Best Route Port Moresby to Kota Kinabalu

Created by doina. Last modified on 2006-05-03 12:45:08
Contributors:
Topic: Routing
Countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea

We are presently in Port Moresby and would like your advice on the best possible route and timing from here to Kota Kinabalu. We have previously sailed the north coast of PNG and would prefer a less risky route via Torres Strait.

From where you are (Port Moresby) it is not easy to get to Sabah via the Torres Strait, primarily because you want to avoid the area east of Borneo (Sulu Sea) and also getting too close to Mindanao. Going northabout PNG is a long way as you need to sail via the central Philippines.

Probably the safest alternative, albeit quite a roundabout one, is to go west via Torres Strait, stop in Bali (easiest to get the Indonesian cruising permit via Bali marina) then sail north via Karimata Strait and then follow the NW coast of Borneo to Sabah. Crossing the Indonesian archipelago on that route is considered safe and lots of boats have done it. But, as I said, it's a long way to reach Kota Kinabalu.

Good luck!

Jimmy Cornell, noonsite