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Raja Ampat Boat Builder

Field notes

Build Journal

Yard-side briefings on specifying, costing and commissioning new-build vessels for Raja Ampat and West Papua waters.

Scope: New-build projects only
Contracts: PT Komodo Galangan Nusantara
Quotations: USD
Delivery: Sorong / Waisai, West Papua

Contract document and technical drawings on a table with a boatyard beyond the window

Questions to Ask Before Signing a New-Build Contract in West Papua

Most new-build disputes trace back to five omissions: an ambiguous specification, undefined milestones, no variation procedure, no stated delivery condition, and no agreed handover package. Every one is preventable with questions asked before signature.… Read the note →

Dua orang meninjau gambar konstruksi kapal di meja kayu di tepi pelabuhan

Opsi Pendanaan dan Kemitraan untuk Kapal Wisata Raja Ampat

Mencari pendanaan kapal wisata Raja Ampat lebih mudah bila Anda datang dengan tiga dokumen: spesifikasi teknis, model keuangan konservatif, dan struktur kemitraan tertulis. Investor jarang menolak karena idenya buruk; mereka menolak karena tidak bisa… Read the note →

Catamaran drifting quietly at dawn beside mangrove and jungle shoreline in Raja Ampat

Planning a Low-Noise Electric Catamaran for Birdwatching Tours

An electric catamaran is genuinely viable in Raja Ampat for one specific job: short, predictable, low-speed wildlife trips from a base with charging. Birdwatching is the clearest case, because silence is the product —… Read the note →

Solar panels mounted on the upper deck hardtop of an expedition vessel at anchor

Solar and Battery Options to Reduce Generator Use on Liveaboards

Solar and batteries can meaningfully cut generator hours on a Raja Ampat liveaboard, but they will not eliminate them on an air-conditioned vessel. The honest framing is: solar offsets daytime and evening hotel load,… Read the note →

Snorkellers beside a canopied wooden tour boat in clear shallows near a homestay beach

Designing Day Boats for Homestay Snorkelling in Dampier Strait

A homestay snorkel boat succeeds or fails on four things: shade, boarding, dry stowage and simplicity. Guests spend far more time sitting aboard than in the water, the Dampier Strait runs current that catches… Read the note →

Surveyor inspecting heavy timber frames inside a wooden vessel under construction

Working With Class and BKI on New-Build Wooden Tour Boats

Class involvement changes how a wooden boat is designed, built and documented — and it has to be decided before the keel is laid. Whether BKI or another recognised body is required depends on… Read the note →

Vessel documentation folder and drawings on a desk beside a hull model

Permits and Certificates for New Raja Ampat Tour Boats: Overview

Certification is a design input, not paperwork you deal with at the end. Structure, escape routes, fire protection and safety equipment all follow from the route you choose, so the decision belongs in the… Read the note →

Compact timber liveaboard cabin with twin bunks and a porthole sea view

How to Plan Cabin Count and Layout for a Raja Ampat Dive Liveaboard

Cabin count is a revenue decision disguised as a layout decision, and it should be made from occupancy assumptions rather than from how many berths fit. Costs step rather than slope: crossing certain guest… Read the note →

Operator kapal wisata lokal berdiskusi di dermaga kayu Raja Ampat

Model Bisnis untuk Investor Lokal Kapal Wisata Raja Ampat

Ada empat model bisnis yang benar-benar berjalan untuk kapal wisata di Raja Ampat: kepemilikan penuh oleh operator, kemitraan bagi hasil investor–operator, sewa jangka panjang (bareboat/time charter), dan koperasi kampung. Yang menentukan bukan modelnya, melainkan… Read the note →

Expedition liveaboard at anchor at sunrise with tenders alongside in Raja Ampat

Investment Analysis: Building a Liveaboard Dedicated to Raja Ampat

The return on a Raja Ampat liveaboard is decided by five variables — build cost, day rate, occupancy, season length and operating cost — and occupancy is where almost every business plan goes wrong.… Read the note →