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Indian Ocean: Indonesia - Palau Wey - Sabang Bai and Balohan - Ports Assessments

Last update:
Jul 03, 2007
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creation Date:
Jan 31, 2005

 


 

Infrastructure/ Ports assessments (Palau Wey- Sabang Bai and Balohan Ports)

 

General

At Lat. N 5° 53´, E 95° 19´ Sabang is situated on Palau Wey at the NW end of the Malacca Strait.  The intention of the GoI was to develop Sabang as a Duty Free and Free Trade Zone (2000) but this development seems to have stalled for the moment. 

Current infrastructure provides Palau Wey with the potential to be used as a logistics hub, and includes a deep-water harbour, port, warehousing and refuelling facilities.  Across on the SE side of the island (10 km from Sabang)  and connected by a reasonable sealed road is the Ferry Port of Balohan.

Balohan connects Palau Wey to Banda Aceh (Malahajati) and is serviced by 2 x 510 DWT RO-RO ferries.

Accommodation in Sabang is of reasonable quality and availability but, being effected by the tsunami, the island's immediate attraction as a possible R&R destination is limited.  This is further limited by poor communications (Telkomsel is not operational), limited food options and a paucity of rental transport.

Port Assessment - Sabang Bai (Main Port):

Wharf length: 

  •  Multi-purpose Wharf (including Navy) - 180m x 25m
    • Public Wharf - 32m x 9.25m   
    • Multiple other wharves spread around harbour foreshore

Draft at berth:

  •  11-12m
    • 7-9m

Draft in harbour: 

  • Up to 40m

 

Warehousing: 

There is extensive warehousing at the port owned by the Government and Kepala Dinas Perhubungan Sabang (PDPS).  Warehousing was effected by tsunami and some damage is evident. The sheeting on several warehouses has been damaged and there is distortion to some of the door frames. The Government are in the process of clearing the warehouses of debris at which time a structural assessment should be made (within days).  The Government warehouses (about 8 units) were not accessible during the assessment but appear to be about 20m x 30m steel clad with CGI roofing and concrete floor.  There is one warehouse owned by PDPS of similar size.  This warehouse is operational and currently houses a variety of relief supplies on pallets which appear to have been loaded by a Malaysian NGO "Global Sikhs". 


Handling Equipment: 

I was informed that there was one Container-lifter available but it was not in evidence on the dock.  There was no other handling equipment in evidence other than several forklifts.  The cargo vessel "Palau Wey" (owned by the local authorities and PDPS, and currently under charter for 3 months to Singaporean interests for SIN$1,500/month) was unloading relief supplies from Jakarta using ship's derricks (2).
Fuel: PT Pertamina has a fuel storage farm on land adjoining the port facilities.  There are 4 tanks, one being out of service currently. 
Tank # 4 - 1,500 T Diesel, currently unserviceable
Tank # 5 - 1,500 T Premium Petrol
Tank # 6 - 1,600 T Kerosene
Tank # 7 - 2,500 T Diesel
Fuel is piped to the multi-purpose wharf and is also available from Pertamina's wharf at the storage farm.  There are 3 filling stations for tankers.

Port Authorities:

The Harbour Master administers the Port and environs (contact details attached).

Port Agent: 

Kepala Dinas Perhubungan Sabang (KDPS) (contact details attached).

Port Assessment - Balohan Ferry Port

New RO-RO Wharf:

I was informed that this wharf has not yet been commissioned.  It sustained only minor superstructure damage and appears to be ready for immediate use.


Old RO-RO Wharf:

This wharf is clearly structurally unsound and should not be used.


Passenger Wharf:

 This has minor damage (some planks missing) but otherwise appears to be in serviceable condition.  The wharf itself is 20m x 7m and is floating.  The rollers are out of alignment with the bearers on the ocean end and there is some damage in this area.


Fuel:

Fuel is brought to the wharf by tankers (5,000 lts) from PT Pertamina in Sabang. 


Road Access: 

A 10 km road links Sabang with the ferry port at Balohan.  The road crosses the hills but is in reasonable condition.  In part it is a divided road, but there have been landslides on one side of the road restricting use to one side only.  However, road access is good.  A bridge linking the port to several small villages around the western side of the bay has been damaged and is unusable.  These villages can be reached by an alternative, although much longer route from Sabang.


Port Authorities:

Same personnel as for Sabang Bai.  Port agent also the same.

 

Siliolona Assessment (Sabang)

Objectives

  • To help open up the sea transportation lane for relief and recovery goods and supplies from outside Aceh thru the port of Sabang at Pulau Weh.
  • To check sea and port condition after the tsunami and compare them with Hydro Map from Indonesian Navy.
  • To provide pertinent information for sea access and use of appropriate  local, craft to service the West Coast between Teunom and Lhonga

Target Area

Places where there are large number of survivors of tsunami, between Arongan and Lhok Nga.

 

Seasons for access by boat

East Monsoon (Angin Timor) :

September- March   West Coast of Aceh is generally accessible during the East Monsoon. There are generally manageable swells offshore from the Indian Ocean and  small waves breaking onshore along the beaches. Passable in certain areas with local knowledge. Small craft access good during this season.
Rainfall 3.14 mm with 161 days of rain /year most during the East Monsoon.


West Monsoon ( Angin Barat):

April -August  West Coast of Aceh has difficult access  due to bigger swells , onshore winds and surf breaking onshore/beaches.  Virtually no small boats landings possible on beaches  due to surf onshore.

