards our Apo West anchorage.

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Busuanga Bay, Busuanga, 12º01.05'N 119º58.78'E, 54' mud, 4G Globe, 2G Smart

The entrance to Busuanga Bay is wide, but don't cut the corners when coming in.  The reef on the south side of the entrance extends north by 150m, and the reef on the north protrudes south almost 300m, so best to aim for the middle of the entrance.  Satellite imagery is best for avoiding the reefs near shore, as they can stick out quite far.

Busuanga Bay anchorage and approaches

We anchored in the outer ("Sunset" or "Pearl") bay, but there are LOTS of places to anchor.  If there's a strong west wind, it's possible for a chop to come into the outer bay, but the rest of Busuanga bay is convoluted enough that it's doubtful that any chop would get further.  The next bay in has many public moorings available from the Marina Del Sol YC just to the north, at the end of the sharp peninsula.  Some moorings are free if you patronize the local resorts.  The next bay in is shallower and even more protected.  The furthest in bay has a big reef taking up the middle, but most boats should be able to hug the shore to get around the central reef and go up the river, which is a fun dinghy ride even if you don't take the big boat.  The river looks like it has several ideal places to tie to mangroves in the event of a typhoon.

Busuanga Bay Lodge from our anchorage, Al Faro far right

Busuanga Bay is a lovely spot, well protected from all weather and usually inhabited by many cruising boats.  Busuanga Bay Lodge (BBL) to the north of our anchorage is very posh, with upscale bar, restaurants, and pool.  To access BBL, you're supposed to pay P5,000 (US$ 100) per month for permission to tie to their floating dock, get water, and use the pool.  If you're going to use them every day, then $3/day isn't much.  Just west of BBL is a much smaller but also fairly upscale restaurant that will also do take‑away.  Al Faro (means lighthouse), north of our anchorage but across the water from BBL is not as fancy but also has a nice bar, restaurant, and pool at the top of the hill, all with lovely views and cheaper prices (and no fee to use their dinghy dock).

There's a big Globe relay tower above BBL, so Globe internet is usually excellent.  There are dive shops and a Japanese wreck to dive just outside the bay.  Just SE of our anchorage is a lovely spring for filling water jugs.  Poke around with the dinghy at high tide, looking for a gap through the mangroves to a small concrete wall with a pipe coming out one side.  The higher the tide, the further you'll be able to get your dinghy in.  A bit past BBL is a dock where you can go ashore to meet Damian, who is a diesel and outboard mechanic.  Limited groceries are available in Concepcion, about a 45 minute walk north, or at a small sari-sari store at the northern‑most bit of the bay, where it gets close to the road.  Transportation is available to Coron Town or the airport.

Sunset Bay from BBL, Al Faro left, Ocelot right

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Bulalacao Island, Busuanga, 11º45.71'N 120º08.27'E, 57' sand, Globe 3G, Smart 4G

The reef extends south of the headland for a long way when coming into the anchorage.  The bay itself is fairly small and relatively deep.  Check the bottom to make sure you're not anchoring on coral.  The gap between tiny Dicalubuan Island and Bulalacao is about 30m wide, and was marked by floating white blocks on each side in 2020.  The anchorage is very well protected from north and east sector winds, but exposed to the SW and west.

Bulalacao Island anchorage and approaches

The northern tip of Bulalacao Island is a long sand‑spit, and local boats like to bring their guests there.  There's at least 1 resort at the northern end, so be prepared to pay an entrance fee to go ashore there.  The beach at the anchorage is private to the north, but a friendly family runs the south side of the beach, selling cool drinks and renting kayaks to the tourists who come ashore from the daily tour‑boats.  There are lots of other exploration possibilities, as well as nice snorkeling along the edge of the reef.

Beautiful Bulalacao Island beach

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Ditaytayan Island, Busuanga, 11º43.89'N 120º06.13'E, 52' sand, Globe 4G, Smart 2G

The reef protrudes west from the island a long way, so be careful coming in from the north.  Also, it can't be seen easily even with satellite imagery, but there's a 20' (7m) deep reef west of the anchorage.  Stay on the north side as you approach the anchorage to get around the reef.  There's one point where the bottom may come up to about 15' (5m) as you approach, but then it drops back down again.  You can anchor slightly north of our position, but don't go too far west, or you'll end up over the reef and might damage some coral.  Like Bulalacao, this anchorage is exposed to SW and west winds, but well protected from all north and east sector winds.

Ditaytayan Island anchorage and approaches

The beach is lovely, and provided good birding.  There's a trail past a derelict house to the beach on the far side.  There's also a sand‑spit at the north tip of the island, which is fun to walk on.  We dinghied over early, to avoid the crowds that come there for lunch.  There was a local woman sweeping the beach, but she did not ask us for an entrance fee.  The reef behind the anchorage is a bit deep for snorkeling, but it made a nice scuba dive.  All the fish were less than 30' (10m) deep.  The edges of the visible reefs offered better snorkeling.

Ditaytayan Island is remote enough that the only light we saw at night was the light at the top of the cell‑relay‑tower on the top of Culion Island, 7nm behind us.  One or 2 local boats may come into the bay for lunch, but they don't stay long.  It's a delightful bit of magic.

Even more deserted Ditaytayan Island beach

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Northwest Bay, Linapacan Island, 11º28.44'N 119º45.73'E, 48' sand, No cell service

Getting into this anchorage is a bit tricky, as the little island just to the west has quite a big reef around it.  You must enter from the south, from 11º28.0'N 119º45.6'E, ideally with satellite imagery to guide you.  But the anchorage is in good sand with reef all around it, and it's big enough for a few boats.

NW Bay and San Pedro anchorages and approaches

There are actually several good sandy anchorages in Northwest Bay of Linapacan Island:  2 small bays just 1nm to the NE of ours (at 11º29.14'N 119º46.44'E and 11º28.0'N 119º46.5'E) are easier to get into and arguably provide better NE protection.  We chose ours as we were hoping the village just to the east had some cell signal, but this hope proved in vain.  There is a good Globe cell‑tower with at least a 10nm range on a tall mountain on the SE arm of Linapacan, at about 11º24.3'N 119º59.6'E, but the signal doesn't reach this particular bay (cell signals require a line‑of‑sight connection).  It's possible that there might be a fringy signal if you take a dingy out the inlet channel a bit, until you can see the cell tower to the east.

Deeper into the southern or eastern arms of the bay are more anchorages that will provide better protection if there's a swell running, but they appear to be rather deep, with unknown bottoms.  Perhaps more to the point, there are several pearl‑farms to avoid if you venture deeper into the bay.

Ocelot at NW Bay, Linapacan Island

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San Pedro Cove, Linapacan Island, 11º28.11'N 119º43.98'E, 28' sand, No cell signal

San Pedro Cove is just SW of NW Bay (above).  It's protected from all directions except the NE, and even the persistent NW swell doesn't seem to get in there.  There are no real hazards approaching San Pedro Cove, as the pearl‑farms don't start until further into the bay, but don't cut the corner too close, as the reef sticks out over 1/4nm.

