Just 2km off shore from Kuala Terengganu, lay Pulau Duyung, an island where the art of boat building runs in the blood of some of its inhabitants. Pulau Duyung is perhaps the most well known boat-building centres in Terengganu. Most of the boats built here are regular fishing boats, but there are a few exceptions. But even so, the craftsmanship of every boat built here is immaculate.

So much so that many have made a beeline for this tiny island to place orders on  leisure boats costing as much as RM1million. A majority of them are foreigners, particularly from Europe, who highly appreciate the handiwork and long durability of these vessels. Several shipyards here build boats that can measure up to 80 foot long. What's most astonishing to visitors and sailboat afficionados is that these boats are built practically from memory, in most cases no blueprints are used as guideline by these boat builders.

The Monsoon Cup, which is held annually at Pulau Duyong, is an internationally-acclaimed sailing event that has put Terengganu in the map as one of the most prestigious sailing locations in the world.  Introduced in 2004, the event has seen participation from world-famous sailors such as Adam Minoprio from New Zealand, Ian Williams (Britain) and Torvar Mirsky (Australia).