Australia To Indonesia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Madagascar Route

[Alan Mighty]

Originally Posted by Alan Mighty

A mixing zone of languages and cultures: close to the maximum E extent of the reach of Hindu belief system (old Philippine hands will correctly point out that the Ramayana myths and so on extended all the way to the Phils) as shown by that island named after the Sun God, Bali; close to the maximum E extent of Muslim and Indian traders; close to the maximum E extent of Buddhist rulers (see Borobudur); the mixing point of many Malayo-Polynesian languages and peoples (with their own massive diversity) with Indo-Europeans, Arabs, and a few Africans and Australians (the aborigines who went with Makassan traders to live in Sulawesi).

Blimey! I forgot to mention the Chinese and Japanese (there's a great Japanese cemetery on Penang island that's worth a visit - graves of young Japanese women who in the 1920s were sent to the rich economies of SE Asia to work as prostitutes and send their remittances back to build the Dai Nippon Empire that a decade later moved to create the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere - not to mention the several other cemeteries on Penang island including the memorial to the Russian crew of the Zhemchug; and the graves from the colonial/East India Co. era, including that of the widower of the Anna who sexed up her biography to get sales by claiming she'd had liaison with the king of Siam).

And I'll bet you're aware of the increased seismic activity in the Ring of Fire this year, noted that Richter 5 quake SW of Bali this morning, and are cognizant of the implications.

[Pelagic]

For the OP to consider

Whenever all the signs are telling me to hurry up, I also look at slowing down.

East coast of PNG is a special place to cruise and the high mountains near Milne Bay create a nice bubble to steer Cyclones away.
Conflict group and further up have some very special dive spots.

[StuM]

Originally Posted by Pelagic

For the OP to consider

Whenever all the signs are telling me to hurry up, I also look at slowing down.

East coast of PNG is a special place to cruise and the high mountains near Milne Bay create a nice bubble to steer Cyclones away.
Conflict group and further up have some very special dive spots.

Not really the high mountains. (which aren't very high).


It's mainly that the latitude of cyclogenisis tends to be much further East and even if they start around 5° (the general limit because of the low Coriolis close tot the equator), by the time they get to PNG Longitudes Coriolis has generally dragged them more than 10° from the equator.

[Pelagic]

Thanks StuM , your expIanation makes far more sense and nice graphics.

I used to do most of my drydockings in Cairns and that was the advice and explanation given by local guys who worked up in the Gulf.

Found that PNG was a good option when I needed to plan a cruise nearby during Cyclone Season.
In any case, maybe an option for the OP

[PommyDave]

Are pirates still a problem in the Straits of Malacca?

[Martin S]

Good luck with the trip. When you ask "other things to consider?" I am surprised nobody mentioned take precautions regarding piracy. I don't have experience in these matters although one can see details on the ICC website.

[daletournier]

There is no piracy problems towards yachts on the passage your doing.

You can fuel up at Kupang then Bali which should get you to Belitung and and then onto Singapore.

I have Catalina Indonesia there is a limit on how much fuel a foreign can purchase (depending on where you are). You need to get a local to do it for you.

[Alan Mighty]

Originally Posted by daletournier

There is no piracy problems towards yachts on the passage your doing.

+1 on that.

It's true that the Straits of Malacca has had piracy since the 15th century. Wikipedia has a page on it: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piracy...ait_of_Malacca

The modern version is directed almost exclusively at shipping. And strong suggestions that real piracy (as opposed to people clambering aboard an anchored ship to steal whatever is not bolted down) is organised by people employed in shipping offices.

Petty and opportunistic theft is for sure. As one local told me while shaking his head in disbelief at one cruiser's report of a theft: "there's no rule saying you should leave your Rolex watch sitting by itself on your deck ..."

[Alan Mighty]

Originally Posted by Alan Mighty

And I'll bet you're aware of the increased seismic activity in the Ring of Fire this year, noted that Richter 5 quake SW of Bali this morning, and are cognizant of the implications.

Only 24 hours later, here's the first of those implications.

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news...-usgs-10571874

This may be ugly. Sad.

[StuM]

Originally Posted by Alan Mighty

Only 24 hours later, here's the first of those implications.

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news...-usgs-10571874

This may be ugly. Sad.

Nasty! 6.4 actually on the island and only a few km deep. Could be a lot of destruction.


Hope it doesn't stir up the currently active adjacent Mt Agung

[theway]

Originally Posted by Pelagic

For the OP to consider

Whenever all the signs are telling me to hurry up, I also look at slowing down.

East coast of PNG is a special place to cruise and the high mountains near Milne Bay create a nice bubble to steer Cyclones away.
Conflict group and further up have some very special dive spots.

Yes, I definitely get that sentiment, but I don’t feel rushed just yet. Thanks for the suggestion. It’s always nice to have options. I plan to be well across and up north before cyclones start.

[theway]

Originally Posted by daletournier

There is no piracy problems towards yachts on the passage your doing.

You can fuel up at Kupang then Bali which should get you to Belitung and and then onto Singapore.

I have Catalina Indonesia there is a limit on how much fuel a foreign can purchase (depending on where you are). You need to get a local to do it for you.

Thanks, those give me an idea of waypoints for fuel. And useful to know about limits one fuel. Do you happen to know the limit or is it different in different places?

[daletournier]

By memory it's 40liters but it's not a problem, there's always someone to organise fuel for you.
The first time I went the inside route I was able to sail alot of the way from Bali to Belitung, but there's no guarantees, you need to be prepared to motor the whole way.
You can organise fuel on the north coast of Bali, you'll most like pull in at Lovina.
http://hackingfamily.com/ John and Sue have kept a very extensive blog that has much information including open cpn websites. They have cruised Indonesia extensively.

[Dsanduril]

Late to the party, but we just got to Darwin and data again. FWIW we just completed the trip Brisbane-Darwin and our favorite cruising grounds in that time have been the area Cape Wessel - Darwin. We enjoyed that area more than the Queensland coast. Very remote and no services to speak of once you leave TI or Gove but that's our cup of tea and not for everyone. We just wish we'd allotted more time over the top and less getting up to TI.

The Indonesia rallies are pretty much all gone now, they left TI ~16th July, and Darwin over the last two weeks. Ambon leaves this coming weekend (first week August). I'll not offer anything there, much has been said above.

[daletournier]

I agree, the wessels are nice. Personally after Lizard I don't think there's much worth seeing until there, although I enjoyed the history of Thursday island.

Another option for the Op if he's running out of time is to enjoy the Indonesian archepeligo upto Bali and then stay there until May. From Bali you could head Cocos, Chagos, seychelles, Madagascar.

I tend to accept I can't see everything therefore never rush a trip, I'll stay in a place for months if I like it.