Indonesia by Buginese schooner

When you ask the inhabitants of the many islands in the eastern Indonesian archipelago about the sailing ships that come calling at their shores, there are two names that come immediately to their lips: Ombak Putih and Katharina. Their gracious beauty makes them instantly recognizable. More than any other traditional "Bugi Schooners," they are a familiar sight from Bali to Papua and from Sulawesi to Savu. Between the two, these ships have logged close to a quarter of a million miles since they were launched and their captains and crew know more about the remote islands of Indonesia than any other people alive. There are very few bays in this part of the world where they have not anchored yet...

It was during the late nineteen-seventies that a young Dutchman by the name of Dick Bergsma, was on a sabbatical journey around the world, together with his wife Karin. When they found themselves in the Sunda Kelapa harbor of Jakarta, they were intrigued by the hundreds of cargo carrying sailing vessels being loaded and unloaded there. During those years Indonesia still had an active fleet of some ten thousand wooden ships. As the young back packing couple was planning to go to Sumatra it occurred to them that it would be a great experience to try and catch a ride on one of these sailing ships rather than go on a ferry boat. So they made the rounds of the harbour and talked to the captains of all the ships but despite the fact that Dick offered to pay a handsome fare, they clearly found a general reluctance to be accepted as paying passengers. When Dick inquired at the office of the harbour master he learned that Buginese superstition cautioned against taking on newlywed couples because it was believed this could bring bad luck upon the ship. When Dick came back the next day and tried his luck again, introducing Karin as his sister, all objections evaporated and the 'siblings' were accepted instantly. For Dick and his wife it was the first of many memorable trips through Indonesia and the start of a long learning process about the Buginese, their ships and their traditions.

Dick Bergsma started out offering sailing expeditions in 1985 and moved to Bali in 1994. Ever since, Dick has been offering exploration of the islands east of Bali with a fleet of his own Buginese schooners, captains an crew.  The formula is as simple as it is attractive. Your home-away-from-home is a spacious sailing vessel and you have a comfortable cabin with your own en-suite bathroom. Whenever possible more than six hundred square meters of sails are raised, but there are long periods of very light winds so we also do rely on our engine to safeguard our schedule. An attentive but discrete crew takes care of everything. Most of the sailing is done at night and while you sleep, the captain is on the bridge to take you to yet another splendid anchorage or another lovely harbour. Every new day you will wake up to another surprise!

A typical round trip Bali – Komodo – Flores takes 7 days. It can be done shorter, with a flight in or out, and is perfectly combinable with a stay on Bali or even the rest of Indonesia.

Asia, Indonesia, Cruise