Bali to Bawean
Author: Shirlz
August 2022
After two wonderfully relaxing days at Banyu Wedang, on the NW corner of Bali, I was ready to set sail for the island of Bawean about 200 nm to the NW in the middle of the Java Sea. The weather was perfect for the passage giving me some marvellous downwind sailing, at which the junk rig excels. Most of the time I reefed two of the 6 panels with the sail squared right out. We were doing a comfortable 4 to 5 knots over a smooth sea. What a pleasure!
There was quite a lot of coastal shipping running down from Surabaya and along the coast of Java heading for Bali and beyond. A sharp watch was needed and we had a number of pretty close encounters which made me grateful for the AIS information which helped me to judge whether it might be necessary to alter course. I still feel more comfortable using a handheld compass once the vessel is in sight and it seems more reliable to establish exactly how the situation is evolving. Many of the boats don’t transmit an AIS signal and then the compass really comes into its own. At one point after getting past some islands which were blocking the way and then turning NW up the coast of Java I spotted what I thought was a smallish uncharted island. The light was awkward and it was difficult to get a clear view of what I was looking at. It seemed that a boat was anchored nearby. As we got closer I realized to my shock that it was no ‘island’ but an enormous sand barge and the ‘anchored’ boat was a tug pulling it along at the end of a very long tow line. Not something I would want to unwittingly encounter in the dark.
On my second day out, I was surprised by a wondrous Javanese fishing boat which had come up behind me and passed close astern. I struggled to get my phone in hand to take a picture and just managed one before he sped away in the distance after a friendly wave.
After two moonless and sleepless nights at sea I was approaching the anchorage on the north coast of Bawean as the sun rose. This seemed to be a base for the barges as I spotted 5 being towed in different directions and there were 3 anchored in the bay. I motored carefully as far away from them as possible and as close to the beach as I dared, anchoring in 3 meters on a flat sandy bottom. A perfect anchorage.
I spent the rest of the day catching up with the sleep deficit and just enjoying the surroundings. There was an excellent internet connection from Telkomsel and I was glad that I had invested in the new tablet and sim card.
The next day I took the dinghy ashore, landing on a convenient sandy beach near the narrow, single lane, no-line, road that runs all the way around the island. I was hoping to find a shop or market stall for some fresh fruit and vegetables.
All the houses on the island seem to be alongside the road and as I walked along, enjoying the green jungly vegetation and wooden houses, I was constantly greeted by the friendly residents, who just wanted to say hello and find out where I had come from. There was the usual amazement that I was sailing a boat on my own. It was refreshing, after Bali, that no one was trying to sell anything. Just friendly smiles and chat.
I reached a small ‘supermarket’ and was able to buy some snack food, but there was no sign of any fresh fruit and veg. On the way back I was invited into one of the houses which was part of a small village at the water’s edge. They made me sit with them and were keen to practice their English. I was hoping to practice my Bahasa Indonesia. It was all very pleasant. Two freshly picked green coconuts were found and the top slashed off one for me to drink. The second was for me to take back to the boat. How lovely!
I would have liked to stay longer in the wonderfully comfortable anchorage but I needed to keep moving. Next stop Belitung about 380 nm further on.
August 15th, 2022 at 19:44
Great writing – you certainly capture it so beautifully! Quite amazing what you have seen of the world – most places I have not even heard of!
Keep well and happy sailing
Helena
August 17th, 2022 at 12:36
Another enjoyable post. I really enjoy your pictures too.