NW Bay and San Pedro anchorages and approaches

The sandy bottom shoals gradually and predictably, and there's room for a few boats.

Although there's no cell signal at the anchorage, you don't have to go out very far to see the tower and get a signal.  In fact, there's a mooring that's placed perfectly on the left as you come into the bay.

The snorkeling was disappointing.  We were hoping for coral reefs on the edges of the bay, but they proved to be rock with weeds growing on them, with very little live coral at all.

La Grotty and Ocelot at San Pedro Cove

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Colaylayan Bay, Linapacan Island, 11º26.65'N 119º43.99'E, 68' mud, No cell signal

Colaylayan was a bay of refuge for us, as a weather system up north was generating north winds and swells.  Unfortunately, getting to the bay is challenging, as there are many poorly laid pearl‑farms just outside that extend out from the entrance of the bay for almost 3nm.  The floats are just black balls, and there are no special floats for the ends of the strings.  Even worse, some of the tethers are short, so some of the floats are semi or fully submerged, making it hard to work out where a string ends.  In the end, we hailed a passing banka and he guided us through the maze of pearl‑farms.

Colaylayan anchorage and approaches

Once inside, the bay is protected from all directions, which was a relief.  The coral just west of the anchorage and out to the tip of the peninsula was healthy and fun to snorkel.

La Grotty and Ocelot holed up at Colaylayan Bay

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Munoz Bay, Iloc Island, 11º18.75'N 119º40.26'E, 48' sand, Globe: Edge, Smart: 3G

Examining the satellite imagery made us think that we had to follow a narrow and torturous track to get into Munoz Bay, but it proved to be all quite deep and easy to get into.  The problem is that the imagery is actually seeing the bottom in over 50' (15m) of water!  There are some shallower reefs to the north, but even they have 15‑20' (6‑7m) of water over them most of the time. Despite this, the safest entry is still from the west, and close to the cliffs as our track shows.  Anchor anywhere on the big sand patch shown in the satellite image.

Munoz Bay anchorage and approaches

The snorkeling was deeper than we'd hoped, but at least the coral was mostly OK.  There are cell‑towers on the mainland, but they're 11‑12nm away, so the signals are weak.

Ocelot anchored in Munoz Bay, Iloc Island

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Pinamalayan, Iloc Island, 11º16.03'N 119º39.98'E, 54' sand, Globe: H, Smart: 3G

Pinamalayan, at the south end of Iloc island, seemed like a cute fishing village.  There are no hazards when approaching, and the sand‑patch at the west end of the beach is big enough for several boats.

Pinamalayan anchorage and approaches

Cell‑towers are visible on the mainland, but the signals are a bit weak.  The coral at the corner was mostly rather disappointing.  The patches closest to the anchorage were actually the best, but it turned into brown weed as we went further north.  There was a pretty strong northbound (or possibly westbound) current when we were there.

We would have liked to visit the village, as we'd been told it was friendly, but we were here just after the 2020 pandemic lock‑downs, and everyone was being careful, especially with strangers.  The local officials actually came out as soon as we anchored and asked us to please not come ashore, but snorkeling was OK.  Very sensible.

La Grotty anchored off Pinamalayan Beach

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Imorigue Island South, NE Palawan, 11º09.59'N 119º32.98'E, 48' mud, Globe: Edge, Smart: 3G

What a find!  The sheer karst cliffs are impressive from the anchorage.  There are no hazards when approaching once you pass through the cut on the west side of Imorque (if coming from the north).  When anchoring, stay relatively close to Imorigue Island, as the reef to the east sticks out almost 3/4nm.  The bay is open to the SW, but even 20 knot southerly winds didn't produce much chop at our anchorage.  The bay is quite large and there's room for several boats, but there are several reefs the further one goes into the bay, so good satellite imagery will help.

Imorigue Island anchorage and approaches

Taking the dinghy around Imorigue island is fun!  Try to time going over the reef between Imorigue and Batas Islands (north of the anchorage) with high tide, as that reef will dry at low tide.  The caves and sheer karst cliffs on the west side of Imorigue are impressive.  There are several crude ladders to get up to some of the caves, but be very careful climbing them, as they're not built to support heavy westerners.  The coral along the southern edge of Imorigue Island looked worthwhile, and there were other patches of healthy coral sprinkled here and there.

Anchored under sheer karst cliffs of Imorgue Island

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Shark Fin Bay South, NE Palawan, 11º04.66'N 119º32.67'E, 38' mud, Globe: H, No Smart

Just 5nm south of our Imorigue Island South anchorage, this anchorage provides better protection from the south winds that we had at the time.  Coming from the north, there are lots of reefs around, so satellite imagery will help.  But if you aim at the little island off the tip of the peninsula, and then stay 0.2nm off the peninsula, you should be fine.

Shark Fin Bay South anchorage and approaches

Traversing the Maytiguid Channel to the south will be greatly assisted by satellite imagery.  We went on the west of the island/bar in the middle of the channel, and saw a minimum of 11' (3.3m) at low tide.

The water on our anchorage side of the peninsula was uninviting, but it seemed better in the channel itself.  The island at the tip of the peninsula seemed to have some tourist buildings, and a dinghy pass over the reef to the south that we only saw as we were leaving.  So there's a bit to see if the weather allows (ours didn't).

La Grotty waiting out weather at Shark Fin Bay

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Icadambanuan Island North, NE Palawan, 10º49.41'N 119º37.54'E, 55' mud, No cell signal

Icadambanuan Island has 2 long bays cutting into it from the west.  Both look like they should offer good protection and reasonable anchoring depths.  We chose the smaller northern bay, as it looked like it had fewer people (remember, this was during the pandemic).  There are no real obstructions going in, unless one wanted to go in further than we did, where the channel narrows from coral outcrops on the sides.  The local boats tend to anchor further in, but we had sufficient anchor depth so chose to anchor outside.

Icadambanuan Island anchorage and approaches

This was just a one‑night stop on our way down to Puerto Princesa, so we didn't go ashore.  We tried to stop one of the many spider‑boats going around us to ask for fruits or veggies, but they answered that there were none to be had.  The head of the bay looked like it might be interesting to explore at high tide, but the tide was wrong when we were there.

Looking east from our Icadambanuan anchorage

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Dumaran Pass NW, NE Palawan, 10º32.15'N 119º42.45'E, 15' mud, Globe: 3G, Smart: H

There are many pearl farms north of Dumaran Pass, extending for about 3nm, but there's no avoiding them unless you want to go around Dumaran Island, which will add about 27nm to the trip north or south.  The trick is to analyze the rows of ropes and either go around them or choose a wide channel and go up a channel between ropes.  The ropes are supposed to have special floats at the ends, to mark the end of a string, but we've noticed that some either don't, or the end float(s) have been drowned, and are no longer visible on the surface.  The area north of Dumaran Pass also has many shallows, usually (but not always) associated with islands.  We found our satellite imagery to be very useful here.

