Friday 12 August 2016

Stop 4: Wanci, Wangi Wangi Island, Wakatobi. August 6 - 12 2016

Our journey to Wakatobi took us 32 hours and 50 minutes from Namrole. We sailed almost all the way as the direction of sail gave us a beam on wind and Matilda likes that very much. We took 32 hours to cover 218 nautical miles, motoring only 2 hours of them and most of that was because once you’re behind the island you will lose the SE'ly winds. We anchored at: 05.19.66S & 123.32.036E dropping anchor in about 7 meters. Very good holding in here.

Old fisherman's house built in the harbor so the boat can be parked out the front
 
Typical street guttering in Indonesia don't fall in.
This was the first place we found it takes a bit of getting your head around the names in Indonesia. To clarify: Wakatobi is the name of a group of islands and the regency located in an area of Sulawesi Tenggara Province, Indonesia. Wangi-Wangi is the capital. Wanci is a village of the capital Wangi-Wangi and where the harbor is. Very confusing!

Wooden boats every where, check out this beauty

Dingy landing dock.

Points to note:
  • Turn your your clocks back 1 hour
  • You must ring Jino on 16 to enter the coral harbour. He will be expecting the fleet and he can be hailed as W.I.C. (announced individually not as WIC) you need assistance to enter
  • The way points for the atoll channel: 005 19.60S, 123 31.77E, wait out the front for Jino
  • We arrived in the dark with no issues


It’s an absolute pleasure being inside the coral lagoon harbour – it’s very calm inside still. No current and Matilda sits flat, which is a relief coming from Namrole. None of us wanted to leave the anchorage here at Wanci.

Another fantastic sundown, pass the Bintang

We found a lovely restaurant which was extended right out over the water and we ate here quite a few times. I did not note the name, however, if you are looking at the land from your vessel, you can take the tender down as it’s a short ride to your starboard side and you will see the restaurant. Unfortunately during a our time, the noise from the constant renovations got a bit tiresome so we moved our favourite eating place to the restaurant 2 doors down the road in the hotel. It was also very good and served cold Bintang.

Waiting for food and found the word coke translated into coconut (chilled with straws)
Waiting for leftovers
Renovations under way

The markets where excellent - being day and night markets. The night was mostly selling fruit and vegies and a few other bits and pieces, the day market sold everything. 



Wanci is a good place if you need supplies.

The usual chicken and rooster

We had quite the reception from the Regent, at his house. Again loads of speeches in Indonesian and they take sooooo long - but the food was good. The ladies and dancers in their traditional outfits where beautiful.




Bruce Deb and guides
Local handmade scarf

Dancers looking for partners

Quite a few of the fleet had tested positive to malaria in Namrole. So it was arranged for us to also be tested along with others who were not tested in Namrole. This process was typical of Indonesian time. First we were told we would be tested at the W.I.C (Harbour master's office), but after much waiting around we were told ‘no the nurses couldn’t make it out’, so we were transported to the hospital and this took about 1 hours to arrange. Once in the hospital we were shuffled from building to building, and finally after several hours we were tested and all results were negative much to our relief. But we must say the trip in to the hospital in the ambulance was a load of fun.

This is the ambulance. All that was in it was this bed that was not locked down, no equipment - nothing just this bed.

Hospital admission desk.

Connecting walk ways through the hospital. We saw them moving patients around these.

Dentist chair out in the hall way!




No comments:

Post a Comment