Archives
Classifying a Wooden Boat: BKI, Survey and Sea-Trial Explained
Classifying a wooden boat means having it surveyed and certified against a classification standard — often BKI (Biro Klasifikasi Indonesia) domestically or international class for commercial…
Read →Caulking, Sealing & Antifouling a Wooden Hull for Tropical Seas
A wooden hull is made watertight by caulking and sealing its seams, then protected with primer — often iron-oxide red-lead — and antifouling. In tropical seas…
Read →Owner-Supervising a Build from Abroad: Site Visits, Photos & Milestones
You can supervise a Tana Beru build from anywhere through milestone photos and video, scheduled updates, occasional site visits timed to key stages, and a contract…
Read →How Long Does a Phinisi Build Take? A Realistic Stage-by-Stage Timeline
A phinisi build takes roughly 8 to 24 months depending on length and fit-out. Planking is the long, patient phase; framing moves faster; engineering and interior…
Read →Honest Build Budgets: What USD 200k, 500k and 1M Actually Get You
At around USD 200k you get a simple, well-built ~20-25 m owner phinisi; near USD 500k a 28-35 m charter-grade liveaboard hull with more systems and…
Read →The Appasili Ritual: Ceremony, Belief and the First Plank
The appasili is a keel-laying ritual at Tana Beru, marked with offerings and blessings, reflecting a belief that a boat carries a life of its own.…
Read →What a Gulet Really Is — And Why Sulawesi Yards Build Them Well
A gulet is a broad-beamed, two-masted wooden motor-sailer built for comfortable cruising and generous cabins. Sulawesi yards build them well because the coast already has the…
Read →Building a Liveaboard for Komodo & Raja Ampat: Spec Choices That Matter
A liveaboard for Komodo and Raja Ampat is defined by range and tankage for the long eastern routes, a moderate draft for the anchorages, a safe…
Read →From Keel-Laying to Launch: The 6 Stages of a Phinisi Build
A phinisi build runs through six stages: keel-laying (with the appasili ceremony), shell-first planking, framing and structure, engineering and interior, finishing and caulking, and the beach…
Read →The Panrita Lopi: Master Shipwrights Who Build Without Blueprints
The panrita lopi are the Bugis master shipwrights of Tana Beru who build phinisi from inherited knowledge rather than technical drawings, shaping each hull by eye…
Read →