Labuan Bajo is home to one of the densest working phinisi fleets in Indonesia. Between charter seasons those hulls need slipping, and the yards that serve them sit within sight of the harbour. This page explains what a phinisi shipyard visit in Labuan Bajo actually covers, how slipping works here, what it costs in indicative USD terms, and how to book a slot through our coordination network.
What a Phinisi Shipyard Visit in Labuan Bajo Covers
Most phinisi come ashore for the classic wooden-boat list: scraping and renewing antifouling, recaulking seams that have started to weep, replacing individual planks where fastenings or timber have gone soft, checking keel bolts, shaft, propeller and rudder gear, and repairing worm or rot found once the paint is off. Above the waterline, yards handle deck recaulking, bulwark and cap-rail repairs, and interior joinery. Engine and generator work usually runs in parallel — see our notes on diesel engine repair — so the vessel leaves the slip with hull and machinery done in one lay period.
How Slipping Works Locally
The slipways serving Labuan Bajo use rail-and-cradle systems sized for the local fleet. A haul is planned around a spring-tide window: the cradle is set to the hull’s shape, the vessel is floated on at high water and winched up the rails. Typical local capacity suits wooden hulls up to around 40 m LOA, depending on the cradle, displacement and tide on the day; anything larger is usually routed to bigger yards in Bali or Surabaya. We cover the mechanics in detail in our haul-out and slipway guide, including booking lead times in the dry-season rush.
Indicative Costs in USD
Every quote is confirmed after inspection, but owners budgeting a routine slip can use these indicative bands: haul-out and relaunch from about USD 1,500–4,000 depending on tonnage; hardstand lay days USD 40–150 per day; antifouling labour and materials roughly USD 15–35 per square metre; seam recaulking priced by the metre after the surveyor’s hammer test; individual plank replacement typically USD 150–600 per plank depending on timber and access. A full between-seasons slip for a mid-size charter phinisi commonly lands between USD 8,000 and 25,000; structural refits run well beyond that and are scoped separately.
Repair and Refit, Not New Builds
A note on scope: Labuan Bajo’s yards are repair and maintenance yards for the operating fleet. New phinisi construction remains the craft of the master builders of South Sulawesi, where most of the Komodo fleet was originally launched. What Labuan Bajo offers is the ability to keep those hulls in class and on charter without sailing days away from their cruising ground — slipway time, seasoned shipwrights who grew up on this timber work, and a supply chain for fastenings, caulking cotton and coatings through our spare parts sourcing.
How Labuan Bajo Shipyard Works
We are a coordination network, not a single walled yard. When you enquire, we confirm your vessel’s LOA, displacement and work list, match it to the right slipway and crew, and come back with a slot and an itemised estimate — usually within one business day. During the works we act as your single point of contact for the yard, the shipwrights and any survey support your insurer requires. For major refits that outgrow local facilities, we hand over cleanly to Komodo Luxury’s boat repair division, which coordinates larger yards across Indonesia.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should a charter phinisi be slipped in Labuan Bajo?
Most operators slip every 12 months, timed to the October–December shoulder before peak charter season. Tropical fouling and worm pressure make stretching beyond 18 months a false economy for wooden hulls working Komodo waters year-round.
What size phinisi can be hauled locally?
As a working rule, hulls up to roughly 40 m LOA and moderate displacement can be handled on local rail slipways, subject to cradle fit and the tide window. Larger or heavily ballasted vessels are routed to Bali or Surabaya, and we arrange that passage plan too.
Can hull work and engine work happen in the same lay period?
Yes — that is the point of coordinating through one desk. Shipwrights work the hull on the hardstand while mechanics pull injectors, service gearboxes or renew shaft seals, so the vessel returns to charter in one lay period instead of two.
Do you supervise the work for absentee owners?
We do. Many owners are overseas during the works, so we photograph each stage, hold the daily punch list with the yard foreman, and release stage payments only when the agreed scope is verified.
To book a slipway slot or scope a phinisi repair, message WhatsApp +62 811 3823 875 or email sales@komodoluxury.com with your vessel’s LOA, build year and work list — or use our contact page. See also our yacht shipyard services for non-traditional hulls.