The wind to Benoa

By I Wayan Juniarta

BENOA, Bali (JP): For fifty-year-old Pierre Guillaume and his six sailing companions, the supposed-to-be tiring nine-day sea voyage from Singapore to Bali on a 20-meter long yatch was simply a fun cruise.

Pierre, for example, looked astonishingly fresh and relaxed.

He emptied his glass of chilled local beer in one gulp before making his comments.

"Bali is very much like my hometown Saint Tropez, with beautiful landscape and stunning ocean. That's the reason why I sailed back to this island," he said with a wide grin on his well-tanned face during an interview on Friday.

Pierre is the proud owner, and also the accomplished skipper, of the white yacht Kriss, which, according to him, is not only a strong boat, but also one that was designed to race around the world.

And, traveling around the world was exactly what preoccupied Pierre when he sailed out from Saint Tropez some three years ago.

Since then he has sailed to New York, Cuba, Panama and Galapagos.

"My father owned a boat, my brother is in the navy, and I have been acquainted with boats and the ocean since I was a child. So it was very natural that I spend most of my time on a deck of a ship in the ocean," he said.

On that hot Friday afternoon, just half an hour after Kriss was securely docked at one of Bali International Marina's piers, Pierre, and his sailing companions, was sitting around lazily, while gulping beers and talking to other sailors.

This time Pierre planned to stay in Bali for about a month before starting on the last leg of his three-year sea voyage.

From Bali he will sail to Madagascar, Cape Town, Rio de Jeneiro and French West Indies before heading back to Saint Tropez.

Currently, six people have committed themselves to the voyage.

"I estimated that the total cost of this voyage will be about US$100,000. Not so much, isn't it? I do not charge my passengers to cover the cost, instead we share-financed the voyage. Because they are all my friends, and I doing this (the voyage) for myself," Pierre stated.

With its beautiful and lush underwater marine life, Bali, according to Pierre, could become a hot spot for many yacht- travelers like himself. But, first there are several things that need to be attended, paper work for instance.

"There are a lot of paper work that must be completed before we can set foot on the island legally.

Well, of course it only takes patience to complete it. But, if the process can be made a little easier, we will be very happy," he told.

And if Bali is serious about becoming a prime yacht traveler's destination, then it surely needs a bigger and better equipped marina than it already has.

Although the 1994-built Bali International Marina, has sufficient facilities and infrastructure, it has limited berthing space.

At the most, the marina can accommodate only 40 to 50 boats.

"If a better and wider marina is available, I believe more and more yachting lovers will put Bali on their map," Pierre said.

The Bali International Marina is located in Bali's main seaport of Benoa, some 15 kilometers south of Denpasar.

Attended by friendly staff and workers, the Marina provides basic necessities for both the boat and its passengers, such as fuel, electricity and fresh water.

Some of the yachts at the marina are available for chartered cruises with prices ranging from around $400 to $700 per cruise.

"The cruise's route usually includes the small remote islands south of Bali, such as Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Penida, and also Lombok, Sumbawa and even Komodo Island," said a marina staff.

For example the 15-meter yacht Shangri-la, operated by Daisy and Reinhold Schulz, takes passengers on two different types of cruise packages.

The first package is a 5 to 8-day cruise from Benoa to Nusa Lembongan, Nusa Penida, Lombok, Gili's island and Crystal Bay, before heading back to Benoa.

The package cost between $450 and $650, depending on the number of passengers.

The second package is a 9 to 13-day cruise with slightly different destinations, costing between $430 and $630.

For those who love catching big fishes, several high-speed fishing boats, fully equipped with satellite-based fish finders, are also available, with charter prices ranging from $500 to $660 per day.