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   SAIL INDONESIA RALLY  
 

                                               Preparation


We had just completed sailing over 2400 nautical miles up the east and north coast of Australia to reach Darwin in time for the big Darwin/Kupang Sail Indonesia rally.  We arrived in Darwin five weeks early in order to have time to get our Indonesian visas, procure electronic charts, provision and fill up with fuel and propane.

The rally anchorage at Fanny Bay is not the most ideal one with a 7 meter tide so trolleys are provided to haul the dinghies up the beach.

This presents some interesting times with  some long muddy hikes out to reach the water.

 
O datum in Fanny Bay
Getting Ariel ready involved careening her on piles off Fishermans wharf for 3 days ($35AUD total) and slapping on a couple coats of bottom paint in between tides.
      

      Cost of paint $210AUD for 10 liters              While waiting for the tide to come back in we are
                                                                                         forced to work in ankle deep mud


Waiting for the last tide to come in we noticed Ariel leaning precariously away from the piles.  
Ariel was falling over!!!

  

We think her 37tons was no match for the cement slab which was slowing giving away under the keel.  We quickly cinched her with lines around the masts and she held fast until the tide came in.  
 
Provisioning was done at local supermarkets and dinghied out to Ariel while she was anchored off Stokes wharf in Francis bay.   Our last big purchase came to $400AUD, four baskets full, then all crammed into the little rental car.

We got tips from last year rally cruisers to load up on cheese, crackers  and Napi-san (a bleach product) and any comfort foods plus wine but beer and fuel would be cheaper in Indonesia.  

 
The starting date was set for July 21, 2007. We were all set and enjoying pre-rally functions, a BarBQ, briefing and interviews by the press and ABC radio.
 


Fredrico of s/v Endless Dream


Keeping all the cruisers names and boats straight in our minds was difficult and challenging as there were 33 different nationalities represented.

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