1. The Origin

Mandar tribe is the only maritime tribe in Malay Archipelago. They live in the coastal area of the dalam waters, along the beautiful and magnificent of West Selawesi`s coast. Nature teaches them how to struggle for survival and to establish their civilization.

According to Mandar people, sailing is a process of unifying themselves with the sea. They live and build up their own identities by sailing. They know how to adapt to any kind of conditions – either good or bad – in the sea. Therefore, Mandar people are famous as excellent sailors, they won`t be lost in the sea (Pelras; 2006).

Mandar people possess their own nautical concepts such as sailing (paissangan asumombalang), boat (paissangan paalopiang), and mysticism (passangang) gained from their interaction with the sea. The actualizations of such concepts take forms in rumpon, roppong, and Sandeq. Rumpon is a local fishing net made of woven banana leaves and dried seaweed. Sandeq boat is an outrigger boat typical of Mandar people and assumed as the fastest traditional boat in Austronesia.

Sandeq boat is made of wood. It seems fragile but actually it is a sturdy boat and can sail rapidly across the sea. The length of sandeq ranges from 7 – 11 meters with 60 – 80 centimeters in width. There are windward outriggers, balancing the body of sandeq on the right and the left sides. It uses wind forces caught by embarked spinnaker on the deck. By that way, sandeq can sail over the sea at 20 knot of speed, faster than motorized boat such as katinting, and bodi-bodi.

Sandeq boat can sail upwind across the sea to catch migrating tuna fish groups. Sandeq is a traditional fast sailing craft that is used to catch motangnga (flying fish caviar) by spreading out rumpon (fishing net).

Now, Sandeq boat has not been the notice of the broader public anymore. Since the 1990s, Mandar fishermen prefer using motorized boats to sandeq boats because of its effectiveness in fishing and operation (masagung.multiply.com). Gradually, people leave sandeq. In 1995, Horst H Liebner initiated sandeq boat race to keep the wonderful tradition of sandeq sailing alive. The race aims to preserve maritime culture of Mandar people. Moreover, he added that the race was proposed to teach Mandar young fishermen how to ride the sea waves, to read the direction, and to share spiritual values within (masagung.multiply.com). Sandeq boat race enables pasandeq (sandeq racers) to demonstrate their ability to move from one outrigger to another to keep the boat in stable motion (mattimbang) when the boat is moving forward or turning (KOMPAS, 2007).

Tracing back to sandeq boat`s history, we find that sandeq boat race was one of the Mandar fishermen`s ways in spending the time when they were not sailing. Whilst they were waiting for good whether to sail, they spent the time by conducting sandeq boat race. This activity was not only purposed to show pasandeqs` skills, but also to refresh out fishing motivation among the Mandar fisher folks.

Sandeq boat race refers to Mandar people`s awareness of the urgency of sandeq in social and economic activities. In the past, sandeq boat was used to bring commodities to every corner of neighboring coastal cities along Majene and Mamuju. They used sandeq boat as it can sail rapidly. Therefore, merchants tended to hire skilled-pasandeqs who were able to deliver merchants` commodities fast. That is the drawn history of sandeq boat race.

Now, we can see that sandeq boat is a valuable cultural heritage of Mandar people as the result of understanding surrounding nature. In sandeq, there is a description of Mandar people`s characteristics: balance, simplicity, beauty, speed, accuracy, and strength. An Indonesian`s folksong says “nenek moyangku orang pelaut” (My ancestors were great sailors). We cannot sing that song proudly, unless we continuously preserve the existence of traditional sandeq boat.

2. Tools and Materials

The main material to make sandeq boat is the old Kandarung Mamea tree which is sturdy and wide in diameter. There are two categories of tools based on its making stages; compiling the materials and boatbuilding.

• Compiling the materials. The tools to compile the materials include big adze, wooden mattock, and chopping knife. In line with the development of technology, now sandeq makers use passenso (sawing machine).
• Boatbuilding. The tools in boatbuilding process are wooden plane, saw, and drill.

Based on these tools, we may conclude that the sandeq`s boatbuilding is carried out by two groups consisting of carpenters working in the forest and panrita lopi (boatbuilding expert) working in the coast.

3. Timing

The beginning of sandeq`s boatbuilding process is an important period for sandeq makers. They will start boatbuilding in a certain time based on an ancient method called potika to determine the “good time”. Commonly, the good time to cut Kandarung Mamea tree is on full moon – on day 15 of a month of Islamic calendar – in the morning when the light breeze blows. They call such timing as “ussul” meaning a hope in that the boat would bring abundant wealth and possess high speed. (Muhammad Ridwan Alimuddin, 2007).

