Cruising Indonesia Part 4 

Sea Fever Journal

By Wendy Catlin

11 November, 1998

We have had nine days in Bali. Rob and I played tourist, visiting the village of Ubud (which is like a Carmel-by the Sea in California). Lots of restaurants, galleries and tourists. We enjoyed traditional Balinese Dancing and the ancient Shadow Puppet shows. Rob went on a trek through rice paddies and villages while I thoroughly enjoyed a three hour spa indulgence at one of the nice hotels.

We depart Benoa Harbour, Bali on 14 October. We head north around the island with good winds. As we enter the Java Sea, the winds die down and the sea becomes very shallow. We are headed for Kumai, Kalimatan (Borneo) where we hope to visit the reserves where the Orangutans live.

Crossing the Java Sea took us four days, sometimes under sail, but mostly motoring due to slight winds..all in all an quiet and enjoyable trip (except for constant engine noise). We each take 4 - 6 hour watches the whole way.

I wondered why the Java Sea is so shallow compared to other seas we have crossed. After reading, I discover that we are over the Asian continental plate, (Sundaland) one of the largest continental plates on the planet. And the other seas we have crossed are some of the deepest in the sea, hundreds of meters deep..the Java sea was mostly under 100 meters deep.

After four days at sea, we see land and our destination of the Kumai River. We overnight in a bay at the mouth of the river, planing to head up on tomorrow's high tide.

As we head up the river, again with great caution due to shallow depths, we come to the river town of Kumai. There are many working traditional ships here and has the feeling of a frontier town…logging, gold mining and river trade, a perfect recipe. This is also the place to get a boat to go into the Tanjung Puting National Park where the orangutans and proboscis monkeys live.

We make arrangement for an overnight trip on one of the river boats to go up the river to the park. Great little river long boat…skipper, guide and helper. We are treated royally. Great food, loo in the back of the boat and a comfy nest for sleeping complete with mosquito net.

Our first stop is at Camp Leaky, an orangutan research and rehabilitation center. This is located in the jungle up a small river that has completely black water. I have never seen anything like it…it is clean water, but black..again from the tanic acid. We went swimming in it and our bodies looked totally orange colored under the water.

Here we were able to have very close encounters with the orangutans, as some of them are used to people. A ten year old, decided she like me and just climbed up my leg and gave me a cuddle….I was taken back at first, but relaxed and just enjoyed holding her on my hip as I would any 8 or 10 year old kid. Have to say, Rob was a bit jealous, as usually the animals come to him.

They do a bit of feeding here at the center, but only because there is not enough food for all the orangutans. In spite of the National Park, the habitat elsewhere is dwindling and many wilds come to the park to feed. So the diet is supplemented with bananas and sweetened milk.

The feedings take place at least a kilometer or two from any of the ranger stations…pretty much out in the jungle. That way any of the orangutans do not get too attached to the people areas. We went on a feeding walk with the ranger and as we trek through the jungle, he is singing the names and sounds to let everyone know that the feeding will be taking place. So by the time we get to the feeding station, several orangutans are there, but still wild. Fascinating to watch , them! Very much like us you know!!! But very strong arms, hands and feed. They use their weight to bend trees to go from one to the other….I could go on, but I think you had to be there!!

Along the river, we also had excellent viewing of the proboscis monkeys, the ones with the long noses (males) (females have short turned up noses) Really an interesting creature and very shy, so hard to photograph. After returning to Kumai, we prepare to depart towards Singapore with the French catamaran Wahoo.

Eighteen hours out of Kumai we have a terrible sound coming from the engine…..
We decide to head back to Kumai on our own….then the engine is okay…what is going on???

We talk on the radio to other yachts ahead of us. They help us to determine the problem. Rob and I are undecided what to do….continue on to Singapore or return to Kumai. Four days we sailed around in the Java Sea trying to figure out what the problem was. Time is running short as Rob needs to return to Australia to work for three weeks.

During this process, I wrote a poem which I dedicate to all who sail the blue:

Figuring out the problem is the hardest part…Once you know you can fix it. So we returned to Kumai with a good plan and contacts there to help us carry it out.
After several days and events, we decide Kumai is not a secure place to leave the boat. Rob feels it best that I go to Australia to do the work needed. He will stay with the boat, and once all is in order head off to Singapore. We find crew to go with him on this journey and I am off to Australia. It is a difficult farewell.

We will meet again in early December to resume this incredible adventure.
We had each hoped to visit our families in the US. But the weather windows for our journey are getting smaller and we must be on our way to the north by the end of December.

We wish everyone a very Happy Holiday Season…for your new years resolution, consider the theme of "Follow your dream" a bit trite maybe, but never let go of the thought because you do not want to miss out on the adventure!

I finish this part of my journal on 11 November, 1998 Airlie Beach, Queensland, Australia

Editor's Update: Since 13 November 1998, Wendy has been traveling all over Australia with a group of clients. On 20 November 1998 and Rob and his crew arrived safely in Singapore. After securing Sea Fever, Rob is planning to meet Wendy in Australia. They will return to Sea Fever and be underway again by the end of December 1998.