Bangka Island, NE

It was time to leave Belitung as we only have ill Oct 23rd on our Indonesian visas. Before we left we had an attempted stow away by this very tired swimming lizard.

The next main stop after Belitung is an anchorage on the NE corner of Bangka Island. This is about 125 miles, so would take an overnight passage if done direct. Because night travel in Indonesia is so taxing, and potentially dangerous with the number of fishing boats, creative lighting and Fish Attraction Devices(FADs), we decided instead to make it a 3 day hop.

Not far out of Belitung we thought we were coming way too close to a fishing boat then we decided it must be a FAD. Looking a little closer it looks like someone lost their 4 foot long toy sailing ship. A perfect replica of the local fishing boats.

We spent a rolly night in Gelasa Island and then headed the next day to Ketawi Island. On the way to Ketawi we encountered yet another style of FAD. These are platforms that fixed to the sea bottom via long bamboo poles. Apparently unlit.

This chart picture with the Radar overlay shows how many of these FAD platforms were out there at one point in our passage. The red boat at center screen is our current location (at photo time). Each of the red dashes on the screen is a FAD. Why we don't want to make night passages around here..

The next day in a little deeper water we started to see platform style FADs that were floating instead of fixed on bamboo poles.

Next day we arrived at the top of Bangka island. This enabled us to take a walk and stalk shells on the long beach. Its pretty overcast with a mix of cloud and pretty bad smog from land clearing fires. They'e suffering record level air pollution in Indonesia and Malaysia right now. We are off at o'dark thirty in the morning for a long day passage to Lingga continuing the long trek out of Indo.

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Cruisers Notes:

Route to Gelasa Island was straight forward. As you get near the island you cross a busy N-S shipping lane. We anchored at

02*24.387,107*04.243 in 57ft. The area is flat with sand over coral ruble. Many fishing boats use the bay in the day time, waiting to fish at night. Most are much further in than you'd go. It was very rolly for about 3 hours in the middle of the night. I suspect if this anchorage was in the Scott Indo guide he would say very protected with the possibility of a little roll (optimistically:). No cell coverage.

Route to Ketawi was straight forward till you start to get closer to the island. Then there are a hundred of these fixed on bamboo pole Fad like high platforms, They are large and very easy to see visually and on radar. So not a problem. We went through them, but I saw a ferry and a tug go south of them. There are a few black flags as you approach the island, but they don't appear to have anything attached to them that is close to the surface.

Anchor at 02*15.982, 106*19.321 in 35ft good holding clay like sand. Very smooth and flat anchorage. Fish boats on the beach.

Leaving Ketawi you go west toward Bangka Island. There is a ship channel that runs N-S and feeds the shipping port to the north. At the port you work your way east and NE in the channel. There are large, easy to see and deal with Fads all the way north. They are up to about 6 miles offshore. Bangka NE anchorage 01*30.563,105*52.691 in 15ft. Flat calm, with a nice beach. 

Paul