4. Boatbuilding

There are four stages in sandeq boatbuilding: preparing the tools, cutting the tree, making the astern boat, and making the hull. These sandeq boatbuilding stages below are quoted from Muhammad Ridwan Alimuddin (2007).

a. Preparing the tools

The preparation stage consists of:

• Looking for Kandurung Mamea tree
• Determining the time to cut the tree. At day 15 of a month in Islamic calendar when the sun rises is the best time to cut Kandarung Mamea tree.
• Preparing the tools such as big adze, wooden mattock, and chopping knife to cut the tree. Also, preparing several tools to shape the hull like wooden plane, saw, and drill.
• Contacting boatbuilding expert.

b. Cutting the tree

Following all the preparation process, the next stage is cutting the tree. The processes are below:

• A day before cutting, a carpenter and boat maker take a look at the tree that will be cut to clear out the location from bad spirit disturbing the procession. Those people usually bring some foods for their meal and some offerings for the guardian of the tree.
• After visiting the tree, they go home and go back again on the following day.
• The carpenter and the boat maker go to the location while bringing some tools which are needed such as big adze, wooden mattock, chopping knife, and passenso (sawing machine).
• They observe carefully the condition of surrounding area. They relate the gust of wind – as the symbol of the speed of sandeq – and the light of the morning sun – as the hope that their wealth would rise as well. Therefore, they continue cutting the tree when the wind blows strongly and the sun shines brightly.
• The tools are put beneath the tree
• Afterwards, they stand under the tree while facing the southern direction for a prayer.
• Whilst praying, the boat maker hold the tree

• He gazes up at the tree to observe the entire parts of the tree
• He rubs the tree with hope that the tree would let him start cutting
• After praying and “communicating” with the tree, he does symbolic cutting rite by swinging his adze three times and picking some pieces of tree`s cortexes.
• Then, he throws those pieces of cortexes to the ground where the tree will fall down.
• The remaining cortexes are kept
• After all, it is the time for the lumberman to prune the tree. They greatly consider the direction where the tree will fall down. If the tree falls bouncily, the boat will sail fast and bring back abundant wealth.  

After the tree has been pruned up, the carpenter cuts some wood chips gluing in the middle part of the remaining timber.

• Those wood chips are brought to the place where the timbers laid down.
• Those wood chips are used to rub the timber from the bottom to the top. Nearby the top of the timber, the carpenter throws them.
• The carpenter does not only use those wood chips to rub the timber, but also chew them 
• Now is the time to continue working at the astern part stages.

c. Astern boat making stage

Making astern boat comprises a process of measuring and scratching the timber. Below are the processes:

• Measuring the length of the timber – usually around 7 – 12 fathoms. The sturdy bottom part of the timber which possesses good buoyancy will be used as the prow.

• The upper surface of the timber is sawn by using passenso (sawing machine). Indeed, before knowing passenso, Mandar people used traditional big adze.
• The timber is scratched by using adze, chopping knife, and wooden mattock. Before this scratching, the carpenter makes some edges they will scratch.
• An astern boat has already been shaped out now but it seems like a long mortar.
• Next, the astern boat is drawn outside the location where the timber is pruned. Before that, the carpenter asks for permission from the guardian of the location to take the timber by rubbing the wood chips to the “will-leave-wood” and the “will-be-left-wood.”
• Then, the astern boat is brought to the Mandar`s settlement where the boatbuilding experts are waiting for shaping the timber become a sturdy sandeq.

d. Boatbuilding stage

This is the last stage of sandeq`s boatbuilding. The processes are:

1. When the astern boat has already dried, it is brought to battilang – where the hull of sandeq is made – in the coastal area
2. In battilang, the pallayarang (mainmast) and tambera (outhaul) are installed
3. The sobal (sail) and guling (stir) are installed
4. Then, palatto (outrigger), baratang, and tadiq are set
5. Now, a full sandeq boat is ready to sail. However, there must be traditional rite before the sandeq sails for the first time.

(The details of sandeq`s boatbuilding in battilang are under the process of data collecting)

5. Invocation and Mantra

Sandeq`s boatbuilding does not only require engineering and mystical skills. Mystical skill in sandeq`s boatbuilding can be seen from some sayings and prayers such as below:

• An invocation to clear out the location where the tree will be pruned
• An invocation to domesticate the tree
• An invocation to ask for permission from the guardian of the location wherein the tree is there
• An invocation to ask for allowance from the tree to be pruned
• A saying to beseech for bringing home the pruned-tree

(The entire texts of those invocations are under the process of data collecting)

6. Values

Sandeq boat is not merely a cultural heritage of Mandar people; but also the actualization of Mandar people`s characteristics. Therefore, taking a deep look at sandeq boat, we will see that there are numerous social and moral values which live and develop in Mandar society. Those values are listed below:

First, religious belief. Sandeq boat is a symbol of heterogeneous belief living among Mandar people. The belief in guardian spirit of the location where the tree will be pruned bears distinctively heterogeneous belief. Seeking for permission from the guardian of the tree by putting offering under the tree, reciting invocation, and mantras are several religious expressions of Mandar people. The uniqueness of Mandar`s religious tradition can also be found in the process of boatbuilding until the boat is ready for a sail. For most of researchers concerning with indigenous believes, conducting research on Mandar`s religious belief is an interesting one.

