INDONESIA FROM KUPANG TO BALI

Indonesia, Republic of, island republic and largest nation of South East Asia, constituting most of the Malay Archipelago and including all of the former Netherlands Indies. Indonesia comprises 13,677 islands straddling the equator, 6,000 of which are inhabited. From the island of Sumatra in the west to that of New Guinea in the east, Indonesia stretches across some 5,150 km (3,200 mi) of ocean, or almost one eighth of the Earth’s circumference; Indonesia’s north-south spread is about 1,931 km (1,200 mi).

Indonesia is terrific. A couple of months here is very enjoyable. Indonesia has a long and complex history. It is the largest Muslim country in the world, although India does have a larger Muslim population. There are around 250 million people in this country.

Flores and Bali, while part of Indonesia, do not have Muslim majorities. Flores was under Dutch control since the 17th century, and is mostly Catholic. Bali’s history is complicated; for a thousand years it was either a part of Java (the next island to the west) or independent, but Islam drove the Hindu culture out of Java to Bali, which is now almost totally Hindu. Indonesia has been independent only since 1946. It is a very interesting culture.

Two full months in Indonesia seems about right to me. It is 500 miles from Kupang to Bali and you can take around 50 days. At the exhilarating speed of ten miles per day you have lots of time to really bond with the friendly Indonesian village folks. There is plenty to see and do.

The winds are light and sometimes it may be difficult to decide on an anchorage.

There are lots of fishing boats, especially small ones with nets. They fish at night and may or may not be lit. They also fish during the day. There are trap lines marked with flags that you can probably pass over safely.  Many yachties think that

these friendly fisherfolks look like pirates. It is not always possible to day-sail all the way through Indonesia. Harbors are sometimes not available and the anchorages may be too deep or exposed to the wind. You may have to do some overnighters sometimes. Often you can just pull over and stop as mostly the conditions are calm. Current and tide are always a factor. You will motor a lot more than you will sail.  Indonesia straddles the equator and is hot.

The Pirates of Indonesia. I first sailed into Indonesia in 1981. As I had been sailing up the coast of Australia most of the year before all the yachties told me horror stories about the Indonesian pirates. I carried on regardless but I must admit that by the time I arrived there I was frightened. In those days you had to report to the navy so I asked the navy captain about the situation. He spoke perfect English. He almost fell off his chair laughing at my stupid question. He told me that he had not heard of a pirate attack on a yacht in his lifetime. Since those days I have been to Indonesia a few more times, I have never heard of even one pirate incident involving a yacht. Certainly all m

My personal experience is that the place is very safe. The stories you may hear about yachts being trailed by pirates and how the yachties got out their guns and shot at them until they left may be true. But the “pirate“ boats were only curious fishermen. One of my crewmen was actually blubbering with fear one very dark night when we were surrounded by boats and I stupidly said that we were about to die by knife attack. You can relax, if there are pirates then they do not target yachts.

People boarding your boat; Now you need to think about this and to evolve a policy. Last year when you were out on the Pacific Islands you may have had the same problem. The problem is with the local people wanting to come aboard. Mostly they are very curious and wish to meet you see your boat and be friendly. I always think how I might feel if the biggest and most luxurious yacht on earth anchored nearby to me and whether I would want to go aboard for a cup of coffee with the owner.

I am sailing to meet people, experience life and have fun. I personally invite every visitor onto my boat. The maximum I have had is fifty people sitting on deck. All laughing and enjoying the visit. People who I really like get invited inside for a tea or a whisky. I love the interaction even when all the boats tied alongside are damaging my paintwork. This is the cruising lifestyle.

Now sometimes it all gets too much and you have to ask them to leave. In my experience they always politely get up and go. However sometimes it may be necessary to ask again as people like to linger on. Uninvited people just climbing onboard can be a problem. The usual way to deal with that is to offer them a cigarette or a candy and after a brief period make an excuse and ask them to leave. Bureaucratic authorities are the worst as you cannot kick them out. Be patient, give them a cup of tea, be polite and they will eventually leave. It can get very trying of your patience especially when you have been up all night dodging unlighted fishermen.

Many yachties take the opposite view. They are suspicious of all these poor and dirty foreigners. They keep them off their yachts. People with that attitude should stay in their home waters.

A personal experience I had here in Indonesia may be of interest; I was anchored in a dirty disgusting little harbour. An old dug-out log canoe came alongside and a dirty Indonesian man asked me if I required any help. I asked about diesel fuel and he told me that it was available and that he could bring it out in jerry cans. I asked him to bring 200 litres. He told me that he needed the money. I handed him  a US$50 note. So he had to go to the bank and change the money and then organize the fuel. Off he went in his rags and his leaky canoe. My crew laughed at me and called me a fool for giving away the $50. Hours went by and nothing happened. I had a few doubts. Then late in the afternoon he turned up with the fuel and the change. It was good fuel without water or impurities.