A boat with 44 Sri Lankans, including a pregnant woman and nine children, who said they were on their way to Australia, have been found off Aceh, a northern province of Indonesia. 
Local fishermen discovered the boat at 11am on Saturday in Lhoknga in the district of Aceh Besar.
Lhoknga police chief Zainudin told Fairfax Media the Sri Lankans did not have any passports or travel documents.
"They said they wanted to go to Australia but there was engine trouble. They didn't look like people who needed food. Their faces looked happy. They didn't ask for food either."
He said the boat appeared to be a modified fisherman's boat, made of iron, which had a capacity to carry 100 passengers.
Mr Zainudin said the Sri Lankans remained on the boat, about one kilometre off shore.
The chief of immigration in Aceh, Ahmad Samadan, told Fairfax Media the 44 Sri Lankans - 20 men, 15 women and nine children - had asked to continue their journey to Christmas Island.
"We are trying to negotiate with them to advise them to return to their country and not to continue to Australia," he said.
"We are trying to reach their boat again today but so far we can't because of high waves."
He said the boat engine was experiencing problems and they had to stop every few kilometres to let it cool down.
"When they stopped at Lhoknga they were spotted by locals."
Lhoknga military commander Major Darul Amin said immigration would not allow the Sri Lankans to disembark because they did not have travel documents.
He said technicians had been sent to examine the engines but they turned out to be fine. "I think it was just a modus operandi," Major Darul said.
"We will go back to their boat today (Sunday) at around 3pm and if they do need food or gasoline we will provide it. Then they have to leave our waters."
International Organisation for Migration Jakarta spokesman Paul Dillon said the IOM had been approached by authorities on Saturday advising it of a vessel in Lhoknga with mechanical problems that had foreign nationals on board.
"We indicated we were prepared to assist with the provision of services IOM normally provides and we are just waiting to hear back," he said.
Mr Dillon said the IOM had offices in Lhoknga, Medan and Aceh and was well placed to assist with translation and medical services and providing logistical support to local authorities in deciding where best to place the people.
The UN refugee agency said it was co-ordinating with the Indonesian government.