Dumaran Pass NW anchorage and approaches

The anchorage itself seemed well protected, but we had south winds at the time, and the wind chop was wrapping around the island to the south, and catching us on the beam.  It's possible we could have gone further into the bay, but we were already in only 15', and the charts implied that it shoaled further in, so we decided to abandon this anchorage and move east to South Channel Island east.

Pearl-farm floats approaching Dumaran Pass

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South Channel Island East, NE Palawan, 10º32.18'N 119º43.81'E, 33' sand, Globe: 3G, Smart: Edge

This was a bit of an emergency anchorage, as our original anchorage, Dumaran Pass NW, was getting enough swell to make it uncomfortable.  So we came from the west, which required dodging a pearl‑farm and sneaking along the edge of the reef.  Coming from the north would also involve dodging pearl‑farms, so we're not sure which would be easier.  The whole area is a maze of pearl‑farms, often without defined borders or even end‑points to the strings, so all navigation here should be an all‑hands (all‑eyes) affair.

South Channel Island anchorage and approaches

Once we got into the bay, we tried to sneak as far forward as possible, in order to get some internet signal, but this would have put us too close to the reef if the wind had shifted to the south, as this anchorage is about 45m from the southern reef.  And after all that, although the phone showed a strong cell signal, we couldn't get any internet at all.  The cell towers were just around the corner, but not quite visible, and cell really wants good line‑of‑sight.

It's possible that a better anchorage can be had just east of Maruyogruyog Island at about 10º32.87'N 119º44.22'E, or even in the enclosed lagoon further east near 10º32.72'N 119º44.76'E, but be careful going in, as our satellite imagery for that area is not the best.  The channel between South Island and Dumaran appears to be narrow but navigable.

South Channel Island, looking west

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Reef Island, NE Palawan, 10º17.15'N 119º27.07'E, Mooring, Globe: 3G, Smart: Edge

There are no real hazards to the approach except for the extensive reef surrounding the island.  The hazards are ashore.  The coordinates above are for one of the 2 moorings available, but we strongly suggest that you not take a mooring.  Instead, anchor on the big sand‑flats at about 10º17.09'N 119º26.99'E.  This should put you in about 40' (13m) of sand, and 160' (50m) from any reefs.  The problem is that they may choose to charge you for the moorings, but only after you've been there for a few days.  Normally, that money can be used towards (that is, deducted from) food and activities ashore, but they tried to charge us fairly absurd amounts even during the pandemic, when they wouldn't even allow us ashore!  The caretaker guy even claimed that if we didn't pay, they'd take it out of his salary, which was obviously hogwash.  Very unprofessional, in our opinion.

Reef Island anchorage and approaches

Having said that, the diving and snorkeling in the area is apparently quite good.  So the dive operation might be OK (if this pandemic ever lets it open up).  But the woman who owns and runs the island itself, as well as the (usually absent) owner of the dive operation, were not so nice.

Approaching Reef Island from the north

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Johnson Island, NE Palawan, 10º14.74'N 119º22.97'E, 43' sand, Globe: 3G, Smart: H

Johnson Island is a delightful bit of magic, protected by reefs from pretty much all points.  Satellite imagery will help a LOT getting in.  Most charts don't show the break in the western reef that we used to come in.  We went about 2/3 the way up into the bay.  You can go farther in, but it gets more congested with local boats.  The anchorage is big enough for several boats, but it gets deeper the further you are from Johnson Island.

Johnson Island anchorage and approaches

There's a half‑mile long sand‑spit to the east that provides much of the protection for this anchorage.  It attracts tourists at low tide, and often attracts huge flocks of seabirds at high‑tide, when only a small ridge of sand protrudes above the water.  Sue had a wonderful time photographing these birds in the early morning.

There are many reefs around that looked like they should offer excellent snorkeling or diving opportunities.

The town of Roxas (pronounced Roe‑has) is about 5nm to the NW.  We didn't go there, but we understand you can get provisions like fruits, veggies, and other staples.

Ocelot from the east side of the sand-spit

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Parunponon Island East, Honda Bay, 9º55.36'N 118º50.85'E, 45' mud, Globe: 3G, No Smart

The classic anchorages in Honda Bay are 1‑2nm SW, off the long sandy spit locally known as Snake Island.  But we thought this anchorage would have better protection from the weather at the time, and it's somewhat easier to get into.  There's only one little coral head in the way, and it's pretty easy to avoid with satellite imagery.  We anchored at high tide, which meant that all the surrounding reefs were covered, so it felt like we were anchored in the middle of the ocean, but we actually had a very quiet night.

Parunponon Island anchorage and approaches

There's a Globe tower 2nm to the east on the resort island of Arrecife, so we had reasonable internet.

The water wasn't very inviting, so we didn't swim.  Looking at the satellite imagery, there's a beach on the NW side of Parunpanon Island, where you could take a dinghy to explore.  There's a small sand‑bar 0.5nm west of the anchorage, and a small lagoon just north of that which also might be fun to explore.

Parunponon Island from our anchorage

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Puerto Princesa (Abanico) YC, NE Palawan, 9º46.03'N 118º43.89'E, Mooring, Globe: 4G, Smart: 4G

Getting into Puerto Princesa (PP) bay is pretty easy, and the channel is well marked.  Once inside, there are actually several anchorages.  The 2 common ones are off the town, and off the Yacht Club.  The town anchorage is at about 9º46.86'N 118º43.92'E, in about 40' with a mud bottom.  Don't try to go closer to town without satellite imagery, as there are big reefs closer to the promenade wall.  Dinghies can be taken to the right (west) end of the wall, or there's a bit of a crowded dock at the left (east) end.  There's no security per se, but we haven't heard of any incidents.

Puerto Princesa anchorage and approaches

The Yacht Club (Globe: +63‑995‑665‑9195, or Smart: +63‑998‑304‑9566), which is a grandiose term for a fun but funky bar/restaurant/dock at the end of a muddy street, is 1.2nm further north.  There's one shallow in the way, but it has a half‑built structure on it.  Keep it to starboard, and don't go too close to the YC, as there are shallows.  If you've requested a mooring, ask the YC if they can send Rocky out, as some of the moorings are hard to pick up.  The current managers, who have managed to alienate many cruising boats, have said they will be leaving when their lease is up in March 2021.  The YC offers good moorings, a floating and secure dinghy dock, showers, water, light repairs, bottom cleaning, drinks, and quite nice meals, in a pleasant open‑air setting over the water.  Prices were P2,300 ($46) per month to anchor (for dinghy dock and access) or P4,000 ($80, inclusive) for a mooring in 2020.  Daily and weekly rates are also available.  However, these rates are likely to go up with the new lease in March 2021.

