Japanese to sail RI archipelago

Nethy Dharma Somba, The Jakarta Post, Jayapura, Papua

Japanese national Satoru Yahata will probably be the first man in the world to sail the length of the vast Indonesian archipelago.

Trying to set his own record, he is scheduled to set out to sea in a kayak from Papua's Port Merauke -- the easternmost tip of the archipelago -- to its westernmost tip in Sabang, Aceh.

The distance is 6,000 kilometers, a voyage that should take him take five years to complete.

Seiichi Okawa, a spokesperson for the Tokyo-based foundation Graha Budaya Indonesia, told reporters here yesterday that the 29-year-old Satoru would start his journey on Tuesday in Merauke.

Merauke regent John Gluba Gebze is among the Indonesian officials to send him off at Merauke port.

The kayak Yahata will use is 7 meters long, 74 centimeters wide and 50 kilograms in weight, with a 50-meter mast.

Yahata's voyage will take him from Merauke to Kaimana, Papua; Kaimana to Tual, Sulawesi; Tual to Alor, East Nusa Tenggara; Alor to Jakarta; Jakarta to Dumai, Riau; and Dumai to Sabang, Aceh.

The voyage is calculated to take five years, as Yahata will set out in a sea kayak and also plans to stop by several locations to study the local culture.

Okawa said Yahata would also need to interrupt his five-year journey occasionally to go back to Japan to work and replenish his funds to continue the voyage.

"The voyage costs Rp 410 million (US$51,250), and he has already collected Rp 210 million," said Okawa.

Yahata last year vowed to kayak from Australia to Taiwan, but failed to do so.