Category: Build Guides
Fastening a Phinisi: Wooden Pegs, Bolts and the Strength of a Bugis Hull
A Bugis phinisi is fastened peg-first: long wooden dowels are driven through the planking to draw the seams tight, and galvanised steel bolts and drift fasteners…
Read →Wooden Boat Maintenance After Handover: A First-Year Owner’s Checklist
In the first year after handover, a new wooden phinisi needs a settling-in check, antifouling on schedule, seam and fastening inspection, timber and finish care, and…
Read →Ironwood vs Teak vs Bengkirai: Choosing Timber for a Sulawesi Phinisi
For a Sulawesi phinisi, ironwood (ulin) is the strongest and most rot-resistant but heaviest and most regulated; bitti is the shipwright’s favourite for planking and framing;…
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 →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 →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 →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 →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…
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