Countries in Pride-Building Sea Voyage

Culture and Tourism Minister Jero 
Wacik on Sunday saw off the expedition cruise ship Spirit of Majapahit 
as it departed from the Batavia Marina in North Jakarta for its 
eight-country tour. “The expedition cruise of the Spirit of 
Majapahit ship reflects the maritime spirit of Indonesia that continues 
to surge. This maritime spirit has become the character of Indonesia,” 
Jero said. The Spirit of Majapahit, a reconstruction of a 
13th-century Majapahit-era merchant ship copied from the relief panels 
at Borobudur, will visit Brunei, the Philippines, Japan, China, Vietnam,
Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia. The ship, built by 15 
craftsmen in Madura, is unique because of its oval shape with two sharp 
ends designed to break through waves of up to five meters. Made 
from old and dry teak, petung bamboo, and a type of wood from Sumenep, 
East Java, the vessel, Indonesia’s largest traditional ship, is 20 
meters long, 4.5 wide and two meters tall. It has two wooden 
steering wheels at the stern and an outrigger on both sides that serves 
as a counterweight. The sails are attached to poles forming an 
equilateral triangle, and the stern of the vessel is higher than the 
front porch. But unlike the traditional ship on which it was 
modeled, this modern-day version is equipped with state-of -the art 
navigation equipment, including Global Positioning System, Nav-Tex and a
marine radar. The reconstruction was the result of advice and 
recommendations from the “Discovering Majapahit Ship Design” seminar 
held by the Majapahit Japan Association, a group of entrepreneurs in 
Japan who pay tribute to the history and culture of the Majapahit Empire
. The association is a vehicle for developing cooperation and 
researching the history of the Majapahit Empire more thoroughly so that 
it can be admired by Indonesians and the international community. Jero
said he hoped the expedition would encourage the younger generation of
Indonesians to appreciate the spirit of Majapahit Empire, which 
flourished on Java from 1293 to about 1500. He said he hoped the 
greatness and glory of the empire could be enjoyed, appreciated and 
regarded as a source of pride by young Indonesians. The Spirit 
of Majapahit is skippered by two officers, Major (Navy) Deni Eko Hartono
and Risky Prayudi, with three Japanese crew members, including 
Yoshiyuki Yamamoto from the Majapahit Japan Association, who is the 
leader of the expedition. There are also some young Indonesians 
aboard the vessel and five crew members from the Bajo tribe of Sumenep. The
Spirit of Majapahit will be preserved in a museum and turned into a 
tourist attraction after it returns to Indonesia from its journey. 
........ (copied from Antara)