Armed Robbery Warning – Tanimbar Islands, Eastern Moluccas, Indonesia

Created by sue. Last modified on 2008-06-14 15:54:16
Topic: Piracy Reports 2008
Countries: Indonesia

In April 2008 we were cruising on Carillon through the Tanimbar Islands on route from East Malaysia to Darwin. In late April we anchored in the early afternoon at Pulau Ungar on the western side of the Tanimbar Islands, position 07° 15'.5S, 131° 23'.9E.

At 0030 the next day we were boarded by two or three men armed with knives or machetes. They stole a number of items of deck gear and some items from our main cabin, before we awoke and disturbed them and chased them off the boat. They then paddled off in a canoe. We immediately lifted our anchor and moved (without lights) to another anchorage.

We would recommend that any yachts visiting the Tanimbar Islands do not use the western islands anchorages, particularly at Pulau Ungar and the nearby anchorages at P. Vulmali and P. Yarngurral.

Care should be taken anywhere in the Tanimbar Islands.

Steve and Lyn Jones
Carillon
www.yachtcarillon.net