Ombak Putih’ History

Built in 1995 in Kalimantan on the island of Borneo, Ombak Putih’s first job was to be a commercial freighter vessel but she was transformed into a charter vessel retaining her Indonesian authenticity and charm.

A traditional Indonesian design, Ombak Putih is a “pinisi” boat used to transport cargo such as spices from the East Indies islands and further afield from Indonesia. Made from the tropical hard-wood, “iron wood”, Ombak Putih is fast becoming a classic yacht, as very few of these original designs remain.

Built by local Indonesian craftsmen using traditional hand tools and Indonesian hard-woods, Ombak Putih is full of cultural knowledge passed down from father to son over centuries.

The shipbuilders use only basic tools with no screws or metal used in the construction. Simple wooden pegs are hammered into hand-drilled holes and sandpaper is made from grinding limestone with coconut and spreading the mixture onto papaya leaves.

Watch the video below of a traditional pinisi boat launch in Indonesia.