Indonesia -- a seafaring nation
Arung Samudera 95: Sail Indonesia & International Fleet Review Indonesian Navy Headquarters PT Gramedia Pustaka Utama, 1995 233 pp
JAKARTA (JP): The history of Indonesia is rich in nautical events. Sea tales were spun in ancient verse, leaving little doubt of the country's sea-faring background. The sea is the major attraction for foreign tourists who visit this archipelagic country of over 17,000 islands.
It may come as a surprise to learn also that Indonesia's maritime development can be traced as far back as the stone age if the cave paintings of pre-historic times discovered in South Sulawesi are anything to go by. We also have the stone reliefs on the walls of the 8th century Borobudur temple in Central Java, depicting tall ships.
In Arung Samudera '95: Sail Indonesia & International Fleet Review, the Borobudur ocean scenes are seen to feature three types of vessels: round canoes, giant tall ships, and huge outriggers. The largest among them had two masts, with helm and stern slanted up. The masts, angled forward, strongly resemble Arabian sailboats. In ancient times the mainsails were square and the stern had to make do with a triangular jib mast.
The country's maritime history is documented also in Chinese tales praising the exotic wares brought by Indonesian ships to southern China. It is said also that Indonesian products were well-known in Roman and Greek times.
The size of these ancient boats suggest that they were built to withstand rough treatment. Foreign writers like Adrian Horridge, who has researched Indonesian boats extensively, came to the conclusion that "the Borobudur ships were fighting ships."
In connection with the country's 50th anniversary last year, the Indonesian Navy held Arung Samudera '95, the country's first global event featuring tall ships from several sea-faring countries. It was a huge success. Assembled were 19 tall ships and 112 yachts from 21 countries, and 41 warships from various countries, together with 39 Indonesian warships.
The event saw two major events: Sail Indonesia and Fleet Review. In the first, Sail Indonesia, tall ships and yachts were raced from Benoa in Bali, to Tanjung Priok in Jakarta, while in Fleet Review, warships from friendly countries and the host country were on display.
Besides commemorating a historical event, Arung Samudera '95 was held to boost the seafaring spirit of the Indonesian people, to keep an age-old tradition alive.
It is a pity that this event could not be attended by every Indonesian citizen. This book, officially launched lst month, tries to right this wrong.
This is not a boring, technical book. It tells of the rich nautical history of Indonesia, a fascinating story.
Readers are given the opportunity to zoom in on every aspect of the international race, and see the action at close quarters in photographs.
Is it any wonder that Indonesia is actively promoting package sea tours? This book shows why, and reminds us also that our forefathers were an invincible breed who genuinely loved the sea.
-- Ariobimo Nusantara