KARIMUN JAWA TO BELITUNG ISLAND

On Saturday 25 October, we set sail from Karimun Jawa to Belitung (02-33.305’ S x 107-40.712’ E):  300 nm to the NW on the Sail2Indonesia Rally circuit.  The wind was holding from ENE-SE at about 10-15 kts so it made for pleasant sailing.  The Java Sea has been kind to us.  We have had more consistent wind here that throughout the rest of Indonesia.  A huge part of the Indonesian experience is motor sailing or just outright motoring.  The main mechanical failures in the Rally fleet have been engines and gear boxes.

We arrived off the Belitung anchorage at 0800 hrs and dropped anchor in 30’ water depth on a sandy bottom with 130’ chain out.  With the exception of a few boats left in Bali, undergoing repairs of one sort or another, and a few more that have sailed on to Malaysia, there were 14 Rally boats in the anchorage.  The Regency of Belitung is going all out to sponsor a spectacular schedule of activities and events for the Sail2Indonesia Rally 2014:

1)    Monday Oct 27       Welcome Greeting

2)    Tuesday Oct 28  0900-1100 City Tour, Museum and Elementary School; 11300-1200  Welcome Dance; 1200-1300 Lunch at the “Traditional House” with the Regeant and all the military officials; 1900-2200  Traditional Dance

3)    Wednesday Oct 29  1400-1600 Dragon Dance Attraction; 1900-2200 Welcome Greeting by Regeant; Belitung Unique Costumes; Balines Dance and Music and traditional Belitung Dance and Music;  Gala Dinner; more dancing and speeches.  I was chosen as speaker for the Sail2 Indonesia Rally Fleet.

4)    Thursday Oct 30  0900-1400 City Tour to traditional open market; 1900-2200 Rattan Stick Fighting

5)    Friday Oct 31  1900-2200  Traditional Music

6)    Saturday Nov 1   1900-2200  Rattan Stick Fighting

7)    Sunday  Nov 2  1900  Traditional Dance

The Gala Dinner and Balinese/Belitung Dancing were the best we have seen.  The event was very formal and I was selected to give a speech representing the Sail2Indonesia Fleet 2014 Rally.  Afterwards, I was presented with a beautiful book featuring photos of Belitung Island and a special piece of rock mounted on a wooden pedestal with a painted rainbow that, somehow, comes from a cove where the Indonesian movie “Palangi” was filmed.  The translation of this into English would be “The Rainbow Troops”.  I think it is available with English subtitles.

I have mentioned before that Indonesians love publicity and photos.  The following day, I appeared with the 1^st Secretary of Belitung, presenting me with the gifts, on the front page of one of the Belitung daily newspapers.

Belitung was a tin mining island under Dutch Colonial Rule.  Consequently, even though the Dutch took the majority of the wealth out of the country, the workers retained some through employment and farming.  Today, the island appears to be more prosperous in both housing and schools than many other islands we have visited.  There is a large cadre of civil servants.  The land is fertile and water seems to be plentiful.  The rubbish problem is less here than elsewhere and we see signs and programs to “go green” – “be green”.

Our next stop will be Penuba (0-19.280’ S x 104-27.693’ E) in the Lingga Island group: 238 nm NW from Belitung. We are getting close to the equator and have experienced short periods of intense rain and some thunder.  We are right on the verge of a monsoonal change and hope to get to Singapore before it happens.

Our plan is to leave on Sunday November 3, 2014.  The GRIB files and wind maps show some wind coming out of the ESE at 10 kts.  We can work with that.

In retrospect, each Regency has provided us with Gala Dinners and entertainment; however, none has equaled the Regency of Belitung in the spectacular presentation of Balinese Dancing and Music with a follow up of Belitung Dancing and Music.  The schedule of events was the best we have experienced. In no way does that diminish all those traditional villages and dances we went to on the other islands.  I prefer the Indonesia of small villages and tribal customs but that pretty much ended after we left Flores Island.  Central Indonesia is one of dense population and modernity.  Nevertheless, the friendliness, generosity and warmth of these wonderful people have not diminished in the least.  The only thing that has gone away is the ubiquitous “Hello Mister”.