Cruise

Private Label Worldwide announce the launch of ‘Si Datu Bua’

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Category: Cruise

Created on Friday, 13 July 2012 15:02

New wooden sailing yacht available for charter, SE Asia and the Indonesian Archipelago

Private Label Worldwide have announced the launch of ‘Si Datu Bua’. Si Datu Bua promises to be equally as magnificent as her older sister, Silolona, the flagship of an extraordinary fleet of newly built, yet traditional wooden sailing ships offering unforgettable journeys of exploration throughout South East Asia. Si Datu Bua was inspired by the famed Indonesian trading vessels of the Spice Island Trade Routes known as “Phinisi”, superbly hand-crafted from carefully selected massive timbers and recycled 300 year old colonial teak planks by the Konjo boatbuilders of Ara in collaboration with Seery Yacht Design ( SYD) to International German Lloyds standards of safety and comfort.

The Silolona concept originated with Patti Seery, based upon her extensive knowledge accumulated over the past 30 years in Asia and her passion for the art , history and cultures of the vast Indonesian archipelago. Si Datu Bua was imbued with spirit and tradition from the beginning to the completion of the boat and now her full, magnificent 40 metres truly embodies the spirit and soul of South East Asia.

Each stage of the building of a wooden boat is akin to the birth of a child and involves a commitment for life between the boat owner and the boat builders starting with the joining of keel, the male-female union that starts the new life of the boat that will grow over the coming months, plank by plank, to become a ship, a phinisi . All the handmade simple tools: adzes, axes, chisels, wooden hammers and saws crafted from old sawmill blades and drills that will build the boat are laid upon the keel and brought to life through time honored rituals involving the sacrifice of chickens, incense, and Islamic prayers. Patti, dressed in a traditional sarong prepared symbolic gifts for the boat builders of rice, food and cigarettes and a sarong to symbolise that she would provide for their daily needs while they brought “life” to her child.

The success of Silolona, and Si Datu Bua even more so, clearly stems from a mutual respect and close collaboration between the traditional methods of the boat builders and the technology and materials used in modern yacht design. The true spirit of cooperation between the boat builders and westerners working together fostered “new rituals”. In the West, when a mast is stepped on a sailing ship, a silver or gold coin is always placed under the mast. On Si Datu Bua when the metal fabricated masts and spars designed by Seery Yacht Design were raised by a huge modern crane, a new syncretism based upon a trade of technologies was born. Patti Seery carefully selected ancient Asian coins from all corners of the Indonesian archipelago, representing the trade and exchange of not only goods, but also ideas and religions; Ancient Chinese and Islamic coins, Hindu coins with the image of the creator, Sanghyang Widi and old Javanese coins with Semar, the wise clown who represents ancient wisdom and was old before the world was born, and even a very old Dutch coin dating from the early 1600’s when the Dutch first sailed into the Indonesian Archipelago in search of the fabled home of the precious spices of cloves and nutmeg.

All this history, trade and exchange of ideas was present when these ancient coins were placed ceremoniously under the mast of Si Datu Bua by Patti, six Konjo master boat builders and the Seery Yacht Design team, and with the stifling hot air filled with aromatic ceremonial incense, each person chiseled and burnt their initials directly into the wood of the keel. The wood shavings were then collected and carefully saved, as they are considered to be the afterbirth or “twin soul“ of the child born of an agreement between the master boat builder and the boat owner. These shavings are still believed by the Konjo boat builders to have the power to mystically protect the boat, her owner and all those who sail onboard.

The design of Si DatuBua’s interiors is drawn from the rich cultural heritage and traditions of trade along the ancient Spice Trade routes from the islands of “The Celebes” to the tiny Banda Islands, the native home of nutmeg and mace. Throughout the interior, exquisite attention to detail is evident, from the walls adorned with original maps and charts of SE Asia dating from the 16th -18th century, Chinese trade ceramics, to the ultimate luxury while onboard a sailing ship, bathrooms and showers with plentiful hot water, silky towels made from sustainable bamboo fibers and sumptuous amenities that hint of precious spices. Si Datu Bua boasts three spacious staterooms, each decked out in authentic colours, textures and styles derived from the cultures they embody offering a relaxed yet distinctive atmosphere.

Si Datu Bua will take her guests on once in a life-time journeys throughout Indonesia and SE Asia from Papua and Raja Ampat, the holy grail of divers in the East, to the Spice Islands of Banda and further West to Thailand and Myanmar and the Andaman Islands of India, following clear skies and calm seas. The Komodo-Flores region is a perennial favourite noted for diving, spectacular pink sand beaches and the native habitat of the Komodo dragon. In 2012 the Komodo National Park was officially voted one of The Seven Wonders of the World. Si Datu Bua’s dedicated crew of 12 will lead guests to little known corners of this magnificent archipelago to experience history, culture and the traditions of its people. Dive or snorkel the best reefs in the world or simply relax on miles of teak deck, sail with fair winds shaded by the magnificent, lofty rust-coloured sails billowing in the wind. Try your hand at kayaking, wakeskateing, wake boarding, fishing or water-skiing, stroll along a deserted pink sand beach or while way the day relaxing, reading a book or hiking.

All meals on board, whether it be Asian Fusion or Western cuisine, are created by Si Datu Bua’s chefs using the freshest local ingredients; from freshly caught tuna to perfectly ripe mounds of luscious tropical fruits and vegetables, from sashimi to home-made sorbet. Fine wines are selected by the dedicated Executive Chef.