Bananas, eggs, beer and cell phone top‑ups (called "load") are available in the nearby village.  Robinson's Mall (big pink roof in the upper right of the satellite photo, with groceries, Immigration, etc) is about a 25 minute walk from the YC, or you can take one of the ubiquitous tricycles.  Rolan (+63‑939‑529‑2201) is a trike driver who has attached himself to the YC.  His prices are usually higher, but he speaks good English and he's always there.  For instance, he charges P100 ($2) each way to Robinson's when the going rate is only half that (you can talk him down sometimes).  He charges P100 ($2) for each fuel run, and he can carry about 10 jugs (maybe 7 if you want to go with him).  The station is only 0.7nm from the YC, and charged P42 ($0.84) per liter for diesel in 2020.  Rolan also apparently knows someone who can decant LPG into non‑Philippine tanks.

Abanico YC under the rainbow, PPC to right

Puerto Princesa City (PPC) is nowhere near as big as Davao, but you can still get lots of things done:

• Robinson's Mall is at 9º45.98'N 118º44.89'E, about a 25 minute walk from the YC.  Not as up‑scale as SM, but a nicer grocery store.  This is where visa extensions are done (upstairs) and a modern hardware store is also upstairs.  There's a single computer repair guy next to Immigration, and a rather poorly equipped Octagon for cables and such.  We replaced our washing machine at the appliance center.
   
• There are several upholstery shops around for canvas work.  The one we liked was Paing (+63‑916‑625‑2577, but he doesn't answer his phone much) at about 9º46.03'N 118º43.89'E (Rolan will know how to get there).  He used his beefy machines to sew a new UV strip on the head and clew of our screecher (we did the rest of the sewing ourselves, as his shop's tiny).  He also repaired some of our interior cushions, doing a nice job.
   
• The Palawan Eye Center has the only ophthalmologists we found, at 9º45.13'N 118º44.87'E.  Dr. Jesus Ong is the Director, and quite responsive on email, although the Center seems to do most of their bookings over FB Messenger.  He seems very nice and quite competent, with a large and efficient staff.  He performed a laser procedure on Jon's eyes, which restored his vision.  Since this was during the 2020 pandemic, he ran a Rapid Covid test on Jon first, for $13.

From the Abanico YC, looking north

• SM Mall is at 9º44.60'N 118º44.35'E.  Lots of up market shops, ACE hardware, SBC coffee, several restaurants, and a rather modern but disappointing grocery store (rarely any good cheese, and no BBQ sauce?!).  The 3^rd floor offers a high‑tech area where you can get computers or phones repaired or replaced.  One of the guys in a tiny stall in the middle of the corridor replaced the glass screen of our old Oppo smart‑phone in about an hour, for about P1,200 ($24).
   
• We found an excellent computer repair technician, Ric (+63‑918‑248‑3029 or 048‑716‑3566), at ZemTec, at 9º44.52'N 118º44.27'E, just next to the SM Mall.  He had lots of Lenovos spread out in his office, probably because that's what's sold locally, but he worked for Acer for a while, and he did wonders for our Acer laptop.
   
• There are lots of tailors around, but we liked Christian's Tailor (+63‑947‑537‑2053) near 9º44.48'N 118º43.99'E, just up the road from the big church.  They sewed up some nice 6‑pocket shorts for Jon for only P400 ($8) each plus material.  We bought the material ourselves at the NCCC Mall near 9º44.33'N 118º44.45'E for about $2/pair.
   
• The extensive Public Market is at 9º44.51'N 118º44.14'E.  It's a big warren of tiny stalls, but fun to walk through.
   
• The area off the point opposite the Yacht Club, at about 9º45.99'N 118º43.52'E, provides a place to careen a boat.  Bret, a long‑time cruiser based at the YC, careened his big ketch bilge‑keeler there for a few days.  Apparently, the bottom is hard, and with spring‑tides of over 2m, most boats that can stand on their own should be able to use this.

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Cabuli Bay, N Palawan, 11º25.15'N 119º29.55'E, 45' sand, No cell service

Cabuli Bay is our name for the easternmost of 2 bays at the extreme northern tip of Palawan (not on Cabuli Island).  Both are big and open, with no hazards to avoid and nice, sandy bottoms that shoal gradually as you get closer to shore.  The point to the east is Cabuli Point, and to the west is Libro Point, but the bays themselves are not named on our charts.

Cabuli Bay anchorage and approaches

If you approach or leave via the gap to the east, you should try to aim for the center of the gap, but it's at least 26' (8m) deep.

Unfortunately for us, both bays are open to the north, and we had a system NE of us that brought 20 knot winds from the north while we were there, causing us to leave early the next morning, without exploring further.

Cabuli Bay from our anchorage

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Cadlao West (Balinaod Bay), NW Palawan, 11º13.51'N 119º20.61'E, 33' sand, Globe: None, Smart: 3G

Our charts show this as Balinaod Bay, but it's the only anchorage on the west side of Cadlao Island.  There's a rock in the middle of the beach that splits the bay, and the satellite photo shows that the southern half is the better one for anchoring, as it's all sand.  There are no hazards to avoid, so just proceed into the bay and anchor when the depth suits you.

Balinaod Bay anchorage and approaches

There's at least one family living ashore at the southern end of the beach.  There's also a covered area in the middle of the beach, presumably for tourists who come here to eat lunch under.  The bathrooms were locked when we were there, and the area was a bit run down.

The beach is lovely to walk along, with soft sand.  We had a weak Smart cell signal, but we can't imagine where it came from, as there are no towers visible.

Long beach at Balinaod Bay (Cadlao West)

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Cadlao Lagoon, NW Palawan, 11º12.78'N 119º20.63'E, Mooring, No cell signal

This lagoon, on the SW corner of Cadlao Island, is a popular tourist destination.  It's too deep for anchoring, but there were 4 moorings available, 3 with official looking red floats and 1 with less robust floats.  The position given above is the one we used.  We preferred the 2 outer red moorings.  We think these moorings are available on a first come, first served basis, but when we were there (June & July 2020, just after the pandemic lock‑down) there was nobody there.

Cadlao Lagoon anchorage and approaches

The surrounding scenery is stunning, with karst cliffs rising hundreds of feet straight out of the water.  We presume that most of the tourists come to swim in the inner lagoon, which looks like fun, but probably not so much fun when crowded with tourists.  Maybe better to get there in the late afternoon, when everyone's packed up to leave.  That way you'll be able to choose a mooring and have the whole place to yourself all night, with some late afternoon and early morning snorkeling before the hordes arrive.  The beach 0.4nm to the south is a fun dinghy trip, with nice snorkeling.

Magnificent rocks above Cadlao Lagoon

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Tapiutan Island, NW Palawan, 11º12.25'N 119º16.27'E, Mooring, No Globe, No Smart

These moorings are actually between Tapiutan and Matinloc Islands, but they're closer to Tapiutan.  The northern mooring (location above) is strong, with a good line down.  We tugged on it gently, and rafted 2 catamarans on the mooring all night (conditions were light) but didn't swim down to look at it, as the water's quite deep there.

