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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 traditional Sulawesi yard can build a phinisi hull without drawings — but a commercial passenger vessel cannot be certified without them. A full naval architecture package for a 25–45 m wooden vessel typically takes 2–6 months and costs an indicative 3–7% of build value, delivering the lines plan, general arrangement, scantling plan, hydrostatics, stability booklet, tank and capacity plans and the calculation file that BKI reviews. Figures are indicative and confirmed at quotation.
- What it is: the engineering layer that turns a craft-built hull into a documented, classifiable ship.
- Who it is for: owners commissioning a new build, converting a cargo hull, or adding superstructure during a refit.
- How long: 1–3 months for a small vessel, 3–6 months for 40 m-plus.
- Why it matters: stability and structure are where conversions and unengineered builds fail survey.
Why does a traditional build still need drawings?
At Tana Beru the buyer states the size and the master builder — the panrita lopi — realises the proportions from experience. Planks are laid shell-first onto the keel and the frames and ribs are fitted afterwards, often fastened with wooden dowels. It is a method that has produced seaworthy ships for generations and UNESCO inscribed it on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2017.
What that method does not produce is a document a surveyor can review. Classification, tonnage measurement, manning and safety-equipment requirements all depend on numbers: displacement, block coefficient, righting levers, freeboard, enclosed volume. Our job is not to replace the master builder’s eye but to measure what he is building, express it as engineering, and check it against the loading the vessel will actually see with sixteen guests, thirteen crew, full tanks and a fifteen-tonne deckhouse.
What does the engineering package contain?
| Deliverable | What it answers | Needed for |
|---|---|---|
| Lines plan | Hull shape in three views | All downstream calculation |
| General arrangement | Deck layout, cabins, tanks, machinery | Class, layout freeze, build contract |
| Scantling plan | Timber sizes, framing, fastening pattern | Structural approval, timber ordering |
| Hydrostatics & capacity | Displacement, draft, trim, tank volumes | Loading, tonnage, operations |
| Stability booklet | Intact stability at loading conditions | Class certificate, master’s use onboard |
| Tank & sounding plan | Fuel, fresh water, black and grey water | Operations, survey |
| Rig & sail plan | Mast loads, standing rigging, sail area | Deck structure, safety |
| 3D model & visuals | Owner review before steel is cut | Decision-making, marketing |
How do tradition and calculation meet in practice?
The workflow we use on a beach-built hull is deliberately pragmatic. First we agree the principal dimensions with the owner and the master builder and model the hull in 3D. Then we run hydrostatics and a preliminary stability check against the intended arrangement — this is the moment to discover that the planned upper-deck master suite costs you 200 mm of freeboard, not eight months later.
During construction the hull is measured at intervals and the model is updated to match what was actually built, because a hand-built hull will never be identical to the drawing. At completion an inclining experiment establishes the real lightship weight and centre of gravity, and the final stability booklet is issued from measured data rather than assumptions. That last step is the difference between a booklet a surveyor accepts and one he sends back.
What governs stability and passenger loading?
Three practical constraints dominate on charter phinisi:
- Vertical centre of gravity. Documented design trends push volume upward — above-deck master suites, spa rooms, yoga decks. Every one of those raises VCG and reduces the righting arm. It is entirely achievable; it just has to be paid for in beam, ballast or freeboard.
- Free surface. Wide, partly filled tanks and swimming-pool-style features are more damaging to stability than their weight suggests. Tank subdivision is designed, not improvised.
- Passenger crowding. Sixteen guests plus crew moving to one rail for a manta sighting is a real loading condition and it belongs in the booklet.
Operating vessels in this fleet typically sit at 4.5–10.5 m beam against 20–50 m LOA with roughly 2.2–2.4 m draft — a deliberately shallow, beamy envelope shaped by Komodo anchorages. The beam is what buys back the stability the superstructure spends.
What about the rig?
The phinisi rig is a defining part of the vessel’s value, and on a charter boat it is often used more for presence than for propulsion — cruising speed is typically 10–12 knots under engine. Even so, mast steps, chainplates and deck structure carry real loads and must be engineered. Sail area is sized against righting moment, not against how the boat looks in photographs.
Who needs this — and who does not?
Needs it: anyone building a passenger vessel for commercial charter; anyone converting a cargo hull, where the change in enclosed volume and VCG is unavoidable (see cargo phinisi to liveaboard conversion); and anyone adding a deck or superstructure during a refit.
Does not need the full package: owners of small private day boats staying outside commercial passenger rules, and owners doing purely like-for-like repairs that change neither structure nor arrangement.
Frequently asked questions
Do Tana Beru yards really build without plans?
Traditionally, yes — the buyer specifies the size and the master builder derives the proportions from experience, laying planks shell-first before frames are fitted. For classed commercial vessels a modern drawing and calculation package is overlaid on that method.
What is a stability booklet and who uses it?
It is the document that tells the master which loading conditions are safe. It is required for class and registration, and it stays onboard for the life of the ship.
How long does the engineering take?
One to three months for a 25 m vessel, three to six months for 40 m-plus, and it should start before the yard slot rather than during it.
Can you engineer a boat that is already half built?
Yes, and we frequently do — we measure the hull as built and model from that. It is more expensive than starting early and it removes options, but it is far better than arriving at survey with nothing.
Is an inclining experiment mandatory?
For a classed passenger vessel it is standard practice, because lightship weight and centre of gravity on a hand-built wooden hull cannot be reliably calculated from drawings alone.
Can you work to international class rules?
Indonesian-flag vessels are classed by BKI. International class such as Lloyd’s Register, RINA, ABS or DNV is available on higher-spec builds and changes the scantling and documentation requirements — the decision belongs at the start. See BKI class certification and ship registration.
Does the engineering affect gross tonnage?
Yes. GT is a function of enclosed volume, and it drives manning, safety equipment and certificate class. Arrangement decisions made at the drawing stage decide your GT band.
Who supervises the yard against the drawings?
An owner’s representative, ideally the same team that produced the package — see owner representative and build supervision.
Commission an engineering package
Komodo Boat Construction is operated by Komodo Luxury, part of Juara Holding Group, working in Komodo marine tourism since 2015. Send us the intended length, guest capacity and arrangement concept and we will scope the engineering package and the class route together.
WhatsApp: +62 811 3823 875 · Email: sales@komodoluxury.com