The Ara-Bira yards build wooden vessels across four broad families: traditional and modern phinisi; wooden schooners and gulet-style yachts; dive and charter liveaboards; and private owner yachts – all in timber, hull-first, from about 15 m to 45+ m. The right choice is driven less by fashion than by how you will actually use the boat.
Phinisi
The phinisi is the South Sulawesi type the coast is famous for: a broad, deep wooden hull that once carried cargo across the archipelago under a distinctive two-masted rig, now most often built as a motor-sailer. A cargo-heritage phinisi and a luxury liveaboard can share the same hull lines and differ entirely above deck.
- The traditional two-masted rig versus the modern motor-sailer that most charter boats now use.
- Cargo heritage against a luxury liveaboard fit-out – the same hull, two different fit-out budgets.
- Typical lengths run from the low 20s to the mid 40s of metres, with cabin counts to match.
Wooden schooners and gulets
Not every owner wants a phinisi. Western-schooner and gulet-style hulls are built in the same Sulawesi timber and by the same crews, and they suit owners who want a more familiar sailing profile or a particular deck aesthetic.
- Schooner and gulet forms adapted to local timber and methods.
- When a schooner makes more sense than a phinisi – usually rig preference, sailing use and looks.
Dive and charter liveaboards
A dive liveaboard is designed inside-out around the diving day. That means the layout starts from the dive deck and works outward – a very different brief from a private yacht of the same length.
- Layouts built for Komodo and Raja Ampat diving operations.
- Deck space, compressor rooms, tank storage and tender handling planned before the cabins.
- Charter-readiness and guest capacity that match the routes you intend to run.
Private owner yachts
- Owner-focused layouts and finishes rather than maximum guest count.
- Balancing the traditional wooden aesthetic with modern systems, tankage and comfort.
Choose a type for your use
Tell the desk your cruising ground and how you will use the boat – dive charter, luxury charter or private – and we match a hull type, size and layout before any design work begins. From there the path runs through the commissioning programme and the build sequence, or across to vessels already for sale if you would rather not wait for a new build.
Discuss a hull type on WhatsApp or email sales@komodoluxury.com
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a phinisi and a schooner?
A phinisi is the South Sulawesi two-masted type with its distinctive rig and hull; a schooner or gulet is a Western-derived form. Both can be built in the same Bira timber and methods – the choice is about rig, aesthetics and use.
Can you build a dedicated dive liveaboard?
Yes. Dive liveaboards are designed around dive-deck flow, compressor and tank storage, tender handling and guest cabins for Komodo and Raja Ampat operations.
What sizes are typical?
Most commissions fall between about 20 m and 45 m; smaller working hulls from 15 m and larger custom yachts beyond 45 m are possible with longer schedules.
Do you build purely traditional or modern hybrid boats?
Both. A purely traditional wooden build or a hybrid with modern engineering, tankage and systems – the brief drives the specification, and hybrids carry different survey and insurance implications.