Riung
We spent a couple of days getting to Riung, having a rest in one sheltered bay with several other boats and another opportunity for a party on Katani II. As we entered the natural harbor at Riung we were greeted with the magnificent site of a traditional penisi boat with flags and pennants flying.
These boats are the large traditional sailing vessels of Indonesia. It was August 17, Indonesian Independence Day. Crew from this boat, Silolona, came around with invitations on a platted palm leaf, to join them for drinks on board. They picked us up in their tenders. About 80 to 100 yachties I would guess.
Silolona is owned by an American woman Patty Seery who has live in Indonesia for 20 years. It is based in Bali, and available for charter at the top end of the market. It takes 12 guests at US$2000 per person per day. There are 20 crew to look after the guests. Their water maker produces 10,000 litres per day. Generators operate around the clock to run the air conditioning, you get the picture. All this in a beautifully crafted traditionl timber boat. The boat builder was on board. The owner told the story of Silolona, a mythical maiden of great beauty. Then the boat builder called her spirit with a conch shell as the sun set. Very moving.
We were treated to drinks, nibbles, more drinks and then a movie/documentary about two Englishmen who sailed on a similar vessel last century following the spice routes. Then the rain started. Just a few spots at first but we had left the boat open as had many others as it has not rained in months. thers. We were hastily ferried back. The short deluge had finished the evening but it was a wonderful night.
Riung was even more subsistence than Lembata. Hardly a town, really a village with stilt houses on the mud flats and shacks along the road. There were only a couple of stalls open in the market but we didn't need much. As with other Sail Indonesia stops, the whole place had obviously had a clean up. There were tours available as well as the essentials, fuel and Bintang beer. The Gala Dinner was, you guessed it, more eating, speeches and dancing.
From Riung we headed north in a couple of day hops and then an overnighter to Tana Beru, a center for Indonesian traditional boatbuilding. The overnight passage was literally a nightmare. There were fishing boats everywhere some only poorly lit and some not at all. Some have nets out , usually not lit and there are floating bamboo fishing platforms again unlit even 10 miles offshore!
|
Our route took us through some fairly narrow passages and I became disoriented by a light that wasn't on any of our charts, nearly running us into an island at about 1am. Why sail at night? we asked ourselves, well we are in a bit of a hurry to get to Macassar for the boat racing there, but we won't be doing it again any time soon.
Macassar
Macassar was everything we expected and more, an exciting Asian city with a rich history. Our visit coincided with a Youth and Maritime Festival, the highlight of which was the sandeq races. We first anchored off the city and went ashore at the Marine Police wharf. We were met by guides and walked around town a bit, finding an ATM (very important) and a supermarket with everything you could want. Plenty of western stuff, mostly at western prices!! eg Oranges and apples from Australia. Butter from NZ. Cheese from Holland etc. There was a very flash hotel that was one of the festival sponsors offering 20% discount on drinks. We went into their very flash cocktail bar and I decided to treat myself to a cocktail, quite reasonable at about $10, but John's beer was about 4 times what we are used to paying. Still we thought, there's the 20% discount, but then plus 10% tax and 10% service charge! Still it was great.
We were to meet up with some of the others at a restaurant that night, but got the directions wrong. We found a seafood place and had quite a good meal Prawn for John (yes, singular but giant) and cuttlefish for me, both with very hot sauces. There was a little cat wandering around that adopted us, waiting for leftovers. I spoke to it very sternly in my best Indonesian, but like cats every where she ignored me!
Next day we moved to the naval base where they really wanted all the yachts to be. There the Navy couldn't have been more helpful. We tied up to the wharf. There was a beer tent, kiosk, free internet, guides and free cars for our use and ....a golf driving range!!!
A group of rally yachts that had been there for a week or so had investigated getting their laundry done. Between the three of them it was going to cost so much they went and bought a little twin tub! When we arrived if was set up on the wharf and for a small donation we used it too, getting all the washing done done was as usual, terrific!
The highlight of Macassar was the sandeqs. They are traditional wooden boats used for fishing. This fleetwas comprised of the racing model, still wooden with bamboo mast and boom and bamboo outriggers.
|
The sandeqs have one enormous sail and can reach speeds of 25 knots. The crew of about 8 hang out on ropes from the mast, perching on the outriggers. They are a bit like the 18ft skiffs that they race on Sydney Harbour.
Forty of them did a 300 mile race finishing the day after we got there and it was pretty spectacular seeing them come in. A couple of days later there was a short 'Friendship Race' in which the yachts were invited to participate. Some yachties went in sandeqs and some yachts took sandeq crew on board. There was a briefing at the naval base where many of the racing crews came and met the yachties. A couple of he sandeq crew were looking at Jaraman at the dock afterwards so we invited them on and John had a long skipper-to-skipper chat, drawing diagrams of sail plans etc. We gave them a couple of caps and cards and off they went. We were going on another yacht "Touché" to follow the race.
In the morning our mates were back with another bloke so we showed him around too. Then we went down to Touché and the Indonesians came with us. John on Touché welcomed them and gave Sandeq skipper the helm straight off.
We ended up in the thick of thing and decided to do the course with the 40 sandeqs and 4 other yachts. It was very exciting the Indonesian Sandeq skipper took the helm and after 3 minutes had worked Touché out and was soon passing sandeqs, they dont sail well to windward having only one sail but when we turned down wind they caught us up. The Indonesians were beside themselves with excitement and so were we.
What a hoot, after we dropped them off John from Touché said "where did they come from"
We worked out that we had probably invited them the night before when rapping on Jaraman. They had no English and we have no more than please and thank you in Indonesian but we all had the best day.
To be continued Feb 15 ........
Go to Page 1 2 3 4
***********************
Placethe cursor over each photograph
to see the caption
**********************
|
