'Sandeq', the Mandar's speedy sail boat

Yusrianti, Contributor, Makassar

Like white swans running after one another on the sea, dozens of sandeq, the traditional boats of the Mandar tribe, speed in a row towards the South Sulawesi beach.

From afar, the slim shapes and white sails look like beautiful wings. The beauty of the boat's shape and the natural navigation of the Mandar traditional seamen have drawn the attention of the world.

World-class sailor, Christopher Edwards of England, said of his sandeq test ride: "This boat is really admirable and extraordinary. This is the world's most excellent non-engine traditional boat."

Edwards is not alone. Boat-making experts Mike Johnson of the U.S. and foreign buffs of traditional boats have never stopped extolling the virtues of sandeq.

Sandeq is comparable to the best-known traditional boat phinisi of Bugis origin, also from South Sulawesi.

A sandeq has only one sail and in the hands of a skilled pasandeq (captain), can reach speeds of 15 to 20 knots or 30 to 40 kilometers an hour.

Johnson says this speed exceeds that of a boat with an engine. Compared with other non-engine boats, a sandeq is far ahead in terms of speed.

"I've studied the construction of this boat since the first time I got acquainted with it. I greatly admire the expertise of Mandar sailors," says Johnson, now a guest lecturer at the Surabaya Institute of Technology (ITS).

Sandeq means "sharp-pointed" in the Mandar dialect. The type of boat is designed to meet the needs of Mandar sailors. They call it Lopi sandeq na Malolo, or a "beautiful sandeq".

In terms of construction, there are two types of "sandeq": Sandeq tolor, the leeboard of which is put into the hold of the boat and sandeq bandeceng, the leeboard of which is tied above the boat's deck.

The two types of sandeq are made of thin and light wood so they will be strong enough to withstand the blow of huge waves in the open ocean. The two types have similar speeds.

A sandeq is almost entirely made of wood but as the particular wood for this boat is now hard to obtain, this matter has drawn the attention of Japan's Professor Osozaka Katsuya, an expert in agriculture and forestry.

In his research, he is developing the so called "marine forestry" area concept. "It is a pity if this environmentally- friendly boat becomes extinct just because the raw material is no longer available," he said.

Therefore, Oso intends to develop timber forests so that the materials are always available.

Although South Sulawesi is famous for its hundreds of different traditional boats conforming to the local ethnicity and culture, no other boat can compare with sandeq's beauty of the texture and pattern.

The boat's hold is covered by the deck so the huge waves faced at sea will not enter the ship. The position of the leeboard conforms with the type of sandeq sail used on the basis of the experience and knowledge of Mandar sailors obtained in the course of several centuries.

In terms of sailing technique, a sandeq may be categorized as a modern boat although it is said to be a traditional boat, in terms of the way it is made and used.

"Mandar sailors always take good care of their sandeq," said Pua Hasannudin, a sandeq designer.

In Mandar, sandeq serves as a sea transportation means, a job that many fishermen have abandoned. In fact, history notes that sandeq is not only found in the waters of Sulawesi, Kalimantan and Java. It has made a voyage to Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines and even to Paris.

According to Horst H. Liebner, who has studied the Mandar's culture since 1988, a sandeq is a legacy from the era in which Austronesian tribes migrated in the 15th century BC.

The boat entered what is now the Indonesian archipelago from the north and the west. The presence of these tribes inspired locals to make a transportation means, namely a boat with a leeboard combined with the development of various original boats in Indonesia and in the Oceania region.

The type of a boat with a leeboard has become an example for cruise and competition boats such as the catamaran and trimaran.

For Mandar sailors, a sandeq is their pride and it is so even today, when the boat is undergoing evolution. Since the 1960s, for example, the stern leeboard, previously fixed in the middle between the columns and the steering room, has been moved to the middle of the boat's hold.

Then evolution continued in the 1970s with the bow leeboard being placed higher than before for increased speed.

Sandeq must be spotlessly clean and the method of making one is neat and refined. It must be sharp-pointed so that it gives the impression of balance and fast sailing.

The speed of sandeq has been put to the test by the courage of the sailors in a Sandeq race, which has been held six times since 1995.

Between Aug. 10 and Aug. 17, 2002, in conjunction with the anniversary of Indonesia's independence, some 30 sandeq of various sizes set sail from Majene coast to Losari beach, Makassar, covering a distance of 200 nautical miles.

Makhfudz, one of the initiators and executive coordinators of the Sandeq Race in 2002, says that South Sulawesi is doing everything to make the race an annual event.

This may not be an easy job, given the difficulty to find sponsors to pool Rp 300 million (about US$33,000) in this time of economic crisis.

The Mandar ethnic group has been famous as collectors of flying fish and their eggs. They live in three regencies: Polewali Mamasa, Majene and Mamuju, 250 km to 500 km north of Makassar.

Mandar seamen usually sail in their sandeq in an activity called motongnya, a Mandar term meaning sailing to the middle of the sea.

When sailing, fishermen take their boats to the waters of Makassar straits and let the boats float for weeks waiting for flying fish to enter their buaro (trap).

For traditional fishermen, collecting the eggs of flying fish is a challenging and dangerous job. They not only have developed special techniques to catch the fish but have also developed a series of traditions and beliefs around flying fish and their eggs.

In July and August, these fishermen usually rest. This is the right time for them to join a sandeq boat contest. Unfortunately, the contest, which may boost tourism in South Sulawesi and may also serve as a venue for international business promotions, is yet to enjoy the due attention from the South Sulawesi provincial administration and regency administrations.

This explains why the Sandeq Boat Race cannot take place annually yet.