28.07.12 - The day of departure has finally arrived!

It has been a busy week and although we could use another week of preparations we are eager to get under way and leave Darwin in our wake for the mysteries and beauty that awaits us in Indonesia. We are scheduled last to leave the Marina in a precesion of nearly every boat there that includes another 100 anchored outside that will be the migration of boats in the Indonesian Rally.  Even as we are casting our lines we are finalising preparations for our journey; lashing down the last of the jerry cans and securing the new cargo, two brand new beatiful kayaks. Our destination is the town of Soumlaki, approx 300 nm from Darwin. The weather reports were mixed but we expect a 48 hour crossing. As we clear Melville island the winds begin to build as do the seas, it’s nothing of concern but the steepness of the waves catch us offguard and make the ride a little unconfortable. We soon discover that the autopilot is not working which means hand steering through the night and probably for the remainder of the trip. This would be a big concern had we been shorthanded but with 6 on board it should no sweat.

We arrived in Indonesia on a fresh Southeasterly. As we approached the port of Soumlaki the beauty of the area struck us immediately. We navigated between little fishing huts anchored out in the bay and found a spot beside the rest of the rally boats. It was really nice to be at rest, we immediately began to take in our surroundings; the colorful buildings of the town, the sounds of the cars and Muslim calls to prayer, and the smell of open fires. My first priority was to get in the water. It had been almost 2 months since my last swim having been sailing the croc infested waters of Northern Australia.

                      We had enough time to explore the city. Pil was in need of a haircut so we accompanied her to a salon. The place was run by lady boys and there were old Victorian dresses hanging in the closet. It was one of those spontaneously unique experiences that are so common in this country. Although everyone was very friendly, Soumlaki didn’t have a lot to offer. On the night before our departure the Sail Indonesia welcoming committee threw us a huge gala. They bused us out to their community arts building where they presented beautiful traditional dancing, some elaborate speeches, and a great feast. The rest of the evening was filled by pushing all the chairs to the sides of the room and forcing us to dance to songs dedicated to us junior high style. We were back on Orbit at around 11 pm and I got a call from Francesco from another boat. He said he got invited to a local bar where we could see the real side of the local community. Everyone else was too sleepy but I decided to check it out. We were picked up by mopeds and taken to a huge house party. Not what I was expecting but within 5 minutes I was having the time of my life. The average age of the party was probably between 16 and 18 and it reminded me of high school parties at home. The difference was everyone was dancing, in a line with a partner. After every song the line would disperse and as soon as the next song started everyone chose a new partner and formed a dance line. The other difference was it had more of a feeling of a family gathering where everyone was really comfortable. As usual everyone was eager to meet us and make sure we were taken care of. We had a few rounds of Sopi, a local home-brew made from coconut. It’s semi toxic and it tastes like gasoline but it’s all they got. This was a side of Indonesia I’d never seen before. I felt more accepted and normal and not like a spectacle. It was an experience I’ll never forget.

                      Leaving Soumlaki, our first anchorage away from civilization was spectacular. Quiet and beautiful with great snorkeling. In the morning I was able to spear a nice coral trout and introduced the Danes to fresh fish tacos, I think they’re hooked for life. Our next anchorage was just outside a small village called Molu Maru. The diving looked promising and we hoped to spend a few days exploring the area. We accepted an invitation to visit the village by an eager welcome party. It was a very remote place and these people rarely had visitors. 

Their village was very clean set on a beautiful beach. We toured the schools and gave a quick English lesson. The hospitality was almost overwhelming and after 5 hours of activities we couldn’t tell if we were guests or prisoners. I was eager to get back and do a reconnaissance dive. My goal on this trip is to find a nice big Dogtooth Tuna to spear and this part of the world should hold plenty. No tunas around but a large sea snake lazily
swam below as Kenneth and I snorkeled above.




The next day I spent a bout 4 hours in the water. It was an excellent dive. The sea life in Indonesia is so vast. In one free dive I saw a very large Napoleon Wrasse and a very large Bumphead Parrotfish and a sea snake side by side. No tunas in sight but I decided to spear a red snapper to possibly trade at the village for some vegetables. We were happily greeted back at the village and the bounty we received for the snapper made me feel almost guilty. Bananas, coconuts, sweet potatoes, gusava, breadfruit, and sopi. As we left the beach at dusk the entire village came down to say goodbye and let out a huge cry in harmony, it was very moving.

                      From Molu Maru we had a long passage to Koon Island with hopes of finding some A+ diving. As we neared it was obvious that Koon wasn’t going to offer us the protection we needed to anchor so we continued a couple more miles to a more secure spot. We were situated between a reef and a small island with a beautiful beach. Megan, Pil and I made a trip to shore stretch the legs. There were a few abandoned grass shacks and fisherman came and went using it as an outpost. This island turned out to be heaven for Megan. She loves hunting for shells and this was the mother lode. As she walked along the beach every five feet she would scream in excitement. It took 3 hours to get 300 yards. The diving turned out to be so-so with fairly murky water. However we were able to spot a large school of very large Bumphead Parrotfish and I was able to spear a small Spanish Mackerel to keep the Dane’s ravenous fish taco appetite at bay. We left Koon eager to see the next beautiful paradise that awaited and the large Tuna that may be lurking.

Written by Kai McPhee