Before looking at individual routes in Banda sea area we might just as well look at statistics of the number of shipping routes radiating out from each of the ports in the area.
What follows is what we find.
7 routes: Bitung (northern Surawesi, almost next to Mindanao)
6 routes: Ambon (right in the middle of Banda sea)
5 routes: Tual (south east of Ambon)
/Kupang (extreme west end of Indonesian Timor and extreme south of Banda sea)
4 routes: Sorong (extreme northwest end of PNG)
/Fak-Fak (immediately south of Sorong, east of Ambon on western PNG)
/Bau-bau (extreme southeast of Surawesi, west of Wanci)
/Maumere (straight south of Bau-bau on Sunda )
/Larantuka (between Maumere and Kalabahi)
/Kalabahi (extreme east end of Sunda)
3 routes: Kaimana (south east of Fak-fak, very close)
(Hawaiian song coming in here?)
/Namlea (just west of Ambon on big island)
/Ternate (between Bitung and Sorong)
/Babang (extreme south west of Surawesi)
2 routes: Saumlaki (on Jamdena, between Timor and PNG)
/Wanci (almost Bau-bau, east)
/Dobo (south east of Taul on biggest island in vicinity)
/Banda (next to Ambon,short distance south)
/Sanana (north west of Ambon on small island)
I was surprised when I had a first look at this list when it was complete. I had expected that Ambon would be near the top as it is, but Bitung was a surprise.
Kupang is not a surprise because it is long way down south and is in a strategically important location for Indonesia, but not artificial. Tual is also very closely behind Ambon. So are Sorong and Fak-fak, all on western coast of PNG.
So, I can draw an imaginary line linking Bitung in the north and through Ambon, Tual, and going around a little bit to the west to reach Kupang at the bottom of Banda sea.
Of all the Pelni routes what follows might best resemble this imaginary route.
There are problems with this route map.
First of all, it is a closed loop. The port (Merauke) at the very bottom is probably insignificant, from the viewpoint of history in this region. Its location looks too artificail, being so close to the country border.
I think, therefore, we can knock off bottom two ports (Agats and Merauke) on PNG, leaving a completely closed loop.
Bitun - Sorong - Fak-fak - Timika - Dobo - Tual - Banda - Ambon - Bitung
It does not take you to Kupang, either. If it does, it maybe possible to trod back along the Sunda to Surabaya/Bali way by local ferries.
Also, how would you get into the loop and how would you get out?
That is where Bitung comes in prominently. Because if Bitung is easily connected to General Santos you can get in and out that way. It will be particularly convenient if you are flying into Davao.
I will be visitng General Santos next week just to find out exactly what we can expect there. I will be amassing very precious information from that visit.
If not, you will then have to fly in and out. Presumably, Sorong, Bitung, and Ambon, I think. I will be looking at these with some more details in the next article.