final product will be totally faithful to the drawings, but only the - - PDF document

PHINISI: wooden motorsailer made in Indonesia

THE MOTORSAILER PHINISI WAS BORN IN INDONESIA ABOUT 500 YEARS AGO AS CARGO AND PASSENGERS SHIPS. THIS TRADITIONAL BOATS HAVE EVOLVED IN TIME AND NOW THEY ARE AVAILABLE WITH DIFFERENT FITTINGS: CARGO, CHARTER, PLEASURE YACHT OR RESTAURANT. The manufacturers are located in some specific islands in the big Indonesian archipelago and traditional methods of construction have been handed down from generation to generation since 1500 up to now . The construction of the vessel start in forests and on beaches in Indonesia. The first step is the choice of the keel: a single piece, 25 mt length and 60 cm thickness, it must be made from a single tree and it will give great strength to the hull. Construction will start after the right piece for the keel has been found. Then, the boards of planking are joined next to the keel, one by one and the sides take

• form. Only at this point the ordinates shall be added. In Europe, you would them first,

but here in Asia they do the opposite, and it always works. The owner of the shipyard is among the first to arrive and among the last to leave. The Phinisi currently under construction grows under his skilled eye, he suggests to its craftsman when the curvature of the hull has to change. The pla is on the table, the

final product will be totally faithful to the drawings, but only the eye of the manufacturer can assess when to intervene. It could be hard to believe that in 2011, only tools entirely operated by hand and the eye of the foreman give shape to these vessels. Yet it s like this: here in Indonesia, the largest archipelago in the world, the man's hands slowly shape the wood of the forest, one of the most precious of these lands, into a ship, with clear and rhythmical actions, always the same since ancient times. The plates of the hull are joined together by wooden pins, said Pasak, inserted in the margin of the boards. Stainless steel screws and bolts were added to reinforce the connections with the frames where you need to have a greater strenght, but Pasak have stayed and they provide a great cohesion to the planting. And the tradition reappeared in the ceremonies of Potong lunas (cutting the keel, which marks the start of construction) and the launch, highlighted by offerings and rituals that preserve something pagan and mysterious aspects, where the aroma of tea and incense mixes with the smell of cut wood and smell of oils used to make it waterproof.

The name Phinisi refers to its sail, consisting of 7 or 8 sails on 2 masts, but in common parlance it is often associated with the typical shape of the hull, slender at stem and swelling in the center and at stern. The Indonesian manufacturers modified the original design by referring to an ancient model with a more pointed and slender stem that made the sailing faster. The rudders were traditionally two, on the sides, fixed toward stern. An economic consideration is at the base of the shape: considering the increasing difficulty in getting good wood, a wide and swelling hull ensures a great loading capacity in a relatively short boat. The sagacity of the Asian merchant is, in this case, combined with ecology: the saving of wood is a guarantee for the sustainable use of a resource that the shrinking of tropical forests unfortunately makes more and more rare and valuable. The Indonesian manufacturers preferred from the beginning the wood called Kayu besi or ironwood or the Kayu bangkira to the teak, that is not much appreciated here, but that is still widely used for the construction of the superstructure, also because easily available. The Phinisi manufactured in Indonesia are historically the largest wooden commercial fleet in history. Even today, we estimate that 800 Phinisi are used in the traffic of timber from the forests of Kalimantan to Java. In Jakarta, at the port of Sunda Kelapa, you can easily see 200 vessels together. About 80% of the most varied merchandise (rice, copra, salt, dried fish, tanks of kerosene), are transported between the islands by wooden vessels. The revolution occurred in the XX century with the transformation in PLM (Perahu Layar Motor, motorsailer). With few exceptions, almost all modern Phinisi are

• motorized. The introduction of a diesel engine has involved some structural changes

(the rudder becomes central) and it has made traffic faster. Safety and constant speed

• ffered by the engine have, of course, brought to the loss of a lot of knowledge on

weather, waves, currents and stars. Nowadays there are just a few sailors who sail

• rientated by the stars rather than a compass.

Nowadays there are countless Phinisi that plough through the seas of the great and wonderful Indonesian archipelago, engaged in cruises and they carry thousands of tourists from all over the world every year. PT Watergames International, a company based in Indonesia since January 2009, after a almost twenty years experience in construction of passengers vessels with underwater vision, has set as its target the distribution of these masterpieces in the European market. Below, we propose two models Phinisi fitted as charter: W.IND 25 and W.IND 35. Overall lenght 30,00 mt Hull lenght 24,20 mt Widht 6,20 mt Cabin on deck lenght 7,00 mt Construction material Ironwood, teak, benkiray, besi Gross tonnage 73 ton Net tonnage 58 ton Pax 10 + 4 crew Cabins guest 5 double Cabin crew 2 double Sail surface 260 mt2 Mast 2 mast-Phinisi Fuel tank 5000 8000 lt Fresh water tank 5000 lt Waste water tank 2000 lt Engine 1 x inboard diesel 300 hp Top speed 12 knots Cruise speed 7 8 knots Equipment Power generator Electronic Air conditioned Safety equipment tender Each cabin has a private bathroom and there are also a lounge-dining room, kitchen and a large area for outdoor living.

Overall lenght 36,00 mt Hull lenght 30,00 mt Widht 10,00 mt Cabin on deck lenght 14,00 mt Construction material Ironwood, teak, benkiray, besi Gross tonnage 98 ton Net tonnage 69 ton Pax 24 + 4 crew Cabins guest 12 double Cabins crew 2 double Sail surface 600 mt2 Mast 2 mast-Phinisi Fuel tank 5000 8000 lt Fresh water tank 5000 lt Waste water tank 2000 lt Engine 1 x inboard diesel 400 hp Top speed 12 knots Cruise speed 7 8 knots Equipment Power generator Electronic Air conditioned Safety equipment tender Each cabin has a private bathroom and there are also a lounge-dining room, kitchen and a large area for outdoor living.

PT Watergames International

ITALY OFFICE: via Benaco 90/C 25081 Bedizzole (BS)

• Tel. +39 3453445912

______________________________________________________________________________

INDONESIA OFFICE: JL Bung tomo 1-D n.14 Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia

• Tel. +62 87884819724 / +62 85855096434 Skype:alessiosordi

info@watergamesinternational.com www.watergamesinternational.com www.watergames.com

Below we show you some examples of design and a gallery of pictures

• f ships recently built.