It all happened so fast! Suddenly we are ready to set sail towards Indonesia. The engine is working and we have done our provisions. We have prepared for this moment, but at the same time, it is a bit unreal to be setting off. Are we ready? Will we make it? As a crew, we have only just begun sailing the Vaka Hop’e. Will we be able to sever our connection to the world and gamble that we will be able to make it to Indonesia? It is 350 nautical miles and roughly 7 days away. Will we have enough water? Enough food? Have we done enough planning of the route and anchorages? There are enough questions to keep us back, but we will not stay. For us, there is only one way: forward!
We motor to Davao City on a Sunday, the day after fixing our engine. We get water and propane, pick up the final items for the voyage, and make our final preparations. On the following day, I went to immigration to figure out the checkout process. I didn’t expect to do more than research but left Immigration with four exit stamps in our passports. I continued to the quarantine office and the customs office, and by lunchtime, I had completed the checkout process. I can scarcely believe it. We are free to go! Our voyage to the Solomon Islands can begin!
I have done a lot of research related to the process of checking in and out of countries. I have registered Vaka Hop’e in Poland, obtained an MMSI number and call sign, acquired an EPIRB and VHF, secured a life raft and flares, insured the boat, created an official ship stamp, got matching crew shirts, and made a crew list. I found out that we needed an AIS to enter Indonesia, and so I acquired one in good time before the voyage. I had all the documents in order, but still, I was surprised that everything went so smoothly. However, my biggest fear still lies ahead: We need to check in to Indonesia. I have heard so many horror stories, and I dread the day we will need to deal with Indonesian bureaucracy.
But for now, we are free to sail. We are nation-less and citizens of the sea. In transit between the Philippines and Indonesia, we are not to touch land. While we are technically expected to maintain a continuous journey, I have consulted with seasoned cruisers in the region who assure me that stopping during our trip is perfectly acceptable. Actually, they highly recommend it, because the area is littered by FADs (Fish Aggregating Devices) that are unmarked and unlit. It is dangerous to be sailing these waters at night. I am happy to hear it because I don’t feel like we are ready to sail overnight yet. We have barely sailed at all.
On the first full day of our passage, we had perfect spinnaker conditions. 10-12 m/s from behind and hardly any waves. We are still in the Gulf of Davao, so we have no waves and are experiencing champagne sailing. This is what I have dreamt about for so long! The spinnaker was salvaged off a wrecked sailboat in the Solomons. I had no idea if it would fit, or even how to rig it, but after a couple of attempts, it fit perfectly! This is bliss…
After two days, we crossed the Sarangani Strait in beautiful conditions. This area has a lot of currents, and the wind funnels past the south cape of Mindanao, creating nasty winds. But when we pass this area, we have to use our engine when the wind dies. The Island of Sarangani marks the southernmost point of the Philippines and the next day we enter into Indonesian water. Once we reached Indonesia we were met with a squall that propelled us forward at extreme speeds. I recorded a speed of 11 knots on the GPS, helped by the currents.
Even though we had reached Indonesian waters, we were still only halfway there. But the conditions stayed favorable, and we kept on sailing for another 3 days. We did one night sail, where we sailed past the Ruang Volcano. The next morning, we woke up at 4 AM to reach Bitung by noon for our check-in to Indonesia. We have been away from land and off the grid for 7 days now. The voyage has been smooth, but how will the check-in go?