Indonesian Prahu

[Larks]

'Went and had a look over an Indonesian Prahu this evening that’s for sale here in Darwin. I'd seen it out and about a few times and it's berthed right opposite a friends Bavaria at Tipperary waters so had "looked" at it up close a few times as well. I got a pleasant surprise when it turned out to belong to a friend of mine, Rick, I new he had bought a yacht before I left Darwin in 2003 but didn't realise that this was the one he'd bought.

Anyway, just to set the record straight, even though this turns out to belong to a mate I don't have any interest in the sale but am aware that there is some interest on the forum, hence why I had a look at her tonight and why I will share these pic's and information here.

These boats are built in Indonesia using very basic tools and generally traditional local methods as such they are very "agricultural" but very solid. This one was built in Sulawesi. I reckon there's enough timber in one of these to build 2 or 3 boats of the same size if it was milled properly.

Rick had limited time but I was able to have a good look over her and spent some time afterwards having a few beers down at the marina in the interests of research to get the low down from a few other friends after Rick had left. Rick is a particularly nice bloke and very straight up so I know what he says is well and truly on the level but there's nothing quite like the opinions you hear over a few beers with the local yachties to get the real low down.

I'll post a swag of photos here and will follow up with another similar prahu that's berthed behind her and which has been nicely done up to show what else can be done with these nice solid boats.

Here's the sale notice in boatpoint for a few details:

http://www.boatpoint.com.au/boats-for-sale/boatdetails.aspx?R=7127233

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii11/Larks_01/bp4995256565955774520.jpg
What I was able to determine this evening:

She feels very solid and, as attested to by the guys that I know at the marina, has been well looked after by the owner with the consistent help of a professional shipwright who is considered the guru of wooden boats around here, Tony Douvelet (not sure of the spelling). Tony has done all work on her including cutting out and repairing some rot in the stem and in a plank just below the waterline. She has just been out for antifouling (April) and had the garboard calking replaced by Tony with Oakum to resolve a persistent leak that had troubled Rick and it has been resolved.

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii11/Larks_01/P6260169.jpg

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii11/Larks_01/P6260147.jpg


Construction is Vitex (http://www.primetimberproducts.com.au/vitex.htm (http://www.primetimberproducts.com.au/vitex.htm) ) below the waterline and teak above the waterline.


Fastenings are either 316 stainless bolts and screws or traditional dowel pegs?(not sure what you call them).
http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii11/Larks_01/P6260102.jpg

Ballast is lead ingots under the floor boards from the mast back to the motor.
http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii11/Larks_01/P6260105.jpg
Decks are calked with what looks like sikaflex or some sort of butyl mastic, they don't seem to leak but Rick has painted the cabin tops and sides with "Emerclad" to resolve leaks there. A lot could be done to make this look and work better - maybe canvas on the cabin top and something like emerclad in the rest of the decks similar to the other prahu there (see later photos).

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii11/Larks_01/P6260143.jpg

[Larks]

The engine is a Perkins 4108 - about 50hp? 4 cylinder and although we didn't start it up the guys in the marina reckon it sounds perfect, very smooth and reliable. This photo is looking forward from back under the cockpit - not much in the way of sound proofing other than what you see:

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii11/Larks_01/P6260109.jpg

Fuel is only about 50 litres in a stainless tank under the companionway stairs over the engine.

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii11/Larks_01/P6260119.jpg


Rigging is pretty basic, headsail is on a boom and sheets tie off up forward near the mast, you wouldn't want to be into tweaking your sails with this set up.

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii11/Larks_01/P6260125.jpg

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii11/Larks_01/P6260121.jpg

She has running backstays. Main sheet runs back behind the cockpit and isn't necessarily that easy to get to from the helm position.

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii11/Larks_01/P6260149.jpg

The mast is what you see in the photo, a big stick. The main boom is new and has been built by Tony - birds-mouth jointed (traditionally it would be a big stick of bamboo apparently)

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii11/Larks_01/P6260122.jpg

Once she is set up and sailing she is apparently a joy to sail.

[RFNK]

Love it! Thanks Larks! Rick (not the same)

[Larks]

Rick is selling her because he really needs someone else with him to sail her and wants something that he can take out easily himself. The headsail will generally tack easily but he's not keen on jibing her, if she stalls on the way around someone generally needs to go forward to backwind the self tacking headsail.


http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii11/Larks_01/P6260138.jpg
It shouldn't be too hard to modify the rig to set her up to be suitable to sail alone.

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii11/Larks_01/P6260120.jpg

I don't think it would be that easy to set up an auto helm without a hydraulic system of some sort if you wanted one for passage making. I didn't ask Rick if he ever got out and tried to balance her and tie the helm off but that might not be too hard to do anyway.