Tapiutan Island anchorage and approaches

There are actually 2 moorings: the one we list above and another one off the backpacker beach to the south at 11º11.99'N 119º16.33'E.  This mooring has a rigid fiberglass float and non‑floating line, so you'll have to reach down into the water to retrieve the loop.  It's fairly close to the beach, but seems to be about 30m from the reef, so may be OK, especially in north or west winds that will keep you away from the shore.  But probably best to check by pulling gently towards shore.

The snorkeling west and south of the upper mooring was excellent, some of the best we found in the El Nido area.  There's an elaborate dock SE of the anchorage on Matinloc Island that provides access to some sort of religious establishment that's now falling into ruin.  But to the left of the stage it has a short concrete trail up through the rocks to a nice overlook of the channel between the islands.  A dinghy exploration of the channel was also rewarding.

Changing Spots on the north Tapiutan mooring

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Helicopter Island, NW Palawan, 11º11.87'N 119º20.45'E, Mooring, 3G Globe, 3G Smart

There are no hazards when approaching Helicopter (Dilumacad) Island.  We picked up a mooring, and there are several others available.  They're in shallow enough water that you should check them.  They're chained to concrete blocks which aren't very big, so we'd class them as light‑duty moorings only.

Helicopter Island anchorage and approaches

In stronger conditions, there are also several good places to anchor, like 11º11.75'N 119º20.36'E, and 11º11.82'N 119º20.43'E, both in 45' of good sand.

As the satellite image shows, Helicopter island is a very popular tourist destination.  We were there during the 2020 Pandemic, so we had the whole place to ourselves, but usually there are LOTS of tourists.  A large section of the reef has been cordoned off for snorkeling (thank goodness) and it's one of the best reefs we found in the El Nido area, with clear water and lots of vibrant coral.

Lovely water and rocks at Helicopter Island

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El Nido Bay, NW Palawan, 11º11.19'N 119º23.34'E, 12' sand, Globe: 4G, Smart: 3G

Getting into El Nido Bay is not for the faint of heart, as it gets pretty shallow.  There are 2 entrances, east and west of a central reef that shows clearly in the satellite image.  The bottom is mostly sand (where it isn't reef) but it's only 3‑4m deep.

El Nido anchorage and approaches

The towns of El Nido and Corong Corong are sort of sisters, one on each side of a low ridge.  Each has its own anchorage, and both towns are easily accessible from either anchorage, either by walking or via one of the ubiquitous tricycles.  The El Nido (northern) anchorage is preferable during the SW monsoon.  It has the advantage of a floating dinghy dock (just east of the main dock, at the west end of the beach), shallower anchoring depths, and more restaurants and other tourist attractions.  Corong Corong actually has better grocery stores and the public market for fruits and veggies.  Both have easily accessible fuel stations and ATMs.  The 1km long airport is 2nm north of town.

The Coast Guard is near the dock, just on the far side of the petrol station.  Since we were here during the 2020 pandemic, restaurants and such were shut down, so we have no recommendations other than the steamed buns at the bakery.  The one place we found selling spit‑roasted chickens was disappointing.  La Tienda, across from the bakery, has very expensive cheese, yogurt, salami, sausages, and other delicacies.  The BPI bank (with ATM outside) is a bit past the Coast Guard.  Or from the main street, go almost down to the water, turn left on the second‑to‑last street, and it's on the left about 200m down the road.  Meatlandia's main base is in Puerto Princesa, but they have a branch in El Nido that's worth checking out.  They have fabulous beef from Brazil, but they're surprisingly short of lamb.

Sheer karst cliffs behind El Nido town

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Corong Corong Bay, El Nido, NW Palawan, 11º09.93'N 119º23.56'E, 55' mud, Globe 4G, Smart 3G

There are no hazards to avoid when entering Corong Corong bay, but the area is a tourist center, so there are usually LOTS of tour‑boats scurrying around.  Unfortunately, there are no very good places to land a dinghy.  You can pull it up on the beach, which is gently sloping, or you can tie it off to a spider‑boat if it's obviously laid up for work.  We usually used the beach just north of the anchorage, and then walked east to the (broken) concrete jetty and turned left up the path to the main road, but that area is pretty thick with local boats.  Another area is to the east, in front of the Bella Vita restaurant, but that gets rocky offshore.  All beaches shoal very gradually.

Corong Corong anchorage and approaches

We were here during the great 2020 COVID‑19 lock‑down, so many shops and businesses were closed.  We never found a big grocery store, but there was plenty of food if you're not too picky.  The difficult items to find were powdered milk (without added sugar) and good cheese, but we think these shortages were lock‑down induced.

At the main road, turn left (north) towards El Nido.  On the right is the MAK store, which sometimes has unfortified (the good stuff) Birch Tree powdered milk, good frozen chickens, butter, eggs, raw peanuts (we roast them when we're doing other baking), and frozen beef.  Across the street is a BPI ATM, but it's inside an office, so not always accessible.  Further up on the left is the public market, with good fruits, veggies, fresh seafood, pork and chicken, seafood, and somewhat skanky looking beef, which they'll mince for you if you want (make sure they mince the piece you chose).  Further up the road, on the right, just before the 2 petrol stations, is a combination pharmacy and grocery store called Drugman, which eventually got some good Anchor powdered milk.  The local LBC Courier office is just past the petrol stations.

When coming from the beach, if you turn right at the main road, there's a lumber yard.  They were able to find a skilled carpenter who made us an excellent grate, to repair one smashed by a falling water jug.  He used excellent wood, and made it the old fashioned way, with no metal fastenings, and only charged us $50.  Directly east of our anchorage is the Bella Vista pizzeria, with a lovely ambiance looking over the bay.  But like all the other restaurants we found here, it was used to catering to tourists who were going home to jobs, so their prices were way out of line with Philippine norms.  The pandemic knocked back customers drastically, but didn't appear to affect prices significantly.

The area is beautiful, with magnificent cliffs and lovely beaches.  When we arrived in March and April, the red "Tomato" jellyfish were blooming, so swimming was inadvisable.  But we later found the snorkeling along the coast to the west of the anchorage to be fun.  There's even a big rock cave to swim through.

Magnificent cliffs in Corong Corong

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Big Lagoon, NW Palawan, 11º09.09'N 119º19.59'E, Mooring, Globe H, Smart 3G

Our navigation computer was having problems, so we don't have tracks into or out of Big Lagoon, but there are no hazards when approaching.  Anchoring is inadvisable, as there's too much coral, but there are several moorings which appeared to be of good quality.  We used the one in the satellite image, but there was another one to the north, and several (5?) more to the SW.  We found a minimum of 38' when transiting between the islands to the NE of our mooring, so it's safe for cruising boats.

