The first time we try the new sails. We got over powered and on the second try we ripped the sail from two much wind force. Really learning by doing. 

We made two set of sails so we could pretend we are racing and organise while the jongs are going a couple of manned races. I was on one boat and Zakir on the other. We managed to get 3 boats together. 

We bought a kolek named Naga Langit. One day Zakir showed up with the hull, a mast, and a huge plastic sail. We had to make a new paddle acting as a rudder — a six-metre kolek that needed fixing, so with some wood dust and minyak tanah we patched her up. We sewed a sail out of an old parachute cloth that Paul, a childhood friend of mine since I was six years old, gave me. It had belonged to his father, an avid formation-parachute champion among other things. I cut various sails from it, including little sampan layar. But Naga Langit needed a crew to sail her. At first we capsized over and over again. Eventually, with help from the Orang Laut of Berakit, we made it work, and once brought her all the way to Nikoi Island. I don’t think anyone apart from the crew realised we were taking chances out there — highly unstable without a perfect balance, that crew moved as one. If one person shifted, everybody had to rebalance the boat on the spot.

It was difficult to get everybody together to practice. The sail, modelled after the jongs, was really cut a bit too big — a boat made for racing but not practical for anything else.

These kolek are still sailed and raced once a year during Independence Day near Batam. I’ve seen them racing in Dompak and Tanjung Pinang — it’s a rare occasion, but what a sight.