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii11/Larks_01/P6260127.jpg

There is plenty of deck space and the cockpit is a very comfortable set up. There's not a great deal of camber to the deck and there's a chunk of frozen snot either side of the companionway where water had once pooled because of that lack of camber. The snot was apparently layed down up in Indonesia before she came to Oz.

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii11/Larks_01/P6260141.jpg

There's a fibre glass awning over the cockpit, looks a bit agricultural but does the job. Could easily be cleaned up or replaced with a bigger canvas one to role away if preferred.

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii11/Larks_01/P6260100.jpg

[Larks]

Down below is very basic but reasonably roomy. No bedding, sink, shower, toilet (the toilet is a hole in the stern), Rick prefers to role his swag out on one of the wooden benches and has just bought himself a camp toilet for his wife and other female guests comfort.

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii11/Larks_01/P6260103.jpg

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii11/Larks_01/P6260112.jpg


http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii11/Larks_01/P6260113.jpg
There's a lot that could be done below to set her up for a comfortable live aboard at little cost, and a lot more that could be done on top of that with a few $$$. The anchor chain pipe takes up a lot of space where it runs down beside the mast, it'd be nice to tidy that up to set up a decent bed up forward. The benches to port and starboard are quite big so would also make comfortable bunks. A few good portholes would be very useful for some air flow and light and even another hatch in the cabin top. There's good standing headroom (if you're under 6').

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii11/Larks_01/P6260111.jpg

Looking aft from down behind the port side of the engine - goes on forever:

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii11/Larks_01/P6260107.jpg

Forepeak from stb'd side of mast:
http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii11/Larks_01/P6260117.jpg

I could rattle on quite a bit with what could be done to her and might do so if the interest is there, but the bottom line seems to be:


She is very solid
She appears to be well looked after and any problems have supposedly been resolved by a professional wooden boat shipwright, Tony Douvelet. He would be available to discuss her condition if necessary and I reckon would be better value than any surveyor.
In her current configuration she is difficult to sail alone
The engine is in very good condition and is big enough to consider her a good motor sailor so on that basis she could feasibly be taken out alone. (I didn't think to ask how well she backs up for berthing alone but can easily ask.)
I didn't go as far as getting him to put the sails up but am advised that they are in pretty good condition and I will be able to go back and have a better look when more time allows if need be.
She is no great thing of beauty, very agricultural but - as I say, very solid.
Personally, I see plenty of potential after having a look at the other prahu near by. I can try and get some interior photos of her at some stage if they'd help.

[Larks]

Some more snaps:

The toilet:

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii11/Larks_01/P6260129.jpg

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii11/Larks_01/P6260144.jpg

Port hole?

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii11/Larks_01/P6260118.jpg

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii11/Larks_01/P6260136.jpg

This might be a repeat, (tough...it's late :o)

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii11/Larks_01/P6260133.jpg

[Larks]

And berthed just behind Bintang Tengah is Cahaya Utara to show what else can be done. A bigger rig but apparently set up to sail alone.
http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii11/Larks_01/P6260150.jpg

Most of the deck has been painted with Emerclad but an area in the cockpit left clean for effect:

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii11/Larks_01/P6260153.jpg

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii11/Larks_01/P6260154.jpg

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii11/Larks_01/P6260155.jpg

More modern rig:

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii11/Larks_01/P6260156.jpg

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii11/Larks_01/P6260165.jpg

[Larks]

I should add, I didn't lift out any of the ballast and poke around under the mast as I was going to and for the same reason couldn't get down into the bilges as I would have liked. I know that Tony Douvelet will let us know if there are any sins to be aware of. But if the interest here is serious I will certainly spend a lot more time in going over everything more thoroughly, engine, sails, timbers, any equipment, rigging and so on.

I also forgot to mention tht Rick is going to send me some photos of her out of the water as well as an old survey that he had when he bought her. I'll post those when I get them.

cheers

[Pernicious Atavist]

Wooden pegs would be called, in English (or European?) "trunnels" - tree nails!

[Larks]

Thanks Ed, the "ahaaa" moment.....it was very late last night when I was posting this and I simply couldn't think anymore, Rick had another word for them again - probably Indonesian but I can't remember.

[2MeterTroll]

that is one awesome boat! thanks larks

[Larks]

OK, some photos from Rick of her under sail and out of the water, followed by a copy of her last survey (if it is readable in this format).

BTW, it turns out the mast is a great big stick of teak and it also looks like there is an autopilot for her!!

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii11/Larks_01/0002.jpg

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii11/Larks_01/0004.jpg

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii11/Larks_01/0008.jpg

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii11/Larks_01/IMG_5482.jpg

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii11/Larks_01/IMG_5483.jpg

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii11/Larks_01/BintangTengahP1.jpg

[Larks]

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii11/Larks_01/BintangTengahP2.jpg

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii11/Larks_01/BintangTengahP3.jpg

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii11/Larks_01/BintangTengahP4.jpg

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii11/Larks_01/BintangTengahP5.jpg

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii11/Larks_01/BintangTengahP6.jpg

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii11/Larks_01/BintangTengahP7.jpg

[2MeterTroll]

damn i wish i had the money to trip down and look at that boat. shes a pretty one and it looks like not ruined by someone with a magpies eye.

