The questions below are the ones the desk actually receives, in the order they usually arrive. Each short answer links to the page where the reasoning is set out properly. Everything is USD, and contracts are issued by PT Komodo Galangan Nusantara.
Getting started
I want a liveaboard in Komodo. Where do I start?
With the operating profile, not the boat. Guests per trip, nights per trip, dives per day, operating months and cruising range generate almost every specification number that follows. See the specification guide.
Should I build new or buy and refit?
Refit gets you to revenue sooner with less capital at risk and lets you inspect what you are buying. New build gets you exactly the right boat with a known structural history. The test is how much of the existing hull and machinery survives the work. See the cost guide.
How long before the boat earns money?
A build is normally many months to a couple of years to delivery, plus real administrative weeks for registration, certification and clearance. A refit is weeks to months depending on how far into the structure you go. In both cases the haul-out slot is often the binding constraint.
Money
Why will you not give me a price today?
Because a refit price before a survey and a build price before a specification are both guesses. We publish planning ranges openly on the cost guide so you can size the decision, and we quote after the facts exist.
What costs do owners forget?
Supervision and survey fees, the corporate and licensing work that must precede registration, the delivery voyage, the initial spares inventory, crew recruitment and training before first revenue, and first-season working capital.
Will you reduce the price if my budget is tight?
Not the number on its own. We quote a defined scope and a price in USD. If the budget does not fit, we reduce the scope openly and say what is being given up, rather than trimming the figure quietly and finding the difference later.
Rules and ownership
Can I own a Komodo liveaboard as a foreigner?
Not personally, in the normal case. Commercial vessels and domestic charter operations are generally held through an Indonesian legal entity whose business classification covers the activity. Get licensed Indonesian corporate counsel early — the owning entity must exist before the vessel is registered. See compliance.
What are the park rules that affect the boat itself?
Anchoring restrictions and mooring use at managed sites, and waste and wastewater handling. Both are engineering constraints: they set your ground tackle and bow arrangement, and your holding tank volume.
Does cabin count really have to be decided that early?
Yes. Certified passenger capacity drives safety equipment, escape routes and crew certification, so it must be settled before the interior is framed.
Engineering
How much engine power do I need?
Enough to hold schedule against a four to six knot tidal stream at full load, not enough to meet an average condition. Missing slack water at a dive site is a product failure, not an inconvenience.
What draft should I aim for?
Derive it from the specific anchorages you intend to overnight at, checked against charted depths and swinging room. Draft decides which sites you can sell.
Gyro or fin stabilisers?
Gyro if the roll problem is mainly at anchor and you cannot accept hull penetrations; fins if it is mainly underway and you can. Passive rigs cost little and only help at anchor.
How big should the compressor and watermaker be?
Compressor: guests times dives per day times fill volume, completed within surface intervals, plus margin and a second unit. Watermaker: full occupancy on a hot week with one unit down. Both on the specification guide.
Yard and maintenance
Can I dock in Labuan Bajo?
Timber slipways and haul-out facilities serve the phinisi and smaller vessel fleet, and shallow-draft timber hulls are also maintained on suitable tidal banks. Larger steel vessels often relocate to a bigger facility elsewhere in Indonesia — budget the transit. See yard logistics.
How far ahead do I book a slot?
Months. The whole fleet wants the same quiet window between seasons. Book the slot before finalising the scope.
What spares should I carry?
Chosen by consequence of failure, not price. Labuan Bajo is a supply endpoint; specific parts come from Surabaya, Jakarta or Bali with real lead time.
Working with us
Do you take commission from yards or sellers?
No. Supervision is paid by the owner and survey is paid by the buyer, because independence is the whole product.
Will you tell me not to do a project?
Regularly. Several of the most useful conversations we have had ended with a client not spending money. See about and capability.
How do I reach the desk?
WhatsApp +62 811-3823-875 or email sales@komodoluxury.com. More on the contact page.
Frequently asked questions
Where should I start when planning a Komodo liveaboard?
With the operating profile — guests per trip, nights per trip, dives per guest per day, operating months and cruising range. Those five answers generate almost every specification number, including draft, tankage, generator size and installed power.
Will you lower the price if my budget is tight?
Not on its own. We quote a defined scope and a price in USD. If the budget does not fit we reduce the scope openly and state what is being given up, rather than trimming the figure quietly and finding the difference later.
Why will you not quote before a survey?
A refit price before a survey and a build price before a specification are both guesses that change once the paint comes off or the specification firms up. We publish planning ranges openly instead and quote after the facts exist.
How much installed power does a Komodo liveaboard need?
Enough to hold schedule against a four to six knot tidal stream at full load rather than enough for average conditions, because missing slack water at a dive site is a product failure rather than an inconvenience.
Do you take commission from shipyards or sellers?
No. New-build supervision is paid by the owner and pre-purchase survey is paid by the buyer, because independence is the entire value of both services.
Talk to the build desk
Send the vessel details or the operating profile you want to run and we will tell you what has to be established before a number means anything. Quotations in USD. Construction, repair, refit and vessel-sale contracts are issued by PT Komodo Galangan Nusantara.