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Komodo Boat Construction is the editorial concierge for komodo boat construction — Traditional Phinisi and modern yacht builders in Komodo region. Senior specialists curate verified phinisi charters, premium liveaboards, private transfers, and bespoke itineraries across Komodo National Park, Labuan Bajo, and the wider Flores region. Direct booking, transparent pricing, 24/7 in-trip support.
A phinisi interior fit-out normally absorbs 15–25% of the total build budget and takes 4–8 months, running alongside systems installation once the hull is closed. The benchmark that matters most is cabin area: luxury phinisi allocate roughly 15–18 sqm to twin and superior cabins, 18–23 sqm to deluxe doubles and 20–30 sqm to master or sea-view suites. Figures are indicative and reconfirmed at quotation.
- What it is: cabin layout, joinery, bathrooms, saloon, galley, soft furnishing, lighting and the comfort systems behind them.
- Who it is for: owners specifying a new build, and operators re-planning an existing boat during refit.
- How long: 4–8 months for a 30–35 m vessel; 2–4 weeks per cabin in a refit.
- Rule of thumb: fewer, larger cabins usually earn more than more, smaller ones.
What cabin sizes should you design to?
Published specifications from operating vessels are the most reliable reference in this market. Neptune One (39 m, 8 cabins, 16 guests) publishes 18 sqm standard cabins, 20 sqm sea-view cabins and a 30 sqm master. Majik Phinisi (42 m LOA, 7.5 m beam, 2.2 m draft, 5 cabins for up to 8 guests, 13 crew) publishes 18 sqm deluxe cabins. Those numbers are what an experienced charter guest is comparing you against, whether or not they can name them.
| Cabin type | Target area | Bed | Bathroom | Best deck position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Twin / superior | 15–18 sqm | 2 singles or convertible | Shower, 2.5–3.5 sqm | Lower deck |
| Deluxe double | 18–23 sqm | Queen or king | Shower, 3.5–4.5 sqm | Lower or main deck |
| Sea-view | 20–23 sqm | King | Shower, 4–5 sqm | Main deck, side windows |
| Master suite | 20–30 sqm | King + seating | Shower or tub, 5–7 sqm | Main or upper deck, full beam |
| Crew cabin | 4–8 sqm per 2–4 crew | Bunks | Shared | Forward lower / stern |
Beam is the constraint, not length. Below roughly 6 m of beam you cannot place two proper cabins side by side with a corridor between them, which is why 25 m boats usually carry four cabins and 30 m boats five or six.
How should the decks be arranged?
Three arrangements cover almost every successful phinisi we have worked on.
Four-cabin (24–26 m). All guest cabins on the lower deck, saloon and dining on the main deck, wheelhouse and open sun deck above. Simple, cheap to build, and honest about what it is.
Six-cabin (29–32 m). Four cabins lower deck, one deluxe and one master on the main deck aft, saloon amidships, galley forward with separate crew access, dive deck at the stern, sun deck and shaded lounge above. This is the layout that best fits Komodo charter economics.
Eight-cabin (35–40 m). Six on the lower deck, one sea-view and one full-beam master above, dedicated dive station with rinse tanks and camera bench, a separate wellness or spa room, and a large upper deck for yoga and evening service. Documented design trends for luxury liveaboards point exactly this way: more beam and superstructure volume for above-deck master suites, spa and massage rooms, yoga decks and higher crew-to-guest ratios.
Which materials belong on a wooden hull?
Teak is the traditional and still the best choice for decks, superstructure and interior joinery — it is stable and oil-rich, which is what a hull that flexes needs. Below the waterline the structure is ironwood and bitti, but neither belongs in an interior: they are heavy and hard to work. In practice a good fit-out combines solid teak for high-wear surfaces, marine plywood with teak or light-wood veneer for panels and furniture carcasses, rattan and woven natural fibre for texture, and marine-grade fabrics that survive salt and UV.
Two details separate a comfortable boat from a noisy one: insulation between the engine room and the after cabins, and floating floors in cabins above machinery. Both are cheap during construction and almost impossible to retrofit.
What comfort systems does the interior depend on?
| System | Sizing guide | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Air conditioning | Cabin + saloon load, 24-hour duty | Split or chilled-water; redundancy matters on 6+ cabin boats |
| Fresh water | 150–250 L per person per day including crew | Natural Phinisi (21.4 m) carries 5,000 L tankage as a reference point |
| Watermaker | Sized to replace daily draw in 6–8 running hours | Duplex units on luxury boats |
| Hot water | Calorifier plus electric backup | Must reach the furthest cabin at 06:00 dive call |
| Power | Two gensets on 6+ cabin boats | Leticia (29 m) runs twin Mitsubishi 4D10 mains with a 40 kVA generator |
| Solar assist | Emerging, not standard | Useful for hotel load at anchor; treat as an option, not a promise |
Who is this for — and where owners get it wrong?
Right for: owners specifying a charter boat where cabin comfort sets the nightly rate; operators refitting a boat that under-performs its size; and dive businesses that need working deck space designed with the interior, not after it.
Common mistakes: adding a cabin at the cost of every other cabin’s size; placing the master directly over the engine room; specifying a spa but no crew route to service it; and choosing finishes before the air conditioning and insulation are settled. The interior is the last thing built and the first thing guests judge — it deserves to be designed first.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a phinisi interior fit-out cost?
Indicatively 15–25% of build cost — roughly USD 8,000–30,000 per cabin for the accommodation portion in a refit, and considerably more for saloon, galley and master suite work on a new build. Joinery hours dominate, not materials.
How long does the fit-out take?
Four to eight months on a 30–35 m new build, overlapping systems installation. In a refit, budget two to four weeks per cabin plus common areas.
Is it better to have six small cabins or four large ones?
On most charter boats, four to six correctly sized cabins outperform a squeezed layout. Guests compare square metres and bathroom size; a 12 sqm cabin reads as budget regardless of the finish.
Can the master suite go on the upper deck?
Yes, and it is a documented trend — but it moves weight upward and must be included in the stability calculation from the start. See naval architecture and stability engineering.
What crew accommodation is required?
Standard liveaboards run about 0.6–0.8 crew per guest; genuine luxury boats run 1.0–1.4. On a 16-guest vessel that is 13–16 crew who all need berths, a mess and their own heads — plan the space before the guest cabins consume it.
Do you provide interior design or only construction?
Both. We produce the general arrangement, cabin plans, material schedules and 3D visuals, then build to them — or we build to your own designer’s package.
What about a spa, yoga deck or beach club?
All three are achievable above about 33 m. They need service routes, drainage and power planned in, which is why they belong in the layout stage rather than the wish list.
How does the interior affect charter rates?
Directly. Well-positioned luxury liveaboards command USD 2,500–10,000 per night, while traditional phinisi in Labuan Bajo are quoted at IDR 15–50 million per day. Cabin size, bathroom quality and air conditioning are the three variables guests use to place you on that scale — the economics are set out under charter management and owner returns.
Design your interior
Komodo Boat Construction is operated by Komodo Luxury, part of Juara Holding Group, chartering in Komodo since 2015 — we specify interiors against what guests actually book, not against a mood board. Send us your target guest count, itinerary and rate ambition and we will return a cabin plan with real square metres.
WhatsApp: +62 811 3823 875 · Email: sales@komodoluxury.com