sailing solo by an Indonesian

US to Bali Alone by
Sailboat Is Goal for
Indonesian
New York. A 51-year-old
Indonesian man plans to sail
across the Pacific alone, heading
for a long-awaited homecoming
in his native country.
Rob Rama” Rambini, who works
as a professional photographer
in San Francisco, California, plans
to head for Bali in his Jensen
Marine Cal 30 sailboat named SV
Kona, a journey he believes will
take about eight months.
“I initially wanted to leave at the
end of 2009, but I had to
postpone my departure due to
the bad weather. But I am sure I
will be able to embark on the
journey before winter is over, ”
Rama said via e-mail on Tuesday.
“If everything goes well, I
predict that by the end of this
year I will reach Bali, ” said Rama,
who has not set foot on
Indonesian soil for the last 26
years.
In Indonesia, he hopes to reunite
with his mother, Trisutji Kamal,
who lives in Jakarta and who he
has not seen since he left for the
United States.
Rama plans to travel from San
Francisco to Tahiti, then to the
Cook Islands, then Fiji to Bali. He
hopes to stay for one or two
weeks in the Cook Islands, then
about two months in Fiji to rest
the boat before completing the
journey.
Rama says he is preparing
himself physically and mentally
for the journey while waiting for
the right weather conditions to
materialize.
“Anaerobic exercise on a regular
basis makes me healthy. And of
course I must always focus on
keeping a positive mental
attitude, ” he said.
Rama sailed often in San
Francisco Bay before deciding to
embark on his proposed
journey. “The currents in the San
Francisco Bay Area are quite
difficult. Many people say if you
are able to sail in the Bay Area,
then you can also navigate a
boat in other seas, ” he said.
Sailing in the open ocean is
dangerous, sometimes even life-
threatening, but Rama says he
tries to be calm in the face of all
the risks.
“The ocean is so vast and there
are no guarantees, not even for
experienced sailors, that we will
be safe. All I can do is make
proper preparations and
minimize the possibility of an
accident, ” Rama said. “Leaving in
the right season is a good start.”
He believes that although SV
Kona is not very large, it is
strong enough to sail the ocean.
“I have absolutely no doubt.
Kona is entirely made from
fiberglass, [and is] a type of
sailboat that has proven strong
in the ocean. The boat will easily
reach Bali or endure any other
long journey, ” he said.
Rama plans to chronicle the trip
on his Facebook page and also
with a blog called “California to
Bali Solo Voyage.”
Antara