Jukung and Fishermen

"When we went snorkeling in Amed we took a Jukung which we arranged through our hotel Puri Wirata. But if you go to one of the beaches the boatmen will spot you soon enough and you can arrange a trip directly with them.
We really enjoyed it, it's nice to see Amed from the water. The water was great to jump in. But the best time to go is early in the morning or late afternoon, most boats don't have a cover so you can get easily burnt from the sun."

          Fishermen live along the coast and on the hills by the sea, often in small primitive huts or houses. Despite the coming of tourism, the area around Amed is poor. Fishermen 'park' their colourful wooden boats 'jukung' at the beaches. Jukungs are so numerous that most beaches during the day from the beginning to the end are filled with these boats. Fishermen sail daily in the early morning off, around sunrise. In the late afternoon they also want sto go fishing, among others on mackerel. Some days provide excellent fishing, other days they catch nothing. Fisherman's Luck. Sometimes there is one angler in the boat, sometimes three. In any case, it is an incredible sight to see floating hundreds of typical, triangular, colourful sails at the sea at sunrise and sunset.

When a fisherman decides to build a new jukung, he must carefully choose the right tree with the right wood. The jukungs are built following a strict set of religious guidelines and according to the body's measurements of the owner. After the right choice of a trunk of a Belalu or Camplung tree, the tree is cut down on an auspicious day according to the ancient Balinese calendar (Dewasa Ayu) and left to dry till another auspicious day and the construction can begin. All members of the local fishing community offer their carpentry skills to help build the new jukung. This social interaction is an essential element of Balinese Hindu culture.

The jukung is not symmetrical, its bamboo floats are not parralel. This asymmetry gives a heightened degree of stability, even in bad weather. Once fully constructed and paint, offerings are presented to the Gods and the jukung is sprinkled with holy water by the priest of the village.

Some fishermen are lucky to earn some extra money with their jukung by taking tourists on boat trips, or by taking divers to a nice diving spot for coral or a ship wreck. Divers find diving from Jukung fun and it is a unique experience.

Beside watching the jukungs you can also see how they get the boats on the beach. Fishermen carrying the mackerel caught in buckets. You can still count on other activities see in the village: women carrying buckets of water, food, fish and wood on top of their head. Fishermen's wives sell the mackerel along the way. Farmers sell vegetables; other women take care of the children, and so on.
Tourists who stay around Amed, are fortunate to be able to immerse themselves in the local, everyday life.

The traditional fishing dual outrigger jukung use a sail, but nowadays more and more they use frequently a little motor. The jukung is often painted white with bright decorations in blue or yellow.
If you have the opportunity to sail with a jukung, then you have to sit at one of the sides. This is like you're surfing on the water. Under favorable wind jukungs on the surface of the ocean the jukung can shave at a fairly rapid pace.