Big and Small Lagoon anchorage<

Big Lagoon is a popular tourist destination, presumably because of the excellent snorkeling and lagoon.  There are good reefs all over, but the reef east of our mooring was excellent.  The beach ashore presumably sells lunches to the tourists, which has the unfortunate side effect of attracting LOTS of flies, so best to take precautions.  The caretaker enforced a ban on dinghies in the lagoon, which makes it a LONG swim: 0.2nm just to get to the beginning of the lagoon, and almost half a mile to the far end of the lagoon.

You can dinghy around to Small Lagoon to the NE, but it's too small to anchor a cruising boat there.  From the rocks that mark the beginning of Small Lagoon, it's 170m to the end, so a good swim.  There are lots of ropes to tie your dinghy to.

Rock cliffs and clear water at Big Lagoon

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Guntao Islands NE, NW Palawan, 11º07.74'N 119º15.21'E, 43' sand, Globe 3G, Smart 3G

On the NE side of North and South Guntao Islands is a nice sand‑fan that forms a good anchorage that's protected from the SW monsoon winds.  There are no hazards when approaching, and there's room for several boats, but satellite imagery is helpful to see exactly where the coral is, especially if multiple boats share the anchorage.

Guntao Islands NE anchorage and approaches

We came here primarily to shelter from the SW winds we were having at the time.  We were hoping for some good snorkeling, but were somewhat disappointed.  There was little coral, and the brown areas in the satellite photo are mostly rocks covered in brown weed.  There was some coral, but not as much as we were hoping for (OK, we have high expectations! )

It may be possible to get a dinghy through the cut between the islands at high tide, but we didn't try it.  There was a small encampment on the sand spit at the south end of North Guntao, but nobody bothered us.

Changing Spots, Ocelot, and Guntao South

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Snake Island North, NW Palawan, 11º05.72'N 119º20.35'E, 40' rubble, Globe 4G, Smart 3G
Snake Island South, NW Palawan, 11º05.34'N 119º20.49'E, 48' mud, Globe 4G, Smart 3G

Snake "Island" isn't really an island at all.  It's the long skinny sand‑bar joining White Rock to Rocky Island.  The northern anchorage is really only good for one boat, but the southern anchorage can hold several, and it's better protected.  The approaches aren't difficult, but there are several reefs around, so satellite imagery will help.  Most charts show a shallow bar blocking access to the southern anchorage, but there's no bar to worry about.

Snake Island anchorages and approaches

The snaky sand‑bar is only above water at low tide.  It's fun to walk on, but mind that your dinghy doesn't get stranded with no water.  There are several moorings to the east, but they're only in 15', so a bit shallow for cruising boats, and the scope is short.  They're probably to hold bankas bringing visitors to the small beach resort to the SE.  Closer to the southern anchorage (just off the point) is another mooring with a pipe coming out to it.  If you pick it up, the house ashore will turn on the water for you.  You can see the water drums in front of his house.  We don't know prices.

If you've got a good dinghy, you can visit Cathedral Cave.  It's not quite 3nm to the SE, on the west side of tiny Pinsail Island.  Bring good lights and shoes for jumping on rocks.  There's another cave just a bit north on the same island, but it's inaccessibly by dinghy.  When you get to Cathedral Cave, you'll know, as it's quite big.

The Snake just coming out, from north anchorage

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Liminangcong, NW Palawan, 11º00.59'N 119º18.10'E, 35' mud, Globe 3G, Smart 3G

There are no real hazards when approaching Liminangcong, and there are many places to anchor.  The small bay just north of our anchorage would have been nice, but there are floating structures in the way.  The bay immediately off town is somewhat shallower, but also has more traffic.  Don't try to anchor any further west of where we anchored, as we got fairly close to the shallows.

Liminangcong anchorage and approaches

When we arrived in June 2020, just after the initial pandemic quarantine was lifted, the Coast Guard visited us but just wanted to know what we wanted to do, and didn't impose any restrictions on us.

We tied our dinghy at the end of the sloping ferry pier (part of the eastern double‑pier), with a stern anchor to keep it out of the way, but there's a better spot with steps on the south side of the main pier.  At the head of the pier and just to the north is a small fuel station where jugs can be filled with petrol or diesel.  Just a few doors further north, and on the left (west) side of the road is one of the main attractions of Liminangcong: the Bacuit Bay Brewery, at about 11º00.52'N 119º18.49'E.  It's not a place you can drop in, but if you call ahead (+63‑917‑791‑6036) you can arrange a tour as well as tasting some of their excellent crafted brews (for which you'll be charged).  If you bring your own container, you can buy some to take home.  After drinking the bland mass‑produced beers, their hand‑crafted brews are a treat!  (Try their IPA, IPL, & Pomello beers!)  There's a small public market towards the west end of town, but no grocery stores that we found.  The fuel dock on the west side of the channel and a bit south of town was closed in July 2020.

Looking SW from our anchorage, away from town

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Malapina Island, NW Palawan, 10º55.66'N 119º19.00'E, 35' sand, Globe: H, Smart: No

There are no hazards to avoid when approaching Malapina Island, as long as you avoid the shallows around the island itself.  The sandiest place to anchor is off the NE corner, but we've also seen boats anchor south of where we did.

Malapina Island anchorage and approaches

The island is tiny, so quick to explore, either by foot or by dinghy.  Locals sometimes camp at the SE corner of the island, but nobody lives there permanently.  The island offers scant protection, but all of Malampaya Sound is enclosed, and the largest fetch is only about 2nm.  There are LOTS of other anchorages in Malampaya Sound.

Ocelot anchored off Malapina Island, Malampaya Sound

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Diente Bay, NW Palawan, 10º56.96'N 119º13.89'E, 64' mud, Globe: No, Smart: Weak

Diente Bay is the northernmost bay in the peninsula that forms the extreme western edge of Malampaya Sound.  There are rocks to the north and NE, but they're easy to avoid.  There's a reef in the middle of the bay, but it's all 25' deep, so easy to go over.  We would not recommend anchoring on the reef, as it seems to be coral.  There looks like a nice anchorage in the sandy patch on the eastern side of the bay, but the locals have a bunch of bamboo poles there.  Our anchorage, at the bottom of the bay, is deep, but not too deep.  We were there with another boat, and we probably could have squeezed in a third.

Diente Bay anchorage and approaches

We were there during the 2020 pandemic, and the village ashore was fearful of any strangers, but were OK with us once we promised not to come ashore.

Ocelot and La Grotty anchored in Diente Bay

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Capoas Bay, NW Palawan, 10º51.71'N 119º14.49'E, 48' Mud, No cell service

We couldn't find a name for this bay, but Cape Capoas is the headland to the south.  There are several rocks to avoid on the south side of the bay, which are easily visible if you're looking for them.  The entrance to the inner bay is narrow enough that satellite imagery is quite helpful.  The inner bay is very protected, but is really only big enough for a couple of boats, as it's relatively deep.  The bottom is good holding mud.

Capoas Bay anchorage and approaches

This was just an overnight stop for us on our way down to Ulugan, so we didn't explore.

