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Keeping Changi's Bumboat afloat
 Mr Choo Seng Sim, 72, runs the only bumboat repair yard in Pulau Ubin. Ferry operators in Changi prefer to come to his boatyard, instead of travelling longer distances to use similar services in Jurong and Tuas. ST PHOTO: MARCUS TAN |  Mr Darren Massang, 36, scrapes off barnacles growing on the underbelly of a bumboat using an improvised metal pipe. If the barnacles are left alone, they can grow into the wood and can cause the boat to grow heavier over time, leading to increased fuel consumption. ST PHOTO: MARCUS TAN |  Mr Massang paints the hull of a bumboat. Painting can begin only after the tide has completely receded. The boat will then be left to dry and will be ready for use the following day. ST PHOTO: MARCUS TAN |
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 A worker at Mr Choo’s boatyard breaks off a fishing line caught in the propeller blades of a boat. He has to wear gloves to protect his hands from the sharp barnacles growing on the boat. ST PHOTO: MARCUS TAN |  Changi ferry operator Yang Soon Tong changes his boat engine oil, while workers get on with repairing his boat. Mr Yang says his business will survive only if convenient and cheaper services like what Mr Choo offers continue. ST PHOTO: MARCUS TAN |  A worker patches holes in a boat’s hull with cement. Such holes are caused by collisions with vessels, floating objects or underwater obstacles. A repair job takes about a day to complete. ST PHOTO: MARCUS TAN |
 Mr Massang rinses off salt water from his body after repairing a boat’s hull. Such tasks usually require a worker to be submerged chest deep in the swampy waters of Pulau Ubin. ST PHOTO: MARCUS TAN |  Mr Zainal and Mr Massang take a rare break while waiting for the tide to recede. The duo, who operate the boatyard, repair five to six boats a month. Most of the vessels are from the Changi Ferry Terminal, while a handful are from nearby fish farms. ST PHOTO: MARCUS TAN |  Mr Zainal Suraton, 54, scrubs the hull of a boat vigorously to remove the algae growing on the sides of the vessel. ST PHOTO: MARCUS TAN |
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Tucked away in the mangroves of Pulau Ubin, Mr Choo Seng Sim, 72, runs a quaint repair boatyard. Mr Choo was issued a temporary occupation occupation licence after Minister for National Development Lawrence Wong announced in June that the National Parks Board (NParks) will take over as the central managing agency for Pulau Ubin. Under the license Mr Choo will be able to operate at the site until an alternative space is provided elsewhere on the island in a few years' time.
Jack Neo’s latest period film will take you back to the kampongs of Singapore in the 1960s. The story follows Zhao Di, played by Aileen Tan, a heavily pregnant widowed mother of two struggling in an era where patriarchy is practised.
Republic Polytechnic (RP) School of Applied Science (SAS) opened the Diploma in Marine Science and Aquaculture (DMAC) booth for the second time this year, with the pioneer batch of students. This year’s booth aims to educate potential students about the marine life and environment conservation.