We checked out of Sabang on November 23, 2018. Note that the new floating dinghy/ local fishing boat dock doesn’t reach all the way to the seawall except by a sketchy ladder (especially tricky at high tide).

Quarantine, located at the BPKS Port Headquarters is just a few hundred meters to the west along the waterfront road. We were reprimanded for not checking in with them when we arrived in the region (we were anchored in P. Rubiah for a few days).

Quarantine stated that they needed to inspect the boat as our Indonesian issued sanitation certificate had expired (it is apparently good for only 6 months). The only way to get the proper stamps (or ‘chops’ as they call it) to leave was for them to reissue a current certificate.

When they boarded the boat they asked whether we have rats or mice (no). They wanted to check our water quality (by looking at the running water), see our bathrooms, check the expiration date on our soda and beer, see the inside of the refrigerator and freezer, check our garbage (‘how often do we remove it?’), look in our cabinets (‘what’s that?’ ‘boat spares’).

Some of them had apparently never been on a cruising boat, so there was some ‘curiosity’ involved as well (is this a rental, do you live on the boat, why do you store soda and beer in your shower–don’t you have a proper storage area, how much did your boat cost, can I have some soda, etc.). Indonesia is still the only country we have visited that requires that you visit Quarantine when you’re leaving the country.

It isn’t clear what would happen if you ‘failed’ any of the Quarantine criteria. If you have rats, will they make you stay until you get rid of them? Having passed the inspection, we went back to the office and received the proper forms and stamps in our Green Book (supposedly not required any longer, but apparently still needed in Sabang and elsewhere). The cost was 45,000 Rupiah.

Immigration, located at the top of the hill up from the roundabout, was next. The office was well run and efficient and we were out in less than 30 minutes. Following the hilltop road back to the east brings you to Customs. Again, relatively quick and painless with just a few photocopies needed of crew lists and registration papers.

A hundred meters or so east of customs is a stairway sidewalk that brings you down the hill and deposits you just behind the Harbor Masters building. With all the previous approval documents in hand, the harbour master’s office was also easy and quickly produced an outward clearance doc for our next destination. Being over 20 net tons, we were subject to a nominal harbour lights fee of approximately 20,000 Rupiah.

All in all, even with the added time needed for the Quarantine inspection, we were done with the entire process in less than 4 hours, which is pretty much a new record for us in dealing with Indonesian CIQP.

Friday from noon to 2 p.m. all businesses were closed (by law) for Friday prayers (including restaurants and food stands). We finished check-out before noon, so it is not clear whether the government offices in question would have been open during that time. In Iboih, the business was closed all morning until 2 p.m. While we were anchored near P. Rubiah, we did not see any moorings for use by yachts.

Reported by Rachel Robertson:

We visited Indonesia in 2016 and cleared in and out of Sabang, Pulau We. An easy process, all the officials in a small area, and easy walking distance.

They are so welcoming of the yachts and even will throw the captain on the back of a motorbike and ride them around to help with the clearances.