Between Seasons (Pancaroba) : 

February-March and  August-September  Intermittent days of  seasonal weather and access by sea is available for intermittent  short periods.  Local Craft still operate during the Pancaroba season but not every day.     

Suryevor

Yacht Silolona : Patti Seery, Neil Wilton, John Everingham, Ananda Everingham, Patrick Hannon, LB Irawan, Zeini, Silolona Crew.

Sean Paquito 2 : Marius Booggard dan Crew, Global Sikh Team

IMC : Dr. Jeffrey and Dr. Hendra.

 

Conclusion

Port of Sabang on Weh Island is the ideal place to unload cargoes from cargo ships/container ships from Jakarta, Singapore, Malaysia and ports world-wide with destination either Banda Aceh or west coast of Aceh. City of Sabang is intact and functioning normally, with good infrastructures, and extremely cooperative governmental agencies.

From Sabang to West Coast, distribution can be done using smaller cargo vessel/fishing craft which can anchor off shore at locations mentioned in this document and delivery to landing site can be done using local cargo and  fishing boat [Jalo] or using rigid-bottom inflatable boat [rib] with good outboard motor.
Local knowledge important to success/safety of shore landings on beaches.

Calang can be used as forward base from Sabang, due to location and presence of relief task force command post for Aceh Jaya and presence of good anchorages.

Need to revise map of western coast of Aceh due to changes in shorelines and topography in several places, due to tsunami.

More Info

Patti Seery - Silolona boat +62 8566050679, +62 (0) 81533759349, satphone+62 86811019139

Neil Wilton - Silolona boat +62 (0) 81533759347

John Everingham - Phuket +66 96679194

AREA. Sabang
DATE, 12 January 2005
SURVEYOR, Patti, John, Neil, LB, Patrick
BOAT, Silolona

 

Basic Facts

  • Ports - please confirm with harbour master [mr. sukiman]
    • Distance from banda aceh to port of sabang is about 28 nautical miles
    • Port is situated in a sheltered bay with depth ranging from 7.5 meter to 40 meter [exact detail to be checked to harbour master office]
    • refuelling capacity exists at the pertamina jetty, 4 or 5 storage tanks
    • there are several jetties, pertamina for refuelling, naval base, public jetty and cargo jetty
    • warehouses along the port, especially behind the cargo jetty were water damaged by tsunami. several of them, especially behind cargo jetty still standing but structure needs to be assessed, repaired and secured before use.
    • Public Wharf: Beton constuction, Length 32 meters, width 9.25 meters, trestle-1: length 17 meters, width 5.25, Depth-7-9 meters condition 65%, g. Multipurpose Wharf # 2: Length 180 meter, width 25 meter, trestle 2, length 20m, width 12 meter, depth 11-12 meter, condition 100%
    • One container lifter
    • Protected area around the wharfs 2,5 HA,  total surrounding port 9 Ha
    • PT Pelindo from the branch at Malahayato  has one person onsite as pilot, no tugboats, no fireboat 
  • Ferry - please confirm with transportation office head [mr. anwar]
    •  ferry terminal at Balohan Harbor on SE bay
    • a scheduled service between Balohan to Malahayati, once a day, leaving Balohan at 8am and returning at 3pm.
    • ferry can accommodate cars and small truck ¾ ton
  • City - please confirm details with mayor office
    • downtown area situated behind the port. government offices situated further up the hill overlooking the port. Command center is Wali Kota office within walking distance pf harbor.  Very large AC room now being used as supply depot for medicines
    • damage to the city is limited to area immediately behind the port but debris have been cleaned. 16 IDP sites around the island
    • electricity, water supply, telephone, amenities are functioning normally. road conditions within the city are in good conditions.
    • shops are open. 2 local banks operating [BRI  and BPD] but ATM facility is not functioning. 1 internet café  (only 1 computer)and 3 locations to make long distance call. business hours 8am - 1pm and 5pm until 9pm. between 1pm and 5pm most shops closed.
    • local transport by pedicab or motorbike taxi. cars may be hired from local.

Requirements

Harbour :

  • Loading and Unloading
    • mobile cranes and crane operators
    • forklifts and operators
    •  funding/money to pay local people to work as manual labour to load and unload goods from/to ships [stevedores
    • generator and outdoor lights for night time operations
  • Storage
    • shipping palletes for goods to sit on
    • tarps/plastic covering to cover goods if stored, either inside warehouse or outside.
    • building materials [corrugated roofing, nuts/bolts, etc] to repair damaged warehouses owned by pt pelindo.
    • chains, locks to secure warehouses
  • Security
    • additional security personel may be needed to add to the existing naval base personel and police force, to secure both existing warehouses at naval base, public port or at other locations.
    • fence material [barbed wire, chain-linked fence etc
  • Transport
    •  Â¾ flat bed trucks and driver to transport goods from airport to port and vice versa.
    • ¾ flat bed trucks and driver to transport goods from port/airport to banda aceh via regular ferry service from sabang to malahayati port at banda aceh.
  • Provisions
    •  additional fuel supply delivery from pertamina, for diesel fuel, petrol, kerosene. current supply comes twice a month which is enough to support existing capacity for both city and navy.
    • 'dapur umum' or soup kitchen needs to be established at the port area to provide meal for people working to load/unload goods, security personel etc.
    •  portable toilet facilities