Siaton

Siaton is a municipality at the southern tip of Negros Island, in Negros Oriental Province, Philippines. Population was about 83,000 in the 2020 census.

Tambobo Bay in Bonbonon, a barangay of Siaton, has a fine harbour and is the province's main port of call for cruising yachtsmen; it usually has at least a dozen anchored boats. It is one of the country's main "hurricane holes"; the terrain around it provides considerable protection from storms so vessels anchor there when a typhoon is expected.

Get in
Most people reach Siaton via the coastal highway that runs through the town, often either by bus or jeepney. It is about 55 km from Dumaguete or 250 km from Bacolod. The highway in both directions is good; some roads leading off it, e.g. to Tambobo Bay, are not.

Other people arrive by boat; this is a major harbour for yachts.

There has been some discussion of building a small airport for Siaton, but as of mid-2023 no plan has been announced.

Buy
There are usually some yachts for sale at Tambobo Bay.

Some of these vessels are more-or-less abandoned; their owners have settled in some Philippine city, or flown back to Australia, or whatever. Some of these boats can be had at quite attractive prices if you bargain well, though not all owners will accept a low price. Caution is advised since a boat that has not had regular maintenance for some time may develop all sorts of expensive problems. In the worst case, a boat might not be worth taking on even if the owner were giving it away.

The Western owner, Nigel, at Tonga Sail is a boat builder.