Second, cultural value. Sandeq boat is a symbol of Mandar people in responding their surrounding nature wherein they live. The challenging Mandar strait with its fast stream and high wave is responded by Mandar people by making a sharp navicular boat with spinnaker and windward outriggers on both right and left sides. Consequently, they can create a boat which does not only sail stably over the sea, but also sail fast even to the other continents.

Third, identity. Sandeq boat depicts the characteristic of Mandar people. Pallayarang (mainmast) driving mainly to where the boat will sail is the symbol of Mandar people`s efforts to reach prosperity. Such effort must consider the balance so that they will not be lost. Tambera (outhaul) on sandeq boat keeps pallarayang standing firmly on the deck. Flexibility which stabilizes the sturdiness and balance means to keep being better at all time as we can see at white sobal (spinnaker). Sobal bears the philosophy of Mandar people`s characteristic such as high flexibility, persistence, honesty, and simplicity. Guling (stir) symbolizes a right decision. Pallato (outriggers), baratang, and tadiq are the symbols of the balance, defense, and visionary thought for a better life in the future. Those symbols portray the honesty and sincerity such the color of sandeq boat that is white. White color also means that Mandar people are welcome for any kind of changes like what the local people say “ibannang pute meloq disinggaq meloq dilango lango.”

Those three values above clearly explain that sandeq is the symbol of Mandar people`s character and their local wisdom. Therefore, the effort to preserve sandeq boat must be carried out soon in order to keep Mandar people`s identity alive. However, the effort to preserve sandeq boat physically is not enough. There must be revitalization of immense value within if we want to pride sing “nenek moyangku orang pelaut” (My ancestors were great sailors). (AS/bdy/30/05-08)

(NI/ter/09/06-08)   

References:

• Agung Setyahadi, “Sandeq dan Kearifan Lokal Suku Mandar,” Kompas, September 7^th,  2007
• Christian Pelras, Manusia Bugis, Nalar, Jakarta, 2006.
• “Dihantam Ombak, Perahu Sandeq Kembali ke Jayapura,” on http://64.203.71.11/kompas-cetak/0508/26/utama/2002253.htm., accessed on May 6^th, 2008.
• Halim HD, “Melacak Format Strategi Kebudayaan Mandar,” on http://www.freelists.org/archives/nasional_list/10-2006/msg00010.html, accessed on May 6^th, 2008.
• http://masagung.multiply.com/photos/album/15/Jejak_Peradaban_Nelayan_Mandar, accessed on may 6^th, 2008.
• http://polewalimandarkab.go.id/index.php?jenis=content&id=229, accessed on May 6^th, 2008.
• Muhammad Ridwan Alimuddin dan Awaluddin, “Menyambut Sandeq di Losari.”, on: http://www.panyingkul.com/view.php?id=544&jenis=kabarkita, accessed on may 6^th, 2008.
• Muhammad Ridwan Alimuddin, Orang Mandar-Orang Laut; Kebudayaan Bahari Mandar Mengarungi Gelombang Perubahan Zaman, Kepustakaan Populer Gramedia (KPG) & Adikarya Foundation IKAPI, 2005.
• Odeodata H Julia,  “Sandeq Explorer, Ekspedisi yang Terhalang Cuaca Buruk,” on http://www.sinarharapan.co.id/berita/0508/31/sh12.html
• “Perahu Sandeq Makin Tersisih,” Fajar Makassar, October 3^rd, 2005.
• “Perahu Sandeq Masyarakat Mandar Terancam Punah,”  Kompas, April 15^th, 2006.
• Reinhard Nainggolan, “Merekonstruksi Pelayaran Nenek Moyang Austronesia,” on: http://www.kompas.co.id/kompas-cetak/0507/25/teropong/1857977.htm, accessed on may 6^th, 2008.
• Reny Sri Ayu Taslim,  “Nelayan Majene Bertahan dengan Sandeq,” Kompas, April 10^th, 2003.  
• Ridwan Alimuddin, “Apalah Arti sebuah Nama (Perahu)?,” on www.panyingkul.com,  accessed on may 6^th, 2008.
• “Sandeq Race 2007 dan Kisah Penculikan Pangeran Bali,” on http://www.antara.co.id/print/?i=1187510670, accessed on may 6^th, 2008.

Photos: Muhammad Ridwan Alimuddin.

---

Insert your comment here :