Bonbonon

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Bonbonon

An online cruising guide for yachts sailing to Bonbonon.

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9°03.86′S, 123°06.89′E
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It is located in South East of Negros Islands - known as Bonbonon. Not to be confused with the village of the same name on nearby Lapinig Island! The mouth of the river is very shallow, attempting to enter at high tide is a wise move. Once in the channel depth is 7 to 8 meters.

History and background

Cruising the region

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Charts

Please provide a good map or chart that clearly shows details (depths, where to dock, scale etc.) of the harbor.

Give charts applicable to this port or refer to a Chart section of another page (Country or Region) that lists the charts.

Source
Chart Number - Chart Name
Chart Number - Chart Name
Source
Chart Number - Chart Name

Radio Nets

Also see World Cruiser's Nets.

Weather

Approach and Navigation

  • See Bonbonon Approach and Navigation for details with waypoints
  • Keith and Marian (VK4FLE) - S/Y Tenacity 11. The Sulu Sea, we have found in the past, to be a conundrum of unpredictable strong currents ..running up to 3 -4 knots. As a rule of thumb the currents seem to run in a clockwise direction each time we have been there (October and May). Near the passes east of Balabac the sea is shallow and the currents run WNW. Once passed the Tabbatta reefs there is a deep sea valley and here the currents ran strongly SSW. We only noticed the effect of a tide as we closed Negros island.

    The reef on the approach to Bonbonon is now buoyed with small white drums. Head to the shore till you can pass the first easternmost buoy to port and keep all but the last one to port on entering. The last buoy marks a sand bank and reef and you should pass this on your starboard side

Check-in facilities (for Customs and Immigration)

Aug.'08. Keith and Marian (VK4FLE) - S/Y Tenacity 11. We went into Dumaguete a couple of days ago to clear. Peter is still there, his office is much more organised, everything is now on a computer ..but of course you still need 2 photocopies of your passport main page, with the photo and your boat registration papers. He charged us 1,000 pesos for the two of us...for 21 days. (46 -49 Peso's to the dollar, depending where you change and 36 pesos to the Australian Dollar). He informed us of the following future fees.

  • Visa for a 38 day extension after the initial 21 days............................................P 2,020
  • Visa for 2 months after the initial 59 days...........................................................P3,790
  • Visa extension for the 5th and 6th month............................................................P1,820.
  • After 6months you have to do the next extension through the immigration offices in Cebu City
  • Visa extension for the 7th and 8th month..........................................................P3,230
  • Visa extension for the 9th and 10th month........................................................P1,820
  • Visa extension for the 11th and 12th month......................................................P2,130

After 12 months you have to leave the country, your boat can stay but not you.

Berthing Options

Describe here the berthing options of this port. Are there moorings or you have to anchor? Do most boats moor side-to, stern-to, or bow-to? Etc.

Marinas & Yacht Clubs

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Anchorages

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Offshore Islands and Groups

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Yacht Repairs and Services

List services. If no services are available on the island write "None" and remove all the subsections (Marine Stores, & Repairs/Yards, & Fuel, Water, & Electricity.

Marine Stores

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Repairs/Yards

Fuel, Water, & Electricity

Fuel
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Water
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Electricity
Give details on electricity

Things to do Ashore

Tourism

Grocery & Supply Stores

Eateries

Internet/WiFi

Available?

Laundry

Motorbike & Car Rentals

Garbage Disposal

?

Transportation

List transportation (local and/or international.)

Routes/Passages To/From

List popular passages/routes, timing, etc.

Cruiser's Friends

Contact details of "Cruiser's Friends" that can be contacted for local information or assistance.

Forum Discussions

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External Links

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References & Publications

Books, Guides, etc. Use the Reference template or not at your discretion. For example:

{{Reference|Rod Heikel|Greek Waters Pilot|Imray Laurie and Wilson, Cambridgeshire|9780852889718}}, expands to
Rod Heikell, Greek Waters Pilot Imray, Laurie and Wilson, Cambridgeshire, ISBN 9780852889718
  • Author, Title, Publisher, ISBN ISBN number
  • Author, Title, Publisher, ISBN ISBN number

You may want to remove the above entries and use instead a link to the Country or Region that lists the relevant references. If so enter, after removing {{MagentaText|xx}}, the following:

See [[Country or Region#References_&_Publications|Coutry or Region]].

If you do not use the above link, please remove it.

Personal Notes

Personal experiences?

