This is the reference library behind our project work: how a Raja Ampat new-build is planned, specified, certified and paid for. Start with the complete guide, then go deeper by topic. Everything is written by the Raja Ampat Boat Builder Build Desk and all figures are in USD.
Start here
The complete guide to building a boat for Raja Ampat — the whole decision chain in the order the decisions must be made: operating profile, vessel type, hull material, systems, certification, budget and schedule.
Build process and timeline
- How to commission a new dive liveaboard: step by step
- How long it really takes to build a Raja Ampat liveaboard
- Questions to ask before signing a new-build contract
Hull materials
Dive boat and catamaran design
- Designing the ideal dive deck for day boats
- Oxygen systems and safety on new-build dive boats
- Catamaran or monohull for snorkel trips?
- Planning a low-noise electric catamaran
Systems and specification
- Technical specification framework (service page)
- Engine and propulsion choices
- Sizing fuel, water and generators
- Air conditioning and ventilation design
- Solar and battery options
- Shallow draft designs for Misool
Investment and cost
- Pricing and investment planning (service page)
- Investment analysis for a dedicated liveaboard
- Planning cabin count and layout
- Financing options and partnerships
- Business models for local investors
Permits and certification
Workboats and homestay boats
The five constraints every article comes back to
Raja Ampat imposes the same five constraints on every vessel type, and almost every recommendation in this library traces back to one of them.
- Distance without resupply. Fuel, water and provisions have to cover the leg you actually run, not the leg you hope to run. This drives tankage, which drives displacement, which drives length and cost.
- Current. The Dampier Strait passages run hard on tide. Hulls need directional stability and rudder authority at low speed, or diver pick-ups and beach approaches become dangerous rather than routine.
- Heat and humidity. Air temperature above 30°C and seawater near 30°C change insulation, HVAC sizing, corrosion control, timber ventilation and crew comfort. Specifications copied from temperate markets fail here first.
- Shallow water. Much of the commercial value — lagoons, beaches, homestay landings — sits in water that penalises deep draft. Draft is a revenue constraint, not just a technical one.
- Slow parts supply. A component that cannot be serviced by technicians reachable from Sorong will eventually cost operating days. Serviceability is weighted above datasheet performance throughout this library.
What these guides deliberately avoid
We do not publish invented reviews, awards, membership claims or author personas, and we do not quote repair, refit, haul-out or brokerage work because that is not what this brand does. Regulatory content describes the general shape of Indonesian requirements and tells you to confirm current detail with the relevant authority or survey body, because rules change and a website is not a regulator. Prices are published as planning ranges in USD, never as quotations — a quotation follows a written specification, and anything offered before that is guesswork dressed as a number.
Who these guides are written for
Three audiences use this library. Operators planning their first purpose-built vessel need the decision sequence and realistic budget bands before they talk to anyone. Established operators replacing or adding a boat usually arrive with a clear brief and want the specification detail — tankage arithmetic, generator sizing, deck layout. Investors evaluating a project need the cost drivers and the occupancy sensitivity, because those two together decide whether a business plan survives contact with a real season. Each article states its intended reader in the opening paragraph so you can skip what does not apply.
How to use this library
The service pages describe what we build and what it costs. The articles explain the reasoning behind each specification decision so you can challenge ours. If you are early in planning, read the complete guide and the pricing page, then pick the two or three articles that match your vessel type. If you are close to signing something, read the contract questions article first.
Ready to discuss a project? Contact +62 811 3823 875 or sales@komodoluxury.com, or see the contact page for what to include in a first enquiry.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where should I start if I have never commissioned a boat before?
Read the complete guide to building a boat for Raja Ampat, then the pricing and investment page. Together they cover the decision sequence and the realistic USD budget bands, which is enough to test whether a project is viable before any design work begins.
Are these guides specific to Raja Ampat or general boatbuilding advice?
They are specific to Raja Ampat and West Papua operating conditions: long crossings without reliable refuelling, strong tidal currents in the Dampier Strait, high heat and humidity, shallow lagoon access, and slow parts resupply from Sorong.
Who writes these guides?
The Raja Ampat Boat Builder Build Desk. No invented author personas, credentials or awards are used anywhere on this site.