[Larks]

damn i wish i had the money to trip down and look at that boat. shes a pretty one and it looks like not ruined by someone with a magpies eye.

Well I've got a spare bed here until the end of August so your accomodation at least would be free.

I reckon someone could make a reasonable business of buying one of these at a time up in Indonesia and fitting them out with a decent engine like Rick has done and selling them off at whatever stage of fitout a buyer might want it. I don't know what their availability is now but they used to be quite easy to come by if you knew where to go. When I sailed around the place a bit I'd see them being built on the beach here and there in the middle of knowhere. It would have been very easy to drop anchor and hang around for a while to either buy one in build and get it finished how you want or get one built from scratch.

[PeterSibley]

Good one Greg ...well done .

[Wild Dingo]

ta... BUMP!! ;)

More info Greg :cool: of particular interest is the changes necessary or rather done to her rig to make her single handed possible ala the neighboring one

Cheers mate
Shane

[Larks]

Mate, I'm back on the GC for a few days but have lined up to catch up with the other Greg from another Prahu when I get back. He's not from Cahaya Utara as I first thought but from a bigger one and he knows the guys that built Bintang. Apparently Bintng was the official party boat for a while up in Indo'.

I am also hoping to meet the guy who owns Cahaya Utara though if another mate can track him down and have a look through her and a closer look at her rig with the covers off.

I'll also get the donk fired up on Bintang and have a closer look at her sails.

[Wild Dingo]

Legendary stuff mate :cool:

One good things seems to be the amount of knowledge thats up there for her and those like her this could make it easier in many ways :cool:

Cheers
Shane

[Captain Intrepid]

She sure is pretty, and I love that cockpit configuration!

[donald branscom]

Nice solid built boat.
Get rid of that filthy hat.

[Wild Dingo]

Nice solid built boat.
Get rid of that filthy hat.

It looks like its almost to national treasure status so no doubt Rick will take it with him ;)

The boat is the thing Donald and as you say "nice solid built boat" ... the hat is not even on the radar :p

[Wild Dingo]

ahem.... Greg???... I am home again you know??? :cool:

[Larks]

ahem.... Greg???... I am home again you know??? :cool:

Yep, and the spare beds made and there's beer in the fridge and I emailed you the contact numbers for Rick, Paul and the other Greg a few days ago and the weather here is brilliant...........sooooo????

[Peerie Maa]

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii11/Larks_01/P6260136.jpg
Looks to me as though that counter has been lengthened, there is a line of buts on that photo. I'm also surprised the the surveyor missed it.

[Duncan Gibbs]

Hmmmmm.... A Junior member with three posts, two of which are judgemental and WAAAAY OFF beam!! Larks is not selling the boat and doesn't gain any financial benefit from it being sold. Nor do you, it seems, know jack shit about the proximity of Darwin to Indonesia, or how many regionally indigenous boats may be in the harbour there. The fact that there are TWO in this thread that have passed inspection and are registered in the Northern Territory points out how incorrect your second post above is. BTW, it's Indonesia NOT Thailand. So I suggest you post something useful and quit typing drivel.

[Duncan Gibbs]

So whilst it is an interesting vessel there is a reason that the only people sailing these are Indonesian fishermen.

Why don't you go and buy something in plastic. Only people with rocks in their heads mess about with wooden boats! :rolleyes:;)

[Larks]

Looks to me as though that counter has been lengthened, there is a line of buts on that photo. I'm also surprised the the surveyor missed it.


Hi Nick, it has indeed been lengthened but it hasn't been missed by anyone. You can actually see it much more clearly up in the first lot of photos, one showing the full stern area from behind is as clear as dogs balls, no one could miss it, and the other ones in the cockpit show the real stern of the vessel forward of the extension. There's one there looking straight down on it showing the aft "heads".

[Larks]

It seems to me that this is not a discussion about boats but an attempt to advertise and sell a boat which I thought was against the forum rules

read post number one (#1) sunshine:rolleyes:.

[Peerie Maa]

Larks,
That open counter could be an original feature of that class of vessel, unless you are familiar with them, who's to know. If the shift of buts had been worked properly, no one would have any reason to suspect that the addition was not original. I'm still wary of a Surveyor who did not comment on such a rough piece of boat building.

[Larks]

They are certainly a feature of these vessels but possibly varying from region to region where they are built, if you have a look at Cahaya Utara's stern she has the same stern "heads" overhang, but built quite differently. It isn't really surprising that the original surveyor didn't comment on it further than what he has said about it in the description, when you see it it is very obvious what it is.