Approaching Capoas Bay

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Imuruan Island, NW Palawan, 10º41.97'N 119º18.79'E, 46' sand, Globe: 4G, Smart: 3G

The protected anchorage at Imuruan Island is on the eastern side, towards the north.  In settled conditions, you can also anchor north of tiny Lampinigan or in the sand‑fan at the northernmost bay, but best to use satellite imagery to avoid the coral on the sides.  Getting into any of these from the north is easy, with no hazards, but getting into the NE anchorage from the south there are a number of reefs and bommies to look out for.  If you don't have good satellite imagery, you should probably go around the reefs, staying at least 3/4nm off the land to clear them all.

Imuruan Island anchorage and approaches

Imuruan Island offers surprising protection, and we were there in some ugly conditions with strong squalls offshore.  It's only 1.5nm from the mainland, and the bay curls around to the north and south, limiting fetch.  We didn't try snorkeling, but a dinghy trip around the island can be fun.

Screensaver anchored off Imuruan Island

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Boayan Island NE, NW Palawan, 10º34.44'N 119º10.58'E, Mooring, No cell service

There are no hazards when approaching NE Boayan Island from the north, but the reefs stick out fairly far on the sides of the bay, so best to stick to the middle of the bay.  The eastern part of the bay is trying to be a private nature reserve, so no anchoring is permitted, even though the bottom is all sand.  There are 2 moorings provided, which seemed adequate in light to moderate conditions.  The inner mooring has bigger ropes and is in 35' of water, while the outer mooring has smaller ropes and is in 60'.  Even with a long bridle to the inner mooring, we were well off the coral, so that was our preferred mooring.  The eastern half of the bay is protected in all winds.

Boayan Island NE anchorage and approaches

Boats may be allowed to anchor in the western side of the bay, but when we were there (June 2020) the winds were blowing 15 knots from the east, making the west a lee shore, so we didn't try.

The local caretakers will come out to explain the rules.  Boats are allowed to stay, and snorkeling is allowed, but they don't want dinghies zooming around on the plane.  People are not supposed to go ashore, but we were allowed to go birding ashore as long as we didn't take any pictures of the buildings.  Of course, we respect and encourage the locals to create preserves, and we appreciate being allowed to enjoy the fruits of their efforts.  We saw 2 turtles while we were there, which was a treat!

Ocelot moored off Boayan Island NE

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Boayan Island West, NW Palawan, 10º34.26'N 119º08.00'E, 25' sand, No cell service

There are no hazards when approaching the Boayan Island West anchorage.  Just nose in until you find the depth you want, drop the pick, set it, and enjoy!  The bottom all seems to be sand, and there's room for several boats.  It's somewhat shallower in the bay to the NE, but there may be a bit of coral or grass in there on the eastern side (the satellite photo isn't clear).  The bay is exposed to westerly winds, but reasonably protected from other quadrants.

Boayan Island West anchorage and approaches

The satellite photo appears to have been taken at high tide, and doesn't show the big sandy beach to the NE, or the smaller beach to the south.  There's a small settlement behind the NE bay.  The snorkeling looked promising, as did the dinghy exploring.

La Grotty anchored off Boayan Island west

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San Vicente, NW Palawan, 10º31.26'N 119º15.15'E, 24' sand, Globe: 4G, Smart: 3G

Getting into our anchorage, off the airport, requires only that one navigate south of the reef shown in the satellite photo, then turn north towards the commercial dock.  Make sure to leave freighters room to turn around.

San Vicente anchorage and approaches

There's another anchorage off the main part of town, where they're filling in over the coral, but it's trickier to get into, as you have to run a narrow channel between 2 reefs.  There are 2 big cell‑towers on the hill north of town, so make sure you can see them from your anchorage if you want internet.

San Vicente is a local capitol, so would have been fun to explore, but we were here during the 2020 pandemic, when nobody wanted us to go ashore, so we didn't explore.

San Vicente anchorage, looking towards town

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Double Island, NW Palawan, 10º27.66'N 119º09.45'E, 62' sand, Globe H, Smart 3G

There are a lot of pearl farms in Port Barton Bay, and these can be difficult to navigate.  From any distance at all, they look solid, like there's no way through them.  But when you get closer, you can see lanes between the strings of pearl‑floats that are wide and safe to navigate through.  Once through the pearl farms, there are no real hazards to the approach.  However, where we anchored is pretty deep.  There's a better anchorage on a nice sand‑fan just to the east at 10º27.62'N 119º09.63'E in about 30'.  The bay is well protected from all directions except NW.

Double Island anchorage and approaches

There's a cell tower above the anchorage, but we're not sure it's working.  Our best internet was on Smart, but it was still pretty weak.  At high tide, there's lots of dinghy exploring possible, but at low tide lots of shallows appear, and it's often too shallow to get between the islands.  Best to explore with satellite imagery if possible.

The visibility wasn't good enough for nice snorkeling when we were here.  There's a small resort on a sandy spit to the west, and a nice private island to the south with a walkway around it.

Ocelot anchored at Double Island

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Cacbolo Island, NW Palawan, 10º27.22'N 119º00.11'E, 30' sand, No cell service

There are no hazards when approaching Cacbolo Island, as long as you don't cut the edges of the bay too closely.  The sandy anchoring area in the middle of the bay is easily seen with satellite imagery.  There's room for 2 boats if the first one will scooch a bit to the north or south, but if one boat takes the middle of the anchorage, it's hard to fit a second boat in, as the sandy bottom slopes off rather steeply.

Cacbolo Island anchorage and approaches

There's also a mooring at 10º27.25'N 119º00.20'E, but you may have to reach down underwater to find a loop to tie to.  It's supported by 3 pearl‑floats, but there doesn't appear to be much scope on the rode, as the floats were being pulled underwater by the swells.  It's in 95' of water, and, of course, we have no idea what's on the bottom.

It's a lovely little bay.  When we were here in 2020, there were 3 caretakers on the island, but none of them spoke much English.  We think the island might be owned by the Governor of Palawan, or possibly a local governor.  There are 2 run‑down bungalows ashore, as well as an al‑fresco eating area, and accommodations for the caretakers.  The water was lovely and clear, but the southern reef was disappointingly barren, with only small clumps of coral struggling to grow on the rocks, and very few fish.

Beach and reef at Cacbolo Island

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Isthmus Rocks, NW Palawan, 10º25.12'N 119º01.45'E, 50' sand, No cell service

Isthmus Rocks is the NW‑most anchorage in Mayday Bay.  Don't cut the land too close when approaching from the north, as there are LOTS of floating bamboo poles, often held together with fishing nets.  Apparently the locals use these as fish attracting devices (FADs).

Isthmus Rocks anchorage and approaches

The bay is much deeper than the charts say, requiring boats to go somewhat further in to find anchoring depth.  It's probably possible to go even further in and anchor on the sand shelf, but that gets pretty close to the rocks, and the sand is probably sloping pretty steeply there.  We anchored in 50' and that was only 130m from the reefs on the side.  We were there in late June, shoulder season, and had light winds from all over.  The anchorage is exposed and probably uncomfortable in E‑NE winds, but reasonably protected from other quadrants.

