Indonesia - Yachting Essentials

Electricity

Voltage: 127/230 V*

Frequency: 50 Hz

LPG/Gas Bottles

In Tanjung Pandan on Belitung, you can have US-style LPG tanks filled. Contact Harun at +62 8117178895 or harun.cahyadi@gmail.com.

At Kelayang on the NW corner of the island, Efan, who runs a restaurant and yacht services on the beach at the foot of the pier (Phone +62 81278344854 or +62 81977781455) can arrange transport for your LPG tanks to Tanjung Pandan - which is about a 35-minute drive.

Fuel

Refuel with caution in Indonesia. There are tails of woe from cruisers in the Comments section (speech bubble icon).  However, be sure to filter all fuel when taking it on board and be aware that even in large ports, refuelling staff may not be familiar with yachts. Fuel filters, treatments or Baha filters cannot be found here, so come prepared. Most of the time you will be refuelling using jerry cans.

Water

This is not always potable. If you don't have a watermaker on board, take care with where you are getting your water from.  Bottled water is readily available in most areas.

Provisions

Outside of Bali, Lombok, Jayapura and Ambon, pre-packaged cuts of meat are particularly hard to find. Come well stocked up if this is of particular concern. It’s hard to find pork in Muslim areas and beef in Hindu Bali.

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Garbage

Indonesia has a huge problem with waste management and many of the beaches you walk on or the waters you sail through suffer from large amounts of rubbish and plastic rubbish in particular.   Think about where your garbage is going and try to avoid buying plastic.

Spares

Spares and parts are very difficult to find in Indonesia. Important spares that are difficult to obtain include sets of winch gears and winch motor brushes, alternator brushes and bearings. Bring important spares with you for ground tackle and the engine, as these will be difficult to source in Indonesia. Jakarta has the better availability of parts.

If importing spares and parts, taxes and duties can easily run up to 40% where shipping costs get included - high and unpredictable. Batam and the islands around (Bintan and Karimunbesar), on the other hand, are part of the Indonesian free trade zone. Anyone can order goods from outside free of any duties, taxes, or charges, but the value inclusive shipping costs, and invoice, must be under USD$1500. Vessel in transit must be mentioned. Boxes do get opened and checked.

Above USD$1500 you need to ask a local company to order for you. This can be a hotel, marina, or a friend that has a company. The other option is to split up your parcel to get 2 packages under 1500.  Experienced cruisers advise to bring lots of spare parts if planning to spend any length of time cruising through what is an amazing archipelago.

Repairs

Repairs can be made Bali at Benoa Harbour, or in nearby Serangan. Outside of Bali, yachting facilities are only available in the few places where there is either a local yachting community, such as Surabaya on Java or in those places frequented by cruising boats, such as Ambon. Surabaya's main drawback is that it has no docking facilities for yachts and theft is a serious problem in the harbour. Local labour is low-skilled yet cheap and hardworking. Be sure to monitor at all times.

Leaving your boat

As most of Indonesia is outside the tropical cyclone zone, it is possible to leave your vessel if you need to for a period of time.  Places where this is possible include Serangan harbour on Bali, Medana Bay Marina and Marina del Ray on Lombok and Helena Marina at Sorong in Papua.  Read this report from Luc Callebaut of the GLWYO who left his yacht on Lombok during 2022/2023.

Last updated:  May 2024