Last autumn we visited Raja Ampat, in northeastern Indonesia. It was one of the best experiences on our journey around the world, but it was very difficult to find information about anchorages in the area. Below is the little information I have managed to gather. It will hopefully be useful for others who decide to pay a visit.

RAJA AMPAT

The Raja Ampat area just west of Papua is well known among divers, but not many yachts come here. It is far off the main routes through Indonesia, charts are very poor and it is difficult to find good depths for anchoring. However, it is one of the most scenic places we have ever been to. It is also called the epicentre of all marine life. We have not seen this many different species of fish and healthy coral anywhere else in the world. And you don’t have to be an experienced diver to enjoy the place. Our four-year-old boy snorkelled for hours every day during our stay. It was almost impossible to get him out of the water.

Since very few yachts come here, we found it very difficult to find information about anchorages in the area. We visited in 2012 and at that time there were no pilot books with information about cruising in the Raja Ampat. I am sure this will change in a few years as more yachties discover this paradise. But until then the little information I have gathered below will hopefully become helpful for those who decide to pay a visit.

Wayag (Mooring 1: 000 10.187 N, 130 01.072 E. Mooring 2: 000 09.800 N, 130 01.473 E)

This small group of very high islands in the very northwest is by far the most spectacular in Raja Ampat.

There are two different entrances open to the west, next to each other only separated by an island. Both are wide and easy to enter in daylight. In the northern one, you will see a mooring in the distance. There is also a second more protected mooring further in, reached by the southern entrance. You are free to use the moorings but might be asked to leave if one of the big live-aboard dive boats arrive. Spots with reasonable anchor depths can be found further in.

On the beach, just south of the first mooring, starts a very steep 20 min track up to the highest mountain in the Wayag archipelago. The view is worth every step. The area is also fun to explore by dingy, don’t forget to bring snorkelling gear and picnic. East of Wayag there is a chain of similar islands, I am sure that you can find more anchorages there, but we never tried.

Miniyaifun (000 19.518 S, 130 12.164 E)

A good night stop between Wayag and Palau Pef. The anchorage is located just south of the most western little island between Batangpele and Miniyaifun. We anchored in 17 meters. There is a village close by, but no one visited when we were there.

Palau Pef (000 26.484 S, 130 26.573 E)

Another area with great snorkelling and lots of little islands to explore.

We circumnavigated the main island but could only find one safe anchorage with less than 20 meters in depth. This anchorage is accessible from the southern side of the island through a deep and narrow bay which leads into the heart of the island. We anchored in the very end of the bay in 12 meters close to the jetty, surrounded by mangroves and jungle.

The jetty belongs to the Raja4Divers Resort which is located on the northern shore of the island. The resort is reached from the jetty by a boardwalk through the mangroves. The resort charged us 20 dollars per adult for every day we stayed. That included a permit to anchor, use of the jetty and free access to the internet and other facilities. It may sound expensive, but unlike many other resorts, we were treated equally to ordinary guests during our stay. We grabbed our own drinks and paid upon departure, and there was always some free fruit and homemade cookies to nibble on. You can also buy bread here, the best we had since we left Sweden. And the snorkelling just in the front of the resort is absolutely amazing.

Penemu/Fam Island (000 38.966 S, 130 16.963 E)

We spent hours going around the beautiful island of Penemu (north of Fam) trying to find a good anchorage but failed. It might be possible to enter the lagoon midway down the northeast coast but we never dared due to poor light.

We ended up anchoring in 10m (sand/coral) of the beach in the southwestern part of the neighbouring island of Fam. We anchored very far out because it was late in the day, but it should be possible to go further in daylight. The anchorage provided good protection from NE-SW. There are also some small low islands south of Fam with shallow water where it looks like it would be possible to find a reasonably good anchorage.

Kofiau (001 09.312 S, 129 50.893 E)

This protected anchorage is located on the north coast of Kofiau, inside the small Deer Island. We anchored in 14 meters, just off the little village. People here reminded us of the people of Papua New Guinea, both by looks and how they lived their lives. They have a shipbuilding history in the village, and everybody used dugouts to go to their gardens on the main island. All children have their own canoe and are very good at using them. Unfortunately, they spoke very poor English, but everybody was curious and friendly.

Walo Island (001 15.575 S, 129 39.925 E)

This day anchorage is just one of many around the low little islands south of Kofiau. There used to be a plantation on shore, so cocoa nuts are plenty. A perfect stop for a swim, some nice snorkelling or a BBQ on the beach.

Misool

In the very south of Raja Ampat is the big island Misool. We have seen some beautiful pictures from the southeast of the little island of Misool but never went. The waters are shallow around here so it should be reasonably easy to anchor. We also heard that there are some secure moorings in this area. There is a dive resort on one of the little islands. It is called Misool Eco-resort and might be able to provide further information about cruising around Misool.

(Editor’s Note: See SY Totem’s report on the Misool Eco-resort).

Enjoy your stay!

Linda, Ludvig, Lovis and Otto on S/Y Mary

www.symary.com