  • Aug.'08. Keith and Marian (VK4FLE) - S/Y Tenacity 11. Bonbonon is full of yachts....but many are simply on moorings and the people are living ashore. The moorings are laid and run by Nicky who s the husband of Arlene, owner of the restaurant here. I don't know how often they are checked. We met the people on S/Y Silver Lining (Frenchman Gie and NZ wife) who sailed up from Papua New Guinea, S/Y Soularity (Jack and Laura from Texas) who sailed from Palau and of course Diane and Bill on the yacht Pillar. Diane and Bill arrived a week before we left 7 years ago and have stayed to set up a small school with computers and things for the local kids. They have been living ashore for a while. There is a local boat (bangka) run by a German man Peter, with his Filapina wife. There is another French couple...but I don't know his boat's name and of course Mark, re-building a boat he bought from the local Frenchman Eric... so not a lot of actual yachties. Bonbonon is much the same. There is no WIFI, there is a mobile tower for the SMART network and GLOBE network. Mobile phones cost 65 pesos for the SIM card and then you add values of 200P, 300P or 500P. International dialing using the networks is more expensive than Malaysia where it costs only 20sen per minute to phone overseas by mobile. Here it costs 25 pesos per minute. There is an internet cafe at the local town here (15 minute motorbike taxi ride away) but this is said to be expensive and slow. The internet cafe in Dumaguete that we tried when we checked in cost us 25pesos per hour but wasn't particularly fast. Dumaguete is one and a half hours away by motorbike and bus. Best to have Pactor and winlink/sailmail ...unfortunately we don't. I will investigate the use of a mobile phone to connect to the internet when I next go to Dumaguete and let you know..
  • Dec'08. "Francis" There are about 40 boats at anchor at the moment, most of them with no-one on board. Security is good as no theft has been reported according to yachties that have been hanging around for a few years. Paperwork is minimal, no port, no custom, only immigration. Initial visa is about US$20 for 3 weeks, a 2 months extension is in the region of US$70 and there is no limit how often it can be extended. By the way the anchorage is free, some moorings are available from time to time for about US$20 a month but one better dive on it. The holding is very good so a decent anchor, perhaps doubled up might be more reliable than a mooring.
  • From Diane Pool, September 2015 — “Things change…” and while much has remained the same since Keith & Marian passed through, here is a corrected and expanded update:

The first cruiser’s eatery in the anchorage, Nicky and Arlene’s NeArNe, has evolved into Arlene & Boy’s Restaurant, continuing to provide Friday night buffets and an additional Tuesday night Happy Hour. Their operation includes dockside facilities and labor for a single yacht to do bottom work between tides. Moorings are still available; frequency of maintenance unknown but I’ve not heard any to have problems YET. Moorings and a Wednesday night buffet are also available nearby at Emma & Bernard’s (Arlene’s brother) just a short distance on the same shoreline. Sunday night another buffet available is at Bruce & Rowena’s, directly across the anchorage from Arlene’s, on the Antulang side of the anchorage. Bruce’s water pump is free for laundry and filling tanks; Rowena also sells largish, good quality tubes of ice.

Though named Port Bonbonon, the Barangay (town) of Bonbonon overlooks the bay, at the top of the hill leading out of the entrance waters of the village, Tambobo, where most of the commercial fishing boats tie up. Entrance to the bay follows the tip of Antulang Peninsula, where the resort of KooKoo’s Nest is located. Nikki and Jamie are the genial owners, serving excellent food at low-key resort prices, who enjoy cruisers who show their appreciation of the facilities by buying a beer or a meal and introducing themselves. During the summer SW monsoon their long dock is taken in and snorkeling is not as good, but it is still a great place to take guests or just visit them. Tambobo is being touted as a Tourist destination, with a newly-paved ‘Boardwalk’ along the short stretch of small homes/sari-sari store/Karaoke bars, which quickly drops off into a rutted dirt road leading visitors past Nigel’s boat building shed and onward to the resort of Tongo Sail Inn. Nigel and Pilar own Tongo’s but leased it when they moved aboard their very large, two-story Catamaran (at present anchored near the entrance reef, directly across from their boat yard). “Spike”, an equally entertaining host as Nigel, is the current lessee and the short distance from the anchorage to his place to enjoy food & drink & good conversation is more than worthwhile.

I won’t quote prices for anything because they always are changing, but internet access via inexpensive modems from Globe and Smart is better now (currently GLOBE being the better of the two). The nearby town of Siaton has a few more internet cafes, okay connection if you can stand the noise and crampted room. Siaton has a good public market (especially on Saturday afternoons & Sunday) and fairly good selection of grocery or hardware. It is 20 minutes away by Habal Habal, which can be ordered through either Arlene’s or at ‘Naga’ (Bernard & Emma’s), or (slightly less expensive) found direct in Tambobo along the Boulevard. Dinghies can be left on the beach prior to rounding the point into the Tambobo bay, then a short walk to the road. If going to Dumaguete for more comprehensive needs, Spike, at Tongo’s, will take people into town on Mondays and Fridays. Another (highly delightful) mode of transportation is DEXTER, a jeepney that will pick up passengers at 7:30 in Bonbonon, thence to Siaton, and onward to Dumaguete, arriving before nine, usually. He will also pick up and deliver passengers and/or large supplies to Tambobo if contacted beforehand.

The Saturday School of One Candle Schoolhouse that Bill & Diane Pool began in a rented house morphed into the Bright Lights Community Learning Centers of Bonbonon and Siit, in 2008, the year before Bill died. Though much of our days were spent in our workshop or with the schools, our boat, PILAR, always was and still is our/my only home. In April 2014, I moved shop and studio to a new location in Tambobo, three doors away from Nigel’s boat yard and directly across from the Naval Station, which is visible directly as you enter the bay. The two Learning Centers were not able to survive when focus on restoring PILAR was needed and leadership transferred, but I continue to be involved with local projects on a limited scale—currently a large garden which I hope will become inspiration for local patrons, as well as teaching woodworking skills (both artistic and boat-repair quality) to a few who have the interest.

I am happy be available to anyone with questions or needing assistance. My website is: www.dianepoolfineart.com or at email: [email protected]


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Names: Lighthouse, Haiqu


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