I visited Marina Bay Residence on Monday, 16 June, to watch the USS Nimitz transit through the Singapore strait. The view was a mariner’s dream: a vast view of the bay and a hundred ships stretching into the horizon – the heart of international trade and Singapore. I was joined by Charlie and Dan, fellow balcony-watchers and famous figures in Singapore’s maritime circuit.
The Nimitz appeared farther in the horizon; at first a grey dot in the distance, then its flat deck and bridge becoming visible. The Nimitz seemed smaller than many of the cargo ships, but moved at a much faster pace, passing through our view in 30 minutes – a demonstration of the four nuclear reactors powering it. Using a telescope to zoom in, you could see the large “68” painted on the side, and a deck full of fighters. The Nimitz, having a port call to Vietnam cancelled, was now travelling to the Middle East.
Charlie surveyed the other ships in the area, including many anchored cargo ships and tankers, whose cranes indicate the type of cargo they can carry, as well as ships specialized for cars and projects too large for a container. Cable repair ships and utility ships were in the foreground. Singapore ships have the premium spots near the port and pier, and other ships anchored are separated by ship type, commodities, and the size of their bill like a parking deck on the water. Singapore is a lot less interventionist for ships that transit through the strait – any ship, like the Nimitz, can do it. The ships follow basic safety rules, and everything works out.
Dan noted that the land on which Marina Bay and Downtown sits is all reclaimed, and has been since the 1970s. In fact, Singapore continues to slowly reclaim land, then construct new skyscrapers and condos closer and closer to the shore. This view in the future will be one surrounded by buildings. Marina Bay Sands already has another section under construction, and there are new projects in the Marina Field, every one of the green blocks will eventually be turned into buildings in about 50 years. All this is viewable at Singapore’s Urban Planning Gallery, which lists 5-year plans and models about all that Singapore will be in the future.