It's possible to take a dinghy through the northern‑most gap in the rocks (we saw a small banka go through there).  The rocks and reefs looked interesting to explore, but we were there just after the CV19 pandemic, and the village to the north made it abundantly clear that it was OK for us to spend the night, but they'd rather we weren't there.  Presumably they'll be more friendly in non‑pandemic times.

South side of the Isthmus Rocks

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Conical Point Bay, NW Palawan, 10º24.04'N 119º02.20'E, 35' sand, No cell signal

The charts are a bit confused about exactly where Conical Point is, but this is the bay just SE of Isthmus Rocks Bay, but not yet at the bottom of Mayday Bay.  There are no hazards to the approach, and the bay is large enough and shallow enough to accommodate several boats comfortably.  The bottom seemed to be fairly soft muddy sand, which our Rocna anchor wasn't very happy with, but it's very protected, so not much wind gets in there.

Conical Point Bay anchorage and approaches

The family ashore was enthusiastically glad to see us, which was a nice change during the 2020 pandemic.  There's a large fenced off area that seems to be a covered eating area, perhaps for excursions from Port Barton, 14nm away.

There are 2‑3 streams emptying into the bay over the sandy beach.  We thought the ponds behind the beach might be mosquito breeding ponds, but we had no mosquito problems.  There's a dilapidated home‑stay at the north end of the bay with bright green roofs.

La Grotty anchored in Conical Point Bay

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Santa Cruz Bay, NW Palawan, 10º23.45'N 119º03.61'E, 28' sand, No cell signal

Santa Cruz is the name of the big bay (and small village) at the south end of Mayday Bay.  There are no obstacles when approaching the anchorage, and the bottom shoals gradually.  The holding is good in muddy sand.  The bay is a bit exposed in NNW winds, but any swell would have to come a LONG way, so we'd rate this anchorage as well protected.  Best not to anchor off the village, as that's where the rocks are (see satellite image).

Santa Cruz Bay anchorage and approaches

Even though we were here just after the 2020 pandemic lock‑downs ended, the locals were friendly enough.  Nobody asked us to leave, and one enterprising entrepreneur even offered us a nice lobster!

The locals were apparently building more of their village.  In the afternoon we saw 3 water‑buffalo walking down the beach, each dragging logs!  We've never seen that in the Philippines before, but it makes total sense.  The beaches are long, with lovely sand.  The next bay over, to the ENE, also looked nice.

Long beach at Santa Cruz Bay

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Jibboom Bay, NW Palawan, 10º21.72'N 119º00.39'E, 25' mud, No cell service

The only hazards to avoid when entering Jibboom Bay are several fields of bamboo poles floating in the water near where we've marked a yellow triangle.  The village in the outermost bay uses them for fishing.

Jibboom Bay anchorage and approaches

Jibboom Bay is huge, shallow, with good‑holding mud, and the innermost bay is completely protected.  Watch the depth‑sounder when coming in and anchor as convenient.  There's room for many boats.  Once when we came in there was a fairly strong swell from the west, but none of it got into the inner bay.  It was flat and peaceful.

We had sniffs of cell signal near the SE bay, but it's VERY shallow (read: we went aground in the dinghy while exploring).  The water is too murky for enjoyable swimming, so dinghy exploring is about the only activity available.  We were here during the 2020 pandemic, so we didn't visit the village at the head of the bay.

Ocelot in Jibboom Bay, looking SW

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Sabang, NW Palawan, 10º11.91'N 118º53.72'E, 25' sand, Globe 4G, Smart 3G

There are no hazards when approaching Sabang Bay.  Just nose in until you find the depth you want.  Friends have reported 40 knot squalls, so make sure the anchor is well dug into the hard sand.

Sabang anchorage and approaches

During the season, Sabang is where to start a visit to the Underground River (which is actually 1.9nm further west).  The river is a World Heritage site, and the area is a preserve, so they don't want cruising boats anchoring there.  On the west side of town there is a small floating dock for dinghies next to the big concrete dock.  Normal tickets for the Underground River cost about P750/person ($15) but they limit the number of people who can go in a day.  The trip takes about 45 minutes.  A banka takes you to the sand‑bar at the mouth of the river, and from there you get in another boat to go up the river itself.  Longer (4 hour) trips can be organized from Puerto Princesa City (PPC), but they cost substantially more.  Unfortunately, all river trips were cancelled for the pandemic when we were there in June 2020.

Vans and jeepneys run to PPC.  The trip takes about 2 hours and cost about P200/person ($4) in 2017.

Hills above our Sabang anchorage

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Ulugan Bay East, NW Palawan, 10º02.24'N 118º48.32'E, 35' mud, Globe 3G, Smart 3G
Ulugan Bay South, NW Palawan, 10º01.98'N 118º47.41'E, 49' mud, Globe H, Smart 3G

We list several anchorages here, and all are surrounded by reefs, so satellite imagery will help enormously.  The town of Macarascas, at the bottom of the photo, is the closest to Puerto Princesa City (PPC, for visa renewals and shopping) from the NW side of Palawan.  Unfortunately, much of Ulugan Bay seems to belong to the Navy.  Our southern anchorage is less than a mile to the Coast Guard dock, at the very bottom of the photo (the long dock belongs to the navy, no admittance).  But we were there in June 2020, just after the Covid‑19 pandemic lock‑downs, and the locals really didn't want us anywhere nearby, so they asked us to move.  During non‑pandemic times, the southern anchorage will probably be fine.  There are 2 more possible anchorages nearby, but they require navigating around reefs to get to the CG dock.

Ulugan anchorages and approaches

The CG (acting for the local mayor) really wanted us out of their space entirely, and there is a good anchorage off the town of Buena Vista, on a sand flat at 10º04.55'N 118º48.62'E in about 40'.  But then we'd have to ride a crowded jeepney to PPC, which we wanted to avoid for health reasons.  Instead, we went just around the corner, out of sight of the navy, CG, and mayor.  It's well protected, with room for several boats, and sports good internet, but it's over 2nm to the CG dock, and at low tide it requires navigating around some reefs.

Macarascas has little to offer, not even a fruit/veggie market, but Daniel (+63‑926‑568‑3000) has an old but air‑conditioned van that can be hired for P3,000/day ($60, with driver), which isn't bad if shared with another boat.  The trip takes about an hour each way, which is much less time than, for instance, Port Barton.  Daniel speaks passable English and is part of the Local Governmental Unit (LGU) so he can organize travel passes and such.  Our impression from Macarascas was that they weren't very friendly, but they'd tolerate us if we spent money with their people.  Once they got that far, the CG was actually quite helpful around the dock, watching our dinghies and moving them as the tide went out (we helped this by buying them some beer).  We suspect they'd be much more friendly in non‑pandemic times.

La Grotty in our southern Ulugan anchorage

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