Tanahberu’s Harbour
The Jakaré is still standing at the Tanahberu’s harbour and the activities onboard are still very intense. We’re planning the date for the end of the works on the boat according to the first cruise, already booked for Christmas in Raja Ampat : we need 6 days to sail to Sorong.
Coordination and planning are necessary to respect the time limits. The carpenters, electricians, and painters are about twenty and are sharing the work. A bit under pressure but always working in happiness and good mood.
We’re moored in the harbour with fishing boats and other phisinis, under construction and renovation. Almost sixty workers come working in the harbour every single day to earn a living, sometimes in difficult conditions as we can notice in the neighbor’s ship.
The construction’s methods of our neighbor on starboard are very suprising. It’s a phisini cargo on which the structure is dismantled and replaced, and the hull renovated. The wood for the construction is delivered in raw, pull on the sea to the vessel, then send up on board using the strength of arms. We are settling the navigation’s system: GPS, Radar, SSB radio and testing it. The crew onboard are getting the security stuffs like fire extinguishers, life preservers, life jackets and life rafts. The sails are almost installed by some acrobatic crew.
The final date is coming and the weather is not so good. The west monsoon, with big winds is coming step by step. It’s time to navigate to Bira which is 20 miles on the east south and cover by west winds. We’re leaving Tanahberu harbour with a lot of emotions (home base for Jakaré), for a little trip with some tests for few hours. It allowed us the try the motor and the main navigation instruments.
Port de Bira
Bira’s Port which is under construction for the last 10 years, has a lot of fishmen during this season. They’re enjoying its protection from the west winds to go out and fish during the night time with calm sea. The Jakaré find a spot between two fishboats. We’re staying here for a week, just to finish the construction on time. It’s the last stopover before the big departure for West Papua.
Our captains are almost done with the paperwork and the license for the Jakaré.
It’s a very intense race against the time. We need to stop the construction, get out the unnecessary stuffs getting ready the Jakaré for departure. The sailing itinerary to Sorong needs to be discussed and decided by the two captains. Food, water and gas oil have to be filled in.
There we are: on December the 16th, he leaves in the morning, under a beautiful sky and west wind tempered.
Let’s go toward some new adventures!
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