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EXTRACT FROM BOOK
The Darwin to Saumlaki 2004 Sailing Boat Rally.
Eighteen boats set sail from Darwin Harbour in July 2004 destined for Indonesia’s Tanimbar Islands in Eastern Indonesia. The township of Saumlaki is the capital of the Tanimbar Islands and is approximately 300 nautical miles north of Darwin. Sailing a Seawind 850 catamaran, we were amongst this flotilla taking part in the annual Darwin to Saumlaki sailing boat rally a journey across the Arafura Sea, which takes two to three days with a good wind.
Map showing the Tanimbar Islands and Northern AustraliaOn our arrival, the Tanimbarese welcomed us warmly. The locals organised a four-day program of events which included bus tours to interesting parts of Yamdena(the largest island in the Tanimbars), provision of guides, traditional dancing displays, a trip on an Indonesian warship, dinners, lunches and trade displays.
Traditional welcoming ceremony conducted for rally participants
As Saumlaki is not an official port of entry, immigration officials were flown in from Ambon to process our entry into Indonesia. The Indonesian Minister of Tourism and the Mayor of Darwin were invited for the festivities and both were in attendance at some functions including a dinner, to which we were all invited at the Tanimbar Regent’s (Bupati) residence. The hospitality shown to us was wonderful.
For information about the Darwin-Saumlaki rally Google ‘sail saumlaki’ or visit www.utya.org.au/saumlaki.
[Update: try http://www.dwnsail.com.au/downloads/LogJuly2006.pdf OR Darwin to Ambon Yacht Race 21st July 2007 http://www.darwinambonrace.com.au/]
A CULTURE OF BOATS
As an island people, Tanimbarese depend upon boats as their main means of transportation. Yet the utilitarian function of boats is far outweighed by their great ritual and metaphoric significance (McKinnon 1983).
At Awear village on Fordate Island we saw a concrete replica of a traditional boat sitting at the start of a long flight of steps at the front of the village next to the sea.Villages were centered on stone altars, sometimes in the shape of a boat, but always symbolizing the community as a boat with ritual officials forming its crew. At the stone boat alter, villagers held community discussions, danced and made offerings. Most of these stone alter sites are no longer used for ceremonial gatherings because many villages have moved to new locations. In ritual songs, the name of the stone boat is used as a metaphor for the village, which traces its origin to distant islands, often to the southwest. (Taylor P & Argon V, Beyond the Java sea – Art of Indonesia’s Outer Islands, National Museum of Natural History, Washington, D.C. 1991. Pg 231)
The Tanimbarese have remained swidden agriculturalists, hunters, fishermen and, at heart, sailors.
Returning to Wailutu, Siera Island after working in the gardens. They travel by boat around and between their islands. All villages are on the coast and Yamdena Island has one main road on the east side of the island, but no roads crossing the island. The only cars we encountered were in the two main towns of Saumlaki and Larat. A few villages had motorbikes, but this was rare.
The importance of boats in the culture of the Tanimbarese is evident in many places. At a Christian church service in Latdalam, the minister stood in the pulpit, which was in the shape of a ship’s bow. When local people met us, the first question they usually asked was how many people were on board our boat. They were surprised when they realised it was just two of us, thinking it was too big for only two people to handle. They were unfamiliar with the winches, autopilot, GPS and other equipment, which takes much of the hard physical work out of sailing.
Many people wanted to know if we were exhausted when we arrived in the Tanimbars from Australia, whether it was a rough crossing, how long it had taken and if we had been sea-sick. They were very interested in the workings of the boat and the fibreglass and aluminium construction. This knowledge of sailing gave us a common ground of understanding.
ANCHORAGE 8
The channel between Keswu and Wolas Islands.
This anchorage is in 16-18 metres and must be approached from the north as the channel shoals at the southern end. A number of double-hulled sailing boats (bagans) work out of a large fishing camp located here. We anchored north of the fishing camp where the channel begins between the two islands. One boat reported anchoring at S 7 32.46 E131 09.83.
Drying fish, Keswu IslandFishermen drift fish all night in the channel, using a lamp to attract small fish into a net suspended between the hulls. The night we anchored we were surrounded by eight bagans.
A bagan in Keswu/Wolas channelA woman on one of these boats, accompanied by her husband on guitar, sang traditional Tanimbarese songs for part of the night. The music floated over the water in the still of the night and her voice was superb. We felt fortunate to be enjoying this unique Tanimbarese experience, with the added luxury of comfortable beds and being able to sleep when we became tired rather than staying up the whole night fishing.
Early next morning, fishermen visited us from two of the bagans. We sat and chatted over hot black coffee, which they greatly appreciated.
