'Samudraraksa', mission possible<\/p>\n
A cheerful atmosphere prevailed during the conferring of the
\nSatya Lencana medals by President Megawati Soekarnoputri to the
\ncrew of the Samudraraksa traditional sailing vessel at the State
\nPalace recently (The Jakarta Post, March 27).<\/p>\n
Indonesian sailors aboard the Samudraraksa proved themselves
\nto be the sons of a maritime nation when their ship set sail from
\nJakarta on Aug. 15, 2003, sailing across the Indian and Atlantic
\noceans for 11,000 miles, or 20,372 kilometers, and finally
\nmooring at the port of Accra, Ghana, on Feb. 23, 2004.<\/p>\n
Thanks to Philip Beale, former British Royal Navy seaman, and
\nAustralian maritime adviser Nick Burningham, who designed the
\nship based on reliefs found in the Borobudur temple in Magelang,
\nCentral Java, together with Indonesian traditional shipbuilder
\nAs'ad Abdullah and his assistants of Kangean Island in Sumenep,
\nMadura, East Java, who built it. The wind-propelled vessel has no
\niron or nails in its construction, using only wood and coconut
\nfiber, and made its way through Africa without significant
\ndamages.<\/p>\n
The once-dubbed mission impossible, as the Samudraraksa --
\nmeaning a ship that can protect and secure the waters of the
\narchipelago -- is only 18.29 meters long and 4.5 meters wide with
\ntwo rectangular sails and two outriggers. The ship had cast doubt
\nfrom the beginning, especially among Indonesians, but became a
\nmission possible when its crew returned to the country safely.<\/p>\n
What has been achieved by this six-month voyage and expedition
\ntracing the Cinnamon Route from the archipelago to Africa is none
\nother than showing the world that ancestral Indonesians had
\ntraded with Africans centuries ago.<\/p>\n
People can view the replica ship -- which might be an
\nadditional delight to visitors of Borobudur -- at the temple
\ncomplex, when it is parked there a month or two from now.<\/p>\n
M. RUSDI
\nJakarta<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/samudraraksa-mission-possible-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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