WAOW - Water Adventure Ocean Wide

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The Pinisi -a traditional Indonesian sailboat- has a rich history upon which the WAOW sailboat has drawn its influences. Discover how this mythic ship is made and why boarding one is an unforgettable experience.

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painting of a traditional pinisi

The Bugis are an ethnic group hailing from South Sulawesi. From time immemorial, these people have left their mark on Indonesia’s maritime history. As commercial traders the Bugis not only had to travel across the whole Archipelago but also venture in open seas to do business. Malaysia, Philippines, Australia and even Madagascar where among their favorites destinations.

In order to weather the raging oceans they had to come up with a boat built to last. Although the origins of the Pinisi are still up for debate two main versions persist to this day. Martin Perrot -a french boat builder who married a Malay woman- was approached by Baginda Omar, the sultan ofTerengganu. Knowing his western origins, the Sultan asked Perrot to build a boat resembling those of the West. Perrot in turn built a two masts sailboat, which is how Pinisis are still built today.

The other version claims that the Pinisi sailboat appeared as early as the fourteenth century. Shrouded in mystery and ancient tales, it is believed that Sewarigading -the prince of the Luwu Kingdom- fell in love with the King’s daughter. Obviously the King wasn’t too keen on giving his daughter to the prince so he ordered the Prince to go to China where his daughter’s identical twin lived. In order to reach China, Sewarigading needed a powerful boat made from the very best timber. He chose Dewata trees, endemic to the Mangkutu region to build his sailboat.

These trees were sacred and worshipped by the locals so they wouldn’t allow anyone to touch them yet alone cut them down to build a boat. The prince had to resort to magical forces to convince the villagers to let him cut the holy trees. Once the sailboat was build, he set sails to China, vowing never to return.

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workers assembling the hull of the WAOW

A Pinisi is usually built in a Batilang -a traditional shipyard- using local tools and techniques. Sourcing the timber is of course a crucial step in the construction. Both welengreng and dewata trees are suitable as they belong to the ‘ironwood’ family of trees -wood that is impervious to rotting and chipping-.

Before cutting the trees down, the builders ceremoniously sacrifice a rooster to appease the spirits that inhabit the trees. After the ceremony the wood is then carried to the Batilang for processing.

Prior to the actual building, the bow of the ship is oriented towards the north-east as a symbol of masculinity and the stern to the south-west, a symbol of femininity. The upper tip of the first tree cut is thrown in the sea as a gesture towards seamen. The lower tip is given to the wives of the builders.

Using sap and natural substances, the workers ensure that the parts forming the hull are tightly assembled together.

The Bugis envision the construction of a Pinisi like the act of giving birth to a child.

the WAOW vessel

Hence the presence of a ‘cradle’ -the Batilang- and the male/female concepts. The assembly of the hull represents the marriage and fusion betweeen the two and it is said that the shipyard’s foreman acts as a ‘midwife’, assisting in the birth-giving process.

After the hull has been put together, it’s time to hoist the two masts. The sails -called Sombala- are not installed before the boat is ready to sail.

Different rites are associated with the launch of the boat: the vessel is first blessed with prayers and builders have to wait until the rising tide around noon before the proper launch. This process usually takes three days. It is only after all the rites have been performed that the sails are installed.

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a view of the WAOW sundeck

Although the WAOW is not a strictly traditional Pinisi -it sports 3 masts and it is more of a Pinisi with Schooner influences from the 1800′s- its construction followed many of the steps described above.

Rich with history, oozing with charm and nobility the WAOW sailboat is a unique vessel. Its construction took four years of hard work and more than 200,000 manhours.

The result is a graceful boat, ready to sail the Indonesian Archipelago, wherever the wind takes it. Available for booking right now, you too can be part of the adventure.

Download our full brochure below to get a glimpse of what the WAOW can offer. Whether its scuba diving in pristine waters or trekking Komodo’s islands, The WAOW doesn’t offer a mere trip, it offers you a voyage.

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